Mince and Dumplings

I learned to make this simply by watching my neighbor make it. I just HAD to learn how to make it myself after tasting hers. It's absolutely divine. The ULTIMATE in winter comfort food.

It's a very British dish. I'd never heard of it 'till I moved here, and I'd be willing to bet that those of you who do read this blog haven't either. But trust me... it's delicious!

As I learned this from somebody else, I can't really take credit and say this recipe is MINE... but it IS my TAKE on the recipe. I thought I'd post it here, in case anybody wanted to try it out for themselves.

Mince & Dumplings

You will need:

• desired amount of mince (ground beef) [I usually use 2-3 kg of mince, but then again, I've got 6 people to feed, one of whom is a man who still eats like a teenager! *lol*]


• 1-2 chopped onions (it all depends on how much mince you use - you want a good amount of onions to compliment it)


• desired vegetables (I usually use carrots, peas, and/or lentils - or any combination)


• instant dumpling mix -or- suet, flour, and water to make them from scratch


• instant gravy (or jarred, if that's all you can get)

1. Boil the mince and onions in a large pot, and drain when done. (This is also a good way to get rid of extra fat from mince if you're going to be making something else!)
2. While the mince is boiling, prepare your vegetables. You can use canned, but if you're using fresh, this is a good time to get them going.
3. Transfer everything to a roasting tin.
4. Prepare your gravy and add that to the roasting tin. (Refer to the picture to see the amount of gravy compared to the rest of the ingredients. Regardless of the amount of mince and vegetables you use, you want it to look generally like it looks in the picture.)
5. Mix up your dumplings, roll them into balls, and add them to the mince mixture, being sure you don't completely submerge the dumplings! (You want them to be nice and crispy on the top!)

Put in a hot oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. (You're really just cooking the dumplings at this point, so it's done when the dumplings are nice and brown.)

Serve with an assortment of vegetables. (I like to serve mine with mashed taters, mashed turnip, and any combination of brussels sprouts, broccoli, and/or cauliflower.)

Sit down and ENJOY!!!! :)

Edited to add: this has proved to be such a popular dish in our family that when Lexi turned 6 this past October, she requested it as her "birthday dinner!" (I always let the kids pick what they want to eat on their birthday, since it's THEIR special day!)

Fina-fucking-ly! Some progress!!!

I had to rope Syrina's social worker into the whole situation with her taxi driver and his helper. I hate that I had to go that far, but the situation demanded that something be done... and I was limited in my own options.

Luckily, Syrina's social worker is a GREAT guy. I can't even put into words the amount of respect and admiration I have for this man. He MAKES things happen. "Can't" isn't even IN his vocabulary.

And since some restructuring in Social Services and some other departments, he has the same head of department as the taxi service. Hehehehehehehehe!!! He went straight to the head. And he got results!

Apparently the head said that if we could come up with an alternative drop-off point, it would be acceptable. I DO NOT have a problem with that! Hell... if the taxi driver and/or his helper had brought the subject up, we could have worked it out between ourselves and I wouldn't have had to drag Syrina's social worker into this mess in the first place!

So I told Tom (that's the social worker's name, btw) to tell the other guy that if the taxi driver could drop Syrina off at the other kids' school, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I can bring her wheelchair with me, plop her in it, hang her backpack on one of the handles, and off we go! At first, I suggested a corner a block away from the school, simply because the traffic is less heavy over there, but Tom said they probably wouldn't go for that, but actually AT the school gates would be more acceptable. Fine! Whatever! I don't care... I just don't want to have to go through this with them every fucking day. And I CERTAINLY don't want to have them claiming I abandoned Syrina simply because I'm not super-fucking-woman and can't be in two places at once! I'm only one woman, and I've got to deal with 4 kids all by myself. And I can't blame Hubby for this one, because he's actually doing something to try and make all of our lives better, which is putting me IN this predicament. HE isn't, but the SITUATION is. It isn't HIS fault that he has to be at school from 8-5 every day (except Fridays - his Fridays switch off; one week he'll have a half day, the next a day off, the next a half day, and so on). It ALSO isn't his fault that the school he's been sent to is over an hour's commute away. But this is the situation, and I'm trying to deal with it the best I can. The least these people can do is try to work WITH me.

And ya know... it's not even the situation itself that bothered me so much. It was the woman's ATTITUDE. THAT'S why I wanted to bitch-slap her so badly.

But I can almost let out a sigh of relief. It's not completely sorted, but it's SOME progress. And really, they've got another week to sort it out, because Syrina'll be at respite care all of next week, so it won't even be an issue.

Tom also gave me some even better news, but I'm going to go post that on Syrina's blog in just a moment.

Charity Shops and Amazing Realizations

I really don't know why, but for some reason charity shops out here have a bit of a bum rap with some people. If certain people find out you've been buying in a charity shop, they look so far down their nose at you I doubt they can even SEE you.

But I will gladly - and even proudly - admit that I buy things at charity shops. I think of it this way: sometimes you can get brand-new things at charity shops for only a fraction of the original price. Sometimes you can even find things at charity shops that you just can't normally buy anywhere else (like the touch-lamp my mom bought me when she was visiting last year... I've never seen anything like it around here before or since... just in that one charity shop). And for somebody on MY budget... it's the best place to shop for certain items. Period.

Well... I went looking in charity shops yesterday. I was actually looking for a purse. Anybody who knows me knows that I have a weakness for purses. At one point I had so many purses I could use a different one every day and I wouldn't repeat the pattern for at least a few weeks. And I could hear the purse gods calling me... "buy a purse!" "You know you want one!" The problem was that I ALSO knew that we didn't have much money left. The solution? Charity shop!!!!

The ironic thing about this, though, is that what I went in there for... I didn't buy. I just couldn't find one I REALLY liked, and I couldn't justify - even to myself - buying one just for the sake of buying one.

I did spend a few quid in the charity shop, though. When I realized that I didn't like any of the purses they had, I just wandered around, having a bit of a browse. Then I saw a rack of books. THEN I saw the price on the books. 3 for £1. We're talking hardback books that normally cost £20. I got Beach Music, by Pat Conroy; Meteors in August, by Melanie Rae Thon; and Second Chance, by Danielle Steel. All for £1. Then I saw the "more expensive" books... and decided I just HAD to have ONE of those. So I got The Stars Shine Down, by Sydney Sheldon. That one cost me a whopping £1.50. 4 books for £2.50. Not bad, even if I DO say so myself! :)

For somebody like me, who absolutely loves books and would happily cover every wall in bookshelves and FILL them, it's a GREAT deal. I was so excited about it I had to tell one of my acquaintances - that I know from the kids' school - on the way to pick them up. (This lady is a childminder [read: child care provider], and she lives just around the corner from me. We end up walking to the school together a lot, simply because we happen to leave around the same time. So we talk.) Yeah, I know... I'm a nerd. Sue me.

I also found a new shop - for food shopping. Okay, grocery store. Whatever. But this place specializes in frozen foods. I'd been in there before with my friend May, but it was usually because SHE wanted to get something, so I just went with her and didn't pay much attention to what they had or their prices. I stopped in there yesterday just out of curiosity, and I ended up getting almost everything on my shopping list... for only £11!!!! I've told Hubby that I think I'm going to do the majority of my shopping in there from now on. I've started planning meals for the week and going out and buying everything I need at once. The way we were doing it before, we'd go to ASDA and buy a whole bunch of stuff... but then I'd need to run to the shop nearly every day, because either we'd forgotten something or we'd already run out of it. We always ended up being broker than broke at the end of the month. But I think if I do it this way, we'll end up saving a lot of money. Right now we've got £60 left until Tuesday. BUT... I have everything I need to make dinner until then. The only things we might need are things like cereal and bread - which never last more than a day or two in our house anyway.

I feel awfully proud of myself right now. :)

The best part of my day yesterday?

Well, it actually started on Saturday. Hubby took me out to dinner, and as I was getting ready to go out, Caitlin came into the bathroom with me. I was just getting out of the shower, and she needed the toilet. She looked at me and said "Mom, have you lost weight?" I said I didn't really know, and asked her why she'd asked me that. "'Cuz you look like you have."

So I bought a new battery for my digital scale and I stepped on it.

I've lost over a stone in weight!!!!

A stone is 14 pounds. I've lost a stone and 6 pounds - 20 pounds total.

I'm not sure if this is all a recent thing or if it's been more gradual. It's been a looooooooooong time since I actually weighed myself. I had noticed, though, that a certain pair of pants I have have been falling off of me. But I'd thought that the elastic was going. (I've had them for quite some time.)

I have, however, been trying to eat more healthily. I've bought myself a bunch of yogurt, canned fruit, and soup to have during the day. When I want something sweet - which I have to admit is quite often - I just have a yogurt or a can of fruit. It works for me. Sweet doesn't always have to be candy or chocolate or any of that other bad stuff. And since I've started to cook like a "normal" wife (meaning I make dinner for the whole family - before, I was cooking for the kids and then cooking for Hubby and I later), I've been able to make sure we all have lots of veggies at dinner time as well. So while I don't know if this is the actual CAUSE of my weight loss, I'm sure it's helped.

All in all, a good day. It's about friggin' TIME I had a good day for once!!!!

... And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'!

If it's not one thing, it's a fucking 'nother.

I get home from taking Syrina into town today to find a hand-delivered note on top of the mail on the floor. It's from some woman with the LEA... about Lexi.

Supposedly she wants to talk to me about Lexi's attendance, which is below 90%. THE FUCK IT IS!!

This kid has maybe... MAYBE... missed 10 days of school so far. And 5 of those were for one really bad flu that she had. She was so congested that it was putting pressure on her ears and it was absolutely killing her. She spent several nights in a row practically screaming from the pain. What?... I was supposed to send her to school after THAT?

Not to mention this kid has gotten several awards for good attendance. AWARDS FOR GOOD ATTENDANCE!!!

Shit... the first day of school after Christmas break, all 3 of them were ready to walk out the door by 7:15. They were dressed, hair done, glasses on (all of them wear glasses now), had breakfast, and even had their COATS on! Does THIS sound like a kid with "bad" attendance?

Methinks somebody ELSE needs a bitch-slap.

Into the next DIMENSION!!!

Stupid *bleep*ing fat *bleep* *bleep* *bleep* !!!!

I just wanted to bitch-slap this woman.

It's the "helper" on Syrina's taxi. The way the Local Education Authority works it, special needs children get a taxi to and from school every day. They have the taxi driver and a helper. The taxi driver just drives. The helper actually helps to get the kids on and off the taxi.

The problem is that because Blake has started college, I have to get the other 3 from their school and run - literally - home to get Syrina. And let's not forget that Lexi and Chloe are only 6 and 4. Short legs = slow walkers. The fastest we can get home is 3:30.

But this bitch expects us to be home by 3:20. That means I'm supposed to get 4, 6, and 9 year olds (technically Caitlin could walk home by herself, but since I'm already there getting her sisters, she walks with us) at 3:15 and walk a mile - with them in tow - in 5 minutes. I can't walk a mile in 5 minutes BY MYSELF. 10 minutes, yeah. But not 5.

And it's not just that she goes on at me about being late. She has threatened to take Syrina to Social Services and accuse me of "abandoning" her if we're not home when Syrina gets there. I've explained the problem to them, telling them that Blake is now in college and doesn't get home until 6:15. But this woman is so obtuse it's like I'm speaking a foreign language to her. She just constantly repeats herself, and simply doesn't listen to a word I say. "Well then get somebody to be there for her." I've tried to explain to her that there simply ISN'T anybody TO be here for her. It's just her dad and I, and that's it. If Vicci (Blake's sister) didn't work, then I'm sure she'd probably do it. But she works a full time job - more than that, even. She's almost constantly at work. She only has a few days off here and there. I can't count the number of times she'll work 7 days a week for weeks on end. So she simply CAN'T be here for us, even if she was WILLING to be.

But this woman just doesn't seem to understand English. Odd, considering WE LIVE IN ENGLAND!!!!!

I'm just so fucking frustrated. I can't be in two places at once, and if I stayed home to get Syrina out of the taxi, then the other kids' school would have a fit. I just can't win. And I can't do it all by myself, but there's nobody else to help me. Not with Blake being in college. And I am NOT going to ask him to screw up college for this. College is too important.

I just want to beat the crap out of this woman. No, it wouldn't solve anything, but it would sure as hell make ME feel better!!!!

School Inclusion: Good or Bad??

I don't know how I managed to find this article today - considering it was written over 6 months ago - but I did.

School inclusion 'can be abuse'

Up to a point, I have to say that I agree with that statement. I know that when Syrina was in a "mainstream" school, she didn't get nearly the amount of attention she needed, let alone everything else. I tried to explain to the Lemont school district in Illinois that she needed to be in a specialized school - or at the very least, a specialized class - but they didn't listen to me. They insisted on putting her into a mainstream class, and of course there were disruptions.

And even some "special" schools aren't appropriate for all children. At the JFK Early Education School in Joliet that Syrina was in wasn't anywhere near appropriate for her. I knew they dealt with special needs children, as an acquaintance's daughter had been at that school as well. But that little girl had been a lot more "able" than Syrina was. And a few months after she started at that school, Daddy arrived to pick her up early for something and found that she'd been tied to a chair. TIED TO A CHAIR.

I think it all depends on the particular special needs of the particular child. Lexi has a friend, Anna. Anna has Down's Syndrome, and is in Lexi's class at school. I've often wondered why her parents don't insist that she goes to a specialized school, such as Sunningdale.

I've heard the staff at Lexi's school ask Anna's parents NOT to bring her in because they're doing something special that day and simply can't be bothered with dealing with a special needs child. And this girl is horribly bullied at school. Lexi's tried to stick up for her, but 11 year old boy bullies don't listen to a 6 year old girl. But she tries. And she gets really frustrated when they don't listen to her. But what Lexi doesn't understand is that she has an understanding about special needs children that most children just don't have. Having grown up with a disabled older sister has given her an experience that most kids never have. I hate to admit it, but I wasn't as understanding at her age as she was. I had a friend whose older sister was "retarded" (that's what it was called at the time). I'm ashamed to admit it, but I said some very not nice things to this girl when I was Lexi's age. (Sometimes I wonder if that's WHY I ended up with a daughter like Syrina, but that's a whole different post.)

But if this Anna was at a school like Sunningdale, there wouldn't be any problem with bullying. Because she wouldn't be different. ALL the kids at Sunningdale are different. She would be "normal" there, because different IS normal at a school like that!

I definitely think that inclusion can work for some special needs children, but not all. It's not a "one size fits all" solution. It has to be evaluated on the child's individual needs; we can't just say that all children should be in the same school.

I can't even put into words the number of times I've wanted to go up to Anna's parents - whom I speak to when I see them - and ask them why they don't put her in a different school. I can speak from experience and tell them that Sunningdale is a wonderful school for children like their Anna to be in. She would greatly benefit from being in a school like that. But I don't want them to feel like I'm trying to stick my nose in, so I keep quiet.

I'm just glad that Lexi is Anna's friend. I've told her several times that it doesn't matter if the bullies at school don't listen to her when she tries to tell them to leave Anna alone. What matters is that she's TRYING to stick up for Anna. THAT'S what Anna's going to remember. Not whether or not it actually worked, but that Lexi cared about her enough to TRY to protect her.