Our Girl and Captain James Addicts Part XXX

[icemistOBE]

The CJ Collective "Sophisticated Silliness"

Feel free to join in as we discuss all things Our Girl and Captain James related.

Honorary Members of The CJ Collective:
Ben Aldridge
Tony Grounds
Lacey Turner
Cast & Crew of Our Girl

Our Girl Fan Fiction

Series 2- Filming starts Jan 2016

Happy Christmas Eve everyone. Not a good start to the day at Ilove Towers as I had a really heavy nosebleed earlier - presume it's down to my cold/bug. Used to get them a lot but not had one in ages now.

Also absolutely tipping it down - very seasonal, not!

Need to make the mince pies in a bit, with the Hungarian pastry of course.

Don't get too stressed everyone. xx

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

I don't want to be a party pooper but had a somewhat upsetting morning. Woke up to me having more of a cold and kids are still coughing. I had to tell my Mam and she really doubt she'll be coming tomorrow now. I understand anyway, the last thing she needs is these germs esp as its her throat area she needs to be careful of. I think I'm just so disappointed as it would've been a great day to round off a bad year.

Not sure what's happening re:turjey

kelly I'm so sorry, what a disappointment for everyone. Bloody coughs and colds! We have escaped them so far but there's time!!!

DH went out last night and has the hangover from hell, so me charging around isn't helping him, think he's going to take the boys out for lunch to get out my way. We picked up the bird this morning, we only bought a crown as it's just for cold for Boxing Day. It was from waitrose and cooks in a bag. What about sausage meat? I normally stuff it. Any ideas? Or maybe cook sausage meat separately.

Happy Christmas to you all, although I am sure I will be dipping in and out before tomorrow!

Good luck with everyone's preparations.

Kelly that's a blow. There are so many bugs around at the moment. Your Mum is right though and you wouldn't want her to be ill, but it's a shame. Thinking of you.

Richtea do you have the sausage meat and want ideas or don't have it and want an alternative. I usually just shove an onion and a lemon in the cavity.

Am cleaning the greenhouse out now! Not very festive but it's filthy and the weekend weather has been so bad lately, I've not been able to get outside. No more cooking to do until Boxing Day so may as well make use of the fact it's dry,but for how long, who knows!

That's rough Kelly, I'm sure it's hard on all of you.

This morning's job is to search for all the things we've misplaced. So far DS's stocking, my Xmas present and a pan big enough to boil the ham in. I'm suggesting we go to the pub for lunch which gives me a legitimate reason to start drinking

Messy Christmas Eve . Sending hugs kel. I'm trying to get kids and DH out the door to give me some space to get some stuff done.

Afraid i don't have ideas for stuffing rich apart from obscene ones, I use paxo! But was wondering if any of you, my wonderful cooking guru friends, have an idea for roasting parsnips and carrots and how long do they take? I don't like either, but apparently we have to have them (although was sorely tempted to tell DH where he could have them!)

We have a crown,my stuffing is breadcrumbs, chopped onion and mixed herbs, binded together with melted butter. I have put mine in a square dish and will pop it in oven to heat up when doing roasties.
It's my mums recipe - I find sausage meat stuffing too greasy and paxo is just vile

Thanks for all the suggestions for "what to do with sausage meat" although I can't stop laughing thinking of orphan and woof!!! Oh and DL!!!

I have bought a pack from waitrose and like you ice will just cook separately. i can't work out where the cavity is!!! Poor bird as lost his wings and legs!! Not sure about parsnips nickel, I usually roast all veg together, parsnips, onions/shallots and carrots, celery too sometimes. Olive oil, s&p maybe some honey and whole grain mustard?

DH has taken boys to Nandos!! Prosecco opened!!!

I'm not a huge fan of parsnips Nickel, except in my curried parsnip and apple soup but on the odd occasion when I do them, I will cut them into chunks, roast in the oven for about 40 mins or so with oil and seasoning, then chuck some honey over for another 10 mins.

I'm not a big fan of carrots either so when I have to do them, I usually cheat and get those tiny (and overpriced) ones in the supermarket and boil them for a few mins.

Not much help, am I?

Thanks ladies. I feel better and DH cheered me up. The situation is what it is. I'll take some food, drink & presents I bought for them over tomorrow. Hopefully kids will feel better and we can celebrate Xmas nearer New Year.

I'm picking the turkey up tonight from my Mams and we'll cook it tomorrow morning and Mams making some delicious home made stuffing which I'll collect too.

We're having a buffet for tea tonight plus am going to open a bottle of Baileys I bought. Never tried it before.

Every time I read the word Nandos rich I always think of Mansfield Mike.

Hope you get to the pub pix

Ah kelly I'm sorry about your mum but I'm glad you are feeling more positive and have a plan and a turkey!
pix hope you have found all your bits.... Most importantly your present!
nickel like the others we always chop them up (don't bother peeling) and bung them in a roasting with honey and oil and seasoning for 30-40mins, they usually work out ok.
MrMads at work today so a quiet one for us. Tesco was weirdly quiet so managed to get all my bits. A nice muddy dog walk and now having a bit of a tidy and trying to hide my ironing pile so I can't see it!!!

Just popping in to say Merry Christmas Eve you lovely lot!!! Hope children get better and the wine gets flowing :) [santa]

DH has come home from taking the boys out and said there has been a serious crash at our local Costa, a car lost control and drove into the window. It sounds like one fatality and several injured. So terrible and at Christmas too. Be safe everyone who is travelling over Christmas.

Happy Xmas Eve everyone. Hoping wrapping/shopping/cooking/baking etc is nearly done and you can all drink lots of prosecco relax

Cake done. Not tasteful in the least.

loving the cake pixie. kelly glad you have a positive plan, you can have an extra Christmas Day of sorts.
Absolutely no handy cooking hints from me. Hope everyone is as ready as they can be and that the littlies are all on the mend.
Merry Christmas everyone xx

Like the alternative hey duggee theme pix!

Ah no rich. I was just reading about in the Daily Mail. Terrible.

pix amazing cake!!! Did you make the figures too? That's fab. I always think of you when I see any Hey Duggee toys out and about.

Merry Xmas apsara & Whajeb.

mads glad you had a quiet Tesco shop. Did you say you at home for Xmas Day?

Off to collect Turkey now.

Merry Xmas mooj!!!

Brilliant cake pixie!!! Looks fab!

Richtea I heard that on the news. I think I've been to Westerham after having visited Chartwell - would that be right? The staff in the National Trust cafe were really rude so we walked out and went to a cafe instead in the nearest village. Apparently, Gordon Ramsay had visited there earlier in the day.

My friend's two little boys came about an hour ago with my presents and then ate most of my mince pies! I will have to make some more in the morning to take with me to my friends for Christmas dinner.

Fell asleep in front of the fire just now. Not sure whether it's my cold or whether I'm just tired. About to open some Chablis I brought back from France so doubtless I will nod off again later this evening!

The cake decorations were just tat from one of DS's magazines Kelly. We did make the snowman though. Watching the Snowman & snow dog now. The ham is in the slow cooker which I forgot to switch on for an hour or so, I'm calling it a marinade and opening the Christmas gin.

Have a lovely evening all; I won't suggest we all get what we want in our stockings, because there isn't enough of him to go round . Let's hope for second best, which is of course Major Beck

Yes ilove chartwell is just a few miles away. We often go to walk around the grounds but rarely to the tea room as its so expensive, we favour one of the tea rooms in westerham.

pixie ingenious idea for your cake decoration. I heard Mary Berry on the radio today saying take a decoration from the tree to decorate a cake.

Yeah mine for Xmas and mums for Boxing Day kelly. Takeaway Indian tonight as not cooking tonight and will be hours of it tomorrow!
Very sad news rich saw it earlier on the news. Good idea about the tree decorations on the cake.
Such a treat of another update from whajeb!

I have to share this ladies, not sure if I'm lacking in Christmas spirit or what.

My neighbour/friend (she of the recent cat dramas) and I set a limit of £10 at Christmas and instead we go away overnight in January (this year it coincides with the OG meet up) for an eating/drinking/shopping weekend. I gave her a £10 shopping voucher and matching shower gel for the same store (because she never sticks to the £10 rule). She gave me a massive bag with about six things in. She was at pains they nearly were all from charity shops with the exception of a small garden ornament. Then there was a tin of Bronnley soaps which she said somebody had given her "a few years back" and which she won't use. I mean, it's one thing passing on an unwanted present but quite something else when it's obviously been around a while (the tin is a bit scratched) and the donor actually says she's passing it on.

Am I missing the spirit of Christmas here?