'supporting each other through really tough times'

Softstuff

So sorry to hear your news Unixgirl, *hugs*. That just sucks.

GreyQueen wrote: »

Softstuff, I have just made your christmas biscuits for a friend. I knew I would have to road test them to make sure they're palatable (am carp at baking a lot of the time, no disrespect to the recipe) and they're nomnomnom.

Thank you! I made the spiced ones and the marzipan almond ones last week, so they're in the freezer (well, the ones that are left are). I made the happy discovery that I don't have to roll out the spiced ones. I just made balls and then squished them flat with a fork. They need a little longer to bake, cos they're fat, but they're good that way.

Frugalista wrote: »

Any chance of the recipe, pretty please .

Sure. I adapted this from a number of recipes I'd seen to suit us.

Asian style pulled pork

I used a 2 and a bit kilo piece of pork shoulder, trimmed off the skin and a fair bit of fat, leaving some on though to keep it moist.

In a big bowl mix 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar (I can't see why white wine vinegar wouldn't work fine), 2 tbsp honey, 2 heaped tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice. Pop the meat in, give it a good rub around, cover with clingfilm and leave overnight.

Put the meat and sauce in a big baking tin. Cover with foil, put in the oven and switch the oven on to 160. After 2 hours, turn the meat, recover it and turn the oven down to 140. After another 2 hours take the foil off, turn the meat and pop back in for 1 hour uncovered.

When you take the meat out of the oven, pop it on a plate and leave it to cool half an hour. Don't discard the sauce. After the half hour, pull the pork into strands using a couple of forks. The outer bits should be kind of crusty and super tasty, the inside will be soft and moist. Mix it all up a bit.

Put the sauce in a jug in the fridge, when it cools remove the layer of fat on the top. Reduce it by 1/3 in a saucepan. Mix 1 tsp cornflour in a splash of water and throw that in. Cook it for about a minute until the sauce thickens a bit. Sieve the sauce and it's good to go. Be warned it's strong and salty, so should be drizzled not poured over!

To reheat some meat pop it on a tray in the oven. I served it in soft white buns, drizzled with sauce and a simple coleslaw of carrot, cabbage, mayo and a dash of sesame oil. Later we'll be having it with rice, in wraps, on pizza, on nachos.... the list is endless.

kezlou

softstuff your recipe sounds lovely, think we'll have to get some pork this week:D

Sorry everyone for the rant , i was just annoyed, OH was going to say something but i wouldn't let him.

I have to say being out and being with the family for the past two days has really boosted my spirits.
It's been great mucking round with them lots of laughing and joking.
We all really enjoyed ourselves .

savingqueen

kezlou wrote: »

softstuff your recipe sounds lovely, think we'll have to get some pork this week:D

Sorry everyone for the rant , i was just annoyed, OH was going to say something but i wouldn't let him.

I have to say being out and being with the family for the past two days has really boosted my spirits.
It's been great mucking round with them lots of laughing and joking.
We all really enjoyed ourselves .

kezlou - don't you dare apologise, you have every right to feel annoyed. I feel really annoyed on your behalf. Honestly some people, selfish is not the word.

Really glad you have had some fab family fun the last couple of days. :j

sq:)

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Evening all, have just finished my first non admin shift since the car accident. Sitting here with a wheat bag but not in as much pain as I thought I would be.

Unixgirl That is an awful thing to have happen especially so close to Christmas.

Well wish me luck, having spent the best part of yesterday completing an application form I have just clicked the send button and have applied for another job. It is similar to some of the work I am doing now but is a promotion with a slightly higher salary and four years worth of salary increments which would be great as it is 4 years since I had an increment or pay rise. I know I should just be grateful that I have a job but I am bringing home less now that I was 12 months ago thanks to a pension change.

DD1 comes home from uni tomorow :j. DD2 is busy cleaning their shower as we speak (for the first time in weeks.

Hope you all have a good nights sleep.

Mrs VP

savingqueen

Glad you're on the mend GQ. Take it easy til you're 100% though love. Your post about the christmasiscomingitis or whatever you called it made me laugh as did the hidden boxes. My tumbledrier is now used as storage for shoving junk in to tidy up quickly before visitors... only probs is its full now from DS6's party tidy up... so where to put things for the next wave of visitors? We don't even have a loft!

kidcat - thanks for sharing your lovely day out, especially for DS8. Just brilliant to hear and just what you all needed I think.:D

pops - hugs, tomorrow's another day, hang in there. glad you have some Chrissy cards to cheer you up (not too late to send some yourself if you haven't done so?) and an eve out

unixgirl - big hugs for you, what horrible news. we are all here for you and will help you through it. chin up love.

sorry to hear all the various car related probs, seems to be loads on here lately.

I know I have missed some people out who are having troubles - sorry my tired brain has given up a bit now. Please know I am thinking of you and sending hugs even if I haven't mentioned you.

we are still a poorly household (groundhog day!) but DS6 should be ok for school at long last tomorrow. DS8 is worse if anything and has carol concert in a cold church tomorrow (well its usually cold there) so may keep him off another day - only thing is I have volunteered to be an escort for his class. DH has been shivering and shaking this afternoon, he seemed to escape the worst of it but seems its his turn now.

On a brighter note - we have a tree! DH went out to get one (a real one) in the morning before he felt rough and me and boys decorated it in the afternoon. it looks lovely - DS8 said how special it was with lots of homemade decs (and even more shop bought but they are family hand me downs so special too). Really boosted the boys especially DS6 who has been stuck indoors since Mon pm poor thing. I am truely useless at doing anything with photos, never print any off, send any to anyone or anything, just take them! If I get time tomorrow will have a go at taking a pic of our tree and getting it to appear on here. Don't hold your breath though OSers.

Just after I tucked DS6 in, heard some loud music outside. It was the rotary charity "santa on a sleigh" coming down our road. Got DS6 out of bed and DS8's feet out of a bowl of water (blasted verruca treatment) just in time!! Its lovely to see everyone coming out of their homes and people holding wide-eyed toddlers - my next door neighbour (in her 50s) was more excited than my two :rotfl:

ps DH & I decided to taste test a box of A^d! chocs last night. We ate about 2/3 of the box eeek! I said they were ok, cheaper than the branded equivalent, DH said he didn't really like them ... so why oh why then did he scoff so many?!:rotfl:Realise I need to change my signature. - really I am not cutting down my chocolate intake but revving up!

sq:)

CRANKY40

Unixgirl sorry to hear your news. A friend of mine went into work today and was told she wasn't needed. She's only worked there a couple of weeks, so that was that. It's a horrible thing to happen, but even worse at this time of year.

Kezlou I will never understand why people think baby changing stuff and disabled toilets go together. The only place I've ever found with decent facilities is the Asda just a bit further away from our local one. Ordinary ladies and gents toilets, with a low sink in the ladies for little people's handwashing, separate disabled toilet, and a separate room for baby feeding and changing with a toilet in as well for mum. I used to hate needing to use a public toilet when I was out with ds when he was small because he and his pram had to stay outside.

Everyone else...thank you for my daily dose of sanity.

stiltwalker

Kezlou - glad you are feeling brighter for getting out and about. Know exactly what you mean about disabled loos though - we go swimming with some friends once a month at a relatively local pools with waves/flume etc and In the summer I ws so mad - was heading off to the disabled loo with DD (in her walking frame) and 2 older ladies waltz in there in front of to use it as a blinking changing room!!! I didn't say anything just positioned DD where they would have to step around her when they -finally- came out, one didn't say anything (grrrr) the other one looked sheepish and mumbled something that could have been sorry. Was pleased to note the following month they got changed in the changing rooms though!! Ha!

MrsCD

Enjoy your lovely new home fuddle - merry Christmas!

mcculloch29

Didn't read yesterday as it was a busy day, great to hear Fuddle has made it into the new house OK!

Not so good for Unix - I do feel for you, how really horrible. What God-awful timing, and it sounds as if it was out of the blue.

Kezlou, that was awful, it's experiences like yours that make me wish all accessible toilets used RADAR keys. Then stupid, selfish women (and men) couldn't abuse them. The local sports club has just put a RADAR loo in (it's the club the music club uses as a venue).

Pops, lucky you getting to see Jez Lowe - definitely top notch entertainment. He's registered on Radio 2's radar, great to see our local entertainers getting national recognition.

So many songs of Jez's are favourites of mine, one of the C. Club regulars is a massive fan of his, he often does covers of Jez's songs, so you may get to hear some more.

Popperwell

Thanks SQ, feeling quite good again, think I have worked out for myself why Sundays are a bit difficult. Yes, a bit of a surprise regarding Christmas cards...think I have about twenty to send out which surprised me.

Can't believe that I have just eaten a Butternut Squash Roast:eek:OK a strange time to do so but at least I am eating and as I was watching TV on the laptop so why not;)

I have been sleeping more regular hours so tonight is an exception.

McCulloch, yes I was lucky with Jez I arrived with minutes to spare and had approx 15 minutes to get to the bus station to catch the last bus. So it did not overun.

I reckon Jez did approx 90 minutes and other guest approx 30 minutes but he also joined Jez in the second half and half the money on the raffle was given to the Salvation Army. Nice gesture...Many around me were singing his songs and they knew them well.

Both shows at the Town Hall I have been at the front. It's quite intimate similar to the club on our town.

Well, the club will give me something to look forward to and get me into company...:)

Here's hoping it is a better time for us all come the start of the New Year though it looks like more of the same...