Renovations and Repayments.

AlexLK

Thanks, OOC.

Any ideas for a lunch which is tasty but does not spoil from the chefs of MSE? He doesn't eat 'children's food', admittedly that's our doing as parents because we refuse to cook twice. Also really fussy about sandwiches.

muddywhitechicken

AlexLK wrote: »

Any ideas for a lunch which is tasty but does not spoil from the chefs of MSE? He doesn't eat 'children's food', admittedly that's our doing as parents because we refuse to cook twice. Also really fussy about sandwiches.

Soups, stews, pasta & sauce in a food flask?

littlegreenparrot

Salads - using cous cous, bulgar wheat, quinoa, or potatoes as a base to make it more substantial, add roast and/or raw veg. Some toasted seeds and falafel on top. Crudites with a little pot of hummous or dip.
Slices of cold pizza, or make little calzones, small pasties or pastry tarts (I just buy puff pastry, mine never works!).
A pot of fruit salad, bananas, apples. Homemade fairy cakes/flapjacks.
I'd get him to make a list of the sort of things he likes, and get him involved in making it over the weekend. Then hopefully he'll be more inclined to eat it.

Its worth having a variety of different sized pots, I find a thermal lunch bag and freezer packs helpful to keep it fresh.
Its great to hear he's getting on so well.

ourcornercottage

All good advise. I had same problem with miniocc that he's not a fan of sandwiches, Won't eat junk food and even turned his nose up at pizza and even chips til about a year ago. Now he'll only have a pizza with olives and capers! Saying that he actually likes school dinners for that reason as it is proper food on the whole.

For lunch I have a sort of thermal bowl with a lid that I got from the range which is perfect for pasta etc.

Don't forget many schools have rules excluding certain foods like nuts and seeds and minioccs pre school had a kiwi fruit ban as someone had an extreme allergy to it. It's just worth checking first.

AlexLK

muddywhitechicken wrote: »

Soups, stews, pasta & sauce in a food flask?

Will a food flask keep it warm? Sorry, I'm aware this is probably a stupid question but I've not really ever taken anything other than cold food to picnics etc.

littlegreenparrot wrote: »

Salads - using cous cous, bulgar wheat, quinoa, or potatoes as a base to make it more substantial, add roast and/or raw veg. Some toasted seeds and falafel on top. Crudites with a little pot of hummous or dip.
Slices of cold pizza, or make little calzones, small pasties or pastry tarts (I just buy puff pastry, mine never works!).
A pot of fruit salad, bananas, apples. Homemade fairy cakes/flapjacks.
I'd get him to make a list of the sort of things he likes, and get him involved in making it over the weekend. Then hopefully he'll be more inclined to eat it.

Its worth having a variety of different sized pots, I find a thermal lunch bag and freezer packs helpful to keep it fresh.
Its great to hear he's getting on so well.

All sounds delicious.

Think I'll do a trial run with the couscous tomorrow. He'll definitely be helping to make lunch with me as he's interested and I think it's a good life skill to have. I, on the other hand, didn't learn to cook until well into adulthood. Where can I get these thermal lunch bags and freezer packs? Not really had to do lunch before. We don't really freeze anything and on the off chance we do, it usually gets wrapped in clingfilm.

Thanks. I'm really pleased with his attitude to school so far this week, he's starting to involve himself and willingly do tasks set there.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

All good advise. I had same problem with miniocc that he's not a fan of sandwiches, Won't eat junk food and even turned his nose up at pizza and even chips til about a year ago. Now he'll only have a pizza with olives and capers! Saying that he actually likes school dinners for that reason as it is proper food on the whole.

For lunch I have a sort of thermal bowl with a lid that I got from the range which is perfect for pasta etc.

Don't forget many schools have rules excluding certain foods like nuts and seeds and minioccs pre school had a kiwi fruit ban as someone had an extreme allergy to it. It's just worth checking first.

:rotfl: Son isn't quite that fussy! We don't eat junk food though as most heavily processed type food makes me rather ill. Recently, I'm getting more into cooking, too. Used to hate it but the more I've done it, experimented and started to try more things the more I enjoy it. Son loves cooking and baking until the tidy up ... :mad:

There's a "The Range" in Chesterfield. I've never been in there, worth a visit?

Never heard of a kiwi fruit allergy before. I'll speak to school to see if there are any banned items. To start, I think he'll be staying for two days per week and build from there. Quite proud he's decided that he'd like to try this.

AlexLK

Today has been good for the most part and productive. Son had a really good day at school, too.

I have lost £60 worth of music teaching work today though, due to my parents. Father called, asked I go there "urgently". I ask why and he just told me I was needed urgently. Of course, I thought something awful had happened so cancelled the £60 worth of work and went straight to their house. Turns out he "urgently" wanted to tell me he'd remembered the registration number of a car he had long before I was born and wanted me to check the DVLA tax website to see if it was still on the road. I lost my temper, mother got really upset because apparently I have "no respect" and father threw a book at me.

Really quite annoyed about them asking me to go there for nothing, often he does this to spend hours upon hours talking to me. In the past I've cancelled business meetings, lost customers, had to leave my school job early and now cancelled music lessons. Don't need the money as such but it's utterly ridiculous and I'm left feeling like I'm the one letting people down yet know at some point he's going to call with a real emergency. :mad:

ourcornercottage

I'm not surprised you are cross, I'd say you are getting no respect from them. I know your father is elderly but can't your mum work as a bit of a buffer to ensure that important things really are important.

In the past you've said they want you to be good with money and an upstanding citizen so to speak, then do things like this that make you loose money and let people down.

I'd have been fuming if I were you. Problem with elderly relatives is that they often cry wolf and then when they really need help there's nobody there as they aren't taken seriously. Catch 22 for you.

In other news the range is a good general shop, good for craft stuff for kids, kitchen stuff, material and bits and bobs you might not find elsewhere. A bit like an up to date woolies. they also have a pet and garden section too which is useful. Like a woolies/homebase/pets at home hybrid with a touch of dunelm mill!

Most peopke think miniocc not fussy because he will eat risotto, frittata, curry, sushi, salad, olives, artichokes. Asparagus, mushrooms all the things that kids usually hate. But try to get him to eat a burger or a sarnie when your running late on the motorway service station on your way back from somewhere and its s pain in the backside. I am proud when he orders a meal and gets complimented from the waiting staff how good an eater he is though

Ps being elderly and your dad is no excuse at throwing stuff at you by the way. Tell him so.

newgirly

Terrible behaviour from your parents Alex, if it were me I would let them stew on it for a while and not rush back to visit.

gallygirl

I'd put him on the naughty step Alex .

So frustrating and probably not much consolation that those of us who've got/had elderly relatives have been through the same. When your dad is more rational tell him why it's unacceptable - though it probably won't make any difference. Next time if you're not given a good reason don't go. I remember the stressful drive over to mum's on many's an occasion wondering what I was going to find - only to discover she'd forgotten how to work the video or similar :mad:.

Debsnewbudget

My mum had a great work ethic so if I ever said I was working and could I call after work she would always say yes.
She also never pulled a face if when I left her I said I was going to work, wheras if I just said time to go, she was not happy.
I think your mum and dad see you as being free rather than being self employed. If you explain to your mum and dad that you are working and cannot just be called up there as it means you are letting other people down do you think they would accept that ?
Stress the work ethic and letting people down and it might sink in
Good luck, but either way, throwing books is not acceptable