Macbeth

Macbeth at the Globe was great!   The layout of the theatre really gave me an appreciation of what it would have been like in originally.  

The production was gender neutral, so Duncan was a woman,  and the 3 Witches were men.  It was modern dress, which was fine.

We were lucky with the weather.  Miss Teen was particularly lucky.  She'd ignored my reminder for her to wear layers and a coat,   insisting that she would be warm enough in a hoodie and leggings.     I felt an uncontrollable surge of annoyance when she said that.   I know she's a teenager, and I know she thinks she knows best.   

I'd also suggested she had a quick read of the synopsis of the play from the Revision Guide I'd bought her.  She said she knew the story so didn't need to refresh herself before we went.    She got lost early on in the performance. so found it all a bit tedious.

 She was cold on the way home, and it took quite a bit of self control for me to not point out that she should have brought a coat. 

 In the end, it was a complete waste of money from the point of view of helping her.  

Still,  I wouldn't have gone otherwise, and I'm glad I did.

Kevina the Teenager

Miss Teen is increasingly like Kevin the Teenager.  I gently tease her about it sometimes, to try and get her to realise just how horrible she is being, but she has a teenagers thick skin when it comes to self awareness.

She has been struggling with some of her subjects.  Her school is running mock-mocks this week and the week after next, and she has been studying hard, trying to catch up.   The feral time during COvid has really taken its toll,  and so many of the children don't know how to study, how to learn, how to revise.

One of the things she is struggling with is English Literature, and Macbeth.

As soon as we knew the Shakespeare option would be Macbeth, I got her the study aids to help her understand the play. .  I also bought a copy of the Judy Dench version on DVD, so she could watch it.  I remembered from my own school days, that school murders Shakespeare,;  I found watching the proper play really helpful, and I thought she might too.

She's not been interested in watching it at all.  No surprise, I guess.

She's started to panic a bit about her exam, so earlier in the week I had a look to see whether Macbeth was on stage anywhere.  I found it, and  nearly bought tickets, but I knew she'd just think of it as a punishment.

This morning, on the way to school, she was talking about exams, and how difficult EngLit is going to be.  I said watching the DVD might be a good idea, and she agreed (some of her friends had also said seeing the play might help).

So, on the strength of that, I booked tickets for her and I to go and see Macbeth next week, at the Globe.  The tickets cost quite a lot of money, even without train fare and lunch.

I told her about it after school today. 

She was completely underwhelmed, and thinks it's a punishment.

I'm so disappointed.  Of course I had suspected this would be her reaction,  but I guess part of me thought she'd be excited at the thought of seeing it for real, and for seeing it at the Globe. 

I was wrong.

I completely regretted the outlay. I could have had 4 sessions with my Chiro. What a waste of money!
 

I messaged my step daughter, (DSD) to see what play my granddaughter (DGD) is doing for her  GCSE.  I was thinking I could pass the tickets on to them.  I wouldn't get any money, but at least the tickets would get used (although I suspect my DGD might be equally as interested as Miss Teen). 

While i was waiting for  DSD to get back to me,  I told Miss Teenshe didn't need to go if she didn't want to, I could easily sell the tickets.    (I was thinking,  I could probably sell the tickets and get some of my money back - it's Half term next week, and there must be a lot of parents who would like to help their kids like this).

She said no, she would go.

But, honestly,  it makes me feel like she's doing me a favour. 

I know Teens behave like Teens, but it's still really annoying.

I know some of  my irritation  is because her attitude picks at the fragile scab over that incident with the chickens (it still bothers me!), so I'm typing here so I don't do or say something I'll regret.

I expect I'll get over it, lol. 

EDITED TO ADD:
I feel better having written it down.  It's not her fault really, it's not like she asked me to get her tickets.  The fact that she's not really interested (and doesnt seem appreciative of the effort)  is my problem  really (my expectations) not hers.

 

Another week

Another week - woosh!  And suddenly, it feels like post Autumn!

A phone call brought good news today.  

My NHS Physio appointment -  in which they will give me exercise instructions which, hopefully, will completely resolve  my two-and-a -quarter year backache -  was scheduled for some time in November.  I was in the depths of a bad episode when they called the other week, and I asked if I could go to a different area to get seen sooner.  There were no earlier appointments,  but the lady who phoned put me on the waiting list for a short notice cancellation.

Today, they rang to offer me an earlier appointment: tomorrow!

I am so very pleased, as today I couldn't do part of my Pilates class because my back has seized up so badly.  

In other news:
-  the 3rd of my 3 cat jigsaws arrived, was made, and has been framed. 
- I spotted a "Tank" 1000 piece  jigsaw for sale, and bought it for DH.  To my surprise, he's started doing it almost immediately
- Miss Teen is staying with us while her parents are away,  and she has her mock mocks this week. The exam week was unexpectedly changed, they wouldn't have deliberately arranged to be away at this time.  We're up to our ears in revision, past papers, flash cards, and tests. 

Two of the Girls have decided it's now time to start moulting. The cold weather is just starting, so they didn't time it well.   They've formed a reasonably happy flock, with 1 of the 3 Newbies (Olly, who was the one I managed to slightly hand tame) being well integrated now.  The other 2 Newbies are a little on the outside,  but they have company in their Cube at night. I'e noticed they are being chased off a little less at treat time, and it seems little worse than the day to day henpecking that goes on anyway.

Frittering

I sat down a few hours ago to wrote a blog post about how I'm frittering away time.   I realised how daft that was, so I made myself get up and do somethign necessary, like Domestics.    

I'm back now.

The meringues were amazing. I've never been a fan, always found the things chalky and sweet.  These ones, following Delia's recipe, were sweet, but were a little chewy and very addictive.    They apple curd worked superbly, to tone down the sweetness.

I'm having such a lot of trouble with my back.  I had a double "Chiro" appointment on Tuesday, and Tania did a whole load of things to try and help alleviate my symptoms.  . I felt better about an hour after my appointment, and I still feel better now than I did.  It's still really uncomfortable though.   My NHS physio consultation is at the beginning of November. I hope that helps resolve things properly (although I don't really believe it's the cause of my issues). 

Anyway, no point dwelling on the aches and pains here,  no one likes a Moaning Minnie.

so, in an attempt to ignore the discomfort,  I've done some more preparation for doing some Christmas Card embroidery.   I suspect I'm going to run out of time, I really need to get on and do some more.  I wish I could have the machine downstairs,  but it's not practical.  The cats would have a field day, and it's far too dusty down here.  

It is tempting though.

I've also got stuff out to defrost so I can bulk cook some chilli con carne, and some bolognese,  tomorrow.  It's so lovely having a selection of ready meals in the freezer. 

 

 

Stomach curdling

I had a long session with the Chiro today, and she really helped with the pain.

When I got home, I felt well enough to tackle some of the apples and eggs that we have piling up,  and I made some Apple Curd.

I wasn't sure what to expect.  I used the quantities and method from a Margeurite Patten recipe.  I made apple soup (using the Cream Soup programme on my CookExpert) to start with.  I measured out how much puree I had, and calculated home much butter and sugar and how many eggs to use.

I added the sugar, and then the butter bit by bit (I got that tip from the Cook Expert cook book).   When it was all absorbed,  I added the eggs a little at a time.    The recipe suggested 3 eggs or 6 yolks.  I ended up doing 4 yolks and 1 egg.   I let it simmer away for awhile, tested it with a wooden spoon, and then potted it up.

I decided to make meringues with the leftover egg whites.   I made enough for 8 meringues,  and I could only fit 6 in the air fryer.    I ate the remainder raw, which was surprisinly delicious with the home made apple curd.  I imagine my stomach will complain later,  it doesn't like sugar very much.

The meringues are sitting in the airfryer, switched off, to finish drying out.  They look very rough and ready, hopefully they will taste good.   Miss Teen and DH can have them with some of the apple curd for pudding tonight.  I'll have apple curd (maybe) and a bt of yoghurt.

The apple curd is really lovely, much better than I expected frankly.  It's not overly sweet (I used dual purpose apples from the garden), and it's going to be lovely with yoghurt.  It would probably be fab on waffles and pancakes,  but I don't think I could eat those (although I do like them).

Getting Jiggy

I've been having a lot of back trouble, and some heart stuff going on.   I thought I'd try some things which keep me away from my computer.

Someone posted a fab looking jigsaw in one of the FB groups I'm in.  I loved it, and as soon as she offered it for sale, I snapped it up. 

I also ordered the second one in the series, brand new.

I asked DH whether we should frame one or other of them, and he set about sourcing a frame the correct size for me.    We tried it on the first puzzle, and it looks lovely.

I made the second one last nigh, and that has got to be framed.  

I've also found the thrid and final one in the series, preloved,  so I've bought that too.

Here are the two I've done so far:

Apple-opleptic

Our middle tree, with the dual purpose apples, is ripe.

I had a go at making some Apple Soup, using the automatic Cream Soup function on my CookExpert (CE).

I'd seen a recipe on the French CE fb group, where the maker just put a load of cored but unpeeled apples in to the CE, ran the programme, and had a good result.

There are two soup settings on the CE. In English, they are Puree and Creamed.   I wasn't sure which one the User had, I knew the original word was "Veloute",  but I wasn't sure which of the two programmes that matched.

I looked online at the French CE website, and thought it might be Puree because that was in the same place in the menu.     However, something just didn't feel right, so I looked more carefully and saw that the little symbols were different. The French CE has the options in a different order to the British CE.

It worked quite well.  The pulpy result was very sharp, and I've got lots of jars in the fridge.

I then decided to try a second version, which peeled the apples and added sugar and a little water.    I thought it might come out like the Heinz baby apples that I loved as a kid.  My mum used to serve it as apple sauce with pork,  I'd just open a tin and eat it. 

They use a form of brown sugar, and I wasn't sure which one. I ended up using muscovado, mainly because that was the first one in the cupboard.   It turned the resulting mixture an unappetising dark brown, and it was a bit oversweet and caramelly.

Over the course of the next few days, I ate loads of it with Yoghurt.  A bit of each, which worked well.

I decided I'd try again (another time) with unpeeled apples and a smaller amount of sugar, and I'll use Golden Granulated next time.

I'll let you know how it turns out

****

Then the chillis were ripe.

I had a go with the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker I bought some years ago (immediately after regretting selling my rarely used Tefal Jam maker).   It was the first time I had used the jam maker.   The jam isn't long lasting, it has to be kept in a fridge (or it has to be waterbath preserved),  but its easy to do.

I used their recipe for a Chilli Jam, . It had red peppers in it, which I can't eat,  so I substituted apples.

The result was OK actually.  It didn't set, my fault I think,   but it was like a sweet chilli sauce.

I joined the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker FB group.   Searching for recipes, I found a lady from the UK was asking about a recipe for Chilli Jam that had come with her Aldi version.  She'd lost her recipe book, and really wanted it as she had tried many recipes and that one was the best.   I commented on the post to see if she had ever got the recipe.  She  confirmed she had, and very kindly sent me the recipe. 

So,. I had a go at that last night.  I really should have cut down the quantities, but I didn't.   Again, I substituted peeled and cored apples for the red pepper,  and I reduced the amount of apple I put in (because the 1.6kg of peppers had to be deseeded).   This recipe also called for a tin of cherry tomatoes,  and that really appealed to me.

It used a lot of chillis,  and it included the seeds.  The chillis, garlic and ginger, and the apples all had to be blitzed before adding to the cooker.    It made my eyes water a little, and I might wear my onion goggles (if I can find them) before trying again.  

The finished results looked like vomit, because the apple pieces were still too big.    I dug out the hand blender, and blended it, and it improved thngs no end.  I put quite a lot into jars, and then I sloshed the rest into a big bowl.   I had lots of it with sausages for dinner, and it was really quite pleasant.  This one set properly.

Chilli  Apple and Cherry Tomato Jam

Sweet Chilli and Apple Sauce

I loved the fact that I had two completely different products.  

I'd be happy to make both of them again, but I'd reduce the quantities significantly.  I only need a couple of jars.

The Jam maker is still sitting on the worktop.  I ordered a recipe book from Amazon, which is aimed at these types of auto jam makers.    It gets good reviews, but it wasn't possible to "look inside".   

Maybe it will inspire me to make some more.