The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

apple_muncher

Are you back yet? Or should we be looking for you up in the skies...?

beanielou

Enjoy

Greying_Pilgrim

Good evening :hello:

Weather definitely 4 seasons in one day which meant we needed every type of garment to keep warm/cool/shaded/dry/warm/cool/shaded/dry......... Don'tcha just luv the UK

We had a nice time at a nice-ish Natty Trusty property. The property/gardens themselves were not particularly baby/family friendly - which is NOT the NT's fault, but quite frankly, a couple of their volunteers could do with a bit of a training interlude - when someone with a (folded up) pushchair is told to 'leave it outside' and someone else further along in the queue with a RUCKSACK is invited to leave it with the volunteer at the door.... summat has gone wrong..... We'll just gloss over the silly comment by a silly woman (volunteer) in one of the rooms, who clearly thought she was being funny embarrasing DH.......

We had our picnic in the garden. We had to swipe off a wasp, but that was the only unwanted interloper Lunch in an English country garden in the 'summer' (*ahem*) is really quite something

We had cake, and a cuppa tea in the NT caff. Actually tea for 1 made 2 and a half cups, so I enjoyed half a cup on DH We had a piece of cake each too. One was OK, and one was waaaaayyyyy too sweet. Glad I had the OK one BG was fussed over in the caff (by other visitors), so we can't have two heads or anything (take note NT volunteers!)

We got stuck in mountains of traffic on the way home though But we're here now, so that is all that matters

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Space

Seasons

Solitude in company

Greying X

moneyistooshorttomention

Errrm...in the Natty Trust's defence - a rucksack counts as "personal possession" and maybe they only wanted it left outside because of "the times we live in currently - ie terrorism"? Sort of akin to being expected to leave a handbag outside (at which point I'd have to be thoroughly convinced my handbag would remain safe - or they would have to hand me my money back and I'd go somewhere else instead).

Guessing that's the logic behind that.....

greenbee

I think GP was referring to the WAY the two different parties were addressed, not the fact that they were required to part with their possessions for the duration...

Greying_Pilgrim

greenbee wrote: »

I think GP was referring to the WAY the two different parties were addressed, not the fact that they were required to part with their possessions for the duration...

Precisely. X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

For clarification;

We didn't mind leaving our pushchair outside the property/at the door. It would have been nice to be able to get in a polite request if we could do this BEFORE being told to 'leave that outside'. The pushchair was already folded up, to approximately the size of a couple of large umbrellas.

The people with the rucksack were invited to leave their rucksack inside at the desk, with the door steward, for which they would be issued a ticket for reclaim.

There is a difference.

We did not want to lug the pushchair around the house, we wanted to leave it, but the door steward's attitude was negative towards us because of BG - they also barked an order at me about how I was to conduct myself around the house with BG.

I get that not everyone has kids - truly I do. I get that not everyone likes kids - I truly do. I get that not all parents, parent their children - I truly do. But to treat every parent like they are a problem is not, the solution.

Two of the room stewards were absolutely lovely. In fact, one steward, recognising that Baby Greying might be too wee to understand, still wanted to show BG a 'treasure' that was in the room that they were stewarding, and used their flashlight to illuminate the item, so that at least it was more visible. They were clearly adept at dealing with the public, clearly knew alot about the room they were stewarding and wanted to share that knowledge.

There is a difference.

I'm going to write to the property manager today, firstly to congratulate them on incorporating an absolutely spiffing facility for parents with babies/small childrenin a new-build that is on-site. It is the first I have seen at an natty trusty property, and is something that not only helps parents, but also disabled visitors. But I shall also mention, the attitude of the 2 stewards in the property, because no-one should be dealt with like that, especially when they have done nothing wrong.

__________________________________

Tea last night was fish, chips and mushy peas which we both enjoyed as we were rather tired, and it was a synch to prepare! So glad I've given myself some slack over that meal.

I'm in two minds tonight whether to do the salad bowl that I have slated, or whether to use the local produce I picked up yesterday to make a 'spring' risotto. I'll see how the day pans out timewise etc.

We'll probably stay close to the homestead today, so I might squeak a nsd, although thinking about it, we've not yet got the TV guide, but then I'd hate to ruin a nsd with that! :rotfl:

Right, don't think I've owt no MS to natter on about, and I'm done explaining myself.....

Greying X

rtandon27

Since it's voting day...

I vote for risotto...

:D:D

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 wrote: »

Since it's voting day...

I vote for risotto...

:D:D

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::T:T:T

Ha ha rtandon - I love it But unfortunately we're not to be trusted over 'ere and I've done a U-turn and hoiked risotto orf the planner and me man(kind)-eats-festo

Soz

It occured to me that the produce I got yesterday would keep for a day or 2, but that I had got some YS'd stuff for tonight's meal. And although I got it on Tuesday, and it's not overly deteriorated, I'm not sure it'd benefit from kicking around too much longer....... So I thought I had better use it up. It is butternut squash, red pepper, courgette and red onion and I'm roasting it and going to have it with some squeaky cheese and brown rice.

Risotto will be either tomorrow or Saturday.

But oh, you're quick :D:D

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Well, we've got some chores done, and had some family time together Nice balance I think, and the challenge is trotting along nicely, except for the weight loss :mad:

Because we went out on Wednesday, I didn't post the soup pic/recipe we had on Tuesday night. The recipe is from a book about Fern Verrow which is a Biodynamic Farm at the foot of the black mountains in Herefordshire/Monmouthshire(?). Sweetcorn, chilli, lime and potato soup (scroll down for recipe compoments - in purple -, quantities are not given) was very nice and I would certainly make it again. I of course made it with frozen sweetcorn, rather than produce picked from my garden........ Served with onion seed flatbreads. Picture here;



Teas have been mixed and varied and deviated a little from the planner, due to unexpected purchases, and time limitations due to 'staycationing' However, I made a version of the Grilled Halloumi and roasted med. veg from the Happy Pear cookbook. As ever, I used what I had, and I made a basil and roasted garlic dressing, rather than the dressing suggested by the guys. My med veg was courgette, red pepper and butternut squash YS'd from M&$. I added a couple of bits of asparagus in, along with some cherry tomatoes whilst roasting the veg - it's a bit overdone, as BG didn't go to sleep straightway. The rocket 'salad' (actually just dressed leaves) was also YS'd from m&$. The halloumi was mrL. Picture here;



Friday night we went with a version of Italian Sausage & pasta, again, using what I had, rather than slavishly following the recipe. This was possible because we dropped on some 'cold-ron' foods veggie lincolshire sausages for 85p a packet in h3ron f00ds. I bought the 3 remaining packs and popped them in the freezer. Picture here;



Tea last night was 'Spring Risotto' featuring broad beans and asparagus bought in a farm shop on our day out. The rest of the YS'd rocket made a little side salad. No recipe, but I was lucky I had just enough risotto rice to make it..... #shuddacheckedingredients....... Picture here;




Right, we're up to date. Possibly pizza for tonight.

I'll be back in a minute.

Greying X