Blog Archives
Slow cookers in vogue?
I’m not usually a follower of fashion but it would seem with my latest purchase that I might just be on trend this time, at least amongst the yummy mummy brigade. I have purchased a slow cooker . I was motivated to buy one on two grounds. At some point I will have to return to paid employment and I’m pretty sure learning how to use a slow cooker will not be high on the priority list then and secondly, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to cook at least one new dish a month. I’ve managed to cook two new dishes in the last two weeks (see below); does that mean I can have a month off?
On reflection however (isn’t hindsight a great thing?), I should have researched my purchase better and having now activated the on switch on my slow cooker, I have had two thoughts. 1. It could do with being a bit bigger. I can only really feed our family of four with the volume I selected and 2. I should have purchased one with a timer switch (my husband, the problem solver, assures me that we can buy a timer like you do for lights that should do the job.). So, I am considering whether to throw my current model on the buy and sell sites and make a loss and buy one that does exactly what I want, or to carry on with what I have which does the job.
Anyway, to accompany my slow cooker, I also purchased ‘Hamlyn All Colour Cookbooks 200 Slow Cooker Recipes’, an invaluable resource for the novice slow cooker user. So far I have cooked the ‘beef and root vegetable hotpot’ and the ‘ham in cola’ and was pretty pleased with both (pictures below). I do have a small ‘beef’ with the ham dish though. The sauce is very salty and the smell (which in my opinion is pretty vile – pregnant ladies with sensitive sniffers beware!), radiates throughout the whole house for days. That said, the ham itself was delicious. Anyone have any other recipes I could try? Please post below!
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
Sledging
First time sledging for the little man…and doesn’t he look happy!
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
There’s no fun like snow fun
If you’re a child that is. Personally, wet, cold, hands and feet do nothing for me but the lit up faces of my two happy little munchkins more than made up for it. This was Benjamin’s first time in the snow, as he was too young last time it snowed all those months ago.
Now for a little more snow so that we can actually a build a decent snowman. Our lacklustre attempt was destroyed by the little lady who apparently felt that kicking the snowman was preferable to showing our dismal efforts to her Daddy (photo below of their effort last February to show what I’m up against!).
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
Sewing, a necessary life skill?
The last time I picked up a sewing needle was probably at Textile class at secondary school and back then when I most certainly was not having children, EVER, saw it as a bit of a doss lesson where I sat back in my chair and waited for the bell to ring. While other more accomplished classmates were whipping up dresses and skirts, I was attempting a tea cosy which was always destined to gather dust in the loft.
I now realise of course that I should have paid a little more attention in class. One careless exit from the car seat, by one over eager little lady, resulting in one small, but very obvious hole, in her pink ballerina tutu. I suspect that ballet classes may not go beyond this year and so my desire to be thrifty, won out against my lack of desire to sew.
Sewing needles and thread are such objects of rarity in this house, that I actually had to delve into my loft to find the tools require to fix the hole. Tools retrieved and to my astonishment I managed to not only thread the needle but remember to tie a knot in the thread so that it wouldn’t simply pass through the material and made a repair of sorts. Here are the results:
Spurred on by my sewing success, when a last minute shop for a tacky Christmas jumper resulted in an epic fail, I removed an image of Santa from my son’s toddler group Christmas party bag and sewed it onto an old red jumper:
This year I may, and I emphasise the word MAY, open the box containing Andy’s Nana’s old sewing machine which has been sat in my lounge for over 2 years….small steps.
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
The question that all mothers dread
‘Where do babies come from?’ Except it was worse than that. My 4 year old, prompted by the fact that we had just driven past the hospital where she knows her little brother was born, asked ‘how do babies get in your tummy?’. No opportunity to talk about storks here. So I took a deep breath and debated whether to say, ask your father later but decided I, as her mother, should just take the plunge. A 4 year old does not require graphic detail and I felt pretty good about my explanation of a ‘special’ cuddle. I’ll save discussion around planting seeds for another day.
Just when I thought I was safe, she followed up with, ‘how do babies get out of your tummy?’. Eek, make that double eek! Since she exited through the sun roof and the little brother through the natural route, ably assisted by a pair of forceps, I felt that I couldn’t just offer one route and chose to go for through the cervix (she didn’t ask where that was) or through your tummy using a knife, to which she said ‘you must need a sharp knife for that.’ Thankfully we arrived at Hobbycraft before any further enquiries could be made. I think I may have some reading up to do before our next car journey and a mental note to self not to go past the hospital enroute to anywhere, unless there is an emergency that requires the services of the hospital.
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
I Did It Mummy 