Sol is a hoot! She says and does the funniest things every day.
Last week I sent her to wash her hands s she had been playing in the garden. She went down the hall and came back again quite quickly. I asked her if she had washer her hands and how she she did it so fast. Her reply - "I did wash them mummy, I used my tongue!"
Her other latest thing, and she says this almost every day "mommy your boobs are like two big Easter eggs", LOL!
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Friday, 24 April 2009
I Hate Insurance Companies (Well just this one)
Insurance - you need it, you can live without it but that's not a good idea.
So the people who work in these non-UK call centres, what makes them think we were born yesterday.
Last week some guy rang and started going on about insurance, so I said "Stop, I am busy and cant do this right now call back". Okay that is simple to most people, it does not mean I am giving the insurance company permission to torture me and take me for an idiot.
So they rang back this morning as instructed and got to speak to Roy. Roy gave them all our details in order for them to give us a quote and they said they would ring us back. Okay so far - except our phone has rang every 20 seconds all day - literally! It would go in little spurts, ten minutes of these calls and hang ups then nothing for an hour. Each time you picked up no one was there.
This evening, again the phone rang. I picked it up no one there, hung up and it rang again. Finally there was this 'guy', saying I am ringing to tell you that someone will ring you in two minutes with a quotation.
WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU RING SOMEONE TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO RING YOU IN TWO MINUTES? Alarm bells are ringing! It this person royalty they need a call announcing their call.
So I said "why cant you just give me the price", the 'guy' said "oh that's why we will be ringing you", he was dead serious as well. I commented to him that it was a funny way of doing business, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Sure enough the phone rang two minutes later, another 'guy', he called himself Robert, but I will say he didn't sound like a Robert. He had a whole spiel to give me - I said "just give me the price please, I don't want all the spiel", he said "oh no I must, and I need more details". I was really miffed at this stage and tried my best to give him more details again and then he started his spiel once more.
"Please just tell me how much you are quoting me for my house insurance", "Oh madam you must give me your sort code and account number, what bank do you deal with Halifax, Natwest ...?"
Why on earth would I give some 'guy' my bank details just because he called me on the phone. I am so cross with him by this stage, but determined not to lose this battle I continued talking with him.
"I just want the price or a written quotation please", "Well madam just for you today I can tell you that you will have xxxx cover, and it will only cost you £24.55 for ten months then two months free"
"Ahhhh at last a price thank you for that, would you like to post the quotation to me so I can read it through" He then informed me that he had already given me the details, I gasped "You spoke far too fast and I didn't write it all down, I need a proper written quotation so I can compare your policy to my old one"
"No Madam I cant give you the quotation in the post until you give me your bank details, remember we are giving you two free months of insurance", I was raging at him"If I called your house would you give your bank details to me then just because I asked? I just want a written quotation"
"No"
So I continued to talk to him, "Could I have your head office telephone number please so I can call them and make sure you are who you say you are?", Robert was very put out by this and explained to me that I was not allowed to do that. "Well Robert, I can assure you I wont be dealing with you. I have dealt with many insurance companies like More than, TSB and none of them have ever acted in this way. Usually its one phone call and a written quotation THEN I give them my bank details not 3 calls and a refusal to let me see the quotation". Robert was still begging for my details when I put the phone down.
The company he was claiming to be with Royal & Sun Alliance! I tried to ring their customer services line to complain (supposing it is them that called), but they are closed now till Monday. If this is a call from their company I will be taking this further as this is no way to treat a prospective customer.
So the people who work in these non-UK call centres, what makes them think we were born yesterday.
Last week some guy rang and started going on about insurance, so I said "Stop, I am busy and cant do this right now call back". Okay that is simple to most people, it does not mean I am giving the insurance company permission to torture me and take me for an idiot.
So they rang back this morning as instructed and got to speak to Roy. Roy gave them all our details in order for them to give us a quote and they said they would ring us back. Okay so far - except our phone has rang every 20 seconds all day - literally! It would go in little spurts, ten minutes of these calls and hang ups then nothing for an hour. Each time you picked up no one was there.
This evening, again the phone rang. I picked it up no one there, hung up and it rang again. Finally there was this 'guy', saying I am ringing to tell you that someone will ring you in two minutes with a quotation.
WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU RING SOMEONE TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO RING YOU IN TWO MINUTES? Alarm bells are ringing! It this person royalty they need a call announcing their call.
So I said "why cant you just give me the price", the 'guy' said "oh that's why we will be ringing you", he was dead serious as well. I commented to him that it was a funny way of doing business, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Sure enough the phone rang two minutes later, another 'guy', he called himself Robert, but I will say he didn't sound like a Robert. He had a whole spiel to give me - I said "just give me the price please, I don't want all the spiel", he said "oh no I must, and I need more details". I was really miffed at this stage and tried my best to give him more details again and then he started his spiel once more.
"Please just tell me how much you are quoting me for my house insurance", "Oh madam you must give me your sort code and account number, what bank do you deal with Halifax, Natwest ...?"
Why on earth would I give some 'guy' my bank details just because he called me on the phone. I am so cross with him by this stage, but determined not to lose this battle I continued talking with him.
"I just want the price or a written quotation please", "Well madam just for you today I can tell you that you will have xxxx cover, and it will only cost you £24.55 for ten months then two months free"
"Ahhhh at last a price thank you for that, would you like to post the quotation to me so I can read it through" He then informed me that he had already given me the details, I gasped "You spoke far too fast and I didn't write it all down, I need a proper written quotation so I can compare your policy to my old one"
"No Madam I cant give you the quotation in the post until you give me your bank details, remember we are giving you two free months of insurance", I was raging at him"If I called your house would you give your bank details to me then just because I asked? I just want a written quotation"
"No"
So I continued to talk to him, "Could I have your head office telephone number please so I can call them and make sure you are who you say you are?", Robert was very put out by this and explained to me that I was not allowed to do that. "Well Robert, I can assure you I wont be dealing with you. I have dealt with many insurance companies like More than, TSB and none of them have ever acted in this way. Usually its one phone call and a written quotation THEN I give them my bank details not 3 calls and a refusal to let me see the quotation". Robert was still begging for my details when I put the phone down.
The company he was claiming to be with Royal & Sun Alliance! I tried to ring their customer services line to complain (supposing it is them that called), but they are closed now till Monday. If this is a call from their company I will be taking this further as this is no way to treat a prospective customer.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
CHICKEN & HAM PIE
We made HAM & CHICKEN PIE yesterday. There is no exact recipe but this is how I make it.
Ingredients on no particular order
I used 3 chicken breast fillets
1 tin of ham
mushrooms
butter
stock made with Oxo stock concentrate (any will do)
flour
pepper
nutmeg
pouring cream single or double
Pastry - you can either use shortcrust or puff - I did shortcrust on the bottom and puff on the top which is my favourite pie combo.
First of all I cooked the chicken breasts in the grill (just cooked and no more) leave them to cool while you prepare the rest
roll out the shortcrust pastry base and put it on a greased pie dish. At this stage I popped it in the hot oven for a few minutes to give it a head start with the cooking.
I chopped up the ham and chicken and put them in a sandwich bag along with 2 or 3 spoonfulls of flower, plenty of pepper and some nut meg. I gave them a good shake until the ham and chicken were really well coated.
I chopped the mushrooms up small (simply because my kids say they dont like mushrooms - what the eye cant see and all that)
Put the ham chicken mix in the pie dish and sprinkle the mushrooms over.
Melt a good knob of butter and pour it over the chicken and mushrooms on the pie dish.
Then pour on a little cup of stock - you need to just use your judgement here you don't want your dish to over flow nor do you want your pie to dry out either.
Finally I put the pastry lid on the pie. Before you put the pie in the oven make a couple of slits in the top. Glaze what ever way you wish.
When the pie is cooked use a little funnel or jug, using the slits in the pie pour in some cream. Go slowly and carefully tilt the pie in different directions to make sure the cream has spread.
Leave the pie to sit for a few minutes while you dish up your veg and potatoes .... when you cut the pie it will be lovely!
I promise you that if you try my recipe you will never use another recipe for chicken pie again.
Ingredients on no particular order
I used 3 chicken breast fillets
1 tin of ham
mushrooms
butter
stock made with Oxo stock concentrate (any will do)
flour
pepper
nutmeg
pouring cream single or double
Pastry - you can either use shortcrust or puff - I did shortcrust on the bottom and puff on the top which is my favourite pie combo.
First of all I cooked the chicken breasts in the grill (just cooked and no more) leave them to cool while you prepare the rest
roll out the shortcrust pastry base and put it on a greased pie dish. At this stage I popped it in the hot oven for a few minutes to give it a head start with the cooking.
I chopped up the ham and chicken and put them in a sandwich bag along with 2 or 3 spoonfulls of flower, plenty of pepper and some nut meg. I gave them a good shake until the ham and chicken were really well coated.
I chopped the mushrooms up small (simply because my kids say they dont like mushrooms - what the eye cant see and all that)
Put the ham chicken mix in the pie dish and sprinkle the mushrooms over.
Melt a good knob of butter and pour it over the chicken and mushrooms on the pie dish.
Then pour on a little cup of stock - you need to just use your judgement here you don't want your dish to over flow nor do you want your pie to dry out either.
Finally I put the pastry lid on the pie. Before you put the pie in the oven make a couple of slits in the top. Glaze what ever way you wish.
When the pie is cooked use a little funnel or jug, using the slits in the pie pour in some cream. Go slowly and carefully tilt the pie in different directions to make sure the cream has spread.
Leave the pie to sit for a few minutes while you dish up your veg and potatoes .... when you cut the pie it will be lovely!
I promise you that if you try my recipe you will never use another recipe for chicken pie again.
RECIPE - CRISPY AROMATIC DUCK
Get yourself a duck. Preferably from the supermarket!
Get a very sharp knife and cut the duck down the middle an flatten it.
Rub salt onto the surfaces of the duck.
Get one of those baking bags and put the duck in it.
Make a marinade
5 star anise broken up
1 tablespoon of peppercorns
1/2 tea spoon of cloves
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
3-4 slices of ginger (I used lazy ginger out of a jar)
a good few glugs of red wine, sherry, or black currant juice.
Pour the marinade into the bag with the duck, shake and seal.
Leave at least 6 hours, better still overnight.
In the morning you wish to eat the duck steam it for 3 hours, you will need to check periodically as mine was ready sooner. It is not pretty at this stage but please don't be put off with how it looks.
leave the duck to cool on a dish (away from the cats)
When its really cool divide the duck up into small pieces and fry in an inch of very hot oil. this is where the duck gets crispy.
Serve with Chinese pancakes or wraps and salad.
I also found a recipe of Chinese pancakes on Video Jug - looks easy enough though I haven't tried them yet. http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-chinese-pancakes
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Green Fingers
We have been getting things ready for the summer in the garden. The children especially have been enjoying the whole thing. Between us we have planted peas, tomatoes, lots of herbs, peppers, lettuces, cucumbers, and plenty of flowering plants also. I am not sure that we will be successful in our quest to grow veggies but at least its great fun for the children.
This weeks efforts ...
This weeks efforts ...
Sunday, 19 April 2009
PHOTOS - TRIP TO THE ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND
Just photos of our day out to the Adventure Playground at Stormont.
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Fifth Disease (Slapped Cheek Syndrome)
Our children have all been suffering with the symptoms of Fifth Disease the last few weeks, the common name is Slapped Cheek Syndrome (or Slap Cheek) because it looks like slapped cheeks funnily enough!
Sol has had another flair up, the rash comes and goes ...
It is hard to tell on the photos, the rash in real life is darker than it appears here.
Sol has had another flair up, the rash comes and goes ...
It is hard to tell on the photos, the rash in real life is darker than it appears here.
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