Busy Day at the Day Hospital

No sooner had I sat down than I got a cheery wave from one of the gentlemen on the other side of the room. Of course I went over to him and said that he would get everyone talking.

Needless to say, I am happy to encourage this. What a minx I am.

Almost as soon as I arrived and had a cup of tea and a biccie, I was grabbed by the Occupational Therapists.

3 OTs and 4 of us then set about making two sponge cakes. Not quite my way as they used margarine instead of butter and liquid eggs.

Liquid eggs? wtf??*

* = what on earth.

While we were taking it in turns to beat and beat (the marg was rather cold), one of the OTs made drop scones, or griddle scones (or pancakes, as they are known in Scotland). We had to leave for lunch at that point, in every expectation of being served iced cakes or pancakes at teatime.

However, after lunch, there arrived on the ward a slip asking me to go for a repeat x-ray, having had one before when I was admitted and proved to have a nasty chest infection.

The waiting time in radiology was posted as 50 minutes, and afterwards it was almost another 50 minutes for someone to come from the Day Hospital to collect me.

To add insult to injury, not only did I miss my cake I also missed my cup of tea.


I thought I had also managed to escape physiotherapy, but no such luck. Still, at least, after a bit of a moan, I did get a cup of tea and a piece of our cake.

Waiting to get into the ambulance for our lift home it was starting to sleet, so I have put the central heating on.

The veg box was the usual potatoes, carrots, onions, 1 beetroot, leeks, savoy cabbage and cauliflower. At the same time I had delivered an organic boiling fowl from the next door farm (straight to the freezer) and a beautiful chicken destined to be roasted tomorrow.

Physioterrorists again

I came home yesterday to a telephone message to say that, after discussing the case with her boss, they reluctantly have to decline the service because of the level of support we have here.

This morning I went to the physiotherapy exercise class; boys are they working me hard - I can hardly move.

Came home to find the organic veg box waiting - a mixture of potatoes, some white (Bard) and some red (Robinta), lovely carrots (Miami) with their feathery tops on, several leeks, 3 beetroot and broccoli.

The fruit was 2 bananas, 3 oranges, 3 apples and 1 kiwi fruit. Now the nursery are talking about a new development - an addition of a 'goodie' bag - this would be in addition to the normal net and they would let us know what would be in the next goodie bag, with items such as peppers, mushrooms, beansprouts, garlic, lemon, ginger, butternut squash and avocado. They are also talking about more variety of fruit, the disadvantage being the packaging so they suggest small boxes which we would leave out for the driver like the vegetable net.

Now, I had some potatoes left over from last time so I have made a potato salad with those ones. Then I had to cope with a delivery from T****.

I did manage to get something to eat and a tall glass of fresh orange and tonic.

And now I have to get ready to go to the Bridge Club.

Can I stay awake??

Food, Glorious Food.....

... and so on. I mentioned last time that the organic veg box was for someone else and I missed out on what I should have received.

Well, this week they have certainly made up for it, sending:

3 oranges, 4 apples, 2 bananas and 2 kiwi fruit,

Potatoes, carrots, onion, white turnips, beetroot, cabbage, 2 courgettes plus 1 which is either a large courgette or a small marrow

6 eggs

Today I am still rather sore and still not sleeping well, so I thought that making myself useful would make me feel no worse.

So, I cleaned out the cupboard which had held all the bread making ingredients and the other food cupboard.

I found rather a lot that was out of date, so that has gone, and now that both cupboards have been rearranged, I can find things!

I have also made a potato salad and cooked the two beetroot that TBSITW gave me.

I found yesterday’s bridge a bit difficult as I was partnering the lady who runs the Monday afternoon sessions. Unfortunately, her ideas conflict with those of the person who has been teaching us and I had difficulty letting go of what I had only recently learned and mastered and taking on board something new.

Friends and Bridge

Yesterday afternoion I got a telephone call from the Bridge Club Secretary, asking if I wanted to play tomorrow (Tuesday) evening; of course I was delighted, particularly when I found out it was someone I knew and liked. It is being held in a Community Hall as the Bridge Club building is closed this week.

Today I went to visit a friend of long standing, CW; we met when I went to work as a "temp" - this was after I "retired" - in the company where she was working. We have kept in touch ever since. Today she fed me the most enormous 3 course lunch and I am "stappit fu". On the way home I went to find the Community Hall and was also reassured to find plenty of car parking just next door.

Home now and sorted out the organic veg - potatoes, carrots, onions, a whole celery, broad beans, 2 courgettes (which have obviously benefitted from last week's rain), curly kale, broad beans.

No cooking this evening as I could not face another mouthful!

A trial of strikethrough (amongst other things)

Up early for the veg box man; also wanted my milk delivery. Our usual delivery man is on holiday and this one is not so efficient. The veg box man missed me as I had to go to my physiotherapy class. This was a real pity as I had not had time to pay him last time, so it is three lots next time.

After the class I went as usual for my tea and scone - they were giving 2 scones for the price of one, so I smuggled one out!

After that I had to go for 2 photographs for my new disabled motorist card, so went to big supermarket. As usual they are not like me at all - who is that ugly old hag then?

Got home to discover the house manager had put my milk in the fridge and the veggies in the kitchen. Now all packed away.

I always call my disabled badge my "get out of jail free card" and I tried to put in a bit about that with a strikethrough, but it did not work the bit between the left sharp bracket and the right sharp bracket was deleted.

The veg today were the usual potatoes, carrots and onions plus a kohl rabi, a beautiful lettuce, some beetroot and broad beans

The weather was cold and chucking it down, so it was rather an unpleasant drive to the physiotherapy class, but it seems to be brightening up now.

More Exercises

Perhaps as a result of Saturday's fall, I found I was struggling a bit at the class this morning, but at least I managed to complete the circuit.

On my way home, my car was drawn irresistibly into the correct lane to enter the garden centre, so what could I do?

I managed to find a disabled parking bay near the front doors, and went in and had a cheese scone and butter with a glass of ginger and lemongrass presse.

The vegetable box this morning had potatoes, carrots and onions together with a white cabbage, a lettuce, a bag of spinach, and several stalks of rhubarb. The fruit comprised 2 apples, 2 onions, 2 bananas and a kiwi fruit, and as usual, half a dozen eggs.

I am going to make some spinach soup (the light version using semi-skimmed milk instead of cream), and I shall also have to make a rhubarb crumble. There was a recipe for this included with the rhubarb, so I shall try that out later this week.

That Famous Organic Veg. Box

Was a little worried this morning when 11 o'clock arrived and no vegetable man. Phoned the farm to discover that my usual delivery man had hurt his back so someone else was doing his round (I think, on top of his own) so he would be late but was definitely coming. As I said yesterday, my fridge was almost empty (apart from some cheddar and Gran Pudano cheeses, mayonnaise, dark chocolate, Dijon mustard, and of course sherry, white wine and a couple of nice ales)*

Yup, that's an empty fridge!

Today's delivery consisted of: potatoes, carrots, onions plus a cauliflower, a bag of spinach, 4 leeks (small ones now) and a large bag of white sprouting broccoli; the fruit was 3 apples, 2 oranges, 1 banana and 1 kiwi fruit.

and, of course, half a dozen eggs.

I often make soup with spinach, but this time I think I shall simply serve as a vegetable as it is so good when fresh. This means washing it, then shaking it dry. After that you put it in a pan and let it wilt down without adding any more water. When wilted, toss in some butter and serve. A large bag of spinach should serve four.

The last loaf of bread that I made did not rise enough and is a bit hard and over-baked, so I shall make French toast with it tomorrow, now that I have some eggs.

* every picture tells a story....

Organic Vegetables

Expecting the delivery to be made some time after 8am, I set my alarm last night to go off at 7.15 this morning. For once I wakened before that and was up, showered and dressed by 7.15am

Just as well.

The delivery arrived shortly before 7.30!!!

So, I got it all unpacked and put away into a clean fridge drawer, the fridge or a fruit bowl.

I had potatoes, about 8 large carrots, onions and 2 turnips (Swedes), along with a large bag of beetroot, a huge bag of purple sprouting broccoli and 3 leeks. The fruit this time was 2 oranges, 2 apples, 2 kiwi fruit, and a banana. Also of course arrived the usual 6 eggs.

So here I am at 7.55 am with all that dealt with and back at the computer.

Off to the physiotherapy class at 9.30.

Farm Food and more

This morning the organic vegetable box arrived and brought potatoes, carrots, onions, celeriac, round cabbage, spring greens, 3 leeks, bag of small beetroot, 2 apples, 2 oranges, 2 pears and 6 eggs.

Also arrived this morning was my knife block, true to the promised next working day delivery.

So that's all the worktop stuff sorted. I really ought to get down to the cutlery drawers!

I still had a cauliflower left from my visit to the farm shop so I am making cauliflower gratin using a variation of the organic farm’s recipe: (I am also publishing this recipe on my recipe blog)

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small cauliflower
1oz plain flour
Little butter for frying
½ pint skimmed milk
3 oz Scottish mature cheddar, grated

Method

Place the onion and garlic in a heavy based pan and sauté in a little oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Break the cauliflower into florets and add to the pan, continue cooking with a lid on, so the vegetables cook partially in their own steam while you make the sauce.
Place the flour and butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat to make a roux, gradually add the milk, stirring between additions.
Remove from the heat and add the cheese. You can also add mustard and black pepper to give it a nice kick.
Place the cauliflower mixture in an ovenproof dish and cover with the sauce, sprinkle more cheese over the top and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

It is amazing how much dirt gets under your nails when you are preparing mushrooms for freezing; my thumb in particular is black! However that is about half a pound frozen. I had meant to use them in some mince, but they had reached that stage where they were better frozen than kept in the fridge.

I have also peeled and cut to size 1 large potato and 2 purple carrots together with one pale yellow one, all to be boiled together. I have prepared the last of some Savoy cabbage to go in the steamer over the potato pan.

Getting the organic vegetable box has really changed my eating habits. How often was I sure I would not like things, without even trying them? Such as balsamic vinegar (because I hated malt vinegar), Savoy cabbage, that ugly, but delicious celeriac, leeks as vegetables on your plate (instead of only in soup) and so on.

The organic vegetable people usually send out a recipe with the delivery and I plan on trying today’s one soon. I shall report back!

Veg Box and Exercise Class

Yesterday I resumed my organic vegetable box delivery, which I had cancelled for the Christmas and New Year season as I was away so much of the time.

Yesterday’s delivery brought potatoes, carrots and onions plus a cauliflower, a Savoy cabbage, 2 leeks and 3 beetroot. The fruit was 2 oranges, 2 apples, 2 bananas and a pear.

Fridge all sorted out and salad drawer cleaned and all put away.

I really ought to take the (somewhat full) bin bag along to the refuse room, but I am hoping to make it last till Thursday when my cleaners come.

Lazy, moi?

This morning was my third pulmonary exercise class. The programmes are individually tailored to our needs - in my case I need to concentrate on my legs as I cannot get up from a chair without using my arms to push up and I have difficulty on steps.

I am pleased to report that the exercise bike was increased to a resistance of 4 and I managed 5 minutes instead of the 4 minutes at resistance of 3.

It was quite cold when I left (1.5 deegrees), but fortunately the ice on the windscreen was almost melted and a quick flip of the wipers cleared it. On the way, the sun was very bright, but low in the sky - as I drove down the slip road to the motorway. it suddenly shone right onto my offside wing mirror, meaning I could not see the traffic coming up on the motorway. Fortunately at the last moment the angle changed and I had good visibility.

That Vegetable Box Again

This week's box contained potatoes, carrots and onions plus 3 leeks, a large turnip (swede), 2 cauliflower and 3 beetroots. I think I shall make a cauliflower macaroni cheese with one of the cauliflower, and maybe a cauliflower with parsley sauce with the other one; The leeks are nice small ones and, now that I have got my new steamer, will search out some leek recipes.

Today was D-Day (or rather L-Day). I finally ran out of clean underwear (oh, all right, if you watched Bridget Jones, knickers!) so I absolutely had to do the washing. I had rather a bad night's sleep and tossed and turned till 6 o'clock, when I thought I might as well make a virtue out of necessity. I got myself washed and dressed and was down at the laundry room at 7.30 making sure I would be first in the queue for the big capacity machine, loaded the machine, added wash liquid and conditioner. ready to press START at the crack of 8am. This is the earliest we are allowed to use the machines.

So, I went down at 9.15 to transfer the washging to the drier; but it took longer for the spin than I expected, so by the time I transferred the load and put the second load into the washing machine, it was after 9.30. This meant that when I got upstairs again the bags were waiting outside the door. I had really wanted to see the driver today, but it can't be helped.

Hair cut and more

Today I went to get my hair cut and blow dried at fairly close large town. It has been a seriously driech day, and I accused the hairdresser of doing a rain dance in honour of my visit just like daughter. Did a quick (and disappointing) whiz into M&S where I bought only something for my tea.

On the way home I managed to take a wrong turn off the main road (and DON’T say “women drivers”!. There are three exits that I take, the first one nearly all the time, but I didn’t fancy that small road in this weather – there had been some rather larger patches of water on the way out. Seeing as I had thought of going to garden centre, I took third exit.

Ummm well it was not the third exit that I meant to take, the third one goes off in the opposite direction to the one that I wanted. It took quite a few miles to find a roundabout and retrace my footsteps.

So at least I found the garden centre, which hides its light a bit under the bushel, so again I went past, turned round and found it on the way back. Okay, I’ll let you off with “women drivers” this time.

I was on the lookout for a small Christmas tree as I can’t manage to put up the one I have had for a few years. I picked up a small decorated one, but half the point was that I wanted lights on it. Problem solved – I have bought a gold basket with candles (electric). This is small enough to sit on my table at the window without impeding my using it for eating at.

Yesterday’s vegetable box contained, potatoes, carrots, onions, 2 small turnips (swedes), 2 leeks, curly kale and a green cauliflower. I had enough potato left over to peel for my tea and also cooked the last 2 of the beetroot from last time.

Yesterday’s tea was macaroni cheese (a nice simple tea in case I got a call looking for a bridge partner, but no luck there) with potato and curly kale. I made a mistake in the identification of this vegetable last time, but this time I knew what to do (basically treat it like cabbage, but a slightly longer cook), I was told that it is best cooked and eaten soon or else it will turn bitter. It is a lovely dark green and so should be full of iron.

Additionally to this, S. has told me of a real find – a farm shop not far from here. It may not be all organic, but it is difficult to get organic meat produced locally, and this meat is produced and butchered locally. I reckon that if you can’t get organic it is next best thing to know the provenance of the meat. S. has promised to take me there the first time so that I shall know where to go. Update to follow….

The Fortnightly Organic Vegetable Box

Today’s vegetable box contained potatoes, carrots, onions, a cabbage, broccoli, 5 beetroot and 4 leeks; the fruit was 2 oranges, 2 apples, 1 pear and a banana; there was also the usual carton of 6 eggs.

I am not so far culinarily inspired re the vegetables (apart from using them as routine vegetables with a meal (now there's a novelty) I love cooked beetroot, none of that sliced in vinegar in a jar muck, but freshly cooked beetroot, and eat a whole one at a time.

As for the eggs, Dickiebo mentioned they might bind, but I have never found that problem (and I don't eat many at a time now.)

I am today making my potato salad as I am going "out" this evening, i.e. along to the Residents' Lounge for a slide show. This is being presented by a relative of one of the residents here and promises to be very interesting.

It is a beautiful day today, blue sky with a few fluffy clouds (now don't try and confuse me, I don't know their official name), and the tree directly opposite where I sit at the computer is a beautiful shade of orange, while neighbouring (also deciduous) trees are still green; the roses in my little border are still blooming and I can see them too from my window if I lean forward and to the right of my monitor.

Feeling Just a Little Sorry for Myself!

I related to my faithful reader yesterday about my sore throat etc. Don't panic - no gory details in the offing, but this morning I had to get up, shower and dress for the organic veg box man to call; this actually does make you feel a bit better (no, the shower and dress part, not the organic veg box man, though come to think about it......... )

Today I have lost my voice. Many people would send up glad cries about this.

In the veg box came potatoes, carrots, onions, a good sized cabbage, 2 leeks and 2 smallish celerys (celeries?) together with a bag of chillies. They sent a recipe for a soup using celery and leek, so I shall give it a try and let you know if it is successful. The fruit was several apples, 2 pears and an orange. Also get 6 organic free range eggs as usual.

Organic Veg. Box

Set the alarm to be up early for the delivery. Today's offerings were:

potatoes, carrots, onions as usual plus a bag of (kohl rabbi) oops, it was curly kale, a bag of Swiss chard, 2 leeks and 4 white turnips; also 5 apples and a pear and the usual half dozen eggs. These eggs are excellent (organic and free range, of course) and cost only £1.30 (they were £1.25, but went up this week due to the rise in the cost of feed).

The quantities I get appear to be just right for me - I currently had only 2 onions left from the last delivery.

Doing things this way means that I clean the veg drawer in my fridge every fortnight.

Thanks to some advice from S. I now know that the Good Housekeeping Cookbook has a whole section on the cooking of individual vegetables, which is great as quite a few I had never come across before. curly kale you treat like cabbage, and you should cook it soon as it otherwise goes bitter; Swiss (or ruby) chard you cook like spinach.

How are the Mighty Fallen!

This morning I had to set my alarm for 7.15. Now this has been rather early for me lately as medication I have been prescribed for pain tends to cause me to sleep in (a nice change after not sleeping for days on end before). I set it because 2 weeks ago, the organic veg box man arrived at 8.20 to find me up and showered but not dressed. Oh the shame of it! I was determined this week not to repeat that! So what happens? You've got it. There I was up, showered, hair dry, dressed bed made and all my favourite blogs read before he arrived!

A very interesting box this week; apart from the consistent potatoes, carrots and onions, I got a purple cabbage (looks delicious), 3 leeks, 2 lettuce - and a PUMPKIN! I'll have to look up some recipes for that as I have never had one before - not sure if it may perhaps be too big for one, in which case I shall pass it on to daughter. Don't say "soup" please - my freezer is 'stappit fu' (this means, in polite English, full to the brim).

Then I had a home delivery from Tesco, and once again problems. One item not available was organic beetroot bunch and they substituted organic beetroot dipped in malt vinegar (yuk - hate malt vinegar), so that went back; and a further 3 important items missing altogether, so I had to go to the nearest Asda to get them. This is becoming a real bore. I lose my temper with either Asda or Tesco on a regular basis, but there is no other supermarket within reasonable driving distance.

Anyway, then cooked tea and went to one of the other flats to help another resident get connected to the internet.

"No problems" thought I.

Well, she had a Tesco disc, so I loaded it but the internet connection failed - on examination, she did not have a modem from Tesco. So I uninstalled the dial-up Tesco connection.

Then found that she had previously had installed an internet connection with BTInternet. So, I set out to renew it for her.

Well, it took ages to proceed from one page to the next, and then on 2 occasions it threw her out back to the desktop. Then in the end it failed to continue at all.

I confess myself stumped.

Not sure if I did it wrong (don't think so) or if it is the fact that it is an old pc with Windows 98, or if it is the fact that it was previously installed correctly and she let it lapse for months at least.

As it says at the top : how are the mighty fallen!

Recipe

Yesterday the sun shone and in the afternoon I played scrabble, losing one game badly (came 4th!) and coming second in the second one. One person managed to get all her tiles down in one go, gaining 50 extra points which gave her an unbeatable lead.

At the end, instead of a cup of tea, one of the players produced a bottle of sparkling Perry - a most pleasant change.

Today the sun is trying to shine through an overcast sky, and I am dealing with some of the contents of this week's organic veg. box delivery. I got potatoes, carrots, onions, pointed cabbage, oak leaf lettuce and spinach, so the task today is to make spinach soup. Here is my recipe:

Spinach Soup

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
440g/16oz spinach
2 large or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped to half inch cubes
600ml/20fl oz double cream
1200ml/42fl oz hot water
2 vegetable stock cube
4 garlic clove, crushed
toasted bread, to serve

Method
1. In a saucepan heat the oil and add the chopped onion, garlic and potato for five minutes to soften.
2. Add the spinach, hot water, vegetable stock cube and garlic and bring to the boil.
3. Cook for 20 minutes.
4. Blend the soup, together with most of the cream, with a hand-held blender and serve with fresh brown bread.
5. Add a swirl of cream to each bowl.