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Home > Blogs > Norfolk Single Dad > Posted in February 2007 Norfolk Single DadPosted in February 2007A slice of English life in all its glory, through the eyes of a 39 year-old single dad and his amazing 4 year-old son.... Butternut Squash with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
Source: Eddie2sox A really filling meal - comfort food in vegetarian form! If you don't like squash, you can use the sauce with baked potatoes instead.... Ingredients
2 medium-sized butternut squashes, about 700g each, halved lengthways and seeded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g can plum tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
300ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp caster sugar
handful of baby spinach leaves (which I forgot!)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Arrange the squash cut-side up in a large non-stick roasting tin. Brush with the oil and season well. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and roast for 45 minutes until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the onion, garlic, tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, tomato puree and caster sugar into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, break up the tomatoes slightly and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.
3. Season to taste. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Serve the butternut squash with the sauce spooned over.
Takes 1 hour 20 minutes; serves 4.
Per serving: 239 kcal; 10g protein; 41g carbohydrate; 5g fat; 0 saturated fat; 8g fibre; 2g added sugar; 0.78g salt.
Notes
Don't forget the spinach! This meal is surprisingly filling and would make a great vegetarian comfort food meal. Looks pretty cordon bleu but it's really easy. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveSticky Glazed Gammon
Source: Eddie2sox A "zingy" way to cook gammon which is really healthy. Lean steaks are served with nutritious bulghar wheat and green vegetables Ingredients
85g bulghar wheat
85g fresh or frozen peas
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 orange, halved
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 lean gammon steaks
1 tbsp mint sauce
Method
1. Preheat your grill to High. Tip the bulghar wheat and 450ml of cold water into a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the peas and leek and bubble for 3-5 minutes more, until soft.
2. While the bulghar bubbles, make the glaze. Squeeze the juice of one orange half into a pan, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, honey and mustard and simmer for 2 minutes until sticky. Season the steaks with pepper only, put them on the grill rack (no tray) and grill for 5-6 minutes each side, brushing frequently with the glaze.
3. When the bulghar is cooked, drain it, season well and mix in the mint sauce. Cut each steak in half and serve on the bulghar, with the remaining orange half cut into segments.
Takes 30 minutes; serves 2.
Per serving; 465 kcal; 45g protein; 55g carbohydrate; 8g fat; 2g saturated fat; 5g fibre; 7g added sugar; 6.8g salt.
Notes
I enjoyed cooking this meal, and it turned out fantastically yummy! When you make the glaze though, use a little bit more honey and cook on a high heat to "sticky" it up enough. I'd never used bulghar wheat before this, but I will definitely be doing so again! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveQuizzes, Myths And Education
Source: Eddie2sox Quiz goes well, busting a myth, and educating Sam! Woolpack Quiz Night
This went really well last night, competition was fierce, banter was fiercer, and a good time was had by all. Plus we made a tiny bit of money for our charity, which will add up over the year. For the first time at The Woolie the scores were tied at the end, meaning the Tie Breaker was actually needed......it's always a numerical question and the team guessing closest to the right answer wins. Last night, with scores level at 38 apiece, The Four Twots (I know.......) won through, guessing that the percentage of people living in Lithuania who are actually Lithuanian was 78%. The Good Losers went for 100%, miles away from the correct figure of 80%.
Next quiz is Sunday 25 March, kick off 8.30pm. Great conversation afterwards about the TV programme Myth Busters, where two American geeks try to disprove commonly misheld beliefs, such as that a sinking ship sucks it's crew and passengers down after it, and that goldfish have no memory. Co-incidentally, yesterday I received an email that busted a myth too.........
9/11 Myth - Busted!
Did anyone else, a few years ago, receive an email that was doing the rounds, that read like this:
"This is something to think about! Since America is typically represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages... The following verse is from the Quran, (the Islamic Bible) Quran (9:11) -- For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace. Note the verse number!!!!!" Yesterday I got a forwarded email that said:
"Our crack team of scientists searched multiple online databases which contain the Quran in it's entirety. The word "eagle" does not appear anywhere in the Quran, the Koran or even the Quarahnne
Our scientists then went to google.com and typed in "online quran" to locate an online copy of the book. Here is the actual Chapter 9, verse 11 of the Quran
009.011 YUSUFALI: But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practice regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand. PICKTHAL: But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then are they your brethren in religion. We detail Our revelations for a people who have knowledge. SHAKIR: But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know."
Myth Busted!
Educating Sam
As a dad, one of my jobs is the education of my son, Sam. Not just sums and seasons, but life skills, manners, and "useful" stuff too. I thought I'd just make a note of a few things Sam has been learning recently, some are educational, some are just things that will make him a better person.
Spires & Domes: We spent half an hour wandering round town looking upwards, and learning that the pointy bits on top of buildings are called spires, and the round bits are called domes. Sam pointed out the dome on top of the cinema and the THREE spires on top of St John's church in The Walks.
One Louder: In the car Sam loves listening to music, and often asks for it to be louder. I limit the volume to 11 on the CD player. It used to be 10, but then I agreed to "one louder". Sam now understands that "one louder" is the very loudest that anything can be - exactly in the same way that Spinal Tap's amps went up to 11 (see quote from the film). It's the kind of thing all boys ought to know: Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Accelerator Brake Clutch: An invaluable start to his driving education. Sam can name 99% of the items inside our car, and we recently moved down to the pedals. Not only does he now know what the accelerator and brake do (clutch is slightly trickier), but he made the ABC connection with the alphabet all by himself.
Sausages: In another effort to immerse Sam in popular culture, I described to him how, long long ago, on a TV programme called That's Life, there was a dog that could say "sausages"...like this...."sau.......sa....ges....." Sam has now added this impressive impersonation to his repertoire (Victor Meldrew is his best), and may well be driving his mummy mad with it. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveKid's Chicken Curry
Source: Eddie2sox Another Annabel Karmel recipe, make note of it just in case I am refused copyright permission (applied for).... This is the recipe that my 3-year-old absolutely loved, and I have to say I do too, having scoffed some straight after I finished cooking it.
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium apple, peeled and thinly sliced
100g baby sweetcorn, cut into quarters
1 tbsp korma curry paste
1/2 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp tomato puree
100g frozen peas
150ml coconut milk
1 chicken stock cube, dissolved in 150ml boiling water
salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the chicken for about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and saute the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, then add the apple and sweetcorn and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
3. Add the korma curry paste, mango chutney, tomato puree, frozen peas, coconut milk, chicken stock and chicken pieces and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste.
Makes 2 portions.
My notes
I found this incredibly easy to make, and doubled all the ingredients to make lots of curry to put in the freezer. I really enjoyed eating this myself, and after Sam's brilliant reaction to it I will definitely be making this again very soon. Sam was not sure about the baby sweetcorn, so next time I will use more peas and apple and give the sweetcorn a miss until he's a bit older. Delicious! Sorry about the dodgy photo (those aren't chips, they're baby sweetcorn quarters!)....Annabel Karmel's After School Meal Planner published 2006 by Ebury Press Random House. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveShameless Plug! Woolpack Quiz Night, Sunday 25 February!
Source: Eddie2sox Yup, I run the quiz at The Woolie, and it's really good! But I would say that wouldn't I? Kick off is at eight, get there by half seven to get a good table, brush up your current affairs!
It's worth a visit, if only to bump into foxy chicks like Annabel and Jane (see photo, New Bob's missus plus daughter)! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveKing's Lynn Mart
Source: Eddie2sox It's just another town fair, but KL takes it upon itself to endow it with some old, poncey rubbish to attract tourists.... Today Sam was here and last night we decided to go to the fair today, WHATEVER the weather. Picked Sam up from nursery at half three yesterday and we had chip butties for tea (it's what his mummy's been giving him on a Friday night) before a nice bath and playtime then bed. Lovely bedtime actually, Sam told me two or three times "Daddy I really love you" before eventually nodding off.
Saturday dawns, Sam had a good night's sleep, Daddy didn't cos he never does when Sam's around. We did enjoy a nice morning just playing, reading, sticking, racing, with a spot of brekkie chucked in. Sam had his first portion of Annabel Karmel's "Kid's Chicken Curry" for dinner.......started off eating just the rice til I said he should try the curry.....try a big piece of chicken.......he spooned up some sauce and a chunk of chicken.....pushed it into his mouth with a look that said "I will not like this Daddy, and I told you so"......however! After a second or two his expression changed to "Actually this is very lovely, and I want to eat more of it, but I will not say so because I will look silly". So he scoffed a lot of that til he was full, result!
So, it took a while for the after effects to wear off the little champ, but eventually we set off for the fair. Came back 5 minutes later so Sam could have a wee, then set of again. Saw Big Roy, yelled and waved. Arrived at Tuesday Market Place at 2.
Well, we had a FANTASTIC time at the fair! Sam was really excited with all the noise and music and people. First ride we saw was the dodgems.....Sam seemed a little unsure so I said let's watch for a while then you can decide if you want to have a go. He did! So we found a dodgem car and climbed inside. Strapped Sam in, put me arm round him, and although he said otherwise he looked a little scared! Eventually we got rolling, and we managed a few laps (deliberately) on the edges, driving without bumping. Then, naturally, someone bashed us, Sam laughed, and I knew it would be OK. We spent the rest of the ride hunting down whichever car Sam took a fancy to, while occasionally being whacked by someone else. Fantastically, towards the end, Sam took over steering, and completely obliterated two of our rival cars, side on, full speed, laughing while he did it. Maybe he did take in some of last summer's banger racing after all?
After that we went on a tour of the fair, Sam hopping on rides left, right and centre. The big wheel, Helicopters, Mini-Vehicles, Crazy Cottage, Harleys, Mini Trains, you name it. One ride he was initially wary of but decided to try in the end was the Mini-Waltzers.....he enjoyed the ride a lot, until the point that the woman operator gave him an extra spin. After that he LOVED it, laughing like a drain and trying to focus on me every time he passed - usually unsuccessfully. I think this whetted his appetite for the big surprise later on.....
After the rides we decided to have a go at a couple of "Win A Prize" stalls. Sam picked the Hook A Penguin and the Hook A Character From Top Film "Cars" stalls, and obviously won a prize on each. However, at 3 years old, winning a prize for Sam was a real achievement not just a giveaway! Well done Son! He won a police officer set and a Coca-Cola articulated toy lorry. Tat, but absolute hard-earned treasure for my brilliant little boy!
And then...."Can we go on that Daddy?"
"The waltzers? The grown-up waltzers?"
"Yeah, The Wotsers."
So I took Sam up onto the platform and said we'd watch for one ride to see what he thought. He looked "mad for it" and when the ride stopped he was off towards car number 1, and installed in the seat before you could say "Paul Robinson." I tentatively "packed" him in next to me, as the ride was VERY fast and the cars had been spinning at Puke Factor 7. We started......slowly. Sam was quiet. The first "fast" spin and Sam giggled. Then we started spinning, fast, with big G-Forces, and Sam was laughing his head off! The ride lasted ages, occasionally I couldn't see Sam's face which was a slight worry, but I could hear him laughing and making his "I'm falling over in a funny way" noise (think Jimmy Saville "uh-uh-uh-uh-uh guys and gals"), so everything was just fine. He even started experimenting with the new feeling of G-force, by lifting his legs up one at a time - when he lifted them both up they were instantly plastered to the back rest of the car! We eventually slowed down and stopped, Sam jumped up, wobbled this way and that way then sat back down again. I tried standing up.....decided to give it a few seconds....we eventually weaved our way off the Waltzers giggling like idiots.
Time for something to eat, then one last ride, then home. Sam was happy with that idea too. We had one minor blip when the blokes at the bungee-bouncing thingie told us Sam was too small to have a go - Sam had a few tears of disappointment but forgot all about it when faced with a humungous burger van. Sam chose sausage and chips, I went for hog roast, and we sat next to the Gallopers eating our tea and waving at people we knew. Hi Janet, Hi Louis' mum, Hi Steve! For his last ride Sam chose to go on the mini-vehicle roundabout again, on a police motorbike, and then happily jumped off ready to head home. He is SUCH a good little boy.
Even the walk home was great! We were obviously both in a fantastic mood and we chatted away loud and lairy all the way. Too loud on occasion I think. When we reached the swimming pool zebra crossing, there was what looked like black paint splashed over the "stop the traffic" button. Sam said "There's bird pooh on it!"
"Yeah, and it's black bird-pooh too, which is the worst kind," replied Daddy, unaware that another family had walked up behind us. Cue three giggly young girlies bursting out laughing, and loudly whispering about it "black bird pooh"...."The worst sort...." etc. Seemingly NOT what mummy wanted to hear, WHOOPS!
Then halfway through The Walks, we were passing a dysfunctional family struggling with their toddlers. Now, me and Sam had spotted the Moon out early, during daylight, and had been discussing why. Quite often when we're talking about something like that, I will adopt a third-person character for the particular inanimate object, so Sam, me and "it" can have a chat and "it" can sometimes explain about itself (if I know enough about the subject - does this make sense?). So, today, where the hell it came from I have NO IDEA, but The Moon suddenly started talking to Sam in a growly West-Indian accent, which neither me or Sam could understand for a while - thus making us laugh even more. Unfortunately, just as The Moon was talking to Sam about his new toys from the fair, we were walking right past the family - they were black......b******s!
Made it home and we just had enough time to unwrap the new toys, have a quick playtime, and watch You've Been Framed before it was time for Sam to be taken back to his mummy's. Crap end to an otherwise PERFECT day! Loving my little boy SO MUCH! See you on Tuesday Sam, night night xx To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveAnother Stolen Bike!
Source: Eddie2sox Some lowlife scumbag has stolen my bike - the second one I've had nicked in 5 months! I've had a second bike stolen within five months! First one I was unable to claim on my insurance as it was stolen from work. This one MUST be different, here's why.
It was stored at my home address, locked to a fixed bike rack.
The fixed bike rack is located inside a locked bike shed.
The locked bike shed is located inside a locked car park.
So if I can't claim to have taken "reasonable" security measures this time I will be off the scale angry. I haven't told Sam yet, he was so upset when our first bike got nicked and I don't really have the heart to tell him that it's happened again.
There has been a positive spin-off from the first theft - it served as a great lesson to Sam in bike security. That bike was also locked to a lamp-post, but still went missing. Since then Sam has been a LOT more into locking doors/cars/whatever, and now he has his own bike he absolutely insists it is locked before it is left.
Anyway. Thieving scum who have swiped my second bike. IF I find out who it is before the police do, be REALLY careful OK. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveYorkshire!
Source: Eddie2sox Pudding tops award list, pasty lags behind! Nicked from the BBC News website:
It beat the Cornish pasty and the Melton Mowbray pork pie to come first in its category at the Good Housekeeping food awards. It was the first time the favourite regional food had been included in the annual awards. Entries were nominated by Good Housekeeping readers. The magazine's cookery editor Emma Marsden said the Yorkshire pudding was a regional food with nationwide appeal. "It is something people have grown up with," she said. "They are a favourite Sunday lunch accompaniment to roast beef. That's why people love them - and because they're so easy to make."
Are you watching Pasty Muncher! Worzel Gummidge, Jethro, Rick Stein, bloke off Friday Night Show, King Arthur, Bishop Trelawny......your boys took a hell of a beating! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink abovePre-Cooking
Source: Eddie2sox Been a good day so far...... Had to nip out to Tesco for a couple of bits......popped into The Woolpack for a quick pint on the way home.....ooooops, ended up having four.......
Karina was in with her adorable puppy Leila (pic), who is virtually doubling in size each week! Settled down for a pint and a chinwag with Vonny (Norfolk's Best Barstaff), Louis, DJ J and John.
For a start.....£250 for a dog? Leila cost that, but you can pop into any big city and grab a dog for free, and they'd probably love you for life if you stick a bowlful of Pal in front of their nose.
Did you know that Johnny Cash was one of America's top code-breakers during the second world war?
Are you gay or lesbian? Does recognising that a member of the same sex is attractive make you bat for the other side? If so, at what level? For example, "most" blokes would say that, yes, Brad Pitt is attractive. Move down the ladder a little.....is James Nesbit attractive? Down further, is the bloke behind the counter at Vancouver Butchers attractive? Where do you draw the line, if at all? As an ugly bloke myself I am well aware of good looking men, but I don't fancy them. You don't have to be a cook to know the soup tastes fantastic.
So onto a dodgy subject.....I don't think IMM would let it stay here, so the key phrases "Joe Strummer", "Eric Clapton", "Kit Kat Shuffle" and "All men are ******* or liars". So true Vonny.
If you go to Africa, beware hippos! They kill more humans every year than lions or tigers or elephants or gerbils.
My mate Louis runs a motor-racing team! They started out called "Team America! F*** Yeah!", but as they've grown they are now known by the catchy title of "Advance Vehicle Rental Scorpio Electronics A Tech Computers Silena Automotive Ma Ha UK Fiesta Boys" If you need any custom made parts for your car speak to Louis! Actually, give young Louis some space, he's just had a "lump" removed from his back which has now gone for biopsy. the more fingers you all cross, the better. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink above Life Meanders Onwards....
Source: Eddie2sox ....as usual not much of the shocking variety has happened in NSD's life.... Tesco Invasion?
The picture to the left is an apparent invasion fleet of Tesco trolleys at the Hardwicke shop today! Are they planning on hostile takeovers of Sainsburys / Rainbow / Morrisons? These hundreds of trolleys were parked well away from the store entrance, what CAN they be up to?
On a slightly different subject, Tesco award 1 Clubcard point for every carrier bag you re-use. It's a really good idea, but I don't think the reward is sufficient to encourage enough people to take part. I'm going to contact Tesco to ask them to increase the payback from 1 point to 5 points. After all, Tesco claim huge credit in the media for their "green" efforts, so would it harm them to reward the customers who actually contribute towards their success?
p.s. WHY have you put the price of goat's milk up? £1.24 from £1.18. And why is the home brand stuff the same price as the farm stuff? Are you keeping the price high, artificially?
Sam And Music
Sam was really interested in hearing about my trip to see The View, and thought it absolutely hilarious that Daddy would be jumping around waving his arms and shaking his head, along with "more than a hundred Daddy?" other people. There were 1800 to be precise, but "a hundred" is a huge - in fact THE hugest - number in Sam's world. He wanted a demonstration when we got back to the flats, so I ended up leaping around like a kangaroo with Tourettes in front of the entrance hall - and yes, there were two people leaning out of their windows watching. When we were going back to his mummy's we got stuck at the level crossing, just as Same Jeans was playing. Sam went berserk during the speedy part at the end, so I joined in, and neither of us noticed that the barriers had raised and the lights had stopped flashing. If you were driving any of the cars behind us, SORRY, but at least you know what the arms and heads were going nineteen to the dozen for.....
Pancake Day
We had pancakes for pud last night, expertly cooked by yours truly. Sam, displaying his penchant for healthy eating, refused his first pancake with sugar on, and requested a second, plain one. There was no alternative but for me to dispose of the offending item by eating it. Before the pancakes, Sam demolished a mini cottage pie, cooked following the Annabel Karmel recipe, healthy and filling and obviously really tasty! Off to pick the little fella up again later and I can't wait, he's having hidden veg sauce bolognaise tonight with garlic bread, yoghurt for pudding.
Tomorrow In The Kitchen!
Really looking forward to Thursday, I've just picked up ingredients for two recipes; Sticky Glazed Gammon for me and Kid's Chicken Curry for Sam. Keep your eyes peeled for pics and details of how I get on tomorrow.... To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveAnother Way To Die In Your Sleep
Source: Eddie2sox Sneezing; When Gorillas Attack!; Last Slice Of Pie; Job Hunt Aaaaaachoooo!
I've woken up with another stinking cold today. S'not fair. This time I am actually succumbing to drugs instead of letting nature take its course, as I've got a voluntary shift this evening. Everything aches, and I am sneezing like a snuff-fiend(very unusual for me). So come on Anadin Extra, get cracking!
A New Way To Die
I had another nightmare ending in my own death last night, this time I was ripped apart by a gorilla in the garden! I can't remember what order these little parts of the dream occurred, but if you can decipher what my subconcious is trying to tell me then please let me know. It was set overseas, rather like an RAF posting, but I wasn't in the RAF in the dream. It was kind of hot and tropical. There was some flooding, and while I was out walking I saw a huge black bear swimming in the floodwater. There were two train engines that didn't run on rails, and could move their front wheels to steer round corners. There was a caretaker who became a country and western singer/drummer, and sang: "You're my friend when I'm hungry, You're my shelter from troubled winds, You're my anchor in life's ocean, But will I ever eat Harle's grapes?"
What the heck is THAT about then? Harle's grapes? And I don't KNOW any Don Williams songs (thank you Google for the words today).
Anyway, shortly after this song I looked out of the window and saw two gorillas in the next garden - I rushed to get a camera to take a picture, went outside, but got spotted by a baby gorilla. This drew the attention of its mum, and she crashed through the hedge and killed me! The moral of this story is what...........?
Family Guy
When I got home last night I was way too excited to go to bed straight away, so I watched some TV, Father Ted was good but Family Guy had me laughing so hard I almost threw up. Which was apt, as it was the episode where Peter Griffin sells his daughter Meg to the local pharmacist to pay off his tab. Peter runs up the massive bill without realising, at one point asking what flavour suppositories are available. Pharmacist asks "You're not eating these are you Peter?" to which Griffin replies sarcastically "Noooooo, I'm shoving them up my butt!" The part which really made me laugh was when Peter arranges a vomiting competition between himself, Stewie, Chris and Brian their pet dog. There is one slice of pie left in the fridge, and Peter acquires vomit-inducing medicine from the pharmacist, saying "Last one to puke gets to eat the pie". Predictably all four of them end up puking copiously over the floor and even each other and nobody wants to touch the pie. Recommended, if you're easily amused in a childish kind of way!
Looking For Work
Well, although I don't feel like it I need to drag my ass into town to trawl the agencies again. If you know of anywhere there's a job going, suitable for a reliable, hard-working bloke like me, drop me a line! Me and Yosser Hughes, kindred spirits..... To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveThe View ARE on fire!
Source: Eddie2sox Aka "Wasted Little Bloggers".... Last night the NME Rock Tour 2007 was in Cambridge, and me and Brocky 2 set off from The Woolpack, together with two spare tickets (despite repeated attempts to persuade her otherwise, temporary landlady Vonny refused to come with us). Shame on you Dolly Parton!
Brocky was pretty wasted so we had to stop for a "comfort break", then carried on into town and headed for Lion Yard car park. It's about 100 metres from the Corn Exchange. We popped in a couple of typical Cambridge town centre pubs (posh, poncey, pretentious) then I decided it was time to flog the spare tickets. Brocky was impatient for more beer so I told him to go in and I'd find him later....the clown DID go in but then came out again without having his hand stamped correctly, DOH! I shifted the tickets, obviously not going to mention any sums of money in case anyone with a liking for the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is reading, then had to kiss the ass of the stewards on the doors to get Brocky back in - one steward said "I remember him, he was a pain in the arse first time he came in!"
There were four bands on last night but we'd only really gone to see The View. Mumm-Ra were already playing when we got in, and they were pretty good, however the singer's stage "antics" were very reserved and awkward, climbing onto band equipment then asking for a hand to get down.....The Horrors were next up, and Brocky being rather off it wanted to go home "The View aren't on/The View have been on/ blah blah!" The Horrors were a real disappointment, too grungy for my liking, too many over-indulgent guitar breaks.
Finally it was time for the main event. While we were waiting for the equipment to be swapped, guess who was saying "Shall we get off then?" NOOOOOOOOOO! If YOU want to go out then go, and I'll find you later.
The View ambled on accompanied by deafening Deep Purple (I think) over the PA, and set off at a hundred miles an hour with Comin Down. They followed that with Wasted Little DJs, then were about to start into The Don when Kieron's guitar broke, leading to a five minute pause in the set. Kyle entertained the crowd with a solo version of Face For The Radio, by which time the problem was sorted and the rest of the set began....The Don, Gran's For Tea, Skag Trendy, Posh Boys Can't Play, Wasteland, and Dance Into The Night all followed, before the finale of Same Jeans and Superstar Tradesman brought the house down. The View's younger fans (complete with obligatory boot polish smears on their faces) were in fine voice between the songs, but I still hardly understood a word the boys said in between songs! Never mind, that's such a minor point and doesn't alter the fact that I love this band. Seen them twice now, can't wait to see them again! Hands are aching a bit today, rather too much "air-drumming" on the steering wheel on the way home!
p.s. I have a small video clip from last night which I would love to link here, just to give people a quick idea of the atmosphere inside the Corn Exchange when The View were playing - anyone got ANY idea how to do that? To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveWoolpack - The Next Generation
Source: Eddie2sox Some of us "young" parents who frequent The Woolpack have been discussing the future, and how the town will cope when our children start going out together.... We think that the future nightclub population of King's Lynn will be powerless to resist the combined charms of "Woolpack - The Next Generation" (WTNG). The fact is they are a group of the most good-looking, photogenic, hilarious youngsters you'll ever meet, and members of the opposite sex will be helpless - especially when they're hunting in a pack. Misty and Sam have already "bonded" incredibly well - Vonny and me felt like gooseberries that day at Legoland.....
Cast List
The members of WTNG are:
Kourtney (9) - Chanie's little sister Misty (6) - Vonny's daughter Ellie (3) - Scott's daughter Sam (3) - my little boy Jack (nearly 1) - Georgie's son
Talking to Georgie and Chanie last night (see photo), we pictured the scene, fifteen years in the future. We've all met in The Woolpack on Saturday night as always, and WTNG are about to head out the door, onwards into town. Us old people are enjoying a riotous game of dominoes, and the sherry and real ale is flowing.
"Kourtney, remember, keep an eye on them!" "Misty, you're the negotiator. If acting reasonably fails, hissy fit is the way forward." "Ellie, try not to humiliate too many blokes tonight with your razor sharp sarcasm please?" "Sam....ONE woman at a time tonight OK...." "Jack....Jack.....JACK! Breaking hearts is NOT compulsory yeah?"
It's going to be messy. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveMulti-layer Cottage Pie
Source: Eddie2sox This is a recipe by Annabel Karmel, a top author who writes cookbooks aimed at children and babies. Ingredients
250g swede, peeled and chopped
200g carrots, peeled and chopped
Generous knob of butter
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
450g minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
100g leek, finely chopped
100g red pepper, finely chopped
150g button mushrooms, diced
4 medium tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
1 beef stock cube dissolved in 350ml boiling water
675g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
50g unsalted butter
6 tbsp milk
225g frozen peas, cooked
1 beaten egg
Method
1. Cook the swede and carrots in boiling water for 20 minutes, or until tender, then mash with the knob of butter until smooth.
2. Heat half a tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and saute the minced beef for 7 to 8 minutes or until any liquid has been evaporated. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a fairly large casserole and saute the onion and leek for 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and saute for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, bay leaf, beef stock, and cooked mince, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Meanwhile boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain. Return them to the pan and mash, together with the butter and milk, until smooth.
5. Place the mashed carrot and swede in the bottom of an ovenproof dish (approximately 18cm in diameter and 7.5 cm deep). Arrange the meat mixture on top, cover with a layer of cooked peas, then top with a layer of potato. Brush the potato with the beaten egg and cook under a pre-heated grill for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the top is browned.
Notes
This recipe may not be here for long, I have asked Annabel Karmel for copyright permission but had no reply yet! The recipe is found in her book "Annabel Karmel's After-School Meal Planner", along with many other great child-friendly ideas. Annabel Karmel's After School Meal Planner published 2006 by Ebury Press Random House.
I would advise anyone to prepare ALL the ingredients before you start cooking, as the timescales are tight when the action starts happening! These amounts made three mini-pies for Sam to eat, and a BIG pie for Daddy, which makes four large servings. This recipe is suitable for freezing. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveKing's Lynn Scandal Part One
Source: Eddie2sox You hear stuff when you're a man about town don't you..... Which major King's Lynn company, with large factory premises somewhere roughly in the Hardwicke area, has a head of engineering who personally bypasses emergaency shut-off switches so that production doesn't stop if employees pull the switch?
Which town centre shop has it's fire alarms permanently disabled after a series of false alarms, resulting in an empty shop, last month?
Which large Lynn manufacturer is ridding itself of as many English staff as possible, and replacing them with immigrant workers on 75% of the pay? Tenuous reasons for releasing staff include "too much time off taking dog to vet", and "too much time taking son to A&E at the QEH".
These "obviously made up" facts have been told to me by G, C and L respectively. You couldn't make it up...... To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveThe name's Teeth......Keith Teeth....
Source: Eddie2sox Bumped into a former workmate from Besspack today.... .....one of the temps who like me, wasn't kept on. Our "very" brief greeting went as follows:
"Hi Shannon, how's it going?"
"Hi Keith, good thanks. See you later, off into town with littlun."
As unremarkable exchange as you could ever imagine. Yet he called me Keith....why? Well, it's made my day, so I'll explain!
One of the jobs we had to do at Besspack was "sorting" which involved checking batches of valves to ensure they were of the ultimate tip-top quality. We'd gather chairs around a bench and get cracking, and inevitably there were never enough chairs. When one person got up for any reason, someone would nick their perch. Shannon had heard a rhyme about this kind of behaviour, which went:
"On your feet, lose your seat, Duh dee duh lose your teeth."
What was the dud dee duh? He couldn't remember and all our suggestions were dismissed:
"If you don't eat beef, lose your teef?"
"If you're Lee van Cleef, lose your teef?"
"Once a thief, lose your teef?"
"Red Indian chief, lose your teef?"
However the most popular was "Name's not Keith? Lose your teeth," suggested by me! Naturally, blokes being blokes, I adopted the nickname "Keith Teeth", and was known by that name by my colleagues.
So.....when I said hello to Shan earlier, and he said "Hello Keith", it made my day. This has been a pointless post, but another snapshot in the life of Sim....errrm....I mean Keith Teeth! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveQuick Seafood Paella
Source: Eddie2sox A quick version of the Spanish dish using a bag of frozen seafood mixture! Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
230g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
300g long grain rice
1.3 litres vegetable stock (I used only 1 litre and it worked fine, I couldn't fit any more into the pan!)
450g bag frozen mixed seafood (prawns, mussels, squid rings), thawed
175g green beans, halved
1 lemon, cut into wedges (I forgot the lemon, doh)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until softened but not brown. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and turmeric and cook for 1 minute more, stirring occasionally.
2. Tip in the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the grains. Pour in the stock, stir well and bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost cooked and most of the stock has been absorbed.
3. Add the seafood and beans and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges.
Takes 30 minutes; Serves 4
Per serving: 463 kcal; 32g protein; 75g carbohydrate; 6g fat; 1g saturated fat; 3g fibre; 0 added sugar; 1.91g salt.
You WILL need a very big pan for this, I had to reduce the amount of stock down from 1.3 litres, although it still turned out great and very tasty indeed! Anyone know where I can get hold of a really big non-stick frying pan? To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveNew day, new mood
Source: Eddie2sox Today started off nice and sunny, and so did I! Seems like I got rid of all my crappy feelings in last night's mega-strop. Which is a good thing. I read back last night's blog entry and it sounded quite pathetic and self-centred - I considered editing it favourably but I figure that it's all about describing how you're feeling - so I'm leaving it as it is. To catch up on a couple of things:
Toothbrush Update
My haunted toothbrush has struck again twice within 12 hours. Last night I'd just got into bed and nodded off when I was woken up by some noise. Took me ages to realise it was the damned toothbrush again. And then this morning.....clean, brown shirt on....put the toothpaste on the brush, and DAMMIT, the bloody thing's off again and pebble-dashed my clothes. Buggrit.
Sam Update
Apparently Sam had a bad night, but right now he's with his mummy at her school, happily playing, drawing and colouring. Phew, sounds like progress. Found out a GREAT Sam-fact last night that I forgot to mention at the time - he's started taking the mickey out of his elders' lack of knowledge of modern music. On a recent day out with his grandma (who's a lay preacher, i.e. she uses a 2000 year old fairy tale book to impose her own outdated standards of behaviour on other people!), Sam started singing "I've had the same jeans on for four days now...." Grandma replied unknowingly "I don't think you have Sam." Sam added "I'm going to a disco in the middle of town...." "Sam, you're far too young for discos!" (assuming the older-person's "I know better" attitude). "No Grandma! It's a song. By The View! Same as Super Trainman." (Sam's attempt at Superstart tradesman!). Nice one Sam, keep the old buggers in their place, with their Jim Reeves and their Meatbloodyloaf!
Afternoon Plan
Got a good plan for the afternoon, involving Diagnosis Murder, Deal Or No Deal, and a lot of cooking! Just been to Tesco for loads of shopping, mainly veg I was pleasantly surprised to realise as I unpacked. Recipes on the cards are "Quick Seafood Paella" for me and "Nicholas' multi-layered cottage pie" for Sam. This is taken from one of Annabel Karmel's cookbooks, if you don't own one AND you cook for kids, GET ONE TOMORROW!
Quick seafood paella should be good, as I love seafood and rice, and it'll freeze for future use. The cottage pie will go down well with Sam, and if I follow the recipe there will be enough to make 3 small pies for him (using individual ramekins, part of the - oops - Annabel Karmel range! see pic) and a bigger one for me, hoorah!
As the Tesco Clubcard vouchers came this morning I got my shopping basically for half-price which were great, so I slipped a few beers into the trolley too. That'll do for watching some football while slobbing on the settee tonight like England's very own Homer Simpson. (Speaking of slobbing in a blokey way, Sam often goes to sleep with his hand down the front of his nappy-pants, he's a typical bloke already!).
Funny how in a few hours you can be at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Last night I switched the car stereo off when Super Tradesman came on, because it's one of me and Sam's songs. Today, same song, turned the thing up to eleven ("one louder", for any Spinal Tap fans), so loud in fact that I couldn't hear myself shouting along. And got some funny looks at traffic lights. 38 going on 19. DOH! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveSam's ill again, gone back to his mummy's, and I won't see him for a week....
Source: Eddie2sox Which absolutely stinks. Sarah is off to see an old friend for the weekend, so Sam won't be here for his usual Saturday night sleepover. In fact, next time I see the little superstar will be NEXT Wednesday! I sometimes think I whinge far too much about the amount of time I spend with Sam. But that's just in comparison with other single dads I know, who seem happy with their lot, despite seeing less of their kids than I do of mine. This upcoming week without seeing Sam was agreed between me and Sarah. In England, the guideline for access is "every other weekend, plus half the school holidays". Me and Sarah agree that at his age Sam isn't quite ready to be away from mummy for more than one night at a time, so instead of spending the whole weekend with me, every other weekend, he is here one full day every weekend. Same amount of time, spread out more. He's not at school yet so we make arrangements about extra days with daddy when each holiday period rolls around. And, in addition, two nights every week I pick Sam up from nursery, for his tea and bathtime here, which is an extra six hours a week. So what am I moaning about, and why do I STILL feel short-changed? Maybe it's just me feeling annoyed about missing out on so much of Sam's life, who knows.
Sam was here from nine-ish yesterday morning until half past six tonight. We had a pretty good time too until his virus got a hold of him again this afternoon. We'd been to Baker's Oven as a treat, and stopped off for an hour in the park on the way home. Sam seemed fine, but fell asleep watching The Tweenies soon after we got home. He slept for ninety minutes, then woke up coughing - and a check of his temperature gave a reading of 39.8, extremely high. Right away I gave him some Calprofen to try to start reducing the fever, whipped off all his clothes except his pants, and started offering him juice after every cough (thankfully he kept taking it too, what a good boy). And so the afternoon went on in that fashion, checking temperature every ten minutes, giving Sam cold juice, cuddling him when he wanted it, leaving him alone when he didn't. We were due back at Sarah's at six today, but she called to say she had to take one of her cats to the vet, and could I possibly keep Sam til half past. Could I!? Always a daft question. Also had a phone call from someone close who is going through a really bad spell at the moment, and at the same time Sam kept calling for me, so I felt bad when the "other" person said they'd ring back tomorrow.
Well, the ibuprofen slowly worked on Sam's temp, and it was down to just over 38 by the time we had to leave. Still high but nowhere near as bad. Sam himself was also intermittently a lot livelier, in between coughing bouts and yelling in pain because his throat was sore from the coughing. Kept checking if he could move his head and neck without pain (yes), if there was any rash anywhere (no), did his hands or feet hurt (no), just in case the nightmare of meningitis was a possibility. Apparently not, thank gods.
And then the crappy moment when the end credits on The Simpsons appear and I have to say "Shoes on Sam". He knows what it means, I know it, and it's never nice, but tonight I just felt almost distraught. Taking my obviously poorly little star back after nearly 36 hours together, the worst thing in the world. Sam asked to listen to Same Jeans on the CD, which we did, and then when we arrived there he didn't even want to turn off all the bits and pieces in the car, which is ALWAYS one of his f |
