A new royal start

themadvix

Homemade bread is so much nicer, definitely. I make a half and half loaf - literally add 50% white and then 50% malted/seedy bread flour. Still use my white easy loaf recipe (Dan Lepard) and it doesn’t affect the rise.

themadvix

Homemade bread is so much nicer, definitely. I make a half and half loaf - literally add 50% white and then 50% malted/seedy bread flour. Still use my white easy loaf recipe (Dan Lepard) and it doesn’t affect the rise.

South_coast

I am putting this down to you being tired, but these two statements could well be the source of your freezer problem 🤣!

QueenJess said:

I’m concentrating on one section of the freezer at the moment, that mainly seems to be bread and bread products, so it’s pretty slow going!  
....
I am still very experimenting with bread recipes.

QueenJess

South_coast said:

I am putting this down to you being tired, but these two statements could well be the source of your freezer problem 🤣!

QueenJess said:

I’m concentrating on one section of the freezer at the moment, that mainly seems to be bread and bread products, so it’s pretty slow going!  
....
I am still very experimenting with bread recipes.

Lol… The freezer is all shop bought bread products and mainly other things like crumpets, tea cakes, wraps, pitta breads etc.  My homemade ones never make it as far as the freezer!

QueenJess

Well that was not fun.  I've spent Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday working like crazy until 1am to get this huge bit of work done.  It's basically done now bar a couple of minor things I am waiting on from other people.  Today is the first day I'm taking a breath and I'm definitely working very slowly today with lots of breaks to catch up on anything else I need to.  I need a break before I dive into the next two tasks.  Two more weeks max before work calms down, although I'm hopeful I'll be done by the end of next week.

To celebrate not simply existing, I reviewed the sad stats of affairs in the fridge re: stuff needing to be used up and made a broccoli and cheese soup for lunch that was delicious.  Tons left over.  I ate the last of the hm bread with it, so it'll be back to shop bread until I get some more time.  Whilst the broccoli soup was cooking, I threw together courgette and cheese muffins for snacks using up the last of the eggs.

Dinner tonight will be hm pizza with hm sauce from the freezer and the hm dough is defrosting now.  I only have one bit of dough left in the freezer, so I will need to make some more at some point.  Toppings will be what I need to use up... so cheese with courgette and pepper and a side of spinach leaves (carrot sticks for DS).  Dessert is fruit compote with yogurt and hm meringue.

So much to catch up on and I'm not enjoying the full time work.  Bring on the 4 days again when I can actually get life stuff done!  Right.. off to investigate whether we are all going to run out of clothes if I don't do the washing today..

LadyWithAPlan

Your desserts and muffins sound delicious. You are doing so well with being so busy!

QueenJess

Thanks @LadyWithAPlan. I do try really hard, although I don’t think the kids understand how lucky they are to have so many home cooked goodies..

So I finished the ginormous piece of work, which was nicely timed with a work do on Thursday night for a colleague leaving. Feel absolutely knackered now though as I didn’t get home until after midnight as it was a really good night. No drinking as there is no way to get home from there without driving, but at least I could chuckle at my boss who was struggling at work on Friday and was having to review my work 😂. The old ex-boss who was leaving said some lovely things about me when I was saying goodbye.. I’m actually quite touched by what she said, although I probably didn’t show it as I’m quite introverted and don’t generally show emotions.

It feels like I’m done for this year, but I have two other smaller bits of work that need to be done first. I’m trying to force myself to get through them as I can see the finishing line!

Yesterday I did try to catch up with some house stuff as well as work. So two loads of washing done, beds changed and some baking done. Made madeleines (been on the list to make forever and only just got round to that!), flapjacks the kids never stop eating and a pear and blackberry crumble. Was irritated yesterday as DH wasn’t working and bu*gered off for a drive to please himself and was then lounging around the house. He seemed to get the vibe and picked up the kids, changed the beds for me and hung out the washing. I then made him make dinner.

Got one of DD’s ex-nursery friends coming round for a play date this afternoon. Not sure how she’ll react as she hates strangers in the house (the mum obviously, not the child!) and goes all clingy and silly for ages. She’s never had a play date before, so could go well or be a total nightmare! House is also a bit of a tip, so will have to tidy up the worst later, or at least put the clean clothes and veg box away! At least I can offer tea, coffee and madeleines.

Lunch today will be toast/crumpets/muffins (take your pick from the bag of bread products to use up in the freezer!) with smoked salmon, spinach and scrambled eggs for the grown ups and scrambled eggs and beans for the kids. Kids will have yogurt for dessert. I’ve told DH this is what he is making as I do more than my fair share! DH is also making dinner - spag Bol and then we have a lovely crumble and ice cream for dessert. Weird kids won’t eat that so they can have ice cream, or I might make them some jelly instead to have with that.

Will be collapsing into a chair later and hopefully having some sleep to catch up on what I’ve missed for the last week!

badmemory

Your children may not realise just yet what type of food they are eating (as in fresh home cooked) but they will.  Mine was about 10 when he went to tea at a friends house & discovered what tinned spaghetti hoops were.  Let us say he was unimpressed.  His face was a picture when he told me.

QueenJess

badmemory said:

Your children may not realise just yet what type of food they are eating (as in fresh home cooked) but they will.  Mine was about 10 when he went to tea at a friends house & discovered what tinned spaghetti hoops were.  Let us say he was unimpressed.  His face was a picture when he told me.

It’s funny you should say that as DS had them at a friends house over the summer and was trying to describe them to me. He seemed to like them, but equally wasn’t bothered that we don’t have them at home.

I’m just happy he is happy to try new things with his nut allergy. My friend has a serious nut allergy and has a very limited diet due to a childhood involving emergency hospital visits, so was always scared trying new things. I totally understand and sympathise with that, but I’m determined that DS shouldn’t be scared of food and although the allergy is important, it’s just a thing to be managed and shouldn’t stop him trying new things.

QueenJess

Work has gone mental again, so completely out of control with stuff I haven't done.  Next week is the last week I am working full time, so hoping it'll calm down again after that.

I've ordered myself a few glass jars for storage in the kitchen, but they are sat around as I have no time for reorganising at the moment.  I did manage to do two loads of washing yesterday and pin DH down to get the school open evenings booked in (decision looming on which one to pick for next year).  Everything else is pretty much out of the window!

It's gymnastics tonight and I am going to make sure I eat lots this time.  Last time I didn't eat enough and it just doesn't work when you need lots of energy late at night!  So, breakfast was porridge (with the normal seeds), banana and raspberries (got to those before DH... I can guarantee they'll be gone by the end of the day and they were only delivered this morning!).  Lunch was poached eggs on rye sourdough bread with mushrooms and leeks.  I am totally stuffed after that!  Dinner for me will be the remainder of the tomato sauce I made for the pizzas yesterday with pasta and salad.  Dessert is the last of the perfectly ripe mango with greek yogurt and hm meringue.

Whilst I was making dinner I threw together a very simple malt loaf.  Not sure if it will work (it's currently cooling) as I noted it down from a comment someone made randomly on the internet, so not a proper recipe as such.  Looks fine though...  Will test it on DS later!  He loves all the cooking I keep doing!

Now the nights are drawing in, I've bought a beef joint to have a big roast on Sunday with the works including hm yorkshire puddings (if I remember to make the batter!).  We've eaten very little meat/fish recently... I reduced it to two days a week and no one seems to have noticed *shhhh*.  At least it means we are getting through the freezer, although lots more to go.  Better make some sort of dessert tomorrow for the weekend... not decided what yet although I will make jelly for the kids if I can squeeze it into the fridge.

Better run to my next meeting.  Hopefully I will be able to get more organised next month and get through my list of things to do!