Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

f0xh0les

Oh god massive hugs.  I know exactly where you are coming from. 

As the internet is shonky right now - could you ask for DS's work to be supplied in paper form as his Mum's ability to use the limited bandwidth for work to keep a roof over his precious little head takes precedence over a form tutor session or some fuzzy-wuzzy 'colouring in'  wellbeing session.

I am getting ' DS2 did not attend his lesson' emails, but he is there.   Someone else commented on my diary she is having the same thing with her DS, and we know they are in the lesson because we are 'doing the rounds' distributing the tea/snacks, as an opportunity to take a quick look at the screen and asking 'which lesson is that one?'.  So I am querying each and every email asking which session, which teacher, and then  going back to him and asking if he made any comments in the chat or if he submitted any quiz or anything 'in real time' during the lesson. Honestly it is driving me insane. 

Eek to the flooding, we are at the top of a hill too, it is a life-style choice I find. 

 I would get in writing the speed of your broadband, and then you have evidence that there is an issue with the tech outside your house being  intermittently unreliable.  If they want to fine you for having communications infrastructure problems, good luck to them.  Tell them you will be contacting  the local press about the threatening, bullying nature of the school. 

The problem I have, is that as the schools were shut for so long, the 4 days DS2 had off school since September brings him pretty much to the 93% limit before they have to take 'measures'.  If the school had been open then it would be well above the limit. 

You can only control the things you can control.  Take a deep breath.  Her cat probably hates her too.

beanielou

Sorry to hear about DS's head of year.  AS you say very unhelpful.
LOathe people like that 

badmemory

beanielou said:

Sorry to hear about DS's head of year.  AS you say very unhelpful.
LOathe people like that 

I always wonder what either their boss or spouse is like.  When I worked we used to have to deal with a buyer who was really quite unpleasant to deal with.  Fortunately he used to back down after saying he'd complain to our manager when our response, once we got his measure, was "shall I put you through now?"  I once asked one of his long time subordinates why they were all still there after such a long time of dealing with him.  The answer was, you should see his cuts & bruises some mornings after his wife has had a go.

Doesn't make it excusable of course, but understanding does tend to make it less unbearable/irritating/infuriating.

crazy_cat_lady

Eeesh you lot crack me up. I wish I'd come straight on here and moaned about her rather than stew on it for the next week and break myself making sure that everything was working as it should. I know it is of no consequence at all but I do wonder if I've mentioned that I am a teacher so I actually have a blimming good idea of what I'm supposed to be doing and am still finding it too difficult so I can't imagine what parents outside of the education sector must be going through. Anyway, ds got all his work done and handed in with time to spare last week so if there's even one negative comment about him I promise to go 'full Karen' on her. It's an awful situation for everyone - a bit of compassion wouldn't go amiss.
Anyway. Onto other stuff - the vile weather. I have been out walking both days this weekend, in heavy rain yesterday (where I did an amazing accidental impression of the Vicar of Dibley and ended up nearly up to my thighs in what I thought was a small puddle) and in the hailstones/snow on the beach this morning. In spite of the weather it is good for the soul and I'm pleased I can still do it - I just wish this awful pain in my foot would do one. I don't want to have to ask my horrible unhelpful doctors about that - I already have an appointment with the dentist next week and I just about need therapy for that I had such a bad experience last year. I cry just thinking about it (so phobic of the dentist).
And then I bubbled with my mam I haven't seen her since Christmas Day but I haven't got an indoor bubble with anyone else and I'm not at school so we decided it would be a good and low risk idea. She made lovely lunch and we had a brilliant catch up. I loved it. 
And then my app. Why did nobody tell me about Too Good To Go before now? I got it last week and ended up picking up 4 sarnies from C0stalot one day for £3. And today I got a bag from Mr M for £3.09 containing more fruit and veg than I know what to do with. They are all mystery bags so you don't know what you're getting but I like the surprise. Alas - I have a couple of ingredients from Mr M today that I wouldn't normally use so I'm on here to ask what the heck I should do with them.
1. Runner beans ????
2. Sloes ??????????????
3. Chinese leaf (what?)
4. Celery. Actually, I know what celery is but I don't like raw celery at all, so I'm looking to confirm that I can cook it in soups and stews...
Apart from that I got some lovely other goodies... Pears, blueberries, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes and chilli peppers. I will have to make a plan. Doubly so because I ordered a £20 fruit and veg box from a local guy setting himself up in business which is due for delivery tomorrow. Please help my lovely money saving lot - you know how awful I am at cooking, but I don't want to waste any of it. I suspect if I use this stuff wisely there's easily enough for the three of us for at least a fortnight - maybe longer (and I just did my butcher run Friday). I need to do a big batch cook but I also need some inspiration please people. Especially with the fruit - none of us eat fruit for fun or a snack... It's all excellent value but unfortunately I don't get to choose what's in it - thankfully I'm not fussy.

DawnW

Runner beans you can just boil or steam as a side vegetable - you can probably do other things with them, but that is what I do. I grow loads in the summer. Actually I make chutney with them as well! They are really expensive to buy at this time of the year, as they have to be imported. I'll wait for mine to grow in the summer but you got a good bargain there, they are very nice.

Yes, you can cook with celery, simply add it to stews, bolognese, chilli, anything really. I am not that keen on it raw, but always keep some on hand for cooked dishes. And if you don't want to use it all straight away, it keeps for ages in the fridge or you can just chop it up and freeze it. It makes lovely soup as well, if you like celery soup. Lots of recipes online.

Chinese leaf you can just eat raw or add to stir fries or steam it briefly.

Surprised about the sloes, but you can make sloe gin - you like that kind of thing don't you? There is a simple recipe at https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sloe-gin

Hope this helps!

f0xh0les

Oooh, what to do with runner beans?  1. Give them to old people, they really seem to love them, if that does not work, you can add them to a stirfry with your chinese cabbage,nnd a a sweet chilli sauce packet from Aldeee for about 25p.   They go really well with a strong spice as they can hold their own.

The chinese leaf will keep for about 6 weeks in the fridge.  The stuff is amazing.  It just does not go off. Take it out of the plastic and just treat it like a houseguest.  Really really good stir fried with oyster sauce. Great with beansprouts too.

Sloes - how bizarre!  The only thing you can do is sloe gin, nothing else exists.   Then when you strain your sloes, you can pop the pip out and cover the fruit in dark chocolate.   Well, it is something to eat while you drink your gin.  Ridiculously high in vit C.

Your blueberries you can freeze - put in a plastic bag and freeze flat so you can just take a handful to stick in muffins / crumbles / smoothies rather than in a block that you have to hack bits off.  

Whole chillies freeze with no harmful effects at all. I always have a bag in my freezer. Take one out and lob it in the pot whole, then fish it out before serving .  Same with lemongrass sticks (if they ever turn up in a magic bag)

Have you ever poached a pear? I love them, just some water and sugar and a cinnamon stick,  peel them, take the pippy bit out the bottom, and poach for 15 minutes.  If you have any star anise, or a cardamom pod or anything like that lying about, lob it in. Job done.   Also pear crumble is lush.  Pears in a chocolate sponge is divine as well. Pears in a ginger cake is also very special.

If you made a big batch of tomato sauce with the cubed carrots and celery, you could freeze some as a pasta sauce, some as a chilli sauce, blitz as tomato soup and as a pizza sauce if you ever make your own.  

A great big vat of vegetable soup/ stew for the rest. Dumplings optional.

Honeysucklelou2

Runner beans will freeze quite well. I usually chop them first, then straight into a freezer bag. How bizarre about sloes being included - never seen them in shops before!
Blueberries are delicious as a porridge topper🙂. Sweet potatoes could be used to make sweet potato fries or lovely in soup.

dawnybabes

Runner beans taste fab stir-fired in garlic butter 

FreeBear

crazy_cat_lady said: I just wish this awful pain in my foot would do one. I don't want to have to ask my horrible unhelpful doctors about that - I already have an appointment with the dentist next week

I doubt very much that a dentist can help with foot pains - Wrong end for them.

(Sorry. Couldn't resist).

janb5

I`ve never heard of sloes being in the shops!  Every year a very good friend picks sloes for me  and in exchange I give him some sloe gin.  Sadly this year we cant meet to exchange slows/gin so a bit of a wait