The Crepe Papers

[motherinferior]

Did it!

[hattymattie]

BTM - I'm sheltered too. Can't help with the nails I'm afraid - have no idea even what shellac nails are (I just have bitten stumps )

[herbaceous]

I'm making quince jelly, with quinces from the garden. As ever, I am following an amalgam of recipes. One says to strain the pulp through a pillowcase, strung elaborately above a bowl via string and cunningly arranged chairs. The other just says to bung it in a tea towel in a colander. I favour option b.

Sorry to hear your news mrs s. Its somewhat sobering when ones own generation start to fall off the twig. I always think of myself as 'the younger generation', and this kind of reality check rather harshes that vibe.

[QueenQueenie]

Sorry to hear about the outbreak of gloom and bad news. {{{{ }}} to both Crem and Mrs S respectively.

Quince jelly Herbs? You truly are a domestic goddess. I LOVE quinces. Especially the smell of them

[herbaceous]

I'm no domestic goddess. It's the only thing I make of this nature, and last time I did it the resultant jelly just sat unused in the fridge. This time it's going into smaller jars for possible token gifts, contributions to PTA 'fayres' and the like.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DH has gone to bed with Man Flu (no temperature and lots of non-specific symptoms along the lines of "a slight headache" "feeling a bit sick" and "aching all over." So DD2 and I have ordered a pizza to be delivered. I have not done this since I left London in 1998 and am feeling quite giddy at the thought.

My mother's best friend's funeral is being delayed - her daughter is on holiday in the Maldives and can't get back immediately (they don't live in UK anyway, so the logistics are probably not very straightforward).

[Blackduck]

I found out my boss may well be leaving :( wail and I'd just trained him ....... I can't bear the thought of starting again.....

Blinking cold here - may have to get the heating going.

[lalsy]

I have bitten stumps too, and the only time I tried to make quince jelly I cried - in a Meg from Good Wives sort of way which is not really my bent - as I had a tiny amount of entirely liquid quince stuff in a large pan, with the rest coated on every wall and surface of my kitchen in a thin, translucent, sticky, layer.

[Stropperella]

Cream, hope you're beating the bugs off now and will be feeling less crap very soon.
MrsS, sorry to hear all your grim news.

I'm currently hanging out in the unglamorous surroundings of the Waterloo Traveldodgy as I'm on a 2-day course in the Big City. I am being very studious and not going out or drinking.
Had a rough week at home as things have been very fraught with dd. Can't elaborate, but it was made very difficult for me to go away on this course. Tricky.
Still, I cheered myself up this evening with a very unstudious visit to Uniqlo. They do have some damn fine knitwear at the moment.

[Stropperella]

PS: Uniqlo also have some nice skinny rollneck tops that are 94% cotton. I felt compelled to buy one in a dark teal colour.

[beachyhead]

Herbs, I'm embracing your domestic goddess as I've made 15 jars of tomato pickle tonight.....

Had a lovely long day today as dd2 was 'trying out' at a local indie with a view for next Sept... She behaved and 'might' agree to go, thereby cutting about two hours a day off my school run. She was most impressed by the old desks, with lifting lids.

Stropps, embrace the Travelodogy... I'm so well known at Southwark now, I can select my favourite room, how sad is that!

I hope you feel better soon Crem and the infection buggers off and I'm sorry for your sad news, Mrs S....

Happy weekend everyone!

[MrsSchadenfreude]

If you want company, Stropps, I'm 10 minutes walk from Waterloo.

[motherinferior]

And I'm 20 mins train ride away...

[MrsSchadenfreude]

And I have lots of gin...

[motherinferior]

...and I can get to MrsS's v easily...

[bigTillyMint]

I'm near too!

Had a lovely catch up with friends last night, and no hangover! Both DC out ATM

[herbaceous]

I'm not near.

I too had a get-together with friends, but now feel v hungover. Even though I didn't think I had that much to drink. Have felt like this for a few days, actually. Probably some kind of virus...

Having seven for lunch tomorrow. About to go to Waitrose to buy 9kg of pork to put in the oven after lunch TODAY. It roasts for 24 hours. Yum.

[Cremolafoam]

Wow herbs that sounds delish.
Do you flavour/ marinade it with anything? Does it come out like pulled pork?
Trying to enliven my taste buds here. Seem to have completely lost my appetite which is pants and not like me. Although have lost half a stone since op.

[motherinferior]

I have run/swum every morning this week but this has been offset by booze. In my defence, my mum stayed. And I have no work.

[herbaceous]

But how much of that was pineapple-sized fibroid?

The pork is a Nigella recipe. If I recall correctly you score the skin, rub it with a paste of chilli, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar, then cook it on 'nuclear' for half an hour, then at 0.5deg for 23.5 hours. Or something like that.

We're having it with mildly spicy coleslaw, wedges and rolls. Ice cream and fruit for afters. This cunningly uses up at least part of our veg box mountain.

[herbaceous]

Oh, and quince jelly on the side. Natch. Not that it's finished yet - I was about to jelly-fy it, and discovered I didn't have enough sugar. Except icing sugar, which I suspected wouldn't work.

I think I'd better get back on the 5:2 next week. I've got two weeks before our holiday, for which I want to be a stone lighter. Hmm.

[Cremolafoam]

Lol @ pineapple herbs . Fair cop

[bigTillyMint]

Cremo, great on the losing weight!

Herbs, pork sounds lush. And the quince jelly!

I am embracing my gunt. Literally.

And have just had lovely new shellac nails done by a very lovely girl, just across the green for special offer of £13.50!!!!! (well, I gave her £15 as she was fab - very chatty and a beautiful view from her window!)

Next stop, the opticians!

[QueenQueenie]

MI i too have embraced the running and swimming this week, alternate days. Am just starting the C25K malarkey so very early days. I am amazed I can run at all as it must be 20 years since I so much as ran more than a few feet for a bus. Please tell me it's normal to be bright red in the face even in week 1 and that that will improve if I keep going? I feel like a ginormous purple beetroot by the time Laura has finished talking to me. Do have a disproportionate sense of achievement though... and dh nearly fell over when I announced my plan.

[bigTillyMint]

QQ ROFL at giant purple beetroot!
MI inspired me too - am rumming 5k every time I go to the gym (well in 5min bursts with a min walking between!)

Optician was vair nice and said he thought my lenses must be too strong till he checked my age - thought I looked much younger! YAY!!!
So 1.5's still for me. How did u get on BD?

[Blackduck]

Hi BTM tiny change from last time (over four years ago) so not worth getting new glasses, I do, apparently have perfectly symmetrical gas bubbles in both eyes which she has no idea about - but assumes they have been there from birth.... (But will keep an eye on - boom boom)

I need to get back on 5:2 as well. I haven't been drinking and had hoped for a massive weight loss, but I guess the over indulgence in crisps hasn't helped....