beating the winter blues

Hey.
So that plan to post every day didn't exactly go to plan.. Both the kids have been off with a horrible cough, and I've been using every spare minute to get the book on tiredness I'm writing with my mum (more on that later) ready to send to agents.
There was a bit of a highlight for me this week, and it's not going to make me look very exciting.. Winter for me is all about comfort food, as it is for many of us. But I had a baby four months ago. And as I was nauseous and house bound for most of that pregnancy I have a fair bit of baby weight still to lose, and am on a mega health mission. Lots of protein, complex carbs and veggies. So the two most important ingredients for me in my winter larder are store cupboard staples: Lentils, and oats. And last week we ran out of both. Panic stations!!! Having run a bakery and shop before now I'm used to buying in bulk, so the piddly little bags of lentils you buy for £3 in the supermarkets just make me panic more, as I'm already imagining running out before I've left the shop.
So. the excitement this week was discovering that the wholefood stall in the market hall (Shrewsbury has the BEST MARKET EVER btw) sells locally grown Organic oats in 5kg bags.. That's right, 5 kg. Locally grown, and Organic. Proper whole oats, not the mealy dusty kind you get usually. So we've been having delicious porridge (made with whole milk and honey, and topped with stewed apricots and prunes, or just a simple dusting of cinnamon sugar) mmmmmmmmm. And for supper, lentil and ginger soup, with homemade rye bread, or lightly spiced lentil dahls, or delicious roast veg and lentil bakes. And our hearts and wallets are all the happier for it too. exciting times :)