Gnocchi and Cauliflower and my Poor Little Princess

What a week my poor girl had last week. It started at the beginning of the week when Imogen complained of a bite on her foot, by the time we picked her up from school on Monday evening (she doesn't finish until 6 on a Monday as there's a drama after school group) she'd had to take her shoe off and it had become really painful. The picture doesn't do justice to the amount of swelling there was.

Antibiotics and foot elevation were prescribed at the drs as well as a couple of days off school. Feeling much better and able to get her shoe back on, Imogen returned to school. Friday evening, after an evening spent with friends, Imogen went upstairs to get ready for bed... after a while my phone pinged. I nearly didn't look straight away as I was knitting and not expecting to hear from anyone, I had a peek and it was Imogen asking for someone to come upstairs because her knee has dislocated!

It was horrendous, this time it was her right leg and her knee had slipped out as she went to sit on her bed. Unable to reach her phone and knowing we wouldn't hear her scream from downstairs (it's not a big house, just a solid one. When the doors are closed and the TVs on you can't hear upstairs), my extremely brave girl had reset her own knee. I used to dislocate my knees when I was younger and it is the most excruciating pain, I have never reset my own knee, I am in awe of her.

So off to hospital on a Friday night, not ideal, but needs must. Unbelievably we were in and out in a couple of hours (don't think that's ever happened before). All strapped up and resting, waiting for it to settle down so she can start physio again.

So that's the latest news about my poor, brave daughter.



I'm not the most adventurous person when it comes to food, my palette is a bit limited, but I do like to try something different now and then.

I've heard gnocchi talked about a lot on cooking programmes, but have never tried it. Potato dumplings, sounds nice enough, so when we were in the supermarket and I saw some, I threw them in the basket. We had them with a seasoned cheese sauce and cauliflower

gnocchi cooking

I thought it would make a lovely accompaniment to roasted gammon

Not sure how I feel about gnocchi, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I'd made it myself rather than bought it? What do you think, does the premade gnocchi taste very different from the homemade? Don't think I'll be having it again.

Take care
xxx

A Bed of Roses and a U.F.O.?

Thank your all the lovely positive comments about my dad it's very appreciated. My parents are having a terrible time that is unfortunately being exacerbated by my dad's hospital notes being mislaid and the wrong appointments being given as well as other administrative errors. As a patient with grade 3 cancer and an urgent heart condition, this is very upsetting.

How is everyone managing in this not very British heat? Despite hearing on the news today that it's been the hottest June day since 1976, we in East Yorkshire haven't had the sunniest of days. Cloud cover arrived yesterday with a drop in temperature, still a bit humid, but not really sunny and now it's raining... I hope that wasn't summer!!

This is becoming my go to place when I need to identify a plant, thus the title referring to an unidentified flowering object (my U.F.O.). I picked up these little beauties in Lidl, they weren't labelled and I have no idea what they are.

 My other strange plant could be anything, they seem to have appeared in the last few days in a few different places, but don't look like weeds?

I would be so grateful if someone could identify them so I have an idea what to do with them.


I'm so thrilled with my climbing roses, 'Compassion', it's so fragrant and there are so many blooms on it. My other rose is a rambler, 'Albertine', no flowers this year, but it's grown much more than the climber has.

The Californian Poppies are starting to flower, beautiful cups of orange sunshine.

There are pretty, little flowers on some of the pond plants too and the fish are definitely thriving, nearly doubled in size since we bought them. I love how they come up to say hello and eat their food when I feed them each day.

The sweetcorn is growing well, there are a few 'corn on the cobs' wrapped tightly under their leaves, so hopefully we'll be eating fresh sweetcorn by the end of the summer.

Our first potatoes, there's about 4lb here.

I hope we get to spend some time out there tomorrow. We're picking our DILs daughter up from school and I'm hoping we can play in the garden and maybe eat out there too, we'll have to see what tomorrow brings.


Take care
xxx

Garden Life

I've been spending a lot of time in the garden the last couple of weeks. It's been blissful out there with the birds singing and the pond trickling away. Today has been lovely and sunny, but even on chilly days with the rather horrible north easterly wind we've had battering us over the last couple of weeks, I've still been out there with a blanket round me, reading my book and hugging a hot cup of tea.

As it's been nicer weather today I took the opportunity to take some photos... I'm also hoping you may be able to identify a rather lovely flower for me.

These are so pretty, a lovely delicate pink colour

We've replaced our lavender this year as the old bushes were getting a bit woody.

There are sunflowers against the fence, I'm hoping they'll grow nice and tall.

We bought 2 roses, a climber and a rambler, one pink one peach and both scented.

Lots of Alliums were planted in the autumn, I absolutely adore them

I don't know what this beautiful little flower is. it's growing quite tall and I love it's small compact blooms, I'd love to know what it's called?

Lots of carrots...

Potatoes...

 Brussel sprouts...

Cauliflowers, radishes, shallots and lettuces...

Some more lavender

Nearly time for tea

3 little dogs, exhausted from lying in the sun all afternoon

The forecast isn't sounding to good for the weekend so I don't think I'll be venturing out as much except to feed fish and water plants.

Hope it's warm where you are

Take care
xxx

On Plan with my Menus

After rejoining Slimming World, needing to organise myself more, having to tighten our belts a bit financially and just enjoying writing lists, I thought I'd start writing a weekly menu. I always take a shopping list with me to the supermarkets, but it feels more organised making the list from the menu... and sticking to it, I'm hoping this will cut our shopping bills down by a little as well.

Our menu for the week was

Tuesday: Bolognese, pasta, cottage cheese and peas

 It was really filling and didn't take long to make (and there's bolognese in the freezer for next week too).



Wednesday: Burgers (from Slimming World), chips made in the actifry (with lots of paprika) and some salad

 Again, it was nice and easy, all I had to do was peel and chip the potatoes.



Thursday: Baked potatoes with cottage cheese, sweetcorn, chinese flavoured chop and salad

I think this was my favourite meal this week, so will probably be repeated next week.



Friday:  Cottage pie with a sweet potato topping and runner beans

Saturday: Vegetable Boulangere with gammon, sweetcorn and watercress

The idea for the Boulangere was from the Slimming World magazine and I've put the method after the menu.



Sunday: Corned Beef, spaghetti and fried potatoes.

 This was comfort food, nice and warming for this cold weather and to use up the potatoes from yesterday.


I made the Boulangere Saturday afternoon, it didn't take long (the longest part was probably waiting for the potatoes to cool down). It also gave me a chance to use our new frying pan, it has a ceramic coating that is supposed to mean you don't need to use oil. I was a little dubious, but wow, you can even dry fry an egg in it!

I started off by par boiling the potatoes.

Then leaving them to drain and cool

While they cooled, I sliced a couple of leeks, an onion and a few garlic cloves

Then softened them in the frying pan

When the potatoes had cooled, I sliced them and placed them in a dish with some pepper to season.

Lots of big, juicy tomatoes were sliced and layered on the potatoes.

On top of this went the leeks, onion and garlic , then a few more potatoes, tomatoes and seasoning with a little drop of vegetable stock followed by a sprinkle of cheese

In the oven for 30 minutes at gas mark 6

It was delicious!


I took pictures of our meals and popped them on Instagram (cherylbowsie if you want to come and say hi) each day, hopefully to inspire me in the 'harder' weeks.

Take care
xxx