Day 3: waste not want not, and gift-horses

My mother died in 1999 but there are days when I hear her voice in my head as clearly as if she were standing next to me. Today was one of those days.  "If you want to make one egg do the work of two, add two tablespoons of water and beat like mad".  With only four eggs in the house I certainly want

to make each one 'do the work of two', so when making my fishcakes tonight I followed her instructions.  To the peeled, smashed-up jacket potatoes that I made on Thursday I added three finely chopped spring onions, a handful of chopped parsley and the tin of sardines that I bought yesterday plus a couple of tablespoons of beaten egg (á la Ma Willis). The result was four fish cakes, two for tonight (served with some leftover spiced red cabbage and some steamed peas and carrots) and two in the freezer for another night.  I also have enough beaten egg left for the batter I want to make tomorrow.

I think the fishcakes could have been improved with some tartar sauce, or even some ketchup, but these are not in my store cupboard and I don't want to buy them and be eating them for dinner at the end of the month.

I'm a vegetarian who eats a bit of fish, and tonight's dish was tasty and satisfying (if not exactly elegant).  Last night my 'chuck-it-in-a-pan-pasta' also contained a little fish - literally - anchovies.

I nearly always have a jar in the 'fridge to add a little savoury saltiness to dishes without other protein.  Added to a frying pan with a little oil the anchovies melt down to almost nothing, but flavour everything else that goes in.  What went in last night was three squishy tomatoes, a handful of black olives, some capers and a couple of rather soft shallots.  Put on the heat to fry at the same time as the pasta goes on to boil and it's all ready together.  The pasta is turned in the hot sauce and then a few fresh herbs added.  I suspect that there will be a few more versions of this over the following weeks.

Today was a very wet and very grey day and not even Archie (who loves the garden) wanted to go out. Still the weather did mean that I had every excuse to sit and knit in between the usual weekend chores.  Shirley's scrap scarf is growing quickly and her chosen colour scheme seems entirely right for the time of year.  The start contains red and orange autumn colours, morphing to misty purples and and browns and finishing with evergreen shades.   A bit like this photo really, without the grey drizzle!

The highlight of today was going along to a Cambusbarron Community Event.  Organised by members of the Cambusbarron Community Development Group, some neighbours and local adventure Scouts, the afternoon tea  was to raise money to buy Gillies Hill. As I had bought my ticket in advance of 'falling on hard times' and the start of the challenge, it seemed right to go and not waste the entry fee.  This did mean I had a late 'free' lunch of cucumber sandwiches, sweet mincemeat slice, scone and jam and lashings of tea, plus some good company and a few laughs.  One neighbour appeared later at my door with a bottle of wine which I had apparently won in the raffle and a bag of scones (made by my neighbour) that were left over from the tea - I think everyone in our terrace had some.

The neighbour from the other side appeared an hour later with half a dozen eggs.  It seems that their hens have been in a laying frenzy and they have far more eggs than they can use.  I am certainly not going to look this gift horse in the mouth!

If I follow my mother's war-time rationing wisdom, these might last me the month.

If you'd like to sponsor me for this challenge and support  'Start-Up Stirling' you can do so here!