Resolutions and baking

I've been doing a bit of baking today I have thought  recently that I would like to make more of the snacks the children eat rather than buy cereal bars for packed lunches that are full of rubbish, but also making bread. I don't think this would be all our bread as we get through a lot and I wouldn't be able to keep up but at least make some of it.  My husband picked up a bread maker one week but I told him to put it back, bulky to store and well it would feel like cheating.  So while I was browsing last night I came across  Pitta bread recipe on BBC food website by Paul Hollywood and decided I would try these today.  The recipe says strong flour but being impatient and not having any I just used plain white, but hey they came out lovely.  Here is the picture from the website as most of mine have been eaten already (good sign) they were maybe not quite as regular in shape but very similar and tasted fab.

I will have to remember to take photos before devouring the baking next time. I loved watching the Great British bake off when it was on and was super impressed with some of the fantastic stuff made on the show, so I will continue to try and improve my own skills but don't be expecting any three tier cakes, it won't be happening.   

So that is going to be my resolution number one, to bake some bread every week.

I also made some white bean dip (humous) to go with it also from the same website here. I  don't know why I haven't made this before as it is so easy and you just put it all in the blender and add the oil until it is the right consistency. You can also adjust quantities of salt or juice etc. to suit your own taste so this has to be better. I used lime instead of lemon juice as I always have limes in the fridge and it tastes good.  I worked it out and as I  used canned cannellini beans  the cost of making it is less than half what I pay at the supermarket. You could use dried beans which are even cheaper but then you have to boil them for such a long time you have to factor in the cost of gas or electric so I think canned ones are just as cheap. 

Tomorrow I'm making flapjack then I'm going to portion it and put it in the freezer so  I can just take it out to put in lunch boxes. 

I've also found a really interesting blog called The Prudent Homemaker there are lots of money saving ideas on there but some of them are extreme and it is an American site so lots of links to U.S codes and business sites.  The mum who owns this blog must literally never sit still, she has about seven children ( home -schooled)  grows most of their fruit and veg, makes most of the family's gifts and clothes,  cans preserves, gives talks. Wow! She plays it down a little by saying she is home all day and doesn't go out to work but I say she does work as she is educating and caring for all those children while making the best of what they have. 

My next resolution is not to drink any alcohol in 2014 and if I do that it might become ever.  I don't have much but I will buy wine sometimes when we go shopping once a week, quite often I get it home and its not even very good. So I won't be buying any. I will have to inform family of this as if my mum goes away she will sometimes bring me some back as a gift.

Resolution number three is to choose my attitude and make it positive and not let others negativity spoil my day.  I have been reading a really good book this past few weeks called  The Power of Positive thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and it has really made me think how much time I have wasted  worrying over pointless things.

Number four is to do more exercise I already swim and walk the dogs but I'm going to aim to do something ever day.  Now I have two x box games which are fitness and dance central so I can do those,  also the dogs need walking but I can only count this if it is a substantial walk ( but I do walk fast)  I swim twice a week as I have membership and I also have a pilates work out on the laptop so no excuses really not to do anything. 

Number five is to read a book a week,  I have perhaps watched too much T.V this year I checked my Goodreads list and found I had only added 15 this year well that is a bit rubbish.

So there we have five that I can stick at, and two of them my friends can pull me up on if they catch me complaining or drinking!