Musical Monday #12
I stumbled upon this band on iTunes and thought they sounded good but their album isn’t released until some time in March. Next thing I know, this song is number 1! I think it’s an absolutely gorgeous song.
Broccoli & Stilton Soup
This is my staple lunch at the moment. It tastes so strong you really don’t believe it can be a diet recipe but it is from the Weight Watchers Time to Eat Cookbook published in 2002. So quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 450g (1 lb) broccoli, broken into florets
- 225g (8 oz) leeks, sliced
- 225g (8 oz) potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock
- 50g (1¾ oz) blue Stilton, crumbled
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the broccoli in a large saucepan with the leeks and potatoes. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blend the soup in a food processor or liquidiser in batches, and return the soup to a clean saucepan. Reheat gently.
- Add the Stilton and heat, stirring, until the cheese dissolves. Season to taste.
Makes 4 portions. Suitable for freezing. 2 points (155 calories) per serving.
Picture by Townie on Flickr
Lemon Drizzle Cake
A couple of people requested this recipe so I thought I’d post it here. It’s from the Weight Watchers Pure Points 2002 Cookbook.
Ingredients
- Low fat cooking spray
- 100g (3½ oz) polyunsaturated margarine
- 100g (3½ oz) caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 4 tbsp skimmed milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- grated zest and juice of 2 medium lemons
- 175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar for the topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190°C/375°F. Spray and 18cm (7 inch) round tin with the low-fat cooking spray, line with baking paper and spray again (or use a bun tin and cake cases to make fairy cakes).
- Cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition. Add the milk, baking powder and lemon zest and beat well.
- Sift the flour into the mixture and fold in lightly. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes (or 10-12 minutes if fairy cakes) or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, to make the topping heat together the sugar and lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved. When the cake is cooked place on a wire cooling rack. Pour the lemon syrup over the hot cake and leave to cool.
Makes 8 slices (or 16 fairy cakes). One slice is 4 points (260 calories) or one fairy cake is 2 points (130 calories).
Photo by hoobygroovy on Flickr.
Call the Social
It’s well known that my son likes his sleep. I mean, most kids get up, what, 6am, 7am? The kiddo usually wakes up no earlier than 9am at the weekend. Nine O’Clock. In The Morning. It’s well known because I like to crow about it. Well, who wouldn’t?! We, SH and I, give each other a lie-in at the weekend; mine is Saturday, his is Sunday. This is on top of the lie-in that the kiddo grants us, so yesterday I got up at around midday.
Anyway.
Yesterday morning at 8.30am we were rudely awakened by the kiddo crashing into our bedroom like an elephant in hobnail boots, shouting “THERE’S A MAN AT THE DOOR! THERE’S A MAN AT THE DOOR!”
In my sleep-fug I remembered that my parents had ordered SH’s birthday present to be delivered that day to make sure it arrived in time for Monday. There was no way on this earth that I was going to get up on my lie-in day to answer the door, to leave the soft warm haven of my 13.5tog goose down duvet, even for the husband’s birthday present, so I prodded him in the kidneys and told him he had to go answer the door quickly as it was a very important parcel for him, but that he wasn’t allowed to open yet. After all, he did want something to open on his birthday, didn’t he? Guilt trip? Me? Never…
So he grumbled his way out of the four inches of duvet I’d allowed him, grunted his way down the stairs and muttered his way through the locks on the door.
“He’s not f***ing there. He’s gone.” Grumble, kvetch, grouse, moan.
Shortstuff, having followed his father down the stairs, declared “don’t worry Daddy, it’s under your car”.
Yes he swears in front of the kiddo. No surprise that the kiddo has, on occasion, tested this word once or twice.
Sure enough, once Fatman had found some shoes and grouched about the cold, there was indeed a parcel under his car.
Turns out we had slept through two doorbells but the kiddo hadn’t. He had climbed onto his windowsill, behind his curtains and under his blackout blind, to see what all the fuss was about. The delivery driver had seen him, waved the parcel at him, and shown him where he’d hidden it.
So now I’m expecting a call from social services at any moment. 8.30am, house in darkness, small lonely child on the windowsill fending for himself and unable to open the front door, waving madly at the Parcelforce man.
Who’s going to believe us when we tell them our five-year-old likes to sleep in?!
High Five
Today my boy turned five.
I never saw myself as a mother. Couldn’t picture myself pregnant, giving birth, having children, being responsible for someone else for the rest of my life. Until I was taken seriously ill and I realised what was missing in my life. Two months later I was pregnant.
Five years ago, at exactly 42 weeks pregnant and having eaten fresh pineapple, hot curries and drunk gallons of raspberry leaf tea over the previous fortnight, I went to be induced at our local hospital in Hertfordshire. When I arrived first thing in the morning I was hooked up to a monitor and found to already be having mild contractions, meaning induction couldn’t be done as it would make the contractions too severe. Instead I was told my waters would be broken when staff were available to do it. That was at about 9 in the morning. By 6pm I was still waiting. The day unit was about to close and a bed had been found for me on a ward when my contractions suddenly went through the roof. I remember not being able to sit down and telling SH that I needed some pain relief (I had been using a TENS machine all day but it was suddenly completely ineffectual) and I needed it NOW. The midwife came in to check on me (and brought gas and air, hallelujah) and I’d gone from 2cm to 8cm dilated in the course of 2 hours. I remember the midwife informing me that it was time I went to a delivery suite and I burst out in a fit of giggles, literally crying with laughter. Got to love Entonox.
I was taken straight away to a delivery room and staff were miraculously found. It was 6.30pm. I told the midwife that I felt like I needed to push but she scoffed at me and sent me to the bathroom. As soon as I was in there, my waters broke. I screamed or groaned, or a combination of the two and then I was on the bed and pushing for all I was worth. The kiddo arrived 3 hours and 2 minutes after I was moved to the delivery room, weighing a healthy 8lb 7oz. Wednesday 12th January 2005 at 21:32.
I spent this morning at work remembering and feeling quite emotional. I had a half day’s holiday so I picked him up from school, we bought a dozen doughnuts and went home to wait for grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to descend. While we waited for our visitors he wowed me by reading both his reading books from cover to cover with only one word (“quack”) causing him to pause. I’m amazed at how he’s doing with reading. This is the last book in the series of 9. Most of the kids in his class are still on books 1 and 2. Of course then family arrived, doughnuts were consumed and he worked himself up into a hyperactive temper tantrum and ended up being removed to his bedroom to calm down for 15 minutes!
He has his moments but my boy is the most delightful person to be around. I admit, I prefer his company to any of my friends or family including SH. He’s a ray of sunshine in my otherwise overcast world. When he’s around it’s like having all the lights on. He is fussy, stubborn and opinionated – just like me. He is mini-me. He’s also helpful, thoughtful, has a wicked sense of humour and the memory of an elephant. His teacher told his childminder that he’s the brightest kid in the year – not just the class; the year.
Motherhood is possibly the most stressful, exhausting, mind-boggling, terrifying, exhilarating and rewarding thing ever to happen to me. I am fiercely overprotective and far too lenient but he has me wrapped round his little finger.
Whatever happens, it’s you and me against the world, kiddo.
A New One Just Begun
OK so it’s now the 10th and I’m still catching up on New Year posts. So much for my resolution to blog more.
New Year’s Eve was a quiet one. We weren’t going anywhere and I wasn’t looking forward to it – I don’t really like it as rather than look forward I always dwell on the past, and last year was not the greatest. So I ended up inviting the inlaws round just to see in the new year – one of those times when my mouth says the words but my brain is wondering what the hell I’m doing. Anyway, they arrived at about 10pm and we just watched TV, sounds boring but it was just comfortable and amiable, alcohol and nibbles were consumed and at 11.45 we woke the kiddo up to join us. We toasted in the new year and then they went home. Quiet, but nice to have a couple of people here and not just us.
My plan was that on New Year’s Day we’d go for a nice long bracing walk somewhere but I’d managed to get a cold and didn’t feel much like going anywhere, so we ended up staying put. I slept most of the weekend.
Back to work last Monday. Was nice to be back with the girls and we’re all fired up for this year. Lots of business, lots of money coming in. But then on Monday night it started to snow.
By Tuesday morning we had a good seven inches of snow. I still attempted to go to work but couldn’t get my car off the drive. I asked SH to come and give me a push but he refused saying I was mad to try. I knew that once I got on to the main road it was likely to be fine, they’d be gritted and no problem at all, so I persevered and got off the drive. I crawled to the end of our road, which has a slight incline just at the end, and got stuck again, this time half across the main road. I also noticed that the main road was NOT gritted and once I got going again I realised that this was no fun. I cautiously turned round and went home. I was upset about not being able to get to work – I hate letting people down – but SH grabbed my phone off me and rang my boss, telling her it was ridiculous, which didn’t go down well. I ended up staying home with SH and the kiddo but did do some work so all was not lost.
Both SH’s and the kiddo’s schools were closed all week but I managed to get into work the rest of the week. Unfortunately the kiddo’s school being closed all week meant we weren’t able to get his party invitations out so we’ve had to move his party from today to next Sunday. His birthday is Tuesday so it’s not too far ahead.
I haven’t managed to get to the gym once since Christmas; partly because I can’t shift this damn cold which has left me with an awful sore throat and a chesty cough, neither of which are conducive to strenuous exercise, and partly because of the snow. I have been doing Wii Fit Plus most evenings though, even if that isn’t quite as good as going to the gym I at least feel I’ve been doing something. I’ve (mostly) cut out all snacks between meals (ignoring the fact I had a monstrous bag of Maltesers last night) and I’ve been eating healthier meals. I’ve yet to weigh myself to see if it’s made any difference.. will be doing that tonight.. watch this space.
Not much else to report. Can’t quite believe the boy will be five on Tuesday. Half a decade. Sometimes it feels like he’s been here forever; I can’t remember life without him and he appears in memories from before he existed, recollections of events and holidays where I know he wasn’t there, but yet when I picture them he is. Other times I remember his birth like it was this morning. I have taken the afternoon off work on Tuesday so I can pick him up from school and he and I will go do something nice, weather permitting.
Oh.. I also can’t forget to mention that my dear RL friend Milo gave me an award for best return blogger. I am chuffed with winning the award if slightly embarrassed by the reason. Will try to stay put from now on! Badge proudly displayed on sidebar. Thanks Milo!
Another Year Over (Pt 3)
We set off for my parents’ house quite early on Christmas Eve. This is quite an achievement for us as normally we aim early and leave late. But the amount of snow still around was worrying us and the husband, ever the middle aged practical one, packed the car with boots, a spade and blankets. Because, you know, I will happily don boots and a blanket and dig the car out. No, that’s what mobile phones are for. Anyway. As luck would have it, there didn’t seem to be a huge number of people travelling – either that or everyone was just driving sensibly – and we didn’t have a single hold-up the whole 300 miles, arriving early afternoon even with a lunch stop on the way. There was no sign of any snow at my parents’ house – the hill on which their house is built appears to have it’s own little micro climate because no matter what the weather is in the rest of their county, you can guarantee they will have it different.
Once we’d unloaded the car of three small suitcases, two laptops, a camera bag, fifteen bags of presents and the kiddo’s bed safety rail (which he no longer needs but the husband insists he does – he hasn’t fallen out of a bed in almost three years), my parents’ hallway looked like a boatload of refugees had just arrived and I could see my dad’s face beginning to look stressed. We were the first to arrive so I got an hour or so with my mum before my brother and his girlfriend descended, however, the husband has a lovely habit of unloading everything into the hall then sitting down with his laptop to check football/poker/darts scores and thinking the job’s done so I ferried everything up and down the stairs!
We have a family tradition of sausages and mash on Christmas Eve and for once we all tucked in – albeit bro and gf with vegan equivalents and the kiddo with chipolatas and chips. I don’t know where or when this tradition started (at least as far back as my grandparents) but none of us would go without bangers, mash, onions and baked beans on Christmas Eve.
After sprinkling “reindeer food” (oats and glitter) outside the front door, the boy went to bed relatively easily. Unfortunately on Christmas morning it was hammering down with rain so any glitter had been washed away, but at least it “proved” that the reindeers had eaten their food. The kiddo’s reading skills are such that he went round checking all the presents to find his, but unfortunately Dad had piled them all in different places to last year so he couldn’t find any with his name on and got quite upset till we pointed him in the right direction. He then proceeded to rip paper at warp speed, barely checking what was inside each one, had everything open within about ten minutes and then wanted to open everyone else’s.
My parents had already bought me a fab winter coat when Mum came to stay a few weeks ago, so that was my main present, but they also bought me a fab new handheld mixer (Mum was appalled that I was making cakes by hand as I don’t have anything more than one of those Braun electric whisks), a Wii game, loads of Origins face stuff, books and music. I received some lovely leather gloves from my gran, and my brother bought me a fabulous hemp handbag. The husband had bought everything off a list I gave him so nothing was a surprise, but he bought me SingStar microphones and the Take That SingStar game for PS3, and some photography books.
I bought him a watch, among other things, because he’s been wanting to replace his for a while, and I listen to what kind of things he likes it to have, so bought him one that had all the appropriate gadgets. He opened it and didn’t even say thanks, just complained that it was about 3 links too big for his wrist. Ungrateful sod. All of his presents bar one were things I knew he wanted or would like, rather than things he’d actually asked outright for. He put no thought at all into my presents, even admitting that he loves that I just send him links to websites and all he has to do is click and enter his credit card details. Yeah, thanks for that.
By now my gran had arrived and drinks were opened and home made sausage rolls and mince pies warmed. Christmas Dinner was served up at around 3pm and was absolutely delicious; Mum did a grand job. It’s not often I clear my plate, and boy was it a huge plate of food, but it really was sensational. After that we were all so full we just sat in front of the TV and watched all the Christmas specials! Gran went home at around 7pm – she hadn’t wanted to stay this year, having turned into a grumpy old woman (she noticed immediately on arrival that I wasn’t wearing my wedding/engagement/eternity rings – I had eczema underneath them and had to take them off for a few days – and without wishing me merry Christmas or even saying hello, declared “WHY aren’t you wearing your rings?!”. Then, she told me I was lying – actually said “you’re lying” – when I mentioned in passing that my hair is totally grey now).
Boxing Day passed by in much the same way – nothing interesting to report.
On 27th bro and gf went home and the Suburbans went for a beach walk. It was achingly cold – literally, my hands and ears and nose were stinging with the cold. But the sun was shining and it was beautiful on the beach.
On 28th Dad took me to a supermarket and paid for a load of shopping for us. He’s terrible to shop with; constantly picks things up and says “have this!”. Unfortunately I am his double personality-wise, and happily said “OK!” to everything so now we have cupboards full of stuff we’ll probably never use – my cats have the most expensive cat food they’ll probably ever eat, and I now have several bags of cafetiere coffee and no cafetiere to put it in.
The next day was Mum’s birthday and the day we headed home. Every other year we’ve headed home on the 28th but I wanted to be able to hand over her card and presents myself and to wish her happy birthday in person, just for a change. I also know that the best birthday present for my Mum is for us all to go and leave her in peace! She packed us off on the road with a full English breakfast and we set off at about 11am. Again an easy journey home and we were on the sofa and checking Facebook by 5.30pm.
By lunchtime on 30th the tree was down and Christmas was over as far as I was concerned!
