Good morning Wednesday

[JoM]

Good afternoon all, I've finally managed to get properly online. I've only managed quick browses on Facebook since we got back.

Mother in law has finally gone so we're fully back normal now. I find it so difficult when she's here, she just sits around watching TV and drinking tea so you feel like you have to try and keep her entertained, but the worst is food. She has a really dreadful diet. Before we went away I did some shopping for her so that there was plenty of food in for her. I asked what she liked, what she ate at home, and she just wanted frozen pizzas and oven chips. In the time she's been here she's used a bag and a half of sugar in her tea (she has 3 spoons per cup), none of us take sugar so I know it's just her who's used it. If I cook anything, she eats a few mouthfuls and the rest just gets pushed around the plate and everything gets coated in salt. I filled the salt cellar up before we went and that was empty when we got home. I made a lovely Cajun pasta dish on Monday night, not too spicy but with a lovely taste, and she even put a load of salt on that. It's a worry really, she's got all the time in the world to cook herself a decent meal (and could batch cook) but she has no interest in doing so. I know it's not ideal when you're on your own but on here we see Frank and Saundra feeding themselves well. I always remember when John was still at home though and he used to love coming to our house for proper dinners as it was always chips with something at his house.
I told her to help herself to anything she fancied and the veg in the fridge has gone untouched, as has the fruit in the bowl. She doesn't actually buy fruit though so there's no surprise there I suppose.

It was cold first thing when I took Billy out, we had a frost. It's a beautiful bright day though and I'll take him out again shortly. I've got bedding and towels out on the line Kaz, it's breezier than it was earlier though so hopefully it might dry.

Have a good day all!

[Ally]

Gosh that's a lot of salt and sugar in her diet Jo!

Why would you put salt on a Cajun dish?

[saundra]

Welcome back jo
Back to normal soon enough thou
I'm really glad you had a good holiday
I'm not defending your mil but it is hard at times to get motivated at times to cook
Have to say in summer I tend to have jacket potato or sarnie or light stuff
I like winter best and use the slow cooker

Tonight it's ,curry and rice
Ps don't like pizza or burgers lol don't buy sugar either

[JoM]

It's a shocking amount Ally - she's actually cut down on sugar as she used to have four spoonfuls in her tea I went to make her a cuppa on Sunday night and there was only a spoonful left in the canister so I had to quickly run to the Co-op just as it was closing to get another bag.

You seem to cook some lovely meals Saundra. I know what you mean though but even if she has a reason to cook, like when she has visitors, it's frozen pizzas or cheese rolls. I made a stew in the slow cooker when she came earlier in the year, John said she'd enjoy that. She heavily salted it, ate the beef and left everything else.

[saundra]

No hope there then jo

[Kaz]

Doreen batch cooks for the freezer - stews in the slow cooker, mini cottage pies, that sort of thing, but she does say it's an effort when there is nobody else to enjoy it with, and like you Saundra she often just has a jacket spud with something, or even something on toast. Your MiL will get ill on that lot though Jo!

I've been out in the lovely sunshine, really chilly though! I saw my client, then got the bus into the Quays, had a cuppa, bought a few Christmas wrappings and such from the M&S Outlet on 3 for 2, then got the bus home. I've had a painful tum all afternoon so am not going to zumba tonight. Emma can't go either, so I don't feel guilty for letting her down anyway

I'm doing fish in sauce and veggies for Mick and Becky, but will have soup I think, if anything!

[Osc]

Evening We went out quite early heading for a shopping centre with M&S, as we both wanted jeans (sort of forgot it was midterm break ). We got caught up in some traffic delay so eventually I turned around and went by another route. We got our jeans and did our food shop - in a supermarket other than Lidl, which is also supposed to be economical but we were at the bill. Still had to stop off in Lidl on the way home to get Michael's preferred sausages We also had a good mooch around TK Maxx, guess what Di, I bought a dress Well it was only €18 and fitted nicely so it would have been rude to leave it there Welcome back Jo, looks like you had a brilliant time. I'm at your MIL's diet, and sounds like it isn't just down to being on her own, but more the way she has always eaten.

[Diflower]

Evening all

Osc absolutely, you were doing them a favour by buying it
Jo there is no helping some people, and if it's as she's always been, best leave her to it rather than worry.

I had a lovely outing, it's a New Forest food and drink event all week, and today was a 'thing' at the Drift, which is where they auction the ponies twice a year.
It's 10 miles away, which surprised me as it's such an easy drive, ten miles of just beautiful, stunning Forest, wide open views with acres of trees and scrub, and miles and miles of sky, it was truly breathtaking on such a gorgeous day
Anyway, once there, there was an interesting talk by one of the agisters ( they look after the Forest and check the animals), with some cute donkeys to look at, and food stalls, which I looked at but didn't partake
Friday the pop-up farm shop is open for an extra day so I shall go there as I missed October's opening (it was the day we arrived home), and Sunday a big local food producers' market at Brockenhurst.

Also did some batch cooking myself, made a nice big pot of Bolognese, tonight's dinner plus two lots for the freezer

Oh yes, and Waitrose, if you have one, have their bags of soup mixtures on offer for £1. They're good value, make a huge pot, I got a veg with kale and pearl barley which will suit tomorrow's fast day a treat
x