a whole new world!!!

no that is relly helpful Marcdominc - thanks if microwaving the next day how long for??

oh my we have started a thesis 101 things to do with teenagers and mobile phones !!! LOL - makes life more bearable tho
press 6 to shut extractor fans, pc's down, lights/ tv's/ lamps etc off.....

thanks very much to both of you - think on balance using the microwave and maybe even phoning home on leaving work to teenager slouching on the couch to press go may work .....ever the optimist!!!

HI Happy new year everyone- can any one advise me - haven't got a rice cooker as they appear quite expensive but cna you cook rice in a slow cooker - ie put in in am before going out to work etc??? be smashing if you can!

hi all, can you advise - have done a chicken dish from a jar for tonight(!) for the family - my son is in first from college and will be starving but to my shame tells me that he can't cook rice - lesson to be had later but it occured to me could I put some rice in with the dish to cook all day - ????

going to try these thanks

my son is 15 and a nightmare to feed - he would live on milk, shortcake biscuits and the cereal that is basically corn flakes with sugar on - presume I cna't say the name.
Anyway he also eats supermarket potato waffles - these square things that look completely manufactured, has anyone got a recipe to make some real ones that actaully haave bettter quality ingredients in but taste like manufactured ones .....

Soopa thanks - love Cafe Uno tho the Pizza house sounds entertaining!!!!

staying in the Premier Inn soon in Portsmouth - does any one know of a decent italian close by for the whole family???

Help - please - nigella did a recipe for cocktail sausages the other week on express and its not on her website - anyone got a clue - was doing them for a buffet party tomorro !!!!!!!!eeeeeek.

folks
can any one advise me can yo userve this hot or should you do it cold????

thanks - and do you/can serve it hot??

hi doing this for a buffet - nigellas recipe - tasted it at a party and divine- but do i do a gammon on the bone or off - what do people think???
cheers and have a wonderful chrismas all.

for how many people - ages and any particular theme??
smeg

howearly can i make it for Xmas day - ideally like to make it and freeze - is it ok??
Smeg

Hi - help! have three nice modern planters outside the front of the house - south east facing, 30x30x30 - had three box trees in them but two have been wind burnt according to a friend. We want to replace them with architextural type plants with a bit of interest - any ideas - would Laurus (which we saw in a garden centre be any good)??
thanks all
Smeg

Following this link with interest now as we booked to go to Rome end of July for our 20th wedding acnniversary so many congrats Oddies and bring back lots of recomends. we bought a travel book which recommnds lots so will read and let you know....

Copy and paste the recipe onto a word doc then change the font to auto then it will be black. presumably that's ok to do.

thanks ever so quapa - will follow your lead, and will report back. Cheers

can anyone recommend a nice italian (authentic) for a romantic meal in durham - taking hubby away for weekend, don't mind the garlic breath though!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi heppi33 - response from bro - there is a restaurant in Manchester called Lounge 10 - its out of this world but you have to book weeks in advance. Urbis is great too, or the Midland, or you could try Stock. Google them all and you'll get more details - want to hear all about it.
Have a great time.
Smeg

HI HEPPI33
have emailed to my bro who lives in Manchester and likes eating out- if he bothers to reply - typical brother - then I'll lt you have any suggestions - have a brilliant time.

HI Myfanwy
wish I could remember the name- it was overlooking a park, up a sort of esplanade - it had roadside car parking opposite and was next door to a pub too (not nice). It has a historical plaque on the wall as it was the Old Assembly rooms of Exmouth, definately worth a visit - we also noticed a lot of locals were calling in for their Friday night takeaways at the front of the restaurant but not intrusive.
Enjoy!

Hi Myfanwy
thanks for the suggestions - the only poroblem was getting the kids to leave the camp site so we only ate out twice and did visit a wonderful chinese, can't remember the name but was in the old assembly rooms - again quite pricey but very good food. The other time ..... we went to Pizza Hut.......

Can anyone recommend some places to eat for us as a family - two teenagers - loving pizzas, good burgers and mexican type food, also some good olde pub food.
thanks

Hi folks - Going to Sydney for hols, with family, can you recommend some eaterys for the whole family?

sounds the biz- can I make it with packet custard - yeah I know but it's easier!

Having friends and family over for the first england game - planning red and white food but want to make an effort on the room - nothing permanent!!
Anyone got some fun ideas?
Ages will range from toddlers to the dads all in their 40's and should know better!!!

Thank you fourposterbedman - really grateful with anything you can advise
this site is bril - thank you everyone.

fourposterbedman you sound a mine of information.
can i ask for your advice - we have a lovley oak dining table in our dining/kitchen and yes it is marked from people not using coasters etc. We try very hard to ensure we always eat/drink with mats and the children are great - but it's difficult with guests etc.
have you any suggestions as to how we get it cleaned to look good again.

thanks for any tips

thanks Porridge - had a look at their website and it looks more like it!

Will probably take him there, in March/April - will report back!

exactly Becky - 150 per night I could cope with but the really nice suites are 350 - just too much.
Keeping looking!

thanks BeckyW - looks very stylish but for a 4 poster you'd need to be on a judges salary!!!
will keep looking and let you know.

used to have this as a child - bought some at the deli yesterday but not sure how best to cook it - fried or grilled. Any other ideas gratefully reveived folks.

hi well done on the extension - your open plan sounds a bit like mine - we hve oak laminate in the dining area with oak table, and have put cushion floor lino in the kitchen with like a tile design to contrast - and can't tell you how pleased I am -so easy to keep clean. On wall colours did you mean throughout the bottom floor - I advocate for the dining room two contrasting colours - we have a rich cherry red on one feature wall and green on the rest and it looks very luxurious and relaxing - use test pots - they may seem expensive particularily when you buy a few but they do pay - paint a good square area and check it in lots of lights over a few days - we've changed our mind on paint colour several times in different lights
good luck

I want to take my hubby away for a cosy weekend in a romantic inn with good food - ideally somewhere near Oxford - anyone have any ideas please? No not planning to go for valentines weekend - probably in March.

Braces
how did you test the internal temp - what gadget do I need?!!
Also has any one done it in a slow cooker??

recommend you cook it in coca cola - delicious - but can't remember the times per weight sorry!

I adore scented candles but get really frustrated sywhen say with the the square ones they burn down the middle for example and leave loads of candle unused. How can I use up all the unmelted lovley smelling bits of scented candles - it seems a real waste of money when you throw them away!

hi hope things have gotten better but I found as I've said in another message to a mum that soothing music relly helped me - using it as a message that bedtime (or nap time) was coming and playing it then when they first go down in the cot.
As they get older you can move onto story tapes which are really helpful when either you haven't the time for bed time story which sounds awful but it you work and have other children sometimes you don't.
Good luck.

Have just lifted our dahlia tubor to find it is absolutely massive compared to that which I planted. Is this normal? And if so - do I need to divide / seperate the tubor and if so how???

thanks and merry christmas to all
PS it did flower extremely well this summer.

try soothing music and get in a routine of playing this for 10 minutes or so before her sleep - perhaps start with it at night so she can associate it with sleeping then introduce it during the day at the times you would like her to nap. I found these great and then moved on the story tapes - my son is 13 now and he is lively, and very literate and still loves story tapes whihc have helped him with literacy enormously.
good look and keep positive -as they always say "it's a phase"

I've got a shop bought one in the cupboard from last year - should I use it - read somewhere that they mature or should I chuck it out to be on the safe side?

thanks Livewire - yes I am very lucky, both her and her brother are really keen on cooking - when in the mood!

This is becoming a bit of a signature dish for my 11 year old daughter and she wants to make it as second pudding for her grandparents, uncles etc on Christmas day. Can we make it on Christmas Eve and if so at what stage do we refrigerate it etc, I am presuming we don't bake it beforehand?
thanks folks - and have a good day everyone, no culinary disasters!

Hi - Peas! The thin crisp pods, bright green, turning a rich dark green when cooked. They don't require shelling - really delicious - I'd guess you could substitute other peas just as easily, so long as crisp.

Bought some growing parsley yesterday to use in recipe and want to continue to grow the plant - do I pot it outside in what and where or do I keep it indoors on a window sill etc etc . Bit green as you can tell!!!

thanks Patty - can't wait to cook it - going shopping later today!!

Hi - I'm looking for a recipe for stuffed indian pepper - shimla mirch parkhe - I ate it as a starter this week at a restaurant and it was wonderful - a roasted red pepper filled with spicy onion and potato curry - hope someone can help, thanks

My passion flower's leaves are turning goldy yellow rather than deep green - help! What do I need to feed it - fairly new - planted this May onto a Pergola made by hubbie and has looked gorgeouse so don't want to lose it.

Hi help panic - I had a load of recipes saved in my online recipe book been onb hols the site updated how do i access them now?

I have 2 flowering pyracantha's orange and yellow flowering great and a red one equally growing well, taller in fact but not a single flower on it - all on an East facing wall.
This is it's second year so well established and looking really green - anyone havae a clue what the problem is?

had a great time in the supermarket with my daughter picking lots of unusual fruit & fruity stuff in tins too thanx foodieloon - it's been really good fun with her - each evening sampling something new - plus she thinks she's a star now having read the responses. thanx everyone!

thanks folks easier than I thought!

can anyone recommend a good restaurant - the family like tapas/italian? thanks

can anyone help me with how to prepare soft fruit so not to go off for my daughters school lunchtime - she's about to have a brace fitted - she loves green apples which could be difficult and black grapes - thinking of peaches, but would need peeling as she doesn't like the texture kiwi etc but how to prepare them?

Hi
Am venturing outside to a wilderness in the garden of our house that we are renovating and would like to plant some climbers to start the prettying up process of the wall at the side of the house - there are two large windows ground and first floor but lots of wall space -thinking of Clematis - any suggetions as to varieties or alternartives
Thanks

Can anyone point me in the direction of where to buy black pic frames of various sizes - I have decorated my utility room in white with just a touch of black and have a number of cards etc in various sizes that I want to display - to look at whilst doing fun things like hand washing (not often) and soaking muddy football kits.
Thanks

We have just recently finished doing up the bathroom which looks great - except we are rapidly getting yellowy spots on the ceiling above the walk in shower and surrounding area - these clean off but are infuriating - we have a fan installed above the shower area.
Can anyone advise on what they are - (fatty deposits from saplashes?) and what can we do to stop them showing so obviously and ideally eradicate them
Thanks

Thanx to all for the suggestions of shaker style cupboards - we decided to make our own and purchased doors from Screwfix - believe it or not - who have become our favourite catalogue in recent months for purchasing DIY materials!!!
Smeg

Seem to remember a saga once with a friend who had a similar problem who covered the offending itme in pva first which meant the paint efect was far more effective- good luck.

can anyone point me in the right direction to buy a floor to ceiling or just tall shaker style cupboard for my bathroom?