Living in America 2012--Because It Is No Longer 2011

[MmeBucket]

This is what happens when I start threads--they get stupid titles. Someone else needs to start the next one. Hopefully we can get this one filled by 2013.

Link to old thread for reference

Not much happening here. The kids have been off school for 25 days. I am soooo looking forward to them starting school tomorrow. Except it is my day to help, so instead of getting a break from my two, I'll have 22 of them to deal with.

[VintageNancy]

I need to get to the grocery store today - no idea what we're having for dinner though.

Off to DMV later to apply for driving licences. In fact I should go swot up for the written test...

[MmeBucket]

It is pretty much something involving meat that you put on a smaller than average hamburger bun. Normally I'm not affected by cute food as I always go to the grocery store with a list (to which I strictly stick to) and with a full stomach, but the last time I went I was really hungry, and they just looked so tempting I couldn't resist.

[kickassangel]

Dh made a load of cottage pie over the break so we have one in the freezer. Mmmm

[spamm]

Reporting in from a very chilly San Antonio - no dining outside on the Riverwalk this year, it has been very cold. I am taking a lunch break at my conference - surrounded by military, I am sat here on MN - a bit weird!

I have a black tie dinner tonight and I am not looking forward to it - feel exhausted. I never sleep well when away on business, so stayed up late watching Game of Thrones on HBO GO. I now have a new TV addiction to add to The Walking Dead - cannot wait until the new series in April.

Mmmmm - cottage pie. I made Cornish pasties for DH on Sunday, and they were delicious, I was pretty impressed with my own work. There is a pasty shop in the area, but it is about 10 miles, and always costs a fortune, as we buy all the other British goodies as well, including meat pies and chocolate.

[kickassangel]

British goodies. I am jealous. Although near us there's a store with walkers shortbread on bogof . Yum

[MrsOlf]

Hello everyone [waves]
Just marking my place as we move to Houston a week on Tuesday.

[MmeBucket]

I have always wanted to have a pastie ever since I heard about them. Someday I need to do that for our ridiculously unhealthy dinner of the month.

[CheerfulYank]

They're actually really big where I come from in Northern Minnesota. Pasties I mean :) There were a lot of mines and apparently the miners would take them down pit. I love them and make them with venison every year :)

[spamm]

I have heard that, CheerfulYank - seems like a good reason to go to Minnesota! Mmmmmm.

How do you make your pastry? The pastry I made last week - very butter shortcrust - was not easy to work with, so I am not sure I got it right. But it was delicious. I think I need a little more water next time - possibly a bit too dry.

MmeBucket - happy to share the recipe, from the BBC Food website. It is much easier than I imagined, I had never made them before I moved here to years ago, but they were yummy! My DH said this lot were my best yet. Not healthy, but nice on a cold winter's day.

[spamm]

Hello to MrsOlf - Good luck on the move!

[MmeBucket]

I would love the recipe, spamm. I have a kitchen scale, so I'm equipped to "cook British".

Hi MrsOlf. Hope you have as low-stress move as possible, and we can't wait to hear how it goes.

[wentshopping]

Hi Mrsolf - good luck on your move. I live in Houston, so feel free to pm me if you need anything. It is gorgeous weather here today - hope it lasts for a few weeks.

[MrsOlf]

Thanks for the welcome everyone and to Wentshopping for offer of help too.
I'll let you know how we get on next week.

[kickassangel]

Pasties are big in michigan as well - for the same reason. There must be something about mining & pasties, a bit like being a ploughman and eating bread & cheese.

Hi to 'new' people' - good luck with the move, and don't expect things to happen too quickly, it takes a while to feel at home.

[MrsOlf]

A very quick question. My DH is going bedding shopping in Macy's tomorrow and wanted me to choose some stuff from the website as guidance on the sort of thing we want.
We've not shipped our bedding out as beds are different size so we'll need to get everything. Is a comforter a duvet? If not, what's the difference? What is a bed in a bag (it seems to be lots of pillows for decoration but not much for sleeping - can just here the swearing from my husband when he gets home with one of those...)
Please help before my DH goes out on his own.

[mockingjay]

Bring your snow shoes MmeBucket!

[MmeBucket]

A comforter is the big blanket that is the top decorative layer of the bed. You don't have to zip it into anything like a duvet. Bed in a bag is a decorative set for your bed. You get a comforter, matching decorative pillow covers, and sometimes something else that matches in it.

Are you not melted out yet, mockingjay? How much snow did you get? We had snow but it was gone by about 10:30. We only have to make it to Grand Mound, and we're not going until Tuesday, so hopefully everything will be fine by then.

[mockingjay]

Ours has only just started in earnest, a good 4 or 5 inches so far, with no signs of letting up. I think it's supposed to be gone by Wednesday though.

[MmeBucket]

Really? Ugh. We're at about 600 feet, and just getting rain, so I was hoping it would be the same up there. Hopefully the freeway will be clear. We don't really have to do any driving except for the freeway.

[mockingjay]

I think you'll probably be ok - think Monday's the last day of snow. Unfortunate timing though!

[wentshopping]

MrsOlf - Macy's also use the word comforter for what we would call a duvet. I have bought their own brand down "Charter Club" brand and found them to be fine. If it was my H shopping he would probably try getting the Calvin klein in which case they would be going straight back. ($$$) There is a sale on just now! For most of the year a level 1 or 2 is plenty as even with the air-conditioning it is pretty warm here. (Eg, I have a level 1, with a quilt over the top just now.) If you are also buying duvet covers and pillow cases (=sham) try also looking at pottery barn, or their kids website as I find macys a bit pricey for this. You can also get M&S delivered here for 15.00 pounds. (And John Lewis too, but not everything is available for international delivery).
I bought kid bedding from Ikea, and that has been fine, although not as soft as M&S, Pottery barn etc. Another thing to watch out for at Macys: they will try and sell you "king size pillows" which are bigger than normal pillows, so if ever buy normal pillowcases the pillows will stick out. I get my pillows from Target, which is like getting them from a big Tescos. (Good choice of down, synthetic etc) If your DH is going to Memorial City Macys, there is a Target in the same mall. Then a mile or so west in Town and Country Village there is a Pottery Barn. Hth.

[CheerfulYank]

Target is my favorite for pretty much everything in the world. :o

I think that pasties/miner reasoning is that everything is in a neat little pocket and the filling doesn't get cold as the crust is so thick. :) Are you in the UP, kickass ? I always forget. Yoopers and Rangers (from the Minnesota Iron Range) have a really similar culture due to being settled by large groups of Finns.

[MrsOlf]

Thanks MmeBucket and wentshoping.

[Earlybird]

Hello, hello and happy new year to all. Glad to see we have a new thread for a new year. Welcome to all new joiners. Bit of background: we live in Tennessee, and I have an almost-11 year old dd.

We had a lovely Christmas break. Didn't go anywhere, and absolutely loved not being a slave to a schedule so we could be spontaneous and do what we liked when we wanted.

DD has been back at school since 3 Jan, though is out today for MLK holiday. I'm actually thinking about a trip to the mall today for a bit of shopping. Haven't been there since before Thanksgiving - not even the sales could tempt me to brave the crowds!

No snow here yet, though we have had a few flurries that didn't amount to anything.