Well we made it to Sunday everyone. 16 days off work. I did enter the holiday with a bit of fear, and it turns out it was well founded fear because that wasn't the best holiday ever. 16 days in the winter is a lot of winter days.
I didn't get any sports in this week, I didn't do any planning, I didn't set any goals. The house is kind of a tip (british for a mess)
I did go swimming with the kids a few times (not my favourite activity but an essential life skill) and on Saturday I took Lily to my favourite soft play with Aubrey and Clara and I enjoyed a peppermint mocha (first and last of the season, not sure I like the drink as much as I like the idea of the drink).
It's been brutally cold (for cardiff) hovering at around freezing. There is a snow and ice warning today. I can tell it's been cold because £30 is a lot to keep a house at 18c/65f during the day for 4 days:
Also, I did start another house project... because why not.
Our lounge has long annoyed me. It photographs well, but the curtains are A LOT. They reflect the fact that we decorated in November.
They looked good in November. I finally found a new pair of curtains I liked enough, but it was £200. Luckily it was down to £150 in the January sales! So I ordered the curtains in Sage. When we hung it up it was a definite improvement, but I should have also tried Olive as the color was not perfect. So I have now ordered the same curtains in Olive and carefully repackaged the Sage ones so we can return one... but in the interim my lounge now looks like this
- Something with Tofu
- Aubergine/Eggplant thing?
- Salmon
I'm back in work tomorrow, which I am feeling OK about. I think it will be a hard day because the twins have gotten very used to having me around and are in a definitely mommy phase. The big kids have started sleeping late. I'm not looking forward to getting out the door, or the crying. I'm not feeling at all rested after using almost 2 weeks of annual leave. But whether I'm rested or enthusiastic or not, work starts at 8am and I'll have to remind myself that everyone probably feels much the same.
Air fryer tofu is a revelation! I use this recipe: https://www.loveandlemons.com/air-fryer-tofu/
ReplyDeleteI also like the air fryer for a quick way to cook broccoli, potatoes etc. Less healthfully it is also great for heating up frozen 'fried' foods like nuggets, taquitos (do you have those in the UK?), fries, fish sticks etc.....
I second the potatoes in the air fryer! They are good as whole potatoes or cut up! We also use it alot for frozen food as KV said. They are so much better in there than the microwave or even the oven. That said, I have been frustrated with the storage as it is too tall to fit on my usual shelf for pots, so I have to keep it on a pantry shelf. It isn't horrible, but I get the counter space dilemma!
ReplyDeleteWhat KV and Sue said! The thing that we use the AF for constantly is roasting frozen broccoli as a side for dinner. It's great for potatoes, tofu, french toast, and even better for fish. I don't think that it's possible to cook fish badly in the AF.
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to get one, I'd recommend one with a bigger roasting area. We have the Ninja Foodi, and the one that we have flips up so that it's not hogging the counter when we're not using it.
Bravo for getting a new brush!
Good luck back at work tomorrow - and yes everyone else feels exactly the same.
We have a 7-in-1 air fryer device. It also toasts, bakes, reheats, makes a pizza, etc. we got rid of our toaster oven when we got it. I like it but don’t love it. Like today I made this Greek chicken recipe and I had to do it in 3 batches so things were too crowded. At the end I thought I should have just put it all on 2 baking sheets and put it in the oven. That said I am still glad we have it. But I value our instant pot way more!!
ReplyDelete16 days is a lot of days with young kids. I am so ready for our kids to go back to school tomorrow. They have had child care for most of the break but they do best on a routine and they are not on one right now. 2 weeks is just too long for a winter break, especially in Minnesota where the weather is not great!!
My mom is just getting rid of her air fryer and asked if I want it, so I'll have to check out these recipes since I figured this was a free way to see if we like using it! We don't have that much counterspace, so TBD if it sticks.
ReplyDelete