A FAIRLY NORMAL SATURDAY

Yesterday, we decided to start a little later than usual and got up at 7 a.m. to go to the market.  We enjoyed our market shopping with the produce changing with the season.  It was then down to the Town Basin to walk Sophie and buy some Apple Cider Vinegar at an eco shop. A couple of months ago I purchased some items on line and they didn't quite reach the "free postage" level so I added a bottle of Goulter's A.C.V.  It was delicious and we were pleased to find it available in bulk to fill ones own bottle in an eco shop close to where we walk Sophie so that is what I did yesterday.

We then went to the Supermarket for the items on my list but when I noticed some pasta I decided to buy a couple of packs of mince and some mushrooms as an extra.

We got home about 9.30 a.m. and after breakfast Doug started work on the sunroom and I started preparing and cooking food.  First I diced lots of vegetables and the mushrooms and cooked the mince.  Once that was cooking I cut up the salmon I had bought and froze it in individual portions.

At this stage it was getting close to lunch time and as we are having our main meal I started making a fish pie.  I had bought a large fillet of Monkfish and put it into some seasoned milk to cook.  I had cooked extra mashed potatoe yesterday for the topping as well as a couple of hard boiled eggs.

I had just got to this stage when Doug's eldest Whangarei grandson arrived with his partner.  They were moving from home into a flat and he had come around at 7 a.m. to borrow a trolley to help with the move.  We sat and had a catch up with them before they headed off to do their first supermarket shop.

I then finished the fish pie and we had it a short while later with some broccoli from the garden.  After lunch I made some soup having boiled some bacon bones and, separately, some split peas and lentils the previous day , so I just had to prepare the vegetables and add the stock then the legumes.  Once this was cooking I packed up some mussels that we had bought at the market.  We bought two pottles but, as each one does us for two meals, I like to divide and freeze them so we have four packs in the freezer now.  They are the most delicious raw mussels.

I then trimmed up a piece of topside ready to cook first thing today.  After that I had a shower and put my feet up for a  few minutes while making some phone calls.

Afterwards we had our soup for our evening meal and settled down to watch the U.K. Antiques Road Show followed by a half hour of news and then Phil Spencer's Stately Homes.  I managed to stay awake for Antiques and the Stately Homes but suppose it is not surprising that I had a sleep during the news.

This morning I got up at 6 a.m. and put the topside to cook in a slow cooker and we have just eaten it with some mash and red cabbage.  I will now get the mince packaged up ready to freeze for some instant meals.