Friday Five!

Oh my gawd, I'm living vicariously through you for the next week.

Out of curiosity, does UK Taco Bell have real Mountain Dew?  Or any Mountain Dew?  Or Hawaiian Punch?  I'm not a Pepsi drinker, so when I worked at Taco Bell during undergrad, I got addicted to Mountain Dew.  Now I can't imagine eating there and drinking anything else.  But, I mean, I could probably try....

Mountain Dew is available in stores.  My boy loves it for no other reason than it winds up his mother cause it's so full of caffeine. 

There are some juice drinks that are just like Hawaiian punch , imported from Jamaica.  This might not be a big help in Swansea, but if there is a Caribbean grocery store nearby, you will find red sweet juice.

Happy Friday!!

1.) A friend from school has triplets who are turning 6 years old.  She got herself three "6" cake toppers. A 666 cake for her little devils 

2.) I need to find some more bubble wrap so I can send someone a cherry smoked porter so it can make it there alive. At least I have successfully managed to smuggle it out of my husbands grasp and it's sitting in a desk drawer.  I have a box at least now too.  Baby steps Jimboz!

3.)  Working on building a deck for our garden this weekend, now that I've been paid.

4.) I've got a few artichokes to pick from my garden. My hubby has never had full sized artichoke before, so I hope he likes it!  I'm going to steam them up in the Instant Pot. 

5.) Counting down the hours and minutes until the end of the work day. YAWN! 

Mountain Dew is available in stores.  My boy loves it for no other reason than it winds up his mother cause it's so full of caffeine. 

There are some juice drinks that are just like Hawaiian punch , imported from Jamaica.  This might not be a big help in Swansea, but if there is a Caribbean grocery store nearby, you will find red sweet juice.

The Mountain Dew here is different, but I've grown to accept that.

This Caribbean red sweet juice... is that what it's called?  I use Hawaiian Punch as a mixer for a cocktail, so it doesn't have to be exactly perfect. Just something sweet enough that I forget I'm drinking 'til it's too late. 

1.  Booked Ed Sheetan tickets for when we are in Florida next month

2.  Spent the day at a park with my kids, my daughter' best friend, and her mom.  Fun had by all!

3.  I'm hungry

4.  No plans for the weekend.  Might get to Bicester Village to look for a dress for the new kid's baptism next month

5.  I have a purring kitty on my lap.  Major purrs.

The Mountain Dew here is different, but I've grown to accept that.

This Caribbean red sweet juice... is that what it's called?  I use Hawaiian Punch as a mixer for a cocktail, so it doesn't have to be exactly perfect. Just something sweet enough that I forget I'm drinking 'til it's too late. 

Sorry I can't provide any more info.  I'd suggest you buy a wide range of red punch and do some research.

2.) I need to find some more bubble wrap so I can send someone a cherry smoked porter so it can make it there alive. At least I have successfully managed to smuggle it out of my husbands grasp and it's sitting in a desk drawer.  I have a box at least now too.  Baby steps Jimboz!


4.) I've got a few artichokes to pick from my garden. My hubby has never had full sized artichoke before, so I hope he likes it!  I'm going to steam them

Happy Days!  That's the best news I've heard in a long time. 

RE: Artichokes- Are you going to steam them and then pick off the leaves and scrape them between your teeth?  You'll need mayonnaise, homemade would be amazing.

RE: Artichokes- Are you going to steam them and then pick off the leaves and scrape them between your teeth?  You'll need mayonnaise, homemade would be amazing.

I sure am! 
Ohh, I should really try and make some mayo. I keep hens, so that would be perfect. 

1.  Last official day of my holiday... back to work on Monday.
2.  Sick as it sounds, I'm actually looking forward to going back!  Gasping for gossip! 
3.  Going out in a bit to buy a new showerhead, and some silicone bakeware.
4.  When I get back, I'm going to start watching series 3 of Line of Duty.  I've seen series 1 & 2 on BBC iPlayer, and series 4 in real-time, but for some reason series 3 disappeared from both iPlayer and Netflix, so I never got to see it.  I've now discovered it's on YouTube, so that's my plan for the afternoon/evening.
5.  I'm developing a bit of a crush on Julian from The Yorkshire Vet.

1.  Started taking a daily probiotic and am really surprised at the difference it is making

2.  Baby turned 3 months yesterday and is already 2.5 times his birth weight

3.  He's had some nights with decent stretches of sleep which have been very welcome

4.  Big Brother finale tonight

5.  I'm 3 episodes away from the Love Island finale.  I have WAYYYY to much time in my hands to watch all these trashy tv shows!!!

4.  Big Brother finale tonight

Every year I watch Big Brother, and every year I hate myself for it.  I have begged OH to not let me get started on CBB this summer.  I've got to break this filthy habit! 

Every year I watch Big Brother, and every year I hate myself for it.  I have begged OH to not let me get started on CBB this summer.  I've got to break this filthy habit! 

Only my second year watching but I always feel like it's a dirty secret!!   

1.  Successfully not watched CBB at all this week... don't even know who's in it! 

2.  Going to a leaving do tonight for one of my partner's colleagues... she is leaving town planning to become a teacher.  God help her! 

3.  I think I am developing a dis-trust (is that a word?) of my new boss.

4.  Hopefully only 3 more weeks in town, and then we'll be moving back to my old office in Clydebank.

5.  Might have a greyhound transport job this weekend... Newcastle to Dundee.  Quite a trek for me, but I don't mind if I get to be with a hound! 

Albatross, I've been watching CBB.  I had no idea who any of them were (as is normal).   

1.  Woke with a blocked nose in the middle of the night.  Used some nose spray. That stuff is magic!

2.  Threw down grass seed last Saturday.  It's already spouting and growing!

3.  I'm ready for it to stop raining...   

4.  I've officially become one of those women I make fun of with a menu board in the kitchen.  But it stops my husband asking what's for dinner all the time and is helping me be a bit more organised for taking things out of the freezer, etc.  I will not become one of those women who posts it online though!

5.  I am having a massage this afternoon!  One hour with no kids!  Plus the drive there and back.  Maybe I'll get stuck in traffic....   

1. This will be at the top of my Friday Five every week until our situation improves:  My husband is home tonight! 

2. KFdancer gave me (visa-related) information yesterday that has lifted my spirits dramatically.  I now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Bring on 2018!

3. I went with my neighbor-lady to the Botanic Garden on Wednesday to see a live wildlife presentation.  I could've won £20 if I didn't hate being the center of attention so much (I knew the answer to a trivia question, but didn't call it out).  Then, later in the show, I accidentally called attention to myself, anyway, and then got called up to the front to hold a tarantula.

4. On the way home from the Botanic Garden, I casually asked my neighbor how to get a prescription refilled, and now it's going to be delivered to my door for me.

5. I have pretty much decided what I am going to take out of our pass-the-parcel, and what I am going to put in (finally!), so I can forward it on Monday.

4.  I've officially become one of those women I make fun of with a menu board in the kitchen.  But it stops my husband asking what's for dinner all the time and is helping me be a bit more organised for taking things out of the freezer, etc.  I will not become one of those women who posts it online though!

I used to do the menu board thing back home years ago when I lived with my family.  As an adult living at home (and not paying rent), I felt that meal planning/prep were my contribution to the household.  And I needed a system for keeping it all organized and to stop people moaning when they discover what dinner is going to be, like it was some shocking secret.  If it's on the board and they don't complain before the shopping is done, too bad for them!  They had plenty of warning!

Here, I only have three nights of meals to prepare each week because my husband isn't here the rest.  And our menu has got a bit routinized, so it's the same meals for Friday and Saturday nights, and then a wildcard on Sunday.

Friday night is a dish that we developed as a result of a "challenge ingredient" game we played my second summer here (he would bring home random ingredients from the shops and I had to come up with ways to use them--without "hiding" them!--in a meal).  The recipe that came from the chicory challenge become my husband's favourite meal (but I have to make it with fennel since moving to this part of Wales because it's hard to get chicory where we live) and he looks forward to it every week.

Saturday night is "Mexican Platter" night.  We make chicken taquitos, guacamole, doctored* refried beans, and chopped salad.  I love Mexican Platter night!

* If you're able to get them, Mexican Discovery's "spicy" refried beans are quite good.  Tesco don't carry that brand, though.  Old El Paso are okay, but they need a lot of seasoning added to make them palatable.  Do not get the Tesco ones!

And this Sunday, we're having steak and potatoes and salad and either broccoli or sprouts or both.  (If given the choice, my husband will want both!)

So, yeah... no more  need for a menu board, because he's never home and I don't bother with massive meals just for myself.  It's too tedious to do all that work just for me.