5 onion rings, 4 cauliflowers, 3 french beans, 2 turnip tops and a parsnip in a pear tree - 10 / 10 club

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

Well dp says couscous is potentially bland, not pointy or angular or dry, but like "damp sand"

It is not at all pointy. Although dp insists it is gritty. Which it isn't. But best of all, you don't actually have to cook it, just soak it. A boon to the hurried and hungry.

I love it (pointy an'all)

I did give it to DD, which was a mistake, at 14 months and BLWeaned so no concept of cutlery....I was finding it scattered around for days.

And she got very frustrated trying to eat it bless her.

I do find it bland au naturel, add some veg roasted in butter and it's yummy

Lol FK. It?s a long complicated miserable tale but I?m here with DS, who is 2. And yes, it?s bloody freezing! I?ve been in the US for 5 yrs and am desperately homesick I?ve lived in lots of places in the UK ? I?m a southerner by birth but most recently lived in Yorkshire. Does that help?

I love the big couscous. The normal stuff is sort of gravelly. Soft but strange. I think Tatties has it right ? a bit like damp sand. But it is a great weaning food ?DS still eats it with his fingers. He likes it with Pesto on it. I am going out to a Morrocan restaurant tomorrow night and shall indulge in plenty of big couscous. I?ll think of you, Franny.

Can?t report on my 10/10 today because it is shameful.

yes you see, you all agree with me despite thinking that you don't

"angular" "gritty" "damp sand" "gravelly"

these are all just synonyms for POINTY and you are all splitting hairs to deny it

Gibbon yes. I actually would like 5 but am old and like to space my children out a LOT apparently, so it isn't going to happen

I like couscous but most of the time even the chucking of boiling water over something and waiting is too much like cooking for me

I could ask some ten ten advice on things at the mo....but there are too many things to ask about

the last few posts seem to suggest that illnesses are slackening off i hope so

Cous cous can indeed be pointy. Bulghar wheat is better but I can't eat either usually. I have quinoi or rice.

Things have been busy here. A good friend of mine is very ill and is young and has children and it is dreadful. She is going to have an op on 21st Dec and if the keyhole goes well she may be home for Christmas. They said if she has to stay in then the children will be allowed to visit as they don't restrict visiting hours that day but still, hardly fun. Everyone is very shocked about it - it puts life in perspective.

We are eating mangoes and blueberries every morning and I am afraid they are always from the supermarket. Sorry, Toot! The mornings are cold enough without punishment pears.

Boco - I was really sad to hear about that yesterday, goodness knows how you must have felt, poor DD.

Sorry about your friend MrsC. Hope it all goes well for her.

And Boco, sorry for your dd. Shameful stuff indeed!

We have a rushing about sort of day today.

Good morning, I don't feel that i can contribute to the couscous discussion in any meaningful way. I like it a little bit but it doesn't feel like actual food.

Thanks toot and MrsC for what you said about dds day yesterday, it was truly rubbish and she's already earnestly discussing it today and if i think the dinner lady doesn't like her in particular and why that might be I've told her it was just a silly mistake and nothing at all to do with her. She doesn't want to go to school anymore because things like that happen too often and you can never tell.

She's doing a ballet show this morning and looks very beautiful so i think this will be cheering.

And someone dp works with has all their old sylvanian stuff - including a house and furniture and shop and caravan! It's all in storage though, but she says we can have it. Only problem is it'll be in the new year, but still - hooray!

Hope everyone is ok and feeling better? Franny still no dvd? I did get proof of posting, - sent it at the same time as a package to exeter that arrived yesterday.

Do you have any other options with schools, Boco? Is there anything really good about the school? Does she have good friends there? Are they due for a new head teacher? That can make helluva difference.

We have done stages 1 and 2 of today - both were v. wet. We are making Christmas cards at the museum this afternoon - dd2 is very excited.

Boco something did come yesterday while I was at work - recorded delivery? I was out so I just got a card through, I shall try to pick it up from the depot next week.

Boco - what have i missed aboiut your dd???

I am stealing 5 mins on MN. I am trying to cook secret tapas for 8 people without dh knowing. Noone can get a babysitter so there will also be 7 children . We are going to bribe them with popcorn to Stay Upstairs while we are degenerate downstairs. It's a very modest 3 bed semi so it's probably going to be Utterly Chaotic. DH and ds1 are out Tree-Hunting.

For tapas we are having a beautiful lentil and stewed cherry toms dish; garlic/chilli king prawns; fritata, Potatas bravas, chorizo in red wine, chicken in creamy white whiney, garlic sauce, rustic bread, salads and a cheeseboard (Slaver)

that sounds tasty dd1 has just told me i am looking too skinny and told me to eat food

I'm trying to think of something but the rain is putting me off buying anything

I actually thought i was feeling quite fat this week

hello

fucking hell boco this is just ridiculous. how can a school be so uncaring?

is dd reassured at all by the fact the it won't happen again as the birthday table is no more? can you relate it all to that?

Ooh Boco it is here it came while I was at work this morning and dp took it

sorry I hadn't seen it when I posted - thank you very much, I will open it later

I have to go to a fete and sing some really odd verses of Jingle Bells including this:

"A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
and soon Miss Fanny Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and we got upsot [sic] "

I am going to pretend to be someone else while I am doing it. Ds says I should wear a disguise and pretend to be the moon so that no-one will know it is me.

sounds a bit dodgy franny

it does doesn't it

I am trying not to think about it too hard as I will be singing it (hopefully with straight face) in approx 35 mins

lol..along with some knowing winks and confused expressions from the audience good luck have fun

Hello. I seem to not be contributing much at the moment.

Hope the singing of Jingle Bells goes all right - I remember that verse from our carol book at home so it wouldn't have shocked/surprised etc me .

Our dishwasher is meant to be being dlievered today between 11am and 5pm. Obviously it is not here yet.

Boco, I read your thread about the table yesterday and felt so I couldn't think of anything to type. Your poor DD .

TooTicky, did that shop used to be at the trading estate? If so, I htink i went last year. And I looked on theri websirte for deliveries too!

The sale was good, I stayed to help and sold lots, and only bought 3 things!!

I am v v tired - sympathy plesae.
Dh went out last night and was very late in. And puked also. So i was .

And the rats kept me awake - usually dh's snring masks the noise I think.

Then dd2 had a dream that i had forgotten to pick her up form somewhere so was sobbing.

Boco, I am speechless at your school. It is so terrible it is almost unbelievabkle. Dd1 wanted to know what I was muttering baout and I tild her and she said it is not fair, and that teachers should know that. And she is 6.

Lets not talk about fruit though. Or veg!

lol, DH is terribly unobservant, he thinks I am cooking tapas for the 2 of us and hasn't notice there are a zillion potatoes waiting to be roasted, or that there is a huge bowl of salad in the fridge...

Can someone please link to Boco's latest shitey school saga please???

Just found it!!!

It's horrible isn't it. We're both really tearful about it today (me and dd)