Working from home….can it work?

Working from homeI was over the moon when hubby started work again a few weeks ago.  The only downside is we’re both working from home, we have a tiny house and I’ve been doing it a long time so have a rhythm and not used to having someone under my feet.  Something has to give.  This is my day and my hubby’s day…what do you reckon?

Mediocre Mum

  • Woke up before everyone else but not too early
  • Did the washing up from last night
  • Put a load of washing on
  • Made packed lunch
  • Gave Madame Breakfast
  • Did her ear drops and antibiotics
  • Helped her get dressed, brushed her hair, reading journal, boots and jacket
  • Did my invoicing
  • Sent out an email campaign
  • Responded to a few work emails
  • Went to the post office, pet store for Hamster supplies, Sainsbury’s for a few bits and Matalan.
  • Telephone conference with a client
  • Cooked Thai Green Chicken Soup for dinner
  • Cleaned the house in anticipation of the cleaner
  • Drove 50 miles to work including the Dartford tunnel, delivered a training session to 30 people with enthusiasm, drove 50 miles back, got stuck in a traffic jam, drove like a loon.
  • Picked up Madame, gave her a snack, danced around the lounge, gave her a bath, brushed hair, jammies, played with Hamster and did Bedtime stories.
  • Completed post visit reports
  • Plus another round of ear drops and antibiotics
  • Sorted Childcare for next week.
  • Wrote this post
  • Poured myself a very large glass of wine and hit Twitter!
  • Served dinner

 Hubby

  • Drove Madame to school
  • Sat in the corner in the kitchen on his computer all day……and he’s still there.

I rest my case!  Comments or suggestions on how we are going to make this work?

 

‘Come Dine with Me’ with Class: A Feast through India

What do you get when you cross a Canadian, Australian, Irish Woman, Indian, Mexican and a couple of Brits?

It sounds, like a start to a really bad racist joke, but in fact, it was the start of a wonderful evening.

I have to admit that prior to being invited to a Supper Club I had absolutely no idea what it was all about.  It loosely resembles ‘Come Dine with Me’ but the biggest difference is the host is an amazing cook and the people are really nice.

As we walked up to the front door we were greeted by the most amazing smell and knew we were in for a real treat.  Within minutes we were enjoying a cocktail in the garden chatting with the other guests.

Sheba had been busy all day cooking ‘A Feast through India’ for us.  Check out this menu.  The pictures don’t do it justice I can’t begin to tell you how amazing the food was.   I wish the pictures were scratch and sniff!

The menu

Appetisers 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Parippu Vada (Kerala) –  Lentil & shallot fritters served with coconut chutney
  • Bonda (Kerala)  – Spiced potato balls with mustard seeds & curry leaves


Mains

Rogan Josh (Kashmir)
Aromatic lamb slow cooked with cardamom, cloves & fennel seeds


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kozhi Kuruma –  Home style chicken cooked with poppy seeds, coconut and cashews

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Payar Thoran (Kerala) – Green bean sautéed with a delicate combination of spices
  • Coconut Rice (Andra Pradesh) tossed with garlic, red chillies & cashew nuts
  • Jeera Rice (Basmati rice with cumin seeds & ghee
  • Carrot & coriander raita (North India) seasoned with cumin

Dessert

  • Ethakya Porichathu (Kerala)
  • Caramelised plantains with lime, nutmeg & coconut milk

Masala Chai

  • Sweet tea infused with cardamom and cinnamon

Verdict

I’m now a convert and will definitely go again.  What a wonderful way to meet new interesting people and sample some amazing food.  It’s probably the best dinner party I’ve been to in ages!

The next ‘Kerala Summer Supperclub’ is on the 21st of July inSt Albans.  I’d highly recommend it.  Thanks to Sheba for all her hard work.

Disclosure:  Dinner was compliments of Absolute Indian Cookery

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Madame has taken to leaving her own design flare around the house recently.

So I don’t know what possessed me to buy her these for Valentine’s Day.  They’re super cute though.  They’re home-made crayons from the Little Green Paintbox, which come in a lovely little canvas drawstring bag. They also do other shapes as well (cars, bears, elephants, tortoises)!

However, she did try to eat the brown one!  Can’t blame her really as it really does look like a chocolate.  No fear though as they’re made from soy wax and bees wax and are coloured with natural mineral powders!

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

My Secret (Blogger) Santa Present

I must admit that I did chuckle a wee bit when I opened my Secret (Blogger) Santa present and read the card, which said ‘I thought you would like this because you like to cook’.  This is not meant to be ungrateful or rude as I absolutely LOVE the present, which was an Oxfam Cookie Stamper.  It’s not that I don’t like to cook it’s just that I’m really not very good at it.

Madame was very excited about using the Cookie Stamp so I was bamboozled at 9.15 am this morning, hung-over, into making cookies and true to form I managed to make a pig’s ear of it, even though, I followed the recipe to a T.

Ingredients:

250g butter

140g caster sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

300g plain flour

1 egg yolk

2tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
  3. Mix in the butter and blend until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla.  Chill dough for an hour.
  4. Separate dough into golf ball sized chunks.  Slightly flatten the balls on a floured surface and stamp.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly brown

However, it didn’t turn into a ball of dough as it was supposed to, it resembled lumpy flour.  It’s was like trying to make a snowball out of sand.  In the end, I winged it and added more butter and another egg yolk. I was pleasantly surprised with our result and they tasted yummy!

Thank you to my Secret (Blogger) Santa for a wonderful present.  It really did make cooking more fun and I love the fact that you purchased an ethical present!  Happy Christmas to you whoever you are!

Home Alone

Do you ever get that feeling….you know the one when you’re going on holiday and you feel like you forgot something?  You go through your mental checklist a million times.  Did I pack credit cards, passport, currency, travel adapter, sunscreen, and toothbrush? Plus a 1000 other items. Did I lock the front door?  Did I cancel the milk?  Did I confirm the flights? Can the neighbours get in to feed the cats?

I can’t shake this feeling every time I leave the house without my daughter (not by accident of course).  I flew solo for 35 years and it’s amazing how in 2.5 years she has become a permanent fixture on my side.  I see her more than my own shadow, which is not a complaint.

Prior to having my daughter I always joked that if I had kids I’d surely forget them somewhere.  Luckily, this has happened……..yet?

I dated a bloke in university that came from a family of 10 he was twenty and the youngest had just been born.  Yes, they were devout Catholics if you were wondering.  They all bundled into the family people carrier for a holiday, made a pit stop at some services.  They hopped back in the van, drove 45 minutes down the road and didn’t realise they had left poor Mary behind until her dad tried to ask her a question.  Quick u-turn and they raced back to the petrol station to find poor Mary standing outside the petrol station crying.  Bless!

Have you ever accidentally forgotten your children or were you forgotten as a child?