'supporting each other through really tough times'

mardatha

Yea but we don't eat baked tatties, we don't like them!

stiltwalker

Jame did lovely jacket spuds on his 30 minutes meals series by doing them in the microwave, then he drizzled with oil and fresh rosemary and finished off under the grill - far less fuel time but still yummy skins so best of both worlds!

Mar - I use a haybox sometimes to great effect. Well actually it is a sturdy cardboard box that got a meat delivery in so it has an insulated inner then I wrap the pan (having cooked for about 3/4 hour on stove top) in tin foil, then 2 big bath towels and put in the box for a few hours - when I'm ready for tea I just get it out and bring back to the boil. I sold it to DH (not that he needed selling on it really he just looks on indulgently while I get on with my odd habits - lol) as ideal for days out - so I do it in the morning and it's ready when we get back.

Got 2 very tired kiddies here this evening - had a busy time at stay and play and you can tell they are zonked - DS 'discovered' the bouncy castle big style today and any time we were doing something else his eyes kept going back towards it and if he could get away he was crawling back in that direction like a shot!

Take care and hugs to all.

savingqueen

Had a great day with the kids but my vibe of just letting it be has mysteriously disappeared! I have a headache and kids are being as noisy as they possibly can be despite many warnings. I packed them off upstairs to get ready for bed and I am trying to take deep breathes before I loose my temper. DH is due in any second and he will be dispatched upstairs to calm them down. I have had it for one day quite honestly!

So another one for a relaxing evening. Some chicken thighs roasting in the oven and intended to do spuds and steamed veg but really can't be bothered so oven chips and chicken it is. Might stretch to some frozen peas . Then a little veg out (gotta get my veg somewhere :rotfl:) on sofa and off to bed possibly with some MSE browsing and a hot chocolate. Happy days!

Hugs to everyone feeling down or poorly if I don't get time to remember individuals later.

ps kids went to a dinosaur activity today (run by local schools) and came back with a tiny bag each full of 50 million year od fossilized shark teeth!

hurrah!! DH walking in!! :j :j :j
sq:)

Possession

I've had (have) people staying so haven't been on here much but wanted to say I'm so sorry about your friend McCulloch, and give hugs to all who need them which seems to be lots of us this week.
All OK here, it's half term and I'm worn out.
Just had a lovely leg of lamb from Aldi, it was in the freezer section and only £11 for a whole large leg. It served 6 of us with enough left for another roast dinner for the 4 of us - or could probably eke it out to 2 more meals of a more frugal nature.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Evening all

Have chilled a lot today as back pain prevented much else (glad I am on leave this week). Took DD2 to see the Neurologist about her headaches he explained that in people with skeletal neck deformities it is not unusual to have headaches caused by neck tension. We chatted about the frequent bouts of sinusitis as well as this also gives her sever head and facial pain so he is contacting her GP and requesting another referral to ENT. Hopefully we see a different one to last time who thought we were after a free nose job on the NHS :mad:.

Made a spag bol in the slowcooker. Used 500g of mince and stretched it out with peppers, celery, onions, red lentils, mushrooms (chopped very fine so DD2 did not know they were in there ). We had three portions tonight and I have bagged up another 6 portions for the freezer and two smaller portions to have with baked spuds or couscous for work lunches.

:question: Do any of you know where I can get some quick cook polenta (not the soild stuff)? Have tried A*da, Morris*ns and Tes*o but no luck. Do you think Holl*nd and Barr*tt is worth a try?

katieowl_2

I forgot to say earlier, I phoned my friend with mental health problems to see what had happened last week, as she was due to be repossessed on Thurs... and I'd not heard from her. I gave her a few days, but I was worried so I called. today.

She DID get evicted, turned up at the local council, who refused to recognise her as a vulnerable adult and she was turned away. Just like that! A friend locally, made a few suggestions including the police (not interested) and going to A&E because she was feeling unwell. A&E gave her the once over and put her in touch with emergency housing as it was late in the day, who got her a room somewhere for one night, and she was back at the council offices next day, where they were still not going to do anything (not even send her to Birmingham) so she did the only thing left open as an option, took a carefully calculated overdose, and turned back up at hospital and told them she'd taken an overdose :eek: She's now in a mental hospital, but has a social worker...so they shouldn't now be able to evict her until there is somewhere for her to go.

I can't quite make up my mind if taking an OD is a sure sign of madness or pure genius. What else to do??? It's -2 out there, she's asthmatic, and broke?

If Britain is broken Dave....it's you that broke it mate!!!

Kate

katieowl_2

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

:question: Do any of you know where I can get some quick cook polenta (not the soild stuff)? Have tried A*da, Morris*ns and Tes*o but no luck. Do you think Holl*nd and Barr*tt is worth a try?

Surprised Tesc* don't have it....have you looked in the wholefoods section as well as with the rice and things.

Not sure about H&B, but you may do better with a deli than a health food shop?

Edited to add: here :

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/iq.asp?SearchText=polenta&Search.x=0&Search.y=0&Search=GO

Looks like H&B do have it, couldn't see it on tesc*

Nargleblast

I think Britain started to go downhill when the regime that were in power from 1979 did away with a lot of our manufacturing industries and encouraged the growth of finance and service industries. I worked in banking years and years ago and remember when it started changing from a customer service ethos to a sales ethos - we were under pressure to sell as many loans and credit cards as possible. We were all encouraged to buy whatever we wanted and pay for it later, and like so many others I got suckered into that way of thinking, and ended up heavily in debt. The debt is gradually getting paid off, and I now prefer a simpler, less consumerist, less materialistic lifestyle.

Pooky

Evening all, hugs to all who need them, I am trying to read and keep up but it's going in and immediately getting lost in the ether.

Seem to be lurching from good news to battle fighting to flame fighting to good news to naff stuff.....I'd just like a day off from life to be honest. I'm throwing myself into a bit of furniture restoration and some nice painty bits for my new kitchen, I've nearly worn my sander out.

I watched my Grandad destroy himself with alcohol when my Nan died, he was a happy drunk, never nasty, it was just his way of coping with the love of his life dying. My eldest was 4 when he died but even now when we walk past a pub she stops, sniffs and says it smells of him....quite sad really but she has fond memories of him, as do I.

[Deleted User]

MRS VP you can get quick cook polenta in Waitrose, I think it's called Valsugana or something close, hope that helps.

FUDDLE sorry for having confused you a bit, when I said adversity made me stronger I should have said that the resolution to not be on the receiving end from my darling Mamma and acting on that decision was very hard but summoning up the willpower to make the break and needing the resolution to maintain that decision broke her hold over me and my family and that made me a much more self reliant and stronger person. My confidence grew and I became a much more definate person which has stood me in good stead as time has gone by. Cheers Lyn xxx.