Category Archives: Uncategorized

As the end of November approaches I start to plan all the shopping for Christmas, including food which will need to go in the freezer. I’ve made the mincemeat for the mince pies – it’s in the fridge being fed with brandy from time to time and the jar(s) turned upside down and downside upContinue reading “No room!”

When our older son was born I made the choice to leave the classroom for a number of years. Eventually, missing contact with others, I took a part-time job in Waitrose, Harpenden just to have some more meaningful conversation… Initially I was supposed to restock shelves after the department manager had determined what was needed.Continue reading ““Facing up””

During the course of each week I compile the shopping list – it’s the usual stuff, broccoli, cheese, flour, caster sugar etc. Then on Fridays (usually) the hunter/gatherer, having boldly decided which supermarket to visit, takes on the task of the weekly shop. Certain things have to come from other places – we can’t neglectContinue reading “Anything missing?”

Do you remember the upside-down can theory I mentioned a couple of weeks ago? Well I promise you it works, for some foods. I decided to try storing tinned tomatoes, spaghetti and chickpeas the wrong way up to see if they came out more easily when the can was opened and they all faired well,Continue reading “Catching up…”

My interest is always piqued by news items concerning food and this week it seems that McDonalds have got a problem in the USA. There have been several people from many states in the western part of the country who have become ill and one person has died after eating their quarter pounder burgers. TheContinue reading “E-coli again.”

Have you heard that we’re storing our cans the wrong way up? It seems someone has researched and experimented resulting in this surprising discovery. Now, forgive me, but if I store cans upside down on the shelves of the pantry, the labels will be tricky to read and I’m going to develop a stiff neck.Continue reading “Topsy-turvey”

This has been a strange year in our garden with many plants of all kinds lost to slugs and snails. We had an almost complete mange tout crop failure and the first French bean seedlings disappeared as they began to grow. The second seedlings were nursed as they appeared and although some of the baseContinue reading “Harvest time.”

All this week I’ve been watching reels, videos and news footage about the devastation left by hurricane Helene. She barrelled up through Florida, Georgia, the Carolina’s and Tennessee leaving a trail of destruction and flooding like I’ve never seen before. People were and still are struggling to make sense of what has happened to theirContinue reading “Water.”

How can we have been home for a week already? There’s always lots to catch up with, like laundry and weeds, but this week has flown by and here we are expecting our flock to descend on us for a family celebration. As usual there’s cake to consider and a special request has resulted inContinue reading “Time flies!”

We’ve spent the last few days in France, revisiting old haunts – places I first came across when I accompanied a school trip from Barnet to Anizy le Chateau, a small town north east of Paris. We stayed in Laon this week, visiting the enormous cathedral and ramparts, then Chauny, Coucy le Chateau and Soissons,Continue reading “Just back!”