Menu Planning Monday 9th August 2021

 

After a rather memorable week away it is back to the normal routine. I, for the most part enjoyed the week, but it will be a while before I go camping again for more than 2 nights.

 The Weather

After a rather mixed week this week is looking a bit more settled

 

Looking around the House /Garden

Because of all the rain and sun last week the weeds have sprouted in the cracks in the patio and in the front garden so they will have to be dealt with this week. The house just needs dusting but the garage needs a good tidy and sort. Hopefully now restrictions have lifted I can take stuff the charity shop that has been in there waiting to be donated.

Menu plan

I fancy a pretty simple week cooking wise with nothing to complicated

Monday- Homemade Chicken fried rice

Tuesday – Eat out as going to cinema

Wednesday – Salmon, potatoes and peas

Thursday –  Singapore Noodles

Friday – Chicken Fajitas

Saturday- Fish and chips in Whitby

Sunday- Cola chicken

 Looking forward to

Going to see Suicide Squad at the cinema and a day out in Whitby to celebrate my nieces’ birthday. Also, the first WI craft club meeting in person since February 2020. We are starting to make a memory book which will take 2 sessions to complete.

From the camera

Some of the beautiful and unusual flowers I saw in the Cotswold Wildlife Park.

Katy and Sandra always have interesting menus in their link ups.

Hope you have a good week.

Word of the Week- Camping

 

Well that was certainly a memorable week in more ways than one. The Cotswolds is a beautiful place to visit and I will definitely be going back there. But not in the tent.

It all started when we packed up the car and headed off. We were about less than an hour into the journey and the car suddenly started making loud revving noises and Craig said there were issues with the cruise control. The car slowly started losing speed and revving loudly every time Craig tried to accelerate before it started to slow down. We moved into the inside lane and put on the hazard lights before finally making it to a pull in area (Stupid smart motorways). We got out of the car and were greeted by a very strong acrid smell coming from the engine. The clutch had gone. Thankfully we have breakdown cover but Penny was not happy being so close to all the cars and the noise whilst we were waiting to be picked up. The garage we bought the car from and were taking it back to be repaired gave us a courtesy car so 5 hours after our original departure time we left.

When we finally arrived at the campsite the rain had stopped so at least we were able to put the tent up without getting wet. It was dark by the time we finished and had bought supplies so we fell into our beds, hoping for a good nights sleep. This is where the issue I have with camping comes into play. In the past we have had mats, but we got too cold so we upgraded to air beds but after a couple of days they would just deflate so we bought camp beds. Now, I sleep on my front in the recovery position. A camp bed has metal pole either side which are very uncomfortable to rest your leg on for too long. I could not sleep in my usual position. I tried sleeping on front but straight legged, I tried sleeping on my side but the pressure on my legs was too uncomfortable. Sleeping was not good for me for the whole week. I couldn't wait to get back home to sleep in my bed.

Unfortunately the car and sleeping were not the only problems. It started to rain on Sunday morning and we discovered the tent was not was leaking. It has not been used for several years so we are not sure if it was the fact it had been stored for so long or when we tried it out a few weeks ago it had been put away slightly damp but it was definitely no longer waterproof. We had a spare groundsheet so we quickly put that over as much of the tent as it could and Craig and I took a quick trip to Go Outdoors, not to buy a new tent (which was Craig's option) but to buy another groundsheet to cover the rest of the tent. 

The two groundsheets did the job perfectly for the rest of the week. I wouldn't let Craig buy a new tent as I did not know when we would be camping again and it was forecast to rain on the day we were leaving and I did not want the new tent to possibly end up the same way.

Monday and Tuesday were pretty memorable as Craig ended up going to the walk in centre at the hospital in Banbury due to a flare up of a knee problem and Penny ended up at the vets on Tuesday because of an upset stomach. Luckily the rest of the week passed without incident and we visited some beautiful places and made Matthew's year by going to Diddly Squat Farm Shop.

The tent did not make it back with us. The owner of the campsite kindly let us put it in his skip. We are not sure if we will buy a new one as Craig has seen a few Youtube videos on converting the C4 into a micro camper and that is what he is thinking of getting done. Watch this space.

Word of the Week-Lists

 

I am definitely a list girl and this week I have been in my element making lists for all things Camping Holiday. I am not going to bore you with the detailed lists but here is the list of the lists I have made and a summary of the things on each list .

Camping Equipment- the big stuff like tent, sleeping bags

Camping Sundries- bin bags, washing up liquid, wooden spoons, the small stuff that you can easily forget

Things will be ticked off once they are loaded in the car.

Clothes- it is England, we need to pack for all weathers, layers are the answer. The list is only for me, everyone else is old enough to pack their own. I will check Matthew’s though to make sure he does put a couple of changes of clothing in as he would quite happily wear the same clothes all week.

 Additional items- essentials that I will need to keep me entertained and make memories -chargers, camera, knitting, book

 Places to Go, things to do- I would much rather know what we are doing each day so we have a plan and we can make the most of the time. I have an itinerary planned but with the exception of a few days where we have had to book, the rest are interchangeable depending on the weather.

 Dog Friendly places to eat – I am not planning on doing much cooking whilst we are away, I am on holiday as well. Taking the dog does limit the places we can eat but by doing a little research before we go it will save a lot of time finding somewhere.

 Things to Buy- making sure we have everything we need before we go such as a first aid kit, eye mask and ear plugs.

 Cleaning - my brother in law is house sitting whilst we are away so I wanted to make sure that the house was clean and tidy before we left. As the kids are at home all day I have asked them to do some things and I have also delegated some tasks to Craig rather than stress myself out trying to do them all myself. 

Who else makes lists before they go away and what else do you make lists for?

Linking up with Anne at Raisie Bay

What we are taking camping.

 

I am not one of those people who will just throw a tent and sleeping bag into the car and go somewhere. I used to be as I have got older I prefer taking a few comforts with me to make things easier.

When we go there will be 5 people and 1 dog. Emma and her boyfriend Sam are going into London the following week as Sam is joining up with a group from the National Youth Film Academy to make a short film and Emma is going to do the behind the scenes photos. That means that they each have 2 cases of clothing taking up valuable space.

We are not travelling light but we are not taking everything but the kitchen sink as we are not planning on staying in the tent for too long during the day.

 So what are we taking? Apart from the obvious of tent and sleeping bags we are taking

Camp beds- I refuse to sleep on a camping mat and I do not like air beds.

Electric hook up – we need somewhere to charge phones and camera batteries. Craig needs to be on call for work and Emma is hoping to do some filming for a vlog as well as take photos.

Induction hob and pans- I am a bit wary of using the gas hobs so when I saw a portable induction hob I persuaded Craig to get one seeing as though we have the hook up. I might even feel like doing a bit of cooking as I won’t be worrying about the gas leaking or setting things on fire

Chairs- I want to be able to sit in comfort so we have got the fold up camping chairs especially in the morning whilst we are waiting for the kids to wake up.

Table- to put the induction hob on whilst cooking

Picnic hamper- to store the plates, bowls and cutlery for eating breakfast and maybe the odd dinner.

Electric coolbox- we have the hook up but it can also be used in the car for day trips

Lanterns- so we can see at night. Torches will also be used if we need to make a late night visit to the loo.

We will be taking a bed, balls, toys and food for Penny. She will have to be on her lead at all times on the campsite so we have got a stake that we can attach a long lead to so we are not having to hold on to her all the time. I am hoping that because we will be busy all day she will be so tired she will not wake up too often at night once she has got used to being in the tent.

I am going to be taking a knitting project and a book to keep me from being bored in the morning whilst waiting for the kids to wake up or for in the evenings. There will also be cards and maybe a board game but as Craig has to take his computer then he will put some films on for us to watch as well.

We are actually probably taking less equipment than we have in the past but there are more people and we are not planning to spend to much time in the tent. There are too many places to go and things to see.

 

What things do you take camping to be more comfortable?

Menu Planning Monday 26th July 2021

 

One of my WI’s met indoors this week for the first time since February 2020. It was really nice to be able to see everyone in person, especially those who did not participate in the Zoom meetings. It was also easier to talk as you could have individual conversations rather than participate in a big group chat. It was just a social meeting and not in our usual location as there has been no information given as to when we can go back there. I hope we will be able to get back to the normal routine soon.

 

How I am feeling this morning

 I think I am ready for a break. I feel so tired and I am finding it difficult to get my brain in gear for a few hours. I always thought I was more of a morning person but getting up at 5.15am to be in work by 7.00am seems to be getting harder. I haven’t had any time off this year so far as we weren’t sure what our plans were going to be because of Covid, and I wanted to wait until we knew for sure what we were going to be able to do.

 

On my Breakfast plate.

I am trying to eat breakfast later as I was finding it was too long to wait between breakfast and lunch and I was snacking on sweet treats and being sat down at a desk all day was not doing me any good. So I have some yogurt, granola and raspberries in a breakfast pot and I will try to last until 8.30-9.00am

 

On the menu this week

Monday- Leek, Pea and Ham Farfalle

Tuesday – Meatzza ( basically a giant homemade burger with pizza sauce and toppings)

Wednesday – Dirty Fries

Thursday – Pork Schnitzel, mash potatoes and broccoli

Friday – Creamy tomato tortellini soup and crusty bred

Saturday & Sunday -Eat out

 

Looking around the house

It is a complete mess. Camping equipment is all currently in my craft room and Emma has been sorting her room out and has put two big storage boxes in Matthews room ready to go up in the loft. Craig's office and Matthews room both need a good sort out and tidy and I just feel that instead of going away I should get these sorted and give the house a deep clean.

 

What am I listening to

I have restarted my Audible subscription and I have been listening to some audio books that Emma has actual copies of. It is the Lunar Chronicles series of Cinder, Scarlett, Cress and Winter. All the books are interlinked but the main characters are based on fairy tale characters and the story has slight elements of the fairy tale. So Cinder is Cinderella, Scarlett is Red Riding Hood, Cress is Rapunzel and Winter is Snow White. The individual stories are a bit long and complicated to explain here but basically it is set in the future. Cinder is a cyborg who has just found out she is really a princess who everyone thought was dead and she has to overthrow the evil queen of Lunar (the Moon) with the help of her friends. It is aimed at young adults but I was intrigued as to how the fairy tales could be reworked.

Linking up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Katy at Katykicker to see what everyone else is planning.

Have a good week.

Deborah

Word of the Week -HOT!

 

I really do not like it when it is too hot. I never had, and if we are on holiday abroad and it is too warm, you will always find me in the shade with a book, never lying out baking in the sun. I am one of those people who look all red in the face and sweaty within a couple of minutes of being out. I wish I could look cool and dignified as though the heat wasn’t bothering me, but no. I have had friends asking me if I am okay in the past because I how red in the face I have become.

 When we go on holiday we don’t go during the summer months if we are going to somewhere where it is likely to be over 30 degrees in the summer we go at Easter or May when it is not as warm. When we eventually go to see my sister in Australia we will go over in July/August when it is their winter rather than our winter as Craig is not allowed time off work from the end of October to the middle of January. If we are staying over here then we go when we feel like it as you cannot guarantee the weather. (We went to London in May 2018 in the middle of a heatwave) For me as long as it is dry then I am happy.

 Thankfully, although the office where I work does not have air con, the walls are very thick and the temperature is pleasant. However when I walk out it is like going into a sauna. I am glad that I got my aircon in the car topped up. I have definitely needed it.

On Thursday we decided we would g and get some ice cream at the Chill Factore. We took Penny with us as the ice cream parlour was supposed to sell dog friendly ice cream. The Chill Factore is running a doggy chill session on Saturday but it was all sold out. I hoped that they would let us bring Penny in whilst we got the ice cream as they do run these sessions. Not only did they let her in they said that we could go onto the viewing gallery with her. Unfortunately that was closed so the receptionist was absolutely fantastic and took us to where you go onto the snow and let us go into the snow area entrance. Penny loved it and would wanted to explore more and sniff everywhere,and I have to admit the coolness was heavenly after the heat. I don’t think either Penny or I wanted to leave. 

 One other drawback of the heat is that I cannot sleep. I have not been under my sheet all week and frequently wake up feeling rather warm, even with my windows open and a fan. I am a warm person normally in bed. In summer I only have a sheet, in spring and autumn it is a 1tog quilt and in winter it is a 4tog quilt. This week has been uncomfortable to say the least. As a result I have just felt constantly tired and drained. Roll on next week when it is supposed to be cooler especially seeing as though I cannot live at the Chill Factore.

Linking up with Anne at Raisie Bay

Too Good to Go app

 

About 6 weeks ago I was reading some blogs that mentioned the Too Good to Go app which allows you to buy surplus food from restaurants and supermarkets. It sounded quite interesting so I thought I would give it a go as the app is free to use.

The restaurants and supermarkets will vary depending on your area. Where I am the main ones that comes up are a community based organization (that helps people who don’t qualify for foodbanks but are on a low income), Greggs, Costa and various petrol station Spar supermarkets. Occasionally there is a Carvery restaurant, a Cheese store, Morrisons and Café Nero. I won’t use the community based organization because I am not on a low income and there are plenty of people who need it more than I do. I also haven’t used the Spar or Morrisons as I tend to stick to a shopping list and because you don’t know what you are going to get then I wouldn’t want end up throwing things away that I cannot use. I have stuck to the coffee shops and Greggs as I have found for the most part the contents are good for me to take to work for lunches. Craig has also had a carvery meal.

How does it work?

Once you have signed up for the app you need to chose your area and the distance you are willing to travel. The different options are then shown. You click on the place you want to pick up a magic bag from and that will take you to a new page. It gives you information about where the place is and the things you might find in it. If you are happy you press the reserve button at the bottom of the screen. The payment page comes up. You can pay by Google pay, paypal or card. Once you have selected your payment option you press confirm. A message then comes up basically saying you have saved a bag from being wasted.

Once your items are ready to pick up you click on the bar at the bottom showing your order when you are at the store. You have to swipe to say that you are ready to collect. A code comes up which you show to the person serving you. They then give you a bag and you swipe to say you have collected it.

It is very straightforward to use and an email is sent with an invoice for your purchase so you can keep track of what you are buying.

Overall Impressions.

I have never had an issue with the contents of any of the bags I have picked up, some have been better value than others. It does all depend on what they have left. I have read several reviews where orders have been cancelled or the bags not available. I have not had that problem. Each time I have used it the staff have been very pleasant, expecting me and the bag was ready and waiting.

 

So what has been in each bag.

 

Greggs- 2 chocolate doughnuts, 2 salted caramel doughnuts, 4 jam doughnuts, chicken club sandwich and a steak bake (which Emma grabbed as soon as she saw it)  Cost £2.59

Costa Coffee 2nd bag- Sausage and onion chutney toastie, beans and cheese toastie, egg, spinach and mushroom bap and bacon bap.

The 1st bag contained 2 toasties, rocky road and brownie. Both cost £3.00

Chuckling cheese - 3 cheese truckles. Cost £4.00

Cafe Nero- 3 danish pastries, toastie and slice of banana bread. Cost £3.09

Carvery restaurant Cost £3.59. There was also mash  and pigs in blankets included but I ate those as Craig is not a fan.

Would I recommend it.

 Yes, it is free so why not give it a go. You can soon find out who is good and who to avoid. If you don’t like it then you can simply delete it.