The Wednesday Hodgepodge #48

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. It's officially spring in the northern hemisphere. Does it feel like spring in your part of the world? If you're in the southern hemisphere it's officially autumn where you live. Does the weather say autumn? Which do you prefer-spring or autumn? Why?

It does feel like spring here now here in England. Not all the time, of course, the morning's and evenings are still chilly but it has been warming up during the day. I know it's spring because Ellie has started wearing shorts and has asked for a new pair of sandals. The lighter nights are slowly happening, which I love and it feels nicer being outside again without having to wear layers and a thick coat. Daffodils are popping up everywhere, people are out cutting their grass, the birds are singing more and the only thing that is missing is the ice cream man coming around in his van. He must be due any day now!

I definitely prefer spring. Spring feels like a fresh start after the winter. Autumn is nice, I do like the cosiness of it but it always feels like the fun days of summer are ending. Once summer is over, the colder, darker days of winter are on their way. Spring is the opposite of that, with everything starting again and we have warmer days and summer to look forward to too.

2. What's your favorite thing about spring?

I think my favourite thing about spring has to be gardening! Seeing the garden waking up again after the winter is special. I love planting seeds and I get a bit too excited about it. I'm no expert, I just hope for the best. I like starting from scratch with the tiny seeds, a bit of compost, water and then waiting. I'm not a patient person when it comes to my seeds and I check on them several times a day as like they’re going to grow quicker just because I’m staring at them. lol When the green shoots come through, I feel like I have achieved something massive.

3. Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.

I’d say spring in my step fits me right now. I always say I’m not affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder and that winter doesn’t really bother me but then spring happens and I realise I was bothered. I feel like I have a spring in my step now. I seem to wake up before my alarm clock with more energy, I have more motivation to get things done instead of putting them off and even the boring jobs don't feel that boring when the sun is shining! It’s like I’ve got a bit of a bounce back without really trying.

4. Which spring food from this list is your favorite? What's a dish you like that includes your favorite spring ingredient?

asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun, artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions.

It has to be strawberries! They’re my favourite fruit but they’re just not that great here until later in the year. I bought some a few weeks ago thinking I’d treat myself and they were such a disappointment. They were so small and not very sweet. I do seem to eat more eggs this time of year as well. It’s always hard-boiled eggs, chopped up and mixed with salad cream. It's nothing fancy but it tastes so good in a sandwich. Here in England my favourite spring foods are rhubarb, new potatoes and lamb!

5. What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list?

I feel like I’ve already done my spring cleaning without even meaning to. After all the DIY, painting and decluttering over the last few months, there’s nothing much left to do apart from jobs around the garden. I don’t have a list apart from having to wash the garden furniture and get my little greenhouses out of storage. I think I would have needed a list if all the work hadn't been done. It's quite nice not having that hanging over me.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Easter really feels like it’s snuck up on me, it is less than two weeks away! Last year, Easter wasn’t until the middle of April, so this year has caught me a bit off guard. I’ll definitely need to get some Easter eggs for the girls, even though I keep telling myself they’re too old for them now. Who am I kidding? I want an Easter Egg too. lol Chocolate always tastes better in an egg shape. Ellie’s got a couple of weeks off college at the start of April and my fella has said he’s planning to take a few days off work too, so it’s looking like I'm going to have to plan a proper family day out. I have no idea where yet? I’ll need to start thinking of somewhere that everyone will enjoy. Eek!

Why I’m useless at giving advice but still love soaking it up!

I always feel guilty asking people for advice. I really appreciate it when it is given to me but I think it's because I am not the best at giving it myself. It’s an odd contradiction! You’d think that someone who loves listening to advice would have picked up a knack for giving it back but no! This isn't a blog post asking for any advice or anything like that, all is good here. It was just one of those things I was laid in bed thinking about and thought I would write about it.

I think part of the reason I’m terrible at giving advice is that I know how complicated life can be. Everyone’s problems and worries are different and no one else fully understands but the person living it. I want to be that person who offers the right words at the right moment, the wise friend whose pearls of wisdom sparkle but the truth is when someone asks me what they should do my thoughts go into overdrive. What if I suggest something and they do it and it somehow ruins their day/life/relationship? By the time I’ve thought through all the possible outcomes, the conversation has usually moved on.

Even though I’m rubbish at advice giving, I love getting advice from others. Sometimes I don’t even want advice that’s practical or logical, I just want to hear another perspective, a different way of thinking about whatever mess I’m in or things that I am fretting over. There’s something good about sharing your struggles and hearing that someone else has been there too or that they see a sliver of light where you only see darkness. When I get advice, it’s not always about finding the right answer but about feeling supported. I think part of why I love hearing advice is the variety of it all. Everyone’s experiences and perspectives are different so even if ten people give you advice on the same problem you’ll probably hear ten different takes on it and somewhere in all of that might be the piece of wisdom that clicks perfectly for you.

Why is it so hard for me to give good advice? I know all too well that what worked for me won’t necessarily work for someone else. Advice isn’t a one-size fits all kind of thing but that said, I’m working on getting a little better at giving advice or at least being more comfortable offering it when asked. I’ve realised that people often aren’t expecting you to have all the answers sometimes, they just want a different perspective, a bit of encouragement or even just a listening ear.

If you ever find me stumbling over my words when you ask for advice sometimes I just can't find the words but I am trying and I do care! Are you good at offering advice or do you second guess yourself like me?

Our weekly meal plan! 23rd - 29th March!! #MealPlanningMonday

How was your weekend? Ours was a good one. I spent some time out in the garden giving it a tidy, cleaned the house and watched The Dinosaurs documentary off Netflix which was so interesting and that's about it. It doesn't sound too exciting but to me, it was the perfect weekend. Jobs got done, I felt productive and had plenty of time to relax.

Last week's meal plan went pretty well and we ate almost everything on the day I had planned. I like it when I have a good run of our meal plan going to plan. The Sage & Onion Pork Stuffing Yorkshire Pudding Wrap was my family's favourite meal of the week. It was amazing but it was a bit of a faff to make, getting all the timings right and cooking the Yorkshire pudding twice as my biggest tray wasn't big enough. You can see a photo on my Project 365 blog post. Ellie wasn't too happy as it was her evening to wash the dishes and there was a lot. The only thing we didn't eat was the chippy tea on Friday. Becky was at work and Stu didn't fancy anything after a big lunch, so Ellie and I ordered a McDonald's. What a treat!

This week Becky chose the Gousto meals and we all agreed that they are good ones. I was quite surprised she picked the rice dish as she isn't a massive fan of rice but like she has said, the older she gets, the more her taste is changing. A few months ago, she would never eat eggs apart from scrambled but now she can't get enough of them. I know there were a lot of things I wouldn't eat 20 years ago that I love now, like parsnips, cabbage and peanut butter!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Oven Baked Pork Belly & Winter Veg Pot Roast!

This is proper comfort food. It says to cook it in a pan but I ignore that and throw everything into the slow cooker because I like to make life easier where I can. Pork belly, carrots and parsnips in a herby gravy, served with roast potatoes. Ellie usually turns her nose up at anything that comes out of the slow cooker but this is the one exception. She actually asks for it at least once a month, which says a lot.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Swedish-Style Pork Meatballs With Mash And Peas!

We have had this before but it's a good one. A classic dish made with juicy pork meatballs served over creamy mashed potatoes with homemade gravy. There are peas on the side finished with dill and cranberries!

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Cheeseburger' Rice Bake With Saucy Relish!

The cheeseburger and rice together sounded odd but I am looking forward to trying this. It is an oven baked and made with seasoned mince, onions and rice which are cooked together then topped with cheese. It’s finished off with a drizzle of burger sauce and a spoonful of tomato relish.

Thursday - A Chippy tea!

We're swapping our usual Friday tea to Thursday because it is just easier that way this week. I have a busy day planned on Thursday and it will be easier to get something delivered than me cooking!

Friday - A help ourselves evening.

Stu and I are home alone, so we will probably just make something quick and simple like an omelette or a toastie.

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 roast dinner!

I don't know what meat we're having yet but I fancy cooking a roast dinner with all the trimmings. Mashed potato, roast parsnips, carrots, peas, cabbage, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and gravy!

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 15th - 21st March Week 12 of #Project365

Happy Sunday! I hope you have all had a good week! Mine has been a good mix of the normal day to day stuff, relaxing and getting things done. I know it was the start of spring on Friday but this week has felt very spring like here, which has made me happy. I have had a good weekend so far, a mostly quiet one. Becky finished a night shift Saturday morning, slept a bit and then got ready and went out for a night on the town. I watched her getting ready, thinking How do you have the energy? Oh to be young again! lol The plan for today is to sit down and watch the Tyne–Wear derby. Newcastle vs Sunderland and finish watching The Dinosaurs documentary off Netflix. It is so interesting and has the voice of Morgan Freeman, I could listen to him all day!

Before I get into my photos from the week, I just wanted to take a moment to mention something really important. The lovely Suzanne who blogs over at Life With Chickenruby is doing something amazing. She’s running the Brighton Marathon next month which is such a huge achievement for anyone but what makes it even more special is that she only started running back in October. She’s doing it in memory of her daughter Stephanie who sadly passed away in October 2024 from an ischemic bowel. I can’t even begin to imagine what she and her family have been through but she’s using her strength to raise awareness and hopefully help other families avoid going through the same heartbreak. If you’re able to, even just a small donation on her Just Giving page would mean so much and if you can’t donate, even sharing her page helps spread the word.

Now for a photo every day!

74/365 15th March

Mother’s Day this year was lovely. I was spoilt rotten and one of my favourite things was actually something really simple, the inside of one of the cards Ellie gave me. It was a pop-up card and what made me laugh was she didn’t even realise until she went to write inside it. I'm sure she walks around with her eyes half closed sometimes, she misses the most obvious things and then acts surprised when they suddenly appear in front of her.

75/365 16th March

I was in the garden pottering around and spotted what I thought was one ladybird on a little tree. I do like ladybirds, so I went to have a closer look and noticed about 6 of them just doing their own little ladybird thing. I hope this isn't a sign that there will be lots this year. I am sure it was last year there were swarms of them. I don't mind though, they are less annoying than some of the bugs and critters that we get in the warmer months.

76/365 17th March

Someone asked me to share a photo of the Yorkshire Pudding wraps that I made. This was the best one, they all didn't look this good. lol They tasted amazing but were a faff to make and created a lot of washing up but were still worth it!

77/365 18th March

Wednesday was a washing day! I got a couple of loads dried outside. Everything always smells cleaner when it has been on the washing line and it makes me happy to see a line full!

78/365 19th March

I saw these Oreo Creme Egg biscuits online a few weeks ago and I thought they were fake. I have seen fake things especially when it comes to seasonal stuff so I am always sceptical but I found them in Morrisons. They are quite nice. I don't think I will buy them again but they were good to try just for the novelty.

79/365 20th March

The Peaky Blinders movie arrived on Netflix and I had nothing to do on Friday afternoon, so watched it! I really enjoyed it and I am not going to say anything else in case I ruin it for people who haven't seen it yet.

80/365 21st March

As the delivery guy said to me when he dropped this off, it must be Saturday! I always get the Gousto recipe box delivered on a Saturday. Becky picked the meals for the next week but you will have to wait until Monday to read about them.

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