Feed Me

I think I must be giving out 'feed me' vibes.

As I sat in the staff room today a colleague strolled in with a trolley on which were sandwiches and crisps. 'Help yourself, ' he said.  I had a two three handful s of crisps. I was good.

Later in the day another colleague sidled up to me and said, 'would you  like this voucher for salad.' Salad, now that's a safe bet given my diet.  The voucher was for  £40 discount on salad!   That's some salad! 

On leaving the building you'd think I was safe from further offers temptation.  Ding goes the lift,  I step in,  a colleague says ' did you get some pasta to take home? '

Well no!  I got a voucher for  £40 of salad! (Cheated I think to myself. )

My pasta talking colleague told me to go to HR. Complaint tingling on my lips, I left the lift and headed for HR, where I was given some  pasta, 3 boxes. The complaint fell silent. 

Why was food being hurled at me and can you have some you are no doubt wondering.

 Firstly a lunchtime meeting had finished and left over food is traditionally brought out to other staff to scavenge.  Secondly my voucher was donated by a colleague who had obtained one from HelloFresh,  a box company whereby ingredients and recipes are delivered to your door. The hitch is I'd have to set up a regular subscription. I'm thinking on that one. (I wonder whether they do dates and chocolate balls of gorgeousness.)  The pasta was donated by Dolmio on a marketing drive, a big marketing drive. It seemed the whole town was wandering around clutching boxes of pasta when I left the office, finally.  

I wonder what tomorrow will bring. 

A Sunday of Walks and Pub

Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny day, before Storm Imogen comes through today.  We're expecting 70 to 80 mph winds.  We took the opportunity to walk around Ardingly Reservoir.  Mr Him wanted to check on  one of his (the lesser one,)  hydration supplies for the summer.  This reservoir provides Mr Him and others  in Sussex with water. 

It's currently reassuringly high. We have seen it more than half empty during droughts. 

Mr Him also wanted to see the Great Crested Grebes do their mating dance.  We have seen it once before and it's akin to Swan Lake on water. Unfortunately they did not show us their display this time.

Now without any further ado I will show you the photos of the reservoir and environs.

Later in the day we made our way to my current favourite village pub.  Here our Horseshoe Hats decided to embarrass us and do their mating dance on the bar.

 Not only does this pub serve my current favourite beer, Blue Moon, on tap but it's the local haunt for santa when he's having downtime. 

There is an intriguing display of memorabilia on display and we notice something new to be in awe of each time we come here.  Mr Him assures me that his jaw dropping mouth open look has nothing to do with him testing his other summer hydration  but is solely due to the artifacts.

I tried my best to keep up with Mr Him beer wise.  We had a pleasant afternoon chatting to Santa then headed home on foot, where I cooked supper.   This was by judicious slurring of ingredients to Mr Him across the kitchen with accompanying instructions as I sat at the kitchen table. 

My recipe for pheasant casserole,  non slurred version is here.
There is a bonus link to chocolate brownies to encourage you to look.

The Compelling of Mr Him

Dear reader,  I have this week seen the husband that the wife is blissfully ignorant of. The husband in his natural habitat, where he speaks as he means.  The wife, no doubt, blissfully thinks her 'special' nurturing or training is for the best for mankind.

Let's take my male colleague who sits opposite me as an example.  Most of the time I don't see him as he types behind his computer screen.  His wife has just gone into hospital for a hip replacement.  I said to him,  'you can watch TV in the evenings now.' (she normally dominates the tv). His head emerged around the computer screen at a 45 degree angle to it.  'Can I, ' he said in a flat tone and disappeared back behind the screen.

 

' ah, I suppose you have to go to visit in the evenings don't you. '

His head emerged at 45 degrees, 'yes'.

It goes back behind screen. 'I'm thinking of having volume control fitted,' drifts towards me from behind the same screen.

'How long is she in for? ' I ask.

'Not long enough. '

My story does not end there.  On approaching a desk elsewhere I join a conversation on oils.

'My wife compelled me to buy coconut oil,' I hear.  My ears pricked up 'goodness, how does she do it?  I'd like to have a go at that.'  I say thinking of Mr Him.

Compelling, what a wonderful idea.  Such a strong word.  A word you can do a lot with. That evening I tried a compulsion on Mr Him.  It involved preparing me green vegetables for supper.

I think I need practice.  I clearly overdid it. 

Tonight I had a text from Mr Him, 'I know you are having broccoli for supper but what else are you having?'  I actually stopped reading at broccoli as I realised I hadn't lift that darned compulsion.

For clues as to how we have come to this, the compelling and 'special' nurturing nagging, special nurturing, let's remind ourselves of how it may have begun, when we were in our youth, here 

Lumiere London and links to more Recipes

Dear reader,  a few weeks ago I went to London and partook of a Moroccan meal in a restaurant in Covent Garden that I love.  I was with 2 friends and we had a good chat, food and wine in the corner of a subdued lit alcove perched on cushions.  

Today, at home, I am going to cook a lamb dish with harissa paste. I will perch Mr Him on a pile of cushions in a corner and apply subdued lighting.  There Mr Him can enjoy food, cooked by me, a good chat with himself and wine.  Recipe link here on my boring blog. Cushions and photos of Mr Him not supplied. Today also sees me still full of energy, mind you I have discoveredd the radio station 'Gold' which has seen Mr Him and I dancing (that hip and elbow thing we did in our youth)  to 'Rockin' all over the world' in the kitchen.  
Today, however, is tinged with sadness as that British icon Terry Wogan has passed. So sad. I grew up to his dulcet tones in the kitchen as my mum always had radio 2 on.  I saw him a couple of years ago as I went to a dinner hosted by him for Children in Need. 


I digress. After the meal, on that particular Saturday in London, we walked the streets of London to see the London Lumiere. http://www.visitlondon.com/lumiere/ It was on for two nights only and was an illuminated display  by artists around the city. 

Leicester Square 

Leicester Square

fish flying along Regent Street

More fish in Regent Street

As a bonus I have also put up a recipe for healthy chocolate balls of gorgeousness, here 

Anna wears Prada ....

(...I wish)

When the year turned to 2016 I followed a tip of bloggers and turned my hangers around. I'm talking about clothes here, in case of confusion ( Mr Him was quite disturbed when I first mentioned this to him ).  Once June ends I will see what I haven't worn and decide what to give away as the hangers are turned the correct way as the clothes are worn.   For clothes that are kept in a drawer this is not so easy.  I can't turn them around,  upside down or condense into one drawer.  I decided on  a transition pod or holding vessel.   I've decided to  put what I've worn into a plastic crate with a lid.  Once it's full I'll hopefully be able to clear a drawer and swap around.  The end of June should see the crate containing what I  haven't worn instead.   Not ideal as I now have a box on my bedroom floor but if they aim is a clear out in July maybe it's a useful inconvenience. 

How has my diet gone? 

Monday morning saw me full of a lot more energy than usual,  for a Monday. I bounded up to colleagues and made networking lunch dates. I listened in meetings, and contributed. This is unheard of and I am certainly not one for power munching lunching.  By Thursday I was having meetings with myself in the shower.  Many a work problem was solved under lather. When Friday arrived I was even volunteering to re-write other departments procedures, my way. 

 Diet Mutton Style has turned me into  an office power player.  Now where are my Prada shoes?  

Follow my diet update here 

See my introduction to Ella here 

Alternate Blog

I have continued my alternate blog.  It's a more serious one . Today I share my weight loss struggle and meal plan. 

You'll find it here, under the Mutton Years Style and I blog.

http://muttonyearsstyleandi.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/food-combining-mutton-style.html?m=1

Mr Him loved the eggs and bacon meal, being a man's man as you realise from his facials and blurring, but not the vegetable pasta dish. 

Overnight this blog has made headlines, I am a phenomenon!  Read early whilst stocks last.

Mr Him is Beautified

Dear reader, once again I've been lapse.  Mr Him has not really had any adventures recently, thank goodness. My young on line shopping genius did, unfortunately.  She aquaplaned in her car and had a very frightening experience.  15 stitches on her skull and concussion later and my motherstolic measure it still at the ceiling.  She is still off work on recuperation.

Last Thursday Mr Him, I and the young online shopping genius went out for a day to a, wait for it with baited breath, a beauty show, as part of her recuperation. Mr Him won 'father of the year' award from some of the stall holders for accompanying his daughter to a beauty exhibition.  We didn't let on that it was the other way around!

Mr Him is exfoliated (not enough)

 After Mr Him had partaken of a facial, he accompanied the young on line shopping genius to have a make over.  She was very taken with IT cosmetics.  An American brand coming to the UK soon. She also fell in love with Ego hair straighteners and ordered some immediately.  Meanwhile, I  booked Mr Him a skin analysis. The result of the analysis is that he needs blurring.  I could have told them that!  I've been saying it for years.

Yesterday, the skin analysis company were on TV selling their products. Mr Him tapped that app and bought a lorry load of blurring product.  He's promised me he'll wear it every day.  I'm looking forward to that. In the meantime I will blur him out by keeping up my wine intake.