Soops Kitchen, a place of refuge, reflection and revelry.

Good evening. Two DGC went to sleep very happily and we are fed and wined.
I don’t think I will be out of bed too long.
Good news Blossoming. Fingers crossed

Good afternoon kitchen pals. My brother is doing well, obviously tired and sore, but has been sitting out in a chair and drinking tea this morning. My eldest brother is going to see him later and will let me know any updates. Thank you all for your support x

That’s reassuring Blossoming

We have The Imp here for his weekly sleepover tonight, due to his early school start tomorrow (8am). He has the choice of chicken or fish for dinner, and I purchased lots of seasonal fruit from the farm shop this morning. (Also got two Christmas gifts 🙀)

(((Hugs))) to all in need 🙋‍♀️

That’s good news blossoming, I hope he continues to make good progress.

GG we bought a C present yesterday too. It will soon be here.
After a good evening we had a difficult morning with lots of tears and I want Mummy/Daddy. The day started at 5.30am too. We need to see them on ordinary days so that they don’t associate us with absent parents.

Great news Blossoming they don’t hang about getting people up these days.

I've had a bugler of a week so far, so thought I'd bake a few cheese scones, hand them round and watch what happy people are getting up to...
That's not to say I'm UNhappy, it's just been one of those weeks.
(Spreading a generous layer of good salty butter now....)

The film (Pressure with Damien Lewis and other really great actors) was BRILLIANT! Superb and the tension builds all the more because it is a true story. I plan to read around one or two aspects this evening. Thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I was going to have a glass of wine and maybe something to eat in the Trafford Centre but there’s so much choice - Zizzi, Est, Wagamama I became indecisive so got the bus home before the rush on hour. I called at M&S for a tempting gastro pub ready meal instead and so I’m in my favourite wine bar back in Urmston below my apartment.

Loved when I came in the staff said “how lovely to see you again - you look well where have you been? Your usual?”
Yes please 🍷😊

I feel looked after and very comfortable in here. I like the soft jazz too!

Oh Blossoming that is SUCH good news! I’m delighted for you. x

Grandmabatty how long might you have to wait for your scan? I’d be asking. It is affecting your QoL quite significantly now I think.

People watching from I hear is most interesting! The train station is across the road and all the commuters disgorge onto the pavements and next door is a Tuition Centre (we still have the 11+ here in Trafford with 8 local grammar schools). I look at these junior school children clutching their folders and their hopeful parents … Competition is fierce as they are all non fee paying. One of the last bastions of how it used to be. A great loss to the rest of the UK but of course that is only my opinion.

Good evening kitchen folk. Fgt I have no idea about scan waiting times. However the pain is inconsistent. Today it hasn't been there at all. Fingers crossed that continues! Today I worked for an hour in the school library then tried to get my bank card unblocked. An unsuccessful first attempt at the post office but the assistant told me that the local tesco would work and it did! So I did a week's shop while I was there. Then home and did 2 washes and also cleared out the car, ready for it's service tomorrow. I wasn't too hungry so had poached eggs on toast and thoroughly enjoyed them. Shortly I will have a yoghurt. So a better day than I expected. I hope you all had a good day. Blossoming that good news about your brother. Brook safe journey tomorrow

Thank you for the scones CarrotTop and I hope your week improves.
Safe journey to Cambridge brook it’s been a while.
Not a lot on here today, usual domesticity, we’ve just eaten a very tasty venison casserole.
I’ve also ordered a you know what present, some things you have to grab early!
Ludwig later, I’ll watch All Creatures tomorrow.
Enjoy your evening all.

Thank you Jax I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone there. I’m more or less ready for the journey tomorrow, it’s just me on my own as DH doesn’t come every time, he usually just visits a couple of times a year, for birthdays etc. My 3 children are his step children, he’s 3 sons of his own that he visits so it works out well both ways
Good news grandmabatty let’s hope that the pain has gone away for a while now
Oh dear nannytopsy I remember days like that, hope tomorrow is better
Hope everyone is doing ok, take care all

Delicious scones carrotTop, I love cheese scones, especially with a generous helping of butter, which I’m not supposed to have because of my cholesterol!

I’m pleased you have been pain free today grandmabatty - long may it continue. A relief that you have managed to unblock your bank card, I wonder why it worked in Tesco and not the Post Office.

fgt comforting that the staff in your favourite wine bar know you and look after you. We still have some grammar schools here in Essex, none of them fee paying and competition for places is very fierce, especially as they take children from east London as well as Essex. Some of the comprehensive schools have a grammar stream for the brightest pupils too.

I put my vacuum cleaner together again and vacuumed the bedrooms and then did downstairs, it all looks better.

My friend cut some of my grass this afternoon, the part that is quite green and growing well. I think I’ll have to clear quite a lot of the dead grass and seed it again. I have a lot of grass seed, all of it several years old, but I’ll try planting it and buy new if necessary.

My lovely next door neighbours have gone on holiday today for two weeks and I’m feeling quite vulnerable. They are always very helpful when I have a problem in the house so I’m hoping for a trouble free fortnight in their absence!

Enjoy the rest of the evening folks.

Redcar the lady in the post office explained it. Tesco atm is run by an actual bank, the post office is only a provider and not linked to a bank, so can't make bank decisions

grandmabatty that’s useful to know, thank you.

Evening! It’s quiet in here so far. I went to the local auction this morning and got 10 lots of plants, all bargains. We are having Open Gardens next year and a plant stall. I have lots of replanting to do after the summer plus plants to propagate.
Tonight we are having a practice for a village fundraising Italian evening, where we shall taste the various recipes and decide which to use. We have made the veggie offering with roasted Mediterranean veggies. Of course, there will be plenty of wine too 🤣.
Hope everyone has had a good day?

Good evening kitchen folk. NannyTopsy, a productive day for you.
I put the car in for a service this morning. Dd picked me up and dropped me off. I then tidied the house, hoovered, cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom. Then I cleared one of the shelves in the bookcase . I did a small ironing but havent yet cleaned the windows and mirrors. Dd picked me up again to collect the car which has been hoovered and washed. I have a fish pie in the oven while I'm watching tv. I enjoy American house renovation programmes so I'm binging on Fixer Upper! Have a good evening kitchen folk

Hi all, hope brook is there, or nearly.
I was out doing a little pruning earlier, cold in the wind, warmer next week apparently.
Tesco delivered everything, MrJ at bowls, I’ll watch All Creatures whilst eating quiche and vegetables.
Have a gentle evening.

‘Evening All’

I met friends for lunch in the Loungers Bar below so I’m just about to eat a ‘sides’ dish from M&S as my main. It’s called Fiery Mac n Cheese by Tom and it smells lovely.

Someone mentioned a programme called ‘Colin From Accounts’ this morning (*LLFL*?) so I’m going to Google where I can watch the series and settle down.

Hello everyone. A chilly wind spoilt the sunny spells today, I had to wear a fleece when I went out and have a jumper on indoors this evening! Next week is supposed to be warmer again.
Bingo at lunchtime was good, lots of catching up on news with friends and I won some money! Lunch was good too. Did very little for the rest of the day, I found the noise in the village hall quite tiring - 35 mostly older people and a lot of them deaf, so speaking loudly - you can imagine the noise.

The gardener came this afternoon and did some weeding for me. He also planted a shrub that had been languishing in a small pot all the summer.

fgt the Fiery Mac n Cheese sounds interesting.

nannytopsy the Italian evening sounds tasty, roast Mediterranean veg are a favourite of mine. My Dad was in Italy during the war, he was an army cook and brought quite a few recipes back with him. We were eating pasta with beef ragu and lasagne back in the 1950s, when a lot of people hadn’t heard of them.

Enjoy what’s left of the evening folks.

Hello kitchen people.

I had my hair cut today. My hairdresser is brilliant and cuts my hair beautifully. After that I did a smallish Waitrose shop.

Back home I worked on my enormous quilt for a couple of hours. It’s beginning to look more like bedding.

Sleep 💤 tight everyone.

Thank you Jax I’ve arrived safely at Dd1s after an easy enough journey. I’ve just come up to bed, the top floor of a 3 storey house, a bit different to our bungalow at home I’ll not be nipping down to the kitchen for a tea top up later
Both DGS have football matches tomorrow so it’s an early start for them but I’ll see them when they’re home
Well done on your bingo win redcar it’s always nice to have a bit extra to treat yourself
Take care and sleep well everyone

Hi all, pretty llfl so much patience.
Another day with a chilly wind, pruning, a finished courgette plant and a dead baby Christmas tree are now in the garden bin.
Bedding washed and dried, bought the i paper today for the first time, still lots to read and puzzles galore.
Not strictly fans here at all, so might find a film.
Have a decent evening all, particularly Grandmabatty 🥳🎂🍸, 🎼Happy Birthday to you…