Mumsnet Little Italy 9

[Brangelina]

Aka le Patatine

i love the mill!

It's only the two of us tonight hot. where's your dh/dp?

sorry if I ask you all this housekeeping things. have you got any idea how much you spend a week in food and grocery? I've never checked my now I'm keeping track (to be organised new year resolution).

100 a week, and you?
dp upstairs reading.
everybody has a life tonight except us.

you are becoming a professional housewife.

Yes, treacle I think is the same thing. It's that black sticky gloopy stuff. Very nice (and very rich in iron) if stirred into porridge as well. DD has if spread on american pancakes.

Glad you liked the cake, I have a similar recipe for a banana loaf if you like.

at £400 for gas and electric. Just got my electricity bill for Dec/Jan and it's 75 euros, and we use a lot - dishwasher every other day, washing machine ditto, oven sometimes 3 times in a week (except for this week as let a pear tart get mouldy in there and it still smells despite intensive cleaning). Gas I spend very little, about 30 euros every 2 months as it's for hot water and cooking only, the heating is centralizzato and thus included in spese condiminiali (and that really is extortionate, about 3000 euros a year and we don't have a portinaia!).

Currently reading a book by Vikram Seth, not as unputdownable as a Suitable boy, but not bad.

yes to the banana cake, thank you.

i loved suitable boy, read it ages ago.

Have I killed the thread?

Lol at Gio's much hated Thomas costume. You should be proud, the boy has taste.

Ah x post.

Will dig out banana cake, it's not in my recipe folder on the computer. It's very similar though, makes your house smell lovely and is very yummy to eat.

off to read in bed guys, ciao.

why did my molasses was like a thick sugar? I did think it was like a thick sirup so I was surprised, maybe I should have looked somewhere else. oh well we customised it . thanks again brange.

yes at bills. dishwasher and w/m once a day though. lots of sensored lights and god knows what. yes about £100 too. thank god for that. LOL at perfect housewife not. just want to have a clue on how much we spend tbh as no idea.

how do I copy and paste on an apple? the control c/n doesn't seem to work. I want to show you a website.

Night hot - sorry I missed you.

We spend a stupid amount of money on groceries each week - at least £100, I'd say. Mostly because DH likes to drink and eats a lot of expensive cheese...

Those recipes sounds fab, Brange - think I will give them a spin: do you think carrot and banana cakes count as one of our 5-a-days?

Gio - I'd love to go to the seaside. I went to school by the sea - that's the only part I miss!

Mela C, mela V.

That's the copy and pasting. On a pc it's control, on a Mac it's the key with an apple on it (2nd key in from ctrl).

I do count those cakes as 2 a day each, mainly because I count the nut portion too.

Excellent. I shall definitely make them. I owe it to myself. [body/temple emoticon]

I await the banana loaf recipe eagerly...

Evening signore, you've been busy!

I have finally started on the mountain of clothes I need to pit away, and started filling basket with clothes DD's already grown out of ......... still, after all that time I spent, you'd think I'd done nothing... didn't even have time to try BRange's cake

our last gas/elect bill was aroung £400 too... but it's just been so cold, I was expecting it to be high, though not that much!!

really incazzata with Easyjet, I spent ages this morning looking at dates for my mum to come over, making sure DP can go pick her up etc because of work... finally we got all sorted and booked the flights, go to pay, put all the info in, press final button, and I get the message I have to start the booking again...... and it came out at 20 eur more!! flights were same price, but taxes went up within the 3 mins it took me to fill in the form. And obviously couldn't call them to check what happened as they were already closed.... I'm fuming! they shouldn't change the price when you've already made your selection!! aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhh

on the positive, I can finally pull my skinny jeans pass my thighs.. though can't do them up just yet..... onyl 2 months left to be back to normal.... not sure how my legs will go back to normal though

Is it wrong that I want a pair of indigo skinny jeans from Miss Selfridges that I saw advertised the Daily Mail press? Can I wear skinny jeans? I am 30 - will I look ridiculous?

Banana loaf
175g plain flour (or half and half plain and wholemeal)
2 tsps baking powder (or lievito vanigliato if you're in Italy)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (I've never used it, but you might need it with baking powder. Boh)
Pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter
100-130g. demerara sugar plus large dollop of molasses as per previous recipe (adjust sugar to taste)
2 large eggs
4 very ripe bananas
60g. chopped walnuts, or chopped mixed nuts and seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract (if not using the lievito)

Melt butter in pan, remove from heat then stir in sugar and molasses. Allow to cool a bit then add eggs. Mash the bananas, add to mixture. Add chopped nuts. Sift flours and baking powders etc. together, fold in abut 1/3rd at a time. Stir in vanilla essence, if using. Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake at 170°C for about 1.5 hrs

The original recipe also had sultanas soaked in bourbon but they didn't appeal so I've always left them out. You can also add choc chips/buttons for a richer cake if you like.

I am 30 too (sugar, nearly 31!) and I wear them, I think it's how you wear things really... and I love minis with thick tights and chunky boots too...

you've lost me AGAIN! just two things before i run to bed for a couple of minutes before dd2 wakes up:

Revolutionary Road- great book, but depressing as hell, it really exposes the dark underbelly of a marriage and I think if you are honest with yourself you can recognise a lot of the potential nastiness that can happen between two people.

Skinny jeans- if you can wear them, and you like them, go for them!!!!!

Thanks, Brange. Will try tomorrow if I get the chance.

Yes - you're probably right, Sunflower... Maybe I will go and try them on...

Sunflower, ring Easyjet customer services and get a refund for the difference. My mum, who has no shame, did this and got given a voucher to spend on a subsequent booking.

Penthe - I wear skinny jeans and I'm over 40! Maybe I really shouldn't be wearing them, but my thinking is if you have quite slim legs you can very probably get away with it. Or am I deluding myself?

and I love miss selfridges, my favourite shop.. it's the only shop, with wearhouse, that actually has decent things in my (normal) size that I can wear, being 30

No, I'm sure you're not deluding yourself!! I bet you look lovely [perv]...

I have quite an hour-glass figure, so I'm nervous about looking like I have 2 chicken drumsticks for legs in skinny jeans, IYSWIM?