Fish Pie and Knitted Socks

Yesterday was DD3's boyfriend's birthday so he got his favourite dinner of Fish Pie and an iced cake.

I must say, although I cheated a bit with the pie and used sachets of white sauce (courtesy of Approved Foods) instead of using double cream as I have done in the past, it was the best fish pie I ever made.

Its not a cheap dish, using a whole pack of frozen white fish fillets and a whole pack of smoked haddock, both £2.95 in FarmFoods, a packet of frozen cooked prawns from Morrisons at £2.49, an onion, a few frozen peas, milk and the sauce mixes, plus mashed spuds and a sprinkle of cheese for topping, and frozen country veg mix to serve.

The total cost was probably around £12 for 5 big servings (would easily serve 6 normal portions), so not too outrageous at around £2 - 2.40 per meal. I wouldn't normally spend that much but this was for a special occasion.

I didn't get pictures of the cake, but it was simply a version of Mary Berry's vanilla traybake that I divided between two tins, sandwiched together with raspberry jam and topped with water icing and chocolate buttons and a candle.

By contrast I didn't really bother cooking at all today, we just had beans on toast and DS1 and I had a cheese omelette each with ours and DH had sliced haslet as he doesn't like eggs except when they're in a cake. I'm not cooking tomorrow either as DH is making a vegetarian lasagne.

It was a horrible damp day today, a wet mist hanging in the air and totally obscuring the castle and the surrounding hills. Nevertheless, DH and I took a walk into town, did some business at the bank for his mum who's in a nursing home in Wales, went into the library to read the local papers and then into Wetherspoons for a coffee. At least we got out of the house for a couple of hours; I hate being forced to stay in. We've actually had thunder, lightening and a hail storm earlier this evening. The lights flickered a couple of times so I dug out the candles just in case but fortunately the storm passed over although it's still wet and windy out.

This afternoon we watched the episode of An Island Parish that we missed last evening (oh, to live somewhere like Sark with no traffic to worry about) and then enjoyed a few episodes of Rumpole of the Bailey from our dvd collection while I sat and did some knitting. I've nearly finished my second two-needle sock, the first came out enormous, far too big for even my size 8 plates of meat, so on the advice of Bridget over at http://malbridgehouse.blogspot.co.uk/ I'm having another go and making the next size down, which is the largest child's size. With the first one I had a problem working out turning the heel, but since I've done it once this second sock went without a hitch.  I've been wanting to knit socks for ages but have never been able to work in the round either on 4 needles or circular needles so I was over the moon to find this pattern for working on 2 straight needles and with double knit yarn. I'll post pictures when I've finished the pair. I can see everyone getting at least one pair of hand knitted socks each this Christmas.

Well, this time next week DD3 and boyfriend (BF) will have moved out. In one way I can't wait for it all to be over, and in another I'm a bit worried about how empty the place will seem without them. Mind you, I won't miss having to do 2 loads of laundry nearly every day of the week, or making meals for 5 and then them deciding at the last minute to eat out or get their own dinner, or picking up after them, or the noise or...well, there are quite a few pluses, but still, she's my little girl and I'll miss her, and the BF has become a part of the family in the 6 years he's lived with us. I'm sure it will seem strange for a while. Mind you DS2 will be home for the Easter holidays and will probably also be back throughout the summer break, and if his girlfriend comes to stay for any length of time we'll be back up to 5 again.

I think that's all for now, nothing very exciting, just plodding on as usual.