How do you eat yours?

  I saw this on Rachel's blog and thought - why not!  So I am.

How do you eat yours?

Maltesers - Hold it carefully and delicately, gently, bite into the chocolate.  It should come off into your mouth.  Turn it round and bit off the rest.  That might not go so well.  Then suck the middle so it sticks to the roof of your mouth!

(or you can try the above with it in your mouth - great skill needed)

Yogurts - peel off the lid, lick all the yogurt off the lid, then dive in with a teaspoon!  Finish off the corners with a finger.

Crisps - wolf them down and look for another packet!

Fry's Turkish Delight - bite off the chocolate, then enjoy the gooey inside.

Sunday Dinner - hmmm - it depends what.  Generally I eat the least liked first, favourite last!

Kitkats - chisel off the chocolate with teeth from all the top and sides but never the bottom. Then, dissect, lengthways each layer of wafer and fondant. I just lol-ed at myself then, imagining being described in a David Attenborough documentary about the skills and dexterity I'm using to extract the goodness from the kit Kat.

(This is what Rachel wrote but as I do it exactly the same, no need to re-write)

Crunchies - Take a bite, try to suck out the honeycomb inside first (it never works because the chocolate melts but that never stops me trying)

Chips - hot, crunchy and fluffy, add salt and dip in mayo.  Fingers work best.  NEVER add vinegar!

Toast - nibble round the crust, then enjoy the middle.

Pasta - slightly overcooked so I can 'bite' it with my tongue, especially the spirally shaped ones.

Soup served with bread - yes, please, smothered with Breton butter (the sort with salf crystals in)

Bacon butties - bacon crunchy, bread fried just on one side (the inside) in the bacon fat.  If there's not enough bacon fat, butter one side of the bread and then fry it.  Gorgeous!

Wednesday

Good morning, everyone.  Apologies for the silence yesterday - I was travelling home and didn't really have the time.  Today is frantically busy too, so I am up early to make time.  It's cold too, so the heating is up!

I got the curtains on Monday - or, rather, I have chosen the fabric and they are being made.  They will be posted to me when they are ready.

I have to move back into my bedroom today as the guest room is in use so I hurriedly washed one of the old curtains yesterday (I am doing them one at a time) and when I got it out of the machine, some of the lining had disintegrated, darn it.  That window does get a lot of sunlight so I guess the linings are a bit rotten.  The other is in the machine at the moment so I await the outcome with interest.

The tear goes straight from top to bottom so I can put them up again just for the few weeks they are needed as I have no time today to unpick linings, etc.  Fortunately, they will not be drawn until dark, so no-one will see.  :-)

They are also terribly faded which I hadn't noticed, so I suspect all my grand plans for using them in another room will come to naught!  I also suspect I will be going back to Chelford Fabrics to get some curtains for the guest room too at some point.

I need to stop now and get going with other stuff.  Today is very busy so fingers crossed, please.  There seem to be days when everything happens at once, don't there?  Well, that's today!

Have a great day.

Monday

Just a quick one today.

I really got to grips with the Jean Greenhowe nativity set that I have been knitting and am now on the last lap.  One king to finish sewing up, one Mary to sew up, two lambs and a Joseph to knit.  Nearly there and it will definitely be ready for handing over on Wednesday.  I'll try and remember to take a photo.
It's very cute and, if I didn't already have a gorgeous wooden set, I'd be making one for myself.

That took most of yesterday on and off.

Today I'm off to look at curtain material. Yay!

Have a wonderful day, one and all.

Sunday

Good morning, gentle readers, and I hope you have all slept well.  I haven't looked but it feels pretty mild this morning (although that might be the heating, of course).

Yesterday was a lazy day so there's not a lot to say about it.  However, on a blog I follow (The Frugal Family), Cassie posted a fudge recipe that uses Nutella.  Now, I don't think I have bought a jar of Nutella (or it's cheaper own brand equivalent) is my life but it is easy found so I thought I might give it a whirl at some point this coming week but using Thermione rather than by hand - saves a lot of stirring that way!
Here's a link to the relevant entry.
http://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/5-minute-nutella-fudge/

My bedroom is now finished and drying out.  It does look lovely, very clean and fresh.  I looked at the curtains which were, frankly, grubby - a lot grubbier than I expected, especially along the lining at the top.  I realised then that, of course, they would be as I often have the window open on tilt and turn so that's the part that would catch any dust blown in.

Anyway, I shall pull out the pleats and give them a good and gentle wash.  I did check that they were washable when I bought them.

However, a new bedroom (sort of) isn't something that happens very often so I started pondering and thought wouldn't it be lovely if I could treat myself to new curtains.
There's a problem, of course, which is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the old curtains.  However, the curtains in the other two bedrooms are not particularly wonderful, especially in the blue room so I could replace those curtains with my curtains (assuming they wash properly).  It wouldn't then be the 'blue' room any more, of course.

So, tomorrow, I am off to a curtain place.  I've used Chelford fabrics in Gamlingay for ages now, it's like an Aladdin's cave, a wonderful place.  Not being sure whether they open on Mondays, I googled and discovered that they closed down in July.  Oh, no!

But then it said that they have another shop in Harpenden which is actually closer so guess what - fingers crossed, that's where I'm going tomorrow.

I have no idea what colour, pattern, anything I want and I have an open mind as everything else is white or ivory, even the bedding.  I just know I want it to be pretty and restful (and washable).  If I don't find anything that shrieks 'here I am, get me' I am no worse off, am I?  I shall be taking the window measurements with me in hopes though!
So fingers crossed for me, please.

Today is knitting day.  I have to knit and knit and sew and get things finished.  Luckily I have some fudge to keep me going - it is so rich, you can't have very much at a go.

Better get going then . . . have a great day, whatever you are doing.

Saturday

Hi, everyone.  It's a crisp, chilly Saturday morning here at Teacher Towers.  The house has stopped smelling like a pickled onion factory and instead has a faint whiff of paint about it, thank goodness.  I know which I prefer.

Yesterday the decorator, Paul, finished my bedroom and it does look lovely.  Clean and fresh.  Also unusually tidy as I haven't moved back in yet.  I'll give it chance to properly dry and de-pong for a few days.

I was impressed both with his work and with him.  Quiet, polite, unobtrusive and very hard working.  I have asked him to quote for decorating the living room (huge), all the way up the stairs and the landing with a view to having it done next summer which gives me a chance to save.  I know I have savings but I'd rather save up first and leave the money in the pot for genuine emergencies.
I have to say it will be nice to get rid of 'settlement' cracks from when the extension was built and I know it should have been decorated years ago really.

I have also asked him about the hall which is a right mess but small so shouldn't cost too much - he will quote separately!  😃

On the same lines, I think I will ask Steve, the plasterer, to quote me on getting rid of the remaining artex ceilings - small bedroom, bathroom, hall and downstairs loo.
It all adds value, doesn't it?

While Paul was decorating, I plucked up courage and had a go at making that fudge I mentioned yesterday.  Well, all I can say is that I shall be making more for Christmas gifts as it is absolutely delicious.  Creamy rather than grainy and reminiscent of the really expensive stuff you get in posh shops.  I took a photo but it was already in bags so you can't see it all that clearly.

The bag in the middle is the bits I cut off the edges - no way was I going to waste them!  The rest is in two bags because I promised Beth some and she's picking it up today.
I've posted the recipe (which is a thermo one) in Teacher's Recipes.
http://fooddiaryofteacher.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/fudge-thermomix-recipe.html

I must have been more industrious than it felt yesterday because I also got all the washing, drying and ironing done.

Today I'm not sure what I'm doing so we shall just have to wait and see.  I'm sure it will be good, whatever I do.

Friday

End of the working week and nearly the weekend.  A reason for thankfulness for many although not for all.

It's turned chilly again although there's no frost this morning.  The sun is shining and it looks as if it is going to be really lovely.  Fingers crossed.

It's an in day today.  There's washing to do, cleaning and tidying and, later on, ironing too.  I am going to have a go at making Thermomix fudge, having researched recipes.  Lovely, healthy fudge, packed with butter, condensed milk, sugar, golden syrup and chocolate.  Ooops!

Have a wonderful day, everyone.

Thursday

Good morning, everyone.  I have no idea of the weather because I haven't looked but it can't be too cold as the heating isn't on yet and it's comfortable!

Yesterday was lazier than I expected.  My tax helper friend couldn't come so we have rescheduled for next week.  The decorator got on without any bother, only needing coffee now and again!  It was all very gentle and easy.

I couldn't resist it - I had to watch the BFG DVD yesterday evening.  Oh, how it brought back some fond memories.  Many years ago, before today's over-strict and rigid curriculum, this was my long text for my year 1 class.  I remember that they produced some absolutely wonderful dream stories that, combined with bubble printing, made an eye catching display.  Most of all, I remember reading the book to my class.  I couldn't help it - the Frobscottle section reduced me to hysterical laughter and the children followed my example.  I tried to re-read it three times and each time we ended up in uncontrollable giggles.  I so hope their memories are as clear as mine because it was such fun.

Today I have the decorator again, I'm off to school in the afternoon and then it is tuition for a couple of hours.  I have some washing to do too.  Just an ordinary day, in fact!

Have a good 'un, everybody!