Christmas Stash and Food

Our Jamie Oliver Turkey and Leek pie with chestnut puff pastry. Very nice..although Dan wouldn't eat it as it has veg in it!

Just finished reading this book which was Brill!! Have the Micheal McIntyre Book to read next.

I had four CD's..i asked for one - Plan B but also got , The black eyed peas, Take that and a triple pack of Prince's greats hits.

I have enough chocolate to bath in ..don't expect to see me slim anytime soon! Or Ever!!

Still no crafting done yet ..my craft table is still being used for food :( ...not that i feel much like cooking at the mo. Just omelet for tea tonight .

Love Soojay xx

My Favorite bit of Christmas..........Boxing day!

These photos were taken yesterday..of course! Meg was very excited :)

A heat pack teddy :)

Derek has wanted a bird table for a little while now and as the school's "Eco warrior" I thought we ought to have one.

He wore this all day! LOL.

As I said before, i am not the biggest fan of Christmas. I miss my mum and dad and family..we used to have everyone round when the children were little. There is too much "stuff" to do and buy. Yesterday was great, everyone was happy with what they got ..there were no iPod's or real big presents but thats what birthdays are for :)

The meal was lovely and for once I actually enjoyed it - its not always so good when you do all the cooking. We always eat late now as no one is that hungry at lunchtime.

Today we are having left over turkey for tea made the Jamie Oliver way Dan won't like it as it involves veg so he can have something else.

Hope you all survived Christmas and don't have to rush back to work too soon - Derek is back tonight .

Love Soojay xx

Starting to feel like Christmas.

The tree had to be Squeezed into the corner i am afraid. Our living room is a little on the small side. Its okay though and i bought some chocs to pop on it today...if i put them on too soon, they disappear long before Christmas day.

Finally got round to making Cinnamon Buns. I made 14 all together but there are none left! Even Dan ate two and hates nuts! They definitely tasted better than they looked.

A rare photo of Natalie NOT pulling a funny face. We took her to her placement Christmas dinner today and after we dropped her off, managed to get some shopping done. She had a great time and was laden down with raffle prizes she won when we picked her up.

My own personal Santa. He is a nutter who loves to go shopping on Christmas Eve!! Rather him than me! Mind you he does tend to get MY pressies then..so i shall send him with a long list...keep your fingers crossed that he comes back with "Plan B's" CD :)

Love Soojay xxx

12 Years

Miss You Mum x

First batch

of mince pies. Served warm with .......

This :)

Love Soojay xxx

Christmas Meals

Two down :)

I can recommend the Beacons field Arms in Occold ( Thursday night with the non teaching staff ). where I bumped into little sis, also out for a meal :)

And, Fayre View in Diss where i went with my carer friend this after noon. I really don't feel like ironing school clothes and cooking tea now .. a little nap would be preferable.

Two more to go to next week , Tues Lunchtime with my boss and Thursday Evening with the SEN staff. Also School Carol service on Monday night..I have been listening to the choir practice at lunchtimes and they sound brill!

We all break up at various times on Friday ..Even Derek has all of Christmas week off :)

I am still manically making Christmas cards ..i never make enough but have bought a load this year too.

Righty oh..best go cook, iron ,clean and nag ( but not necessarily in that order ;))

Love Soojay xxx

Clothes Show

Sorry for lack of photos! The show was great and i din't want to miss it by trying to get a good shot! The theme was film genre's and ended with the dirty dancing sequence.

I ought to have taken photos inside the halls of all the great stuff on sale but to be honest i was too busy shopping :) ..Maybe next time.

Off out to my first Christmas meal with staff tonight. Only got an hour and a bit to get ready, so i'd better get a move on!!

Love Soojay xx

Still at Work

Not now of course! But so far we have remained open. The Children would rather we closed for a snow day but have managed to make snowmen and snow balls at break and lunch.

These were taken at 8.30 this morning when I arrived. Looks pretty doesn't it? I have to say it has been quite warm in school - certainly where I work.

Dan couldn't get into college this morning and Meg's school closed slightly earlier than normal. Derek on the other hand was VERY late home from work as Ipswich was a mess ( traffic wise) this morning.

I had a nice Email saying that my order of Eclipse has been dispatched...come Mr Postman :)

Hope everyone is warm and cozy at home.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Love Soojay xx

That M and M advert

The one with the minced beef pies. Derek was saying they looked really nice..."Could you make something like that?" Well...yes. I made a big family one and this is all thats left to photograph!

For dessert Bill Granger's Chocolate cake ( but half the ingredients as its enormous otherwise)

Also added a tea spoon of coffee powder to the cake and frosting - after watching 'The Barefoot Contessa' this morning. She says that the addition of coffee to a chocolate cake makes the chocolate taste so much better.......didn't think you COULD improve on Choc , but i'll give it a go :)

Looks Yummy eh? The kids haven't seen it yet. It won't look like this for long!

Left of pastry turned into packed lunch snacks of sliced baby tomatoes and cheese. Not THAT attractive ( I was cooking tea at the time) but yummy and i get bored with sandwiches.

Right keep warm. back Soon

Love Soojay xx

Little Rant!

It really Is a little rant ..but ...needed atm.

Rubbish day at work, really busy , no time to eat lunch let alone go to the loo..felt like i got nothing done.

After tea i decide to chill out and get ahead of the game for once..a bit of scrapping and card making. End up spending ages looking for stuff i can't find :( My craft room is in SUCH a mess!! Need to be tidied at the weekend.

In the midst of this Nats comes back from the girls group she attends on a Monday night and says that Pat needs me ASAP ( i am in my jammies ) ..I find a coat ( its Daniels ) pop it on and go to the front door. Her daughter has had a fit and she needs me to follow her her in my car and help her get Maxine into the house. Derek is playing on the xBox and ignoring all this! So i get in my car , drive round to Pats help Pat get daughter into house and into bed. Maxine is fine now and sleeping. I drive home and Derek is STILL on Xbox. Nats tells me that Gladys the fabulous woman from MENCAP who used to organize all the trips in the summer has died of cancer :( :(

So feeling a bit fed up.

At least they have all gone to bed to leave me in peace for a bit ..mind you its almost my bedtime now....Where did the day go to?!

Here's to a better day tomorrow.

Love Soojay xx

Baking Day

Sausage plait for tea..an extra large one with apricots ( so there is some left over for packed lunch tomorrow :).

Banana and choc muffins..already half gone so I will need to hide up the rest to pop into packed lunches. There is also an extra large chocolate cake cooking at the moment. I have new tins and never made one as big as this before so cross your fingers!

A busy week ahead. I am taking Meg to look around the local nursery where she will be doing work experience in a couple of weeks time.

She also has a diabetic appointment and her flue jab on Thursday but thankfully Derek will take her as he is off.

Love Soojay xx

Photography Field Trip

I was lucky enough to take a pupil along with some yr 10's to Thornham Woods with their photography teacher on a field trip today. There was a lovely gallery to look round. I got invited to a paper making/book binding course on Friday. Unfortunately I will be at work :(

After a talk and look around the gallery, we went for a walk. It brought back lots of happy memories of when I used to stay there in the Summer time on Scrapbook retreats.

The pupils were given certain criteria for their photographs: Each time they stopped, to photograph their feet, straight up, panoramic views, a worms view and close ups of texture.

Of course I took my camera and played along too. It was great fun.

Here are some of the photos that i like.

They don't really need any explanation.

I am pleased with this one.

LOL Our feet - I said i did as they were told!

This is my favorite of the 158 that i took.

A little too much sun on this one.

Another fav.

I have a very mediocre camera and only an hours training with Kirsty Wiseman about four years ago. So, I don't think i did too badly :)

Love Soojay xxx

A Whole Week gone!

The retreat was totally amazing and as always went way too fast. I took hardly any photos at all BUT managed to complete 99% of my classes. They will be uploaded on to my other blog ( in time).

At the moment i am not on line much as while at work this week, Derek phoned to say the PC smelt of burning :(

Time to get it sorted.

Not sure how long it will be but i will be back!

Until then

Take care

Love Soojay xxx

Getting Excited

Off on a retreat Here with ATDML and lots of fab friends.

I look forward to this every year as it is such a wonderful experience. This year I have the Friday off too- tried last year and ended up on a training course in London.

So, only one day left to work this week ...lots of packing and organizing to do though.

Love Soojay xxx

Yesterdays Tea

Corn And Bacon Chowder

ingredients

serves 4

75 g (3 oz) streaky bacon, rinded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
450 g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled and diced
225 g (8 oz) frozen sweetcorn
450 ml (3/4 pint) chicken stock
450 ml (3/4 pint) fresh milk
chopped parsley

method

1. Place the bacon in a non-stick pan and cook for 2 minutes- Drain off excess fat.

2. Add the onion potatoes, sweetcorn and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. In a blender or liquidiser place half of the vegetables and the liquid from the soup and blend until smooth.

4. Pour back into the pan with the remaining vegetables, add the milk and reheat without boiling. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Nice and simple ..though I did have to make something completely different for Dan as no way would he eat this! He had an omelet with bacon and cheese.

Homemade ciabatta bread.

They all liked that.

Followed by coconut /chocolate cake..none left!

Photos taken for a scrapbook page.

Love Soojay xxx

A Day In Croydon

Darling Steph looking tired and too thin but, much better than i expected :) Just after her trim.

As i expected , most of the photos with Rosie in, are too blurry to see. She isn't still for long LOL. She was a really good girl yesterday ...i KNOW i wouldn't have been ( or her mother) at that age!

A tiny bit disgusting while eating a jaffa cake though!

Aww.

Not a great photo of the moon though the car window on the way home. It was (in Rosie's words) really "awesome" last night.

Just before we went into the Dartford tunnel :)

Love Soojay xxx

And its half term!

At last!! The last couple of weeks have taken ages to get though. So much has been going on at work. I am not that good at this time of year and could quite easily hibernate till Spring or better still fly south.

Popping to see lovely Steph on Sunday , can't wait for a squeeze. I am cooking a couple of nice dishes to tempt her back to eating again ..sausage plait in the oven right now.

Apart from a bit of tidying and re organization, i have little plans for half term. Hopefully my other blog will fill up with lots of cards and projects that i get chance to do. I already have some ideas and if i let the kids............(kids!! teens) stay up late, they won't get up till at least lunchtime and i can have a peaceful morning :D

Catch you later

Love Soojay xxx

Another weekend is whizzing by!

I shall be happier next weekend as it will be the beginning of half term. Dan ( being at college has already started his!)

Hopefully this time next week my sisters and I will all be together at Stephs. It will be the first time we have seen her since the Summer and since she has finished her chemo and radio therapy. We all have instructions on what food to take :D. I need to get my pinny out to make a sausage plait and key lime pie ( the good thing is, i never make just one , so i will be leaving one of each for Derek and kids).

I am also taking scissors so she can have a tidy up- apparently the barber was quite scared last time she went.

I am begrudgingly starting to prepare for the "C" word! Already had invites to a couple of parties at school. Nat's has bought all her cards and has printed a list out. I have made one card so far LOL

Nothing exciting going on here at the mo. Just paying bills :( and trying to be more organised and tidy :( ..no fun at all!

Getting excited about ATDML retreat ....only three weeks to go .

Love Soojay xx

Cake!!

Not made by me

But he seems happy enough with it.

I did not let him eat too much ! LOL

Love Soojay xx

Beef Stew for tea

Veg for slow cooker.

And i am NOT cooking it ..yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Love Soojay xxx

Pre Party pics

I dyed Megs hair..she has been nagging for ages. She hated it at first but everyone ( who matters i.e. friends,) has loved it so she is coming round. Dan Asked me to spike his up before he disappeared. Its getting a little long for that , so a quick trim for him too.

The side view. Had a text a little while ago - they are having a great time.

Meg and Alice went off to a 16th "Angels and Demons" party

Hence the posing!

They looked stunning :)

Nutters!

LOL

And all ready to go.

As its just down the road , they walked . I did not drive them LOL.

I am picking them up later though .

Right need to cook tea for me and Nats.

Love Soojay xx