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Original poster

Avidae et prudentes, because the classics never go out of style

992 replies

AmberNectarine · 07/10/2011 13:37

Here we go..

OP posts:
redllamayellowllama · 12/10/2011 21:03

Am a little bit excited/nervous here as our building work has finally been given a start date - Monday. I'm hoping this means that we'll have a lovely new kitchen/diner to have our first ever family Christmas in (along with a newly decorated house and new bathroom) and am trying to forget the reality of 2 months of hellish disruption, dust and no kitchen to cook in.

Any one-pot recipes gratefully received - we have a microwave and a camping stove...

Bloss that could scar your retina, you know Wink.

blossoming · 12/10/2011 21:13

Mmm, why would you not wear pants? I don't understand it. Thanks for the wine fritzi!

red, I'm sure you know the good food website. You can search under one pots.
So exciting for you.

anniemac · 12/10/2011 21:34

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anniemac · 12/10/2011 21:37

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blossoming · 12/10/2011 22:05

I cook rice in the microwave too! It's the only way it works for me! 200g Tilda basmati in measuring jug, boiling water to 600ml mark, salt, 11 minutes on High. Also works with Thai sticky rice.

redllamayellowllama · 12/10/2011 22:08

Thanks ladies - had completely forgotten that I have a slow cooker, unused, sitting in the garage. A gift a few Christmases ago. Good thinking Annie. Will peruse the Good Food site too Bloss. Planning will be key here I think!

anniemac · 12/10/2011 22:14

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anniemac · 12/10/2011 22:18

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OllieinOrange · 12/10/2011 22:21

Fritzi - an M&S xmas order is already winging its way along with one from JL! Just realised I think I may have brought the lower heeled version of the M&S shoes on Sunday thinking they were the high ones - oh well, they are v nice. May get them blue ones too.

Book Club was nice but only 4 of us in the end. Good chat about the book tho - we all liked it. Rufus I mentioned your suggestions about written submissions etc and there was much agreement so thank you.

Big relief as the 'MIL coming to party' issue has been sorted - without any intervention from me or DH! MIL emailed to say that now she has thought about it, she thinks it would be better to her to stay home and look after DSs. She had thought either DH or I could have brought her home halfway through the evening (!) but thinks its better that we stay and enjoy ourselves. Of course I am now feeling guilty about reacting the way I did but pleased I didnt do anything about it right away (tho am wondering if she read my rant on here?!).

Has anyone spotted the W&A hat of choice for winter 2011 and blouse in Next? Owltastic!

OllieinOrange · 12/10/2011 22:26

Red wobbles are v understandable but focus on the end result and your first relaxing bath in your lovely new bathroom!
The BBC Good Food book on One Pot Cooking is quite good?
here

That cod, chorizo and chickpea recipe I make is a good one pot one?

ApuskiDusky · 12/10/2011 22:30

Hello everyone, sorry, not really been around to post recently.

Red, good to hear that the work can start,hope it all happens quickly so you don't have to one-pot-cook for long. I shall PM you about trying to meet up, might help to escape from the building work as much as possible!

Bloss, glad to hear you are managing with your new heels. I have to say I am a convert to wearing dresses at work, it makes things much easier (says she rummaging for clean tights for tomorrow!).

I really must not be spending much - first a voucher for Brora and now NAP have offered me £50 off. Anyone seen anything nice? Still haven't found a birthday present, I've been feeling like we've been spending too much recently, especially with rent on top of the mortgage, so it's hard to make frivolous purchases in those circumstances. Ah well, I get my first pay check this week so will feel better then!

ApuskiDusky · 12/10/2011 22:34

Ollie, wtf with that owl hat?! >

OllieinOrange · 12/10/2011 22:45

Apuski - Owl hat: cute on kids, not so cute on adults me thinks!
You must treat yourself to something from your first pay packet - even if its a new lippy?!

notyummy · 13/10/2011 09:17

The owl hat looks like something I might have worn when skiing in my 20s.....but if I wore it now I would just look 'slightly mad' rather than 'quirky' as I liked to think some of my hats were then Hmm.

Ollie - I also do a cod, chorizo and chickpea thing. I think I ripped it out of a magazine! It is delicious. Red - Would second Bloss's recommendation for the Good Food site for one pot ideas. I do a fish stew/soup thing in the microwave: For 2 -Tin of chopped toms, some white fish (2 good portions) cut into chunks, some prawns. Put in dish together with some mixed herbs, garlic, and season to taste. Microwave for 4/5 minutes. Stir, add some white wine vinegar and microwave for another 2/3 minutes. Voila.

Apuski - maybe some £19.50 M and S heels as treat from your first paycheck Wink?

Have started some Xmas shopping. Whole load of books arrived yesterday, and some other bits and pieces should be on the way. Still not sure what to get DD as she isn't really keen on one thing. She loves arts and crafts but has reams of stuff (inc lots of unopened things from her birthday). She's not that fussed about dolls. We may get her some more lego as she has been playing with it quite a lot and constructing lots of imaginary worlds.

Right, back to work. Hope you all have good days.

carciofi · 13/10/2011 09:44

I like the owl top.

The only thing DD1 has asked for is a Cinderella dvd.

She found a big pink playhouse (this, for anyone with the space!) that my brother had sent her and I had hidden away as I am mean and it is far too big. She and DH insisted that we put it up. It is taking up half the sitting room but she loves it. She sat in there all afternoon yesterday.

Red, it will all be worth it in the end. Delia has a couple of one pot recipes as well, Spanish pork with olives, things like that.

My non-leather Boden bag sold for more than my J Brand jeans on eBay, go figure!

Emo76 · 13/10/2011 10:26

wearing all black today inc black spotty tights - easy outfit because I am so tired because...
DD2 is surpassing herself waking before 5am every morning, crying until we go to her - won't go back down - we leave her for a while to settle down -DH and I are utterly exhausted. No idea what to do - she's one now, I thought things were meant to get easier. DD1 wasn't like this! any tips welcome. please. please..

anniemac · 13/10/2011 10:38

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notyummy · 13/10/2011 10:58

The only thing that worked for us was taking it in turns (sorry - know that doesn't help you Annie) and going in as soon as she stirred. We would then bore her back to sleep by sitting with her and cuddling/back stroking/quiet singing etc. It sometimes took quite a while! What it did mean was that she didn't get into the habit of being taken out of her room when she woke early, and I think that may have helped as she got older - we introduced a rabbit clock at 2.5 years and that worked a treat.

anniemac · 13/10/2011 11:31

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notyummy · 13/10/2011 11:54

TBH if DD had been a frequent waker at night I may have done that too! (Although not sure because DH such a light sleeper that he would have moved permanently to the spare room rather than share with wriggly child I suspect, and I am not sure that would have been a good thing.) He has always been the first to wake when she stirred though, so apart from bf, has done more night wakings than me!! (When he is in the same post code...)

OllieinOrange · 13/10/2011 12:31

Emo you maybe need the help of a Sleep Expert ? My friend used one - her little boy was 4 and waking around 4.30am. They had to keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks and then they had a telephone consultation with a sleep expert for an hour. They then got sent a programme which basically intended to reset their DSs body clock. They had to wake him up at 4.45am and get him up, changed and breakfasted but then after a couple of days moved the waking up time forward by 15 mins and so on. It completely worked and now he rarely wakes up before 7.30am. Obviously hard work to do but friend said it was one of the best things she has ever done as a Mum. Sure they must have programmes for one year olds too. Will PM you details?

OllieinOrange · 13/10/2011 12:36

NY does DD like Playmobil? Some lovely sets around at the moment.

notyummy · 13/10/2011 12:46

That might be a good idea thanks Ollie. I will have a look on Amazon. She does love getting presents, but at the moment we are making the most of her not being into computer games/particular dolls etc. (This isn't me be snobby/smug btw - I am sure she develop a deep love for some toy that makes me go Hmm soon enough.....I wanted a Girls World and a Tiny Tears more than anything else in the world when I was a bit older than her!)

redllamayellowllama · 13/10/2011 12:59

Emo I feel for you - DS was exactly the same at the same age - I forget now how bad it was, but being awake at that time is hellish. Much the same as NY, we used to go and sit with him - holding him with the lights off until he fell back to sleep. Sometimes he didn't go back to sleep, but we'd just sit with him in the dark (DH used to put his dressing gown around the both of them to prevent wriggling!). Eventually it passed. It's a killer though.

Apuski, I'd love that.

IceCreamCastles · 13/10/2011 13:50

Emo- you could google 'wake to sleep'. Basically it's a technique in which you rouse them slightly 1 hour before their usual wake time (so 4am in your case-yuk!) and then they are supposed to settle back off for another sleep cycle and wake up later. Takes a few days I think. Sounds risky to me but maybe worth investigating

Lot of sleep deprivation veterans on this thread so you've got plenty of sympathy here. We had 20 months of dd waking up at least 3 times in the night and being impossible to settle back off