Lots done and a recipe - veggie cobbler

Thank you for comments, I got a lot done on my day off.  Started out with a list of 6 things, with another 3 added - all things that I wanted to do, rather than had to do.  Well, other than putting a washload on.  Oh, and cooking dinner - more of which later, it was delish.  Managed to complete 7 things off the list, the remaining 2 will be done today.

I put the Christmas decorations up in the hall window, they look really nice, I'm pleased with them.  Will take a pic later if I remember.  I've done the menu plan for our next 3-day restricted diet, which we're going to do Mon, Tues and Weds next week, just need to nip out Sunday to get some fresh veg, we have everything else necessary.  

On the subject of veg, has anyone noticed the price of a sack of spuds in your area?  We've used all our homegrown spuds, other than the very last ones husband planted in bags in the greenhouse, which might be ready next month.  So we decided to buy a 25kg sack of potatoes, they'll keep quite well in our cold utility room.  I think the last time we bought a sack of spuds, admittedly a few years ago, they were around £3 or £3.50.  Well, the local plant nursery and farm shop, which says they have the cheapest prices around, were selling 3 different varieties for...…£10.50 a sack!!  I was gobsmacked.  We ended up buying a half sack - £5.75, which is even pricier for half the amount.  Scandalous.  But it does mean we won't need to buy spuds for several weeks.

I also went on a comparison site and managed to change our dog insurance - the renewal from our present insurers showed a rise of about 50%, which I wasn't prepared to pay - I know we had an initial discount, but 50% is a bit much when we've not made a claim.  I found another insurer offering almost the same cover for considerably less than we pay now, not even including the extra 50%.  Pays to shop around.  

Sat and sewed in the ends on the blanket - it's a job I hate doing, which is why I generally tend to put it off, and am then faced with dozens and dozens to do at the end of the blanket.  Doing 6 or 8 at a time is so much easier.

The dinner - I had some root veggies going a bit soft - carrots, parsnips and new potatoes.  I chopped them all up and parboiled them, then drained and put them in an oven dish.  I added some chopped mushrooms and herbs, then mixed in onion sauce (a packet one, just because we like it).  In the freezer I'd got some cheese scones which had been there for ages and had a bit of freezer burn.  I defrosted them, diced them up and scattered them over the top of the veggies, sprinkled them with olive oil and put the dish in the oven for 20 mins.  When the diced scones were turning brown and crispy, I took the dish out and sprinkled grated Cheddar on top and returned it to the oven.  It was delicious, husband had some broccoli with his, I've given up eating it as I've never liked it and only really ate it because it's good for us.  But with my new philosophy on life I've decided I'm not having it anymore - I don't like broccoli, so I'm not eating it, so there!  How's that for stubbornness and determination?!

Today I just have to do the things I didn't get round to yesterday - making a mincemeat crumble traybake for husband, and some salmon dog biscuits for, er, the dog.  They sound expensive but they're not at all - they're made with a cheap jar of salmon paste.

So my 'day off' wasn't just sitting on my bum watching TV and crocheting all day - far from it, I got loads done, things I haven't had time for other days.  I couldn't sit on my bum all day if I wanted to, it would give me terrible backache.

Oh yes, the boring chutney from the other day.....I reboiled it, adding some more spices and a couple of our homegrown dried chillies, plus the remaining dregs (about a 6th of the bottle) of some ginger wine left over from last Christmas.  Wow, it is now blooming lovely, if I do say so myself.