Monday 14 January 2019

Bear says










I have shot myself in the foot in spectacular style. The biggest boy had been rejecting food containing carbs for a while, after reading a book that said they were basically the devil. So I happened across a Bear Grylls book in the library and got him that, in the hope that he would change his ways. A few hours later he announced in dramatic fashion that he had turned vegan. Sigh.

I don't object per se. I was a vegan for 25 years, so I know what it's all about, but it's just another complication in the horror of preparing the evening meal. I'm already contending with one or two people who don't like anything and all of the people who don't like something. I am trying to be positive about it all and I'm gathering up my nut roast recipes from yesteryear in readiness. There are many other things that Bear does not approve of apparently. Again, I am not complaining (much) (well, we all know that I am, but let's pretend I'm not) as I've followed much the same diet in the past. It's just that more and more I seem to be preparing different things for different people.

On the positive side, I can join in with the vegan things, so hopefully I'll start eating better. The sheer volume of food that the biggest boy can get through is a bit scary as well, what with all the sport and the gym workouts and the general size of him. Oh how much easier it would be if they would just all eat a sack of kibble like the dog. It would utterly revolutionise my life.

The littlest boy is happy to have a new Swiss Army knife with all sorts of handy gadgets on it. He persuaded me to let him get it with his hard-earned dog walking money when he saw it in the sale at the garden centre. He had to ask me about eighteen times before I said yes. After I'd paid he said, 'That was really hard work mum.' Sigh. He has taken to telling people he collects knives now, being as he has three. The first one was his original Swiss Army knife, the second one is a pen knife that he bought when he thought he'd lost the first one. So this is the third one, which I really didn't mean to let him buy, but I only have limited resistance to anything after lunch and I fear they have all worked this out.

In other news, I have a new laptop. It came a week or so ago, and it took me three days to pluck up the courage to remove the outer plastic bag. It then took me another four days to peel off the sticky tape. I still haven't removed it from its box. Can you tell I am a little reluctant? Someone suggested that I Get A Man In, so I am doing that. Even so, I know it will all be horrible and I will be reduced to a screaming, jibbering wreck, unable to access anything, with all passwords long forgotten. Plus, Windows 10! So basically, you may never hear from me ever again. Although I am keeping my old laptop, so perhaps all won't be lost. The new one was needed because I increasingly have children breathing down my neck asking to use it for their homework. Sometimes there is even a queue. So it was something that was needed, although it's taken me a long time to bite the bullet.

The computer guy suggested that I have the old one wiped and sell it, which gave me palpitations. I am writing him a huge sign saying DO NOT WIPE ANYTHING and sticking it to the screen. I'll be back again soon, or maybe I won't. Wish me luck.

25 comments:

  1. I sure hope you will be back!

    Cooking a vegan diet for a growing teenage boy sounds like hard work. Lots of nuts and pulses on the menu in the coming weeks! Can I suggest a bale of hay or two to top up his calorific need? There is nothing better than a Swiss army knife for a boy (or girl). As a bona fide Swiss, I know the value of this amazing gadget. We have many in the house but never find one when we need it most. My favourite is the one I inherited from my grandfather, who owned it for about 25 years before.

    Good luck with the cooking CJ. I am off cooking duty for three months, Richard and Annie have taken over completely. I am ecstatic. xx

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    1. I have just this very evening found our Swiss Army Knife and yesterday spotted a tiny Swiss flag flying on someone's house. Which flag I was only able to identify because of the knife.

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  2. I am fed up enough cooking and there are only Two of us , I am visiting my daughter in the uk in April and I seem to have rashly offered to cook while I am their , what was I thinking . If i had my way i would order in or employ a chef .

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  3. Hi there, I'm Andrea, stopping by from Mereknits. That's how I like to meet other bloggers, via my favourite blog's commenters.

    I can't imagine where I would begin if I had to start serving all Vegan food! Thank goodness you have your experience to fall back on.

    Your dog is just gorgeous as can be. I am also a pet lover, with a dog and cats. I blog here: myeverythingcorner@blogspot.com

    It was nice meeting you, and I look forward to visiting again,

    Andrea

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  4. The carbs thing is a worry, no? Tell him from me he needs them, especially after workouts. Glucose into energy and all that. Veganism is on the up isn’t it? Thank goodness you know all about it xx

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    1. only yesterday on Radio 2 that nice sounding woan doctor was talking about GOUT - a 27 year old woman got it from eating a no carb diet - something to do with purines or something. CJ - find another book! Vegan and no carbs sounds scary!!!!

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  5. Oh my, trying to cater for so many different needs must be challenging. It's a good time to be vegan now though, the supermarkets and internet are bursting with really good products, even restaurants now have vegan menus. I use the vegan veggie mince for spag bol, cottage pies, lasagna etc hubs loves it and he's a meat eater so maybe the whole family could be persuaded to eat that. Good luck with it all!xxx

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  6. *They* are trying to persuade me to get a new computer and phone. I cannot even contemplate the first steps along that path let alone the unpacking and setting up stage that you have reached (well done!). It's the passwords and the email address question that will stymie my efforts if I ever get that far.

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  7. Oh my word, this post is brilliant, I’ve been laughing my socks off! (Sorry!). The bit about kibble especially. ������ Good luck with the computer, isn’t always a chore at the best of times. Fingers crossed for you.

    S x

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  8. I have enough trouble trying to feed everyone and keep them happy with minimal effort. I think I would need to find a darkened room if anyone around here decided to go vegan (probably with me sitting in the middle in a straight jacket!). Hope all works out well with the computer. xx Susan

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  9. Well.. in the olden days our mothers cooked one meal and one only and we had to eat it or go hungry. I even did the same for my kids although I am officially "old". :-) My daughter and DIL do the duty of making several different meals for their kids so it must be the thing. You are very nice to do so. I loved seeing Bertie air-born! As for the computer, when I get a new laptop I break all speed records for getting it out of the box and the long and winding road of getting it set up and running and the old files transferred over. MacBooks are great for transferring most everything and having it look just like your old one. And as for getting rid of your old one.. heck.. now the boys can fight over it and leave you to your new one! Problem solve! LOL!! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  10. My youngest was the first of us to turn vegan - she had just started at uni and, when she came home for the holidays, it was just easier for us all to eat the same meal. Having said that, we are all pretty easy going food-wise - R and I will eat anything, and L will eat anything except mushrooms and aubergine; it's a texture thing! I think I would go quietly insane if I had to cook several different things for every meal, so good luck with that!
    I hate change, so find new anything quite traumatic. I'm lucky in that R usually sets up anything computer related. He bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas and I'm waiting for E to go back to Bristol before I actually have a go on it. I need a quiet day, just me and the instruction manual. Swiss army knives are fab - both my girls have them and they are endlessly useful. L was traumatised in Cambodia when she tried to board a plane forgetting that it was still in her hand luggage. She had to watch as the chap at security dropped it casually into a bin. It was an 18th birthday present from E and she was in tears at the loss (we bought her another one!).
    I want to kidnap Bertie - he's too adorable for words. xx

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  11. Oh goodness. Not sure where I would start if any of mine declared they needed a vegan diet. It takes all my efforts to persuade youngest that fish is good for him. Needless to say he doesn’t agree.
    Definitely don’t wipe anything. Windows 10 I gather is a baptism by fire so having a man in will help.
    Love the photo of Bertie midair. B x

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  12. My sister has just got a new laptop, hers packed in. Transferring everything is a full time job especially photos and music. As you say all the passwords are a nightmare. We’ve tried to go non-dairy but failed as there wasn’t a good cheese substitute/ I looked up what our diet was called and we are pollo-pescatarians! Even then only some fish.

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  13. Windows 10!! Hate it. It makes you use Edge and my Yahoo won't talk to it so I had to download Firefox. Good luck with the home restaurant! You have to have carbs! They just have to be good non-processed ones.

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  14. I laughed at your comment about all eating dog food. Thankfully I eat most things and never been one for fads and fancies.
    Good luck with the new computer. xx

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  15. Good luck with the laptops :)

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  16. Ooh, a new laptop. I love getting one of those. Good luck with it. The eating plans sound complicated for you, I hope it's not too hard to get everyone eating right. P and I have been basically pescatarian for a year now because of a medical thing he developed that does worse with meat and dairy, and I actually really love it! I still have some dairy myself, but much less than before. It wasn't even hard to do after the first few weeks or so, I got used to it quickly and now I wish I'd done it sooner. Windows 10 took some getting used to, but one thing I really like about it is the included parental features, which I'm finding very helpful for controlling screen time and knowing exactly what they're up to when they're online. I'm a mean mom like that. :)

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  17. New computers, while exciting because of the newness, are a source of great stress. I highly recommend Having It Done For You -- it's worth the price of admission.

    I can relate to the many-meal scenario. I struggle with that often...I'm veggie, starboy has his ASD-related food quirks and the other two are mostly carnivorous. My girl and I are currently doing a 21-day plant-based reboot (so, vegan then) and it's proving to be enlightening and exhausting. Such a lot of extra meal prep....on top of the usual stuff.

    And yes, I also remember the one-meal option of my youth...except the not-eating-it option wasn't an option so there's that. lol xo

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  18. In the nicest possible way Cj, you could get them to cook some meals themselves and take the pressure off yourself (actually it will be an ordeal at first) but it might plant some seeds for what is involved in feeding everyone. My friend has 4 children aged between 12 and 20 and they have a night where they each cook a meal. The 12 year old's is always pasta but the 17 year olds is always vegetarian and so on. They all fall off the wagon every now and again and their mum picks up the pieces but essentially she is not the only provider of meals. Might work, might be a disaster??! Jo xx

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  19. Ah ...computers! I hope it all goes smoothly. Fingers crossed. I love photo number 7. Bertie looks like he's having great fun.

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  20. Dietary revolution and new lap top in one post - It's just too much!!!

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  21. I always, "have a guy in, " to fix my computer. I use a big ole one on my desk, no laptop here, frankly they scare me to death. My oldest was commenting about my huge, archaic and outdated desktop the other day. I informed him I will be using it until its last breath, I am not into new and cool, just something that works!

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  22. I have a shiny new computer sitting in a box....too scared to open the box...instead I work from a very old laptop that is slow and overheats but it is like an old shoe!

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  23. I've been reading your blog & really enjoying it. I read back to Aug. 4, just now. I so enjoy the Britishness of it, the neat humour & details of your winsome dog, ( I'm very much a cat person.), You sound like a wonderful mom! I live in Tennessee, in the southern U.S.& am a 69 yr. old grandma. I got the name of your blog off of attic 24's blog as I love to crochet & am working on Lucy's sweetpea blanket. Keep up the good work, & your wonderful sense of humour!

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