Saturday 10 December 2016

I have a safety warning!











Cooking Xmas Dinner should be interesting this year!  I have had my gas disconnected as there was a leak in one of the gas taps on the hob, and a notice is now taped on it warning that it is not to be used.  It is an old model Aga and that part is discontinued, the engineer also turned the electric off and left me with nothing basically, and no solution.  Well thanks for that.  I am now in talks with Aga about the useless lump of metal in my kitchen that they need to sort out one way or another as I cannot afford to buy another.   We turned the electric back on so I can use the ovens, that had a fault as well but it has probably been like that for years, along with the gas leak as the previous owner neglected everything in the house.  My son lent me a single portable induction hob, and I have a microwave so with a lot of planning and prep before hand I will manage.







As if life isn't challenging enough at the moment, I have decided to set myself a challenge and join in with Veganuary  I have been vegan in the past but went back to being vegetarian while trying to get my head around the whole gluten intolerance thing.  I'm looking forward to it......and dreading it in equal measures.  I love vegan food and most of my main meals are vegan, but will miss cooking up a quick omelette when I get home tired and hungry, and cheese and rice cakes are my go-to quick snack.  Eating out is going to be a nightmare, being vegetarian and gluten free is hard enough, I can hear chefs groaning from the kitchen when I explain my dietary needs.   Oh well I won't have any money to eat out in January anyway.  There are some who think I'm completely mad for doing this, but each to their own.  Have any of you taken part in any of the month long challenges,  Stoptober, giving up alcohol, giving up television/social media, buy nothing, daily drawing, doing something nice for a stranger?  There's lots of challenges out there.

My son is still staying with us (along with his dogs) while he recovers.  We are hoping he can get through Xmas without further dramas but his surgeon has said she is on call between Xmas and New Year so just to go into the hospital and see her if he has any concerns.  I don't seem to be able to get into the Xmas spirit at all, but I am like this most years.  There is far too much pressure on people to spend lots of money, have ridiculous amounts of food and have the 'perfect' family Xmas.  Just sharing a meal with our family is enough for me, all the rest is just optional.  What I am really looking forward to is the winter solstice, I am so fed up with dark evenings and can't wait to be able to get out into the garden after work.  I will be celebrating the return of the light by filling the house with candles, all very hygge.

Have a good week everyone,

Chickpea xx


















36 comments:

  1. Thats a bummer over the Aga, there is no gas here at all, so we have no worries about leaks, do you have a log burner with a flat top, you could use that for stove top casseroles.
    I dont challenges, I have enough to do and think about without adding pressure.

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    1. We haven't sorted out a log burner yet as we need to extend the grate, the previous owner had not made the grate big enough so technically breaching safety regs. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

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  2. You could go "raw" and then you wouldn't have to cook any of your food or worry about gluten. :) I've been vegan for 3-1/2 years. I did it for moral reasons so it's been very easy. I definitely think people put too much emphasis on all the wrong things when it comes to the holidays. Better to keep things simple.

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    1. I've been to a 'raw' cafe and the food was yummy!

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  3. I can recommend a camping gas cooker, we have been using one for weeks. Hope your Aga can be fixed and soon. I went to a really nice vegan restaurant the other day, the food was beautiful. Glasgow is good for vegans enjoying a meal out. I don't do long challenges, too much going on in our life. If being full vegan is difficult, you could always be a part time vegan, maybe have a vegetarian Sunday, to allow yourself the odd omelette.

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    1. Thankfully there's only usually the two of us, don't know how you have managed to feed a family with no kitchen! We have a new vegan cafe opened up nearby, unfortunately not much gluten free on the menu

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  4. Because there are only hubby and me i used my combination microwave every day and I cooked everything in it . While I was on a recent trip to the uk , I blame hubby but he says it was 12 years old . We cannot really afford to buy a new one , I miss my microwave every day .

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    1. Oh no! I have a combo microwave but haven't really explored all the options with it yet.

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  5. Daughter is Vegetarian/Vegan .She is a fabulous cook and so are her roommates. One is allergic to everything so it is very hard for her to eat. Daughter will eat an egg and some fish sometimes but she really cooks vegan.
    As for Christmas we have a celebration that revolves around a nice but simple dinner on Christmas Eve and a very easy brunch for Christmas morning. Simple but so enjoyable.
    She is not an apostle for the Vegan religion. We have so many Californians and East coast people spending time in Tucson they are very rude. Touch meat and they go ballistic.
    I like the idea of a quieter Christmas and you live in the perfect place to enjoy it. It is my tourist idea of the UK.
    I am thinking a bird feeder for Christmas.

    Hope your son will keep getting better.
    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Sounds like a lovely Xmas plan parsnip and a bird feeder sounds good. Thanks, he is still weak and easily tired but getting there.

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  6. Go vegan before christmas and your problems will be solved

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    1. Haha don't think the bearded one would be happy!

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  7. oh no, hope you get it sorted. strangely I have been thinking about going back to vegetarianism, was veggie for years, not sure I could cope with veganism though!

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  8. oh dear what a blow, just when you could do with something going right. I do hope Aga will be able to help you. Maybe you should start veguary straight away as you can't cook and you could enjoy some lovely winter salads.

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  9. oh dear on the stove situation...i hope you get it sorted and without too much aggravation. things like that are bothersome enough without it coming at this time of year.

    funny you should mention Veganuary (i haven't heard of it) but i'm shifting back to veggie-ism after a spell of (let's be honest) utter laziness. I'm reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer and it's reminding me, rather uncomfortably, of why i stopped eating meat. i've dabbled in veganism a bit, but end up wrestling with my conscience over the amount of excessively processed substitutions...and the fact that growing nuts in drought-ridden California doesn't jive with the whole carbon-footprint argument. It's so tricky...trying to do the right thing. Anyway...seems like a good challenge to start off the year.

    fingers-crossed for speedy stove repair! xo

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    1. my morning muesli, with Californian almonds, always makes me hesitate.

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    2. It is difficult juggling all of the different impacts your choice of diet has on the planet. It is like the organic/local dilemma, do I buy organic veg that has to be shipped across the world or buy local which isn't always organic. With my vegan/vegetarian diet both animal welfare and the environment are my focus, I just have to weigh up the pros and cons of each choice. Overall though I do think a vegan diet has less impact on the planet as long as the food sourced is sustainable.

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  10. Hygge, yours is the second post today that I have read that word. Interesting. Someone is trying to tell me something!
    I didn't eat meat for years but I started back when my hair started falling out. Most likely had nothing to do with not eating meat, more likely hormones. Gee, what an exciting life I have. :-)

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    1. My hair grows like weeds and I haven't eaten meat for about 25 years :)

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  11. OMG very bad luck with the Aga situation. It must feel like nothing is going right :/ The only month long challenge I've done was the November #30FestiveFoodBank one. OH would be very miffed if I tried a vegan challenge as he's a carnivore. It's been difficult enough to get him to eat vegetarian occasionally but we are getting there!
    I do hope your son gets stronger every day Chickpea. At least he has you and it's comforting to know that the hospital consultant will be around over the Christmas period if needed x

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    1. Thank you, he is getting there slowly. Yes my OH is a carnivore as well, we eat completely different meals, but sometimes I sneak a veggie meal past him :)

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    1. They said the whole hob needs to be replaced which would cost £4000!!!!!

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  13. Happy Solstice anyway! Always try to look forward and also up, it does help a lot.

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  14. Hey Chickpea I hope you had a lovely Christmas. And I hope the hunt stayed away from your land.

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  15. Very best wishes to you for 2017.
    I'm so sorry that having achieved your dream move things have not turned out quite as you expected.
    Don't be hard on yourself. Before long new life will be appearing on your land and in the surrounding fields and you'll be able to enjoy your spectacular views again.
    Moving and the stress of your son's illness are bound to make you feel tired and dispirited.
    Today is the start of a new year. Sue

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  16. Hey Chickpea, just checking in. Hope you are well.

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    1. Hi Sol, yes I'm well unfortunately our son has been ill and needed further surgery on New Years Day so all a bit frantic here at the moment. Will find time to post soon I hope. Thanks for asking xx

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  17. Sorry. My last comment was not at all appropriate in that your son was having more surgery on New Year's Day.
    My best wishes to you all. Thanks for finding the time to reply to Sol yesterday.

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    1. Hey Beachcomber, no need to apologise, we didn't know this was going to happen so you weren't to know. We thought he was recovering, he then got ill between Xmas and New Year. It was a shock to all of us.xx

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  18. Hi I'm gluten free and vegan and there is just so much you can eat. I have found the schar bread to be the best although it is probably the most expensive, you just use less of it, appreciate it more and also I cut the crusts in half as they are too thick! Avocado and vine cherry tomatoes on the schar toast with a drizzle of olive oil and salt is a good quick supper. Gluten free spaghetti with fried butter beans in Italian herbs and pasta sauce is lovely. I have lots of ideas drop me a message if you are stuck. xx

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    1. Thanks for the offer sewing green lady, I have started using schar bread now as my other bread had eggs in it. I like the sound of avo and toms on toast :) Lots of delicious vegan recipes out there just very short on time to explore them at the moment xx

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