North East thread 4: Fingers crossed we catch the Angel bus!

[Someaddedsugar]

Just thought I'd start a new thread for the north east lot as number 3 is getting pretty full!

@PennyDreadfuI hope you're ok and hope you don't mind me picking the thread up!

Hi everyone. I’ve been keeping busy today.

I’m ok thanks for asking @Someaddedsugar. I had a good sleep last night and feel better for it!

@MissEWeatherwax great news about your DF! Hopefully your DM's date will come through soon.

I hope you got your MacDonalds too!

Thank you @Someaddedsugar. I slept in and missed McDonald’s breakfast. It was weird I hardly slept, then when my alarm went off at 7.00am I switched it off then slept in.
The snow is still here but roads are clear. Feels very cold. I think I’m just going to have to endure every day until spring
My DD is going stir crazy, so for the good of her mental health. She has gone shopping with a list.
I’m supposed to be doing an inventory of the freezer, but can’t be bothered.

DP reckons we're in for heavy snow tonight. If we are I'm dreading it! I hate driving in the snow and need to drive to the Arnison Centre tomorrow to do our food shop as we have hardly anything edible and are having toast for tea tonight (I'm not complaining though as quite like toast for tea!). Handily the Arnison Centre will be followed by Greggs for breakfast as I'm already there!

I'm considering one of those cook at home restaurant meals for next weekend - has anyone had one from anywhere? I've seen quite a few places offering them but would be interested in any reviews.

Hope you and DD are ok @MissEWeatherwax - this weather is enough to send anyone stir crazy!

Yes, we are fine. Just my DD is becoming depressed again and spending all day on internet isn’t good for her. She likes getting out and about. My other DD is unhappy her A levels are getting in the way of her gaming
The Finbar restaurant near Aykley heads has good reviews . I also follow House of tides( Newcastle) on Instagram and that looks fantastic.
I think I might try either HelloFresh or Guosto, it will be exciting receiving the box.
I hope it doesn’t snow!

Ooh, I didn't know finbarr's did takeaway. I had a lovely meal there for my 40th, many, many years ago!

Not sure if they do it all the time, but it’s one of those cook at home boxes. Hopefully it wasn’t a one off. Going to check there Instagram now and see if I can find!

Just checked their Instagram page and the cook at home is open from 9 January. Sounds brilliant. You email them and order. Hopefully that helps someone.

We have a Gousto subscription and while I appreciate it isn't for everyone, we love it! We have a fortnightly delivery from them and have four meals each time. It's always very exciting when they arrive!

That's good to know about Finbarr's! We went a few times when they were near the train station and it was always lovely.

I've seen the House of Tides one, and I also had a look at Dobson and Parnell this evening but will be looking at Finbarr's now!

For some reason I thought Gousto was weekly. Will definitely look into it.

You can order to suit you @MissEWeatherwax - you can also place an order for a one off box I think. It’s worth looking for referral codes as there’s usually one for the first box at half price and the rest of the month 30% off or similar.

Well the finbarr's stuff is that you pick up the cooked food - proper takeaway.

I've sent the info to dh. I live in hope that he will do something nice for me, spontaneously, at some point.

@PickAChew, good luck. My DH would never do it! I have to spell everything out.
Definitely looking into Guosto/Hello Fresh. Hello fresh have a really good offer at moment. So might try the cheaper first

I have a husband who has to have everything spelled out, too (after 48 years). I would love him to spontaneously bring me flowers, instead of occasionally asking me, as we walk round a supermarket, "would you like some flowers?"

It's snowed on and off here all morning, very fed up with it and the ice, which we have had for over a week. There's not enough snow for playing, but enough to make the paths and roads difficult.

I am totally fed up with food and catering. Even a takeaway doesn't seem much of a treat, as our only options are fish and chips, Chinese, or a posh burger. I want to go somewhere nice and be served a lovely meal.

I like the sound of a Finbarr's takeaway!

The Garden House also has a takeaway menu I've spotted - quite tempted by their Sunday dinner takeaway.

I hope your DH gets the hint @PickAChew!

DP is having a pretty shit time at work at the moment as he's still having to go out to work but is freezing and working long days outside which is why I thought of the meal kit for once DS is in bed as it would be the closest we can get to a meal out! Thought it might cheer him up a bit!

A posh burger sounds tempting to me @NUFC69!

It's snowed here too. But thankfully not overly heavy - about 2 inches from what I can guess. Driving in it wasn't fun this morning as the ploughs hadn't been out before I set off for nursery.

I want some fairies to clean and wash up.
The snow is awful here. DH has just been sent home, they can’t work. He’s going to take me to Arnison centre

The cleaning fairy in this house has a permanently pissed off expression.

I don't think dh gets that, while I enjoy certain aspects of cooking, it's creative stuff like making a curry that is enjoyable and even that loses its appeal when I inevitably don't get to relax and think about nothing else. Planning and producing over 700 sets of lunches and dinners a year, including for 2 very different restricted eaters, is just a bloody chore.

DH and I have both tried to engage Ds2 in stuff that's been set by school and both been forcibly evicted from his presence. His teacher has offered to send home visual timetables but I don't see the point because this is home, not school, and Ds2 simply does not do school things at home. He does home things at home. Even Joe bloody wicks got unplugged at the wall.

When you find the fairies could you send them my way! I don't understand how hard it is to understand taking off snowy shoes at the door!

That sounds hard @PickAChew but I can understand the logic in school things happening at school and hone things at home. Hopefully the schools will open after February half term so you and DS get your routines back.

I'm starting to feel like I live at work and it isn't fun. At least when it's sunny I can make time for a walk in the middle of the day or even pop to the shops in somewhere for half an hour. I think January's going to end up feeling like it never ends!

Almost 1 week of lockdown over though!

And the weather will be a lot better, next week.

We got the House of Tides cook at home box for DH's birthday in November - it was brilliant!

Was it easy to use @myrtleWilson?

Fingers crossed @PickAChew!

And another good thing - it doesn't get dark as early and I'm finding it really noticeable as pre-Christmas I'd be focused on something and then realise I was sitting in the dark at 3.30pm!

Really easy @someaddedsugar - everything was re-heatable in under 10 mins. I've not been to HoT but I don't think the food was like in the restaurant it was less pushing the boat out and more dishes you'd recognise and perhaps cook a version of but x1000 better than you could do yourself. One of our courses was sea bass, fennel, potato, spinach and a curry butter - the fennel quite literally melted in my mouth!.
I saw this chef on this seasons Masterchef the professionals aktarathome.co.uk He has a Michelin starred place in Birmingham which does genre defying Indian food but has set up an at home service that delivers nationwide - and on similar lines to HoT insofar as the dishes are recognisably 'home' curries but done very well We're thinking of getting the £70 curry box - as it says in the blurb it is a banquet for 4, or all the curries are freezable - yes an expensive ready meal but it will be my birthday next month so worth a treat I think!

Another day of during nothing but housework. My DD is so bored she has cleaned and vacuumed her bedroom.
I definitely now fancy a Finbarr takeaway.
Hope everyone is okay.