Thank you

Dear reader,
Before I start I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments supporting us as we continue to be non smokers. I'm sure it's boring for those of you who never have smoked and we know it is our fault for starting.
It's difficult but we are determined. It's given me some compassion when I see others with addictions and I feel for them.
Never judge a man until you've walked in his shoes.

It is our last day in Kent. My parents returned yesterday evening from their holiday.
I cooked for us all making our favourite faggots, boiled potatoes, carrots and peas with a thick gravy.

Aldi had 4 pork loin steaks for £3.29. I had to go elsewhere for the liver as they don't seem to sell it in either Aldi or Lidl. I got 2 packs for £1.75. I had tried to just buy organic meat for ethical reasons mainly but we just can't afford it. The supermarkets are charging £11 for an organic chicken and trying to work 12 hours a day and still find time to get to a local butcher was just not happening.

The faggots were so quick to make and I made 18 so I froze some for my mum and dad to have another night.

Mum and dad had been on a European cruise around the Med. The recession was very evident in Spain with lots of shops boarded up, which was a shame. I think some of the countries are worse off than us although our high streets are looking pretty dismal too.

Having been out to America a few time, where they have malls, I wonder if we will eventually go,this way too. It's so easy to just drive to a huge car parking area and get out to various shops all in one place. I suppose we have been voting with our feet for some years now.
I look at our High Streets and see, fast food shops, betting shops, pound shops and the occasional charity shop but even these are closing down. We live in a tiny village where there is a supermarket of sorts. I use it in emergencies as the produce isn't great, there is also a farm that sells eggs and milk that I try to use when I can. It's difficult working full time as I tend to go for the easy option and sadly the easy, supermarket option tend to be the cheapest too.

We will be travelling home to Buckinghamshire today. I've missed our house and our bed. That surely must be a sign of getting old? I'm looking forward to planning our food and using the envelopes for shopping. £50 in each one, we will be a few days short at the end but we will manage.
I think I may be ok the first week as we have a freezer full of bargains I found in Lidl before we went away.
I am looking forward to making our own bread again. Lots of you have given me recipes to try out.
We won't have the heating on at all from now on. British Gas have done a reading while we have been away. They make their bills very difficult to read don't they? We pay them £50 a month for our heating and hot water and we don't really scrimp on baths or showers. They are reducing our direct debit to £44 a month now, I suppose this is to allow for the summer months. I'd like to get this down further, the less I give to them the better. There are some things I don't mind paying for, where I don't feel the company is robbing me. I don't mind the water bill, the Sky bill, the mobile phone bill even but the gas annoys me. It annoys me to think there are old people out there too scared to put it on, freezing to death and they really are.

On a happier note, we have two more days off before we go back to work then it's a short week with the long weekend off for me anyway.
What are your plans for Easter? Will you be cooking something special?

Have a happy weekend.

S. x