More preps . . .

Spent much of today cooking and it was mostly quite nice and peaceful.  Even the clearing up was peaceful.  I suppose if I stopped treating cooking as something to be 'got through' a.s.a.p. I might even enjoy it. 

Visited with Cat and David this evening and took the presents.  Two coffees and lovely chat then left for another 'go' at Costcos.  

Hopeless!  It was heaving ~ even at almost 8 o'cock and . . . . The croissants (for Christmas morning) were 'best before 25.12.2015'.  
No pain-au-chocolat, no packs of salmon, no fish pies, no brioches, no thin candles, no patience (ha!) 

Abandoned trolley and came home.    I can get it in Sainos tomorrow morning after I collect the capon.  

Back soon

Po xx

Tuesday Chuckle

The Dodopad's Four Stages of Life:

1. You believe in Santa 

2. You don't believe in Santa

3. You are Santa

4. You look like Santa


My tip for 2016: Buy a Dodopad: 
doodle-pad, memo-message pad,       engagement diary, organiser, calendar and all-round Good Thing

Preparations for Christmas . . .

. . . are under way

Well they have been under way for a while and apart from cooking and delivery of presents I am done!


Preps for cooking meant an overhaul of the freezer ~ long needed!  I found: 

• some salmon from several years back, had for dinner last evening (microwaved) and I'm still here
• spring rolls (!) also considerably out-of-date, had them for lunch (microwaved) and feel ok at this point
• other bits and pieces that were so old that I felt I couldn't serve it to anyone other than me.  Not tried them yet ~ I'll let you know . . . I hope!

Then to the store cupboard which wasn't as bad but still found various jars of herbs dating back . . . oh aeons!  

How long can you keep wine?  I have some in the rack that I suspect has been there for a number of years.  And half a bottle in the fridge less than a month old.  And Port?  How long once it is opened?  I know nothing!

The trouble is that I dislike cooking ~ I detest it if the truth be known! ~ and only really do it for visitors.  And, whilst I would eat out-of-date food myself, certainly don't want to give it to family and friends who in all probability will not have constitutions like myself and Eric brought up on Zebra Sausages every Sunday. (I will add the recipe for Zebra Sausages at the end of this post).  So a good clear out was well overdue and I'm pleased I have at least started.  

I am 'At Home' for Christmas which I am looking forward to.  Frankie, Alex and the Pips are coming on Christmas Eve in the evening and staying until Boxing Day and Alex's dad is coming for just Christmas Day.  So quite a lot of preps to do . . . and certainly fun to be had with my lovey visitors.    I have charged my camera so maybe even take some photos . . . 

And now for the Zebra Sausages Recipe:

Take one pound (usually 8) pork sausages and place in a frying pan of hot 'fat' (oil, butter, marge etc).
Fry sausages for one minute (or less if in a hurry)
Turn and fry on other side for another minute (if you can wait that long)
Dish up.

The resultant fare will be nicely browned on two sides and pretty pink on the other.  Hence an appearance similar to a Zebra's coat. 

This 'recipe' is as served by my mum every Sunday when, having gone to early mass and, in those days, having had to fast since the night before, we were all 'starvin' by the time we had walked home  So the quicker she could get the breakfast on the table the better.  I have to add that she was a very impatient lady anyway!

Back soon

Po xx

Tuesday Chuckle

Are Santa's elves just a lot of subordinate Clauses?

. . . . they get worse . . . .

New Babies

Ok!

First off . . . my lovely niece Lizzie and her hubby now have their third daughter.  Yay!  Born last Friday and doing very well indeed although I think everyone is pretty much exhausted!  I have seen photos and she is gorgeous and is so much like Lizzie that I have to smile when I think of her.  They live a good hundred miles further north so it will be a while until I see her but we are all very excited down here in Hertfordshire!

Then secondly . . . the Live Nativity in Watford Town Centre.  Which was lovely!  I took Dpip and Kpip last Saturday afternoon and we were very lucky as it coincided with our church's 'slot' so a couple of people we knew were singing and then waving when they saw the children which was nice.  There was a Shetland pony, a sheep, goat and five donkeys altogether which, of course, the children loved!  The crib scene itself was a sort of tableau vivant ~ no actual baby though which was probably just as well!

Two new babies then? . . . . hmmm . . . . tune in for updates! 

Back soon

Po xx   

Tuesday Chuckle

Not so much a chuckle more a hollow laugh this week . . . .

Just been into B&Q, Watford, to buy an electrical adapter.  And no-one in this DIY store knew the difference between 'fused' and 'unfused'.    

Good Grief!

Listened to Nessum Dorma on a loop all the way home.  Equilibrium restored 



Back soon

Po x

Tuesday Chuckle

More Tom Swifts: (thanks, Kim, for telling me what they are called) 


'Would you like an omelette?', she asked eggregiously.

'Only if you have the thyme', Tom replied asherbically.

'I'll make it when I've finished the housework', she choretled.


Back soon

Po xx