Monday 31 December 2007

Little Foodies wishes you all a Happy New Year

I'm still in bed (lazy cow!). Medication has changed so hoping that from next year (less than 6 hours away) I'll be out of bed more than I'm in it.

It's been interesting. I've been grumpy, happy, sleepy, dopey. Infact the Seven Dwarfs have got nothing on me. I've caught up with lots of blog reading. I read and enjoyed every single post that Lydia of The Perfect Pantry has written. If you ever find yourself bed ridden then I'd urge you to do the same, it was great.

I haven't made any New Year resolutions for a few years and I don't think I've given enough thought to it to make really profound ones this year but I should definitely include the following....

Take more care of self including looking after back and actually doing the exercises that the physiotherapist told me to do (over 11 months ago).. Work on building core strength. Maybe start yoga - just typing that made me giggle. Pass me the diazapam I think I'm losing it!

Maybe lose the baby weight. Small will be 4 this year. Not being able to breathe properly while wearing jeans can hardly be blamed on just having had a baby! Okay lose the weight from eating all the pies. Cream ones, chicken ones, banoffee ones, yep I think the pies might be to be blame for the excess weight!

To my boys - Hubby, Little and Small - thanks for being here these last few days. I've tried to be as well behaved as possible. I rather hope you'll agree. Happy New Year my gorgeous ones! Here's hoping 2008 is a wonderful and healthy one for us.

Happy New Year to everybody else too. Hope 2008 brings you all good things.

Saturday 29 December 2007

The discs - they are a spinning...

Or atleast that's what it feels like. Anybody know any good jokes? interesting facts or good stories?

I'm writing from my bed, from the laptop my lovely hubby bought some time ago. The laptop I said I couldn't get to grips with. Bored out of my brains I seem to be getting to grips with it quite well now. . I've been in bed for 3 days now. At least I think it is 3 days, I seem to have lost all track of time. This Christmas was obviously meant to teach me some lessons. I'm quite good at life lessons but I'm still working out what this was meant to teach me.

In February I tore a disc in my spine. An MRI scan showed it was cute, actually acute but cute sounds more friendly. As you can imagine it hurt quite a bit. The consultant told me that as it had torn so much it wouldn't knit back together completely, that within 5 years I would have to have the disc removed. Sooner if I didn't look after it. I scoffed at this. At 36 years old I thought it was ridiculous to think I'd be a candidate for spinal surgery. Unfortunately though at the tail end of the flu last week, I coughed just once too much. I felt my back twinge. When I went to stand up I couldn't move. I spent the night on the lounge floor after taking numerous drugs that didn't make any difference. With the only other option an ambulance to hospital. I'm sorry but I'd rather take my chances at home! Since then I've taken a copious amount of drugs - Diazepam, Diclofenac, Tramadol, Co-codamol and Dihydrocodeine. Even with a cocktail of some of these drugs it's only just taking the edge off the pain.

On the bright side, at least my back held out until after Christmas. Part of me would rather still have the flu, in place of this of course not on top of this. It's my favourite time of year and so far I've had a week of not being able to taste food and now that I can taste food I can't cook. My husband is rarely at home for this length of time and I'm not able to do stuff with him and the boys. He is taking really good care of me though but weirdly I feel lonely and removed from the famliy. The in-laws arrived yesterday so I know Little and Small will be having fun. Their faces light up when they come into the bedroom and see me. Though Little had a few tears and said he wanted me to be better. Another bonus, Hubby is a fantastic cook and he has just asked if I'd like something special for dinner.

I'm waiting to speak to the pharmacist (he's a lovely man and a good friend of Great Nanny), he's going to talk me through all the drugs that I have and suggest the best way to take them for maximum effect. That way I will hopefully be able to get out of bed and at least feel like part of my family. Who'd have thought I'd be a junkie before the year was out! Hubs did start talking about celebrities who have become addicted to prescription drugs last night. I think he's a little concerned... He needn't be - I can't stand taking them. If I was in to taking tablets I'd have taken those slimming ones years ago and lost a few pounds!

Where's my lunch? He offered a smoked salmon sandwhich - at least half an hour ago!

Monday 24 December 2007

The Festive Fairy Arrived....


Following my earlier post... I wished real hard and she turned up and sprinkled her magic dust all over me. Giving me enough energy to make a gingerbread castle (inspired by the wonderful Tanna) and some biscuits, and the thing I'd been planning on making all December - a spiced igloo cake (I forgot the fruit).


I want to thank the wonderful Kelly-Jane of Cooking the Books for getting hold of and sending me the Christmas edition of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. I saw an advert for it and was drawn in by the gingerbread towns on the front cover. I couldn't get hold of it but Kelly-Jane did. She is one of the nicest bloggers you'll ever 'meet'. Thanks Kelly-Jane, you're a sweetheart!

Merry Christmas one and all...

Happy Christmas & Fairy Dust

I think I mentioned that things were going to be a little slack around here... I hadn't realised that a shed load of other stuff would happen.... Some of this post might be a bit bah humbug but I thought I'd explain the absence. There is a recipe for Fairy Dust which I think more than makes up for it. Ho Ho Ho...

December was taken up with a lot of making for the school Christmas Fair, I neglected to do most of the fun stuff and present making I'd wanted to make and do for my friends and family, even for myself. I'd had great plans for food making and blogging too. Things didn't sell well at the Christmas Fair. I was a little peeved by this and I'm ashamed to admit felt like crying when the fair finished and I returned home. I think I might take things too personally, which is why I would never want to be in charge of anything like that. We made less than £2000.00. A much smaller school in the next village raised £10,000.00 - I'd best button it on this now.

Little got bronchitis in early December, he then got better only to be struck with another viral thing plus an ear infection, when he gets a temperature over 102 his legs buckle and he can't walk very well. This brought on yet another staphylococcus infection, something he has been battling with on and off with for over a year now. It started just before Christmas last year.

Nan (Great Nanny to Little and Small) fell and broke her hip in three places. It sent her completely mad. She really did talk of blue mice laying eggs in her mouth. She seemed to be better a few days later but then a day or two after that she was talking nonsense again. "I should be in hospital, I have a broken hip." "You are in hospital Nan." "Well, if I'm in hospital, why have they left me in this uncomfortable chair and those two ladies over there have beds." "Nan, you are in a bed." She looked at me with utter contempt. I just stroked her head and this seemed to soothe her worries. That was last Sunday and I haven't been back as it was on the Sunday evening that Little became ill.

It was then Smalls turn, he got a really bad cold. Soon followed by his mummy (that would be me). As I write I'm getting over flu, not man flu, or even a very bad cold, I mean good old proper bed ridden flu. My bones still feel like they've been through a mangle and my heart feels as though it's encased in a really tight bandage. HOWEVER, it's Christmas Eve and I have to get my act together because my children will have happy memories of this Christmas.

I have a lightly spiced fruit cake to make in the shape of an igloo and some lovely polar bears who will live on a little patch of sweet snow until the cake has been eaten and then the polar bears can retire from duty to live in the large box labelled ANIMALS. I will post a picture and the recipe later.

We're off to a party at about 4pm, only for an hour or two as thankfully my Mum and Stepdad arrived on Saturday and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. We don't see them very often. New Year 2007 was the last time. They're staying in a hotel nearby (our house is currently too small for guests to stay longer than one night). Today Mum will be cooking us Dexter Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings. We should have had this over the weekend but with everything going on it didn't happen.

We'll be having the usual tukery and all the trimmings on Christmas Day. Although having watched a few cookery programmes which have involved geese I'm a little sorry that we didn't think to have goose this year.

In the meantime I'm doing my best to coax the Festive Fairy to sprinkle her magic dust on me.

Tonight just before Little and Small go to bed in their new brushed cotton pj's, we'll sprinkle fairy dust (recipe below) outside. This helps FC and his reindeer spot our house easily. We'll also leave out some hay for the reindeer. Not forgetting the mince pie and sherry for Father Christmas.

Fairy Dust Recipe: equal amounts of white flour and glitter. Mixed with love and magical happy thoughts. Put into a beautiful container ready for small hands to gather some and sprinkle over the garden. If you can't muster the love and magical happy thoughts then obviously the flour and glitter will remain just that - flour and glitter and when you're trying to clean it off the patio you'll be cursing Little Foodies for suggesting such a ridiculous thing!! ;)

Amazingly, just writing something for the blog this morning has made me feel a lot better. I hadn't realised that this blog was possibly my therapy too.

We wish you all a wonderful Christmas. xx

Wednesday 12 December 2007

Under the Highchair - Little Foodies was/were interviewed...

I love Aimee's blog Under the High Chair. Aimee is a very cool Mummy, who lives in Montreal, Canada. Currently pregnant with child no.2 she still produces amazing food and has the energy to invite a shed load of people round to hers for a cookie swap, despite the fact she'd just (literally) had the house renovated. They (the builders) were probably just packing their van up as guests arrived, you know what these hormones can do to you. She makes me feel old, I'm not - I think I'm just jealous of her energy!

Anyway, Aimee recently asked me some questions as part of her regular feature Foodie Facebook, you can click the following for her interview with me... If you don't fancy that, then do still check out the blog as she posts some fantastic recipes and great pics.

Things might be a bit slack around here. Christmas Plays, Christmas Fair, Great Nanny fell and broke her hip in three places over the weekend, sent her LALA, blue mice laying eggs in her mouth?? Thankfully I think the LALA was just shock as her mind sort of seems back to normal. Lots of hospital visits, but hoping she's going to mend fast as it is Christmas in less than two weeks! I think you probably knew that already.

Thursday 6 December 2007

Peabody's Housewarming

What do you take to a housewarming when the hostess far outstrips your own culinary skills? Well, you can run scared and not bother going or you could just have some fun with the children and make a storyboard of cookies. You'll have to excuse our photos, as per usual we were running late, and despite having in mind what we would bring we still almost didn't make it in time.
The lovely Peabody, We hope your new home is a happy one.

Where the dog always has a juicy bone,

the stars shine brightly on your garden,

your visitors are always cheerful,

and you get to build a snowman whenever you want to...

Warmest wishes for your new home and housewarming party.

Tuesday 4 December 2007

How to waste time for a good cause...

CLICK on FreeRice.com - What am I saying?! For someone whose up to their eyes in preparations for Christmas, which include craft making for the School Christmas Fair, making bits for a shepherd costume (WHAT - he's not Joseph?!), on-line shopping for the ugly amount of Christmas presents for those I love, making homemade things to send to those who participated in our Pay it Forward, looking away from child trying to twist yet another loose tooth out of his mouth so that he can fleece the tooth fairy yet again. That and everything else that goes with the festive season (quick breathe!) I should not be suggesting that people go on-line to play games. However, this is all for a good cause and spending time playing this totally addictive game felt great. I know one would have to play it for a very long time to donate enough rice for even a small family to eat well but, well, you know...

FreeRice.com It's a simple concept. Play a word game on-line. Advertisers pay money. Freerice donates free rice. The game : they give you a word and a few different meanings. You have to click on the correct meaning of the word. For each word you get right they donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. I'm really sorry if you've got more important things to do, you can't hold me responsible for the amount of time you spend playing.

Please PLEASE click Frequently Asked Questions for some insightful information about the game but more importanly about world hunger. You can also click on their sister site Poverty.com - all really important stuff.

Thanks to Jenny at All Things Edible for posting about this on the Daring Bakers blog. I was very impressed with my word knowledge!! My best level was 40 - not bad at all. Edit: I'm now up to level 41. That half hour sure went fast and with nigh on 4000 grains of rice donated. All together now sing "I feel good!"

It gives a warning on the site that the game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance, and (more).

Just as I'd finished writing this post, the tooth twister has pulled yet another tooth out. The Tooth Fairy will be bankrupt at this rate!

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