Soop's warm and welcoming kitchen for kindly folk...

Annsixty your meal sounds delicious. Scapa I'm sorry that you feel a bit sad. Sometimes the weight of memories can do that. I hope today is a better day for you. Brook nothing like your own bed! Aldi is a 5 minute walk away from me so it makes sense to go there. I get a Tesco delivery once a month to cover the items Aldi can't. And M &S is for high days and holidays!

I actually hardly got wet at all.
A dash to the taxi who dropped us off right by the front door of the restaurant although he was a surly blighter who we feel overcharged us.
The meal was lovely.
Courgette fritters with a mint yoghurt for me followed by duck breast with a superb black cherry and port reduction.
No pud for me, I was full but my friend had a strawberry pavlova.
I am pleased you are back safely Brook holidays are lovely but home is even better.
Found out today my expected GGC is a girl.
I don’t really believe in finding out beforehand as I feel after 9 months and then labour you are delighted with what you have but it is the modern way.
Secretly pleased as I have 4 GS’s and 2 GD’s but truly feel I won’t be very involved……it is as it is.
Have the best night you can everyone and sleep well.

Scapa sending ❤️

Good evening kitchen pals, we’re safely home now in Inverness and we’ve lots of rain here too. The ferry crossing was to Ullapool was ok, a bit choppy but not too bad and then just over an hours drive to Inverness. We’ve had a lovely time away but it’s always good to be home and back in our own bed with happy memories made
Shame about the weather for your bbq Jax hope it was still enjoyable. Well done to Imogen for volunteering for the park run
Your garden is lovely llfl, sad news about your friend 💐
I’ll be off to Aldi tomorrow grandmabatty, I usually shop at Tesco as it’s easier to park but there’s a growing list of things that I prefer from Aldi, so now we alternate between the two. Occasionally M&S, although it’s in town so no parking close by.
Hope you’re enjoying your meal out ann and you didn’t get too wet

Evening kitcheners. Cornergran no wonder you are tired but you are doing a grand job. Grandmabatty we too had pizza for dinner a hand-made sourdough on from a little bakery in Orkney it was delicious.
More of a sombre day today visited my relatives in Warbeth cemetery, my grandparents, great grandparents and various aunts and uncles all long gone but not forgotten. The cemetery is in a beautiful but very windy location overlooking the Pentland Firth and Hoy. Unfortunately like many island cemeteries I suppose it was looking in the older parts somewhat neglected. Many of the graves now have nobody on the islands to tend to them. There is no crematorium here nearest are Inverness or Aberdeen.
Photo I took of where the sea meets the sand at Scapa Flow appropriate I think as the sands of time cannot be stopped but what has been lost may yet live in memories.
Sorry to be like this but feel a bit sad today.

Hi all, well, we had our family bbq, just as we sat down outside it started raining heavily, MrJ and I stuck it out until we saw lightening and hastily retreated indoors!
The grandchildren are still here as they’re staying tonight, both are on their phones playing some game or other, we’ve exhausted Rummikub.
Imogen, as part of her Duke of Ed volunteers at park run on Sundays so it’ll be an early up tomorrow to get her there by 8.
Hope your meal is/was delicious ann and the weather has calmed down.
What a pretty garden llfl ours is rather bedraggled now.
The nights are drawing in and there’s a chill in the air now, I’m hoping for one last flourish of summer!
Ttfn.

Good evening Kitcheners. Lovely garden Ladyleftfieldlover. I hope your meal is worth it Annsixty. * Cornergran* you need looking after too. Yiayia fingers crossed for next week.
Today all the housework and washing got done. Then I visited mum tonight who was fairly compos mentis for a nice change. We had a few laughs. Then home for an Aldi pizza which was excellent. I'm watching a documentary series on the American Civil War and having a glass of wine. I have fresh sheets on the bed for later too which I enjoy. Have a good evening Kitcheners.

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Hello kitchen people. I’ve had an interesting day. OH went to see his bees. They are fine. I went for lunch (not just pudding and coffee as I previously thought) with some friends. My friend doesn’t cook (she’s over 80 so should have learnt by now, surely?) Her OH cooked a delicious starter and main. A guest brought the pudding and I brought wine. Our great friend couldn’t attend as she is having a dreadful time with cancer and the subsequent treatment. She is on morphine and needs round the clock care. I heard today that another old friend had died while I was in Australia. I had known her for over thirty years. On a brighter note I had a chat with younger son. He has just booked the flights for his cousin’s wedding in France. I was going to cook spag Bol for dinner but after a three course lunch I think a slice of toast will be enough! OH will have a pie.
Thinking of Urms and those suffering angst.

Photos of my garden when I got back from Australia:

I am ready to go out for a meal.
The lightening is flashing, the thunder is roaring and the rain is running down the road.
I have changed my white trousers for navy and my sandals for shoes.
My hair will be a lost cause in spite of an umbrella as I shall have to put a coat with a hood on and my hair will be flat and horrid.
Don’t you love the English summer?
The meal had better be exceptionally good.

Hope you got back to sleep ok nannytopsy, and not too tired today
A very Happy Birthday to your DH Yia I hope you all have a really lovely day together celebrating the birthdays. Everything crossed all goes smoothly next week for the exchange of contracts too
Thanks for the recipe Jax I’ll definitely give that a go sometime next week when I’ve restocked my fridge
Good to hear Mr C is progressing so well corner, make sure you look after yourself too. No wonder you’re feeling a bit unsettled, it’s been such a roller coaster of emotions for you both and it’ll take time to recover from that too. Hopefully a short trip out somewhere will help and Jax has already posted some really good ideas
Good to hear about your Orkney holiday Scapa enjoy!

Excellent news corner, but you sound dog tired, can you get someone, family maybe, to give you a day off? Or maybe just leave the chores, take a day off, doing the minimum, getting a takeaway?
You’re no good to Mrc if you’re knackered 🥀.

Better news on the house Yia have a wonderful day today, Happy Birthday to your husband and son 🎂🎉🎈.

Good morning.Busy day so early start.
You’ve done a grand job Cornergran but you must look after yourself.💐
Hope the Soops are O.K.🤞
Safe journey home Brooke.

Today is DH birthday and our eldest sons 50th party.We have DS2 here and our soon to be DIL?more of that another time.
It seems we will be exchanging contracts next week and completion the week after but trying not to think about it till after the weekend.
Have a nice Saturday Kitcheners.Thoughts always of Urms.🥰

Hello everyone. I’ve only been able to skim read so apologies for lack of involvement. Pleased to report Mr C is progressing well, he’s stronger and more positive. A twice daily stroll is paying dividends. Shows what finding your inner tortoise can do . The hare is banished.

Fair to say I’m flagging, under eye bags are now suitcases. A bit down this morning with no reason to be, there’s much to look forward to. After the chores, bed changing and some ironing, we may get a stroll along the riverbank around the forecast heavy showers. Alternatively head out for a coffee and an indoor retail stroll somewhere. Suspect Mr C would prefer the latter .

Must be off, time to stir. TOYA.

It’s silly o’clock but I have just knocked over my glass of water 😒. Wiping up has thoroughly woken me up!
Last night DD and the little family came to collect the dog and today I had a WI committee meeting. This evening a number of neighbours came to drink wine and fold raffle tickets for a tombola on Sunday. We enjoyed ourselves!
I hope the itchy one and the sore finger are both improving and that the soops avoid Covid. It seems to be on the rise again. Well done to both GCSE boys - they should both be proud.
Right, back to sleep!
💤

Good evening kitcheners. You seem to have had a lovely holiday Brook2704. Dull and damp here in Orkney today so had an easy day. Shopped for some food essentials and then spent time with our books. Did manage out for a walk along the beach late afternoon when it cleared up a bit. Local scallops and black pudding for tea with Orkney ice cream and strawberry’s to follow.

Easy peasy brook briefly fry, in a couple of squirts of oil, onions, garlic, chicken pieces, chuck in some spices, cook them off gently, a pack of passata, put in the slow cooker, I use the orange lentils, switch on and leave. I’m a lazy cook!

We've just had the most intense thunder storm for a while! The thunder was so loud! Lots of flooding too. I'm not going out in that tonight. Mum can wait til tomorrow. Safe journey home Brook. Blossoming broccoli and stilton soup is one of my favourites. I'm having a sweet potato baked with a little tomato sauce (homemade). I had a lovely lunch with friends; fish and chips then sticky toffee pudding. Have a good evening Kitcheners

Good afternoon kitchen pals, we’ve arrived back in Stornoway for our last night before getting the ferry back to Ullapool and then home tomorrow. Another really interesting day, looked around a good museum and castle and an even better coffee shop. Going out soon to see if we can get fish and chips by the harbour - DHs favourite treat
DD2 phoned for a lovely chat this morning, she must have been bored 🤣
A new black front door sounds really stylish grandmabatty, there’s some lovely modern ones around these days. Similar to Blossoming, ours has quite a lot of glass but I’d like a change some day
I remember the A6 ann it’s always been busy for as long as I can remember. I used to drive down it to Stepping Hill hospital to visit my gran and then my mum when they were both in there. Then my eldest DD had her first baby there before they moved to Cambridge. They lived in Marple then.
That chicken and lentil curry in the slow cooker sounds good Jax, is it easy to make? Enjoy your family bbq tomorrow

Good evening dear Kitcheners. It has been a day of mixed weather so I have mostly been pottering and doing housework. MrB is busy making some hallowe’en decorations for a local charity, they will sell them in their little shop. He made some as an experiment last year and they loved them so have requested more. I had a really good night’s sleep, my blood pressure is fine and I have lost another kilogram in weight so watching what I eat is paying off.

Your holiday looks wonderful Scapal, lovely pics.

A black door should look very smart Grandmabatty, ours is double glazed, white with lots of glass as the hallway would otherwise be very dark.

Not surprised you’re still weary LadyLFL, a few restful days are needed.

Much cooler here too Jax I will be getting the thermals out soon!

Glad you’ve had an enjoyable outing with your GD annsixty, last night’s meal sounds delicious.

We will be having broccoli and Stilton soup later, it’s mostly broccoli with the teeniest bit of cheese.

Have a peaceful evening all, TOYA.

I forgot to say we had a lovely meal last night cooked by my GD’s friend.
Chicken breasts stuffed with fresh basil leaves and sun dried tomatoes wrapped in smoky bacon with baby potatoes and asparagus.

A late Good afternoon everyone.
We have had rain and a rumble of thunder after a not bad morning.
I did get out on my scooter at lunchtime with my GD.
She finishes work at 1pm on Friday so we went round the park and then had a little adventure by crossing the exceptionally busy A6 and going to a Spar attached to a petrol station.
We picked up a few ( unnecessary) bits and as it has concessions inside she had a Starbucks coffee and I had a treat of a hot Greggs sausage roll.
It was delicious.
I haven’t the nerve yet to do it on my own but that may come with time.
Your Australian visit sounds wonderful Llfl
How lucky you were to have the opportunity and to be seeing some of them again next month is a bonus.
The weather doesn’t look promising for the BH weekend but I hope you all find something to enjoy .
Best wishes to poorlies and their “minders”

Lovely pictures Scapal it looks so clear.
I hope you’re enjoying your last day brook.
Have you managed to get out ann? sometimes a small venture outdoors helps with the ‘downs’.
It’s certainly chilled down here in south Hampshire, the humidity has lifted and there’s a breeze, jacket required out to the pub later.
I’ve been to the butcher, other meat is defrosting, beetroot picked then cooked, Tesco delivery unpacked and chicken with lentil curry is in the slow cooker. Family bbq tomorrow, it may be the last one without the additional chiminea this year. There was a moth disco upstairs this morning near the landing light that had me moving smartly.
Hope the spotty one isn’t itching too much and sore fingers are forgotten.
Have a gentle evening all
Special love to Urms&MrUrms tough times xx

Hello kitchen people. I was supposed to take my car for a service in Oxford today, but didn’t. I am still feeling quite jet lagged so postponed it. Instead I popped into my nearby town and dropped a bag of stuff at a Charity shop, collected some cast iron trivets and bought a slice of millesfieull (sp?) OH is out for the day at a shooting range so I took the opportunity to catch up on a Midsomer Murder and a programme about the London Underground. My brother rang for a chat. His daughter, who is expecting her second baby, is still having dreadful morning sickness. I can empathise having suffered for the whole pregnancy with my daughter and in fact ended up in hospital on a drip. I’m thinking of Urms and her family and hoping things are looking brighter. Have a good evening everyone.

Grannmarie I'm thinking black for the door. The original door was red and quite old fashioned in style. I wasn't keen and painted it sage green but it didn't suit the house. So black will last. It might fade with the sun but that's too bad. It definitely sounds like you will have a nice time in Aviemore. The trees will be starting to change colour then too