Rouchefort and conquer

Toddler taming tales ...

I can hear you chuckling ...


That screaming bundle of joy, becomes a bigger soul sapping "why" "what's that " and every other phrase under the sun will become the master of your doom.

"Bless " people say when your toddler is screaming down the cheese counter at Waitrose" for a piece of Roquefort. The lady behinds the cheese counter gives you a wry smile ,giving you the look "why don't you buy some . You say " But they won't eat it at home" the lady begrudgingly gives over a sample of Roquefort you leg it.

And when you are about to pay for your other shopping you take your bag.. Errrrm your pushchair goes down a pair of little legs sticking up in the air.


You exit hastily.. oh you've forgot the milk ... never mind you can drink black coffee ....

Snowman melts hearts

Children have a grip on reality that we as adults don't always get.

The children have all been merrily making snow men  here there and everywhere.

But today I realised how important it is for children to name things even snowmen, as it gives them a sense of reality . For them you see the snow man comes alive.

"My snowman died today" said the child quite sadly.

"I am sorry " I said.


"We didn't even get to name him, he just melted"

So make sure you name your snowman..... and remember him fondly.

"Keith the snowman"

Meal planning Monday the snow edition

Just in case you don't know its been snowing I have been snowbound for two days my school closed on Friday but is not closed today. Looks out side and readies huskies either that or I will have to get the cats to drag me to my work at a school on a sledge.





Monday : Moroccan Surprise

This quite frankly is something I thought up on the spot and to my surprise and that of my family it actually worked. Cooking doesn't have to be hard and sometimes the best dishes can be ones that are impromptu.  When you are forced to come up with culinary anything edible dishes you feel as if you are on a Master Chef show.

It started with a pack of rather unsuspecting Lamb chops no myself or  my husband would have ate this served with potatoes and vegetables but the teen might of raised a Elvis style lip at this.


So I slow baked the lamb in the oven.

While this was cooking I cooked some white rice enough for 4 though because I didn't weigh my quantities it was more like 6 a case of the magic cooking pot I think!

I took the lamb out of the oven and left it to cool.

I got my trusty frying pan out and put some olive oil in it .. and heated it up.

I add in the white rice which was of course drain not all of it just enough for the 3 of us . Don't worry I didn't waste the remaining rice I shall be using that tomorrow.

I shredded the lamb and added it to the rice and here's where I got creative.

I added some coconut milk probably a cup full will do it .

1 tea spoon poppy seeds.

1 tea spoon mustard seeds.

1 tea spoon ground  turmeric.

1 tea spoon garlic puree.

1/2 tea spoon chili powder.

Some squashed stem ginger.

You can adjust this recipe as you see fit.

Added 100g or so of sweetcorn.

I then added one of those stock cubes and a cup full of water and simmered it off.

The result was a Moroccan style sweetcorn dish I added some stuffing balls to it as well!

Tuesday Frugal Corn beef Hash

Wednesday Italian Rice with turkey


Thursday Delicious Shepherds pie.

Friday Fish and Chips

Saturday Toad in the hole

Sunday Roast dinner all the trimmings.

Carpet of snow

SSSSh I have a major  confession don't tell anyone ....

I didn't mean to do it.

It was all perfectly Innocent.

It just started one day.

You know how it is right ?

The flash of temptation.

Your eyes don't know where to look.

You just know you are going to do it.

You  just have to go and stroke it,

Your hands running up and down it.


In a fever of emotion.

"Yes, Yes " you moan with  delight.

A gentle hand touches .

"Would Madam like this carpet ?" enquires the bemused salesman.

You point at your phone which demands you have a piece of cut off carpet in your boot to aid your car journey.

( You are meant to out a square of carpet under you wheels to aid traction in this icy weather) so the tv said  ...

Snow Bound 365

Its snowed ..  I know its the usual fuss transport grinds to a hold, we panic buy bread ,milk and Gin. We make snow men and snow ladies , we get cabin fever and contemplate chewing the leg off the cat because we have no food in the house.


I walked to work in the snow ....

The husband walked walk in the snow as the car was having its MOT done ...

The cat was  unimpressed with the state of snow in our garden.

And so went to look at the state of play in the neighbours garden as they say "The snow is whiter on the other side ".

And obvously it was much better in the neigbours garden so off he popped ...