The Crepe Papers

[motherinferior]

Did it!

I second yummmm - just fancy a nice cuppa with a slice of Victoria Sponge loaded with Crem's home grown strawberries.

I had an exciting afternoon. I went "up west" to change an ironing board cover in John Lewis. I drooled over a Kitchen Aid, bought a few bits from the food hall and came home. MI dropped in on her way back from the IWM and we Partook Of Wine.

I have a new fridge! I'm so excited! Old fridge came with house and was a huge (but mysteriously impossible to fit stuff in) US-style one from the 1970s. I imagine it used all the electricity and it was useless for actual family life as we always lost stuff at the back and couldn't see it as the shelves were opaque. It froze stuff that was too close to the back too - a lot of veg met its death that way. I found 3 almost full jars of cranberry sauce (bog standard/with added booze/organic), 3 bottles ketchup, 2 bottles salsa etc etc. Also found some mini chocolate muffins in the freezer bit .

Crem - dh made damper bread today, which was basically a huge cheese scone, which we had with broccoli and cheddar soup, blimming marvellous. I will tell him that other husbands are making choux pastry though... I don't know how far along you are with scar healing, but a friend who has just had a rather grim shoulder op - which was supposed to be keyhole but they ended up using an entire doorway - has been raving about Heal Gel which has helped her scarring a lot apparently, and soothed all the inflamed skin around it. I think you can only use it once things are knitted back together, but it was developed for burns victims so it's very gentle but effective.

Right, is it wine time? I think there might be some in the shiny new fridge.

Am thinking of making these tomorrow, but substituting a mix of apple sauce and cranberry sauce for the pumpkin. Do you reckon it will work? It's mainly the maple glaze I'm after...

Of new fridge wibur and your viewing of kitchenaids mrs s.
I would bloody love one in bright lipstick red - I get very hoity looking at the pastel selection of kitchenaids lined up in GBBo

Agree BTM I find Ruby hard to like too.
Dh loves chocolate eclaires , hence the choux pastry. I don't think he' ll be doing pyramids of profiteroles any time soon.

Oh Wilbur I also have some Heal Gel: it is rather good but tummy still too raw for it. The iodine I was doused with by surgeon has reacted badly with my skin. Just for fun I had a flu jab on Thursday as well so I have an egg sized bump on my arm as well.
I lack all style and beauty -on the upside I am a truly prepared for Halloween without a costume

Crem . You need to snuggle up and watch Strictly. Astonishingly, we are all in this evening and have no late night pick ups to do so we are breaking open the beer and M&M's and having a family session in front of the TV (only DH and I with the beer I should add).

We got a new tv a couple of weeks ago after dh and I agreed to pool all our Christmas and birthday present money and only give each other token gifts instead (i.e. I get nice chocs and bottle of fizz and he gets a bottle of Malt. Sorted.). It is all big and thin and swish and clever. And probably v. naff, although it takes up a lot less space than the old fat one we had before, which needed a digibox etc. So we had a family movie night tonight. With lasagne and wine (the latter only for some, obvs). And nobody argued for a whole 2 hours. Hooray!
I have never watched GBBO because I find watching people make food very dull. I mainly like eating food. I cannot even be bothered to switch on my swish tv to watch Sue Perkins gurning over a baked thing. Or someone traumatised by their soufflé failing to rise. I have clearly missed the entire point of GBBO. I am bemused by it.
Happy New Fridge, wilbur!

I spent the day shopping mostly (well, the car was in for service so what was I to do with my time?). I found some marvellous things in Primarni: fleece-lined leggings for DD1, which are so yummy, thick and cosy I'm going to go back and buy myself some, and some black opaque tights with socks joined onto the bottom, so you don't get cold feet inside your boots. Just made for crepey winter warming.

I need those leggings. Tried to track them down recently. How much?

A bargaintastic £6.

I have fridge envy. Actually I have "reasonably normal looking house" envy.

DH keeps saying "We need a plan." I have one. Paint walls, ceiling, woodwork, put up shelves, put crap on shelves, job done. Order DD2 a new bed. Get someone to take old bed away. This will vastly improve things, and then we can look at the bigger issues (kitchen, bathrooms) in slower time.

The cats are cuddling and washing each other. It's quite sweet. And I am listening to

Concert was brilliant

(scary in places, but still...)

Crem, hope you're feeling better

MrsS, when MI called on you, down from what was she on her way back? (grammar)

I am getting my first ever dishwasher on Wednesday..... Curtesy of Bosch/John Lewis and a nice bit of cash back :), then in a diversion from the bathroom - which is back on hold - we are having the dining room, living room and hall floors done.
GBBO has passed me by I am afraid. Final episode of Peaky Blinders here and a curry.

Hurrah for Alto! Was back from Imperial War Museum. MrsS's flat is essentially v nice, it's just that it is covered in stuff. Mainly books.

Have just had row about housework with DP, DD1 has castigated me for not helping her with homework "like you promised", I have helped her with homework only to discover she doesn't know how to do long division and now DD2 is angry with me for making her do homework.

And DP has reminded me he is away from Thursday to Sunday. I said fine, fine, lovely idea to him when he first suggested it....

MI I feel for you... I have had the week from hell this week with dp late every night, this week is not much better and then the week following half term he's off to Dallas .... This is only doable because my lovely childminder will come a sleep at mine every night so I can go to work.....

Books, what's wrong with books?!

BD, you've got a great childminder there!

MrsS is right then - a lick of paint and shelves should solve it!

MI the long division problem is a direct result of the flupping chunking method beloved of the old NC. At least that may be axed in the new one.

Glad your concert was good Alto. And your shopping CV - I take it you didn't forget your purse

Yes, I think it's perfectly rectifiable and have left note in her planner for her maths teacher pointing out this division as am not entirely sure how to explain it to her myself.

DD2 has decided that as she is Bored she is going to cook lunch. This can only be a Good Thing.

And the only thing about the books was they are in piles on the floor rather like the ones by my bed rather than on the shelves that will immediately transform the flat

Mrs S , you need to get mi back with the golden spray pain methinks.

Alto congratulations on the concert!
And yes I'm feeling better today - the downside is I can now see The Dirt.
House of Filthy I've been living in a
Dump . Time to galvanise dh and dd into action as I have a lovely colleague coming this afternoon for a possible trip to New York planning meeting next year.
Bd- I rather liked Peaky Blinders even with the dodgy accents. Cillian Murphy is tremendously watchable .
Those eyes. Those cheekbones.! Sigh

*Spray paint obvs

Also I am now possibly irrationally annoyed with DD1. I have to write a press release for the PTA. Said this would be no effort. She remarks I am "full of myself".

I ran the communications for a couple of major charities before becoming a journalist. I can knock off a couple of pars about the sodding quiz night in my sodding sleep. I have handled major crises (eg making up a press release at 4am the day Diana died, and the ensuing media frenzy for the following week), ffs. AIBU to point this out to her somewhat crisply?

I may be a 50 year old matron but that doesn't mean I am totally hopeless.

MI I do sometimes think our children think we are stupid....

Cremo - I was watching it for the drama you know, never noticed Tommy's eyes - oh no ;)

BTM my childminder is a legend - she is currently in Cameroon at an orphanage no doubt building them a kitchen- she is a bloody star and we are lucky to have her!!!

I just told DD1 some of my professional history. "But how was I supposed to know," she asked....

You are BD!

Well my DD definitely thinks I'm a fool.
She is currently raging about the fact that she does not want a laptop for her Christmas present because (in her entitled mind) she should have been bought one a couple of years ago when she asked for one - instead she has had sole use of DH's work laptop and she got a bike that year (that she never wanted but has used to cycle to school)

Oh BTM - well don't buy her one then!!

I was having a similar convo with ds today about how lucky he is....