And we went mining. Actually, this photo is us in an old lime kiln, on a suitably atmospheric camera setting.
Toby
- got some glasses! Unusually for our family, he isn't short-sighted, but has some astigmatism. Children's glasses have got much more trendy since I had them; he has Star Wars and Minions.
- won first prize in his class for the Children in Need bake off at school.
- has been trying to teach me "ninja" moves, which is quite fun.
- got the sick bug which has been going around, and has been off school for a few days.
- designed a (belated) jack o'lantern and a table centrepiece for Thanksgiving.
Our mini Thanksgiving dinner |
Theo
Cafes with Kids out-takes |
- decided to go to preschool happily after half term.
- has twice gone to sleep on the landing instead of in his bed.
Toby's just pretending |
- loves drawing and decorating things.
playgroup penguin |
- did not like fireworks at all - far too noisy!
Thankful for:
- free/cheap food! I have had bags of free apples to stew, and got two pumpkins for 50p each, which provided pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.
mmm... pumpkin pie! |
- a visit from Auntie Colette, who brought the boys matching Star Wars T-shirts.
Recipe of the Month: Minestrone soup
I've never made minestrone soup before, but it's a good chunky comforting type of soup. I cut down the original recipe a bit but it still made lots; you could probably get 8 servings out of it. I froze some in portions, as soup is a nice thing to pull out of the freezer for lunch when it's cold outside.
2 large leeks, sliced
300g carrots, peeled and diced
300g potatoes, peeled and diced
1.5 litres vegetable stock
125g green beans, halved
125g mini pasta shapes
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
oregano
Put the leeks, carrots and potatoes into a very large saucepan and add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the green beans, pasta, tomatoes and tinned beans with the seasoning, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the pasta is done. Serves 6-8.