Soop's Special Kitcheners

Sorry to be so late. Have been doing the usual ironing for my pal. The roads were bad this morning - we passed an upturned delivery van. A policeman was waving the traffic through. Then, we were told, that the road between our village and the next was dangerous. My pills were not waiting at the village shop, as predicted. MacSporran, bless his woolly socks, has motored to the surgery in order to pick them up. The tablet is the teeniest thing. I have in total seven different forms of medication to take each day. However, if I should miss the teeny tablet...I have awful (yell out loud) nightmares. Isn't that daft!

Anyway, Thank you for the lovely home-baked goodies. I'm in need of a few cups of tea. Any food will go down a treat.

Talking of food, when we last had lunch at the Royal, we enjoyed parsnip and ginger soup. Have any of you lot ever made it?

jane I'm delighted to hear that your cough has stopped. It must have been awfully painful especially with the dislocated jaw to contend with.

Agus Hic! nothing like a warming brandy to put a becoming flush on the cheeks.

dusty is your internet intermittent? Ditto. I'm ever so slightly ratty with the on-off connection. At least we haven't lost it all together. Sorry to hear about other problems that you're experiencing. If our power remains as it is...we'll be well pleased.

hilda Your father will be well cared for. Just take things at a steady pace. Goodness only knows how some families cope with clearing away a lifetime of hoarding. We're not too bad and have regular clear outs of unwanted clutter. In the case of a few of our own long-gone relatives it was a nightmare. My father arranged for a van to call and collect everything belonging to my late Nana. I was cross. She had very few items of value but, we, her granddaughters, would have appreciated a keepsake. It all seemed so disrespectful at the time.

Parsnip and ginger - I'm sure he will love to try that one and I have some parsnips in the freezer that need using up.

Thank you yes, it still aches but at least I don't have to sit and hold it in place when I eat now.

Definately time to get the soup pot out so today I made a huge pot of ham broth with.chunks of ham from two ham houghs.

DH asked if I was feeding the neighbours but I always make enough to pass some on to DD and GDs who love it.

I will leave some in the kitchen along with some crusty bread and as my Grandfather always said, this will stick to your ribs.

A dislocated jaw with a hacking cough sounds like a nightmare janer. Good to hear you are now on the mend.

jane Bless!

It is steadily getting very much darker and blustery. The sky is leaden. The sea is becoming more choppy. The ferry is still operating. I can hardly believe that so far we haven't lost power. Every time I log on to the internet, I hope to goodness that you lot are fine and dandy and not be inconvenienced.

Until tomorrow, take the best possible care of yourselves.

Very much thinking of you soop and all GNs up country as I watch the weather forecast, we're all so impotent against bad weather.
Here's a large Coffee and Walnut cake I made this afternoon, totally calorie free, to enjoy once all the hatches have been battened x

Came back from another exhausting trip to the Royal Free to find my dog letter-outer had also left a huge chunk of (real) coffee and pecan sponge. Yum! What a star-as is my neighbour, I simply could not find a parking space within a 20 minute walk of the station this morning. I always drop DH off first, then go and park, usually although it can be expensive, (£8) I can find a space 5-10 minutes gentle walk away, but after driving round and round for over 25 minutes I just "snapped," turned round, drove the 6 miles home and my dear neighbour drove me back to the station! We got a taxi home from the train tonight!
We have to do the same trip tomorrow for a Cardiology appointment but are taxi ing both ways, much less stressful for me!

What news from Bellasnana? Hoping things are not too awful for her.

Good luck today Soutra or, I hope it all went well! . What lovely neighbours you have!

Hoping more northerly kitcheners are ok! It looks a bit dire - weatherwise!

Sending love to Bella and anyone else who needs it!

I know we shouldn't discuss other threads but when I read ethel's moan about living alone and having nobody to go with her to appointments I realise what a huge difference good friends and neighbours make. The same neighbour sent round (via her DH) a plate of roast dinner on Sunday as she knew I was on my own and didn't have time to go to them for supper as I was due to visit DH in hospital.
That said I am more than happy to do things on my own as I always seem to meet interesting people!

Just popping in with some hot white warburtons toastie bread, dripping with lurpak, along with a large teapot which is brimming with Yorkshire Tea. I know, I ought to be bringing Lancashire tea as it's my home county but the Yorkshire tea is so good.

I've been on the sofa or in my bed for a couple of days, horrible head ache, aching muscles and a general feeling of no energy. It's so good to wake up feeling better. Oh dear - just looked out the window and we now have proper snow falling on the ice that formed overnight. Better get the doodle dogs out whilst we can still open the door.

What a thoughtful neighbour Soutra and I'm sure it works both ways and she appreciates you as a neighbour.

Sorry to hear you are having to do the same trip again tomorrow but I am pleased to hear you have decided to taxi there and back. You have been non stop since Friday and must be exhausted so I'm hoping tomorrow is the last of appointments for a while and you both have time to relax and catch your breath.

Feet up today

Winter draw(er)s on I think!

I'm afraid it's London today then we have a lovely cousin from Edinburgh coming for a couple of nights (spare room all ready) she is lovely, so no "sweat" but the feet won't go up properly until Saturday afternoon

A chilly, blowy, wintery good morning to all my lovely Granspals.

Soutra You cope so well in spite of all the frustrations that are very much a part of your life at the moment. I hope to goodness that I shall also find the extra resources to manage the lengthy journeys and such (when MacS starts his treatment). He will need to have therapy in a Glasgow hospital together with monitoring of the aortic aneurysm in another location. However, we have a little time yet in which to gird our loins, so to speak. To have a helpful neighbour, is a huge bonus. I'm certain that, should she need support, you will be there for her. We also are blest with very kind neighbours.

Now, who is it that is making my mouth water. Toast and butter, coffee and walnut cake... I would so love some right this minute. Our friend gave us several slices of dark chocolate cake yesterday. I am determined not to indulge my fantasies. The reason being...I've started to use the exercise bike after a rather long "holiday" from it. I keep thinking...no pain no gain.

Iam64 please take care. I trust that you are able to snuggle up on the sofa and take things easy. There are a few very nasty bugs around right now. I'm hoping that MacS doesn't succumb. The haematologist would rather he remains as germ-free as possible right now.

loopylou Thank you for caring for us lot north of the border. Take care and, if you're certain that the cake is calorie free...I'll help you to eat it. It would be such a shame to let it go to waist waste.

soop

What, no snow?

I made a very hard decision today!

I threw chocolates and biscuits in the bin. Decided my coffin is the same shape as the washing machine box I had delivered at Xmas.

It's no fun being an obese elf you know. . X

POGS !
I so admire your self control! Still have Panettone to eat, too good to waste, but know while it sits there I'll be tempted to pig scoff the lot

Well thank goodness you got the date right Soutra (must remember to check date of posts Agus)

Nice to hear your cousin is visiting, I'm sure she will be a tonic. Roll on Saturday afternoon.

soop I am sure you have plenty of good friends and neighbours who will be there for you both. How could it possibly be otherwise for Mr & Mrs soop-MacSporran plus, all your Granspals . pop these in the kitchen for a little bit of cheer.

Feet up for you too Iam64 don't go overdoing it too soon.

loopylou

You are amazed at my self control!

I'm blooming gob smacked. I even made sure by spilling the contents of my kitchen bin on top of them.

I hope I don't find myself eating chocolate digestives covered with sprouts and gravy later.

[GRIN] POGS

loopylou I understand that Panettone makes a wonderful bread and butter pudding. I wish... with lots of thick yellow custard.

I've had a half of little gem lettuce with some oily fish and an apple. I have also managed to spill my tea and the desk top needs immediate attention. Mucky mare!

A request from someone who helps at a foodbank for any in-date food that people have left from Christmas that they are not going to eat - so that unopened box of chocs is going in there, together with packets of biscuits.

However, sending the panettone is a step too far. I would like to try the bread and butter pudding - if it is wonderful I will just have a small spoonful and then send the rest in for all of you.
Carrot and lentil soup for lunch but the pounds still seem to be going on.

Good wishes to everyone who is going through troubled times and I hope things improve this year

So Panettone bread and butter pudding it is! Hope Soopers are hungry?

roseq

I whole heartedly take your point re food but none of mine were not unopened.

It's good to be able to come in the kitchen and scoff all this cake and buttered toast, when we're all trying hard not to in real life!
I've put two tins of chocolate biscuits and half a box of liquor (sp?) chocs under the spare bed!
Am eating vast amounts of vegetables and I haven't missed the chocolate at all.

Soutra your neighbour sounds lovely. Roll on Saturday afternoon
Iam64 Glad you're feeling better not snow!

I'm going to sit by the fire for a while so give me a poke if I nod off.

Iam64, I know just how you`ve been feeling, cos that`s been me for the last few days, including a poorly tum and no sleep for 3 nights! Feeling suddenly much better since last night, so I didn`t set my alarm last night, and overslept this morning, didn`t wake up till 10.30, and Asda were due to deliver at 11am! Had to answer the door in my nightie and dressing gown!
I do so admire all you brave, gutsy people who can bear to throw all those goodies away, chocolate doesn`t tempt me too much these days, but I couldn`t bear to chuck out cake or nuts, I love them far too much!
My grandson turned up this morning, after getting up early to take his girlfriend to work, and he promptly fell asleep on my sofa, snoring fit to wake the dead! 3 hours later, he woke up and left to get ready for work.

Well, (huge sigh of relief) Dad got into the car and went to the care home without any fuss at all. It wasn't until I had to go back to his house for something we had forgotten that he asked when he was going home. My sister explained everything to him again,and he had a little wobble. He went off for lunch and seemed happier when he returned to his room, although he did threaten to spank us all with his walking stick. We left him fairly happy in his new room. I am going to visit him on Sunday. I will be the first visitor! We'll see!!!