The world according to Sarah

[Dawn Kellie]

What are you cooking?
Glad you're doing better.

[Stottie Girl]

Thanks Kellie.

Not sure yet. Looking at the store cupboard, options are chicken chow mein, crispy beef in chilli and garlic sauce, creamy dijon chicken (though I will need to nip out for kale or spinach) or pancetta and mushroom pasta in a green pesto sauce, maybe mac n cheese as well.

Might make more than one, see how it goes. Or I might end up with beans on toast lol!

[Stottie Girl]

Well that was a bit of a disaster. Was going to make the crispy beef but ran out of cornflour, didn't have any spinach or kale so couldn't do the dijon chicken, got half way through making the pesto and realised I didn't have any pine nuts, the butter I had was out of date so I couldn't make a roux for the mac n cheese. Gave up and decided to drive 3 miles to the supermarket to stock up, realised I had forgot my shopping bag and my wallet so had to drive all the way back. Still got brain fog clearly!

Made the chow mein so at least something went right.

Not sure I should have got out of bed this morning!

[davina61]

About like when I go to make something, nearly always short of recipe ingredients. Planning on making a fish pie for next week but will have to get a pint of milk!

[Dawn Kellie]

One year my oldest daughter wanted a Boston Cream pie for her birthday. I decided to do the whole thing from scratch. We lived 15 minutes from the nearest store. 3 runs to the store later she had her birthday wish.
I haven't made one since.
Since my wife and I have been married we lived in town one time, it was only for a few months. We've always lived on a holding 😉

[Stottie Girl]

About like when I go to make something, nearly always short of recipe ingredients. Planning on making a fish pie for next week but will have to get a pint of milk!

And some fish?

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

I guess this is why i like living in the suburbs. Local shops 5 mins walk away, supermarket about 2 miles and Walsall town centre 1 mile. Never a big issue to get things. Dont have such stunning countryside though!

[Dawn Kellie]

I like the solitude of the country. Besides, people get weird when you have horses, goats and chickens in town.

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

I like the solitude of the country. Besides, people get weird when you have horses, goats and chickens in town.

There's people with all of those just 5 mins walk away from me 🙂

[Stottie Girl]

I guess this is why i like living in the suburbs. Local shops 5 mins walk away, supermarket about 2 miles and Walsall town centre 1 mile. Never a big issue to get things. Dont have such stunning countryside though!

Oh there are shops closer Charlotte but they are all hell on earth on the weekend so I go to a newish one that's pretty quiet!

It has a neurodiverse hour in the afternoons where they turn off the music, turn down the volume of the beeps on the tills and don't do shelf stacking. It's bliss! Plus the local ones don't tend to have the more exotic ingrediants.

[davina61]

I have fish defrosting, that's why I am doing a fish pie!!!!

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

Oh there are shops closer Charlotte but they are all hell on earth on the weekend so I go to a newish one that's pretty quiet!

It has a neurodiverse hour in the afternoons where they turn off the music, turn down the volume of the beeps on the tills and don't do shelf stacking. It's bliss! Plus the local ones don't tend to have the more exotic ingrediants.

I'm with you on avoiding anywhere busy! Supermarkets on a Sunday have caused meltdowns on many occasions! I do my main shop at 1900 on a Tuesday for that reason. Sounds like you need some very specific ingredients however. The midlands is quite good though, because of diversity here i can find stuff from almost anywhere!

Charlotte 😻

[Dawn Kellie]

Oh there are shops closer Charlotte but they are all hell on earth on the weekend so I go to a newish one that's pretty quiet!

It has a neurodiverse hour in the afternoons where they turn off the music, turn down the volume of the beeps on the tills and don't do shelf stacking. It's bliss! Plus the local ones don't tend to have the more exotic ingrediants.

I've heard of shops doing this. I wish there were more.
I don't know about your side of the pond but restaurants on this side had gotten so loud. I end up turning off my hearing aids and have to rely on my wife to deal with the wait staff. It gets painful. I wish restaurants would go back to a subtle noise level

[Stottie Girl]

I've heard of shops doing this. I wish there were more.
I don't know about your side of the pond but restaurants on this side had gotten so loud. I end up turning off my hearing aids and have to rely on my wife to deal with the wait staff. It gets painful. I wish restaurants would go back to a subtle noise level

I'm going to sound like a real sad bugger here but I have no one to go to restaurants with so I haven't been to one for years. No idea if they are loud or not!

[Dawn Kellie]

I'm going to sound like a real sad bugger here but I have no one to go to restaurants with so I haven't been to one for years. No idea if they are loud or not!

I go to restaurants alone. I'm a bit out going and will start a conversation with anyone.  My daughters can't do this. I've had some great conversations and not so great. My daughters say I'm weird

[Stottie Girl]

I go to restaurants alone. I'm a bit out going and will start a conversation with anyone.  My daughters can't do this. I've had some great conversations and not so great. My daughters say I'm weird

Apart from being too shy for that, I would feel like I'm table blocking. I don't even go into cafe's on my own. It's silly really, Single people have a right to enjoy the nice things in life too.

[Lori Dee ✅]

I go alone too. I don't go for conversation or just to be out. I go to EAT, and where I go depends on what I plan to eat. Alone, or with somebody, doesn't matter to me. It is nice to share a meal with friends, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the foods I crave.

You can do it.

[Stottie Girl]

I go alone too. I don't go for conversation or just to be out. I go to EAT, and where I go depends on what I plan to eat. Alone, or with somebody, doesn't matter to me. It is nice to share a meal with friends, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the foods I crave.

You can do it.

I just don't think I would enjoy it Lori, I'm too self concious. I love that you and Kellie can do it, but you are both stronger people than me.

[Dawn Kellie]

I just don't think I would enjoy it Lori, I'm too self concious. I love that you and Kellie can do it, but you are both stronger people than me.

Maybe that is my adrenaline, going out and doing something unusual alone. Several months ago I took my wife to Tampa, I still hadn't come to terms as Kellie. I went to a bar in the gayberhood. Not only did I go in alone the bartender bought me a drink.

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

I just don't think I would enjoy it Lori, I'm too self concious. I love that you and Kellie can do it, but you are both stronger people than me.

Awwww i wish I could give you some of my dont give a ____ energy! I totally get it though as i was similar at one time. But then I started my job and got sent to China, USA, Sweden etc all alone. So i ended up eating alone sometimes and those fears along with many others went.

Sometimes things come up in life that push you forwards however uncomfortable it is at first.

But honestly most people dont even notice you exist let alone care out there. But again its about holding your head high, shoulders up and walking in with conviction. Exude confidence even if you aren't. Takes energy and sonetimes a good day, but can be done.

Maybe a day when you're feeling on top of the world is the day to try it. Take yourself out for a treat to celebrate a good day. Push that energy to your body and smile. Stand tall because you are great in yourself.

Charlotte 😻