Soop's welcoming kitchen for kindly folk...

Good evening from the northernmost wilds of beautiful Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. hellogirl there really are no words but please accept my sincere condolences 🌷🙏. Sending a gentle group hug to all kitchen friends. TOYA

Hellogirl I was so sorry to read your horrendous news. My condolences.

I’m so sorry hellogirl, life is cruel at times. Sending my love.

Hellogirl I am shocked and very sorry for your loss, please accept my deepest condolences.

Thank you all so much. Soop, we were only talking, David and I, the other day, about when we met up with you and Mr. Soop.

Still thinking of you, Hellogirl. You head must be spinning with the shock of this. I hope you manage some sleep tonight. Xxx

I’m so sorry Hellogirl, heartbreaking for you all. I’m sending you hugs x

Sending love and prayers Hellogirl x

Hello dear kitcheners 😊 hellogirl please know you are in my thoughts 🙏🙏. It's quite a poignant time of year for us. My younger sister would have been 55 today and it was two years on the 22nd since she passed away. I've ordered some flowers to be delivered to my mum today - losing a child must be so very heartbreaking 💔💔. We've just enjoyed a coffee and cake in a little coffee shop by the water - it's so nice to relax with no demands us. Selfish maybe but sometimes you have to be 🥰. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday. TOYA 🌷

So pleased you’re enjoying your break BladeAnnie.

Dear Hellogirl, All your family are good, kind people. Your grandson made a lasting impression when he told us about David's final resting place. I love that wee lad.

Hello everyone. Not quite the day I had planned, but never mind! OH and I were supposed to be going to a Bee/Honey event this afternoon with demos, honey, talks etc but sadly OH’s cough and cold have got worse. On top of his other medical issues he is not a happy bunny. He also wants to cancel our lunch out tomorrow. We had to forego our lunch out yesterday so changed it to tomorrow. The place we are supposed to be going to tomorrow does takeaway, so I might ask if we can do that instead and go and collect it. I collected a batch of parcels from Waitrose this morning. Mostly ok but the Black Friday handbag is a bit grim so is going back. The new door mat is also being returned as it’s too big. I have a batch of lemon ice cream churning as we speak. I don’t want to run out over Christmas. Have a good evening everyone: I think mine will be spent mainly reading.

Hello everyone in the kitchen. The cake fruit for the Christmas cake is soaking in brandy ( a la Mary Berry) and I am sewing the final seams on DGS’s new jumper. A deep red which should go with his decidedly red hair. I have another to knit before Christmas if I can.
We are warm and cosy in front of the first rugby match while waiting for the England game. Steak and a nice glass of red for dinner. Can’t ask for much more!
Hope you have good evenings

Hi kitcheners, we are waiting for The Imp and the 7yr old to arrive as they are both sleeping over as DD is going out with her old schoolmates.

Finished the Everest of ironing earlier on, including three sets of king sized bedding and two single sets, I do wish I wasn’t so obsessive about ironed bedsheets 🤣🤣🤣 definitely need to take a leaf out of Urmstongrans #lazygran book.

Wishing you all a cozy Saturday 🙋‍♀️

A day of visiting, visitors and family catchups on the phone. It is late and I've not done much apart from socialising.

Tomorrow, I shall return to spend time with you lovely lot. Enjoy your Saturday evening.

GrannyGravy I am the other extreme to you. I have a brand new ironing board, still with its plastic cover on and it has been like that for at least 5 years. I am keeping the iron and board because one day I may find some use for them both. I think Urms and I would get along just fine.

‘Evening All’

Yes, we’d get on famously I think Charleygirl!
GG13 you must try harder dear woman.
I lower the bar so well I can easily just hop over it.

For instance, tonight we are having a nice fat rib eye steak with fried onion (it’s huge so I’ll cut it in half, natch). Actually - why do so many people say ‘pan-fried’ these days? Sounds posher I suppose. Anyway I suggested we have jacket potatoes with it and ‘oven baked’ tomatoes (see ... I can do the posh thing too if I remember!). Now why do I suggest these delicious accompaniments do you suppose? Because I just bung them in the oven and for 80 minutes and I don't have to do anything but the result looks effortful.
#lazygran
Watch & learn ladies.
🤣

I’m sipping a glass of Merlot now as I’m zorsted. Ahem. x
😊

While you are all cozy at home and waiting for a meal I am just getting ready to go out for mine.
What an effort it is!!
I realise I am past going out in the dark evenings.
When I went up to get my “glad rags” out I said to my GD , all I really want to do is put my pyjamas on and settle down to a ready meal.
I am getting very lazy and also antisocial.
I have two more evening meals planned before Christmas and two lunches.
That will do for me.
However I am very, very mindful that I am fit enough to do it.
Enjoy your evening as well as you can everyone.

Urms snap! Sirloin steak with air fryer chips and fried onions and mushrooms for me tonight. I've opened a bottle of wine to go with. Enjoy your steak. Have a good evening Kitcheners.

Great minds think alike Grandmabatty!
Or is it ‘fools seldom differ’? 😁😁

annsixty enjoy your evening over there in Stockport lovely lady. That wind is getting up just now I can hear it. Brr! Make sure you’re well wrapped up to travel. You can always unwrap a bit once you get inside the venue. I do so hate feeling chilly, I’m a wuss really. Anyway, good on you for pushing yourself to make the effort. That said, because you’re not fully looking forward to it, you’ll have a fab time I bet! The complete opposite to when expectations are higher (like a special occasion) and then sometimes it ends up a bit ‘meh’.

I don’t think I’ve ever ironed bedding or nightwear or tea towels or underwear. I iron tops and leggings and tablecloths. OH irons his shirts and trousers. Daughter and younger son ‘hang things up’. Elder son irons because he was taught to in the Royal Marines!

Urmstongran
Thankyou for your encouragement.
We are going to The Midland in Marple Bridge, have you ventured out as far as that in your travels?

Urms did I read correctly and you popped food in the oven for 80 minutes at today's horrendous prices?

I think you should look at the recent air fryer thread and you may be converted. My oven is now used for storing items and my air fryer has paid for itself with the amount of money I have saved. I have had it for one year and it is the best thing since sliced bread.

Hellogirl, I’m so very sorry for you, can’t imagine your pain. Just want to add to the big warm circle of love and support that surrounds you.

BladeAnnie, my thoughts are with you and your sister.
Soop, that "wee lad" isn`t so wee anymore, he`s 14 and a half now, and the image of his dad, poor beggar! I`m putting some pics on, if they work, Kian with you and me back then, Kian now, and our David, who died on Thursday night, on his wedding day in 2011.