Toad in the Hole

Toad in the hole.

Six Sausages

150 grams of plain flour

Two eggs

150 ml water

150 ml milk

pinch of salt.

Put sausages in a deep oven proof dish and place in an oven at 190 C.  Cook till sausages are going brown

While they cook mix up the batter.

Pour in the batter mix and cook in oven for a further 30 -40 minutes.

You can tell its done when the top is golden brown.  Not black. Black is bad!

I have a right to:

I f we suffer from emotional black mail or bullying it can be useful to remember that everybody deserves respect: Below is a list of what an individual should reasonably expect:

I have the right to...

1. State my own needs and set my own priorities independent of any roles I may have in life.

2. To be treated with respect as an intelligent, capable and equal human being.

3. To express my feelings.

4. To express my opinions.

5. To say Yes or No for myself.

6. To make mistakes.

7. To change my mind.

8. To say 'I don't understand.'

9. To ask for what I want.

10. To decline responsibility for other people.

11. To deal with other people without being dependant on them for approval.

This list is useful as a rule of thumb for those who suffer from others taking advantage of them.

Our Needs (Maslow)

Maslow came up with a hierarchy of needs starting with the most basic and working his way up to the nice to haves.  His point was that we can exist on very little but that is all it will be existence but to have a full life we need other things as well.  Those things though alter in their importance.  Below is his diagram:

An interesting exercise is to have a look at your life and see where the different bits of it fit in.  For example; do I have enough to eat?  The you have fulfilled one to the basic requirements of life.  The point is it gives a person a process to discover what is missing in their lives.  Once that is done the much much harder task of putting that right begins.

The following link leads to a test to see what areas of your life may need attention:

http://www.businessballs.com/maslow5quicktest.pdf

If you are wondering what Maslow's perfect person would look like here is his list.

• keen sense of reality - aware of real situations - objective judgement, rather than subjective
• see problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring solutions, rather than see problems as personal complaints or excuses
• need for privacy and comfortable being alone
• reliant on own experiences and judgement - independent - not reliant on culture and environment to form opinions and views
• not susceptible to social pressures - non-conformist
• democratic, fair and non-discriminating - embracing and enjoying all cultures, races and individual styles
• socially compassionate - possessing humanity
• accepting others as they are and not trying to change people
• comfortable with oneself - despite any unconventional tendencies
• a few close intimate friends rather than many surface relationships
• sense of humour directed at oneself or the human condition, rather than at the expense of others
• spontaneous and natural - true to oneself, rather than being how others want
• excited and interested in everything, even ordinary things
• creative, inventive and original
• seek peak experiences that leave a lasting impression

Rules for life

This section is inspired by a good friend, who, because of her upbringing had difficulties with the rules of life. Those things which we tend to pick up unconsciously from our parents, friends and school for better or worse mean we react in certain ways to life around us.  The following are just lists in which different people have tried to lay down guide lines which will help them in life.  I suppose the most famous of these would be the Ten Commandments found in the Bible (Exodus 20).  This idea has been taken and used by all sorts of people.  In the 18th Century every 'important' person would have his list to refer too, the idea has also been taken up by modern day management  guru's who use the list to maintain a persons focus on what the want from life.  Mine are below and although I continually revise them they are the basic guidelines I try to follow in my life.  The key word here being try.

The lists usually start with 'I will and usually contain 10-12 statements.

I Will...

1. Before God take responsibility for my future.  I will not seek to blame others for not falling in with my plans. Family will be the most important consideration in my decisions.

2. Be positive and encouraging to all I meet, regardless of their frame of mind.

3. Endeavour to give 100% in all I do.

4. Not be swayed to take the easy way in order to be liked.  I will be intellectually and emotionally strong.

5. Make sure I am fit enough to enjoy the things I love.

6. Find goodness in life everyday and celebrate it.

7. Learn from those much wiser than myself.  Endeavouring to learn a new skill every year.

8. I will give respect to those who deserve it and none to those who don’t.

9. Make mistakes because I am trying and learn from mistakes.

10. Endeavour not to hurt others, but when I do to seek forgiveness.

The important thing is they must be things which you want to do.  Write them everywhere so where ever you are they can always be looked at pondered upon.

Chicken in BBQ sauce

Really easy this one.

Chicken
Pepper
Onion

Chop chicken in a pan and start it cooking, then chop up a pepper removing the pips and pith.  Chop up an onion and throw them in the pan. cook until the peppers and onions are just going soft and the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Pour on BBQ sauce and stir till its hot then serve .

Italian Cold meats.

Very simple.
From the supermarket.
Packet of pepperoni
small tubs of:
Olives
Sun dried tomatoes
Pasta in sauce
Bread role.

Fajitas

This is a real favourite with my kids, a bad movie and fajitas on a Friday night.

For One-two

Shopping List:
Chicken Breast
Two Peppers
One Onion
Bread Wraps
Salsa mix
Sour cream mix (I use the squeezable bottles as they last longer)

Olive oil
Cajun or Fajitas seasoning.

Cut up a chicken breast and put it in a pan with a little olive oil and some cajun spices.

Throw in a deep pan and fry up till chicken has turned white and is cooked all the way through. (Not Red) season with salt and pepper.

Obviously these have a long way to go.

Cut up two peppers and an onion and fry up in another pan.

Just wrap in the fajitas thin bread wraps.

Dinner Lemon Fish

Lemon peppered fish with salad.

Wednesday is an easy day for meals, as little fuss as possible.

Lemon peppered fish is out of the deep freeze, from a large bag I bought, 20 minutes in the top oven.

The Salad is a mixed leaf salad straight out of the supermarket bag, with a little salad dressing poured on.

Chicken with Pasta

For one.

1 Chicken Breast
1/2 Tin chopped tomatoes
Handful of pasta
Handful of mushrooms.

Put the Pasta in boiling water, chop chicken into inch lumps and drop into pan with some olive oil and italain herbs.
Chop mushrooms and put in fry pan and cook.

After 20 minutes drain pasta, and add to chicken, add the mushrooms and pour in the chopped tomatoes.

It looks almost edible.

Pork Loin Chops and Veg

Pork Loin Chops

I cook these in a halogen oven, until they are nice and brown, usually 25 minutes at 180C.  I like halogen ovens because you can see stuff cooking in it, and therefore its quite hard to burn anything. Also its easier to clean than a conventional oven. But Pork loin chops can be grilled as well.

Steamed Veg.

The other essential in my kitchen is a steamer. In the bottom I put potatoes, pouring boiling water in and adding a pinch of salt, the middle container holds chopped veg, such as carrots and swede, and in the top green veg, such as french beans and broccali.  Everything gets cooked for about twenty minutes then I test what its like.

I use gravy grannuals so that's just boiling water poured in

House hold tasks ground rules

When I ended up living on my own, I found I had to have a system to try and keep the house I lived in in a reasonable state.  My aim was to have it clean and tidy enough that I could invite anyone to the house without worrying what it looked or smelt like.  I have been in to many bachelor pads where a biological warfare suit needed to be worn on entry, and as for student digs, don't get me started.

The following are rules I think are fairly good ones for house hold tasks.
1. Keep it simple. Don't buy lots of gear and gadgets.
2. Keep on top of it. A bit everyday is way better than a panic once a month.

Daily.

Morning
Morning before work:
Make sure I have the ingredients for the evening meal.
Make bed.
Shower.
Washing in machine once I get load

Evening
Cook meal
Transfer washing to dryer.
Wash dishes
Clean sink
Deal with the days mail
Clean round living room before bed

Cleaning
Kitchen and living room have to be cleaned everyday, even if it is just a tidy and a wipe down.
Pick one area of the house per week to clean to a military standard. Image you are getting it ready for rounds.

Weekly.

Bins

Check which bins it is, recycle or rubbish and make sure they are out the night before.  This is also a good time to go round the house and empty all the rubbish bins.

Meal Plan

Plan what you will eat during the week.  I know this sounds a real chore, but it stops you eating beans on toast every night or calling in at the chippy.  I write down on the kitchen calender the meals I will be having during the week.  I don't always stick to the plan, it s just a plan and no plan survives contact with the enemy.  But a plan means I shop more sensibly because I know what ingredients I want.

Shopping List.

I have a magnetic note pad on the fridge door.  I add to this anything I am getting close to running out of, such a beer and I also put on it the ingredients I will need to make my meals in the week.  This enable me to fight off the overwhelming urge to buy stuff I don't need in the supermarket.