Been there... done that... (not recently though) - but due to an 'incident' in my 20s I know for a fact that never in my life EVER again will I drink Southern Comfort..... EVER! I still hate the smell of oranges - even after all these years - and I can't eat Chinese because the sight of it takes me straight back to that evening!!!

Been thinking about New Year's Resolutions .... I 'spend' too many calories on wine - so one of my New Year's resolutions is to stop drinking booze of any kind on weekdays and to cut back to just a couple of small glasses at the weekends.

Funniest thing I ever say this morning - Ellie playing with a four month old miniature chocolate poodle called Bonnie who came up to her ankle. Ellie's head was at least twice the size of the whole of Bonnie - in fact one of her paws was about the same size as Bonnie's head. I was very proud of Ellie, she was very gentle and patient and pretended to let Bonnie boss her around. Ahhhhhhh!!!!

At the moment I'm trying to decide whether to get some red wine. I'm cooking something that includes it, but I don't really fancy drinking the rest of the bottle () so I'm trying to work out if there's something else I could add instead to save spending money on something I won't enjoy. I probably would drink the rest, but only because it's there, not because I particularly want wine.

I ran 5.4 miles this morning, my legs are still a bit sore from the long run on Wednesday (I think it was the hills that killed them rather than the length), so I didn't go any longer than that. I'm trying to decide whether to do cross country for running club tomorrow (short, but potentially muddy and I don't have proper shoes), or a longer run on my own. It might depend whether I get out of bed in time for cross country...

I've just made some spicy parsnip soup, now I'm planning a vegging out afternoon. I've done all my christmas shopping and I don't fancy going out so I'll just see what's on TV I think.

You could get one of those tiny 'just a glass' bottles from M&S. I hate those things I want 'just three glasses' that would be better.

Helen - buy a bottle then after you've taken out what you need you can freeze the rest in wineglass size amounts so next time you need some wine you don't need to buy another bottle. I do this with white wine - it gives me unbelieveable heartburn if I drink it but I cook with it quite a bit.

HELLO!

I've got a new computer And it's plugged into the internet! It's only on dial up though, so it's taken me half an hour to get to the point where I can actually post!

I've been shopping in Primark this morning - I bought interesting stuff like knickers and a vest! I went to New Look too to try on some size 12 Jeans since the 14s I got there the other week are about hanging off me! I'm not sure I've actually got smaller since I'm still up around 7lbs and I don't think I've shrunk that much, but I must say I like their vanity sizing! Size 12 jeans!!! YAY ME! I also bought a cute little pinnafore 60s style smocky toppy thing which was v cute and a 14.... So lawd knows what's going on with their jeans!

Meh - you gals are all winos on here I've never drunk enough to be ill in my little life In fact I very rarely drink at all and I'm such a lightweight that one glass of Baileys gets me giggly and playing the piano!

So I had a nice long walk this morning from Heston to Hounslow and back again, then I did my 15 move fight sequence with Lee and then we rolled around on the floor for a bit I'm trying to learn stupid flip things but they are SO HARD I really really REALLY want to be able to do them I will practice more!

Now I'm back home I have the Christmas songs on, and I might do some scrapbooking I hate that term! I used to call it my Visual Journal which is just as pretentious!

Hello everyone

So many posts to catch up on.

I've done some more Christmas shopping today, I'm just about done now.
Got the scales this morning they are making me nine and a half stone and a bit again which I'm delighted about. I'm knackered today I've already had a doze this evening. Not much planned just flicking between Xfactor and Strictly Come Dancing which I have just realised has already started!!


Michele

I feel much better now..... may still go to the works night out on Monday or team night out, the actually works party is 22nd....

Don't fancy too much of a late night on Monday got to be in work for 8am!

Three working days left till my Christmas break starts! Wooohoooo

I don't like wine, never had but drank it for the first time in April this year... it went straight to my head (and my legs...) !

I'm having a christmasssy afternoon, I listened to some christmas music while I was cooking, now I'm watching christmas films while I wait for the food to be ready. I'm having a pumpkin and parsnip cassoulet which smells really nice. I've poured myself a glass of wine to keep me going while it cooks, but I'm only getting through it very slowly at the moment. At some point I need to make some food for the running club christmas party on Wednesday. Everyone is meant to take something, but I'm going straight there from my team christmas meal so doubt I'll be eating much! I'm planning to make some cheese straws and possibly some biscuits.

I'm getting more tempted by cross country tomorrow, as long as it isn't raining. It will probably be fun, even if I'm rubbish at it.

Cross Country.... now that brings back painful memories of my school days and Agony Hill! I was the one who always came last..... usually still trailing behind whilst everyone else had gone to the next lesson! Actually I tell a lie it was me and another Alison who where always last....

What annoyed me though was the PE teacher use to take her car....

lol... yup... there was a long route & a short route through the park .... lol.. we were told which way... if u got court going the short way on a long run lol.. apparently it wasnt worth while... but was fun out running the teachers.. as they had to catch u first of course haha...

You lot always make me hungry on here when I read what you're cooking. Parsnip soup and the cassoulet yum.

Chris your box just arrived

I've just been "mugged" by a box of Malteesers ... when I say box I mean 1500 calories worth less a few OH and the cats "stole". I feel soo choc'd up and every so slightly sick

Good morning everyone

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr its chilly here. Did you go running in this cold weather Helen?

I have been looking at my scales I am back to nine stone seven exactly but apparently this is 136 pounds not the 137 I have in my avatar so I have changed it. My scales are barking. They make me nine stone 7 in stones.,
but in pounds and kg's they are making me about nine 5 I don't understand it.

Anyway I'm just about to make some brekkie. There is just myself and the little fella in so its nice and peaceful. Conor and his father have gone to footie. My brother stayed at a friend's last night so the house was our own again and it was lovely.

Not much planned for today will meet my father then come home go for a walk with my friend and Ken, do some dinner get ready for tomorrow the usual stuff.

Last night I was going to do some wrapping after Xfactor but didn't get round to it but thinking about it I will get going this evening.

Take good care everyone

Michele

I can't ever remember doing cross country - probably cos there wasn't much in the way of countryside near my school.

Helen - could you put the recipe for that cassoulet on the recipe thread - I'm always looking for nice vegetarian recipes.

@ Moo getting mugged by Maltesers. Chocolate makes me feel a bit most of the time so I know what you mean.

I got mugged yesterday evening, too - by a bottle of sherry. My own fault - I don't normally drink sherry but I was going to 'feed' the Christmas cake (I trickle brandy or sherry over it alternate weeks for a couple of months before decorating it to make it nice and moist) but when I unwrapped it a load of brandy/sherry mixture trickled out the bottom so I decided the cake had had enough but that possibly I could do with a glass or two to get in the Christmas mood. And it worked. Temporarily. It was very more-ish but several glasses later I realised why I don't drink sherry - monumental heartburn!

Well, I'm all ready for Christmas - all the presents arrived safely and are wrapped (except for one). DH stopped off at Tesco yesterday and bought some 'posh' wine and our Christmas Day dessert - he said it was really quiet in there. The rest of the food is being delivered on Wednesday - I am SO hoping Sainsbury don't muck up the order and give me a load of unsuitable substitutions like Tesco did last year.

I'm even in advance with my Boxing Day party cooking - all the hot dishes are made and frozen and I spent yesterday afternoon messing around in the kitchen making Delia's Christmas Chutney Red Onion, Tomato & Chilli Relish and a quarter recipe of Spiced Cranberry and Claret Jelly - and a couple of ice creams - cinnamon and fig I've not made the fig ice crem before but it actually turned out really nice. Good ol' Delia - her recipes might not be inspired but they are reliable.

CG - I'm going to try out your green bean and french onion casserole today.

Michele - yes I went running, I did the cross country in the end. I have no idea how far it was (well, a rough idea of 4.5 miles ish, but no-one measured it) and it took just under 50 minutes, but it was SO MUDDY. I'd never tried running through ankle deep mud before, particularly not in road shoes. I really need some cross country shoes if I'm going to do it regularly, but I didn't want to buy any before seeing what it was like and whether I want to do it again. Maybe if I get some money for christmas I'll get some. I'm glad I wore my old shoes though rather than the current pair I've got on the go - they're absolutely caked in mud, it soaked through the shoes and my socks, and my feet were black when I took my shoes off at the end. It was kind of fun in a sadistic "why am I spending Sunday morning doing this" sort of way. At least it was a bright day for it, the cold didn't bother me too much once I got going.

I made my cheese straws before I went out to run, now I'm back and showered I'm going to make carrot, lentil and orange soup, and a roast veg and feta tart for later with the rest over pastry. I'll post the recipe later too, it's still in the kitchen so I'll have to go and retrieve it.