Monday 7 January 2019

Catching Up

I've been out of the loop for a bit now. I'm still not over this evil cold/flu experience - going on two weeks now. Husband is now sick with it. Oh my dear lord, he snored like a freight train last night with the congestion and night time cold medicine. Now that daughter is back at university, he has agreed to sleep in her room tonight so that I can actually get some sleep, too.

We celebrated son's nineteenth birthday. Husband was all hopped up on cold meds and came to the restaurant with us, ate food, and after we came home, he fell asleep on the couch after cake. Good times. We took daughter back to 'the city' on Sunday and she is now feeling cruddy with a soar throat and clogged up ears. I'm waiting for her to also lose her sense of taste and smell, which happened to me with this, too.

Anyway, at some point, Christmas was packed up. My sweet family carried the boxes down from the 'rubbermaid' room upstairs and I disassembled displays and put things in boxes, disregarding the labels I have Sharpie markered on the outsides. Yup, threw caution to the wind and put snowmen in the box that said 'Santa collection'. Chaos will ensue next Christmas! They then carried the boxes back up to the store room and assembled the jigsaw trying to get everything to fit back in there again.

To back it up even further, my big gathering on Boxing Day went off without a hitch. We fit everyone in the kitchen, there were enough plates, and more than enough food. I think everyone had a good time and the weather behaved itself.

And now here is January. Absolutely NO New Year's resolutions were made. In fact, New Year's Eve was a sad little event with me being sick and we cancelled on friends, but I'm sure we will get together with them some other time. They are actually going to be first time grandparents quite soon. I can't even imagine!!

The wind today blew from the east, bringing in nasty weather including freezing rain. I'm glad none of us had to be out driving at that time (around supper time). I've been enjoying reading bloggers posts about epiphany and wassailing, and various other celebrations. I love finding out about those kinds of traditions.

I did get an Instantpot (fancy pressure cooker which also doubles as a slow cooker) for Christmas and the only thing I've made in it so far was split pea and ham soup (using up some of the ham from Christmas). If I had made this soup from scratch using dried split peas and did it on the stove it would have take me a couple of hours to make sure that the peas were soft enough. If I did it in a crockpot, it would be simmering away all day. When I made it from scratch, using dried split peas, with my Instantpot (pressure cooker feature), after it had come up to pressure (which takes only a few minutes), it cooked in 18 minutes. It was good. The vegetables (carrots, split peas, celery) were soft enough and the soup was good. It made a lot, and I even took some today for work for my lunch. My verdict so far with the Instantpot is a thumbs up. I haven't tried a roast or anything like that, but when I do, I will post about it and let you know.

Right, time to throw away some Kleenex and do a final tidy up in the kitchen. Hope you had a good Monday everyone.

27 comments:

  1. I have a similar cold thing which I've had since the 28th. I think your virus is worse and mine is slowly improving but still not good......I just gave my instapot to one of my daughters because we never use it. I don't mind the slow cooker simmering away all day.....The best thing I did a few years ago was designate the downstairs front closet which was never used to being the Christmas closet. So much easier. Nothing needs to change floors anymore! I don't decorate at all as much as I used to, but there is still a fair amount of Christmas "sparkle" to move out and back. Be well! May everyone in your family recover and be outrageously healthy the rest of this winter.

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  2. Wow, you guys were slammed. Makes my sinus infection sound like a walk in the park. I hope you're BOTH in good form sooner rather than later. I really feel for you. And probably back at work soon, if not already.

    My Christmas is mostly down. I leave a couple of winter trees and a few lights and bring out snowmen when the Santas go down. I say down. But not put away. Dreading that one. I decided the only way I'd pull the house back together was to have a friend for lunch on Friday so at least there is a deadline. Happy New year -- and get well soon. I mean ALL well.

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  3. Oh, it is really going around at your place! I hope everyone feels much better soon. We put away all our holiday decorations this weekend. I'm so glad that's over and done with. It started snowing here about an hour ago. We're expecting snow and freezing rain. Good times! Not. I'm counting the days till spring.

    The speed of the Instantpot is pretty amazing!

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  4. Anyone I know with an Instantpot always raves about it!

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  5. I hear good things about the instant pot, tempting, as I like the idea of it being fast. Will stay tuned to hear what else you do with it.

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  6. Got to look into one of those instapots

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  7. I hope you and your family are well soon Jenn.

    Christmas is all put away here. It looks very bare but at least I can get in the corners to clean again now.
    Hugs-x-

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  8. I'm glad that we are here in a warm New Zealand!! A small query..do people in Canada call linen and bedding in a shop "Manchester"...is it just Oz and NZ or is it a colonial throwback? ( Or both!!)

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    1. I've never heard it called Manchester here. Just sheets, bedding, linens, with differentiation between cotton sheets and flannel (we put flannel sheets on our beds in the winter).

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  9. Oh Jenn this virus does sound nasty. Makes me kind of glad I'm a bit of recluse (col). At church it was even an official request - if you're sick please stay home ... Glad Santa brought you want you wanted & that the Instapot is working out, it's times like this when you aren't feeling up to it, at least a hot meal can be had easily & quickly. We celebrated Ukrainian Christmas on Sunday, then the decorations were packed up yesterday (Monday) - it all feels so empty now. ... Mary-Lou =^..^=

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  10. Your soup sounds wonderful! I got an instapot too. It is great, but a bit of a learning curve...I am not sure which bottons to push and have to check the manual. :) So far, mac n' cheese, chicken, and pulled pork. Yum!

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  11. My Xmas stuff got thoroughly mixed up this year too. Everything just went into the closest box. Couldn't be bothered. Boxes are still sitting around taking up a corner.
    Get well very soon....perastika!

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  12. Glad you're on the mend, how awful to be sick over the holidays!! I have been loving my Instant Pot, I've used it at least 6 times since Christmas, it's seriously an amazing gadget!!!

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  13. I am so sorry for all the illness at your house. It is going around here in the lower 48 too. We have managed to avoid it so far. Just think what a fun time you will have sorting out your Christmas next year! All kinds of surprises!

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  14. Hahaha! I do the same thing with my tubs!! Doesn't really matter...I find everything in the end.
    Hope you kick the bug to the curb soon...knock on wood...we have all been well...
    Take care Jenn...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  15. Wishing you wellness! That crud is going around everywhere!

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  16. Everyone seems to love the Instapot. I should look into one. As for the crud; it's been years and years since I've had it. I read it's basically H1N1 this year, or the original swine flu. I nursed my husband through it, my mom had it, Somehow I remained the only one standing, then and ever since.

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  17. Wait, Jenn... your family HELPED you take down the Christmas stuff??? You've got to be the luckiest girl on earth! No New Year's Resolution here either. Feel better soon.

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  18. Very cool on the InstaPot not cool on all the sick stuff. Ugh. Here's to a better 2019 with less being sick and more good soups/stews and other fun goodies.

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  19. Hope that this will be the first and last? of your winter ills or at least the worst to be ended soon, Jen. We also took down all the holiday decos this week over a 2-day period. The village requires being put back into original boxes and then storage tubs and has to fit “just so” which is why my husband does that part and I do the other undecorating. The snowmen ⛄️ have taken up residence outside our apt entry and are there until spring. I also made split pea soup this week, but on the stovetop and as we had no ham, cut up hotdogs were substituted. Glad to read you like the Instantpot. We have a couple of crockpots still.

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  20. Well, that's a pain! Glad you're feeling better (and sleeping better). These things can take weeks. I'm also glad you have joined the IP mania! I love mine and use it almost every week - even for one person.

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  21. Enjoyed reading your post. Sure hope by now both you and your husband are well. I've been hearing about the Instantpot and would love to have one. I use a pressure cooker a lot. I also want one of the new air fryers. Well, I guess it's still something new. I stay of far behind times. Had to laugh about your Christmas decorations. I did pretty much the same thing. Did a lot of marking through and adding new stuff in the boxes. We will figure it out next Christmas. :)

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  22. Like you, our family has done the rounds of what seems to be endless coughing and sneezing. It is an especially long drawn out business this time around. I do hope that you and yours are now well on the road to recovery. (The weather today is good for just staying tucked up in bed!)

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  23. Ugh..I am fighting something coughy and achey too...yuck. So tired!

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  24. Actually, both husband and I are still fighting it - coughing, taking meds. for it. Since I got it before he did, I'm doing better than he is. It just takes time.

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  25. Goodness, I do hope everyone feels much better soon.
    I think folks who have instant pots are very pleased with them.

    All the best Jan

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