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Crepeys say Bah Humbug, (it's not Christmas yet)

999 replies

beachyhead · 16/11/2014 21:38

Here we go Wine

OP posts:
Rosebag · 06/12/2014 23:16

Our klops is a kind of meat loaf...I use ground beef, matzo meal, egg to bind, a little garlic, pepper....and shape into a loaf, surround with sliced onion, a little water. I oven bake mine. Sometimes I put a hard boiled egg in to the centre before baking. Looks nice when sliced. Eat hot with gravy or cold.

MrsSchadenfreude · 06/12/2014 23:27

Yes, my aunt (Mum's sister) used to do it like that - more of a meatloaf, with the hard boiled eggs in the middle. My Mum's version was clearly the short cut (as it's essentially the same ingredients!), although I have had her version in Poland, in a greasy spoon, with tomato sauce and mash.

Auriga · 07/12/2014 01:29

Brilliant concert. We were good Grin and they cheered. A lot Grin
Amazing, really, that after so many years of singing in Christmas concerts I'm still coming across thrilling new music. We sang some new settings of old texts, some entirely original pieces, all bound together by the familiar themes. Tonight it was shepherds and angels.

On the downside, I had to miss DD's chamber orchestra concert, which also went v well.

I'm noting cabbage recipes, just for me because no-one else in the house will try them.

Tomorrow is a day of rest. Not for DD, who has a play rehearsal, but for us.

Night night, all.

motherinferior · 07/12/2014 09:37

Off to my parents'. Everyone already grumpy.

Recommend Legally Blonde as girly family viewing.

MontserratCaballe · 07/12/2014 10:42

Will file Legally Blonde for an afternoon with the girls (and my boy - he has been subjected to so many chick flicks that he is quite taken with them). Hope your day improves, MI.

HUGE thanks to my SS, whose gift arrived yesterday, but I mistook for my storage bags from amazon and did not crack open until this morning. It is in its bag waiting for our tree to arrive next weekend. I will sort mine this week. Honest.

Hope mega weekend going ok, Crem Smile

Stropps my darling, how are you feeling? Hope the weekend is treating you kindly Flowers

BD, how are you this weekend? I still haven't caught up properly but remember you were having a super tough time. Have things got any easier? Can you take some time off? Thinking of you.

Righ, have conducted a ladyjog and now waiting for DD1 to get out of the bath. Qcuik shower, piano practice (exam in a week, eek!) and then to Brixton to see Paddington. I am going to make the kids walk, which is about 2.5 miles from our gaff (booo) but across Brock Park (hurray!). We have friends joining us so not too painful for them I hope. Back later.

Happy Sunday, my crepey pals Wine[tea]Flowers

hattymattie · 07/12/2014 10:43

I love Legally Blonde.

Nice party last night if a little awkward because of split up and recomposed couples with whom we are trying (and failing) to maintain friendships on both sides. I think I shall become a hermit.

Interestingly a lot of people have given up alcohol -especially the men. This leaves those who are stone cold sober (I was designated driver) watching interesting dancing by those who have overindulged and are wearing Father Christmas hats.

Klop in French is a cigarette although it may be spelt with a "c".

bigTillyMint · 07/12/2014 10:48

Wishing you strength, MI. Impressed that you got everyone up so early!

Am wondering how to approach DD re her stress because of all the CA's/ISA's, etc, etc... Thankfully she is still in bed ATM!

bigTillyMint · 07/12/2014 10:59

Hatty, that does sound interesting that a lot of the men have given up alcohol - permanently or just a health kick? Because they were drinking too much?

I have never seen Legally Blonde, yet!

Lovely meal out last night and catch-up with friends who have had a terrible year, but crossing everything that things are on the up.

Am going to make mince pies, quiche and apple crumbleSmile

hattymattie · 07/12/2014 11:58

BTM- I think one or two were worried about becoming dependent. One especially had a capacity for drinking wine by the pint. He is now a reformed character and says he feels much better for it.

CointreauVersial · 07/12/2014 15:43

Last night was fun; it was great to catch up with a few people, and admire my friend's beautifully renovated Victorian house (cosy decor, roaring woodburning stove, cute Border Terrier wearing hand-knitted Christmas collar - you get the picture). My mate from work was there (she lives next door), so we had a good half hour exchanging gossip and bitching about the directors (before we were eventually dragged apart by our respective husbands).

I spotted someone at the party who used to be in the same toddler circuit. I probably saw her on a weekly basis for about four years; she was one of my core group of friends, and I always found her nice, but incredibly, mind-numbingly dull. I'm ashamed to say I didn't go beyond, "hi, how are the kids?" then avoided her for the rest of the evening. Blush That's so bad, isn't it? Even though I had not set eyes on her in at least five years, I really couldn't face a conversation.

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/12/2014 16:11

Hope today goes OK, MI.

Went to see friend this morning, who has just had her fourth baby. I had a little cuddle and I am still as awkward and clueless with newborns as I always was. Took them a huge lasagne and a big box of chocolate brownies, as thought that was more use than yet another teddy or babygrow.

Meant to go to the "artisans' yards" open day this weekend but haven't managed it and it shuts in two hours. Spent yesterday waiting in for Amazon order that didn't arrive (have had my Prime membership extended for yet another month, so that's six months free so far). It turned up this morning.

Have ordered Legally Blonde for DD2's stocking and Les Parapluies de Cherbourg for DD1. Slumped in front of Passport to Pimlico.

herbaceous · 07/12/2014 16:21

Have been planning a lesson for Tuesday for approximately three hours. I am very bored. I may stop soon, and re-attempt it tomorrow.

Went to a Santa's Grotto today, in which DS clammed up and was utterly silent. The presence of Big S reduced him to such a wreck he could only manage to whisper his much-coveted 'mine craft' in my ear. Good presents though - a mini set of dominos, and a book that's just right for his reading level. DP and he are having a rousing game of dominos downstairs as I speak.

The xmas fair was held at this crazy place, that mainly scruffy industrial estate, but thanks to a groovy a few newcomers - God's Own Junkyard (purveyor of giant neon signs), Mother's Ruin gin distillers, Wild Card Brewery – is verging on hipsterville. It was full of other parents being really annoying. Being all loud, asking Arlo if he'd like some more artisan brie, and inconsiderate with their buggies. Made me wonder if I'm equally annoying, or it's just everyone else.

Stropperella · 07/12/2014 16:41

It's just them, Herbs. Grin And mark my words, they'll get their comeuppance later when little Arlo's innards react badly to an overdose of artisan brie. Grin

I am trying to motivate myself to finish my lesson plan and get stuck in to making resources. I am suffering from a lack of oomph, mainly because all my oomph has gone on dealing with other issues over the last week. I could do with some time off from deadlines, but I shall have to wait a while for that.

I am also trying to steel myself for a difficult convo with the parent of dd's erstwhile friend. I've known them a long time and it's only honorable to let them know that there is a .. situation and I don't want them to hear it first from someone else. Our community is small and the ramifications, given the details of the problem, could be quite complicated. I am being necessarily cryptic here. Let's just say that it's all very tiresome. And I could do without it just now. I hope that it will all be resolved by the New Year.

Dd and I felt immediately and weirdly better after Friday was over. She took ds to the cinema yesterday evening and wanted to do Christmassy things. She appears much more relaxed just now.

Auriga, your concert sounds as though it was marvellous. I wish I could have come.

I don't think I would like klops. My mother was very fond of making meatloaf when I was growing up and the only way I could eat it was to drown it in tomato sauce. I find onions horrifically indigestible. Ds has the same problem. My mother blardy loved onions and put them in everything - bleargh. I use garlic instead of onions in all recipes and it works for me and both dcs are garlic-monsters. Dh suffers from a lack of onions in his life.

Ho hum. I must go and laminate something.

bigTillyMint · 07/12/2014 16:54

Stropps, wishing you well for the conversation. And glad your DD seems more relaxed.

Commiserations to you and Herbs on the lesson planning front - it really isn't fun. And I still, after 27 years hard service, get some of my best ideas 5mins before a lesson.

Auriga, glad your concert went well. And your DD's.

Well, I have done my baking and put lights on the tree. I wonder if anyone will help me decorate it.

herbaceous · 07/12/2014 16:58

Stopps, you have a LAMINATOR????? I'm so jealous. Maybe I'll add it to my Christmas list. Then for the rest of time, any class I have will have to do 'sorting' exercises, and nothing else.

My lesson is about prefixes. I am going to temporarily amuse them by introducing a mock reference about myself, using such words as unreliable, unfriendly, disorganised, etc, and then whip away the prefixes via the magic of the interactive whiteboard. Not quite sure about the other 50 minutes yet.

So, klops is like a generic term for mince formed into items like burgers or meatballs or meatloaf. Yet sounds so very unappealing.

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/12/2014 17:25

No, not really, Herbs. Klops is a specific dish, and a bit different from meatballs, burgers and meatloaf, and I think it's particular to a certain part of Eastern Europe. Apart from Rose, I've only ever met one other person who knew what they were! It's good comfort food.

I quite like the variations on a theme, as well, that you always get. My aunt always sliced gherkins and put them in her goulash (the stew, not the soup), and added marjoram to it, my mother didn't. My aunt always put noodles (usually home made) in her chicken soup, my mother puts dumplings, or sometimes rice. I think my aunt was a better cook influenced by her husband's Hungarian family (he was related to us, too, though I am not sure how, and quite distantly). She also put the feet in chicken soup, as it helped it to gel, and improved the flavour. She used to fish them out before serving, although my cousin did once get one that got left behind, and there was a lot of shrieking. Grin

I do like these family recipes that get passed on, and altered as you go. Another maternal aunt used to make my favourite cake ever, which is Bienenstich (bee sting). I must have a go at making it myself, although it involves a sweet yeast dough, caramelised almonds and confectioners custard, which is a lot of effort, for something that won't be on the plate for long. We also have a family recipe for Hungarian cheesecake, which has a pastry bottom, and is unlike any other cheesecake I've ever eaten.

bigTillyMint · 07/12/2014 17:27

I agree, the name klops does not summon up a vision of a gastronomical delight. Although I'm sure they are!

And CV, don't feel guilty - if you didn't click with her all those years ago, it's not really likely to happen now!

My two nights out boozing are taking their toll now - roll on bedtime!

MollyAir · 07/12/2014 18:03

CV, do we have the right to avoid people we don't like very much? I'm sure the correct answer is "Yes, of course". However I do personally find it very hard because - in part - of my nutty Christian upbringing which majored on the Good Samaritan. So I if am forced to be in the same room as a sad person whom others are scrupulously avoiding, I am absolutely not allowed to abandon them, but must look after them for however long they wish to be looked after. This is usually forever.

If I take the cold, heartless, sensible, self-protective route, I am ridden with guilt of the sort you describe. (It goes without saying that I'm working on this!) Tis hard though.

MollyAir · 07/12/2014 18:06

In other news, I dreamed about Russell Brand last night; and dh is doing the hoovering.

Stropperella · 07/12/2014 18:37

I had a hideous nightmare last night in which I was carted off to an old people's home because I had turned 50. And people followed me around all the time and wouldn't let me go to the loo by myself in case I fell off it. Hmm
The night before, I had another nightmare where I went to a school reunion where everyone else still looked 16 and I was the only wrinkly grey-haired one. I am not in the least bit bothered by the idea of my next birthday. Oh no.

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/12/2014 18:41

Strops - GrinGrinGrin

bigTillyMint · 07/12/2014 19:20

StroppsGrinWine

I had a dream that Molly was in the other night, but I can't remember what happened now!

NUFC69 · 07/12/2014 19:34

MrsS, your recipes sound lovely - please do post some of them. I am not very creative with cooking, ie I can't just make things up (unlike DSoniL who just throws things together and they are delicious). I often make your almond and poppy seed cake and it has become a family favourite.

The Christmas tree is up and mostly decorated, candles are in position (and there are boxes everywhere waiting to go back in the loft).

I, too, am having trouble sleeping - I am waking at about 3.30, lying awake for hours and then falling asleep at about six am. Sad

I hope the lesson planning/homework is proceeding ok, Stropps and Herbs?

herbaceous · 07/12/2014 19:45

I have given up with lesson planning, shortly after our neighbours invited us round for a negroni. Good neighbours – they also had some kebab-flavoured crisps, bought from one of the many international shops round these parts.

I had a dream about Rosebag the other night - we were planning a lesson. Surprise bleedin' surprise.

Sorry if I caused any klops-based offence. It just sounded like meatloaf, but with matzo instead of breadcrumbs. And the name sounds like it should be something soft and ploppy, like hummus or cake mix.

Rosebag · 07/12/2014 19:51

Klops is an unpalatable word to the English ear…but it tastes loverly, I promise. Stropps I just put onions in the cooking liquid…but my Nana would have grated them by hand, eyes streaming, to mix in with the mince. We did go through a phase quite a few years ago during the mad cow disease scares, when my DM decreed that beef was toxic. For a couple of years we all had to use minced chicken on pain of death. DS1 threw up after my version of chicken klops ( to be fair to him it was disgusting), so we did without until I decided to start eating beef again, much to DM's horror.
Links arms with MrsS as proud purveyor of the klops tradition from us Slavs. Oh MrsS…do you make Gewickelte…more Yiddish/German than Polish, though. Oh and I serve my chicken soup with carrots, noodles and dumpling…I add all the giblets and feet to the boiling process, (trying hard not to look at them…) but strain it all out afterwards. I like my chicken soup crystal clear!

Auriga Brilliant about the concert!
Herbs DS1 howled in Santas grotto when he was a nipper. Ive never taken the others…poor deprived things. Oh and I have a laminator too..a cheapo one.
MI How did it go?
Monty How as the movie?

Roll on Monday, is all I can say. Today we have packed for DS2's trip to Poland in the early hours of Tues am…been to inlaws for tea Hmm and I have mounted enough GCSE Art to make me strangle myself on the double sided tape. I now have to get my class ready for the morrow.