Sweet potato pie (vegan, of course)
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato1 cup plain or vanilla flavoured rice milk1/4 cup corn starch3/4 cup dark brown sugar or 1/2 cup maple syrup1 Tbs molasses3 Tbs oil1/2 tsp salt1/4 tsp each nutmeg, clove, ginger1-1/2 tsp cinammonCombine ingredients and pour into a prepared pie shell. Bake at 400 F until done. Allow pie to cool completely to set.The pie is darker in colour than you might expect because of the molasses, but it has a delicious, holiday flavour and silky texture. Not wiggly, like you would get from eggs, but very unctuous, and quite filling. It is best served chilled, in my opinion.I made this l

Okay then
I had a job interview yesterday that I was dreading. I applied for the job for just two reasons: it's the only step up from my current post, and it's closer to where hubby works. The actual job itself, I was not keen on doing. I guess that came through in the interview becau

Not as bleak as I thought
I found out some good news.By the time I reach state pension age in 2033, I will have worked exactly 30 years and 4 months--just enough to qualify for the full state pension. I have sent in my pension forecast application to see how much that would be, but as a rule of thumb I've done some preliminary figures using the 'average' state pension.I used a Social Security calculator to see what I would qualify for having worked for 15 years in the US. It was more than I thought.I sent off to Arkansas Teacher Retirement to see what I will receive based on the years I taught in the US. It was more than I expected, PLUS I can start drawing it 7 years before I reach s

Oh.
Just heard on the morning news:First time buyers of homes has fallen by 2/3.First time buyers must come up with a 25% deposit. The average house price being £165,000, that means the deposit is on average £38,000. The era of the 100% mortgage is gone. The 75% mortgage is here to stay. The average age of the first time buyer is 35.All of this means to me we are never, ever going to be able to afford a property. Our entire combined savings of the last 7 years is not enough to pay the deposit, much less the duties and all the costs associated with moving and setting up a new household. At the rate we're saving

Lovely day
It's been a lovely day on my own today. I made some banana bread that I saw on The Post Punk Kitchen website. I made my own version:Banana Bread1/2 cup each brown and white sugar2 cups wholemeal spelt flour1 tsp salt1/2 tsp