Food fest again

Not a food skinflint tanith you are just well organised like me in having a well stocked store cupboard and freezer and the ability to feed people at the drop of a hat.

I do wonder if it just the fun of a public holiday that sends people crazy and they lose perspective. When our family came at Christmas I ordered far too much and we didn't really need or want all the extras. I won't ever do that again as it took ages to get back to normality and a big effort to use stuff and not waste anything.

I've just got back from an aborted attempt to park up and shop at Tesco. I only wanted to buy 4 Easter eggs - cars queuing and trolleys bulging. I went to Morrisons - not quite so bad there, but still much busier than usual.

tanith - I ask myself why the need for all this foody madness every bank holiday - shops are only closed for one day at the most. We do like some traditional fare, but this doesn't necessitate a huge trolly load.

I like trifle for Christmas and Easter, but already have some sponges soaked in limoncello (Chritmas gift) so I am going to be creative with them. We are having a big ham and I am going to make a sausage and onion plait for Sunday tea - we live next door to the butcher so no strain there - and I have all the ingredients I need to hand for a simnel cake. Easter sorted here - glad to get home!

I thought I was being clever doing my shop yesterday instead of my normal Thursday but Aldi and Sainsbury's were jam packed. I keep stocked up with everything because we live out in the sticks but I did want to buy a couple of Easter eggs and some hot cross buns.

Having watched Mary Berry on Tuesday night I thought I'd make her meringue roulade for Easter Sunday but Sainsbury's had a very nice one in the freezer cabinet so my CBA gene kicked in!

I've just been to do the weekend shop today rather than Saturday and the supermarket was heaving. I presumed people were doing what I was doing, getting the job done so I could have a long chore-free weekend. I overheard a lot of talk about visitors and catering for hoards so I suppose that explains it too... A few treats were added to my trolley but I never feel the urge to splurge at Easter as I do (shamefully) at Christmas perhaps because if the weather at Easter is kind we can do other things than stare at the TV and eat...

Reading this I am so glad I opt for a weekly delivery - it keeps me focused on my list which I make first with all the meals planned. House full this weekend so a bit bigger delivery but not excessive. Have just baked two cakes though - Mary Berry of course.

United Nations here for Sunday lunch, Scots, French, Belgian, Brazil, Vietnam, Belo-Rus?, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Doodoons'(DGS name for me) Tomato soup.
Lemon and Chicken Tagine, Fish Couscous, Rolled stuffed Pork, Smoky tomato beans, Minted Peas, baby roast potatoes and Roasted cherry tomatoes.
With ice cream and DGS fruit salad for dessert.

Doing nothing at all on Monday.

I went down to Morrisons this morning to buy some fish, and didn't see too many loaded trolleys - to be honest it wasn't all that busy. I really don't get all this catering mass hysteria around Christmas and Easter. It's only a couple of days. I have made a chicken curry for tommorrow when DS comes down, and Sunday will be roast lamb for the rest of the family. GS will be disappointed as he particularly likes roast pork, but it is Easter after all. Pot luck after that !

We are having turkey on Sunday. I know, it's not Christmas and it should be lamb, but it's been taking up space in the freezer since January last year and I need the space. Looks like it might be curry on Monday

I did my normal weekly shop today. The only acknowledgment of Easter I really made was a pack of twelve creme eggs for me and Minibags. Toad (my DH) isn't getting any; he was trying to lose weight though I think he has given up. He'd probably say he didn't like them anyway but I bet you he'd scoff one if he was v hungry and saw one lying about .

I haven't eaten creme eggs for years but I had a craving for one recently seem to have something of a craving for them at the moment, with coffee at that low energy point in the afternoons. No, I'm not pregnant.

I popped into Aldi this morning to do some shopping for DS (he and partner and GS3 are all laid up with tonsillitis) and it was heaving with people. Only wanted some bits and pieces for him and it took ages.

I've already got eggs stored away (cheap ones!) and a joint of beef for the weekend. I need to stock up on fruit and veg but that's all.

Oh no! I was about to go out and get some rolls. Is it that bad? We've had a bit of a discussion today about Easter entertaining. DH always appoints himself as chief host. He thinks he has to invite all the family and he cooks until he is so exhausted he can't eat. He has been working hard lately and I said this time we are thinking of ourselves. I've booked for us to go out for Sunday lunch, just the two of us. Looking forward to it!

You an eat nice food without making a 'fest' of it.

No entertaining here as I have been nominated as head chef at DDs for Sunday lunch she will supply all the veg and pudding and I will cook the meat (lamb & beef) and take it with me,the plus point is a great family get together and no mess in my house all pots and pans left for DD to load up in the dishwasher and for us to drive home to a clean and tidy house, perfect.

glamma as Mr Punch would say "that's the way to do it!"?

thatbags, I did laugh. Toad, is that short for t'ode man, I wonder? Excellent! I think I might go round to felice's, it all sounds delish!

We (some people, present company excepted) do act as if we are stocking up for a siege don't we? The shops will be OPEN and nobody is going to starve so why the lemming-like rush to fill the trolleys?
I do understand about entertaining /having the family/enjoying a bit of a blow out, but it is quite nauseating horrifiying to see what looks like forward planning to survive a nuclear winter.
Of course the shops breathlessly stoke up the panic enthusiasm and gleefully listen to the music of the tills.
I think all here are agreed it is so unnecessary and while it might have been understandable if we had been FASTING or depriving ourselves throughout Lent, it is plain silly.
I am not normally a skinflint (well, actually maybe I am ) but I would like to think Easter is more about joy and sharing and love and family than spend, spend, spend.
?????

Felice, What time's lunch? I'm thinking of turning up on your doorstep!

Juggernaut you would be very welcome, 13.00.

Yes I do find it strange this siege mentality. It must put such pressure on those who have so little anyway and there are a lot about. Apart from making Mary Berry's Simnel cake and buying chocolate for GC our meals will be pretty normal. We're having fish tonight and being joined by our eldest DGD home from Uni and working at local hotel, the rest of her family have taken the caravan away til Monday. Joining my sister tomorrow for a pub meal with said DGD, Sunday lamb after baptismal service at our church. Leftovers Monday. Am also making a chocolate tray bake as other DGD doesn't like dried fruit.

Live in a seaside holiday town so going into hibernation after seeing the streams of cars - only a small town, where will they all park? Did a big shop yesterday with one or two treats so no need to venture anywhere near the high street until after the holiday. Lovely place to live most of the time, but not Bank Holidays. Going to spend the time gardening while it's fine weather, and sewing when it's not - and eating my Easter Egg when I give it to myself!

I have never done much for Easter. Family come to us on most Sundays for a roast dinner and I'm assuming this Sunday will be the same.
Can't have lamb as one ddil can't even stand the smell of it.
Another ddil will only eat chicken breast.
(when doing roast beef I usually do her a chicken breast in an oven bag).
To make it easy this Sunday I'm doing 2 x chickens with home made stuffing.

Did an Asda order on line yesterday and dh collected it today, he left the house and was back in 15 minutes.
We got a bonus, Asda had only provided and charged for one chicken so the Click & Collect guy got us another chicken, free of charge.

No Easter Eggs for dh and me, we still have an unopened box of Milk Tray

Today we had a Chinese take away, tomorrow will be fajitas. (home made) Roast chicken on Sunday and left over chicken toasties on Monday. All shopping done on line, can't bear going to supermarkets any more.