Friday thread, 2 weeks till Xmas one.

[weeksy]

I know, i missed last weeks one, but i was a bit hungover and forgot.

Fri. Quiet one with some bike prep and sorting.
Sat. Off to FoD so he can be a coach for the day. I'm off riding and having a beer while he plays. Then we'll be doing to riding together.
Sun. Mostly cleaning and sorting bikes as we'll have 3 dirty bikes from the weekend.

[gremlin]

Off to see the House and Garage Orchestra at Koko in Camden tonight. Simple concept: get an orchestra on stage, bring some old house and garage stars out of retirement to sing one or two tunes each then flog the tickets to old duffers. Tried and tested formula.

Saturday, hopefully get up for gym, coffee after then chores. Out for a proper Indian (as opposed to Bangladeshi) meal in the evening.

Sunday: dunno. Maybe ol' ma Gremlin might get a visit.

[Noggin]

Currently having a mad panic cos I've not done as much this week as i'd have liked (always forget how tiring driving is until you get used to it again!)

Anyway, having to sort my place out cos it looks like a dumping ground Have sorted the apartment the kids are staying in. Got to then go pick up a ski pass, grab a coffee and then head to the valley to have coffee with another friend. Maybe move the CBF from it's temporary place back to it's home, depending on the roads where it actually lives!! Then to GVA to pick up three teenagers

Some friends are going out tonight to my favourite bar, so if we get back and fed in time, we'll probably go too - as much so the kids can meet everyone and my nephew will have some folks to ski with whilst the other two are in ski school!!

How late we are out will depend on my work tomorrow - I'll find out about 18h.

Saturday - me working and spending the day hoping all goes well with skiing and stuff for the kids! My nephew has been here before, so hopefully my niece will enjoy the lesson and the afternoon skiing

Going out depends on my start time on Sunday!!

Sunday - me working, the kids skiing!!


I'm knackered and their holiday hasn't started yet!!!

[Taipan]

Was supposed to be having the x-adv cleaned and ACF0'd today but the guy has had to cry off as he's ill. I will have to wash it as it is absolutely filthy and I mean filthy. I think i'll go and get the two cars cleaned by someone else as its too cold for this lazy git.

Thats about the only jobs to do this weekend, so the rest will be hospital visits to the step dad and visiting the in-laws. I was going to take the wife out for dinner saturday night, but think i'll cook something nice and watch a film instead. TBH I find i hard to get motivated for anything when its cold.

[MingtheMerciless]

12 hr nights this weekend so not a lot but today I have dropped off one of the carpet sharks for dental work and then I’m off to the dentist for a clean and polish and checkup.

[Rockburner]

Into town tomorrow, I need a haircut.

[wull]

Works Christmas lunch today.

Nowt tomorrow and Sunday.

Back to the grind Monday for the last week before we’re off until the 6th.

[Sunny]

Took today off.

Need to paint a room and plumb a dishwasher at some point over the next three days.

There will also be a Christmas dinner practice timing meal at some point. (I need to decide between roasting the beef in advance, or doing a very slow roast).

[gremlin]

There will also be a Christmas dinner practice timing meal at some point. (I need to decide between roasting the beef in advance, or doing a very slow roast).

Screenshot_20241213_110857.jpg (377.08 KiB) Viewed 741 times

You're welcome.

[636mick]

Weekend off for a change, F coming to mine, wine, curry tonight, lie in Saturday then a wander along the cut to see the new lock gates, then roast dinner.
Sunday, maybe out on the bike if it’s not cold/wet/icy.
F is incredibly stressed over the sale of the flat in London, worried it will fall through again! So she needs wine
Enjoy, whatever you’re up to.
Mick

[Silly Car]

Took today off.

Need to paint a room and plumb a dishwasher at some point over the next three days.

There will also be a Christmas dinner practice timing meal at some point. (I need to decide between roasting the beef in advance, or doing a very slow roast).

My top tip, cook the beef to temperature rather than time (20 mins per 500g plus 20 mins). A meater probe or any oven safe thermometer/ probe will do. My experience is takes far less time than you expect for a joint to be cooked. Then take it out of the oven to rest wrapped up in tin foil and tea towels, towel or blanket to keep it warm. This should give you an hour or more to crank up the oven for the roasties and yorkie puds, and plenty of time to get the rest of the veg sorted.

My weekend, today, kind of working but it is the works Xmas do today so there isn’t much happening internally and I’m up to date with my work. I’m not attending the Xmas do as I CBA travelling to Edgbaston for a night out with work colleagues. Instead I met up for lunch with some former work colleagues/mates to chew the fat.

Tomorrow, I need to sand, prime, sand, filler, sand, undercoat a load of MDF architrave sections, only 50m of the stuff…

Sunday, housework, groceries, a small bit of Christmas shopping etc

Monday night, out for a ruby to celebrate daughter’s birthdays with their partners and family friends.

[v8-powered]

Just back from a work trip to Switzerland, now guzzling wine like there's no tomorrow.
Hopefully chilled day Saturday, probably out for dinner with my wife in the evening.
Sunday - got a be a nice roast dinner, get ready for Christmas week i guess....

[Sunny]

Took today off.

Need to paint a room and plumb a dishwasher at some point over the next three days.

There will also be a Christmas dinner practice timing meal at some point. (I need to decide between roasting the beef in advance, or doing a very slow roast).

My top tip, cook the beef to temperature rather than time (20 mins per 500g plus 20 mins). A meater probe or any oven safe thermometer/ probe will do. My experience is takes far less time than you expect for a joint to be cooked. Then take it out of the oven to rest wrapped up in tin foil and tea towels, towel or blanket to keep it warm. This should give you an hour or more to crank up the oven for the roasties and yorkie puds, and plenty of time to get the rest of the veg sorted.

The problem is, I need to leave the house for 3.5 hours ish, right before dinner time.

I have a 1.5kg joint to roast.

If I'd thought earlier, I'd have just got a bigger joint, but it's ordered from the butchers now, so that's that.

Hence the trial runs required (with Sainsbury's finest )

[Sunny]

Meanwhile, the first coat is now done

[Silly Car]

Took today off.

Need to paint a room and plumb a dishwasher at some point over the next three days.

There will also be a Christmas dinner practice timing meal at some point. (I need to decide between roasting the beef in advance, or doing a very slow roast).

My top tip, cook the beef to temperature rather than time (20 mins per 500g plus 20 mins). A meater probe or any oven safe thermometer/ probe will do. My experience is takes far less time than you expect for a joint to be cooked. Then take it out of the oven to rest wrapped up in tin foil and tea towels, towel or blanket to keep it warm. This should give you an hour or more to crank up the oven for the roasties and yorkie puds, and plenty of time to get the rest of the veg sorted.

The problem is, I need to leave the house for 3.5 hours ish, right before dinner time.

I have a 1.5kg joint to roast.

If I'd thought earlier, I'd have just got a bigger joint, but it's ordered from the butchers now, so that's that.

Hence the trial runs required (with Sainsbury's finest )

Cook it the day before to temperature, personally I’d plan to cook it rarer than intended as it’ll continue cooking itself, leave it to cool, slice it cold and serve it on hot plates with a slug of boiling gravy over the top. I bet nobody will notice the difference and the outcome will be much better than trying to keep it warm or forcibly reheating it.

A few years ago, I encountered a power cut on Christmas Day with a house full from 11.58am until 11.57pm (one minute short of compensation). Thankfully the fore rib of beef joint had been in the oven for an hour or more when the power went out, I just left it in the cooling oven cooking away then wrapped it up hoping power would come on.

A few hours went by with no power so the gas hob was put into service for boiled & steamed veg and lashings of steaming hot gravy. Some would argue the beef was a touch rare but in my opinion it was perfectly cooked. Ever since, I’ve never been afraid of cooking a joint or bird early and just leaving it to rest, it retains so much more flavour and is never dry.

[Sunny]

My top tip, cook the beef to temperature rather than time (20 mins per 500g plus 20 mins). A meater probe or any oven safe thermometer/ probe will do. My experience is takes far less time than you expect for a joint to be cooked. Then take it out of the oven to rest wrapped up in tin foil and tea towels, towel or blanket to keep it warm. This should give you an hour or more to crank up the oven for the roasties and yorkie puds, and plenty of time to get the rest of the veg sorted.

The problem is, I need to leave the house for 3.5 hours ish, right before dinner time.

I have a 1.5kg joint to roast.

If I'd thought earlier, I'd have just got a bigger joint, but it's ordered from the butchers now, so that's that.

Hence the trial runs required (with Sainsbury's finest )

Cook it the day before to temperature, personally I’d plan to cook it rarer than intended as it’ll continue cooking itself, leave it to cool, slice it cold and serve it on hot plates with a slug of boiling gravy over the top. I bet nobody will notice the difference and the outcome will be much better than trying to keep it warm or forcibly reheating it.

Yeah - this is where I think I'm at as the best option: get up early - shove it in the oven, go back to bed, so it's cooked and ready first thing. Then leave it in the (off, but warm) oven and go out.
This is what I'll be testing out!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Driving to Liverpool and back picking up my son from University where he is studying Archaeology, Monday my wife is driving to Southampton and back picking up my daughter from University where she is studying English and History

This update is bought to you by a very proud dad.

[mangocrazy]

The problem is, I need to leave the house for 3.5 hours ish, right before dinner time.

I have a 1.5kg joint to roast.

If I'd thought earlier, I'd have just got a bigger joint, but it's ordered from the butchers now, so that's that.

Hence the trial runs required (with Sainsbury's finest )

Cook it the day before to temperature, personally I’d plan to cook it rarer than intended as it’ll continue cooking itself, leave it to cool, slice it cold and serve it on hot plates with a slug of boiling gravy over the top. I bet nobody will notice the difference and the outcome will be much better than trying to keep it warm or forcibly reheating it.

Yeah - this is where I think I'm at as the best option: get up early - shove it in the oven, go back to bed, so it's cooked and ready first thing. Then leave it in the (off, but warm) oven and go out.
This is what I'll be testing out!

We haven't had turkey for Xmas day dinner for over 10 years now, but when we did I just wrapped the turkey up in foil on Christmas eve, bunged it in the oven on gas mark 3 just before going to bed, and woke up to a fully cooked turkey on Christmas Day. Not particularly scientific, but it worked.

[mangocrazy]

I know, i missed last weeks one, but i was a bit hungover and forgot.

You also forgot (or omitted to mention) this one was a Friday the Thirteenth! Eek, scream, etc....

Friday - go and collect the van - yay!
Saturday - make the most of the last day of Mrs Mango being away by spending most of day in shed, fettling.
Sunday - welcome Mrs Mango home from Philippines and cook her moussaka.

[Skub]

On Friday we took some bikes up for a local bike show.

Saturday,bike show day and loading the bikes after it closes at 4pm. Takes a couple of hours faffing about with straps n' schitt.

Sunday,a more chilled,relaxed day,hopefully.