Right now I am working through all the tins and dried goods in the pantry, to minimise the amount we have to move in April. I recognise that having been short of cash in earlier years, I've developed the habit of keeping the larder stocked. I like to think that I can produce a passable meal 'at the drop of a hat' if visitors arrive unexpectedly. Using Roger's Wholesale is wonderful, and saves a lot of money. The box of 12 crumble mixes which cost me about £2.50 turns any leftover fruit into a quick pud. They are just past their "best before" - but honestly you cannot tell the difference.
I did consider putting a bag together for the weekly church food collection - but that needs a long use by date - and I could only manage a bag of pasta and a can of apricots, plus pilchards from my larder - everything else was too old to give away [I ended up buying things] So we are "eating up the cupboards" ourselves - and a lot of the stuff is carb rich, rib sticking, winter foods. Breadmaking is a lovely thing to do, as is cake making. We had a hamper of Betty's Foods as a Christmas present - delicious cookies, sweets, jams...and there's still a Panettone in the cupboard. It must be eaten, I cannot throw it away.
Result - I am
TOO HEAVY. My weight now is the highest it has ever been, even when pregnant. I'm hovering at the 70kg mark -around 11 stone in 'old money'. Perhaps hovering is the wrong word - that implies graciously floating.
I'm working hard at doing 10K+ steps a day - even if they keep telling me this is just a figured used in a promotional thing for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, and hasn't really any relevance [and according to an 'expert' on Radio 4, women of my age only need to do 7K daily to maintain fitness] and I am trying to avoid between meal nibbles.
I've brought all the fabric down from the loft now. The remaining stuff was sorted - and very little kept. One bag was given to a lady who makes facemasks. These final two huge bags were given away yesterday. So this means that in the past week I have actually disposed of 70kg of fabric- that's my own bodyweight ! Which feels good. The weight has gone from the joists if not my joints!
It's hard to diet in winter. I think we're programmed to store food in the cupboards and the body! It's even worse now with the fear of the plague beyond the front door.
ReplyDeleteYes, an extra layer of blubber to keep us warm!
DeleteI'm eating down my stores at the moment. They got a bit out of hand as the minimum grocery delivery order was £40 so I bought quite a few tins to make up the value of the order.
ReplyDelete£40 is a lot of money for one person living alone. I can see why your store of tins will have built up
DeleteYou did well with the craft clearance. I keep walking into my boxroom, turning around and walking back out, though yesterday I did sort out my hoard of vintage cotton reels! I'm exactly the same as you on the weight-gain front but with yesterday's depressing 'further lockdown' news, I just want to keep eating!
ReplyDeleteComfort eating, and the fact that many of us are wearing 'easy fit' clothes all the time does not help.
DeleteYou are, as always, very impressive. I am much wider than I have ever, ever been, with uncomfortable clothes and wobbling when I move. Winter weather and darkness and the need to be dinner lady are my excuses for not getting anywhere close to 700 steps let alone 7000.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were burning up all those calories with your sea water swimming exercises, Mags?
DeleteAh, that's really difficult! What a good forward planner you are to be using up so much for moving! It's weird to think that your last year of full time ministry has been such a strange one- as in, not doing the usual things you would do! How do you feel about that?
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying seeing you (a version of me, the eternal hoarder of 'just in case' and hating waste) reduce your stashes- very well done to you. I hope I can come and visit you in Norfolk once you've moved (and when things are normal again) - What are you going to do without the stash?!?!
Yes- it has been a strange year - no Kids Club, no Carol Services, no OAP lunch club each Thursday. No going out lay preaching on Sundays, or Pastoral Visiting to peoples' homes or hospital beds. That's a little sad- and leaving without a Farewell Party and Hugs will be especially difficult.
DeleteI am keeping a small proportion of the stash - about 25% I think, as I want to do more sewing and crafts in retirement. And I am so looking forward to visits from [and to] all my East Anglian blogfriends.
I'm having a bit of the same issue at the moment, I don't want to waste food but I'm trying to go back on my low carb eating program so it's a bit of a juggling act at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThere is too much comfort food stored up here at the moment. We are in a hard lockdown so difficult to donate so I donate money instead. I take meals to an elderly neighbour (who is very skinny) so I can try to fatten hime up a bit! :-)
People are being so creative in the ways that they are caring for one another- especially on the food front. I cannot eat low-carb right now, I have stuff in the cupboard I want to eat up!! I'll have more Salad in the Spring.
DeleteI need to lose some weight, myself. I weigh a little bit more than what you weigh now and that is after losing some weight! Well done on giving away so much of your fabric stash! I made some inroads into my yarn stash, however, and have just enough yarn left for two more sweaters and a pair of socks!
DeleteI haven't knitted any socks since moving to Dorset. My favourite sock blogger has to be Marit in Norway https://maritshobbyblogg.blogspot.com/
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