Soup by the Slice

I am still a cough monster, despite the wonderful good wishes.  However, moving on, I managed some home made soup. 

I washed and peeled some of the veggies from the delivery last week and chopped them into chunks.  I was running short of time, so I dumped them into the pot with some of the lazy garlic, curry powder, water, stock cubes and a dash of oil.  I also added something I was trying for the first time.  I had gone out on a limb and bought some rice and lentils mixed to make a complete protein.  They are normally marketed at vegans, and while I am not vegan, I am not ashamed to take advantage of a good idea either.  Apparently lentils don't have complete protein in them.  You need to eat legumes (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans etc) with a grain (wheat, rice, barley, rye etc) to get the complete thingies that make up a protein.  Do not take this as absolute fact, and do your own research, but I'm fairly confident that this is an issue.  I added some of this mix to the veggies (which, by the way, may have been the end of last year's crop and pretty bendy, but they were so much tastier still than the supermarket version).  When I blended it up, it was a little thicker than I wanted, but I didn't have time to add water as I had to rush out to get bear from his house drama. 

Bear and DH loved it.  They wanted it again, please, quite soon, and could I make sure to freeze the leftovers, thank you so much, mother.  However DH said that he couldn't permit me to call it soup when it could be sliced, so it's tentatively called curry.  And now I need to pick up some more labels as I have stashed the 'curry' in the freezer but I didn't label it, and I used the same reusable boxes for both the standard soup with butternut squash and this which was more carrot, onion and parsnip.  They will both get eaten, however, so that is something.  And I can't call it a proper curry.  I'm going for spicy stew-type thing, but it's not as catchy.

Writing stuff - I am getting to be a regular at posting a little flash fiction and this week's offering is here. 

Photo by Kara Eads on Unsplash

Another Day, Another Cough

Wherethejourneytakesme - my grandmother always had a pinny, but just around the waist.  I splash when cleaning so one that covers my upper storey is a must.

justjill - it is gorgeous stuff, and not just the usual run of the mill clothes.  I love their tunics, they look beautifully cut.

Sharon - thank you - I think I need it. 

The house is getting worse and my subscribe and save order from Amazon came today, which means I am once again knee deep in cardboard.  Also I watched the latest episode of the Great British Sewing Bee and really enjoyed it.  The judges are quite kind but when you see them prowling up and down, missing nothing, you realise that they really are exacting when they come to standards.  They remind me of the best kind of teachers.

Tomorrow I need to collect bear from school.  I will have to cough to the bus stop, cough for the bus journey, wait in the supermarket cafe for whenever bear deigns to exit school and then either cough all the way back in the bus or (more likely) pay a ridiculous amount for a taxi to get bear home in any time for bed.  It's something to do with House Drama.  Now you know as much as I do.  The sooner I pass my test the better. 

Mind you, I'm proud of bear as he ran a few miles today.  He left school and then ran along a shortcut and intercepted the bus route, getting the same bus he would have got if he had got it outside school but as the bus went all around the different estates, bear got some good exercise in.  I'm proud of him. 

I Have an Apron!

I should say I don't get sponsorship or payment or anything from links on here.  I'm trying to set it up on my other blogs, but any link on this blog is just because it's part of the post and I don't get anything from it, except possibly a smug feeling if I'm sharing a bargain.

Image from SeaSalt Cornwall

It isn't joined up at the back, so it's flexible on size.  I am what may be called a 'fuller figure' (I am grossly overweight) and even allowing for being overweight, I am seriously top heavy.  I haven't found a comfy apron since I got boobs.  This gives me coverage!  Shorter ladies may need to hem it and slimmer ladies may find it hangs, but for me it is the best thing ever.  It was not inexpensive but it is heavy weight cotton and nicely finished and I love it.  I can see myself saving my pennies and spending my clothing budget on Sea Salt stuff as it's the sort of stuff I love and in the colours I like - but unfortunately a lot more expensive than my normal purchases.  Also, I rang up to ask questions before I bought and they were lovely and so helpful and very patient.  

That was the highlight of my day.  I still have a cough and I'm not sure I'm fully in touch with reality, but I have an apron.  Apparently aprons were originally called 'naprons' in the same way as squares of cloth at the dinner table are called napkins, but there was a confusion over the rule of 'an' before a vowel and it shifted.  I should keep taking the antibiotics.    

Writing stuff - I've managed a book review.  I was chatting with the author and thought I would review her book and I really enjoyed it, so I reviewed 'The Ring and the Coin Purse' by Marianne Madson here.  That is a page that may eventually get me commission if you click on links, but I haven't worked out how to do that yet.  

Too Much Imagination

I have far too much imagination to be sensible.  Most of the time I enjoy it, but sometimes I regret it utterly.  I also know a lot of random facts which, again, is enjoyable most of the time but can be inconvenient.

I went back to the doctor and he gave me a different type of antibiotic.  I googled to see what the side effects were as the label was alarming and I found that not only was this antibiotic used to treat coughs, but also the plague.  I would have felt more comfortable if the doctor in question hadn't been obviously following an flow chart and making paper notes. 

Plague is still kicking around.  There are usually a few cases in the US every year and lots in Madagascar.  It's easily treated if diagnosed early - usually by the antibiotics I am currently taking. 

However, if you are looking for a story (and I love stories) then I recently bought some Yak yarn (yarn that is at least 25% yak hair) from China.  The evidence from the epidemic that hit Europe between 1347 and 1351 shows that the original bacteria could possibly be traced to marmots on the Mongolian steppe - which is quite close to China and where you could possibly find yaks.  Studies show that the plague bacteria can live in textiles for up to forty days (quarantine came from the Italian for forty days as the Venetians used to make the silk merchants wait forty days before unloading their textiles, just in case).  Theoretically, I could have imported the plague!

Except of course I haven't.  The yarn has been out and about for longer than forty days, I'm not showing the symptoms and I sincerely doubt that bacteria would have migrated to the yarn and then survived the dyeing, spinning and packaging process before taking a loooong time in shipping.  If plague was going to come in with an import then I think Madagascan vanilla would be a better bet, depending on how it was packed (I don't think the bacteria can live on vanilla pods, but perhaps it could survive on sacking).  But it makes a great (if implausible) story. 

I think I may be affected by the temperature I'm running. 

Did It!

Bear is ready for tomorrow with his uniform ready (tie and blazer dry cleaned and it has made a lot of difference), all games kit packed, including both football socks (it was touch and go for a while), and he assures me that the homework is under control (I have severe doubts, but I'll let him get on with it).  The bus timetable has changed, and bear is far more in control of the situation than I am. 

Cough continues severe.  I've set bear up with some breakfast ready and I plan to sleep in.  DH will see him in the morning - I won't let bear go out the house without someone telling him that he has to come home safe. 

Hugs to everyone!

Away with the Fairies

I've been running a temperature all day.  It's been great for creativity.  Fortunately bear and DH have been out for most of the day, so I have coughed, drank lots of liquid and allowed myself to drift a little. 

Tomorrow I have to pull myself together, as bear has school on Monday.  I asked him about his homework.  He said he would do it tomorrow.  In other words, the mental breakdown and hysteria that I asked him to avoid when we discussed homework is about to break.  I am more or less up to speed on washing and I have found both of bear's football socks, but I'm not sure about football boots. 

On the bright side, bear has been discussing his plans to walk home, at least part of the way, which will be great exercise.  We have been talking over maps and possibilities and, when and if I finally pass the dratted test and get an inexpensive car, I can see me picking up kids from random places.  Mind you, I was expecting that.  Bear is very nearly almost a teenager and I am resigned to being chauffeur in chief.  All I need to do is pass my test and master my fear of car parks.

Interestingly, one of the possible manoeuvres in a test is to park in a bay.  If I am chatting about something else I can sweep in without a problem.  If I try and aim then I look like a dreadful warning about how not to park.  I've been really careful not to park near cars, but I think I won't have the luxury of that in the future. 

Thank you for all the good wishes.  It is much appreciated. 

Up to my Neck in Veggies

Today I had two deliveries.  One was from Muscle Food.  I haven't investigated that properly, but it looks very nice and I'll see how I go with it.  The food arrived fine, packed with ice packs, so it's now down to how well I use the stuff. 

The other was a veg box.  This is not the best time of year for local veg boxes, but bear very much approves of soup (lots of garlic, curry powder and lentils mean that the veggies go down well with plenty of nutrition).  Of course, this was ordered before I realised exactly how packed my freezer was.  So I have a load of stuff like this, plus a back of prepared casserole veg, and no freezer space to take the soups!

There is also plenty of tomatoes (bear suggested soup), a cucumber and sweet pepper and I also picked up a fruit box.  This is what it looks like after bear.

Bear has already eaten two pears, two apples, an orange, a mango and disposed of two grapefruit (he didn't actually eat much of the grapefruit, and he utterly rejected grapefruit juice, but the grapefruit aren't here any more).  He didn't approve of the avocado, either, but he sliced it up with aplomb.  The pineapple and bananas are under-ripe, which means that poor bear will be reduced to some more oranges, apples and pears until they are fit. 

I am sure bear will go off soup soon, but until he does, it's a wonderful way to get nutrition into him! 

kate - I'm glad I am not looking at taking a test when I am not only pregnant but two weeks overdue!  I completely admire your courage doing that!  My lovely instructor has booked me in for the end of March, but just past 8am.  I shall be hitting the school run, which will be a nuisance, but it could be worse.  And thank you to everyone for the good wishes and encouragement.  I really appreciate it, even if I don't always write it, and I certainly needed the hugs after this latest fail. 

My cough has come back and I'm feeling very uncomfortable at a time when I need to be getting active with all the food delivered.  Bear and DH are out tomorrow so I may take it as a duvet day before worrying what I'm going to do with miscellaneous carrots.