day 4

9.30am: Pass (fourth attempt at) driving theory test. (First one slept through, age 17; second one failed as didn't read the Highway Code, age 26; third one lost provisional driving license the day before, age 27.)

9.45am: Head to big brother and little nephew's house for a celebratory breakfast. Have decided that eating food belonging to older family members is allowed in moderation, as surely is their duty to provide for younger ones.

10.15pm: Get tuition in making bread by very domesticated big brother.

10.30am: Not eaten since potato and beans last night. Devour plate of sausages, hash browns, beans and toast.

11.00am: Read one-and-a-half-year-old nephew a story about an unfortuneate gorilla whose chest hair falls off, but whose kind friends make him a hairy bottom to wear instead.

11.05am-11.20am: Read story five more times prompted by intermittent yells of "gen! gen! gen!"

11.30am: Head off to scour some markets, with a full stomach, and armed with a freshly baked loaf of bread, and two sachets of yeast - so can give new bread making skills a go at home. Cheers bro!

12.15pm: Explain to a butchers on Bethnal Green Road that I'm living off £1-a-day, and does he have any bones he was going to chuck out, that I could use to make a stock with?

12.20pm: Walk out of butchers with one chicken carcass still boasting quite a bit of meat, and two large chunks of lamb - for free.

12.30pm: Walk to Roman Road market. Not at all tempted by shriveled, dusty veg.

12.35pm: Pop in Tescos on way home.

Buy:
three onions 32p
packet of lentils 45p
value table salt 23p (who knew salt was so cheap!)
value pepper 19p
savoy cabbage (reduced) 20p

Money spent: £1.39

Total left: £24.28 (need to stop spending money)

1pm: Simmer chicken carcass in saucepan of water, with two onions, and one very old looking carrot I find in bottom of fridge.

3pm: Sieve out all bits, skim off floating layer of fat, et voila, enough stock for a good few bowls of soup.

4pm: Boil up lentils in a separate pan, while adding half the cabbage and last onion to stock.

4.45pm: Whiz everything up together with hand-held blender thingy.

4.50pm: Admire large steaming pan of lentil and cabbage soup.

5pm: Eat one portion of soup with two slices of home made bread.

6pm: Cousin (who i live with) forces white wine upon me (kindly but firmly).

7.30pm: Head to Favela Chic - eclectic bar/club just off Old Street which is free entry before 9pm.

1.30am: Feet hurt from all-out dance fest. Home time.

2am: Eat two more slices of bread.