So what do mums do on a rainy Sunday afternoon??? They try to behave... well - should do. But that's when I realise that I got it all wrong...! I decided to do some baking with the children. To release some of the stress from the previous days, such as:
- going to a meeting in London (if you ever read this, guys, you will recognise yourselves) where I ended up with the nickname Mrs WhipLash (thought that's what you get when you have a car accident, until KindColleagueFromWork explained to me in the lift that no, it's not what you get when you have a car crash. Shock. Horror). Anyway, I'd rather not think about that one anymore.
Note to self - remind people you are French and can't know all the subtilities of the WondferfulLanguageOfShakespeare. Although I doubt he ever knew what a whiplash is. Whether carriage crash or not.
- baking cakes at 11.00 at night on a Thursday evening (after the above mentioned stressful meeting and ThisIsNotSoFunnyCheezyHubby said that clearly, what on earth do you do/ tell people that you end up with that kind of remarks). Baked 3 cakes. One is not enough obviously. One for work, one for Fille Ainee, TinkerBell and WonderfulNannyFromHeaven and one for SuperBrilliantFrenchFriend.... none for CheezyHubby (as he pointed out), Clearly, should have been kinder to me after stressful meeting.
Note to self - don't bother baking so late... you forget about cooking time, and you have to set up the alarm clock so that you wake up in the middle of the night (felt like it) to switch oven off.... CheezyHubby even less impressed and less amused (come on darling, where is your sense of humour??? in crumbs...)
Other note to self: find out how to bake cakes that don't go as flat as a souffle as soon as out of the oven, whatever time of the day or night....
Final note to self: bake 4 cakes.......
- Gardening - or ChelseaFloserShow4debutant.com: in my books, going to garden centre (why has it got to be as expensive as if you had a daily trip to the jeweller??? diamonds are eternal. Flowers are not. Not in my garden. Where is Titchmarsh when you want him??! Just like Nigella... Soooooooo unreliable). Anyway - reshaped, redesigned and, in the most artful way ever, left unfinished. The garden. Or what was called a garden until Saturday morning...
The rain on Sunday was quite welcome, really. Until the ArtfulUnfinishedGarden (sounds better than marsh, does not it?!) turned into marsh. Never mind, am sure weeds will take over... So decided to play Uno with the girls. Who obviously won. Except I did not need to pretend to lose. I am simplky rubbish at the game. Or is it that they simply change the rules each time it's their turn to play???!!
So by the end of the afternoon, CheezyHubby thought it was about time he tries and call on God's help. So went to late service. Fair enough, might as well try and save what he can and ask for sainthood for coping with this all! Between the time he went and came back: decided that it was about time I baked (again.... see the pattern for disasters...) crumbles from Nigella (I should have learnt by now). So go for rhubarb crumble. Worked. Until I realised that I put too much better. So added more flour (as you do). Put the whole thing in little pots rather than a big dish. Put the small pots on baking sheet, opened the over door. and Patatras (sorry - French. No equivalent in English. No way). half the small pots on the floor (thank God it was clean). Cooked the remaining small pots... Decided that apples should be cooked, so made another crumble with them. Pre cook apples. so far so good. Start making the crumble. So far so good, right quantity of butter (that's an improvement) and bingo - forgot the baking powder. Never mind, won't bother. Dish in the oven. Clear everything. Hoover, and mop (pushing a bit, I know). And bingo (againg). Foudn teh missing baking powder, on top of microwave (how did it end up there??). Tidy it up to the top of cupboard until........... another patatras (get the gist of the word?) whole new pot, on the floor... wet from mopping. looooooooooooovely. Clearing again... children off to bed, teeth, story and ....... Hubby back. "what was for supper?" "what do you mean..........." Sentence stopped by realisation that crumbles are now a new recipe. Charcoal crumble. Quite an achievement in such little time. Thank you Cheezy Hubby for this very helpful comment..... so much for a rainy day.
Note to self: Next week end, we do painting. Promised.
Monday 18 May 2009
Monday 11 May 2009
Mamma mia... trully!
Blimey - took me 2 days to recover from Mamma Mia evening; Sorry, but won't be posting any pictures... Both Fille Ainee and Tinker Bell were absolutely appaled that Cheezy Hubby (more like MagnumIamBackFromTheDepthOfFirstDaysOfColourTelly) and I could even think of getting outside the house before it was dark. "what, you mean, you are going to walk to the car, and it's not even dark??? someone could see you like THAT!!!" (car was parked in front of the house so that's assuming the whole nwighborhood is peering between their curtains to spay on us) and "you are already dressed up and the babysitter has not arrived yet. She is going to see you wearing THAT??". Oh dear... did not think it was THAT bad!! At least when we got there, every body looked as ..... 1970s as each other!
To beat for the evening - the one who asked her lady who sew for her to adjust her all-in-one nylon outfit to make sure it fits; father wearing boots about has high and long as my legs (not hard some would say), the winner of best outfit competition (shiny pink all in one - yuk). Oh, and I was going to forget... the one who buys 3 tombola tickets and 2 of them are winning tickets (and no, I did not win the second prize - 5 days looking after your dog. Which is great if you don't have a dog...!).
So, to recover from all this, the 4 of us went on family bike ride on Sunday morning. What on earth made me agree to that?! oh well... was all worth it. Although the neighbours grinned at us, pointing at Cheesy Hubby, as if to say "where is the 'tache gone??". And at me as if to ask where had the dress gone (well - as I had said before - more like a cropped t-shirt)... So - ride around Surrey (or felt like it) was then followed by British's favourite Sunday sport (no - not what you might think) - gardening... then the other favourite sport (still not what you think): cooking roast potatoes (did I tell you how to do them - cut about peel the potatoes, cut about 'that' size, boil for about 5 min, shake in colander - as got to be steel colander, then put on hot cookingt tray...... aaaaaaaaaargh!!! after 15 years in the UK, I am still not british enough to know how to cook roas potatoes according to.........) anyway - so Sunday lunch (which started at 5.00!!), cleaning, ironing, working, tidying up.,... well the usual for all mums I guess! So that glass of Pimms I was looking forward at 7.00 clearly was no so attractive at 11.00....! despite Fille Ainee trying to drink it (oh dear - under age drinking...). She thought it was fruit juice... And that's why it was all worth it (Ok - forget the Pimms part of it, and Fille Ainee demonstrating a sign for liking alcohol...). Cause it was like the Working Mum without the 'Working' bit. Although thinking about it, Mum is a full time job anyway, so I guess it was without the extra extra time...
Whatever....
By the way - in case you wondered. Boiler was fixed on Friday. But my love-story-turned-to-hatred with British Gas is now turning to FrontPageOfDailyMirrorDivorce. After working for 3 days (hurrah!!!!), Boiler has now decided to diversify itself (I guess everybody tries to diversify in these times of crisis...). So it's now pouring water out. OK - slight exaggeration. But still. The b***** thing decided to leak. On the hoover which is stored below... So Mr DontWorryIllFixIt is coming back tomorrow (well - I hope...). About time Boiler reads the FT. Which announced on its online version today that the UK, France and Italy were seeing the end of recession. Which is cool. Especially as BestMateFromManchesterDidITellYouIamEngaged said when she read the title: "thought France was never in recession??". Well that's true French spin for you. Boasting about the positive, even in worst times. Sarko's master was Blair. Spin, spin, spin. Maybe something for GordonBrownIWillNotAdmitIamWrong to learn from - not accepting that he has reached the bottom of the worst of the darkest bleakest times, and that the end is in sight. I guess that's the election. Anyway - what do I know... ?!!
Enough rambling for tonight... now bracing myself for tomorrow morning's cold shower. At least it's good for blood circulation. Not too often, pleeeeeeeeease!!
To beat for the evening - the one who asked her lady who sew for her to adjust her all-in-one nylon outfit to make sure it fits; father wearing boots about has high and long as my legs (not hard some would say), the winner of best outfit competition (shiny pink all in one - yuk). Oh, and I was going to forget... the one who buys 3 tombola tickets and 2 of them are winning tickets (and no, I did not win the second prize - 5 days looking after your dog. Which is great if you don't have a dog...!).
So, to recover from all this, the 4 of us went on family bike ride on Sunday morning. What on earth made me agree to that?! oh well... was all worth it. Although the neighbours grinned at us, pointing at Cheesy Hubby, as if to say "where is the 'tache gone??". And at me as if to ask where had the dress gone (well - as I had said before - more like a cropped t-shirt)... So - ride around Surrey (or felt like it) was then followed by British's favourite Sunday sport (no - not what you might think) - gardening... then the other favourite sport (still not what you think): cooking roast potatoes (did I tell you how to do them - cut about peel the potatoes, cut about 'that' size, boil for about 5 min, shake in colander - as got to be steel colander, then put on hot cookingt tray...... aaaaaaaaaargh!!! after 15 years in the UK, I am still not british enough to know how to cook roas potatoes according to.........) anyway - so Sunday lunch (which started at 5.00!!), cleaning, ironing, working, tidying up.,... well the usual for all mums I guess! So that glass of Pimms I was looking forward at 7.00 clearly was no so attractive at 11.00....! despite Fille Ainee trying to drink it (oh dear - under age drinking...). She thought it was fruit juice... And that's why it was all worth it (Ok - forget the Pimms part of it, and Fille Ainee demonstrating a sign for liking alcohol...). Cause it was like the Working Mum without the 'Working' bit. Although thinking about it, Mum is a full time job anyway, so I guess it was without the extra extra time...
Whatever....
By the way - in case you wondered. Boiler was fixed on Friday. But my love-story-turned-to-hatred with British Gas is now turning to FrontPageOfDailyMirrorDivorce. After working for 3 days (hurrah!!!!), Boiler has now decided to diversify itself (I guess everybody tries to diversify in these times of crisis...). So it's now pouring water out. OK - slight exaggeration. But still. The b***** thing decided to leak. On the hoover which is stored below... So Mr DontWorryIllFixIt is coming back tomorrow (well - I hope...). About time Boiler reads the FT. Which announced on its online version today that the UK, France and Italy were seeing the end of recession. Which is cool. Especially as BestMateFromManchesterDidITellYouIamEngaged said when she read the title: "thought France was never in recession??". Well that's true French spin for you. Boasting about the positive, even in worst times. Sarko's master was Blair. Spin, spin, spin. Maybe something for GordonBrownIWillNotAdmitIamWrong to learn from - not accepting that he has reached the bottom of the worst of the darkest bleakest times, and that the end is in sight. I guess that's the election. Anyway - what do I know... ?!!
Enough rambling for tonight... now bracing myself for tomorrow morning's cold shower. At least it's good for blood circulation. Not too often, pleeeeeeeeease!!
Wednesday 6 May 2009
boiler, boiler, tell me, when will you start working???
Looks like my previous 'notes to self' are working. At least in terms of writing on here more often....
I thought yesterday that the neighbours might start wondering about British Gas being once again summoned in... well - Mr DontWorryIllFixIt turned up 10 min before being late... so spent a whole morning in winter socks, wolly jumper and scarf. So frozen that I could not careless about colour coordination. Even got the hotwater bottle out. Until I realise it was warmer outside than inside. Never mind... Anyway, Mr BritishGas turns up, looks at the boiler, and after listening to my ranting about why this thing decides not to work anymore once a year, when it's still new (well - 6 1/2 year old. Apparently, ancient in BoilerYears. Glad TinkerBell did not hear that. She is 6); he looked into it - decided a spare part would be required. But sorry, tomorrow is my day off, will have to be Friday, unless I can find one of my mates available. Well, why don't you do that... to cut a long story short, none of Mr DontWorryIllFixIt's mate could do it next day, so it will have to be Friday. Done deal. Never mind, we will freeze. At least Arctic Times are gone and we are on for Global Warming (first time ever I think that might be positive). Good bye and see you Friday. I alrady felt that I earnt an Honorary Degree in BoilerThatRefuseToWork, after Mr ICan'tFixIt explained to me about the insulation chamber and the heating chambers, the collapsing of the side which are fitted with hooks, which unfortunately have just been discovered not to take heat very well (shame for a boiler) and therefore at risk of collapsing in the chamber, diverting the heat flow, creating a massive issue. And bottom line, the boiler can't work (no really??? I did not know that. The socks, jumpers and scard afer only a new fashion I am hoping will take off soon).
So good bye Mr ICan'tFixItNorCanMyMate. Until 2 hours later - Mr DontWorryIllFixIt is back!! now, that starts looking suspicious. He needed boiler number... and announced the bad news - spare part unlikely to be available. But, he says with the biggest Colgate Smile ever seen - you might get a new boiler. Great. When. Well, I don't know - I'll have to ring and check and I'll ring you back. Yes, why don't you do that. Except that it's now the evening, we are all wearing something that resembles a modern cosmonaut outfit - mixture of bright pink socks, yellow winter jumper and purple scarf... I now, new fashion. Still not taking off. But nearly scared the people cold calling to know whether we were going to vote for who at the next council / Euro election. Answer: to whoever can solve my boiler problem. Not sure whether the poor lady who rang at the door did not dial social services... time will tell. In any case, no more cold calling from the Conservatives for the next 10 years! (if they have any friends at any other parties, they'll tell them to avoid our kingdom too..)
Reaction from Fille Ainee, back from school - do we have heating? why are you dressed up? Mamma Mia evening is not today?! Oh dear. Forgot about that one. Probably no heating for the baby sitter. Never mind, will feed him with alcohol to keep him warm. He can't say no to that, can he?
Luckily - back to the office tomorrow, away from this mayhem...
Anyway - promised to share recipes with you. Here is a deadly easy starter:
- puff pastry ready rolled
- 1 pear or apple (we still can't decide which we prefer!!)
- log of goat cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- herbes de provence
Roll the pastry and cut 2 rounds per person. Cut the pear/ apple, you'll need 1 sliced per person (ie - cut then to make big circles). Leave the fruit slices on kitchen paper to soak up the juice. Then, take 1 pastry circle, put 1 fruit slice, and 1 slice of goat cheese on eat. Sprinkle the herbs on it. Cover with the secon round of pastry and seal by putting a bit of water on the side of the pastry: both slices of pastry will stick to each other with a bit of a pinch. Brush some egg yolk on it. In the oven at about 200degrees for 10 min. Serve warm on a bed of salad. A winner. And the kids can do it.
Bon appetit!!!
I thought yesterday that the neighbours might start wondering about British Gas being once again summoned in... well - Mr DontWorryIllFixIt turned up 10 min before being late... so spent a whole morning in winter socks, wolly jumper and scarf. So frozen that I could not careless about colour coordination. Even got the hotwater bottle out. Until I realise it was warmer outside than inside. Never mind... Anyway, Mr BritishGas turns up, looks at the boiler, and after listening to my ranting about why this thing decides not to work anymore once a year, when it's still new (well - 6 1/2 year old. Apparently, ancient in BoilerYears. Glad TinkerBell did not hear that. She is 6); he looked into it - decided a spare part would be required. But sorry, tomorrow is my day off, will have to be Friday, unless I can find one of my mates available. Well, why don't you do that... to cut a long story short, none of Mr DontWorryIllFixIt's mate could do it next day, so it will have to be Friday. Done deal. Never mind, we will freeze. At least Arctic Times are gone and we are on for Global Warming (first time ever I think that might be positive). Good bye and see you Friday. I alrady felt that I earnt an Honorary Degree in BoilerThatRefuseToWork, after Mr ICan'tFixIt explained to me about the insulation chamber and the heating chambers, the collapsing of the side which are fitted with hooks, which unfortunately have just been discovered not to take heat very well (shame for a boiler) and therefore at risk of collapsing in the chamber, diverting the heat flow, creating a massive issue. And bottom line, the boiler can't work (no really??? I did not know that. The socks, jumpers and scard afer only a new fashion I am hoping will take off soon).
So good bye Mr ICan'tFixItNorCanMyMate. Until 2 hours later - Mr DontWorryIllFixIt is back!! now, that starts looking suspicious. He needed boiler number... and announced the bad news - spare part unlikely to be available. But, he says with the biggest Colgate Smile ever seen - you might get a new boiler. Great. When. Well, I don't know - I'll have to ring and check and I'll ring you back. Yes, why don't you do that. Except that it's now the evening, we are all wearing something that resembles a modern cosmonaut outfit - mixture of bright pink socks, yellow winter jumper and purple scarf... I now, new fashion. Still not taking off. But nearly scared the people cold calling to know whether we were going to vote for who at the next council / Euro election. Answer: to whoever can solve my boiler problem. Not sure whether the poor lady who rang at the door did not dial social services... time will tell. In any case, no more cold calling from the Conservatives for the next 10 years! (if they have any friends at any other parties, they'll tell them to avoid our kingdom too..)
Reaction from Fille Ainee, back from school - do we have heating? why are you dressed up? Mamma Mia evening is not today?! Oh dear. Forgot about that one. Probably no heating for the baby sitter. Never mind, will feed him with alcohol to keep him warm. He can't say no to that, can he?
Luckily - back to the office tomorrow, away from this mayhem...
Anyway - promised to share recipes with you. Here is a deadly easy starter:
- puff pastry ready rolled
- 1 pear or apple (we still can't decide which we prefer!!)
- log of goat cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- herbes de provence
Roll the pastry and cut 2 rounds per person. Cut the pear/ apple, you'll need 1 sliced per person (ie - cut then to make big circles). Leave the fruit slices on kitchen paper to soak up the juice. Then, take 1 pastry circle, put 1 fruit slice, and 1 slice of goat cheese on eat. Sprinkle the herbs on it. Cover with the secon round of pastry and seal by putting a bit of water on the side of the pastry: both slices of pastry will stick to each other with a bit of a pinch. Brush some egg yolk on it. In the oven at about 200degrees for 10 min. Serve warm on a bed of salad. A winner. And the kids can do it.
Bon appetit!!!
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Did Tinker Bell ever learn to cycle??
I won't come back too much on the night out last week... But blimey, Friday was a long day, with an unexplained (and not traceable) bruise on the forehead (promise, I did not fall over), and a nearly dislocated shoulder (well - bruised, and could not move higher than the elbow. Unexplained either). In fact, as I went to bed quite late (thanks for a broken down train which delayed the journey back, remind me to complain to British Rail and the Minister For Working Mums Who Go On Jollies Once a Year), so, as I went to bed late, nothing was hurting (and I did not drink THAT much given I knew I'd need to be up and running early). And here we go. Friday morning, I woke up feeling like I was a crippled XX year old subjected to Skating on Ice for the last 2 weeks. Anyway - I guess that's what 10 years of not practicing going out does to your body...
Just as well we had the bank holiday to recover. Went like a lightening. Got Tinker Bell to cycle, starting the bike on her own. "mummy, Tinker Bell does not need to cycle, she has wings, you know!" "she still needed to learn to cycle in case her wings broke" (phew) (thank God the argument stopped there and there was no mentions that actually we don't see her cycling in Peter Pan. But I guess you never know, and I am sure she would have been prepared.
Next to plan: still need to find a Abba outfit for the NotSoPleasedToHaveToDressUpHusband for Saturday's party. Who said we did not go out. Actually, I am secretely quite looking forward to seeing him with a 70s wig and flowery shirt..... Pictures might get posted (as long as I take the photos!!!)
MrsDoubtfire (the girls' nanny) has been brilliant again. Cheering the girls up, despite the fact that the boiler has broken down (again... British Gas are going to start thinking I have an affair with their engineer....). Told them stories about Bridesmaid. Which is quite topical, given TinkerBell will be a bridesmaid in September. I just hope the story of the big, purple, stripy dress has not scared her too much...
More soon! By the way, in the end Swine flu is not in the house. Phew.
Just as well we had the bank holiday to recover. Went like a lightening. Got Tinker Bell to cycle, starting the bike on her own. "mummy, Tinker Bell does not need to cycle, she has wings, you know!" "she still needed to learn to cycle in case her wings broke" (phew) (thank God the argument stopped there and there was no mentions that actually we don't see her cycling in Peter Pan. But I guess you never know, and I am sure she would have been prepared.
Next to plan: still need to find a Abba outfit for the NotSoPleasedToHaveToDressUpHusband for Saturday's party. Who said we did not go out. Actually, I am secretely quite looking forward to seeing him with a 70s wig and flowery shirt..... Pictures might get posted (as long as I take the photos!!!)
MrsDoubtfire (the girls' nanny) has been brilliant again. Cheering the girls up, despite the fact that the boiler has broken down (again... British Gas are going to start thinking I have an affair with their engineer....). Told them stories about Bridesmaid. Which is quite topical, given TinkerBell will be a bridesmaid in September. I just hope the story of the big, purple, stripy dress has not scared her too much...
More soon! By the way, in the end Swine flu is not in the house. Phew.
Friday 1 May 2009
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