Creper Roses

[SheherazadeSchadenfreude]

Here!

Happy birthday, MI, and take consolation that I am much older than you - you are but a baby.

We're pretty open in our family and do not let things fester: I can't be bothered with some of the angst my DSis has with her husband's family. And once something is over, that's it: no harping on.

DDil, who I love, has endless rows with her DM; fortunately we have a good relationship (I do try, but it's not hard).

Oh, and are there photos of Rudy pole dancing?

Sadly not, NU

I'm sure the bus company could dig out some CCTV...

Our family is ostensibly open and honest, but I realised recently that my mother is carrying on her mother's system of not saying nice, or otherwise, things directly to the offspring concerned, but via another offspring, thus engendering competition and insecurity. I have grown tired of this PA nonsense, and have said a few things directly to her, or sis, and feathers have been ruffled.

HB MI - maybe your DC could go with DP to tai chi. After all, how hard can it be looking after two children when you're supposed to be doing something else??

Blimey, the Passport Office are on my case again, and this time about an application made by child's mother, not father!

happy birthday motherinferior!

As he'll find out in November

The thing is he'll probably be exemplary in November. DP would be fine as a single parent. As a double one, he gives in with a sigh of relief to the Noticing Things Like This Fairy.

Hooray, after almost three weeks without them, I have just found my spare specs! They were under the bed Just goes to show how often I clean under/at the back of it, I am afraid.

I have got as far as getting all the charity papers out and I am now surrounded by piles of stuff.

Oh happy birthday to you MI
Can you get a bit of a break from les clients difficiles aujourd'hui ?
Hope so.
Have a lovely day anyhow.

I am going to attempt driving today having not driven for almost 2 weeks.
Leg is not wonderful today but the exercises seem to help. ball under arse anyone?

Happy birthday MI, have a good one.

Well done Stropps. Sounds like that one needed to come out. My family is open generally but stuff has happened that we all feel is best not talked about (no good outcomes), and that does have a very distorting effect sometimes.

Crepeys, what shall I do about dd: all being well she will be off to university in September, and she cannot boil and egg. Literally. I will try and get her going over the summer but can see that being another good intention that falls by the wayside. The cookbooks all seem too advanced. She quite likes food but not enough to make any effort and is terrible at following instructions (on things she isn't interested in). Any ideas? I thought of making a list of ingredients and "meals" that don't require much or any cooking. She is likely to be self catering in a small kitchen with lots of other people in it.

Lalsy there are loads of 'student' cookbooks or the Sam Stern stuff? (very easy and straight forward - DS (who is 11 now) can follow them...) Otherwise, you know what, she'll learn! :)

and actually as Delia will tell you boiling an egg isn't that easy

Lalsy, would it work to say firmly 'you're doing supper on Thursdays' and leaving her to it?

I may engage her services with a bit of summer taking kids to park, btw, so could firmly add food prep to that .

Lalsy we are obv in the same boat .
I have started teaching her 'follow on ' recipes - where you make a big batch of something and then turn it into various meals.
Eg
Bean chilli
Mushroom a la crème
Pizza/ bread dough
Lentil curry
Etc
The idea is that once the bean chill for example is made she can have
Tacos
With rice
On baked potato
In a wrap
On pasta

I have started with what she actually likes to eat and gone on from there.

My mother have me two books on leaving home
Katherine whitehorns 'cooking in a bedsitter'
And Elizabeth David's ' Mediterranean cooking

I survived

I am embarrassed to say that until I married I had never cooked apart from DS at school (when DM died DDad took over the catering). I love cooking and baking now and was careful that both DC cooked before they went to uni. However I do think that anyone with a modicum of sense can cook. Lalsy, I would suggest that you offer to give her a few lessons and pointers before she goes away, perhaps on the lines of "it would be nice if you can have friends round". Both my DS and DSil are the ones who do most meals in their homes, by the way.

Thanks, all great ideas.

Happy birthday MI

Stropps: Right thing, absolutely.

Rudy, drumming has fallen by the wayside a bit.... I am tired all the time these days and can't bear the noise or am just lazy BUT I did grade one and two and got a merit both times, so feel semi official, kind of thing. You win on the eyelids. I can't feel mine (prob said that already)

Lalsy, why don't you start with something she likes that is easy, like eggs? DD can cook eggs in all shapes and forms - boiled, poached, fried, scrambled, omlette, pancakes. She can also make cakes, flapjacks, etc

She can do other stuff too by following a recipe! We have Jamies School Dinners which both DC have been able to use since they were about 8 or so!

Cremo's and MI's ideas are also very good

Happy Birthday, MI! Another year goes by.....

Lalsy - I am determined that before they leave home my lot can at least assemble a meal/clean a toilet/sew on a button, but I've some way to go! DD1 is quite into cooking, although she doesn't read recipes very carefully (cases in point being the Baking Powderless cake, which came out like a sweet omelette, and the pizza which she baked without the topping ). DS is totally disinterested and probably a lost cause, unfortunately.

A good plan is to teach them a few easy pasta sauces (tomato, cheese, bolognaise etc).

lalsy necessity is the mother of invention. She'll be ok…even the students who can cook resort to eating crap most of the time in my experience, and there's always Starbucks, Costa and Nandos. My boys were rarely allowed to experiment in the kitchen owing to my controlling obsessions with not wanting to clear up the ensuing nuclear zone afterwards. Somehow, they can both make pasta with a jar of sauce, boil viennas to make hot dogs, do cheese on toast, cut up salad and stuff like that. DS1 who's a lot older experimented at uni with stir fries. I never gave him extra cash when he was there…just Morrisons Vouchers

Yes, starting with something she likes is a good idea. She doesn't like following instructions or making lists and doesn't like books aimed at Youth but she might accept the necessity. She can cook when camping and is not unpractical in other ways - I get the sense she feels that if she engages a life of domestic drudgery awaits....at present she is safe. Friends have pointed out over the years that they can cook and she can't and she just smiles and eats their food.

Rose, x-posted, sorry. Yes, I think a list of things that don't really involve cooking and how to make them slightly healthier might be a good idea....

ANd sorry CV too, they are coming thick and fast! Yep, failed on that front too . A regular slot would also be a good idea but time is short and her summer is very disjointed.

lalsy I have just emailed DS1 at work and asked him what staple things he cooked for himself at Uni. I'll pass on anything suitable later on.

Maybe also suggesting recipes that require minimal cooking or none at all is good. Greek salad with pitta, microwave baked potato with assorted toppings and salad etc. I have trained my dc to like salad - a lot. They will both put together a pretty good cold platter and are upset if there is no green veg. Nowt wrong with salad and bread and cheese as a meal. I vaguely knew how to cook long before I was a student but I virtually never cooked when I was at university. I particularly and especially did not cook during my final year when I was the only girl in a flat full of boys. I also never cleaned the loo, but then neither did they. (gack)