What did you do with your Sunday?

I started off my day by going to the allotment and planting the last of my seed potatoes, I also planted a row of supermarket potatoes that had been in the kitchen too long and started to shoot to see how they grow. I put the bean plants I have been hardening off in the ground- I hope I get them to grow and the slugs don't attack them again like last time!

From there I went to the supermarket to attempt the £40 challenge. I got some salmon, falafel, pork, bread and new potatoes in the reduced section. I needed to buy cleaning products today My shopping came to £47 this week which means for the next 3 weeks I need to spend on average less than £38 to achieve the target of spending less than £160 on food. I still have a lot of meat/ fish in the freezer so it should be possible.

I read a post on Astra's blog last week explaining how to make bread. I followed her instructions from her post, and the ones she left me in the comments underneath it. Here's how I got on;

The ingredients ready to be mixed

After 10 minutes of amateur kneading

Ready to rise

Risen

Loaf one cooked, incidentally this loaf no longer exists just hours after this picture was taken.

Loaf number 2, this one stuck a little to the dish so slightly misshapen on the bottom but does taste good still

Loaf number 1 five minutes after coming out of the oven

This bread is still slightly more dense than that we are used to but not as dense as previous attempts before I had Stephanie. When you consider she was 6 last weekend that is how long I have thought bread making to be beyond me. With the resounding success today I am going to continue trying to make my own this shot is Astra's recipe written out to go in my 'tried and tested recipes we love' box. Many thanks Astra!

Whilst the bread was rising/ cooking/ being eaten we also made Yorkshire's to go with the roast dinner we had, cakes for this weeks pack lunches and pastry for tomorrows 'left over chicken' pie.

a learning curve

I got up this morning to bake the bread and muffins; the muffins taste great, the bread however was a little on the heavy side, but Stephanie likes it. It tasted good with a little of my home made blackberry jam spread on it.

the muffins

the bread

Have been and watered the plants we are growing and they are looking very impressive, if I do say so myself. Just look at these fine specimens:

Am currently considering a new shampoo, should I try a organic/no chemical type one which costs more financially but is good for the environment or do I buy a normal shampoo which costs little financially but not as good for the environment. Hmm pondering and internet research required I think..............