Days 11 & 12: Sunny Days

Another double decker post today.

Yesterday the Brothers Thing, myself and a few of our friends headed to the East Coast and spent the day on the beach at Fraisthorpe. Just down from Bridlington.

It's the perfect beach for kids and grown ups alike, nothing to spend money on apart from an ice cream/burger/coffee van and the car park.

I honestly can't remember a day out that only cost £2.50. It's just a shame I am now a most vivid shade of red, even my legs which never usually happens.

Today was much simpler. A movie day in essence. We all watched Blackbeard's Ghost (I've been informed it's a Disney classic, I'd never seen it before) then tonight we have indulged in a chinese takeaway (wet special fried rice for me, chicken satay skewers and chips with some noodles for Mr C).

I'm still going strong on the calorie counting. So much so, that to balance out today I even had to break out the treadmill so I could eat some tea - after I had a splurge on chocolate nibbles from the sweet shop in town. Oops. Memories all the same.

I submitted a review for deadline this morning, which is never fun to write when you have a child next to you asking questions. I forget my own name when I'm trying to condense a book into 150 words. But at least it is now done. I only have 4 days now and I'm back in the office again. Eep.

Best get some activities organised for the kids to do with their babysitter.

Any ideas?

Day 9 & 10: It's a Bug Hunting Life

Yesterday was pretty much a nondescript kind of day, for as quiet as it was it passed really quickly.

I managed to get started on a book, for which the review is due on Friday so I need to get a shuffle on.

Today, along with the Brothers Thing and a friend from work, I headed to Humber Bridge Park. We reserved a Tracker Pack from the Tourist Information and then (instead of going to the Welton Trail) we headed to the trails bug hunting. An hour and a bit later we got slightly wet as the heavens opened. Not that the four boys cared, well three of them didn't anyway.

Picnic started to call not long after that. My 5:2 has been abandoned for now, possibly to reappear next week at some point. We'll get to that next week no doubt.

As we were so close to some shops I decided that I fancied an easy meal to cook for tea. While I've been perusing @pintrest I've seen a few tortellini bakes. With that in mind I took myself off to Aldi - I know how to treat myself!

So here we go, a quick, simple compilation meal. Serves 4.


1. I took 4 ingredients. Prosciutto tortellini, mushrooms, roast vegetable pasta sauce and mozzarella.







2. Placed the pasta in a pan of boiling water, to take the edge off. Roughly 5 mins. It will continue to cook in the pasta sauce.











3. Drain the pasta and add the mushrooms and pasta sauce. Continue to cook through until the tortellini is cooked through.

  4. Add the mozzarella cheese and serve.










Simple as that! Simply gorgeous.

Day 7: Kids in the Kitchen

It's the last day of the weekend, the final day of Mr C's week off work and 1 one full week into my 2 weeks away from the office.

I'm going to attempt to do a sort of recap of the week so far.

Looked promising... then British weather happened. The end. How's that?

Anyway, while I was planning for this week's meals Thing 2 saw a recipe he wanted to try and make Smoked Paprika and Cheddar Risotto - or how it's now known, Easy Cheesy Risotto! Dumbing down at it's very best. With a couple of tweaks we changed Soup Addiction's recipe to something child proof.

Click here for the recipe.

Thing 2 was proud of his culinary and stirring skills. Thing 1 cutting things almost gave me a heart attack. Sharp knives and that child just scares me. Next cups of coffee and I will at last have the brew slave I desire!

Tomorrow Mr C goes back to the office and we are going to spend the day at my friend's house with her 2 children. This blinking English Summer weather that is creeping back in... gah! If I knew who to have stern words with I would.

So here's to Week 2 of the School Holidays!

Days 4 & 5: A Double Post

Two days for the price of one you lucky people.

So what have we been upto? I've been calorie counting, Thing 2 has been, after 2 years, discharged from Speech Therapy, Thing 1 has been his current morngy self. I had a friend come over to do me some chunky highlights.

 
I fancied a swaparoo, so hit the red dye with abandon! What do you think?

Mr C and myself actually got around to watching a film... I know! It took about 3 goes but we did it. Flipping kids and their anti-bedtime issues. It does help that we are now at a low on our tv shows, we're waiting for them to kick off again in September. I class new seasons and series as a birthday present. I'm getting rather impatient for the return of Arrow and wondering who will pick up the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series in the UK. Are you seeing a theme here? I'm rather a super hero fan! DC Comic and Marvel are my favourites and if you can bring in a bit of Doctor Who (50th Anniversary anyone?) or some Joss Whedon I'm a very happy girl. This year I want to embrace Anime more this year and finally find a game I like to play that isn't a beat 'em up!

This morning we ventured to the coast, it's that long since I'd been on the beach in Bridlington that I had forgotten just how stoney it is. Mr C showed the boys how to skim stones, then ducked for cover as the directionally challenged pair sent an array of stones in every direction except onto the water.

Fractionally less stressful for me, as I kept my distance at the end sat on the rocks! One day I'll work out how to zoom on my phone! New camera app ahoy!

We ambled back home after a sandwich fest in the car park at Morrisons (! I have told you we're rock'n'roll parents). We got in, I made a coffee, sat down to drink it and fell asleep on contact oops.

Plans for the rest of today? Pizza and beer and another film features quite heavily. Could either be Sightseers or Movie 43 the jury is again out, completely different types of film with totally opposite budgets... what to choose?