Friday, 25 January 2013

Menism



This guest post was written by the lovely MummyneverSleeps

Now, if you're a mother of a small male person, you may have had the sudden "Oh. Ohhhh." epiphany I did when my son was a couple of months old.
All the things you may or may not have berated your men folk for, now stands for nothing. The exasperated "Have you lost something down there, love?" while they're happily fondling away at themselves absent-mindedly.
Watching a baby having a good old rummage there and finding the erm... treasure, the glint in his eye, the slack-jawed glee, and from then on, the obsession begins and apparently, never ends.
The realisation that men are powerless to their winkies. And no matter how many times we raise our eyebrows, tut disapprovingly and chastise them, means they'll simply do it when our backs are turned.
I've been noticing a change in the waters, an altering of some stars alignment perhaps, I dunno. There seems to have been some sort of seismic shift and men don't appear to be very much liked at the moment. Even before everyone with a pair of breasts read that book by Caitlin Moran, the word "feminism" was being bandied about like bad jokes regarding horse meat being discovered in some beef burgers.
As much as I may jest about men bowing to the kings that are their penises, I like men. I do. Love 'em. One particular male an awful lot more than rest, but you know what I mean. I also dig feminism, it floats my boat. However, I can't fathom how one should cancel out the other. As far as I can tell in this situation, I can have my cake and eat it. Bonus.
Because you like men, shouldn't mean you don't like women, and vice versa. Feminism means all women's rights to be equal to those of men. Not "oh ladies, you've had a time of it, ain't ya? Here, I'll stick a couple more points in your favour. Bastard blokes, with their superiority and dangly bits."
Equal. The same. Share the love, y'know in a nice way, not the sleazy sort.
Yes, the glass ceiling exists, of course it does, I'm not completely deranged. All the tit for tat (geddit?), "She only got the job cos she's a bird." and "Sexist bastards, I didn't get it. Because I'm a woman."
So why is it, on television especially, that if a man makes a threat towards a woman, serious or not, he's a bastard, he needs to be locked up and never be allowed to see his kids again. A woman makes a threat towards a dude, and it's apparently, funny?
Why is it that it's cool for a woman to say, "I hope I'll beat all the men." *cough* MASTERCHEF, but if we did a little switcheroo, the man saying the same about beating all the women he was competing against, would be hated?
Why is it that a man can be thrown out of a nightclub / bar / pub / wherever for being drunk and a bit of an idiot, and no cares. If it's a woman, "OMFG, you can't DO this, I'm a WOMAN! I have KIDS."
Yes, before you start lynching me and getting all up in my face for my massive sweeping generalisations, what I'm trying to get at, is, some men are pillocks and some are nice, some women are idiots, and some are lovely. Because they're people, innit.
If you're all for feminism, meninism, or whateverinism (try pronouncing that sucker),  supporting something that is actually very good and positive, doesn't mean anything that doesn't fit in that bracket is negative and wrong.
*watches DaddyNeverSleeps scratch his nethers*
Actually, on second thoughts

Winters morning


Thursday, 24 January 2013

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 ....





Tuesday, 22 January 2013

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"

Monday, 21 January 2013

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.