Feel Good Friday

[MAS_Nurse]

Hello to everyone today,

How has your week been? here we are again at the end of another week and can look back at what could have been a difficult week with challenges or a very good week with lots of high points. The weather is certainly kind to us at the moment but please don't forget about those 'Flu jabs' if you are eligible.

I particularly enjoyed 'Callendergal's post remembering the sound of steam this morning and then that got me thinking back to my childhood. Also I thought of the time I was my Father-in-law's main carer and could always get him out of a difficult episode by getting him to sing along with me, whether it was wartime songs or songs that were his favorite artists like Vera Lynn, Rosemary Clooney or even to get him to remanence about his work as a Publican.

Can you share with us what strategies you use that work for you and that may help someone else on our community please?

Thank you and have a good week end,

MAS Nurse.

[sassy59]

Fridays certainly come round quickly and another week has gone.

I’ve been unwell and it turns out I have a slight chest infection so on antibiotics. Really trying hard to keep Pete well. Flu jabs not available until November at GP surgery which is far too late as Pete is vulnerable. Keeping in touch with pharmacy instead.

When Pete is in lots of pain with his back we often chat about days gone by and how things have changed. I try and distract him and get him to relax as lots going on at the moment.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend. Stay safe and well. Xxxxxx

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Hi sassy59,

So sorry to hear you aren't well. Make sure you take really good care of yourself, because a big part of keeping Pete well is to take care of yourself too, as I'm sure you know.

We've had the same problem here with lack of availability of the over 65 flu vaccine and it really is too bad that the most vulnerable of people like Pete haven't been able to get it. I hope he'll be a number one priority as soon as it's available again. It really does seem so typical of government these days to introduce something new without thinking it all through and making sure it's all going to work smoothly. Grrrr....

Very best wishes x

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Callendersgal and I’m sure I’ll be well again very soon. I’ve been told off by family for not taking better care of me and they’re right of course.

Very frustrated at lack of vaccine and the fact we only found out by chance. Pete says that nobody took our names so couldn’t have let us know tomorrow was cancelled.

I really thought things would be better than they are.

Best wishes to you too. Xxxx

[Hidden]

Hi MAS-Nurse,

Thanks for your Friday post and I'm glad you enjoyed my childhood memory of steam trains this morning. Really good point about singing songs of the past with someone, to move them into a better place when it's been difficult. Somehow song lyrics can become deeply embedded in us and don't leave us no matter what happens.

This week's been a quiet one for me after the excitements of York previously. All laundry's done and put away now, cases unpacked and stored, but I haven't stored my memories yet and am still very much enjoying in my head what we were actually doing last week.

This is such a good time of year. The time of plenty before the rigours of real winter. I bought a huge pumpkin for £1 in my greengrocers the other day, and it's provided not only a spicy soup, but a veggie curry and a pumpkin pie! And today I baked a plum upside down cake and have already eaten too much of it to be sensible. (I love sweet sponge cakes with topping of something really tart, as a contrast).

Anyway, I hope that both you and all of us find something enjoyable in this coming weekend and that everyone manages to be well and as happy as they can be.

Best wishes everyone.

[FredaE in reply to Hidden]

pity you can't post that plum cake on here and we could all have some..Everytime I go down the garden the Bramley throws another bucket of apples at me. I have a folder of apple recipes spcially for this time of year. Yesterday I bought some lamb mince to make lamb and apple bake. I forget how to make is from one year to the next but I know where to look it up and my freezer is too full for any more apple.

[Hidden in reply to FredaE]

Hi FredaE,

Ha, ha, I guess I could always have posted a pic of the plum cake to share it, if not eat it. Unfortunately it's been, well, attacked, is the best description, by my husband and whilst still tasting good, is not now very photogenic!

You lucky lady with all those Bramleys. I'd have happily swapped some plum cake for some of those, but I do know that having a fruit tree in your garden can bring all sorts of challenges on the cookery front. Fruit with everything, at this time of year!

Your lamb and apple bake sounds so unusual and delicious. Now that, you could share with us. I'd love to try it!

Best wishes.

[FredaE in reply to Hidden]

500 g minced lamb raw.

50g raisins

1 large onion chopped

25g butter

350g apple puree

.2 x 15 ml dried mint be generous

Sweat onion in butter add mint and spices and cook for 2 -3 mins stirring. add lamb and cook till browned ( you may like to drain some fat at this point but its good if you are aiming for calorie rich food)

Add apple and remove from heat and stir in crumbs, raisins, and egg.and pepper

pour into oveb dish and cook for 25-30 mins at just under 200C

It should be lightly brown on top and soft and moist inside. the original recipe had chopped almonds added but it made it too difficult to eat

[FredaE in reply to FredaE]

Half the ingredients have vanished.

Re type list

25g butter

1large onion chopped

clove garlic if liked

1 level 5ml sp cinnamon

1level 5 ml sp ground ginger

2 x level 15 ml sp dried mint

500g minced lamb

350 g pureed apple

150g breadcrumbs

50g raisins

2eggs

pepper

[Hidden in reply to FredaE]

Thanks FredaE, that sounds yummy and different. I'm going to give it a try this week.

[Hidden in reply to FredaE]

Hi FredaE

I just wanted to update you on my trial run of your lovely recipe.

I finally had a go at it yesterday and it was a great success.

My husband looked a bit suspicious as he'd not seen anything like it before (well, actually, neither had I, but I guess he wondered where I had got the idea from).

Anyway, he's quite adventurous with food and readily gave it a try and we both thought it was delicious.

It has so many different elements within it. The savoury, the fruity, the meaty and the hint of spice from the cinnamon and ginger, and of course lots of mint, as you recommended, which is almost the law of the land, with lamb!

Do you know the origins of the recipe? It almost seems Middle Eastern, but then again some of our old English recipes followed the same sort of formula with meat and fruit.

But anyway, thanks again so much and we will definitely be eating this again... and again! x

[FredaE in reply to Hidden]

It is nice cold as well. I shall be taking some frozen to a friend I am visiting this week. Useful to have something you can grab and eat when things get too hectic

Yes it is a mixture of middle eastern and ancient English but I have no idea where it came from. I have had it for years - as soon as our now aged Bramley started fruiting heavily I trawled through loads of magazines looking for apple recipes which I keep in a folder for this time of year.It may have been Family Circle - I had some excellent recipes from there over the years.

I am glad you liked it. You may like my favourite Christmas beef recipe - Rhenische Sauerbraten . I will hunt it out when I get back

[Hidden in reply to FredaE]

Lovely, will look forward to that!

[MAS_Nurse]

Hi Folks,

Just a thought regarding the availability of the Flu jabs. My local pharmacy offers them free to eligible people in addition to the GP clinics. So it maybe worth asking around in Boots, Superdrug, Lloyds or your independent pharmacy.

Take care,

MAS Nurse