Where were we? Flipping those darn flat pancakes again

[BeachysSandyFlipflops]

Hello, damn quick work there by MNHQ

I'm sure there must be a household organisation app, or some such technological answer to all this. And if there isn't, there's a gap in the market for a crepey to fill! Centralised database of what needs doing, sync with diaries of who's doing what and where, send reminders to appropriate people to buy milk, hang out the washing, etc...

I can't stop thinking about the terrible fire in the tower block. Those poor people stuck on the top floor, unable to escape, and their lights going out.

And in further cheery news, I'm off to sing in the choir of the funeral of a choir friend. It was specified 'no black', and I have various wardrobe constraints - have to cycle, so leggings or trousers needed, and may need to go straight to work from funeral, so has to be work-friendly with comfy shoes. Also constrained by fatness and not fitting into many of my clothes.

So I'm wearing navy fit and flare dress with red poppies, navy three-quarter leggings (CRIME) and red birkenstocks. I'll stand at the back so no-one can see me!

Your outfit sounds great, Herbs. Hope it all goes OK.

I know about the fire, dreadful.

I am sure there is but I don't think that will help. We have a shared online calendar and all that and that is brilliant. But the problem here isn't that people don't know what to do or can't work it out. And it is complicated by fact it changes all the time - I do do more household stuff, breakfast making etc during exams etc. And some very tight turnarounds on comings and going, plus Young People's late hours hours. Urgh. Moan over.

I get v annoyed if I've cooked dinner and then 'can I eat at X' or 'but you knew I was going to X' pings in.

At the moment am also trying to be conscientious about sorting food when e.g. I go swimming or singing. THIS WILL CEASE soon.

On the other hand I do want to eat nice food!

This is exactly why i dont meal plan but create something day to day. For someone who is generally fairly well organosed most of the time, I much prefer being spontaneous about food. I just make sute I have a well stocked fridge/freezer/cupboard. If someone misses a meal I have already cooked, they have it the next day whilst I cook for everyone else IYSWIM. Works for us!

We generally have lots of veg in the drawers, and various slabs of protein in the freezer, so we can just grill/fry/roast the protein and try and find something interesting to do with the veg according to what else is in the cupboard. We limp along.

The funeral was most inspiring, but yet again made me conscious of how we so often only know one aspect of a person. The funeree was in my choir, and an irascible but fun tenor. Turns out she was also fluent in French and Urdu, an acclaimed artist, producing some amazing soft sculptures, devoutly religious, a t'ai chi expert, and lived all her life in a one-bedroomed flat (her babies were put in a drawer) so she could continue her artistic lifestyle. The church was packed with people in colourful clothes, and the vicar obviously loved her very much.

We sang Jerusalem at the end, and the roof nearly came off the church.

Oh Herbs, that sounds wonderful.....

Yes, BTM, that's what I would do if fridge was bigger or we had a microwave for defrosting (haven't really got space). I'd just have a big salad on the go if it was just me and add protein as required. Meal planning doesn't work at all for us when dc around as they never know. Assuming it is just me and dh come the autumn, I will meal plan and every other meal at least will be eggs or baked potatoes or something like that.

I find it v stressful to have no idea what to cook, because stuff piles up in the fridge. And DP gets annoyed if I freeze cooked food , though I tend to ignore this. Nothing like being able to dig a nice curry out when you don't feel like cooking.

I don't just want to live on salad/eggs, that's the thing.

Sorry, that sounds both whingeing and pretentious. We use a lot of frozen veg/fruit as well as fresh.

And tonight I am producing a mix of broad beans/garlic-roast broccoli/green beans (both sorts of bean from freezer) and smoked mackerel. With new white bread (currently in bread maker) for those who want. Which is hardly stressful.

I always have a couple of boxes of felafel mix in the cupboard. I go for the gluten free ones, but other varieties are available...

Felafel

I sent DS off with a couple of packets in his food box when he went off to mountainous resort... Not the kind of place to stock felafel mixes at all!

They take only a few mins to prep, and are great with a huge salad. Sweet chilli sauce a good accompaniment.

Gearing up to go outside again. I got murderous with the weed killer this morning. Time to go and dig out the rest.

Awful, awful news about the tower block in London; I keep getting flashbacks to 9/11. I can't get my head around how many people will have probably died. The stories.....

Yes really awful about the Tower block. Those poor, poor people.

So we have decided on a mini-extra MU on 7th July in addition to the main one on the 14th so those who cant make 14th get a chance.
So we will obvs be meeting in the usual place for drinks and maybe just stay there for bar food on 7th, but any suggestions about where to eat on the 14th?

Hello from the west midlands. I have been walked to death by DS2... a lovely afternoon along the canal tow paths and all over the place ending with tea at Harvey Nicks. I am now beached on the bed of my hotel room. I want to commend my fantastic new earth spirit sandals...no aching feet, sore places, blisters or hurtie ball of the foot. And they're pretty and stylish. Great buy. Iphone step counter says 17,000.

I too am haunted by the news pictures of the burning tower block...and feel so sad for the tragedy of the victims. Fire is a terrible thing.

I don't plan meals ahead...I think it was a protest against DMs generation who had lists on the fridge a week ahead of what we were having for supper every day. But I do think they had it right...and there was much less waste. I love felafel Fluffy although it gives me a bit of a funny tummy these days.

Glad to hear that your new sandals are comfortable, Rose. I meal plan particularly to avoid waste, as I hate throwing things away. It is a problem if there are only two of you in the house, hence my question about coconut milk on WA.

The tower block fire is dreadful, but I am getting fed up of all the speculation in the media. Those poor, poor people facing a very uncertain future. It did bring back memories of 9/11 for me, too.

My trotters were clad in Hotter today and they were v comfy.

Tower block fire was utterly horrific. When I lived in Poland, people used to store jerrycans of petrol in their flats which always made me worry about the whole block going up.

In happy news this end, got back to empty house yesterday because ds helping dh move some heavy furniture he had made into clients house ( off car/upstairs etc). Good news because dh asked fr help and because ds tends to assume he is useless atanything practical or physical.

No exams this end now until next week.

Btm - Spoons - can't remember of thread or else convo but turns out dd also hates soup spoons and old decorative spoons. Hates to think of all the other people that have used them.

Herbs - I'm going to give your fritter thingys a whirl tonight. They look delicious.

And I'm intrigued by Green Yoghurt Sauce. I'm going to have that terrible joke whirling round my head as I bung all the sauce stuff into the magimix....

What's green and goes red at the push of a button?
A frog in a liquidiser

I am soooo going to have a siesta this afternoon. I've been averaging about 5 hours a night for the last week. Last night was barely 4. I feel as if my head and body aren't really connected...

No change there, then...

In S&B news I feel the new woolovers catalogue is worth checking out.

New thread alert

Could incorporate Hotters, Trotters, summer, Crepeys etc etc....

Could a wordsmith work her magic?

MsMargarita, I think my hatred of them is more that they feel funny in the mouth (similarly old forks, but nowhere near as bad!) - DM had 1950's style so I guess I was used to them!

MI, I can't look at a jumper catalogue in this heat!

In S&B news, my new Birkies have come - silver Gizeh for those interested!

It's summer in the city and the crepeys are hotter to trotter?

I thought my rather brilliant crepey coalition of chaos read rather apt...

In garden eating peanut butter cup Ben and Jerrys. When will I learn.

Re fritters add more spice than it says! Might also be nice with some green chillies in the mix if you're feeling fancy.

Do it Herbs - the title I mean!

Done!