The Wednesday Hodgepodge #75

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. When you think of autumn what sounds come to mind?

The crunchy leaves when you are walking on them, rain tapping against the windows, fireworks banging well before Bonfire Night, the kettle boiling because I drink more hot drinks at this time of year, radiators clicking and pinging as they heat up and me shouting shut the door, it's cold. I've just got everyone into a habit of leaving them open during the summer now I have to train them to shut the doors again.

2. Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain?

A trip to the mountains is never been something I've particularly thought about doing. Where I live, we are more about the hills than the mountains. There are plenty of lovely hilly areas around us but there's no looking out of the window and seeing huge mountains in the distance. I do like looking at photos of mountains, sometimes when I start my laptop there are some on the logging on screen covered in snow which look pretty amazing.

I don't really have a favourite mountain but f I had to pick one I'd probably say Ben Nevis. It's the highest mountain in the UK and it seems right to pick that one.

3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but is now just a molehill?

A lot of the things that has came with parenting my girls felt like mountains at the time but turned out to be nothing but molehills. When they were little everything felt important. A forgotten PE kit could feel like a disaster, someone not wanting to go to school could turn into a full morning of stress, a friendship problem could have me lying awake wondering how it was all going to work out and even things like homework, school letters and remembering what day they needed to wear something could feel like a full time job and don't even get me started on them being teenagers! There were arguments over clothes, phones, bedrooms, homework, going out, coming home and pretty much anything else you can think of. At the time those things felt massive.

Now that my girls are older I can see that most of those little mountains were just molehills. They grew up, they figured things out and we all survived the arguments over things that seemed so important at the time. Of course we are still dealing with mountains which I bet in about 6 months are nothing but molehills.

4. Let's play this or that-fall foods edition. Yes you have to choose.

Pumpkin spice latte or Chai latte - Pumpkin spice latte! I only found out what a Chai Latte was the other week when my youngest ordered one in Starbucks, it's her favourite hot drink at the moment. I tried it, it's quite nice but not for me.

Apple cider or Hot chocolate - Hot chocolate! I have never tried apple cider, well I have the alcoholic version but I don't think that is the one that is meant here.

Stew or Chili - Stew, a nice beef one would be nice right now, it's a bit of a grey and gloomy day.

Sweet potato casserole or Green bean casserole - Sweet potato casserole! I haven't tried either but I know I don't like green beans.

Butternut squash soup or Creamy mushroom soup - Butternut squash soup! It just seems right at this time of year.

Cranberry sauce or Gravy - Gravy every single time! We have gravy on everything here.

5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two.

September has been a busy month with a lot going on. We've had appointments, a birthday, nights out, lots to do and plenty filling up the calendar so it definitely flown by. There have also been some exciting new starts, including my youngest getting a job. It's been one of those months where I've always seemed to have somewhere to be or something to sort out but it's been a good kind of busy.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm writing this on a Sunday and it feels like a proper autumn day here. I am sitting under a blanket while it's grey and chilly outside, I reckon it won’t be long before we cave in and finally put the heating on. It's funny how 16C/60F can feel like two completely different temperatures depending on the season. Back in the spring going outside into 16C weather felt wonderful after months of winter and cold weather. I didn't even bother with a jacket but now at the exact same temperature all I want to do is throw on a thick jumper and start hibernating.

My October goals & plans!

I’m carrying on with my monthly goals and plans because writing things down really gives me that little kick up the bum to actually get things done. I always feel more motivated when I have a list to look at instead of just thinking I should probably do that at some point. When it’s written down it feels more official, like I’ve made a little promise to myself.

I did pretty well with my goals in September and ticked a lot off my list. There were some things I never got around to but things have been so busy here!

Celebrate Becky's birthday - Yes! Easy, peasy! We had a lovely meal out and stopped off at the pub on the way home for a few drinks.

Get ahead with my blog posts - Yes but not as much as I would like. I will work on this again in October!

Go to TK Maxx - As of writing this blog post no but I am hoping I went yesterday.

Sort my wardrobe out - Yes, I did that last week!

Start shopping for Christmas - I might have bought a few things yesterday but I do have things in my online baskets to order.

Have a proper Sunday dinner - Yes! We had one in the middle of the month and I actually enjoyed cooking it. It was nice to have the leftovers too the next day in a pie.

Go to Hull Maritime Museum - No, we just couldn't find the time.

Watch the Harry Potter movies - Yes! I started them and I am limiting myself to one a week!

Sort out photos from the summer - I sorted them but didn't get any printed out!

Give the garden a good tidy - Yes but more work needs doing.

In October, I want to:

Make plans for my birthday!

It's my birthday in November and I always like to have a day out. The last couple of years I have been to York Christmas markets but this time I fancy something different. It will still have to be themed around Christmas as my birthday is at the end of November and it is a great way to kick off the festivities.

Make an apple crumble!

This feels like the perfect October goal. Apples, crumble topping and custard! What's not to like? I haven't made one for ages and October seems like the right time. I love proper old-fashioned puddings and apple crumble is one of those. What makes it even better is that I will get the apples from my dad's trees. Hand picked fruit is way better than stuff bought from the supermarket.

Get back into a proper morning routine!

When Ellie left college we both got a little lazy, sleeping until we woke up and not rushing around until about ten. There's nothing wrong with having a slow morning now and again but I feel like I've slipped out of my usual routine and I want to get back into it. Up by 8am, get my jobs done around the house, tea prepared if I can, a load of washing on and whatever else which needs doing by 11am. Maybe then I will have more time to get ahead with writing my blog posts.

Work on my end of year blog post!

The lovely Lindsay gave me the idea of writing an end-of-year blog post by updating it every month and I was mostly keeping up with it, writing about the big things which happened each month until the end of June and then I forgot. I need to get back to it and write about things while they are almost fresh in my head.

Have a hot pumpkin spiced latte!

I have had quite a few iced ones since they have been back in Starbucks and I bought the ready to mix sachets from the supermarket but they are not the same. I want to sit in the coffee shop and enjoy a hot one, preferably on a cold day!

Light some candles!

I love candles, it's no big secret! I need to work my way through some of the ones in the cupboard if I want to buy new ones. I have a whole cupboard full in the living room. Eek! I have a habit of buying candles because I like the smell or the jar and then keeping them because they are too nice to burn. October feels like the perfect time to start lighting them more often!

Make it through October without buying every seasonal food item I see!

This might be the hardest goal on the list! I am a sucker for new foods, especially at this time of year. It's not even just autumnal things, it's the Christmas things that are released into the supermarkets early too! I need to hold off for at least the next month.

Use the slow cooker at least once a week!

It's time to get the slow cooker back out properly! I always love using it because you can put everything in early in the day and then forget about it until tea time. It makes those busy evenings easier when you already know there's something cooking. I want to make more than just the usual stews too. Maybe October might be the month I try a few new recipes!

Start a new TV series!

Or one that is new to me! Stu said I should try Supernatural as it's a lot like Buffy the Vampire Slayer which I loved and it seems pretty good for this time of year. My brother says The Gentlemen is great and I keep meaning to watch The Witcher. So, hopefully by the end of the month I'll have started something new.

Have a pumpkin day!

I want to do something with pumpkins! Maybe pick up a couple of pumpkins, make something with them or just have a look at all the pumpkin displays that start appearing in the shops. I also want to try something pumpkin related that isn't a pumpkin spice latte. Although I'll probably have another one or two of those too!

What do you have planned for October?

Our weekly meal plan! 28th Sept - 4th October! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a good one with lots of time spent in front of the TV. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was on Saturday, which was very confusing as F1 is always a Sunday thing. Strictly Come Dancing is back on properly with everyone dancing for the first time and yesterday I watched another Harry Potter film. Sometimes I don't want to be rushing around doing things all weekend, so it was nice to just potter around and be a bit lazy!

Last week's meal plan went well. We ate everything and mostly on the day I had planned too. The only thing we changed was the meal from the fish and chip shop. We decided we fancied something different and ordered McDonald's. I wish we hadn't, it took almost 2 hours to be delivered. By the time it arrived I think we'd all forgotten what we'd ordered. lol. The delivery guy said they were stopping online orders as there were too many and not enough people to deliver. Eek!

This week I am determined to have a quiet week. My family all have places to be and things to do so that will leave me home alone, so I have a list of things that I want to catch up on. We don't have a Gousto box this week as I forgot all about ordering one. Oops. I am hoping to start the Christmas present shopping this week. Hopefully I can convince Stu to come out shopping with me to help carry the bags. hehehe

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken casserole, dumplings and mashed potato!

Today is supposed to be a chilly day. Not freezing but cooler than what we've had lately and it calls for a casserole. I will fill the slow cooker and let it do its thing. I'll be making a chicken casserole with plenty of vegetables and then we'll have dumplings and mashed potato with it.

Tuesday - Bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions.

My dad gave me a big pack of bacon and a roll of black pudding so I thought I would use it up this way. It is a made up meal. I will just fry everything up and we will either have it in a sandwich or with rice. I haven't decided yet. The tomatoes will come from my garden too. There are plenty ripe now, so I'm trying to use as many as I can.

Wednesday - Corned beef Crispbakes with homemade chips!

The crisp bakes are corned beef, potato and onion in a breadcrumb coating and we will have them with homemade chips and baked beans. This is such a simple meal but we all love it here.

Thursday - Vegetable fingers and pasta in BBQ sauce.

Once upon a time, vegetable fingers were one of the only ways I could get vegetables into my girls. I think it was because they looked like fish fingers. lol Sometimes I had to be a little bit sneaky! We are having veggie fingers with pasta and the easiest sauce ever. It is simply mayonnaise with a squirt of BBQ sauce mixed in.

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. It could be pizza, Chinese or Indian food or even ordering from the fish and chip shop. We will decide on the day what we fancy.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Peanut satay chicken burger with sesame chips and lime slaw!

This sounds so fancy. A fusion-style dish featuring pan-fried chicken coated in a rich, creamy peanut satay sauce, served on a soft brioche bun. It’s topped with zesty lime slaw for a bit of crunch and comes with crispy sesame chips on the side. To me, it's just a satay chicken burger with chips and a bit of salad. lol

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. There is always something that needs using up.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 20th - 26th September! Week 39 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend. We have had a nice quiet one. Housework, the F1 race and Strictly Come Dancing yesterday and today we don't have any plans at all.

It's crazy to think this time next week we will be halfway through the first week in October. I don't know if it's just me but this year has flown over. Sometimes I wish time would just slow down a little, it will be Christmas before we know it and I am not ready for that. Hopefully I am going to start shopping for Christmas presents next week. I have quite a few ideas what to buy people so it should be easy!

Now for a photo every day!

263/365 20th September

I started watching Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix this week and I finished it too. I still don't know if I loved or hated it. It was an interesting story but a bit too gory for my liking. I carried on watching because I wanted to know what happened.

264/365 21st September

Curlywurly's take me right back to my childhood! My grandad used to buy me one whenever we he went to the shop for his newspaper on a Sunday. They have of course shrunk in size now but they still taste almost the same which is the important bit.

265/365 22nd September

The Great British Bake Off was back on TV on Tuesday and it always makes it feel like proper Autumn. Nigella Lawson is one of the new judges and isn't she a stunner! I couldn't believe she is 66 years old. She looks fantastic!

266/365 23rd September

Stu brought home treats from work from Samsung! In this was a little bag of hot chocolate and another of marshmallows. I love little treats like this, especially when I wasn't expecting it.

267/365 24th September

This looks like a strange photo but it's the only one I took that day. I put my hairdressing skills to use, it turns out I must have some because this person trusted me to cut her hair. I cut about 8 inches off and it is straighter in real life than it looks in the photo! This was just a photo to show the person how much had been cut off.

268/365 25th September

On Wednesday in my Hodgepodge post, I mentioned conker shells and conkers and it turns out some people didn't know what I was talking about. I probably should have used their proper name, horse chestnuts! Ellie and I went hunting for some just so I could take a photo and share!

269/365 26th September

My dad was busy working on his new baby, otherwise known as the car that was last on the road in 1979! I don't know enough about cars to explain exactly what he was doing this time but I do know it involved the engine and it was causing him plenty of problems. He enjoys figuring how to fix things like this and it keeps him busy so it's a good thing.

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