5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

Tealady_2

Evening,

Beachbaby - Hugs to you

Caterina - I always look longing at the OXO tower whenever we are in London but like you refuse to pay that sort of price. We have eaten at County Hall Marriott and that also has lovely views over the river.

Pleasures for today:
1. Up early and at Mr.T in the next town for 10
2. The lovely man in the tile shop had my mosiac tile for me and as was damaged only cost £5. As only need a tiny bit of the tile this worked well in my favour. Such good service.
3. DD needed new wellies for a farm visit she is on this week and managed to get some in Matalan using some stashed love2shop vouchers.
4. Had haircut today not MSE but desperately needed doing. I can now see again and I did get a 10% discount
5. Managed to get a whole crispy duck RTC so we had that for dinner with some HM sticky rice and chilli chicken. Enough left for another day as well. Also prepared a casserole to put in the slow cooker in the morning. Baked a bakewell tart, marble cake and some twinks.

Hugs to all who need them

katholicos

It's been yonks since i posted in here, but here are my 5 for today:

1. Bathed my dog and managed to sort out her terribly matted fur. I'd been neglectful, so it is entirely my fault she got in that state, but had so much else going on in the family that i'm afraid her fur wasn't high on my list of priorities. Still, she is looking, and smelling loads better now :-)

2. Ate left over garlic dough balls with some jacket spuds, melted blue cheese and some nut roast for tea.

3. Managed an NSD.

4. Got on top (not literally) of the recycling. I've been letting all the empty boxes, bottles, cartons etc build up for too long and i finally got it all put out today.

5. Watched a Christmas film that was on telly and while doing do i cut up lots of my old tops (which have holes in or paint on them or whatever)...some i have cut to make up as dishcloths and some i cut into long strips as i like the idea of making a rag rug, or maybe crocheting the material into something? Hmmm...will give that some more thought. Don;t want to waste anything though!

dundeedoll_2

Loving the new sig beachbaby.........

katholicos I loooove nut roast but am not supposed to eat nuts


Hope you all keep well,warm and happy this week.

1) Went into town to stock up on a few bits as I live in a rural village and don't get chance to shop when I go to work (and hate going to Mr T/M's after work when it's cold/wet/dark) and thought it wise in light of the weather forecast.
There was a streetmarket in town where I discovered a lovely stall with homemade chutneys and jams and I bought a jar of banana and date chutney - yummy!

2) A phone call from DS1 whose maturity got him out of a very bad situation on Saturday. Can't go into details but I am soooo proud of him!

3) The above phoned me for some advice about his love life.....how sweet!
(Not sure I'm the best person to give advice on that subject though :rotfl:)

4) Managed to play some CDs today for 1st time since break-up without going into meltdown.

5) Bought some chicken thighs, covered them in chilli dipping sauce.........bunged in oven til well done..........served with cous cous............was L U V E R L Y!

sparrer

Frith I feel so bad for you, after something similar happened to my 9 y/o 2 weeks ago I empathise completely. I hope they left their details and the ins co will pay for the repair.
mineallmine the lamp is beautiful! Your No3 is similar to something I try to do, all the shopping, visits etc in one car trip to save petrol, but there always seems to be something I forgot, or an extra after I get home
Kitchenbunny how special to have an almost tame green woodpecker come to visit, they really are lovely
CCP I thought for one horrified second you were going to say you wanted the ketchup bottle top :rotfl:. Sounds like the perfect gift for a rich chav who has everything! (my DB, perhaps?) Congrats on the bargain handbag
schrodie congrats on your M&S purchases and getting the set. Have you seen the MatLan ones at £6 each? I have the long johns and they're very snug and warm and wash like a dream - might do as a second set when the first is in the wash?
beachbaby the great thing about this board is that we stick together, pull together and always support each other. Good 'ere, innit?
Patchwork the Sunday School class sounds good fun. How do you make baked rice?
Caterina sounds like you and your DH had a super day out, as always you managed to get in as much as you could. Well done on resisting expensive tea etc out and having it in the comfort of your own home. And well done for DH making it so you could come and report on your day!
Ladyhawk so pleased you got your 'new' table, but I'm curious to know how the other one only had 2 legs! Sorry to hear of your dads illness, wishing him well asap
carrie re the Oxo tower, as Ladyhawk says it's frightfully expensive, I only went there as my disgustingly well off DB took me . Well done on helping your neighbour, no doubt much appreciated
Tealady congrats on the love2shop wellies, and the cripsy duck - yummy!
Katholicos the tea sounds lovely. When you decide what to do with your fabric strips please let me know, I have some clothes not good enough for the charity shop but as you said, don't like to waste anything
dundeedoll well done to your DS for getting himself out of a situation in an adult way. How nice he felt he could speak to you about his love life, he sounds a very special lad, and must think you're pretty special, too

1. A sleep in til 10am :eek:
2. A quick breakfast of hm bread and hm marmalade
3. The usual Sunday lunchtime meeting, took a sausage plait as my contribution, nice to see none left
4. A lady at the meeting asked if I'd be offended if she offered me some jumpers as her daughter who's much my size left a load at home when she went to uni and told her mum to get rid of them. Not offended at all! With winter coming in such a hurry any warm clothing is a bonus
5. Called in to Mr M on the way home, whoopsies included half a roasted chicken and a bean salad, which has main meals sorted for the next couple of days

(((hugs))) to all who need or just want, sweet dreams
S x

dundeedoll_2

Thanks sparrer!

1. A sleep in til 10am :eek: How lovely!
2. A quick breakfast of hm bread and hm marmalade Even lovelier!
3. The usual Sunday lunchtime meeting, took a sausage plait as my contribution, nice to see none left Yummy!
4. A lady at the meeting asked if I'd be offended if she offered me some jumpers as her daughter who's much my size left a load at home when she went to uni and told her mum to get rid of them. Not offended at all! With winter coming in such a hurry any warm clothing is a bonus Oh, how fab was that?! :j
5. Called in to Mr M on the way home, whoopsies included half a roasted chicken and a bean salad, which has main meals sorted for the next couple of days

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I read this and for a second thought it said MrN ( as in frith's MrN;-) )...........totally threw me :rotfl::rotfl:

Don't you just love whoopsies?!
Sweet dreams..........x

Frith

There's an awful lot of nice meals mentioned on here! Just had sausages, carrots and cous cous for tea yesterday, must do better!

Here's my 5 for yesterday (Sunday)

1) Bit of a lie in.

2) Tidied up, changed the beds and did 3 loads of washing so feel up to date with that.

3) A nice, non patronising builder came round to give me a quote for the repointing that needs doing. He hasn't got back to me with the actual figure yet so I hope he does today.

4) Went round to my sister's new house with essential items - local phone book, screwdriver and some sandwiches.

5) Went to mum and dad's and cleared the car out of rubbish.

6) My school friend came round for tea and we watched Casualty on iplayer.

7) MrN came round :-)

ampersand

Grey day, low horizon, so the catch-up read here is to counter same. Yesterday's Deities thumbed noses at the Pleasures hymn-sheet, starting with awkward tumble of new bottle of sesame oil onto tiled floor:mad:.
It spread.....and spread. Then, even as I scooped up/sopped up what I could - and broken base with half oil remaining - into old ice-cream container, THAT, too, slipped, my hands being filmy. So, slow motions of encroachment mess oozed under cooker, where final stage rosehip syrup was boiling...aaaaghhhhhhhhhh!
[I'm not confident [B][U]it[/U][/B] tastes as it should either. It's a newbie for me and I'm not quite sure how it should taste. Staple for New Zealand babies though.]
Despite much subsequent use of cutting vinegar with soap, kitchen tiles are still treacherous - have now laid sheets of Grauniad to try and take up every trace of oil.
My entire day went thus - dropping laundry on muddy grass, emptying soil over feet/clean socks/shoes when tipping over 1st potato sack for harvest - 11, losing entire post [d!clench!e par le besoin de vous r!pondre marmite:D]3 fois:mad: - screen just returned to screensaver for no reason, 1st time ever worrying noises from washing machine, inability to get on with new mob., ran out of sugar[how come? I'm never out of staples]

1...and somehow, quite quickly, it became laughable. I found I was outside it, observing myself in it, as I Mr Bean'd my way bumblingly through.

2. Seeing heron drifting in left, dropping through the trees - at wonderful, slow, lazy flap, apparently effortless,then suddenly right on me and crossing low over car as I neared next village. So good. Realise it's probably the one I sometimes see out the back, passing over the field, so that's about 2>3 miles away.

3. Hearing Bill Nighy as I type this.

4. Good R4 Start the Week this a.m. - always like Armando Ianucci, PJ Rourke came over amusingly, likeably[for me, his writing does not], and wonderful Mary Beard.

5. Chance hearing of Garrison Keillor's beautiful tones -even if it was in an advert on Classic fm, but see he's back on DAB 7 this week - starts Friday.
Listen up everybody - 'It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegon.... where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average" - and revel in it.

6. Stunning clear-out of 23 x 1.47l things of Surf Small and Mighty at Mr T - and having spare£ to buy it - only £1 each!!! Nearly all shared out already - a terrific find, right at time when I'm about to follow the make-own-laundry gloop/powder - mse thread bien sûr:T - using much free lemon soap and washing soda. Will report back on this later.

7. Started gym just before 7 today, despite lying in bed, hearing World Service say '06.38 GMT' and knowing it must be wrong, as I am always awake/up between 4>5h...it wasn't wrong.:eek:
8. Reverbe 5p picked out by streetlight glint on rainy puddle.

9. Over all, I have thought daily of the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

10. Saw expensive elements included in Mr T Deal:£10/4 courses Finest range[including superb wine at £13.99] - tried it and ended up with £28.07 overcharge, which became £56.14p DTD:j. I've never done these before, but had thought to do it for sharing with X.

11. Well, it's High Noon and I'm still upper torso Unclothed, having torn off things after State of Moist rtn<gym in prep. for shower, which meant doing next stage of 2nd batch of medlar jelly from o/n bath straining rig-up, which meant decanting other big bowl of jus, which meant removing o/n biltong strips etc.etc.etc. You all know how these days go...

...as I'd better, right now. Hairwash essential, dont l'avantage impr!vu=undo medlar stained fingers. Bonne continuation, marmite.

Yes, I am passionate francophile - lived there, gave birth there, married there, can be infuriated by them[that narrow tightrope Love teeter], received inheritance there, should have land there[while I'm not sure, I still have it], am glad to live there in my head, soul, heart, skin, listen to radio, receive online journaux daily, have longest known friend there, and a.n.other there....late beloved R said I underwent personality transplant every time I crossed The Sleeve and it is true. All started by Mrs Cornforth, U.K. teacher[exotic at time] @ Napier Intermediate, c.1960 and her lunchtime French Club...coup de foudre, such excitement, rushing home to inform all that there are 3 words for 'the' in French. Elle chante encore, pour moi, cette langue. Elle me chante, depuis toujours but I loved/love playing with, subverting 'ce qui n'est pas clair n'est pas français'.......oh, the joys of language.
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12. For those needing butternut ideas, try this from the excellent NZ Edmonds Microwave book[posted elsewhere but can't find].
PUMPKIN AND HAM CASSEROLE -

about 375gm butternut pumpkin # 1 ham steak # 1/2cup finely copphed spring onions # 1cup grated chesse # freshly ground balck pepper # 1/2cup cream or milk # paprika.

Remove seeds and skin from pumpkin. Thinly slice the flesh. Arrange half on base of shallow m/w dish. Dice the ham steak and spoon half of this, spring onion and grated cheese on top. Repeat then season with pepper. Pour cream over. High power for about 10 mins, or till tender. Garnish with paprika.
It's a delicious formula, totally tweakable and easy to double.
Recommended.

Lucky 13. My silver cat-in-moon earring turned up in box of antiques, where it's lain hidden since dreadful Stratford Fair in April. :j
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Will I ever get clean and dressed today?
I am now gone......... nearly.

14. It is so good to have the sheep out back, doing their 'safely graze' thing and I flatter my non-sense self that we have a certain accord when I go and chat, take a pic or two etc.

Kittikins

ampersand wrote: »

" Yes, I am passionate francophile ...coup de foudre, such excitement, rushing home to inform all that there are 3 words for 'the' in French. Elle chante encore, pour moi, cette langue. Elle me chante, depuis toujours.

Spooky - I had the same feeling during my first ever French lesson too

Patchwork_Quilt

Sparrer, baked rice goes something like this (for four, so downsize)

Put oven on at 180C. Put a glug of vegetable oil in a shallow, lidded ovenproof dish.
Cut up an onion and a carrot, put in the pan, without the lid and leave in the oven until softening - or leave this bit out, or use up any old wrinkly veg.
Add 2 teacups of rice, a small teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric for colour (or not), half a teaspoon of dried herbs for visual variety (or not).
Mix the rice in the oil/veg to coat and then pour in enough boiled water to cover the rice plus about half a centimetre or enough stock to do the same - cold stock will take longer but it doesn't matter.
Put in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the rice is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.

As you can see, a very flexible recipe that can be eaten cold or hot. I had some reheated for my lunch today, with cheese grated on top.

For today

1) A day off work. I am ill and I hate being off work because I am bored and lonely and the mouse on the upstairs computer is broken BUT I am still being paid.
2) DS brought me not one, not two but six mini jam jars home last night from his cafe job. They've put two and two together now and realised that the crazy lady who collected jars from them all last summer is his Mum.
3) I took the bull by the horns and threw away the marmalade I made last Spring. No-one is eating it. The upside is that I now have some jars to put lemon curd in for Christmas presents.
4) I am shortly hoping to be asleep under my crocheted blanket.
5) Sparrer's request for the recipe reminded me that Mum rang up the other day as she was making the dahl I had told her about and asked for further instructions. Since she taught me to cook, I'm always chuffed if she asks me for advice.

Will rhubarb vodka stop my nose from running? Please!

Caterina

Hi all

Ladyhawk, we decided NOT to opt for the Oxo after all, it is waaaayyy out of our price range (for 30!). But we might treat the immediate family (perhaps) there as a special celebration. They have a "reasonably" priced vegetarian and vegan set menu for £35 - mind you, considering that when DH and I go to our lovely little Chinese restaurant, my favourite for the last 27 years, we never spend more than £20 for the two of us and that is more than 3 courses, so £35 is the OVERPRICED side of "reasonable"! Then again, he is 60 only once!
Thank you also for explaining the Oxo Tower to Carrieparkinson - Carrie, it is not a very OS place at all but it is a very interesting place and there are lots of craft shops, good for window-shopping!

Tealady, I used to work in the County Hall building and regularly had lunch in their incredibly cheap (subsidised) restaurant. In fact if I had visitors from Italy I used to take them there to impress them! Lovely building, I am so sorry that now it has become a commercial enterprise, I spent many happy years there as a worker (had a series of nice, cushy local government jobs, with lots of perks!). Good old GLC....

Sparrer, great news re. jumpers. I love when that happens, and always find it strange that people think that it is offensive to offer something like that. Mind you, some weirdos do get offended, all those people out there that make fun of us OSers I suppose! Just as well we know that we know better!

Here are my pleasures for the day:

1 - Another No Work day, I know that I shall get hit by the Work Depression on Wednesday night (back there on Thurs.) but for now I am glad I am not there!

2 - Made myself go to the over 50s keep fit! And I managed to keep up for most of the time, even if I have missed the class for a good couple of months!

3 - The other keep-fit ladies have organised a Christmas do and asked if I want to join in. Of course I did, so I went to the pub where they have booked and added my booking.

4 - DH's shoes are ready, they had been resoled last year so no need for new sole, but they were all unglued. So for the princely sum of £3 we got them repaired, I picked them up and they are looking all nice and shiny, looking new. DH is going to be very pleased.

5 - Because of fairly dry weather, I managed to get one load of laundry outside to (part) dry.

6 - Nice lunch of fish fingers and HM coleslaw with DS and DD (who ate only the coleslaw with bread as she does not eat fish). I added a nice ripe avocado to the coleslaw and it made it taste extra-rich, really lovely.

7 - Out of the blue I got a letter from Npower saying that they will send me a refund for when I was a customer - appx £18, I am not complaining!

Have a good evening everybody xxx