Last weekend I discovered that somehow I’ve stopped listening to the weather forecast. No idea when that happened. Maybe it’s a winter thing. If I had, then I might have been better prepared for the snow that hit us in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Usually this wouldn’t be an issue. In general terms, it wasn’t very much, but last weekend we had plans. We had a very early start on Saturday as Youngest needed to be dropped off at school before 7am. He was off walking and camping on the moors for the weekend.
Camping
Mr TTC took him over in my car, which is better equipped to cope with snow. I would have filled it up with more fuel if I’d known, but they were OK. School is more exposed than we are and usually has harsher conditions than us, so we thought there would be much more snow there. Turns out that they barely had any of the white stuff.
Youngest spent the first day trudging through slushy snow on the moor, re-evaluating his life choices. By the next day, it was easier and he had a good weekend. He’s not been put off going again. Rather him than me. My days of camping in below zero degrees are thankfully over. I hope.
Cooking
I have really been off my game in the cooking department. Usually I love cooking from scratch and experimenting. Not recently. I’ve been in a real funk.
Then inspiration hit. I’d go back to some of my favourite recipes from before children and batch cook them. I spent the weekend cooking. Now my freezers are positively groaning under the weight of family sized meals such as sweet and sour chicken, Indonesian chicken and good old cottage pie. I’m fully prepared for those days when I don’t feel like cooking. I do love batch cooking.
I ran out of containers, so the next day Middle daughter and I headed to a further town where I know they stock the ones that I like, at a good price. Looks like more cooking this weekend.
(And no, I’ve never tried a recipe box. Possibly the last person in Britain not to have done so.)
Parents evening
I prepared for our penultimate parents evening this week. We are still online, so I’m guessing that isn’t due to change. Eighteenth year of meeting the teachers, when you include the years my daughters were at school too. I really should have this down to a T. I printed out Youngest’s latest reports and marks, and listed the questions that I wanted to ask. Pen ready to note down any pointers. Oh, and a cup of mint tea, just out of shot.
We have 10 minutes for each subject. The first two went well, but by the third, I couldn’t get a word in edgeways. This is where being online is less convenient. Never mind, I’ll have to email my questions in.
Garden
I’m starting to get the garden prepared for the growing season. I used to start in January or February, but I ended up with leggy seedlings. By planting in March/April, they catch up quickly and I find I have stronger plants. Less disappointing too. Not many seeds to buy this year, as I have lots from previous years.
Middle daughter and I spent a happy hour at the garden centre. Me choosing seeds and her deliberating over a new house plant. I love that she researches each one of interest on her phone, as she decides. The Burlesque tomatoes are a new one for me. Looking forward to seeing how they earnt the name.
That’s my week. A mixture of prepared, not prepared and could never be prepared enough moments. Surprisingly, I’ve not used the word “prepared” as my word of the week before.
The idea of your youngest trudging through snow and re evaluating his life choices made me smile. I can confirm that you are the last but one person in Britain not to have tried a recipe box because I haven’t either. I love the idea of batch cooking and I know it’s good sense to do it but I can never summon the energy. Maybe one day. I am also leaving my planting till the Easter holidays when I will have a whole two weeks off work to get stuck in.
Ah you see that is the beauty of batch cooking. Streamline preparation and less washing up over all. I bulk buy, so less packaging too. It is a win win. Good to know I’m not alone in later planting (or meal box). I’m waiting for a bit of warmth.
You got snow! I missed that on the weather reports. I don’t know how Ethan is obsessed with the weather at the moment. He records them all and then watches them for hours. They are driving me mad. I could be watching the weather from last year! I’m in a bit of a funk with cooking at the moment. The kids are so fussy. I’m glad you have got through it. We have never had a box either #WotW
I can appreciate his fascination. It is such an interesting topic with patterns throughout, but also not knowing if you are seeing a current forecast would drive me nutty too.
It is so difficult to find meals that everyone will eat and at the same time expand my meal repertoire. Mine aren’t too fussy, but they still have a few ingredients that they resist. That makes three of us (so far) that haven’t tried a meal box!
Oh wow at you having snow! It’s been cold here but we have had more rain than anything else. Eek to your eldest camping in the snow.
It sounds like you have really found your cooking mojo again. The meals you cooked sound so good.
I really need to get out in the garden but the weather has really put me off. Ugh. x
I’m not sure I’ve found my cooking mojo again yet, but I’m getting there. Yes, snow. I have to admit, I didn’t check to see if others had it too. We’re back to mud. Not easy to be inspired to garden when it’s cold, wet and muddy outside.
Snow! Not that I am envious. I’m glad your youngest isn’t put off. As you say, better him than me. Going back to your tried and tested recipes is a good way to get out of the funk. I’d love to get some batch cooking in as I am now working long hours! I could do with a bursting freezer! Oh, I’ve never had one of those pre order meal box things either!
The old recipes are great because there is no risk of it letting you down, but long enough ago that you’re not bored of it. And another among us who’ve not tried a meal box. I feel in good company.
I am not envious at all about camping in the snow, despite my love of camping in my earlier years! I’d love to batch cook but my lot won’t eat anything unless I’ve cooked it fresh. I don’t know why, maybe I should move out? I have tried food boxes, we bought one this week and both me and my daughter were really sick so the meals almost went to waste. But we managed them just before the ingredients went off. Well done on being prepared for all but the snow, I don’t think I’m ever really prepared for anything!! We haven’t seen any snow this year, fingers crossed.
Don’t move out. I’m sure they’d miss you. 😀 I rely on my freezer. I’m not keen on shopping so the freezer means I can leave longer gaps between shopping. I’m glad you are feeling better. Good save on the food box. It would be a shame to waste it.
Glad that the snow didn’t put your youngest off going again. I’m not sure I’d be up for camping in the snow though! Lovely to have a batch cooking session and fill the freezer with so many yummy meals. Sophie’s school still has online parents’ evenings although Thomas’s is now back to in-person ones. Lovely to be preparing for things growing in the garden. #WotW
That’s interesting that other schools are still online too. I’m not sure why ours is still, as the teachers always say they miss it being in person.
[…] At least the weather is better this time. Maybe frosty in the morning, but they won’t be trudging through snow like the first […]