Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 24: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Here is the link to the prior thread:

Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 23: Calmly through the day

Apologies that the prior thread filled up before I could create this one. Hopefully everyone will find it. Lurkers are of course welcome to unlurk.

Math, I'm quite impressed that you change the headlights on your car yourself. I have the LED ones on my car, so they will clearly outlive me and the rest of the car.

DH and I dropped off his car for service and to have the winter tyres put on last night, then I picked up DS at the train station while DH took the old banger that DS normally drives to pick up a takeaway for dinner.

We're getting the remnants of Hurricane Nicole later today here in NY, so it will be quite windy and rainy.

Hilda am in the same boat as you re Christmas cake, have the things just need to do it!

prok- glad you’re doing as ok as possible.

I’m umming and ahhing about applying for the job. I want to and need out of current job but this would be a huugggeee challenge.

Hilda, Lemons I don't make a Christmas cake as I don't like marzipan and DH doesn't like royal icing. However I will be making mincemeat and Christmas pudding next week on my week off.
I have just eaten a cheesecake Kristy Kreme (?) donut as DS bought it for me with his own money and I didn't have the heart to say I'm watching my carb consumption.......

Christmas cakes are not a thing in the US, which I am happy about because they sound like way too much work, and I can't have anything that's been soaked in brandy.

I'm not sure what we're doing for Thanksgiving. I'm trying to find out what my brother and SIL are doing, but they're apparently still considering it.

Lemons, go ahead and apply for the job. If nothing else, it will be a chance to polish up your CV and practice your interview skills. Even if you decide it isn't a good fit for you, they may have something you like better open up later.

It was pouring rain when we went to pick up DH's car. Tropical storm Nicole has arrived, and the winds will pick up later.

I got one headlight replaced - the one that had gone out - and decided to leave the other one for another day. The YouTube video I used for guidance was great, but my efforts took much longer than the guy in the video took.

I needed to consult the manual to figure out how to open the hood (the bonnet) and also had to hunt for an adjustable wrench-like tool (it probably has a name but I don't know it) to unscrew the cap over the light, which was in a tight spot between the battery and the windshield washer fluid tank. The man in the video unscrewed the cap easily with his bare hands of course. Then I had to go back and forth to get my glasses which I had left on the kitchen table. However, the rest of the operation went as described in the video.

Luckily I love marzipan and DH likes icing - and we both like the cake, so it’s good for us, sprouts!

Lemons, sounds as though you should definitely go for that job.

I’m off to my Mum’s to start the spiced beef today. It’s always the first Christmas food prep task, and has to be turned daily from now until Christmas Eve.

Go for it Lemons It’s always good to practice applications/interviews, and if they do offer it, you don’t have to take it. As Mumsnet would say ‘it’s an invitation not a summons’!

Thanks all I will mainly because I think I can make a difference. Also the committee are telling staff things over me staff are being given things to do that is in my job description so I know I’m in a loose loose situation.

spiced beef Helena what’s that?

Am going to make a Thanksgiving Style meal but on the Friday after it as we have people coming round. Thanks for the idea MissC! Am stuck for an American style Thanksgiving pudding.

We've had a car week too!
My daughter bought her first car for work-and the garage gave us the wrong V5C number so couldn't get it taxed online.
At the garage they're all mechanics (and an hour's drive away) so we kept getting through to different mechanics who'd promise to find out, and call back shortly and never called back.

For anyone who's desperately googling (as I was just over 24 hours ago) trying to find out the best thing to do:
Although it says on the website you need an MOT certificate to tax the car at a post office, they didn't ask (phew) for one.
Although the PO website also had at least 2 local post offices down as doing car tax that haven't done car tax since before Covid.

Helena, what could possibly cook for five weeks or more?

Lemons, the classic Thanksgiving dessert would be a pie, usually apple, but pecan or blueberry are good too. Have I shared my recipe for holiday mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream with you?

MissC no you haven’t but I would love it! Sounds right up my street. Oh apple pie would be lovely and could be made beforehand.

Currently watching strictly come dancing.

Lemons, a Thanksgiving custom with apple pie is to serve it warm with a scoop of posh vanilla ice cream on top. Here's the recipe for the holiday mashed potatoes. Let me know if you have any questions, and anyone who wants it as a PDF can DM me with their email address. They are so good the weeks before a holiday, people ask me to confirm that I'm planning on making them. They are really quick and easy too.

Holiday Mashed Potatoes
From the kitchen of Miss C

• 5 lb bag of potatoes, russet or Yukon Gold, peeled and halved (or quartered if very large).
• 1 eight oz package of cream cheese (low fat is fine)
• 1 pint sour cream (low fat is fine)
• Sliced or grated cheddar cheese, about a cup
• 1 stick (4 oz) butter
• sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 175 C. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). Mash them until smooth (a hand mixer works well). Add the remaining ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Put in a casserole dish, cover with sliced or grated cheddar cheese, and bake at 175 C for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Leftovers can be made into patties, coated in flour, and pan-fried in butter. The Yukon Gold potatoes give the dish a nice color.

MissC that sounds delicious, now need to dig out apple pie recipe.

Very warm here. We had an ice cream at the lake today.

Spiced beef is a cured beef joint. You salt the meat, then 24hrs later apply the salt/spice rub. You marinate the beef join in this solution for 5 weeks and then briefly simmer in water before allowing to cool in the cooking water. It’s a Cork tradition. The recipe I use came from my great-grandmother.

goodfoodireland.ie/blog/spiced-beef-2/

Spiced beef is quite like the famous Chicago Italian Beef sandwich.

Lemons, the recipe is a real crowd-pleaser.

I just found out that my brother and SIL have other plans for Thanksgiving. I think they are going to see my nephew in Pennsylvania. So it will just be the three of us on Thanksgiving day, which is a bit sad.

Can I join please?

Of course you can, @NooNooHead1981, all are welcome! And feel free to use the mashed potatoes recipe as well. 😀

Do you have any mundane news to share?

@MissConductUS yes, I just messaged my DS' class notes on his Tapestry school app about a missing school jumper from PE last Friday. It had his name clearly written in it and we didn't get it back after PE. We then received two separate official school sweatshirts today that weren't his, left over from the lesson. I am hoping we will get ours back soon as it was brand new! Yep, my mundane news was very mundane!

Thank you for letting me join 😁

Hello waves new home new happy life, so happy planning my first Christmas alone freezer full of stuff dds for bills all sorted. Safe now from dwp worries. Not much money but safe at least mentally now. No more grumpiness to deal with friends have told me I’ve lost weight and so happy now.

NooNoo, my kids are older now, but I remember all of the things that disappeared at school - clothes, calculators, books, etc. It is frustrating.

Welcome, @Always4Brenner , and thanks for sharing your lovely news about your new home and holiday plans. It's always good when you can make a fresh start after a bad situation. What are you planning for Christmas?

I discovered a shop selling Seabrook crisps today. These were part of my daily diet 20 years ago.
Didn't actually buy any, but I had a warm glow of nostalgia.