Be a parsnip

  Didnt manage to get the linky to work last week, no idea why but this week is not the week to sort it out. If you work at a Higher Education institute in the UK, you'll know all about registration week and the fun it brings. Which means its the busiest time of the year and I have a cold for this week which makes it 10 times worse. Anyway with that in mind, meals this week are on the easy rating. Monday : Pizza Tuesday : Leftover lasagne/ Spag Bol Wednesday : Lamb Koftas  (my recipe can be found here ) Thursday : Cheese and Potato Pie with beans Friday : Chinese takeaway I think - its payday I've organised drinks out after the week of hell and its meant to be my turn to cook so I think I'll go for the easy option.     Ffi

Summer is definitely leaving us in Wales this week and Autumn has planted her feet. So due to that I've been making soup.  So far I've made carrot and cumin (above right), broccoli (not pictured) and an easy homemade tomato soup today (above left)  which pairs perfectly with cheese on toast. I also have a cold so the soup is really yummy. I'm hoping that by making soup I'm also saving on money for lunches.  I have loads of others I want to make and Carys has asked that we make cawl at some point.  Ffi

 Its turning gray here in Wales, not a lovely autumn as yet but one of rain and more rain. So as it has gotten gray and colder (although not cold enough for the heating to go on just yet)  I do try and make my work day cheerful. Im back in my DMs (although I do need new shoes and am looking for a winter sturdy shoe or boot that I can walk in and that will be ok with jeans and you know a dress if needed) and my skirts so my tights are out again. I have a huge tight collection - their not boring ones either - oh no I have a rainbow of colour in my collection. Here are a few I've worn over the last week when I told one of the academics that I work with that I could definitely go a few weeks with different tights:     I am continuing with the bright tights next week and I've been double dog dared to wear my bright red and green ones next week - yes that's right one leg red and one leg green. All my tights are snag tights * and they are fab if you too fancy a splash o...

      The time for going back to university  is upon us. Afon will be returning to their second year in Cardiff on  Saturday and then it will be just me and Carys again.  Life will change to our new normal. Hopefully this year it wont affect Carys as much as it did last year. It's going to be a big year for Carys anyway because its GCSE year so I'm hoping that we will both settle into this life easier this time. Its quite heart wrenching to think that at some point in the next three years, there might not be anyone left in the house. And it will just be me. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LIFE WILL THEN BE Yep, that needed  capital letters because honestly the thought of not one of them here scares me. It'll be me on my own in the house, rattling around in it. I'm defineltely going to have to save money and go on more holidays etc on my own or with J who knows what the future will hold Ffi

 In my old blogging as a mummy blogger days, there was a blog called At Home with Mrs M which doesnt exist anymore (it seems to have been taken over by something weird I looked) and she used to have a meal planning linky. I loved doing a good linky so I've got one below if you fancy it!. The other blogger who is still around who used to meal plan and post them is The Diary of a Frugal Family . She has a great explanation of why Meal Planning is a good idea and with this now being the year of the cozzy livs (the kids will kill me for that you know cost of living crisis) I do still try and Meal Plan, I find it easier to know what we are eating throughout the week and with Afon going back to uni next week and finally having a working oven (woohooo) I thought I'd share with you this week's meal plan.  Monday - Chicken Biryani - I love making this when I have leftover Roast Chicken, its a favourite family dish and so easy to make Tuesday - Pasta - after my air fryer life I think...

 I'm trying really hard to have some phone free time of an evening. Some time that isnt spent playing a game or reading on my kindle. I never used to be bad on my phone but I think it's getting worse with the fact that I play lots of silly games on my phone but it doesnt help you switch off or sleep. So as Carys had a random bag of wool from an art project, I've stolen some and am knitting. Now I'm not the best knitter and I had to get Carys to buy me needles (which are a bit on the thick side so I must go into town and get some more but they will do for now) I've no idea what I'm knitting and its got both a hole and a dropped stich as well as having more than when I started! But it makes me happy - its also only done in knit because I'm not 100% sure how to purl. My mum used to knit but she was fab and was known for knitting outrageous patterned jumpers which I'm going to have to go and ask my godmother if she has any pictures of. But it was the 80s so ...

 Earlier this month, I blogged about the mystery gift and now I've been on it and come back from it I thought I'd share where I went with you all. 6th Septemeber 2023 Got up and left the house as close to 7.30 as we could and set out on our adventure. I still had no idea where we were going but when he mentioned greggs for breakfast I knew we were heading south. I'd been told to dress smart (which was very confusing)   Anyway, as we ventured further down the M4, I was getting more and more confused,éspecially as we passed the signs towards Gloucester, Hereford, The Cotswolds . We then headed over the bridge and with our 3 hour travel limit coming to an end , there were two choices left: Bristol or Bath. At this point, I had to ask and was told Bath. Now, I've never been to Bath before and really couldnt work out what I was doing but I was spoilt, We had a day out at the races (that explains the dress) and it is something I've always wanted to do.  I would definielt...

I know how to write what I feel and get the random shit out. I've done this here or in other forms over the years. But writing an academic blog. That is really bloody hard.  I had to buy sweets just to get throught it  Plus I havent hit the word count. And I have run out of words and it's due in at 12.  I'm probably going to submit as is  I need to rejig the references but then its going in.

I have always read  since a little girl. Head in book , in those days probably Enid Blyton and the Famous Five or Mallory Towers..you know books that had more than one by the same author..  Well it seems I still like collecting all the books by authors I like I decided to sort out my bookshelf the other day becuase it needed doing and .. well um... This is one of two in my room and its full of books by the following authors , number of books I have and then the number they have actually written in brackets:   Kathy Reichs - 12 (28) Karin Slaughter- 10 (24) Ian Rankin - 18 (25) Jeffrey Deaver - 20 (30) Sebastian Faulks 7 (23) Sue Grafton - 12 (25 in the series Not doing too bad to keep the authors going. I thought Rankin had finished writing so I need to see which ones I dont have. I've already ordered two more Grafton ones becuase I thought I had more. This series is probably one I go back to time and time again and is the alphabet series. Unfortunately s...

On my birthday one of the gifts I got from J was this. A mystery night away. J always says he's bad at gifts but he is not. Last year I got a golden ticket for a night away and comedy and it was fab. Friends have commented that they couldn't cope with the suprise and how do I know what to pack etc. Me, I'm really looking forward to it but he does have me completely stumped.  I've managed to get a few clues yesterday which aren't making things any easier: 1) It's 3 hours away - I googled this and there are loads of places 3hrs away from here so it doesn't help. 2) Wear something smart -   this was in response to what should I pack and has stumped me.  3) We will have time to look around there on the Thursday - yeah thanks for that, no idea where there is. So yes, I'm completely stumped and intrigued and looking forward to my treat with J. Wherever it is it will be fab.  Ffi