OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

mcculloch29

Hello everyone, it's been ages since I've been on, but thought I would chip in again.
Jack Monroe's new book has several recipes for using cauliflower, I'm delighted that so many of her recipes are focused on using what is seasonal and grown as locally as possible (the book is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-120-Recipes-Jack-Monroe/dp/071817996X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414244148&sr=8-1&keywords=a+year+in+120+recipes )
I grated cauliflower to use in her cauliflower mac recipe, which is a combination of macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese without faffing around with a cheese sauce. It grated in a trice and tasted good. I'd like to try cauliflower rice too, as A!di doesn't stock brown rice and I avoid Mr T. like the plague.

Horace

Thought I would share - I am grinning like a Cheshire cat. We won first prize for our window display at the Longbridge Light Festival, the prize money was £250 which has had to be split with the other Friends group that helped. Can't quite believe it.

We thought that local kids must have won because 3rd and 2nd went to two kids' groups and then it came to first prize and there was mention of train carriages and best interpretation of the brief (for a moment I wondered who they were talking about and then I remembered that it was our group). Not wanting to be biaised, on looking at the other window displays I thought that our's was the best.

The chip shop were pleased when we told them that we had won first prize and they offered us some free chips but we just couldn't eat (maybe we can get some free ones on another day, who knows).

Anyway - I thought I would share the good news, it is the first time that I have done something like this and to win first prize at the first ever light festival is an achievement:j

LavenderBees

Well done, Horace :beer:

Mum2One - I'm using your sausage casserole suggestion for the crackers today. I've adapted it slightly to use the slow cooker, but will finish in the oven with the crackers/cheese on top. Doing this with allotment beans/cabbage, and carrots/cauli

Well, I s'pose I'd better get myself moving properly. I want the C pressies wrapped, and the kitchen scrubbed (inc the dreaded oven and fridge) today. I might just get the oven and fridge scrubbed, which would be a start. I have open shelves which get dusty, so periodically have to scrub everything...it's a big job though, so might not do it all today :eek:

But first, I'll go to see the girls. Yesterday, I was able to give them cabbage and lettuce again as their worming period is finished. ah bless them, they fell on the cabbage leaves with cries of joy, and chuntered happily to each other. Thank goodness we're back to normal.

Enjoy your Sunday's folks!

LB xx

JustKeepSwimming_2

freakyogre wrote: »

.....There are certain people in my current job who almost make you feel guilty for not coming in early, when really there is no need to do so! There were comments when people would arrive on time, that they were late, purely because the 'others' had decided to come in over an hour before their start time. Really not on and as much was said which seems to have put a stop to it!

I have colleagues like this too - they're supposed to start at 8 (which I think is plenty early enough) but one sometimes comes in at 7.30 to "catch up" then she seems to have the hump with those of us that start at out normal time :rotfl:. I sometimes get "Nice to see you at last" when I come in - & that's when I'm there 5 minutes before I start so I've time to hang my coat up etc. I think they don't realise that I'm not late - they've just been there longer than usual since they've chosen to come in early.

I'm determined to stand my ground & keep pointing out the futility/stupidity of working for nothing - within reason of course, I'm not completely unreasonable. Honest.

calicocat wrote: »

Howdie folks......still here, just in the background as don't seem to have a great attention span at the moment to comment, plus RL just getting in the way.

RL can be such a bummer when it gets in the way of being on here!

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: to those having hard times at the moment.

Edit......thats a very dodgy loaad of hugs isn't it.....lol. I've only just worked out how to do these on my phone, must have pressed it 3 times...........

Oh well.....hugs all round then....to everyone.

I'll have all the hugs going, dodgy or not at the moment (although mind my back ). Hope the job stress/uncertainty gets better soon, but I guess it could turn into quite a long term worry - have a dodgy hug right back :grouphug:

mcculloch29 wrote: »

Hello everyone, it's been ages since I've been on, but thought I would chip in again.
Jack Monroe's new book has several recipes for using cauliflower, I'm delighted that so many of her recipes are focused on using what is seasonal and grown as locally as possible (the book is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-120-Recipes-Jack-Monroe/dp/071817996X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414244148&sr=8-1&keywords=a+year+in+120+recipes )
I grated cauliflower to use in her cauliflower mac recipe, which is a combination of macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese without faffing around with a cheese sauce. It grated in a trice and tasted good. I'd like to try cauliflower rice too, as A!di doesn't stock brown rice and I avoid Mr T. like the plague.

That recipe is on my list (I get her emails & have tried a few before & they generally seem to work even with my appalling cooking skills). I wonder if I can get away with just saying its mac & cheese & not mentioning the cauli at all? Can't believe I still have to hide veg for my DD at 15 :rotfl:

I wonder if broccoli would grate as easily (although I'd struggle to hide that unless I dyed it all green for Hallowe'en)?

Congrats on winning the prize Horace :T

LB - glad the girls are back on treats again & I'm sure you're forgiven for withholding the nice stuff.

It sounds like a lot of you are doing far too much cleaning today - I've done my household admin (yawn) but am still planning on extending my slob w/e a little longer. Although TBH I don't feel 100% so think I've come down with the start-of-the -school-hols lurgy Must have TV rest & a hot toddy later if I still feel carp.

Hugs to all.

LavenderBees

Hi JKS :j

I'd be wary of trying to get others to see your point of view. You'll be in danger of becoming entrenched in different camps. Just come and go as YOU want to, not as they do. Keep your own counsel, then no one can accuse you of anything untoward. I'll shurrup now

Well, I took a look at my kitchen and decided that is next weekend's work. It's too much for one day. I know how to live...:D. I can feel your jealousy from here....:rotfl:

But I have forced myself to thoroughly clean my front porch, and my bathroom (finally got that horrible spider's web that's been there all year, almost).

My thinking on the "spring" cleaning is that it stops me going out spending (I MUST be frugal now), it needs doing, and it means that when the TV gets better (hopefully nearer December), and the weather gets worse, I can spend my Sundays in front of the fire, watching films, with a completely clear conscience!;)

Just having a rest with a cuppa, will check on the girls again, and then make a start on the pressie wrapping - this is a job I hate, but as usual, thinking about it is far worse than actually doing it. And I'll feel so virtuous by this evening.

Just calm me PollyAnna :rotfl:

LB xx

Horace

Hi gang

Feeling pooped today which isn't helped by the clocks going back (wish we didn't have to mess with the ruddy things). I got up late to a weird pink glow in my room - it was the two light sticks I was given last night and they are still glowing. Nipped to the town centre (I wanted to try and take pics of the window) and all the lights in the street have gone back to normal - gone were the huge cider containers that had eerie lights in them, gone were the red weeds around the top of the lamp standards, the only evidence that there was ever a light festival was the shop window I helped decorate. I don't think the pictures will come out well because I forgot to use my polarizing filter (it was at home) so the window reflects me.:(

I nipped into the supermarket for milk and some cheese sauce - oh and I went to their whoopsie shelf and picked up some pasta with chicken & bacon (I ate it for lunch) and some steak burgers. Tomorrow I plan to make a cauliflower cheese with leeks.

The girls went to take down the display this afternoon - they dropped the plants, the log and my stuff back to me. They told me that the chip shop tried to get them to have chips - apparently Sunday's chips are special chips:D - I feel quite sad that the train carriages ended up in the bin (can't keep everything) but at least I have my stuff back including the little cricket bat and ball made from sugar. I have some fir cones too which I will spray silver and use them when the tree goes up in December - I have even got the dragon flies made using a free template from the internet and covered in glitter - we cut holes in the wings and backed them with holographic paper so they shimmer. These will be wedged in the branches.

Need to do more housework - I am lazy and hate doing it - there I said it (life is too short to spend several hours a day with a duster in my hand).

Did some washing up today - more needs doing, I also need to tidy my bedroom because I have the alarm man coming round at 9am to service the alarm.

moneyistooshorttomention

"several hours a day with a duster in my hand" Horace re housework?:rotfl::rotfl:. I've worked out that weekly housework is basically about 4 hours worth (that's kitchen/one bathroom/hoover/ironing/changing bed etc).

Errrmm...that still doesn't mean to say I actually DO that you know? Ahem....:o:p:o - but that's the theory.

greenbee

MTSM - I keep meaning to comment on your signature. None of the countries you have listed are in the top 10, 20 or even 30 of the IMF's current list of the world's richest countries. Whereas the US is at number 2 and the UK at number 10. China made it to number 1 this month, but due to it's high population, when you assess it based on income per capita, it ranks at 85. The gulf states are perceived as being wealthy because they have oil, and there are a lot of rich people there and we see the image they project of luxury lifestyles. But they are NOT the world's richest nations by any objective measure.

JustKeepSwimming_2

LavenderBees wrote: »

Hi JKS :j

I'd be wary of trying to get others to see your point of view. You'll be in danger of becoming entrenched in different camps. Just come and go as YOU want to, not as they do. Keep your own counsel, then no one can accuse you of anything untoward. I'll shurrup now

Well, I took a look at my kitchen and decided that is next weekend's work. It's too much for one day. I know how to live...:D. I can feel your jealousy from here....:rotfl:

But I have forced myself to thoroughly clean my front porch, and my bathroom (finally got that horrible spider's web that's been there all year, almost).

My thinking on the "spring" cleaning is that it stops me going out spending (I MUST be frugal now), it needs doing, and it means that when the TV gets better (hopefully nearer December), and the weather gets worse, I can spend my Sundays in front of the fire, watching films, with a completely clear conscience!;)

Just having a rest with a cuppa, will check on the girls again, and then make a start on the pressie wrapping - this is a job I hate, but as usual, thinking about it is far worse than actually doing it. And I'll feel so virtuous by this evening.

Just calm me PollyAnna :rotfl:

LB xx

Hope you're well on your way to feeling virtuous LB - I haven't even thought about pressies yet & I have one to post to Finland so I suppose I'd better acknowledge that C really is going to happen again :rotfl: & I'd better start working on my sociable side. It'll take a while

No reason to shurrup at all - you're right as usual about work colleagues so I shall try very hard to keep my counsel & quietly work my hours.

I'm off to the dentist tomorrow (darn pizza) then the hospital the next day, then taking DD to the optician the next day & going to my new best friend, the osteopath. What a fun filled half term so far, & when you add in tidying bedrooms & homework I think it'll be a riot! I'm trying desperately to get some oomph from somewhere to get chores done - shouldn't have had a relaxing w/e as I find it so much harder to get going again once I stop. Anyone else get this?

Horace wrote: »

....Need to do more housework - I am lazy and hate doing it - there I said it (life is too short to spend several hours a day with a duster in my hand).

Did some washing up today - more needs doing, I also need to tidy my bedroom because I have the alarm man coming round at 9am to service the alarm.

Not lazy Horace - you just have far more interesting things to do! What isn't more interesting than housework?

greenbee wrote: »

MTSM - I keep meaning to comment on your signature. None of the countries you have listed are in the top 10, 20 or even 30 of the IMF's current list of the world's richest countries. Whereas the US is at number 2 and the UK at number 10. China made it to number 1 this month, but due to it's high population, when you assess it based on income per capita, it ranks at 85. The gulf states are perceived as being wealthy because they have oil, and there are a lot of rich people there and we see the image they project of luxury lifestyles. But they are NOT the world's richest nations by any objective measure.

OK - am I being thick here? I don't understand this post....

greenbee

JustKeepSwimming wrote: »

OK - am I being thick here? I don't understand this post....

MTSM has changed her signature, so it no longer has a list of countries in it...