5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

sparrer

AWOL again for a few days, not been the best of times but I'm still here and just about breathing so a quick 5 tonight

1. Once again, so thankful for the NHS. I sometimes forget how fortunate we are to have that service, until I need them

2. 3 nsd's

3. Postie brought me a sachet of coffee for the cafetiere, luckily it's decaf so I don't have to give it away :T

4. Got my passport back from the Indian Embassy with the visa in it - did I mention I'm going to India for my hols, in 2 weeks and 4 days?

5. Drooled at Caterina's sweet lasagne recipe, what luck I have all those ingredients so hang the diet for one day tomorrow, I have to try it. Not very OS, but it's certainly going to be a pleasure

Night night, sweet dreams
S x

Frith

Right, next time I'm all miserable, remind me that mid-January 2011 I did actually have a very nice weekend that stretched on into Monday! Can't remember being so happy for a long time (as in years...)

Here are 5 for today. (Monday)

1) Chatting to MrN's parents while he was at work. They aren't local but stopped the weekend and are going home tomorrow. I'm sure they (just like my parents) are thinking "Please let this one be nice!" :-D

2) Sainsburys shop with no children - always a pleasure. Got MrN's shopping too so you can imagine what a week's worth for 8 looks like, esp for 2 different houses and lots of pets! Got smaller son some socks with Lego Star Wars characters on which he likes.

3) Went to see how my brother's barn conversion is going. He has got the upstairs window frames in now, it's really taking shape.

4) Took brother's dog for a long walk.

5) Sons came back from their father's (they go for tea after school on Mondays) and got straight into their homework. It took over an hour and they concentrated really well. Bigger son's was quite advanced. I was glad I did A level English although I had to look up "onomatopoeia" in the dictionary and that might be the wrong spelling there...

6) MrN came round and has just gone. :-)

house_elf

Hi All,

Home early from school as I have been to another funeral, so felt the need to share some pleasures to cheer me up.

1. Strangely enough, the funeral was a pleasure. The sun shone, and the beautiful words and music allowed us to celebrate the life of a lovely person. :A

2. Challenged two of my classes to do a GCSE level task and they coped really well. I'm so proud!

3. Lamb stew in the slow cooker last night was yummy.

4. Zen on Sky Plus last night. (GirlySquare ).

5. Croissants and coffee for breakfast. Unfortunately made myself late for school .

GirlySquare Carluccios voucher here: http://http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-restaurant-deals/carluccios

Primrose Lucky you seeing Rabbi Lionel Blue! One of my favourite Thought for the Day contributors.

Have a good evening everyone. HE x

Caterina

Hi all,

I am glad that so many of you liked my lasagne ideas - I have to be clear here, a few are untested, such as the sweet (apple and cinnamon) one, but by no means a problem. Basically lasagne is a "neutral" carb, a bit like bread or pasta or semolina so no reason why you cannot treat it as a base for either savoury or sweet dishes.

CCP and Newlywed, re. the sweet apple and raisin lasagne, I would use sweetened soya milk but if you take dairy then use milk. Thiking about sweet lasagne, you could use layers of fruits of the forest, in which case I'd probably use a fruit juice for liquid, as milk would not work (I think!).

Any starchy food can be made savoury or sweet, imagination is the only limit!

Frith, here is a fool-proof way to make a very quick and perfectly acceptable white sauce:

Depending on quantity, reduce or increase as suitable: 1/2 pint milk, a couple of teaspoonfuls of cornflour. Warm milk on a very low fire, reserving two-three tablespoonfuls in a cup. Mix the reserved (cold) milk with cornflour and once mixed in put in warming milk. Stir continuously until it thickens to a custardy consistency.

If you want savoury/cheesy, at this point add grated cheese. I like to add some nutmeg to this sauce as it gives it a great flavour, really nice on lasagne.

If you want it sweet, add sugar/spices.

If you want custard but have no custard powder (which is nothing other than dyed cornflour), add a few drops of yellow food colouring and TA-DAH! - you got custard. I add some grated lemon rind to this "custard" and also any spices that take my fancy, could be nutmeg, cinnamon etc... to make it more interesting.

Hope these snippets of cookery shortcuts are of some help.

CCP, best wishes for your date!

Here are my pleasures for today:

1 - DS made me breakfast, beans on toast, which is lovely but even more so as I would have skipped it had he not made it, as I was running late for class.

2 - Textile class, really good, I made a large panel using the cut up legs of a few pairs of DS's jeans, now I have to finish the border and it will be a bedcover for him.

3 - DD's BF is really enjoying his new job and an added benefit is that he regularly brings back lovely bread that would otherwise be thrown away.

4 - Seville oranges cooking, soon ready to be turned into marmalade.

5 - Yesterday's yellow stickered food from M&S is about to be turned into dinner - not sure what yet, better go and have a look at what to make, and ask everybody what they fancy (probably risotto with butternut squash, spinach from the garden and yellow stickered roquefort - for them, alas this last one not for me!).

Have a good evening everybody xxx

Kittikins

1. Thanks to the fabulous NHS for sending someone out to see DD at 1am this morning when she was in pain (muscle spasms with cuddles, rest and painkillers prescribed)
2. Our lovely osteopath who squeezed her in for treatment today and who has told me to just pay for today's appointment and not for the follow ups!! I will of course, but the fact she's offered is just so kind of her.
3. YS bread and croissants in the village shop!
4. Mr A proving to be a great support as I went through the day, calling, texting and emailing to see how DD is, sending me silly jokes and making me feel special
5. Mr A booking me in for a pedicure next week as I apparently need a treat
6. Found 1 cent (euro), a mini Reverbe!
7. Learned some more Italian on a free online course - I will be as fluent as Caterina by the time I go to Puglia I'm sure
8. Will be working from home for a couple of days, so will save some valuable petrol.

Caterina

Kittikins wrote: »

7. Learned some more Italian on a free online course - I will be as fluent as Caterina by the time I go to Puglia I'm sure

I am sure it won't take you too long, Kittikins! I am fast forgetting my Italian as I do not have many opportunities to speak, now when I talk I sound just like an immigrant (which is what I am!). I cannot speak "adult" Italian, for example all work-related subjects, as I have never worked in Italy, left the old country when I was 16, came back for a few years in my 20s and did some Uni (never finished) but could not find a job!

If you come along to the next OS meet we can chat in Italian for your practice if you want!

Kittikins

Grazie mille, Signora Caterina I'll have a look for the next OS meet, I've always fancied coming along to one but feel I'm a bit of an interloper rather than a hard-core OSer as I'm a lurker and rarely post on so much of this site!

Kitchenbunny

Evening, everyone. Just thought I'd post my pleasures for today:

1. Third day in a row I managed to do my Pilates. I feel a bit taller and leaner, but the real test will come if I can stick at it!
2. My ankle has calmed down a lot and isn't really swollen at all now.
3. A nice simple omelette for tea. It was only bacon and mushroom, but it tasted really nice and was good to have something less starchy.
4. I have finished my ironing! Whoo!
5. I watched "Tales from the Green Valley" on the Good Food channel. It's on on Sunday afternoons and is with the same people as Edwardian Farm, only this one is a farm in Wales in the Tudor period.

I saw some Italian in the above posts and wondered which online course you were using? I learnt the language for a job years ago and occasionally keep up with it but could do with brushing up on it. I can read better than I can speak it.

KB xx

Kittikins

Hi KB - it was a BBC free online Italian course, I did about 6 lessons' worth last night and forgot to bookmark it so hope I can find it again tonight once DD is tucked up in bed, poor scrap she looks shattered and she's still quite sore, but soooo much better than last night.

laloopi

Evening all, I'm enjoying life at the moment. Here's mine for today

1) My Little House on the Prairie book arrived from Australia via Bookmooch.com (inspired by the Tightwad Gazette). It should give me some OS inspiration!!
2) Sent off for our £39 S*n holiday, looking forward to going somewhere in Devon, sometime later in the year depending on what we are assigned to
3) Took my little boy to the park and enjoying watching him walking around in his first proper shoes
4) Think (but not 100% certain) I've decided to extend my career break by another year or so. We're managing financially, in no small part thanks to the OS forum, and I'm loving every minute of being a mummy.
5) Nice homemade beef burgers for lunch, containing porridge oats thanks to my friend's advice! I always like picking up new tips for the kitchen.