Food and Drink #16 Liedown larder

[kachoochoo]

finally, Morrison's upped their sock game

I bought them with the sole intention of showing you all

I am wearing the apples.

also picked up 6 packs of the salt and vinegar and prawn cocktail quavers that I mentioned up thread

it's been a horrible week, so I needed payday treats

massive hugs to anyone who wants them

 

[Falkor]

The ladies' recommended menu for today is a starter of waterproof traaaaaazers followed by lashings of mineral block.

Spoiler: Yummy

I went up the hill this morning to collect their block and despite having already been fed, two-thirds of them came up with me (the other five saw the neighbour with the nearby flock arrive on his quad and followed him to see if there was MORE FOOD) so we had a break at the block for them to fortify themselves for the walk back. One or two took it a bit seriously! I have no idea what's so tasty about my waterproofs, but they got a thorough licking.

 

[Alansbigplate]

The kitchen is kind of an old part of the house with no insulation I dunno what you call it - it’s quite cool, coldest part of the house anyway. I googled and most said noooooo but loads of mumsnetters said do it ha! I trust you lot not mumsnetters tho

eta - i mean I got a mumsnet thread when I googled, I wasn’t cheating on tattle

You’ll be reet just get it piping hot all the way through.
‘It’s hotter than the sun!’

I went to McDonald’s last week and we queued ages cos it was Friday night and when I got to the thing as usual I panic ordered and there was a sign saying two apple pies for £1.49 and my little girl was SO judgy! Two!? Two! I said but they’re on offer! She said I’d wasted my money, needless to say I had the last laugh as I scoffed both and it was delicious

 

[PunkyMonkey]

I've been trying to get up to speed for days and was intending to leave off posting til I'd caught up, but with Mackie on fine form I'm not even going to make it to this thread til next month so I wanted to stick my head in and tell you're brilliant.

Massive hugs to all the people who were so kind and supportive when HE LEFT, I don't think you realise how much pouring my heart out on here helped.

Reading the threads is now part of my "self care" (hate that term, must try to find an alternative phrase) routine because I basically curl up on the sofa with a massive mug of tea and some of the most entertaining people around!

So thank you, from this tired NHS monkey

 

[Falkor]

Spoiler: Is that a mineral lick you've brought us?

They were dischuffed that I stopped to take a picture before wrestling the lid off it! It's a high-energy solid block of molasses with various vitamins and minerals added to it, it gives them some extra calories in the cold weather and they love it - there was a punch-up to be first once I got the lid off and stepped back - so tomorrow everyone will have molasses-brown noses

 

[Falkor]

I’m almost unable to contain my envy when you post your pictures. It’s so beautiful there!

It is, we're very, very lucky. If anyone is watching This Farming Life, which started again last night on the BBC for the second half of the series, I live near Joyce and she's a good friend - she has literally taught me everything I know about sheep.

 

[Falkor]

You can buy micronised linseed, saves the grinding, and having seen the cost in the supermarket much cheaper

I feed the horses that! I pay £26 for a 20kg sack, but it's cheaper if you buy direct from the mill (they don't deliver to my postcode). £5.77 for 3kg direct https://www.charnwoodmilling.co.uk/mail-order/Horse_Food.html

The ladies are disgusted with me for making them all have their fluke and worm dose. The Ewerhythmics are settling in at boot camp (it's the croft Loppy was born on and lived on for the first 6 years of her life, so she'll show the other two round!) and the rest followed me happily down to the point after I'd freed April who'd somehow managed to get her head stuck between a gate and a gatepost going after a tasty bit of gorse bush.

Ladies following me down the track, blue dot is single lamb, blue stripe twins, red dot no lamb.

Spoiler: Baaa

 

[traumatised sideboard]

@Falkor what lovely news, I can't wait to see the lambs

I finally got to wear my snow boots that I bought three years ago after the Beast from the East, I'm thrilled. I've trampled over so much untouched snow today, it's so crunchy and satisfying. And lethal. I almost ended up on my backside walking down a hill but fortunately styled it out into an incredible single leg slide

 

[Breakdance Badass]

That pizza looks amazing @Bumbear! We have lots of lovely snow here, kids and dog loving it, me not so much Here is a snow pic to add to the F&D collection, taken yesterday at 7am on my dog walk

 

[Toffee finger]

Congratulations Mr @NP!


Incredible icicles down the lane near my mums house yesterday!

 

[Falkor]

Oh, I do have another character to introduce to you. Say hello to Little Nine.

Spoiler: Baa

In April's absence, Nine is the leader of the rest, but she's not quite as bold as April - this morning they will eat from this pile of hay at the bottom of the field if I'm standing there, but if I try to go inside they're back off up the top at speed. They don't like coming down past the house in case the dogs come out into the garden, so I'm hauling armfuls of hay up to the top for them.

Anyway, Little Nine got her name because she was the lamb of the 9th ewe to lamb here in 2018, so started life with a big green 9 on her side. Her mum was a ewe I'd bought in poor condition at a sale because I felt sorry for her, six weeks before she was due to lamb, and I never really got enough condition on her before 9 was born. She had a bit of milk, enough to keep 9 suckling, but not enough for her to grow properly and because 9 was getting enough to keep her alive from her mum, plus catching a drink off another ewe when they were distracted, she never really took to bottle feeding. Sadly/happily another ewe's lamb was stillborn 2 weeks later and with a bit of careful disguise (don't ask, it involves sheep bodily fluids) the ewe was tricked into thinking 9 was her lamb. 9 wasn't so sure at first, but quickly became convinced of the joys of a full milk bar and when they eventually went back into the field with her birth mother, the two ewes shared feeding duties.

 

[Blurp]

We have had snow...

 

[Bumbear]

Afternoon all - another strange week - I literally haven’t got out of bed (period pains and terrible sleep) which means I’ve turned into a sloth. The MT has been busy!

Have promised myself to do better as my yoga mat has arrived, so beginners yoga starts tomorrow .

The husband is making nachos tomorrow - not technically a new recipe as we have made all the constituent parts before. But should be yummers.

Here is my catto with his new Xmas catnip trout.

 

[Falkor]

Good news, April and her two pals have been located - they're in with one of the flocks I thought they might be with. He's taking hay up for his, so they're getting a bit of extra grub, and he's trying to arrange his pregnancy scanning for the same day as I'm getting mine done, in about three weeks' time, so we'll be able to sort them all out then

 

[MooBelle]

Currently sitting at table next to miniest Moo.
She's in a Google classroom lesson. They've been set a project and put in groups.
However, no one wants to be in their set groups and they keep swapping groups to be with their mates.
Also, there are 2 Louis and 2 Harrys and no one is sure which Louis or Harry is in their group.
There is a kid called Mason that no one wants because he's renowned for not pulling his weight in projects.
They've set up some sort of barter system. Apparently Louis P is worth a Sienna and a Holly.
The teacher is having some sort of breakdown. He's seriously losing it. All 30 of them are all screaming 'SIR, SIR'
I've actually left my meeting to listen to this because it is brilliant.
Teachers need to be paid more.

Oh god, it gets better.
Someone just said they only had 5 minutes left.
kid 1 'but I haven't written anything yet'
Teacher 'YOU'VE HAD 45 MINUTES FOR GOD'S SAKE'
kid 2 'I've written my name'
kid 3'I drew an ice cube'
Mini Moo'but I drew the ice cube. You were supposed to do the writing'
all kids 'sir, sir, sir'
Teacher'right that's it, no one goes until you've finished'
Absolute chaos then happens.
Kid 1'Holly, are you still in my group?'
Genuinely think the teacher is crying now.

 

[Blurp]

Finally cooked myself something out of The Green Roasting Tin instead of just reading and drooling! Orzo with baby tomatoes on the vine, though the book picture cheats by showing it before you mix the olive oil through after taking it out of the oven so not as pretty. Very tasty and I had to apply self-control when packing away the second helping into a box for the fridge. I'll use less stock next time though I did just tip the last few tomatoes in to make 500g rather than 400g so that may have made it wetter. I was a bit concerned when told to use PoBP though...

Dare I say that a certain someone inspired me when sorting out my herbs and spices? I got the containers for £12.99 for a dozen from Amazon and glued an A3 stainless steel panel to the side of the fridge-freezer unit. Another advantage is that, when cooking, I can just stick the ones I'm using either to the stainless steel range or to the cooker hood. Excuse the wall - I need some rewiring before the tiles go up.

 

[Toffee finger]

Lovely sunny chilly walk this morning. Nowhere near as good a view as others photos and I decided to walk towards Westcliff instead of Thorpe Bay to avoid running in to JM but it was nice!

 

[Falkor]

It's really not nice out here.

Spoiler: Sheep hunting

Pretty, but not nice.

The track is mostly sheet ice and it's occasionally snowing.

But one bonus of the snow is it's easy to see fresh droppings, so when I found some, I started calling and then there was an answering BAAAAAAA from some rocks.

I have some video of them all running in to call, but it's too big - will try and compress when I get home (still walking back!!) They were happy to see me anyway.

April + 2 still off elsewhere, I suspect I know whose flock they're with, so I'll ask him where they're settled and go and see another day.

 

[kachoochoo]

pandemic madness has truly settled in. i have just realised, at 3pm, softly, gently working really hard at my desk, that i booked today as annual leave!! i should be all snug at home watching lingo and considering a 4pm tipple. i could weep!

*insert "i really shouldn't be here gif*

 

[kachoochoo]

I just had the most perfect eggy bread