I didn't have my weekly shop at the £5 Pantry today as yesterday's frozen food windfall has filled up the freezers. I'm going to have a few days of eating from the store cupboards ready for next week.
Sorted out about 20 books to give away - being collected tomorrow.
Out yesterday, a feed sack full of bits and pieces that I had saved to take to a Charity shop when I next visited the UK. However after 20 years of living here I have finally found one!!!! As well that a big mirror with a hideous frame, Oh well someone will like it,
IN yesterday came a pile of cookery books (not sure why as I never cook from a recipe) and a small dustbin which I plan to use for storing something to do with compost - either ingredients for making it or compost that's been made and is ready for use.
IN today came a pile of odds and ends from a lady who is moving on Monday. I only wanted to packs of orchid compost (coir) and some gravel for the pots, and some WD40 because you can never have enough of that stuff. I ended up with 3 boxes of car stuff, household cleaning and decorating bits........and a bag of flypaper!!
OUT went all the candlemaking paraphernalia and the flypaper (to the same man!).
I'm on a roll! OUT today went 5 carrier bags of music CDs, most of which I have acquired over the last year or so. Finally I went through them to select those that I would actually listen to and gave away the rest.
Also OUT went a pizza grill pan, unused. I obviously bought it cheap, thinking it would have a use but all it did was fall over in the cupboard and get in the way.
Been to the £5 x 2 Pantry this morning - now that there's a little room in the freezer!
Two bags of KFC, a quiche, some pseudo meat things, mozzarella, smoked cheese, tuna pate, potatoes, carrots, leeks, cauliflower, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, sweetcorn, mangetout, mushrooms, garlic, grapes, persimmons, pears, tinned soup & baked beans, kefir yogurt, banana milk shakes, fresh orange juice, crisps, Pringles, bread rolls and baton, hot cross buns, fresh cream strawberry trifle and an enormous Pokemon Party cake!
While I was there one of the volunteers arrived with a car load of food she'd just collected - 4 trays of yogurts, a sack of giant carrots, some massive swedes, leeks - all of the veg were a bit too large for most people to buy, which is probably why they were surplus. On the other hand, if I'd managed to grow veg to that size I would have been incredibly proud!
OUT today went a bundle of seed packets and IN came 36 packets in exchange.
I also bought some raffle tickets and I won.
Not sure what the prize is - I think its a gift pack of Pukka herb teas. I've arranged to collect it next weekend at the other local Seed Swap. Better sort out some more unwanted seeds before then!
I also went to the Book and Clothes swap - donated 2 bags of clothes and came away with a padded waistcoat thing and 3 books.
It was one of those days when everyone wanted to talk and usually they started their chat when all I wanted to do was browse the free seeds and books. It would have been rude to ignore them, but........! I'm sure the Italian man meant well when he was telling me all about his e-book reader and how easy and cheap it is to find books in Italian!!
I made 4 collections today.
1. Mince pies, iced fruit cake, Christmas pud
2. Eight tins of tuna, 4 in oil, 4 in brine, sour cream and chive dip, what I thought was dried dates but is Ajwa Seed Powder (not a clue what to do with it!).
3. Some watering nozzles to fit on screwtop bottles (not sure about these).
4. Olio leftovers - sushi, vegan sausage roll, 3 packets of sandwiches and some fresh parsley.
Hope your watering nozzles are better than mine. I brought some very cheap ones ( I should have known better!) and they don’t fit screw top bottles. They’re to big.
A few INs today.
1. An IKEA Trofast unit - basically an open box with runners for drawers that are sold separately. I already have a few of these units (FREE) and I think that, with a bit of shuffling, I'll be able to find enough drawers to fit the new unit. For a start, you don't really need a bottom drawer as you can sit any old box on the base. More seed storage space.
2. 16 packs of raw meat dog food that's made with insects!
https://www.tuggs.uk/ I'm feeling a bit squeamish about opening the first packet - hope it doesn't put me off my dinner!
3. Some 5ltr plastic containers, previously contained eco friendly wash liquid, I'm going to use these to store the Hotbin liquid.
Yesterday in was a load of unwanted Christmas gifts, mostly food. Roe deer pate, quince paste, basil & olive oil crackers for cheese, box of very posh dark chocolate brazils . A 2024 diary & pen and a waterproof pouch for phone, keys, camera etc.