A Quiet Day at Home

   I've just checked all the blogs I follow and only a couple have new entries. I guess they are all busy with their lives. I like to keep up with my entries in case I have to go back and check what I have been up to.

   It was -7C this morning and, although it got up to -2 this afternoon, it was rather chilly and miserable. We haven't seen the sun for a few days which is depressing. However, I have managed to keep busy with errands and chores - my grocery bill today was almost $50, my first big shop since before Christmas. I really needed to restock! I got a lovely piece of salmon for 30% off which is now sliced into three fillets and in the freezer. Also chicken thighs were "on special" so that was another three cheap meals. Now the freezer is full again and should keep me going (apart from fresh fruit and veg) until the end of the month.

   I made a humungous pot of minestrone soup for lunch - it was very tasty with lots of veg (carrots, onion, celery, green beans and tomatoes), pasta and beans. After it was cooked I blended about a cupful to thicken it a bit. I used a can of mixed beans for the soup and picked out all the chickpeas to make hummus which I had with red pepper slices and naan. Very garlicky and lemony, just the way I like it.

   I decided not to go to the monthly dance tonight as demo practice is tomorrow afternoon and that would be too much dancing! So it's a night in front of the fire with the TV to keep me company - hope there's something decent to watch!

Friday the 13th.

   .....turned out to be a good day for me. The temperature was just below zero and the wind was from the north and quite strong, but I had good company over coffee at the Senior's Centre. Of course, we had to get through the Fitness class first!

    I stopped by the mall on my way home and got my hair cut. My hairdresser is so obliging, she took me almost right away - I had to wait 20 minutes so went over to the library and read magazines until she was ready. Then home for lunch (the last of the soup made from the carcass of the Christmas bird. Don't worry, it's been in the freezer since then). After a nap I organized the name tags for the RWTO lunch next Tuesday. This is a new job for me but turned out to be far easier than I thought - took me about an hour and a half. There will be 110 people attending and the speaker is our former Director of Education.

   Salmon for dinner tonight with peas and a potato which I will bake with cheese sauce. I broke down and had a cup of coffee and a muffin this afternoon (I don't usually have a snack between lunch and dinner) as a reward for working on the name tags. However, I mustn't make a habit of this as I still have a couple of pounds to shed from the holiday binge eating. Wish me luck!

Scalloped potatoes straight out of the oven - hope they taste as good as they look!

A Meal Out

     RTO meeting this morning so I had an early start. It was decidedly mild - more like a typical Scottish winter day although they are having significantly colder weather there this week. I arrived just shortly before 9:00 and was relieved to see coffee and muffins were already there! Later fruit arrived, making it well worth while to get there early.

   The meeting was over by 11:15 with only one contentious issue requiring a lengthy discussion. I had one errand to run immediately after, then met up with Donna and Bonnie for lunch at Remeggio's. Bonnie had minestrone soup and Caesar salad, Donna had the sole and I had delicious, crispy crab cakes with Caesar salad. Then we sat around with our coffees setting the world to rights before heading home.

    I picked up a package at the post office on my way - it was my new passport which I am relieved arrived safely. It was extremely easy to renew it by mail and, as I got the 10 year version, I probably won't ever have to renew it again.

   No need for dinner tonight - just a bowl of soup and some crackers and cheese - but I may have tea and a cookie just before I retire!

Back in the Kitchen

     Very mild this morning (3C) and the snow is more or less gone. It's so strange to see green grass at this time of year. Seemingly it was very windy overnight, trees down and power out in places - but I slept through the whole thing. There was even some sun this morning but it didn't last.

   I had a good workout at fitness class this morning and then it was an afternoon in the coffee shop. In between I nipped out to order the haggis for Burn's night at dance group on the 23rd. I got a 5lb. one as I think that will be enough for the 20 of us.

   My new passport is en route to me but I'm having trouble connecting with it. I got a note from the mail man that it was at the local post office - not there - he had tried to deliver it again today while I was out but I should be able to pick it up tomorrow.

   Petronella tonight to practice the rest of the demo dances. Carole is an excellent teacher but she has picked quite difficult dances so it has been a struggle and we only have two more practices. We will have to buckle down and really concentrate!