Responsibility.......

Our three family Tudors have gone to Kentwell for the four day May event so R is staying with us again. Hubby is meeting up with old friends all day Saturday and at a Blood Runners event all day Sunday.

R needs to go to bed at a reasonable time Friday night to get up, ready and out by 10am Saturday.    TICK
I need to take her to drama and wait till she's done (while knitting)  TICK
R needs to be reminded to extra extra brush her teeth ready for the orthodontist next Tuesday.  TICK
R needs to be encouraged to do physical stuff as she has joint problems if sitting too long.  TICK
I need to do my physio exercises, she'll do them with me.  TICK (I did them 4 days, R did them 1)  TICK
R needs to repot her gooseberry bush that we look after for her  TICK (granddad did most of it)
R wants to make a tricky dessert worthy of a French patisserie  TICK
We need to shop for the ingredients.  TICK

She needed baking rings I don't have, so we had soup for lunch and I made rings from the cans.

Blurred baking as she's moving fast (not, cause I'm laughing as she makes another indecision).

Beautiful and delicious Peach Clafoutis.

Shame about using so many pans and bowls hahaha.

Neighbours/friendsP&A were entertaining a large group (22ish) for Sunday lunch some of which were visitors from Romania (they go over annually to do charity work with them). They were all meeting at church then coming back straight after the service and P&A asked if I could cook some food to be ready for when they get back. ....so early morning three prepared lasagnes arrived, thankfully they were ready, not burnt, in time!  TICK

Monday morning up and sort the kitchen for our usual coffee morning and a very full house as bank holiday for those that are normally at work  TICK

SisterS and bilK want to holiday with us again, this time September as sisterS is retiring in July so no longer restricted by term time. I came up with some choices and we decided on the driving through France option. So I suggested a route and a time-line which they agreed on and I now need to book three hotels (main destination for six nights plus overnight stop on the way down and back), and book the Eurostar train return tickets.  TICK for two hotels, so hard going through and checking details and booking what we hope they will like. One more hotel and train still to book.

Yet again Daughter had problems with her car on the way there Friday and she has ignored it all weekend as it didn't need to move. So this afternoon instead of driving here, collecting R, then all going home for dinner, she stayed at Kentwell and called out the RAC, Hubby also drove there to bring E and O home so they could be home and fed instead of hanging around for hours, meanwhile R and I had dinner here. She was being towed to our local garage and has just text Hubby to meet get there, she'll then being him home, collect R and keep my car until her's is fixed! Parents always on hand TICK
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Another busy week.........

Monday was the 7th birthday for O (doesn't time just fly by?). He'd had a big party at home on Saturday for friends and siblings, so today was visiting the grandparents to collect his present and for dinner, he had requested Japanese! So it was sushi plus other finger foods for a party buffet. Followed by cake of course. No time for a photo of him blowing out the candles as he was straight in desperate to eat it. Marshmallows on the outside as they are his favourite and the mini eggs on top should have been on the easter cake but I'd been unwell so this was a good time to use them. O was very happy.

Tuesday we popped out to the garden centre because we needed to fill a gap in the lounge. Last week we'd swapped satellite tv, broadband and phone to cable for all three, so while Hubby was prepping and tidying the wiring he declared the large hifi system redundant,  but as it was covering plugs, sockets and lots of wires we replaced it with the bookcase which now sits neatly by the chimney breast. 

But that left a large gap behind my sofa. I'd spent ages huffing and puffing and moving furniture around but nothing was better than where it all had been so it all went back and we bought this huge plant to fill the gap where the bookcase had been. 

Wednesday was an early start as the GP wanted to see me and made an 8:30am appointment for me that wasn't even at my local branch surgery it was at the main surgery in the centre of town. I did tell him retired people don't need to get up that early!  On the way back we stopped at Daughter's and had a quick cuppa then O came home with me while Hubby and Daughter hitched up her caravan to bring to ours so they can wash it. It really needed it. ...

The afternoon I was at the theatre seeing Invincible as already blogged. 

Then out again in the evening for dinner with friends in our usual pub in Felixstowe. 

Thursday started with a text from Daughter saying as the sun was shining she'd walk over with O to our house if someone could give them a lift home as it takes them about 50 mins to walk it so both ways is far too much for O's little legs. The evening I was with the art group, picking up friendDJ on the way (who was looking quite fragile). The road to his estate has had road works on it for months and tonight it was actually closed one way so I could get to him but we had a long detour to get back on the road to art. Afterwards together with friendM, friendDJ and I always head to Olive's Bar to meet friends and enjoy live music, however friendDJ asked to be taken home as he was so tired. This time the road to his was completely closed so a long detour in and out again getting to our friends about half hour later than usual. One of or favourite bands so that made up for it. 

Friday Hubby paid a visit to the surgery because he has a small patch on his back that has recently become itchy, one of our GPs is a dermatologist who happened to be in our branch surgery (very rare indeed) and he said it's BCC cancer which needs removal but isn't urgent so he's done a referral to the hospital. In the evening, like last year, one of my neighbours invited me to join them at the Mother's Union charity event to raise funds for AFIA (Away From It All) a project that helps people in dire need to have a holiday. It was a lovely sit down 2-course dinner and the speaker this evening told us he was the comedy writer for many famous people, his first ever public joke being told by Ronnie Barker on the Two Ronnie's Show. He managed to name drop throughout and read the jokes he had written for them.......only going to prove that the humour is definitely in the delivery of a professional comic not the writer as there were only polite giggles from this audience. I'm not going to mention his name as I actually didn't hear it when he was introduced so that will save him further embarrassment. When I got home R was here with Hubby as there was a little unrest at home that she wanted to escape and sleeping here makes it easier for us tomorrow. 

Saturday I was on duty to take R to drama at 10am and stay there and bring her home after plus we were supposed to be taking both granddaughters to meet their dad at Thurrock as Daughter had plans of her own, so we arranged to meet my nieceL for a coffee at Lakeside as it's near her and gave us the opportunity to meet her new boyfriend, however, a few days ago Daughter told us their dad couldn't have them this weekend as his car had broken down, not good when he had to do about 250 mile round trip to collect them and then to deliver them back on Sunday, so he cancelled. Couldn't cancel nieceL as I was so looking forward to seeing her so we rearranged location to midway between us. Before that I'd collected E and D and together with R they stayed at my house while Hubby and I popped out. Lovely meeting up with nieceL and her boyfriend, just a short chat over a couple of drinks because they were delayed arriving by a tragic jam and we had to get back to make dinner for our teenagers. They didn't want to sleep over so I took them home mid-evening. 

Add to this essential but minimal housework, laundry and some gardening over three different days, daily exercises for my very poorly knees which isn't helping  (physio next week) and lots of knitting and crafting as I've three babies due June, July and September that I'm making presents for!

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Photos never lie......

....well that's a lie for a start!

Mmmmm you might think, she's made a yummy bread pudding!

However after two and a half hours in the oven it's still soggy in the middle, so I cut and scooped portions onto a baking tray and they went back for another 45 mins and the middles of those still haven't dried out! Crikey if I'd just put a pan of water in for that long I'm sure it would have all evaporated.

So what's gone wrong?

I used to make bread pudding a lot and mostly it was a chuck unmeasured ingredients in and out came afternoon tea, but this time I used an online recipe. I thawed my frozen bread crusts (hate waste and useful frozen for breadcrumbs too), there was double the amount the recipe called for so I doubled everything else. My only other change was the water I soaked the bread in was made into tea first as that was always the way I used to do it and it adds a good flavour.

So, any suggestions for very soggy pudding before it hits the bin?
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High Summer hahaha........

Daughter, E and O are back at Kentwell for the Tudor high summer week so R has moved in with us. Not much like summer today (Monday) though as it's raining and the forecast is wet and stormy for much of the week ahead. Poor Tudors most of which are camping on a muddy field.

Sunday 23rd - Hubby did the long round trip to collect R from her dad and they got home about 8:30pm.

Monday 24th - I had a little help with some housework and while I was sorting out the drying laundry upstairs R made a start at painting some new bead project I'm trying out....dried potato shapes!

Hopefully by the end of the week they'll be painted, varnished and strung. I'm hoping to monitor these for sometime to judge wearability and durability as I've never made beads from potato before.

Tuesday 25th - and another wet and gloomy day. R spent nearly all of it on her laptop and I tried to use our sudden large crop of figs 

Open freezing seemed to work well, just need to test how they thaw. 

Almond cake and fig works really well, big and individual. The big one should have looked like flowers but reminds me more of stargazy pie lol.

The bread was my attempt at a filled couronne (crown) with figs, ginger and honey but that didn't work quite so well, think it needs a much sweeter richer dough. Took the photo from the wrong side too as that side had gone right over the tin and broke off! 

Wednesday 26th - still wet here and I came down this morning to three text on my silent phone from Daughter saying that both O and E are fed up with being soggy Tudors and may want to come home, today is awkward for her and me so they may be here early tomorrow if they haven't had fun today and changed their minds. R still hasn't left her laptop for more than meals. Apart from some housework I've made a few more beads using the neck of this green bottle and they are now drying out on a bamboo cane for about two weeks. 

Thursday 27th - and yes O arrived with Daughter about 8am, she stopped for tea and toast and left behind some wet muddy clothes to wash and then headed back to Kentwell. So we put on a wash while R went back on her laptop and O tried to use Hubby's old laptop for minecraft which really upset it......Hubby then spent hours rebuilding the poor sick laptop. So O decided it was a good time to play in the bath

The rest of the day was pretty much children on screens because when Hubby went to do some shopping he called into their house and M gave him the ipad, unfortunately that caused an O meltdown as he really needed the macbook-pro so Skyped his dad to ask if he could, so back I went with him to collect that and promised to return it later as M needs it for work in the morning. 

Friday 28th - took quite a while for us all to be up and ready to go out but by mid morning we did. A lovely warm and sunny day yaay! First a bit of QD shopping for some plants and Hubby looking for a new bench which they didn't have, then a lovely riverside walk and a bit of playing on the park. 

M finished work 2:30pm so we collected up their stuff from all around the house and took them home at 4pm. Missing them already! 

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Picture my Friday to Sunday.....

               

For Michelle

Busy and stressy......

This week has seen a busy house although it mostly wasn't me.

Wednesday was M's birthday so Daughter and children were here Monday and Tuesday customising his present and making a very elaborate cake (have to say she didn't get much help from the children). And on the day we had a party lunch here for everyone.....which actually ended badly when O trapped his fingers in the back of the treadmill while it was running and Hubby drove him and Daughter to A&E where they spent nearly four hours! Thankfully nothing broken just very sore from friction burns on his finger tips, poor boy. We are always telling him to wear the safety clip and only go on there when an adult is in the room but at nearly six years old he thinks he knows better.  A very tough lesson to learn.

I've been out every night this week and out again tonight which is lovely,  however,  the stresses come when the dear dear friends I've been out with are suffering from bereavement / cancer / depression / relationship issues / surgery  - none of which I need go into detail about here - and all need lots of support and extra hugs.

Hopefully their problems won't affect my blood pressure as I've just been booked in to wear that awful BP cuff and monitor for 24 hours starting 10am on 1st April.....no joke,  so who's the fool 😉
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Dilemma.....

Define
1. A situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavourable or unsatisfactory.
2. Usage: Problem A problem that seems to defy a satisfactory solution.
3. Logic: An argument that presents two alternatives, each of which has the same consequence.


I'm trying the 5:2 diet just now with small success but success none the less. Today I'd planned to have a 500cal day as Hubby is out all day and so I could please myself foodwise, however yesterday I made these....

Banana and cinnamon mmmm
Five of them vanished yesterday (not just me!) so seven still on the worktop boxed but I know they are there.
I'm guessing each one is about 250cals so would one for breakfast and nothing but lettuce leaves and tea for the rest of the day work?
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Catching up with catching up.....

It's been quite a domestic week.  I've made lemon cake and tear-n-share garlic and herb bread and a batch of damson and onion chutney all on different days. I've shortened some new jeans and made a start on patchwork repairing the sofa bed.

We have put the pool table onto eBay. .. end of an era!
And because hubby needs to sort the games room stuff he had decided to check out the games and jigsaws to see if they are for keeping or charity shopping, but of course if they are not complete then they will hit the recycle bin, so we keep getting job interruptions from jigsaw making.

Daughter had been here with the children lots this week, (very very lovely), with lots of comings and goings for Daughter and/or a child for dental or physio appointments, percussion lesson, dance lesson and drama leaving the children not needed for each thing with me. Some of this included her taking my car while her's went for a service and MOT. Sad to say it failed and expensive sounding repairs were started. .... three days later and still in the garage, hopefully it will be done by end of Monday!

Last night I had one of my lovely sleepovers with friendH, always good to have time for a real catch up gossip till nearly 2am. Then didn't leave there till nearly lunchtime today.

Meanwhile, as I'd pinched my car back overnight, Hubby had helped out with the normal Saturday morning driving children to various activities, but now I'm home she can have my car back...... and he'd finished the latest jigsaw

Constant status material.....

I'd meant to blog this sooner but as I'd actually put all these photos on my facebook page as it happened it seemed like I'd done it already.

I'm talking about last Friday when Daughter rang early to ask if O could come here for the day as he didn't want to go to the HE group they were going to. As we had nothing else planned I said yes and he was thrilled and arrived with wet hair as he'd rushed out of the shower to get here.

We started the day with breakfast (although he'd already had a large breakfast at home) and O wanted to cook pancakes. He's not totally sure about my hob so he did all the batter mixing and sorting out what toppings to have and ordered two thin ones for sugar and lemon juice and a thick one for cream. I couldn't believe he ate the lot. I only had two thin ones :o)



 

Keep trying to format these photos but they only like being in the middle, think I need a full blogger tutorial.

 

Anyway...next he picked up a large feather from the pot of large feathers (doesn't everyone have one?) and asked if I had ink as he really wanted to do some writing with a quill pen. Well I didn't have ink but he was happy with some thin paint. He wrote his name beautifully and drew some shapes then as it was paint and quite wet he kept folding the paper over to make reflected prints.

 

Then all too soon that activity came to an end and he tore the paper up, guess he was just happy having done it.

 

"Grandma, have you some bi-carb and vinegar? I need to show you how to make a volcano." 

 

After clearing this lot up we went upstairs to brush his hair (he'd arrived with wet hair which was dry now) and spent a while checking out the very large collection of hair brushes I have and putting them in order along the bed of which was the softest and which was the hardest and working out which got out the tangles best and which scratched your head. He also had a major trampoline bounce on my bed doing seat drops over and over. There's another DIY post coming soon that has a direct link to this!

 

My facebook status then read 'All previous posts were O keeping busy while his chocolate bread was proving'.

 

As soon as we started making the pancakes O asked if he could also make bread and he wanted to make chocolate bread. He's never actually made bread before so I explained to him that making bread takes a very long time so we need to start it straight after we'd eaten our pancakes and then we'd need to find other things to do while we did all the waiting that was needed. He weighed out the ingredients and did all the mixing and kneading in the Kenwood and we discussed all the processes and why. Then we covered the bowl and left it to prove for an hour "What a whole hour? That is a very long time!" and he checked with me about every ten minutes how much longer to go, then at about 20 minutes to go he set the timer which seemed to relieve him of a big burden.

 

We'd discussed how he wanted to add the chocolate and he thought the big jar of Nutella would be perfect but wanted to experiment with some having the chocolate inside like he has eaten before and some with it all mixed in......so that's what we did. He let me do the spread and rolled loaf and he mixed the other one in the machine and then did the last kneading by hand. We each chose our tins and lined them (didn't line the sides of the round one which was a big mistake) and O was very keen to get them into the oven but knew he had to wait another hour for them to double in size so reluctantly set the timer again.

 

They were actually very successful although the mixed in one didn't hold much chocolate flavour. The three of us enjoyed some of each and O proudly took the rest home at the end of the day.

 

So I cleared up the kitchen yet again from bread making and from lunch. Our window cleaner then arrived and at first O followed him around the upstairs from inside watching him the whole time, then downstairs and then he put on his shoes and headed out and he chatted to our lovely window cleaner for ages, then when our windows were done he came in. 

 

Next I knew O shoes on, kept running out the front door and in through the back door, shoes off and up the stairs, then down again and out and round and up again over and over for about four or five times. When I went to investigate it turned out that Hubby had him testing all the outside cameras by waving at them then coming in to watch himself on the replays.....now that is a good way to wear out a five year old :o)

While upstairs O found the bathroom scales and was weighing himself and other stuff, then brought them down and added my two sets of kitchen scales, interested that one was mechanical not digital, then weighed lots of other stuff working out what was too heavy for the kitchen scales and what was too light to register anything on the bathroom scales.

 

When he was telling me about his big money box that he can't wait to smash once it is full he asked if there were any jobs he could do for money to help fill his money box. I said he could dust and vacuum which is what he did. But O never does anything for long so he got 30p which worked out to a rate of about 5p a minute hahahaha.

 

He and I sat for a read of a book he'd found on the shelf but didn't remember ever seeing before, but one book was enough sitting still for O. And after that he moved on to building towers with Granddad in bricks to knock down with marbles. Building marble runs with cardboard tubes and then he got out the Jenga by which time both his grandparents were definitely slowing down!

We only had one not so good moment when he threw something he shouldn't have and it narrowly missed hubby and the glass in the door, so hubby shouted at him and he ran out of the room but actually came back very soon after and apologised without being asked to, so we were very proud of him. So a very good day had by all :o)
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