Babysteps towards all of BlackCat's chocolate (when she isn't looking!)

[carrotsandcelery]

lentil hot pot & sausage casserole sound yummy. Here is my favourite sausage casserole which works well in the slow cooker too. We had it yesterday & DD1 announced that she no longer liked it, so she just had mashed potato for lunch

DD2 & I have been out for a walk in the sunshine The forecast says its 4deg here today, but there is still some frost & ice in places that the sun hasn't reached yet.

I have to start doing my meal planner/shopping list earlier. I still haven't finished it & it this rate I'm going to "waste" this afternoon's nap time doing it instead of starting my house blessing. Think I need to start it on a sunday night when we are supposed to be checking diaries for the following week.

I really need to clean the bathroom floor today, DD2 is starting to move around a bit now (she can do a 360 turn & push herself backwards on a slippy floor like the bathroom) so I need to start cleaning the floors more regularly!

I also really, really need to get something for DH for his birthday (next week) - I'm giving him some money towards a telescope, but he needs to have something to open on the day

we went to Canada for our honeymoon. We've said we'll go back again just as soon as we can handle the thought of taking the DDs on a 10hr flight!

No, celery, I'm American. But one of my school friends lives in Canada now and I have another friend that's a native Canadian who is still there.

As for the sausages dinner, I've used three colors of peppers, normal sausages and a mix of normal sauce and sauce with veg for a bit more of my our five a day. New receipe for us so will report back. Am going to make pasta twirls for Toddler and rice for MrScout & I (Toddler doesn't really like rice but loves pasta).

Ah! Sorry Scout. Which part of America are you from? I have never been but would love to. I wouldn't know where to start though. It is maahhooooosive!

bessie does it work to rotate meal plans - say have a file of 8 or 10 weeks and then go back to week one? Maybe seasons and dds changing likes and dislikes mean that this doesn't work.

I can't believe that dd2 is mobile already. When we started this she was still a bump

I have emptied the vanity in the ensuite and chucked out what I could and cleaned it. I have now sorted like things from both rooms together so we have a huge pile of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body moisturiser and dental floss to use up before we buy any more of them. We also have new toothbrush heads for our toothbrushes ready and waiting and I nearly bought some this week.

Hopefully now it will be easier to see what we have and not buy "just in case" so often.

I have also hung another load of washing (dh's & ds's bed linen). The airer is full so that is all the washing for today.

It feels like quite a productive day although nothing looks any different really from the outside.

I have done the kitchen stock take and a sort of meal plan (subject to change depending on how I feel and what DH fancies ).

Can anyone give me a prod or a boot?
I am procrastinating about going out to buy bread and milk. I think the cold weather is putting me off! It's so nice and warm in here!

The walk will get your blood flowing and make the house seem lovely and toasty when you get back. Besides, imagine the horror of having no milk for a

carrots I do hope one day to have a rotating meal plan (and I do look back at olds ones for inspiration), but DD1s fussiness & DD2s eating abilities are stopping this right now.

I've been through the freezer to see what we have & have simplified my meal plan. Just need to quickly make the shopping list (while drinking ) & can then run round with the vacuum & clean the bathroom floor.

My meal plan is based around spending as little as possible and using up as much as possible from the cupboards.

I spent £16 on fruit and veg on Saturday and I am hoping that might get me through the week with just bread and milk runs as we have a LOT of cans and dried foods right now. Cupboard organising does save you a lot of cash

bessie I remember those tricky stages well. I would have a whole batch of lovingly made babyfood of some sort in the freezer and whichever dc it was would suddenly decide not to eat it anymore or I would make the favourite meal and suddenly it was deemed revolting. It gets easier - promise! Apart from anything, once they are bigger, you can just put it in front of them and it is up to them if they eat it or starve [evil mum emoticon]

carrots if it's something I know DD1 likes (like the sausage casserole yesterday), then she either eats it or goes hungry! And she has to eat some of her main meal before she is allowed any pudding. We've only had to start doing this the last couple of months - I'm blaming bad influences at pre-school!

thankfully DD2 will eat absolutely anything - sometimes the threat of me giving DD1s dinner to DD2 is enough to make her eat it, but other times it backfires & DD1 ends up spoonfeeding DD2 her meal!

A friend was telling me the other day I need to buy my fruit & veg from the market, rather than the supermarket as it's loads cheaper. The only problem is that the market is in the town centre & so I will need to persuede DH to get it in his lunch break (and carry it home with him). We do have a nice greengrocers up the road, but the last time I compared prices with the supermarket (about 3 yrs ago) there wasnt much difference.

right. floor cleaning now

I would only use a greengrocers that is really busy personally. When I was at school I worked in one and some things can "sit" for a long time.

I imagine markets have a faster turn over but we don't have one anywhere remotely near us so that is not an option. I would probably use one if it was an option.

Could the idea be sold to dh on the money saving front? eg So and so says you can save loads of money if you use the market for fruit and veg - then let it sink in with no further prodding and see if he comes up with the idea himself?

I have just done battle with the enormous shower screen in the main bathroom. I am because once I started on it I realised it was much more vile than I had realised. I started with vinegar but I had to resort to industrial bathroom cleaner in the end. It is sparkly and lovely now.

I like this zone idea. It focuses the mind a bit when you are bored senseless.

I am back. SSOOOOOOOO COOOLLDD out there.

I am sat in my coat with a [Brew].

Think it may be something hot and filling for tea!

hi guys!
computers bin refusing to let me access internet but dh has just come to techno dinosaurs rescue
ta da list
made beds and laundry on before school run
washed bathroom light/cleaned tiles in the shower
sorted bookcases in both kids bedrooms
sorted playmobil in both kids bedrooms
washed living room floor
dusted living room
2 loads washing
ironing

can i have a sticker please!

making yorkshire pudding baskets for tea.will post recipe if its nice

,

Only dashing through as it's soon TS's cuddle/cartoon/story/bedtime time but wanted to report the recipe I posted earlier is really tasty with pasta. Even TS ate peppers and he won't touch them out in the open. He loves pasta and sausages so hoped I'd have a winner. Very easy to make, too!

Hi all, I have warmed up nicely now.

I have Ta da:

went to shop, bought bread, milk, cat food and a card.
picked up DS from school
cooked dinner
washed up
done 10 mins shredding (paperwork) that could count as decluttering!

well done blackcat youve bin soaring today
we had a yummy tea
yorkshire pudding baskets

4oz plain flour
2eggs
1/2pint milk and water mixed

filling
2tbsp oil
i onion,fine chop
200g button mushrooms,sliced
1 garlic clove crushed
2dsp plain flour
12floz veg stock
2tsp marmite
2dsp tomato ketchup
1tsp dry rosemary

heat oven 200oc/400of/gas6
brush 12hole bun tin with oil and place in oven to heat while make yorkshires
beat eggs into flour adding milk mix gradually toa smooth batter
divide between tins and bake 15mins

meanwhile,fry onion,mushroom and garlis in oil over high heat til lightly browned.add flour and mix well.stir in stock,marmite,ketchup and rosemary.simmer 3-4mins

serve yorkshires stuffed with filling.carrots and green beans cooked and served on the side

i only had half amount mushrooms so added chopped courgette,strip green pepper and a handful of peas.was delish!

on flying front,washing up is done,kids are all sorted,had stories and just gone to bed.sinks shiny.
tonight im going to spend and hour just relaxing with a book,then have a n early night
carrots get that stick good and pointy.tomorrow i want jabbing til i submit and get in that bedroom!!!!

hope you all had a good day

Very bad day at the dentist which cost £££ .

Ta da
got dressed
made bed.
kitchen and living room tidy - including sink.
DS and my clothes laid out
Chilli, rice and chips in micro for DH to heat up later
Beans on toast for us
dishwasher is empty

To do
Anything to do with bathroom . I did polish tiles last week.
Root through freezer to defrost something I can make for dinner tomorrow.
Dark wash

Slow cookers are great AS LONG AS YOU REMEMBER TO SWITCH THEM ON! D'oh!

Oh dear carrots, did you forget to turn it on ?

I did.

We had pasta for tea

thanks BlackCat.

On the upside, I now have a hot pot in the fridge ready to go in the slow cooker or whenever I actually remember.

BRRRRR, it's cold out there!

carrots you need a timer plug!

Can someone give me a swift kick to go do the washing up? Ended up going to Guides tonight and now can't get motivated because I'm a popsicle from standing outside chatting.