Briefly Last Week............

Thanks for all the weather comments yesterday - I always love it when a comment turns into a post and makes lots more comments!

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Briefly last  Saturday I thought about a week of meal photos, but then the leek and kale fritters served with bacon and tinned tomatoes on Sunday weren't very photogenic (although it was a very filling and tasty meal for a day with snow).

Which started off looking like this, got heavier with huge flakes which somehow settled on the very wet ground for an hour before everything turned to rain - quelle surprise!

I eat my main meal about 1 o'clock-ish nowadays, preferring to eat a much smaller meal later in the day...............sign of old age I reckon!

The famous nutritional advice to "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" is most commonly attributed to Adelle Davis (1904–1974), a prominent American nutritionist and author. She popularized this phrase in the mid-20th century to promote eating a heavy breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light dinner for better health. 

Breakfast each morning at the moment, until I fancy a change. Chopped apple/pear and prunes, warmed for a minute in the microwave, toast  (home made bread  50/50 wholemeal/white) and cheats home made marmalade and a large coffee.

 This was one day.............

Main meal - Stir fry carrots, onion and chopped kale with noodles and soy sauce and two each cook-from-frozen party food ....... mini spring rolls and tempura prawns. Small meal - Celery, Hovis biscuits and Blue Stilton cheese.

That was the end of that brief foray into a food blog week!

Last weeks good news was the letter from NHS telling me all was well with my mammogram. Last weeks  bad news was a letter from HMRC telling me I'd earned too much money from my savings so they'd have to tell Suffolk County Council to tax me more on the spouses pension. 

Oh well, I downsized to have some savings - Ha!

I know lots of people aren't watching the Winter Olympics but if you can cope with it have a look today at the GB team in the Men's Curling at 6pm this evening. They did so well to get through to the final. It's a fascinating sport, tactical and more difficult than it looks of course. I'll be cheering them on from Mid Suffolk

Back Monday

Why?

This was a comment last Saturday.  

Anonymous15 February 2026 at 07:09

So many posts on UK blogs about depressed-sounding pensioners sitting around looking out at the rain. Don’t you ever long for a bit of adventure in foreign lands? With the internet it’s so easy now to organise affordable accommodation for a couple of months. Have you never considered escaping the winter? Helen.

I know why I don't long for adventure or fancy two months somewhere warmer - it would be no fun on my own and I'd be bored stiff!

And anyway, I'm English, moaning about the weather is what we do and always have........

On 26th February 1768, MP  Horace Walpole said in his journal "We are drowning again for the second winter, and hear of nothing but floods and desolation"

And weather folklore says..... 

                                                         "If in Februeer there be no rain,

                                                           The hay won't be good, nor the grain.

                                                          All other months of the year

                                                            Most heartily curse a fine Februeer"

Apparently rainfall records have been broken this winter in many places, so we aren't imagining it!

Chocolate Brownies for Grandchildren

 It's good to have something in the freezer that all grandchildren like for a dessert. Adults don't refuse them either.

This is a recipe from the WI Chocolate recipe book and always turns out well. I've added it to the separate recipe page.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES 

These are good served warm with ice cream.

4 oz butter diced

4oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces

1 Tablespoon Golden Syrup

5oz dark muscovado sugar

5oz castor sugar

4 eggs, beaten

8oz SR Flour

1½oz cocoa powder

2oz white chocolate drops or chopped (optional)

2oz walnut pieces(optional)

Line base and sides of a 30cm x 22cm tin (12 inches x 8½ inches)

Preheat oven to 180℃/ 160℃ -fan

Place butter, chocolate and syrup in a large saucepan and melt gently over low heat.

Add all other ingredients and mix really well.

Spoon into tin, spread evenly into corners

Bake for approx 30 minutes until it has risen and is firm to the touch and coming away from the sides

Allow to cool in tin.

 Cut into 32 or 24 pieces.

The photo below is from when I made brownies and cheese straws back in early January.

Crowded Jumble Sale and Rye Flour

 The jumble sale last Saturday, a fundraiser for a village hall in a nearby village, was absolutely packed with people. I just picked up a three things for £1

Something for Granddaughter to do when she's here, another freezer storage box and lid, the right size for putting small cakes in the freezer and a solid clipboard for the check-in charts for Keep Moving group, I've been using a cardboard one for the last three years and it's falling apart.

BUT while looking round I lost my woolly hat, which I'd shoved in my pocket as everyone went in, so annoying as I'd had it ages. It probably fell out of my pocket and got added to the jumble! I can't go out in winter without something over my ears as getting cold can make me dizzy. When I got home I searched high and low for two other pull on beanie type hats that I had and they've vanished, I do still have two but one is a very thin knit and the other is an old fleece hat that lives by the back door for going in the garden. 

So that jumble sale has ended up costing  me more money than I wanted as I've sent for two different new hats - one home knitted from the Oxfam online shop  and a cheapie from ebay. (just occasionally I wish I'd had the patience to learn to knit!)

Then even more annoying, when I put my other coat on on Tuesday I found one of the vanished hats in my pocket ................duh!

After the jumble I went on to the next village for their monthly craft/farmers market and got a bag of rye flour to try (I've been wanting to try to make medieval maslin bread for ages)

 BUT what I'd not realised was that rye flour needs a different mixer blade for my bread machine as it makes a very sticky dough. I could make by hand but find kneading dough very hard on the wrists now. New blades for the bread machine are cheap enough so I sent for a pack containing one of each - normal and rye -  handy to have a spare anyway while it's still available.

So even though the sun was shining for the first time for many days it didn't feel as if I'd had a successful day.

Ho Hum

17th February Chinese New Year

 I don't really know much about Chinese New Year or Spring Festival except that it's  very important  for the Chinese, where ever they are, but it gets a mention in the Almanac for today.

The date of the Chinese New Year is calculated by the date of the Lunar New Year, which falls at some point between 21st January and 20th February. Celebrations start on the New Year's Eve and finish with a Lantern Festival on the 15th day and include dragon dances, lion dances and fireworks.

Customs and traditions include thoroughly  cleaning your house before New Year but not sweeping on New Years Day in case luck is swept away. Windows and doors are decorated with red paper cut-outs and money given in red envelopes.

The Chinese zodiac is a twelve year cycle with each year being represented by an animal. This year is the year of the Horse (it says Fire Horse in the Almanac book)

• Rat 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 

• Ox  1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 

• Tiger 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 

• Rabbit 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 

• Dragon 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 

• Snake 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 

• Horse 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026

• Goat 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027

• Monkey 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028

• Rooster 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029

• Dog 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030

• Pig 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

• 
  

• 
  

I was born in 1955, the Year of the Goat - which I reckon explains a lot!.

This Week

 We know about Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday but  each day of this week has a name..................

Collop Monday had other names in different parts of the country - Carnival Monday, Rose Monday, Hall Monday, Peasen Monday and Nickernan Night.

Nicky, nicky nan,

Give me a pancake and then I'll be gone,

But if you give me none

I'll throw a great stone

And down your door shall come.

This was the last day for eating meat and  for eating up collops of bacon and meat. Any fresh meat still available would be sliced and salted to preserve it until after Lent . A Collop - a Scandinavian word, means a slice of meat.  

 

Shrove Tuesday also had other names -Bannock Night, Brose Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras.

Shrove Tuesday is the last day of Shrovetide and can fall anytime between 3rd February and 9th March.  And since medieval times  the last day for rich foods before Lent fasting starting the next day -and it really was fasting back then - no eggs, no fats, no meat. It was customary to make confession on this day too. But it was also a day for merrymaking and fun and feasting on the last of the eggs and butter.

Pancake Tuesday is a very happy day,

If we don't have a holiday we'll all run away,

Where shall we run, up High Lane,

And here comes the teacher with a great big cane.

Mix a pancake, stir a pancake, pop it in the pan,

Fry the pancake, toss the pancake -

Catch it if you can.

( children's rhymes from the past )

Lacemakers had to stop using candles on this day, no matter the date or the weather conditions.

Ash Wednesday 
The first of the 40 days of  abstinence. The word Lent comes from old English lencten  and Germanic langatin  meaning spring or lengthening of the days. Originally only 1 meal a day was eaten during Lent. It's thought the origins  of fasting might date back as far as 325CE to the Council of Nicaea.

Fritter Thursday
Maybe because of the dough fritters that were often eaten in meatless Lent or perhaps using the last of the stored apples dipped in a flour and water batter?

Kissing Friday or in some places Nippy-Hug day
Once this was the day when boys had the right to kiss girls without being told off,  if the kiss was refused they could nip the girls bottom!

(Information from some of my folklore books)

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And meanwhile .......how about GB at the Winter Olympics.........3 Gold Medals - Never been done before! Well done to them all.

Back Tomorrow

Into the Middle of February, Just Books and Shopping.

 And of course next day -the digger had to come back to fill in the grave.... 

................now the entrance is even muddier than yesterdays photo. The mourners and men with the coffin came in the top gate and walked down the shingle path avoiding the mud - thankfully. ( I don't stand watching funerals! but it's right opposite the bungalow so can hardly avoid seeing what's happening when I'm in the kitchen)

Such a grey gloomy week with lots of rain. I've not been far at all. The Winter Olympics on TV have kept me company - curling, skeleton, snowboard cross, ice dance and three books have been finished.....although one was a children's book and read very quickly. I even started to feel guilty that all I'd done was watch TV and read, with the odd bit of housework thrown in but then tried to think of other things I ought to be doing.......and there wasn't anything.

This below is by an author who usually writes under Natasha Solomons. I enjoyed 'The Song Collector' and 'The Novel in the Viola' by her several years ago. This is listed completely separately on the Fantastic Fiction website, a one-off under N.E. Solomons, a sometimes violent thriller set in the Balkans after the war there. Details here.

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As mentioned the other day I was out of carrots and eggs, for the good reason of Son doing a roast dinner here for us all last Sunday, so  shopping needed doing 4 days earlier than planned.

There was no point just getting two items so I did the weeks shop at Aldi with lots of bits that will last for several weeks and replacing things that had been used in the last couple of weeks.

Another one  for the 'food-shop-photo-fans!'

There's soft cheese and Blue Stilton (still no Shropshire Blue), tin of tomatoes, two decaf ground coffee - while they had it in stock as they often don't. Celery, kale, carrots and apples. A big tub of peanut butter (no salt, no sweetener - just peanuts, lasts me for months) 1 dozen free range eggs, 4 pints milk and a 600g pack of mini chicken breast fillets.- which I divided up into  5  portions before freezing. The UPF were stuffing mix and tortilla chips and a packet of figgy biscuits- they're there somewhere.

Then on my way home I called in at a village butchers for some lamb scrag/neck of lamb chops and they had some fresh cut,  ¾ Kg for £3 so I was able to divide into 2 separate portions before freezing. I'll be making a delicious lamb stew and dumplings twice (two meals each time) sometime in the next couple of months.

Total spend £30.92. Food spend so far this month £54.27

Out of curiosity at the end of the month I'm going to see what % of my purchases are fruit and veg and other basic simple foods - and how many are Ultra Processed Foods.

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There's a jumble sale today, I might go, if I don't run into flooded roads on the way .

Daffodils and Mud

Found something to post about..............

Like the snowdrop photos the other day, these daffodil buds, not too far from opening, are on the bank of the Churchyard. The few daffodils that survive in my garden are a long way behind.  

After weeks of rain the mini digger came to the churchyard to dig a new grave. Now the lower entrance to the burial ground looks like this. This is often the way mourners and the coffin bearers enter for the committal....oh dear.

The Problem............

........with not going far or doing much of interest is there's nothing to write about! 

This grey, wet weather has a lot to answer for.

Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday. I've never read Moonfleet so will borrow a copy. I wanted to try and read more children's books this year anyway.

Back soonish - probably Saturday. 

A Smugglers Inn

When I found this book at the jumble sale in Eye last month I knew it would feature many of the pubs near where we lived on the coast. The one on the front cover is in Aldringham, just a couple of miles from the smallholding.

Although a lot of information in the book is about the pubs in the past, there is also plenty about how they are now and I'm thinking the book was perhaps sponsored by Southwold Brewers Adnams.

This large hotel/pub used by the smugglers back in the day is in Leiston. It's 5 minutes walk from where YD lives and sometimes we go there for Sunday lunch when I visit.

In the 1800's the licensees of popular inns would have been an important person in the community. Between 1732 and 1834 members of the  Gildersleeves family ran The White Horse. They were known to be valuable ally to the Sizewell Gap smugglers, bringing in contraband just a mile away on the coast. 

This is a bad photo due to reflection but its an ancient 18th Century flintlock pistol in a case on the wall in the pub.

And a facsimile of  a poster from that period.

 It's said that smuggled goods were stored under the platform of the Quaker Meeting House just across the road - unbeknown to the Quakers who met there of course.

The smuggled goods that passed through Leiston in the 1780's would have been mainly tea and there is an account of 80 horses being used to move the load inland.. During 1788 soldiers were billeted at The White Horse to help the Customs men but two soldiers were found to be too drunk to help - probably due to being given a lot of free liquor by Ann Gildersleeves - the licensee at that time.

On the 27th June that year in the Ipswich journal  there was  a report of an inquest held by the coroner, probably at the White Horse, where local coroners courts were often held at the time.

'there was an inquest at Leiston on Robert Debney and William Cooper who entered a cave used as a repository for smuggled goods, they were suffocated by the stench rising from it, a young man who went to their assistance was very near sharing the same fate, the cave was let down and covered over with horse manure in order to exclude excise officers'

 I don't think the White Horse has much smuggling going on in the C21 but the food they dish up for Sunday Lunch is always good!

Snowdrops ....or to give them their Latin name..... Galanthus.

Unfortunately the snowdrops in this picture aren't in my garden. It's four years since blog reader Jan brought me a bag of snowdrops 'in the green' . I planted them in various places in the back and front gardens but  like everything else planted here (except trees) they mostly vanished. A few re-appeared in 2023 but since then only one small clump .  The back garden gets no sun in winter and can be a frost pocket when the weather is bad and the soil is poor anyway. No point planting more.

These snowdrops that I photographed last week are across the road on the bank of the churchyard, right by the road. They have spread really well recently coming up despite being among grass, with water splash from traffic. The bank faces south-west so is in the sun for hours which must make all the difference.

 

The word Galanthus comes from from the Greek words gala (milk) and anthos (flower). Originally a native of alpine areas of Europe and Asia, it was considered to be a holy plant, a symbol of purity, chastity and hope and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to my little book of plant folklore Snowdrops should only be brought into the house with a 'white purification' ceremony  and it was considered unlucky to bring them into the house at all before Candlemas. They were often called Candlemas bells.

Many poets have written poetry about these small flowers

Brother, Joy to you

I've brought some snowdrops; only just a few,

But quite enough to prove the world awake,

Cheerful and hopeful in the frosty dew

And for the pale sun's sake.

Christina Rosetti

SNOWDROPS

I like to think 

That, long ago

There fell to earth

Some flakes of snow

Which loved this cold,

Grey world of ours

So much, they stayed 

As snowdrop flower

 Mary Vivian

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid,

Ever as old time,

Solitarty firstling,

Coming in the cold time,

Prophet of the gay time,

Prophet of the May time

Prophet of the roses,

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

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My plans for no shopping this week went haywire as Son said he'd bring a chicken over on Sunday and cook a roast dinner for us all.  I provided some of the other bits so I've used up all the carrots that were in the fridge and used most of the eggs to make Yorkshire puddings.. I had half a packet of stuffing mix left from the nut roast made before Christmas which was handy and an ice cream dessert in the freezer also from Christmas - so that's been used too.

 I don't like a fridge with no eggs and no carrots - one of my basic veg to have on hand so will have to shop after all.

Main meals this week will be............

Portion of nut roast from freezer with roast potatoes left from Sunday and veg and gravy.

Leek fritters with bacon

Baked fish in batter with sweet potato chips and peas

Portion Quorn Bolognese sauce from freezer over spaghetti 

and other things that I've not thought of yet......I'm not much good at meal planning now it's just me!

In A Carpark, The Food Shop and Curling

 In Suffolk the mobile breast cancer screening service travels to various locations and as I'm 70 it was my turn for my last screening- unless I request more, which I probably will as there is and has been so much cancer in the family (but how to remember to contact them in 3 years time?)

The unit parks in the car-park of the Co-op on the edge of Stowmarket. It was pouring with rain so I didn't get a photo but it's this one below, which in this photo is parked in Leiston Co-op car-park where I used to visit it every 3 years when we were at the smallholding. They were running late so it was a bit of a wait, but I'd rather wait than have to drive all the way to Ipswich Hospital.

I don't understand women who don't take up the chance to be screened. Now it's just a wait with fingers crossed to get a letter saying all is OK......or not. Although the only time I was called back in the last 20 years was because of static on the screen.

And as I was in town I went to  Aldi, Asda and Superdrug so I didn't need to go shopping anywhere for a week. Here we go - a shopping photo for those who love them!

Apples, pears, mini potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, cheese, dried prunes, rice, tortilla wraps, 2 tins sardines, Hovis biscuits for a change, Linda McCartney mozzarella burgers and a tube of pringles. Total £19.95.

Plus 2 packs of paracetamol from Superdrug 78p.

The apples and pears are British and the potatoes are even more local - coming from Wantisden Farms near Woodbridge in Suffolk. Unfortunately the purple sprouting is from Spain - I reckon it's  too wet here for harvesting.

There were several empty spaces in Aldi - no decaf ground coffee, no Shropshire Blue cheese and no dried apricots (I've been eating chopped apple/pear and soaked prunes warmed up in the microwave for breakfast and fancied apricots for a change).

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I've been enjoying watching the GB Curling Mixed doubles at the Winter Olympics. It's one of those things that looks quite simple - just sliding the stone down the ice to land closest to the middle of the circle and trying to get more stones closer than the other team - same as bowls. But all that sweeping and sliding up and down the sheet looks exhausting and the teams all seem to be young and I reckon it's quite hard on the knees too.

Today there is more curling and the skiing events start and also two matches in the six-nations rugby. I hope they are less one-sided than the France v Ireland game when France looked unstoppable. 

February Library Book Photo

 Picked up these from the mobile library, a bit different this month - only two crime and six non-fiction

and the very small book on the right is a children's book.

I've added to the books about spring - seems I'm looking forward as well as getting through Winter with 'Sacred Seasons' and that fiction book 'The Last Song of Winter' by Lulu Taylor (which someone must have mentioned as it doesn't look like a 'me' book at all) ' But 4 other books about getting through Winter still have waiting lists and it will be March and Spring before I get them.

Out of the huge amount brought home in January I've still got 5 here and have read seven so far.

The books I've read up to now are on the Books Read 2026 page. 

First Food Shop of February (NOT a shopping haul - just shopping!)

 I needed eggs (preferably the bargain ones) and remembered that on Wednesdays there's a Country Market  in Eye Town Hall so two birds etc...........

The Country Market is individual makers joining together under the Country Markets Banner. Much smaller and cheaper than Farmers Markets. There used to be one in many towns but now just 4 in the whole of Suffolk. For many years I took produce and cards to Framlingham and before that Stowmarket and Saxmundham (all no longer running). Explanation from internet.............

Country Markets in the UK originated from the Women’s Institute (WI) market scheme, which began in 1919. Originally designed to allow members to sell surplus home-produced goods, these markets evolved into an independent, nationwide network of co-operative social enterprises while retaining their focus on locally made, baked, and grown produce. 

Key Aspects of Country Markets (Formerly WI Markets):

• Origin: Started as a WI initiative, often historically referred to as "W.I. Markets".
• Produce: Markets feature home-baked goods, preserves, eggs, plants, and hand-crafted items.
• Structure: They operate as a social enterprise where local producers sell directly to the public.
• Locations: Held regularly in various towns and villages across the UK.

There were lots of elderly people (older than me!)buying the individual ready prepared meals - what a good idea. I couldn't get close enough to see what they were and ditto the jars of jams etc at the stand on the end of the tables.

While in Eye I 'shopped local' .Leeks from Country Market 60p (apart from Jerusalem (F)artichokes and butternut squash these were the only veg that anyone had brought in for sale). 4 burger baps from Co-op £1.80,  6  eggs from the roadside stall £1 and non food - Antiseptic cream from Chemist £2.49 and two cards (Granddaughter and Daughter in Law) from the Home Start charity shop £1 each.

If you are into sport on TV did you know that the Curling at the Winter Olympics started already -  it was on BBC i player at 6pm last night and several times today also some Ice Hockey. All before the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening. 

I Bought a Book

Who could resist the title and cover?

Considering most of what I read are free library books, rather a lot was spent last year on second-hand books from amazon and abebooks. I don't feel guilty because there are many things I don't spend money on, but I'd really prefer to spend less on books online. It's not something I have to do but  I've set myself a limit for 2026 to not buy online as soon as I see something I really, really, want but to wait to the end of the month and if I haven't spent silly on coffees out  then I'll look again at what's in the online basket.

And as my only food out in January was one bacon roll and coffee at Greggs  when I went out shopping really early I had no hesitation!

And anyway the new book wasn't as much as the money I got for the box of books sent off to World of Books.

Methinks the lady doth protest too much! 

Haven't had a chance to have a good look at the book yet so can't tell you if I'm regretting the purchase!

I've already put a fascinating book, read about on a blog, into my basket - IF I don't spend on any others or have any takeaways in February I'll look at it again at the end of the month.

Another Batch Make

 More batch meals made last week to pop in the freezer. This time it was Salmon, Pasta and Broccoli Bake. I used two tins of Aldi salmon, value range penne pasta, a head of broccoli plus white sauce made from powdered milk and cornflour. I  made sure to make plenty of white sauce because last time I made it the portions ended up a bit dry when reheated. It was topped with grated cheese and home made dried breadcrumbs.

6 portions made - 1 to eat and 5 in the freezer and now I've no more freezer storage boxes with lids that fit them!. The total cost was around about £4.

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The first piece of news on the BBC News at One yesterday was about that awful Ipswich man who killed five women in 2002. He has at last admitted to kidnapping and killing a young school girl several years earlier. A case that has been unsolved all this time. How cruel that he has waited so long to own up. 

 

February Plans

It can be just as cold and grey in February as it is in January and just as likely to get snow. The last big snowfalls here were at the end of Feb 2018 and then the beginning of February 2021 so we are possibly due for another. 

My February will be spent mainly at home again, keeping warm and there'll be plenty to keep me company on the TV as the Winter Olympics start on Friday and the first of this years 6 nations rugby matches is on Thursday, so lots of good sport coming up.

The mobile library is round this week with more books for me - not many crime this time but several non-fiction for a change. They might be  for reading or just for browsing.

There will be Keep Moving Group, maybe a church visit and not a lot else.

Today is Candlemas which I've written about many times before like HERE in 2024 and  HERE in 2019  

And I've also mentioned February weather folklore many times so just one rhyme today............

 

 If Candlemas day be fair and bright

Then winter will have another flight

If Candlemas day be clouds and rain

Winter is gone and will not come again

Monday meal plan for the week in no particular order...........

Leek and Bacon Pilaff + Chunk of home made focaccia bread 

Mini pizzas ( from freezer -uneaten from Christmas) and salad leaves

Quorn Korma curry (one of the batch made recently) with rice and some party extras (bhajis)

and other things!...............