Friday morning

Well, I made the lamb curry last night.  It's not for eating right now but for freezing so I can't make comment with any personal authority but the little nibble I had seemed to indicate that it was perhaps a little too hot for my taste but really quite tasty and I can add a bit of yogurt to cool it down.  As always, I added extra veg!  Not authentic, but it makes up for the lack of rice.  I have a nice little collection of titchpot curries in the freezer now, so I can have my first Fakeaway (that's that the Hairy Bikers call it) tomorrow evening.  A trio of curries.  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Now I need to build up my Chinese titchpots too.

Aren't we having a wonderful Indian summer.  The mornings and evenings are chilly, true, and getting darker by the day, but during the day it is just wonderful.  I love the way the children come in after play smelling of sunshine and glowing with health and happiness.  I love that we can have the door and windows open.  I love watching the clouds scudding across the sky playing 'catch me' with each other.  Everyone is more cheerful when the sun shines.

And today is Friday.  SEN day.  Last day of the school week.  I have a long list of things to do today and it will be good to get them crossed off, that's for sure.
And then it's the weekend.  A planning free weekend too.  Lovely!

Sunday morning

From the garden

Goodness, I slept like a log last night!  All that bustling about in the kitchen must have worn me out good and proper.  It was worth it though - I now have four chicken kormas and three sweet and sours ready, labelled and bagged, for the freezer.  I had the other sweet and sour portion last night and it was lovely, except that I over chilli-ed it so it had more 'bite' to it than I expected.  Something learnt there.  I added extra veg - some broccoli, some carrot very finally sliced on the diagonal and some mushrooms and that made it a very substantial meal with plenty of my five-a-day in it.  No rice though, I preferred it without.  Now, when I fancy a take  away, I don't need to pay the earth!  I'm hoping that the Hairy Dieters book, when it comes, will have other takeaway type recipes and then I can do what I've always wished the local Chinese and Indian places would do - a varied selection of very small portions.  I know they do 'set meals' but the set meal (in the singular) for one is dead boring and the portions are still larger than necessary.

So - bright idea number one today - if there are other likely recipes, I will make them and freeze the results in small pots (of which I have plenty) so that I could have three different items in the same meal for, I bet, half the price or less of a bought takeaway.  Worth a try anyway.  I do so love these flavoursome, spicy dishes, but there's always too much and they are always expensive (in comparison).

I also set to and MADE myself change the lesson planning.  I'd got it all done by Friday but then decided to go along another route so had to change all the theme planning.  It's done now, as is the maths and the 'what are we doing this week' posted for the window, all printed out and ready and very satisfying it feels too.  Sorting through and organising my resource files (or starting to anyway) means that I have a better idea of what's in there and I know I have most of the paper resources for this coming week - so that's also great.  No point reinventing the wheel, is there?

While I was in Sainsbury's yesterday morning I got four little non-stick pudding moulds - the kind you use to make individual sponges.  Seeing as the HD's skinny pie is definitely on the menu on a regular basis, these will be ideal in which to cook it

On to today.  I didn't get the chewy oat cookies made yesterday and I'm glad I didn't because this morning I noticed that the person who wrote up the recipe on their blog also said that one can scoop the raw cookies onto a baking tray with a non stick surface, then open freeze them before bagging.  That way one can bake one at a time, or however many one needs, ideal for someone who lives alone.  So that's what I am going to do.  I will have them there but the need to cook and cool will deter the casual snacking.  Clever!

DD and DG won't be coming round today (sad) as they are off to a lunchtime party in Maldon (nice) so I have another day to chill, relax, sort things out and generally be thoroughly lazy!  And make those cookies!

Saturday morning

. . .and to state the bleedin' obvious (as the saying goes), it's the weekend.  YAY!  It's been a good week.  Nice class, lovely to see friends again, the weather has been glorious, I've had fun playing with a camera and I've eaten sensibly and healthily.  What more could any reasonable teacher ask for, eh?

I can now take close ups of spiders!!  I couldn't work out how to do it as the camera just focused on the background with a muddy little spludge where the spider was, but now I can and here's proof . . . (with apologies to all those with a sensitive disposition) . . .

I have a little 'guardian' to help with the healthy eating.  Here's what I printed, laminated and magnetted onto the fridge door.

Cute, isn't he?  Alfie the Adipose!  The colour is not right, I need to sort that out. 

I also have these little chaps staring at me as I open the fridge door.  Birthday magnets to match all the other glories DD sorted for my 60th birthday celebrations.  I LOVE owly things.

Seems to be working.   (and the colour is better - I wonder what made the difference)


Today I have planning to finish, I need to go shopping and then I'm having a serious cooking session.  I hope to end up with four portions of chicken korma, four of sweet and sour chicken (both those wonderful Hairy Bikers' recipes) and a batch of chewy oat cookies.
And then I will need to seriously clean and tidy up the kitchen - and make room in the freezer!

Hope you've got a good day planned too.