Shock!

I went to Belfast on Wednesday to get a few things from the office and also to do a bit more shopping in preparation for Melissa coming. At about 2pm I left to come back home. I decided to go to the gym on the way home as my gym bag is always packed and ready to go in my boot. Then I remembered I had hardly eaten, so I stuffed half of my cereal bar into my mouth on the way. I started to itch just as I was pulling up to the gym. I got out and got changed, and then trainer was showing me the new training schedule she drew up for me (to target bums and thighs). I was really itching ALOT by that stage. After she left me to my own devices, I started to become short of breath and noticed that my eye was swelling. I went up to the mirror and saw that I was bright red, my skin was itching, my eye was swelling and so was my lip. I went up to my trainer and said something is wrong, and she took one look at me and panicked. The itch was unreal! it burned like crazy and I was hyperventilating because I was panicky. The image of Will Smith in Hitch came to mind! I had gone into anaphalactic shock!I called my father-in-law to collect me and we went straight to the doctors. I was given steriods and some anti-histimine (luckily no injection!). I had to wait a round to see if it worked, but after half an hour I was rushed to the hospital by my husband (who had just raced 40km home (near the hospital) to turn around and drive me all the way back there. On the way, my symptoms started to subside and so did the itchiness. What an evening. Luckily, when we got home later that eve, my car was in the yard and dinner was ready to eat. All that remained was a shower and some sleep. Still don't know what triggered it, I'm not allergic to anything, and the cereal bar is the only thing I ate in that time frame, but I eat it everyday - not anymore! It could've been a sting of some sort too, but I'm not allergic to bee stings, but maybe they have killer bees here :)

I have been awake since 1:30am this morning. Too many things running around me head. So much to do, so little time to prepare for Melissa. Not that I have to prepare anything, but I need to cook and bake. Thankfully I cleaned up the house yesterday and prepared her room etc. I am SO excited, going to be amazing to have her here and show her around. I am responsible for Easter Sunday roast this year, so will keep you posted.

I got a new car! Its another vauxhall astra, a newer, shinier model (but lets be honest anything is newer and shinier than my old one!). Its a diesel, so my first diesel car, and its loud! Sounds like a truck! But very grateful for a more reliable, economical car :)

Mince and mechanics

My car is due for a road worthy early December, and Karl and I decided to do some work on it on Saturday. He came home with parts and put me to work. It was actually fun, but I quit halfway, because my hands were getting sore. We basically had to remove both front wheels and remove the front suspension (I think?)

After my half day as a mechanic, I went back to the kitchen and made some.nce rotis. Its actually surprisingly easy to make.

After our busy day we got ready and went over to a friends place to have chinese and watch x-factor. Jo-anne has just gotten two kittens, called pip and squeak, they are adorable, and even though I'm not a cat person, my heart melted a bit when I saw them!

Well, we finally have a landline and internet at the house, so I'm connected. Been running around, soing all the admin that comes along with moving, and getting there slowly but surely. Really looking forward to the weekend, all the kids are going away to Dundalk. We are going to some neo-lithic burial ground thats pretty famous in the South, so ROADTRIP!! We got a groupon deal for the hotel, and on Saturday night we'll stay with Christina's parents. Its out first anniversary on Sunday, so Kalr has taken Monday off work and has booked us into a hotel somewhere in the south near the coast! Really looking forward to it!!!! :) Been invited for dinner at the in-laws tonight, so I've decided to bake something. Might try a victoria sponge or something like that. Will post pics as soon as I can.

Success!

While trying to sort out last minute stuff on Friday morning before we moved in, I found this on our windowsill...

Apparently we now have a milkman! We can choose our delivery days and how much we want, and the orange juice was a welcome gift! So we get 2 litres delivered on a Friday and Monday morning now. Life in an-almost village is very quaint! A few hours later, I heard someone at the shed, and decided to investigate. By the time I got there, he was leaving, and getting into a truck that said coal and gas on it. So after he left, I went to the shed and discovered a big bag of coal, and a big bag of slack. I later found out that my father-in-law had ordered all of this in his efforts to keep my warm this winter, a kind of house-warming (pun!) gift. We also have ALOT of wood in the shed.

Saturday night was good fun. We managed to fit 14 and a half ppl into our lounge and had loads of fun! Played the UK equivalent of 30 seconds and might have had a little too much wine. We ordered pizza and chilled out in front of the fire. The girls were great and helped me clean up afterwards so I could have a lie in on Sunday morning. Forgot to take photos, but one of the girls did, and she said she would mail it to me tonight, so will put it up tomorrow. Got some really amazing gifts from plants, chocolates, candles, flowers, wine glasses and vases! Here are a few pics

these yankee candles are very popular here, and come in a range of colours, sizes and feagrances. i just about have one in every room! i love them, but they are pretty expensive

Yesterday's lunch was a success! I was SO nervous about the lamb! Got up and we started prepping things and decided to put the lamb in at about 11am. Karl and I ran around from 11am to 2pm yesterday afternoon, juggling all kinds of dishes and chores. But I am happy to say that it was a success! Although we were exhausted and collapsed into bed by 9pm last night. The menu was as follows: Cape Malay chicken curry and rice (made by my capable hubby), a 3kg leg of lamb and gravy and mint sauce, carrots, roast veggies, roast potatoes and buttered mushrooms (my mother-in-laws favourite). So while there were many dishes to keep warm, I fell inlove with the range yesterday, because you can place things on top of it with some foil, and it keeps it warm and ready to serve! For dessert we had strawberry cheesecake, and a new recipe I tried, a chocolate orange tart - delicious with ice-cream.

Entertainment buzz

We have a crazy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow night is our first night in the house, and I'm probably going to make some sweet and sour chicken for dinner to celebrate. Saturday evening, we are having our house warming, and for some silly reason I volunteered to make a Sunday roast at our house on Sunday at 3pm. I bought a leg of lamb yesterday, and even though I don't have the foggiest notion about cooking lamb, I'm going to attempt it. I found an amazing slow-cooking lamb recipe with garlic and rosemary, and a red wine gravy. Going to serve roast potatoes, carrots and either green beans or creamed spinach with it, not sure yet, maybe even cauliflower and broc with cheese sauce. And then chocolate tart and ice cream for dessert. Karls mom and brother don't eat lamb though, so Karl is making a Cape Malay chicken curry for them (its out the packet from pick n pay when I was at home, so it shouldn't be too challenging for him!). So Friday we will cook for Friday. On Saturday, we will cook and bake for Saturday and the curry for Sunday, and Sunday I'll cook and bake for Sunday!!! Going to be an exciting weekend. The only thing that I'm worried about (aside from the lamb) is how to keep everything hot and serve them all at the same time. I;m one of those ppl who makes supper at 2pm and then just puts the food in the microvawe on a plate to heat it up for supper. I like to have everything prepared and ready to go, so this factor is stressing me out some. Waiting for the in-laws to wake up, so that I can shower and get ready to go to the shops for all my ingredients. Wish me luck! Will post picks on Monday (or maybe not if its burnt!!) lol!