Last night's meal

This isn't how the meal looked when I cooked it last night, it's a photo from the cookbook!
During my stint at the charity shop last week I found a vegetarian cookbook filled with recipes devised for young babies and small children with another section for older children and family meals. As I'm always trying to make sure I get lots of fruit and veg into the family diet I was thrilled to find this book and have earmarked lots of new things to try.
Last night was the turn of this vegetable and cheesy polenta bake. G, T and S returned more or less clean plates and G took the leftovers into work today for lunch. Result!


If you fancy giving it a go...
Pour 4oz instant polenta onto 17floz boiling water, stirring all the time. Cook until thick and smooth. Take off the heat. Stir in 3oz grated cheese and season with black pepper. Pour into a shallow rectangular dish and leave to cool and set.
In a saucepan heat a lttle oil and fry and onion, garlic, red pepper and a cubed butternut squash. Fry for a few minutes then add 14oz can chopped tomaotes and quarter pint of vegetable stock and a dash of Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer for 15 mins. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
The recipe then suggests using cookie cutters in different shapes such as sun, moon, hearts to cut out the cooked polenta and arrange on top of the veg mix. Top the polenta with more grated cheese and bake for 15 minutes. I served this with green beans. Enjoy!

Mother's Day

My Mother's day started at 7am when I was woken up by this dressing gown clad twosome bringing me lovely gifts.

A pair of slippers, a pair of socks, a bottle of wine, bag of Minstrels and a bag of Maltesers. Oh yum! Thank you Mr G for your wise chocolate selecting instincts.

We had breakfast of juice and pain au chocolat, a favourite at our home for any special occasion!

As I was going into town to watch a movie, more on that in a mo, we all popped in together and had a quick wander around the bedroom furniture section of IKEA. This was a first for G as although the store has been open for just over a year he has never been.

After a mooch round G and the children headed off in search of the nearest Staples and I went off to the Civic Centre lecture room to watch this.

It was just as interesting and entertaining as I hoped it would be. I really enjoyed the section on the Biba shop.

I am not at all artistic and greatly admire anyone who has such a talent. I enjoy looking at beautiful things and am very thankful there are people out there who share their creations with the world whether it be by paintings, sculpture, music, photography or fashion design.

One of my purchases from the Saturday table top sale was this plain black mac from La Redoute at a bargain price of 40p. The sunglasses I bought in Primark along with the other 2 pairs I'm holding! I didn't intend to buy anything I just cut through the store on the way to get the bus and well you know how it is????!!!

Look at that concentration, just how difficult is it to take a photo. I look so severe!

A far more prettier picture now! This was another purchase from the table top sale. A pink tweedy rose now sat pinned to the front of my coat. Mine for 50p.

Yee hah!

Pink?
Check.
Sparkles?
Check.
Perfect buy for a pink, sparkle mad 5 year old.
And those red and green bags in the background?
My buys from the table top sale today!

smile

Things that have made me smile today.


A terracotta tub of spring colour in the front garden.


Spotting the heart shaped buttons on S's new (to her) school dress as I was ironing it ready yo hang in the wardrobe to await the warmer days to come.

These 2 little fellows who followed me around the house today.

Giving the furniture a quick dust over and glimpsing my new heart from Lydia's giveaway.

Eating one of these very moist chocolate and cranberry brownies. I urge you to bake them soon!

And last, but by no means least, reading all your kind words on my current family situation.

They have given me lots to think about and consider.

I really can't express how much I've appreciated receiving such thoughtful messges from my lovely blogfriends.

Thank you.

what a mess

Thank you for all the good wishes and messages concerning Melvin.
He had a check up at the vets yesterday and has another appointment next week too to check on his progress. He's going to have to eat a special type of cat food for the rest of his life to help lower the risk of another occurence.
He has been so affectionate since he came home, lots of bedtime snuggles and tummy tickles.

worry

A day of worry.

I took Melvin to the vets this morning.

I found out about an hour ago he's ok.

He has feline cystitis. Apparently his bladder was very badly swollen and his urethra full of crystals causing a blockage.

He's going to be at the vets at least until tomorrow, maybe Wednesday.

He'll be on a special diet for the rest of his life but he should be ok.

He and Malcolm have only been here a few weeks but they mean a lot to us already.

M is for

This week one of the books S bought home from school was entitled 'Who has Claws.'A short book of 10 or so pages.
A beautiful double page photograph illustrated each animal, as in K is for Kitten, T is for Tiger, B is for Bird. S sounded out each letter, named the animal and talked about the photo with G.
All very simple and straightword stuff.
Until it came to a page with M is for Mouse. Picture a cute mouse sat with a cluster of juicy red berries he was just about to start nibbling.
S declared that M was for Matoes!
Priceless!