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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

Living in America... visitors welcome

964 replies

SuperBunny · 09/03/2009 19:14

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot - NC
MadameDeathStare- AL

Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI
MumofFivemeanschaos

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau - Milpitas
loopsngeorge - Brentwood, LA
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach
CarmenSanDiego - San Diego

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperBunny · 27/04/2009 14:30

Oh, stilloverhere I am really cross about the museum. I can't work there and they refused to let me do it as a volunteer

If I go to the exhibition and hear fake accents it will make me feel even more annoyed and I may mutter too much. Was it good though? I am waiting for my free tickets.

Dooney, anything really. I have read Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food etc) and have Mark Bittman lined up next. I don't dislike Jamie Oliver but my recollection of him is of 6 years ago when he was relatively new.

I will look out for Eating for England.

Toodle Pip

OP posts:
Califrau · 28/04/2009 00:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jabberwocky · 28/04/2009 00:27

Sorry for the absence everyone. At least this will get the thread on my list and I will try for a proper catch-up.

dooneygirl · 28/04/2009 01:48

I'm wanting to read books by Marion Nestle and Michele Simon, too. I can't for the life of me remember what they're called, though.

Health alert day today. The lady who was the full-time helper at Colin's school last year and helped once and a bit this year at their school has come down with Hep. C. The other bad thing is she had cysts all over her liver and spleen, and told her that with that many cysts, it is usually cancer.

And then my best friend called me after I got home today saying that there's a little boy in her DD's class who she takes home where the mom was really sick, and called her doctor, and he told her to go home right away and not go anywhere until she could get in to see him, as she just got back from Mexico, and has every symptom of the swine flu. So the mom (who is a teacher) went to get her son from school and went in to his class and picked him up and then went home. My friend is super-paranoid, because anything like that freaks her out, and she takes him home every day, and he's been not feeling good the past week.

kickassangel · 28/04/2009 02:18

sb, i just got 'cooking from the quilt country' by marcia adams out from the library. it's a mixture of recipes & info on amish lifestyles.

why we hate jamie

  1. the 'mockney' accent - your dad's a middle class gastro-pub owner, stop sounding like you're auditioning for eastenders
  2. the 'one of the lads' fakeness - you're incredibly well off, so 'i risked everything i have on this, don't tell the wife' when you put in a few tens of thousands to a project, not the many millions you do have
  3. the poncy girls names (we like our tradition)like 'boo'.
  4. you have put on weight and no way do we want you to be the naked chef any longer

actually, he only annoys me slightly, i worked out how to use the off switch on the remote long ago.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 28/04/2009 03:54

Oh Dooney, what a day

Book sounds good, Kickass - will look out for it. I am reading an Omnivore's Dilemma and it is making me feel quite sick.

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chefswife · 28/04/2009 04:04

funny thing about jamie oliver and his italian thing... my friend was his sous chef for a couple of years, himself an award winning italian chef on the west coast of canada, and although it is hard to prove, a lot of the recipes are pilfered from him. shame on you jamie... and fifteen is highly over-rated.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 28/04/2009 04:10
Shock
OP posts:
chefswife · 28/04/2009 04:12

is right

dooneygirl · 28/04/2009 04:20

Well, there you go. It seemed like most of the people on here like to hate him because he wants to make school lunch more nutritious. I can get behind these reasons.

chefswife · 28/04/2009 04:22

i think his school lunch campaign is great.

chefswife · 28/04/2009 04:26

a book i read ages ago, and i unfortunately don't remember the author, was "Eating in the Dark: America's (something or other) with GMO's." floored me!

Original poster
SuperBunny · 28/04/2009 04:27

I am not sure I can be any more shocked than I am now. I certainly hope not.

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dooneygirl · 29/04/2009 22:47

I've got a lovely big parcel here that just arrived from Endless shoes and handbags addressed to me, but DH's cousin's wife is supposedly shipping stuff to our house, because they live in China, and DH's cousin is in town. I was thinking this was my birthday present and got all excited, but I'm guessing it is for her. It is one huge box.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 29/04/2009 23:35

Oh, how disappointing

OP posts:
dooneygirl · 29/04/2009 23:54

I just talked to Derick's cousin, and it is theirs. I have much consolation in the fact it is only filled with shoes. I could care less.

I guess we ARE going to leave town Saturday night. The in-laws are going to stay here with the kids, and DH and I are going to go spend the night at the beach. It will be the first time we've left the kids. I don't know if I should be thrilled or terrified.

Bunkups33 · 30/04/2009 00:22

Going away without the kids is very exciting! We are going back to the UK for a 2 week holiday soon and having someone to leave the kids with for a bit is the most exciting part of the trip!

Original poster
SuperBunny · 30/04/2009 00:34

Oh Dooney, have fun! The beaches in Oregon are beautiful.

Bunkups, how was the Windy City?

OP posts:
dooneygirl · 30/04/2009 04:34

Oh, I have a Colin story. Today, I guess the parent helper and his teacher were talking about cookies, and how they needed to find a new recipe. Colin told them that I made the best cookie with rose water, crystallized ginger, and cardmymom (oh, well, he's close).

I guess they were having a debate about whether he knew what he was talking about if there was really a thing called rose water. So they asked him where you buy it. He told them at the store where you buy the goji berries. Neither one of them had heard of them. So he was frustrated with them, and he put his hands on his hips, rolled his eyes, and said "you know the store where you buy banana leaves." More crickets. The mom thought he was making all these things up, but his teacher knows I'm really into food and decided that he probably knew what he was talking about. They asked me when I got there, and I told them what they all were. The mom decided that Colin knew more about baking than she did, and asked if she could borrow him from a lesson.

So now next week I guess I have to bring in goji berries, I still have a few of the cookies in the freezer, and my banana leaves to show them. I realize now what a huge food geek I am, and how my kids are turning into mini ones.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 30/04/2009 05:02

That's fabulous, Dooney. Well done! And well done, Colin.

Dinner asks, "how do we make..." for everything. Homemade stuff I can deal with and he usually knows what goes into it anyway but when it comes to Marmite & jello, I get stuck. I can't remember how they make marmite and I am not sure I want to tell him how the make jello. I obviously need to get some rosewater and banana skins. Actually, what do you use banana skins for?

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperBunny · 30/04/2009 05:05

Is everyone ok re Swine Flu btw?

Nothing here but my local montessori school has their whole 8th grade class in Mexico City at the moment. They are due back on Monday and I think no-one is sure what to do with them.

OP posts:
dooneygirl · 30/04/2009 05:14

I guess my friend's scare turned out to be flu, but not the Swine Flu strain. Hopefully your school kids are fine.

Speaking of Swine Flu, I use banana skins to make Kalua Pork.

Califrau · 30/04/2009 06:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 30/04/2009 14:20

It's all a bit scary, isn't it?

I'm curious about banana skins - I think I shall google. BTW Dooney, how do you cook your cornmeal mush? I probably asked you before but I forgot.

OP posts:
Bunkups33 · 30/04/2009 15:44

Swine fever is worrying and all the more so when its close to home. Was amused to read on the Times website though that Americans are being told to wear face masks! A touch dramatic?

Bunkups Chicago was fantastic! We are so gutted not to be living there! Flight home was cancelled though - we pretended to be American and hired a car and drove it rather than wait around all day on standby. Never have I undertaken a 6 hour drive so lightly! Baby screamed for the last 40 mins but otherwise the kids were great.

What a great city though!