Wellie Weather
japra | May 26, 2008 | Comments 11
View from the master bedroom–you know, the really BLUE room. It’s raining today. Roxi is hoping for more, since there’s a track meet (a “house” competition, yes, like Harry Potter) today after school. She really doesn’t want to do it. She will, of course, but if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know she’d rather be singing and dancing in front of a full theatre. [Edit: The track meet was cancelled due to an over-soaked field--first time in 15 years!]
We were total slugs this weekend. Roxi and Mr. DJ slept and slept and slept, which is so good. Finals start on Friday!
I made Turkish chicken (mmmm, must try on the grill), sausage and chicken gumbo, pizza with spicy cilantro sausage, fresh garlic, onions and kalamata olives, and gingerbread pancakes. [Edit: I also made sausage kolaches with a yeast bread recipe and spiced applesauce--all so yummy!] Oh, last week I made peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, mmmm they were so good. By the way, if you’re relocating to Europe, be sure to bring your favorite baking chips (chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, etc) because they don’t have them here! When I go home, I buy one of those Sam’s Club pillow packs of Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. While the chocolate in general is soooo good here, it is hard to find chocolate chips. I did find them once, but they weren’t the same. Ok, that’s my little expat tip of the day for you.
Happy US Memorial Day… In the UK today, we have one of those generic, unnamed Bank Holidays. Mr. DJ is pretending to take the day off but is really catching up on work. At least he’s home, though.
Filed Under: Blog • Expat Life • Food
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in England with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 17-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
How come your daughter has school on a bank holiday?
Oh, and hi – wemade friends on Good Reads and I came to visit your blog!
Hi Emm, thanks for stopping by! My daughter attends a school that follows the American school calendar (for the most part). BTW, I’ve enjoyed looking at your book selections on Good Reads. These three weeks of gorgeous English sunshine have distracted me from my reading, by I am hoping to dive into a few of your recommendations this summer.
Yum, all that food sounds so good! By the way, the school I attended had the house system too. I was in the Warwick house. I won a writing competition for my house once.
I thought I’d say hello as I think we visit a couple of the same blogs (Barrie and Bee’s). I love your photos. I’ve lived here so long (19 years+) that I forget how wonderfully weird it can be, (although some might say that’s rich coming from an Irish woman) – it’s great to see it with a fresh eye.
WRT chocolate chips you might try SuperCook – they’re not as good as American ones but they’re OK.
Hi janeyv–I’m glad you stopped by! I did give those supercook chips a try, but the consistency after baking was kid of funny. And actually, the “American-Style Belgian Chocolate Chip Cookies” from Waitrose are a very nice substitute when we get the odd chocolate chip cookie craving. That is pretty rare these days as we adore all of the biscuits here.
AARRRGGGHHH! I just lost a very long comment. Perhaps that is a sign that I should edit.
BTW, it is only “wellie weather” if you go out in it!! So far, none of us has ventured out. Little daughter is doing her “revision” (homework for upcoming exams) on the couch — interspersed with baking cookies and watching “Little Women.” We’ve been having a baking binge today . . . and now I want to make your peanut/choc chip cookies as well. BTW, I ALWAYS get the Ghiradelli big bag when I visit the States.
I have some chicken broth bubbling away . . . your gumbo sounds yummy. What do you use for the sausage?
It doesn’t feel much like “Memorial Day,” does it? But, perhaps perversely, we have been so busy lately that I am relishing the excuse to be a slug.
I like rain, its preferable to hail ;)not to mention the evil tornadoes…
If they are following the American calendar she should have the day off today, it is memorial day here!
Bee–Oh don’t you hate that?! Or worse, deleting a really long post? I’ve done that once. VERY frustrating.
Ok, I’ll reveal my source for the Texas-style sausage. I ran across it by accidenton Sainsbury online. It’s called Mattessons Smoked Pork Sausage. I just use one package in the gumbo–it’s enough. I forgot to mention I made kolaches this weekend too–and used this sausage.
I am “barbecuing” chicken in the oven tonight to celebrate Memorial Day. And I turned on the heater.
Susan–I know, it’s so weird! Believe it or not, we’ve been here long enough that when Roxi’s friends email to say they have the day off, we wonder why. BTW, I like the rain too!
I miss Bank Holidays! When I’m back home in Canada this summer, I’ll be there for one. :)
I’ll definitely try this chicken recipe on the grill. I love yoghurt.
I wonder if that Sainsbury’s sausage can be found in the store?
English sausage is good, but not quite the thing for gumbo.
I LOVE BBQ chicken; that really says Memorial Day and July 4th for me. We had a big roast chicken last night . . . and chicken sandwiches for lunch, and chicken soup for dinner. We will be having chicken risotto tomorrow — and that pretty much takes care of that chicken.
We turned the heat back on as well.
Barrie–Bank Holidays are so funny. The one thing I don’t like about them is if you’re working in the UK, well, fine–it is likely everyone has the day off. But my husband works with people all over Europe who don’t have the day off. So it’s basically a regular day for us >:-(
Bee–I agree about the sausage here. I am not sure where in the store it would be since I never saw it before I started shopping online. There’s also a garlic smoked sausage, but it has been out of stock for a while now. Story of my life here.
BTW, I like your waste not approach to chicken. The birds are so nice and big here! And very tasty too.
Heat is off today (Tuesday) and windows are open. Crazy weather!