During my time off, we’ve been experimenting with some Vegan and vegetarian fare. The food we make has been good, such as bean casserole, lentil dhal, Haloumi ‘burgers’ (delicious!) though with my son being lactose intolerant, we have tried some specific Vegan fare, with very mixed results. I eat cheese, yogurt, milk with no ill-effects but ice cream, no matter how good, always makes me feel somewhat sick. With that in mind we tried Roar vegan ‘ice cream’. We’ve tried 2 different flavours, and honestly if I had to blind taste it, I wouldn’t know it wasn’t ‘real’ ice cream: it’s that good. It’s suitable for the Deckhand, and it doesn’t make me feel ‘yucky’ so high marks all round. In the past, we’ve also had a Morrison brand vegan version, chocolate, that was very good, and a version from Tesco that was pretty good too, though this time of year they’re sometimes hard to get hold of.

Vegan ‘cheese’ however was a totally different ball game, and I won’t mention brands because I don’t want to get into any trouble. We had an extra discount in the store I work at, so thought this a good time to try a few different brands, and different types. The one that had chilli and jalapenos in smelled so revolting that I wouldn’t even try it. The Ship’s Dog started sneezing as soon as the pack was opened, I kid you not, and demanded to be let out. The Deckhand had a tentative taste and almost threw up lol. Into the food waste bin, it went. The second was a smoked applewood variety. Didn’t smell too bad, but it did not taste good, into the food waste bin. The mozzarella was okay, though when cooked it melted, didn’t brown, and just stuck to and coated our teeth. Yuck! Into the… you get it. Vegan ‘jelly’ sweets went the same way a few weeks ago. The Deckhand also recently tried a branded version of ‘sausages’ and they looked and smelled good. I had a small taste, not bad, though within hours he was violently sick. Apart from the ‘sausages’, we’d eaten the same food that day, so into… For now, his experimentation with vegan products has halted. Thank goodness! I don’t mind him trying new foods, however if they mostly end up in the bin, it gets costly. He’ll have to stick to homemade vegan meals for now at least and intersperse them with occasional vegetarian meals just watching how much dairy he eats. I don’t mind having these, now and again, though I doubt I could ever give up fish.

As for my ‘List’: The car has had a service. I took the car to the garage at 08.30 on Wednesday, and it was minus 3C. Later it ‘warmed’ up to a balmy minus 1C. Good grief, too cold for my liking. The wheels needed realigning so that added a little extra, but no major problems thus far. I’ll most likely need new brakes come the MOT in a few months’ time.

I emptied the under stairs cupboard. Found a pot of paint that matches the living room and hallway, so I touched up the damaged paintwork. I was well-pleased. I unpacked a few small boxes, then unpacked my ‘posh’ dinner service. I started to wash the crockery, but then thought of all the rearranging I’d need to do to get it in the cupboards, so I packed it back up lol. I’ve rearranged the under stairs cupboard and it looks so much tidier now.

I’ve topped up the dog food and treats, so if the weather does turn bad, he won’t go hungry. He’s mostly okay though had an ‘off’ day after he pancaked on the kitchen floor. I have newspapers down, for any wet feet, but it didn’t help him that morning. I’ve toyed with a small rug out there, so he won’t slip, but I fear it would get dirty very quickly. At least old newspapers can then be recycled.

I treated myself to a new pair of trousers for work. Even using a belt, I find I’m adjusting my trousers all morning as they’re too loose now. I managed to fit into a size smaller though they are a tad ‘snug.’ Following the Christmas stall, my weight loss has picked up again so I’m sure they’ll feel looser very soon. I was so pleased to drop a size, and they’re the right colour for the supermarket, cargo style too, which is what a lot of them wear. I could have them from work, for free, however they have a high polyester count and that plays havoc with my eczema. At least the ones I bought myself are 100% cotton. They’re nice! I shall see how they wear and may even get a second pair.

This is the coldest winter I’ve experienced in some years, and I don’t care for it LMAO. I’m usually a hardy soul though I’ve found, as I’ve gotten older, I really feel the cold now. Thursday, the temperature when I went out was minus 3C, again. I hope it warms up again soon.

As well as the above, I have indulged in some R & R, and have watched a couple of movies, caught up on some sleep – fantastic, and enjoyed walks with the Ship’s Dog when the weather permitted.

Take care if out and about. Keep safe and warm if you can.