Category Archives: Cooking

Happy Birthday Chris

Posted on February 24, 2006 by | 4 comments

only 43!

I didn’t manage to say happy birthday as I dashed out of the house this morning, late for work. I think that summed up my da really. totally dreadful – though not as dreadful as some of the people I work with. Finished on a low note with the suggestion that I come in for a day on my annual leave, as although I requested everything I do on that day to be cancelled, it hasn’t been!

So grumped home – at least car worked. Watched the beans diving about. the pink cakes had been very well received at nursery, and SB very proud. However, in floods of tears about finishing nursery at the end of next month. Hmm, maybe announcement should have been next week?

So she weighed out and helped me make Sarah’s fudge cake recipe, to cheer us both up. Didn’t quite work, as a bit too crispy on top, and gooey underneath, so the 2 layers separating?! Still very nice.

BB had a desultory feed, and fell asleep with Chris whilst I settled SB, so i have done about half a feed all day. Obviously I’m not ready to wean her.

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Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General

Melrose Baking

Posted on February 21, 2006 by | 7 comments

Carrot cake

225g carrots grated[2 med] 110g soft brown sugar [1/2 cups], 110g golden syrup [1/2cups] 110ml oil, 225g flour [ 2 cups].1 tbsp baking powder, 1tsp bicarb of soda, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp mixed spice, 1 tsp nutmeg.

Mix altogether and cook at gasmark 3. 60-80 mins

Morroccan Stew for approx 20 adults and 20 children
6 onions, 2 kg carrots, 2 kg parsnips, 2 butternut squash, 4 tins chickpeas [450g tins for all] 5 tins sweetcorn, 8 tins chopped toms, tube garlic, tube tomato puree, cinnamon, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, pot harrissa. 1kg dried apricots and 500g sultanas pureed [in advance and frozen]
fry off onions with half of each of the spice packets [? about 3 or 4 tbsp each] and half jar of harrissa. when fired sweat with a couple glasses red wine. The add all chunky chopped veg and all other ingredients, including good squirt of the tomato puree and the premade fruit puree. Cook for approx 1 hour, adding water to make right consistency. Bit of chopped coriander on top at the end. It took 2 big youth hostel pans, so I had harrissa in only one fo them.
couscous was approx 3kg, but there was spare, though we did do 1kg rice [too much – next time for same number prob 2.5kg couscous and 500g rice. Approx price per head was 1.50 adults and ?1 child [though actually a bit cheaper than that so extra money went into kitty, prob 1.25 adult and 75p child]

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Posted in Cooking, General

Melrose

Posted on February 20, 2006 by | 15 comments

after reading others blogs, it is difficult to know what to write!

We did have a lovely time, and I think between us talked to everyone. SB had a ball, and played with all age ranges. She was loving and kind to the littlies, and the oldies were loving and kind to her. I never heard Kennedy and Hannah’s placing for her, but think it might have been bossy…

It was much more comfortable this Melrose knowing most of the people.

Things: well, luckilly the Morrocan stew seemed to go OK, and it was all eaten up. So i think I might do that again. Perhaps with rice rather than couscous, as although the cous cous was far easier [once Alison and sorted it out from exploding out of the saucepans – it was a right PItA for sweeping up from the floor!! Good sous chefs and conversationalists in Alison and Karen for the veg chopping, and Jax was in charge of rice.

Trips:The little roman trimonutium museum in town is lovely. SB really got a lot out of it, and we were in there for some time. She particularly liked the roman game, the pictures, and getting dressed up with the clobber and sitting on the horse! Apologies to Jonathan and Jan for her inclusiveness when they were probably looking for some family time!

We went round the abbey this time, just before closing. the warden was great, and allowed SB to lock all the big doors. we talked about home-ed – which his sister is doing! It was a little bit chilly…

A hooray for leandra organising the Jed Forest outing. Yes, I know it was totally brass monkeys weather, but unless leandra really is a goddess, I can’t see how that could be avoided… SB loved being able to have the hawk land on her. She also asked some sensible questions!!!! The chicken moment was the best really. Its not often you get to really see how good they are as birds of prey! The chappie doing the demonstration was cute, and although the farmer not cute, he did talk to SB about the deer and ponies in the sheds.

We also managed to get to the swimming pool without getting lost – hooray! SB did some swimming, but mostly tried to cling onto Joanna [already laden with 2 of her own] or Jonathan, who also was dragging 2 around! BB loved the pool.

Other People: well, there were very noticeable changes in some of the children – ‘Little Chick’ who does indeed now talk, and talked to me for a bit. also Small, who in adding talking to his repertoire seems way older! Some of the older girls are definitely proto-teenagers – somewhat scary! Manny thanks to Violet for her organising SB, and allowing her to be in the play at the last minute. A born Head Prefect that girl! [maybe we should make some prefect badges for next year - give them the task of keeping the middle ones happy??] SB played with loads of different people, and had an absolute ball. Some predictable falling outs with equally strong-willed girls, but quickly resolved. i had lovely evenings of chatting, though didn’t actually drink much [shame!] with as many people as possible.

US: well, SB had a great time, playing with all sorts really. i thought all the children goit on really well. The age ranges of the people playing were fluid, and that is one of the things I erally like about home-ed. Port and Starboard seemed to be quite a favourite, and other wierd counting games involving the staircase that I never quite sorted out. I actually missed SB a lot, as in my hols i do like full-on parenting mode, but she had a riot! BB enjoyed poddlilng about. As predicted, she did have rather a thing for the saucepan lids… She did seem to play with rather than just alongside the other triplets and R, J and L. Chase was her favourit game. BB also seemed to love the disco – doing her groovy dance moves [rofl]

things I missed: well, actually the resource table to look at. Also everyone who went home early! I didn’t realise some where leaving, so never said goodbye.
Hmm, may add more to this blog later! Anyway, thankyou Merry for doing a great organisational job.

oh, and although all my photos already on flickr via Mery [as she kindly lent us her camera as I was going to suffer major withdrawal otherwise!], I will put them up again i our bit and then add them from there.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, history, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean

And then we had lunch….

Posted on February 9, 2006 by | 1 comment

so far today lots of baking, made a sponge for SB and Maddy’s birthday cake – dairy free as well – so that children and adults at party can have choice of carrot cake or sponge. will decorate later. We have also made a banana cake- again dairy free, and without the nuts – for Melrose. SB very excited by the cakes today as she got to use the kenwood mixer.

We had a discussion why she can’t have diet coke, and why shouldn’t – so have set up a coin in the coke experiment! might stick some in vinegar and some in bicarb of soda, some in fizzy water an some in milk as well, so we can look and see what happens. [in fact SB keen to do that, so will press publish and do!]

We have then done 4 pages of explode the code. Very easily as well. As BB so taken by dolls, i have bought a really cheap little one from Tescos [I love tescos!] and she has been trolling around with that today. Also she has danced for us on the dance mat, and had fun making me link the maths cubes and pulling them apart again.

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anyway, must be off to set up experiment and then make lunch!

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Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, science, writing

Vegan cakes and alum crystals

Posted on February 7, 2006 by | 3 comments

luckilly not in the same mixing bowls. oh, and by the way, I have popped the Tate Modern photos on the blog and on flickr

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SB and BB did the library crafts thing with Chris in the morning, and made hearts, the theme was valentines’s day. Unfortunately, they left the bookbag and new books there – cue much wailing, and only realised after library shut. So must go fetch tomorrow. luckilly the mudpud book bag is somewhat distinctive! Anyway, before lunch she whipped through 4 pages of explode the code without any difficulties [though I had to explain what a mutt was], and we went on a read a red nose reader, and the first of the letts active readers ‘ratman and the big cat’.

Whilst there, she ‘buyed’ a my little ponies video, we had a chat as she noticed I ‘bought’ so we might not hear buyed much longer. We then watched it. It was a little bit frightening TBH, and a very odd storyline [even if I was only half watching, with the guardian in the other hand!] about stolen shadows.

We were both relieved when it finished – though possibly different reasons! And decided to make carrot cake. No carrots – so chris sent out, and instead we started a crystal from tescos testtube crystals kit. Nice simple kit, and for just under ?3. Aluminium, so we had a good discussion about safety, washing hands etc etc before starting, and mixed it all well. the ‘stones’ appear to be plastic, and you have to sandpaper them to key them. The main problem though, si that they don’t sink!!! Not sure how this experiment is going to work with floating stones! Especially since we have one on string – which is also floating on the surface. If I bought the kit again, I think I would use garden stones instead. Interestingly, they suggest you put in food colouring to make the crytals cool colours. Obviously haven’t done that this time, but will def go for it another time. Anyway, thats 2 different tescos testtubes that are fun. Have 1 more to try.

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Carrot man returned [oh, BB is asleep during this btw!] and we made an adapted recipe vegan carrot cake - hopefully it will be fine. one for Melrose, and one for saturday. [ps, they are being frozen, so won't be stale] Do any of the children other than mine like carrot cake? Otherwise can make a sponge too for sat. Then cakes for children and adults.

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We also did lots of mental subtraction and addition. though the sums SB gives me are sometimes quite unusual – in the dame slap style! Started the origami kit she got at the tate modern, neede Chris’s assistance with the instructions though!

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SB then did some starfall while I played with BB. Mostly peekaboo and pop-up animals. BB most put out though when got left behind and SB and Chris went to her swimming lesson. i made a curry [incredible mild] for tea. BB and I did more messing about together. It is nice to be able to give her undiluted attention. SB is getting better at letting me do this without taking over, but I suffer from parent-not-at-home-enough-guilt when we do it. Silly really, as SB gets all that time when BB asleep to herself.

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This evening we have read a couple of just so stories, and about henry the 8th, Mary and edward in the tudors -history of britain. SB dissappointed that didn’t get to elizabeth, so will read that when she has finished her bath.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, history, literacy, numeracy, photos, SB-PE, science, writing

01/02/06

Posted on February 1, 2006 by | Leave a comment

HE: muffins, fingerprints, explode the code, sticker time book, fuzzy felt, dance mat, action songs, assorted library books, seeds grown and snowdrops, hama starfall first 3 books, cbeebies, bbc jam St David in britannia book and Thors hammer and the ivory Wand from Usborne Stories from around the world.

guess it was very educational, but was fun too. Hama flower and hama patterns started the day with breakfast [in the middle I went out to get antibiotics for raging sinusitis - and feel much better for them]

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IMG 2969?IMG 2976 edited-3??Did some sticker story books and time books – not much though, as I was playing with BB, and SB not feeling entirely autonomous! Read 3 library books and then played skittles and catch, and then when BB fell asleep made some muffins – choc chip of course. While lunch finishing, SB whipped through 4 pages explode the code – I think she rather enjoys this now.

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After lunch we did one of those tescos science test-tube kits on fingerprinting. Cheap and chearful, and yes, could be replicated for near as dammit free, but we enjoyed getting it out of its testtube!! So we made and lifted fingerprints and talked about them non-stop for quite a time, BB woke up and ate muffins.

IMG 2991?We made muffins

in the afternoon, we decided to try and play all together mostly – so with the dancemat, doing action songs and with the baby dolls – BB really getting into hugging and loving the baby now. We checked on our germinated aubergines and broad beans, and looked at the snowdrops and cyclamen in the garden.

yeah, they should have been in roottrainers!?

As the late afternoon arose, and the wail quotient increased, SB sat down and did the first 3 starfall books back to back without a hitch. The plugged away at cbeebies – with Chris in attendence. Noticing a link to BBC jam in UKHE early years [or whatever its proper title is] we had a scout around, but not played with it much yet.

After bath a bit of a book marathon! BB asleep, and Chris putting SB to bed. I plan to turn in early too.

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Posted in art and crafts, Cooking, Dance/drama, gardening, General, literacy, music, science, writing

Not so bad in the end.

Posted on January 14, 2006 by | 2 comments

Just a few moments of teeth grinding [see both posts below]!!

Started well [after a poor show of a night, but not our worst] with Chris bringing me breakfast in bed – croissants in fact!

i got up, after reading the guardian magazine cover to cover, and pluged into reading Sb archeologists dig for clues, and persephone again from usborne’s greek myths. We read this earlier in the week, and she got the night and day stuff with the globe, but had to be reminded of seasons. Today she did both straight off after the story. We agreed that the persephone one sounds nice, but not so nice for persephone!

meanwhile BB was quite happily playing with the maths cubes, bringing them to me to be joind up, and having some incomprehensible sprinkle and collect game! So SB wanted them, and did a bit of number bonds on them, so we got out the singapore maths… We are supposedly slipping into the routine slowly, and this bit of singapore maths 1a doesn’t challenge her at all, the whole idea is she whps through it, feeling very good and gets the hang of doing it without it being a struggle. She has always liked match and sort books, and what we do here is far less complicated than the mental/verbal maths she likes to play all the rest of the time. sigh. Oh well, BB was pottering with the aeroplane from the porticos, so SB learnt a new word – aviatrix. [my father wnated me to be called Amy, but veto'd by my mother!]

Sp after lunch, I thought I would rescue the day while BB was asleep by making the much wanted lemon curd. After all, Jan promised home made stuff tastes nicer, and not lemon crud at all. She is right -n my opinion. Will get SB to try eating it for breakfast!

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However, as I needed to regroup, she and chris went outside and ended up making lovely sandcastles and decorating them with things from the garden.

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I got BB up and had a play with her. BB is finally starting to follow a pointed finger now to find things, so we were sort of playing this game. When SB came in and helped we changed tack!! She is so vocal, and very easy to understand, even if her only word is OOK – shouted, and a pointed finger if you are in doubt what to OOK at. Child of our time is on this evening, and I will watch. Reminding me to find the wooden bricks again for building with.

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Finally SB and I did something easily without a fuss! We told stories around her hama glow in the darks in the pantry – taking it in turns to make up alien stories. She then did a lovely sticker picture for me, and wrote on the back of it. I think for us, not doing much of the writing int he workbooks, and just doing it as required outside of them is working well. It means she is happy to do the explode the code, and will sometimes volunteer the writing, and is happy to write SB mummy and daddy [even if mummy had no y]. Her pen holding skills have always seemed a little behind her peers, and since she can do this much, i can’t see any reason to try and push her forward until ready.

As a final regroup. we made from the usborne fairy cookbook mini fairy slices – well, nothing like when I had finsihed adapting! but rolled out puff pastry with pizza type top. Yummy though. SB and BB both hoovered up all the spare ingredients – mozarella, frozen peas and sweetcorn, and the ever popular olives. i have promised SB that I will have a recipe pages bit on this blog.

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They are now in the bath, and we will again try a cot experience early as poss for BB. might work one day.

oh, and we finished off with a bit of the yoga DVD as well. Sb quite likes the salute to the sun. I can’t weightbear on broken arm yet.

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Posted in art and crafts, Cooking, General, history, literacy, numeracy, photos, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE, writing

Bloody hell

Posted on January 14, 2006 by | 3 comments

had just tapped out ranty post, and mouse did that going back a page thing, and I have lost it!!!!

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

won’t bother doing it again suffice it to say, the lemon curd making has tested my patience, and now it appears she doesn’t like it [when it is all done] as it is too sweet!! oh, and it was half the sugar – nicely mixed with the wet floor from previous spill, and had to again work out how much gone.

Other head banging moments are 7+3. took about 30 mins of sulking and wailing as I said 15 and 13 and 9 were wrong! After calming down she then did 6 more pages singapore maths 1A unprompted [cos I had had enough!]

I think this is running out of time syndrome again

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Posted in Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy

‘I don’t think we will do anymore cooking for a while…’

Posted on January 14, 2006 by | 2 comments

The title is a quote from Helen just overheard from the kitchen – said in that quietly despairing tone…..

Helen is in the kichen making Lemon Curd (no Limes) with Stringbean, all is not going smoothly…..

Despite being told to be very careful, SB lost a load of the carefully measured Lemon juice when she just tipped up the bowl. She was sent into the playroom while Helen cleared up, worked out how much more was needed etc. SB of course then sulked for bit and didn’t want to carry on.

Harmony was restored, but then SB has just spilt some of the sugar on the floor….

Helen is staying calm though….

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Posted in Cooking, Daft Stuff, Stringbean

still shattered

Posted on January 10, 2006 by | 6 comments

and must flickr!

quick blog then – as will again try for an early night! We hve a plan this time, that if BB wails after a reasonable feed, Chris will sleep with her in spare room, and just bring her back if he really does think she is hungry – controlled feeding – sigh. We are both sad to resort to this, but I just can’t go on with a maximum of 3 hours sleep, and also incessantly feeding. The last 2 days I have tried to stuff food into BB at every opportunity to make her less hungry at night. We’ll see if it works.

So today, having incessantly fed last night, I had a lie in. SB and BB went to the library, both to change books and for the story telling and crafts session. This itme on the senses. BB getting into it now as well. SB loves choosing books, both for herself and for BB. I was up when they returned, so did the usual reading marathon!

We followed about 4 books with 2 pages of explode the code 1, with me agreeing she didn’t have to do the writing today. After lunch I had a phone call from a friend who is happilly on maternity leave with her 4th child, and also contemplating work life balance. I had promised SB we would do some baking from the usborne fairy recipes she had got from the library. While I got out the stuff, instead of finishing the page she had left of explode the code, she did 2 more fresh pages. She has decided that without having to do all the writing, it is quite easy! She is also being funny by trying to work out how many syllables things have [though she is sure she means sentences!]. So dalek speech all over, both for letter sounds, and for syllables!
We baked some biscuits [vegan] for tomorrow, but haven’t iced them. I am debating whether to ice them first thing, or have that as an icebreaker [so to speak!] when Merry and girls and Kris and girls come. During this, SB did lots of mental maths unprompted, as we do things in cups, she was trying to keep a hang of all the cups we had used, and how many ingredients etc. Just simple counting and adding, but growing confidence to just do it.
We failed to get the christmas decs down though – may make a stab at it this evening, though planning a very early night!

SB had her first swimming lesson today, and was very happy with it. only 2 of them were without armbands, and they seem to have done lots of things and she thought it was great. so thats good. I stayed at home with BB, and had a good hour of solid, uninterrupted interacting and playing – we both found this a lot of fun.

girls in bath, but I hear a lot of wailing, so imagine BB about to come down – oops chris not happy. Must go!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean's HE