Bugger It Soup

Thank you for all the good wishes for bear. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't Covid-19. I'm recovering nicely from a temperature and cough, and I have no sense of taste or smell. There may have been infections for all of us, but we haven't been tested. I was considering going out today for some bits, but changed my mind. I didn't want to carry anything from bear, and we can hang on for a few days. Bear is very achy and fed up, but he's keeping himself busy. I'm treating him to a new puzzle cube to keep him distracted (when he's not doing school work). It's something something something something with magnets. Bear explained, but his explanation lacked footnotes.

Tonight we had 'Bugger It' Soup. It was supposed to be Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup, but it's funny how things turn out. I'd picked up the carrots, celery and sweet pepper at the farm shop, and they had gone off somewhat. In fact they looked like a slug would reject them. I said 'bugger it' and decided to plough on regardless. I eventually found the tin of black beans (when this disruption is over I swear I'm going to get stuff like that dried and soak them). Bear 'reorganised' my tin cupboard some time ago and I can't find a dratted thing. I had most of the stuff out on the kitchen floor before I found it.

I put the soup pan on the stove with some water and a stock cube, added the rinsed beans, some oil, three sliced sweet potatoes, some onion granules I got on a really good deal from (I think) Approved Food, some of the celery salt I got at a quarter of the RRP when Tesco got rid of a load of their spices at ridiculously wonderful prices, some curry powder (I bought 500g with my most recent Approved Food order) and some serious garlic. These were cooked hard together for twenty minutes and blended. The men loved it and have requested it as a regular. I've just run my eye over this again. I think it cost around £1.20 for three substantial portions of relatively healthy (if you don't watch your salt) soup plus another large portion (possibly two) in the fridge for tomorow. The tin of black beans was 55p and I used just under half a pack of sweet potatoes that cost 99p, the stock cube was 5p, and I don't suppose that the spices cost that much. It's nice that for once I managed something economically. I wonder how the current crisis will affect people's cookery.

Hugs and good vibes for health and safety to all.