Coffee and chocolate

miggy

I have to stop myself mulling over incompetence at HR!

Plan for today:

Visit Mum at some point. Of course I will get myself in a rut of not getting round to it because I know it will take time and a lot of my energy but I have decided what to bring in for her so am hoping that having something concrete to do will distract me long enough to make it happen.

DS and I are planning a BBQ, which may or may not be today. At the moment it looks like rain. I think I'll go to the baker's and get us something nice for lunch - actually, I might be able to do better and get something 'solid' that will microwave for tea and give us something to look forward to. I am not good at this 'no cooker' lark!

I now have all the data for the insurance so that's the main job to tackle. I'm hoping hard that they accept the new-for-old samples that we've chosen. We did find one cheaper and several more expensive but two in the middle at identical prices are what I'm putting in. I think I will include a list of the specifics that were on the old cooker and which we used as criteria in finding a comparable one.

Money-wise, I get paid in a couple of days so I'm nearly at the point of seeing how much can transfer to savings - even though it will be coming out again to pay the excess on the insurance and the top-up to get exactly the cooker I have my beady eye on.

Lemon_Tree

hope your conversation goes well with the insurance company and HR ring you back. I'm with you on the incompetence of HR units they really do do my head in on occasion! lol

miggy

Well.

Well, I never managed to get hold of HR BUT... my payslip arrived with a significant amount added! It seems they have not only given me the increment, but they have backdated it, which is quite correct, but... HOW MUCH?! :eek::eek::eek:

It's almost 10x what I expected!

Now before you or I or indeed anyone gets too excited, I need to point out the increment is awarded in two stages, and I'm only eligible for one but it will take scrutiny of my contract (urgh) and a better mathematical brain than I own to work out if they have paid me at the wrong rate, for the wrong period or whether, in fact, they have got it right.

I admit I hadn't worked it out and hadn't even done anything about it for months because a colleague who started around the same tiime as I did said it's only pence, and as I don't work full time, I didn't expect that to add up to much (er... even over eight months!)

Well, I'm enjoying it while I appear to have it but I am going to email HR tomorrow and, having thanked them politely, ask them to check and point out I shouldn't be on the full rate.

Other than that - successful visit to Mum except that I didn't manage to talk my way out of all the biscuits she offered me - though I hid a couple of (sealed) fruit jellies in a carrier bag so she wouldn't notice I've not taken them!

I have begun knitting again with the unlikely subject of Christmas Puddings (at least they're low calorie).

DH and I did an energetic walk to get rid of some of today's microwave tea (Cornish pasties with salad followed by baked apples with mincemeat - chosen before Mum forced biscuits on me). My weight's creeping up again which is concerning me.

I've had a look at the bank account but pay hasn't gone through yet. When it does I'll transfer some to savings, but it may not be there long - the insurance claim is now with the insurers but we have the first £100 to pay as excess and we need that new cooker. Any cooker in fact. Mt T is doing slow cookers for £9! So tempted... but I don't have a place to keep it, especially now we're a cupboard down (ha ha). Wonder if they're any good? We have a very cheap Mr T kettle which does us very well... and it would be so nice to be able to cook again!

And cooker matters aside, I'm not counting savings too seriously just in case HR decide they want the money back!

MatyMoo

Not sure about the Mr T slow cooker but I love mine. I used to have a small one (just fed 2) and OH brought me a bigger one last Christmas. I can do a whole chicken in it and these are stretching to 10 meals (roast day one and then pies, curries etc) plus soup from the carcass. The sausage casserole from it is the best (Sausages, tinned toms, onion, pepper, olives, herbs, new potatoes). Have also done lamb shanks when they were on offer and it just fell off the bone.

Generally they don't need a lot of liquid but I do add a bit more if using potatoes)

Must try some brisket next!

miggy

You have almost made up my mind for me Maty!

I need to find a place to keep it, though. That can be my task for later this morning - it's been a while since I had a rethink of the kitchen and now's a good time.

miggy

The discussion went like this:

For:
It's a cooking utensil
Old one is broken
This is very cheap
all customner reviews are positive

Against:
It requires an owner who can do things before lunchtime
Lack of space
How often would I use it?
'Which?' report isn't keen

I bought it

No feedback to give as yet apart from things that other customers mentioned - no recipes included, and whoever thought to give it a lid that won't go through the dishwasher? Also - some sort of energy rating would have been useful, though I gather in general slow cookers are cheap to run.

I've decided I could prep some things the previous evening as I'm awake then.

I'm now having a break from cleaning kitchen cupboards and throwing out ancient herbs and spices. If I have two, which is often, the older goes in the bin unless they are both in date, which is unlikely. Why do I find it hard to throw things out? Am telling myself things are not going to get any newer through sitting there on the shelf!

miggy

The first meal from the new slow cooker is just done! Roast chicken with party sausages and potatoes - what could be easier?

Now I want a new breadmaker...

Have spent quite a lot today - first about £15 on food which is still in budget but I will have to raid the cupboards tomorrow if we are to buy chips on Saturday, and secondly on stuff from S*perdrug as they have a points offer on their card (10 per pound - not bad). I did the sums as I went round and queued up hoping I had it right - maths isn't my strong point. Thewoman in fromnt of me had the same idea but hers didn't add up so she grabbed something from the display by the till to add to her basket - but by my reckoning she spent more to make up the amount than she gained in points...? Mine, thankfully, came to 33p over. However I have spotted two Christmas presents that I could buy to make use of the promotion again, so I guess the real winner is S*perdrug!

My wages are still shown as 'pending' online so I haven't put anything into savings. Then again, I'm still obsessively checking my email to hear from the insurers, and I've also still got to email HR about the possible overpayment of my wages, so perhaps there's not much point looking at putting anything into savings until I know there is something to put.

Lemon_Tree

i lurve my slow cooker, it's an old cordon bleu one which is actually also a crock pot but it's fab, i tend to prep everything the night before and put the frozen meat in it, let it defrost overnight, give it a stir and turn it on during the day, mine as three temperature settings and mostly makes beef stews that are wonderful. I've also done lamb shanks in it and roasted some small beef joints. My mum always used to cook a gammon in hers every christmas eve and she also used to boil her christmas pudds in there as well. Oh and you'll be able to pick up loads of recipe books from somewhere like the Works.

MissShoes

I am now very tempted by a slow cooker- I've been wondering about one for a while as so many people rave about them. The idea of coming home to a delicious meal, ready to serve is appealing. The idea of coming home to a small fire/melted worktop/burnt food because I can't work out how to do it properly, not so appealing!

Hope the kitchen is resembling calm instead of chaos for you Miggy xxx

miggy

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

i lurve my slow cooker, it's an old cordon bleu one which is actually also a crock pot but it's fab, i tend to prep everything the night before and put the frozen meat in it, let it defrost overnight, give it a stir and turn it on during the day, mine as three temperature settings and mostly makes beef stews that are wonderful. I've also done lamb shanks in it and roasted some small beef joints. My mum always used to cook a gammon in hers every christmas eve and she also used to boil her christmas pudds in there as well. Oh and you'll be able to pick up loads of recipe books from somewhere like the Works.

Christmas puds... now I remember I've done that with the old one, and extremely handy it was too, though it was such a close fit it took nearly as long to extricate asit did to cook!

I have to admit my ignorance on two counts - what is the difference between a slow cooker and a crockpot please, and what the the Works? Is it like Amazon (that home of enticing pre-loved books)?