Showing posts with label Top Tip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Tip. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 December 2022

Ooops! Another Tip and Advent Day 10

 

hello friends!

Temperatures continue to plunge us into the blue on the weather map and we continue to shiver while trying to save money. One way I have used to economise for a long time is pre soaking my pasta. the only thing you have to make sure you do is to plan in advance. So if you're having pasta for tea at night then you start this off in the morning. It's simple all you need to do is measure out the amount of pasta you're going to need put it into a saucepan and cover it with cold water put a lid on it and leave it until you're ready to cook  The longer you leave it the less time it needs to cook, so that's a minimum of 6 to 8 hours. You have to do a bit of trial and error depending on the brand and type of pasta you are using but all you have to do next when you're ready to cook your pasta dish is put the saucepan on the heat, bring to the boil and simply cook until the pasta is done to your liking. Alternatively, depending on how well soaked your pasta is, if you're doing a pasta bake in the oven you can simply drain it off Add all your ingredients and put it into the oven to finish off without cooking the pasta on stove top any further. It's not going to save you enough for your next holiday abroad, but when we're all looking to pinch the pennies as they say in one major supermarket every little helps.

Today's Advent calendar door ticks all the boxes for me. I hope it does the same for you it's my favourite one so far.  I love the mushrooms on the door, I do have a thing about mushroom illustrations. But then when I opened it, there was a sharp intake of breath! Let me know what you think.




Now for the oops! Yesterday I said we'd finished with the Mary Engelbreit books, however I found one more while I was looking at my bookcases. I think you will like it, possibly a lot. it is called “ Words for Gardeners to Live By” And it is an utter delight! Truth be told, it was a struggle to select the images!








Until next time
Stay safe, stay well, stay warm
Debbie xo

Tuesday, 6 December 2022

Mary, Mary, a Top Tip, and Advent Day 6.

Hello friends!

It's the 6th of December today which means it is also the feast day of Saint Nicholas, and if you would like to discover more you can click on this link I am struggling to type today, so you can read all the information should you so wish.

St Nicholas Day

Today's door was a little tricky to photograph as it's in the very bottom corner and it's quite a long door, which when opened reveals a frog very much ready to eat all those lovely blackberries it is surrounded by. It looks very like the frogs I get in my garden, and just about ready to jump off the page.




The Mary Engelbreit book I have chosen to share today is The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. even the endpapers and the back cover have such attention to detail don't they?





 Another top tip I've got to share with you for keeping food and drinks hot is this. You can warm your bowls and cups before plating up your food by filling them with any surplus boiled, hot water that is sitting in your kettle. It takes the chill off the bowl or the cup so that when you pour your hot soup or drink into your bowl or cup the warmth from your food doesn't transmitter's quickly into the crockery thereby keeping it warmer for longer. Of course, you must always tip the water out before you tip your food in!

Until next time
Stay safe, stay well, stay warm
Debbie xo