The Wednesday Hodgepodge #50

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. Egg on your face, putting all your eggs in one basket, a good egg, walk on eggshells, nest egg, or a tough egg to crack...which eggy idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain

This one had me staring at the list for a bit because none of them really jumped out at me straight away. If I had to pick one, it would be "walk on eggshells." It's nothing serious and more in a blogging sense. I share lots of my life online and it's a bit of a balancing act. I want to be open and real but there’s also lots that I don't share. Sometimes, when I write I wonder how some people will take it and I, of course, don't want to upset or unintentionally offend someone. So I tweak things, soften things or just leave them out completely. Now and again I will write a whole blog post ranting about something and then just not publish it. It is good to get it all out of my head and written down.

2. April 7th is National Beer Day...are you a beer drinker? If so do you have a favorite? Beer battered fish, beer bread, beer can chicken, beer brats...which one sounds good to you? Have you made any of these?

No, I don't drink beer at all, I am more of a wine or cocktail drinker. Even the smell of beer puts me off. I really don't like the taste or understand how people can enjoy it but I am betting that beer drinkers feel the same about wine.

When it comes to food, I’m not totally anti-beer. I do like beer batter, especially when it comes to fish and onion rings but I had to Google what others were. Beer canned chicken just looks wrong but I do like the look of beer bread and beer brats.

3. Do you have siblings? What's the best thing about being your sibling? If you don't have siblings, what would you say are the pros and cons of being an only child?

I have a brother. He is the best but I am biased. If something breaks, he’s the one who already owns the exact tool needed to fix it and if he doesn’t have one, he knows someone who does. He’s also just really calm in a crisis. I always joke that if anything ever went properly wrong in the world, I’m heading straight to his house because he’d have backup generators, supplies and probably a plan I don’t even know about. He is the type of person you need in your life when things are bad.

4. How do you feel about floral scents in products? Do you have a favorite?

Floral scents aren’t really my thing. Some of them can feel a bit too strong or overpowering and lavender is a big no for me. It’s meant to be calming but it makes me feel sick. If I had to pick something with a floral scent, it would be something really soft that you could hardly smell. Most of the time I’d choose fruity or clean scents over florals.

5. What's one thing in your home that begins with the letter G that you would say is a keeper, something you'll hold on to? Tell us why.

I’d say my Garden bits! I’ve slowly built up a little collection over the years. Pots, tools, little greenhouses, random ornaments and all sorts that live either in the shed or dotted around outside. A few bits came from my dad and other things I’ve picked up myself over time. Every year I end up adding something new and without fail I always seem to lose at least one gardening glove and have to buy another set.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We are just coming to the end of a 4-day weekend and I am so confused about what day it is. Good Friday felt like a Saturday, Saturday felt like a Friday, Sunday just felt like a Sunday and Monday also felt like a Sunday. I am not complaining though, it has been nice to have my family home and have a relaxing long weekend. I know I am going to be off with what day it is all week. Tuesday will feel like a Monday and so on and just to add to the confusion, my fella Stu has a few days off work, so every day will feel like a Monday, his usual day off work. lol

The book was better and I’ve become that person!

I’ve always been jealous of those people who read the book first and then go on to watch the TV or movie based in it. They always seemed so smug, like they know something the rest of us don't. They get to say things like "That didn’t happen in the book," or "They completely changed that character," and I had to believe what they were saying because I was never one for books. The only time I read the book before seeing the movie was the last 2 Harry Potter books and even then I already knew what the characters were like from watching the first few movies.

Now that audiobooks are in my life, it has changed everything. I am listening to them every chance that I get and so far, have listened to some great ones. In fact, I feel really lucky that every book I have chosen, I've enjoyed. One day I started listening to The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary. I didn’t know anything about it, I hadn’t heard the hype, I didn’t even know it existed before I pressed play and started listening.

The story is about Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey, two complete strangers with opposite schedules who agree to share a one-bedroom London flat and the same bed without ever actually meeting. Tiffy uses the flat at night after a breakup leaves her desperate for somewhere affordable, while Leon, a palliative care nurse working nights, sleeps there during the day. They communicate entirely through Post-it notes, slowly building a connection while dealing with their own messy lives, emotional baggage, and in Tiffy’s case, an ex-boyfriend who is way more than just a bit annoying.

When I was writing a blog post, I Googled the name of the book to make sure I had the author correct and that’s when I discovered it had been made into a TV show. For Channel 5 of all places. I hadn’t seen a trailer or anyone mention it, it had completely passed me by. Suddenly I was excited because this was my moment. I had finally done it the right way round, the book before the TV show. Watching the TV version after listening to the book was such a strange experience, in a good way. I wasn’t annoyed or rolling my eyes every five minutes, I was more curious! The TV show gets the heart of the story but it did feel different.

Tiffy, for example, in the book you hear all the little doubts she brushes off, the way she laughs things away, the way she slowly realises that her past relationship wasn’t just a bit rubbish, it actually did some damage. On screen, she’s still warm and likeable but she feels more confident early on. Leon is where I really noticed the change. In the audiobook his voice is such a big part of who he is. Those short sentences, the pauses, the way he thinks. On TV, he’s still kind and gentle but without hearing his thoughts, he becomes a bit more average when, in the audiobook Leon has something extra. The relationship itself also feels different. In the book, everything takes its time with the notes, missed chances and waiting around but in the show things move along a bit quicker, which I get. TV has a pace to keep but I did miss that slow build.

By the end of the series, I found myself doing the thing I’d always watched other people do. Comparing, not in a nasty way but just noticing. Understanding why some things were changed, why others were left out but thinking the book did it better. That’s when it hit me. I’ve become one of those people!

The book is deeper, the audiobook especially. The TV show is comforting and easy to watch and does a decent job of staying true to the story but if you want the full experience, the one that makes you feel a bit wobbly in places, the book wins! If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be sitting there judging a Channel 5 adaptation based on an audiobook I found by accident, I’d have laughed. Yet here we are. Turns out, I just needed to listen instead of read and now I finally get why people love being able to say the book was better!

What book do you think is better than the TV show or movie?

Our weekly meal plan! 6th - 12th April #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend and if you were celebrating Easter that it was filled with all the good stuff. We don’t really celebrate Easter in our house but we had fish and chips on Friday which is a proper Good Friday thing to do and we definitely made the most of all the chocolate. Our weekend was filled with family time, homemade pizza, watching football, a bit of gardening, movies and of course, the usual housework.

All of last week's meals went down really well! We ate everything on the day I had planned so it felt like I was winning at life. My favourite meal was the Peanut Satay Chicken Burger, the satay sauce was amazing, I think the sauce is becoming my new favourite thing and it's crazy to think I probably hadn't eaten it until this year. My family loved the Creamy Chicken Korma With Sesame Seed Chips! They were gutted that there were no leftovers, Becky had planned to have it the next morning after work.

Stu has a few days off work this week and Ellie is of course off college for her Easter break. We have a couple of things planned for later in the week but nothing is set in stone yet so our meal plan might change around a bit. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have ordered a Gousto Box for this week as it never seems to go to plan when we are all home.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Chip Shop Basa & Chip Burger With Curry Sauce!

This one just sounds like a bit of fun and I am sure we have had it before. It’s everything you’d expect from a chip shop tea but shoved into a burger. Crispy battered fish, a soft brioche bun, a pile of chips and then a drizzle of curry sauce over the top. It’s going to be one of those messy meals but those are usually the best kind!

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Smoky BBQ Chicken With Pepper & Corn Salad!

This is a favourite of ours. The chicken gets coated in a sticky BBQ-style mix with tomato paste, Henderson’s relish and smoked paprika, then cooked until it’s all caramelised and smells amazing. It’s served with crispy potatoes and a fresh pepper and corn salad and looks way fancier than it is!

Wednesday - Gousto meal - One Pan Alpine-Style Sausage & Waxy Potato Hash!

This one’s a new meal for us and I already feel that my family is going to love it. It’s a one-pan meal too, less washing up is always a good thing. The sausages and onions get cooked together with crushed potatoes until everything is golden and crispy around the edges. Then it all gets coated in butter and herbs with a bit of thyme and topped with melted cheese.

Thursday - Gosuto meal - Japanese-Style Chicken Thigh Curry Udon Noodles!

Another new meal for us! Thick udon noodles, tender chicken thigh and lots of veg all coated in a rich, katsu-style curry sauce sounds so good and the type of meal that you just sit and slurp your way through.

Friday - I have no idea!

I’m leaving this one completely open because we’ve got plans, we just don’t fully know what they are yet. lol It could be a meal out, a last minute takeaway, or it could be something quick and easy when we get home. Who knows?

Saturday - Stu is going to cook!

I rarely get a Saturday off cooking, so this will be a nice treat! I have no idea what we will be eating but I am betting it's going to be something nice.

Sunday - Pie and mash!

Nice and simple for a Sunday. Pies out of the freezer and home-made mashed potato covered in lashings of gravy!

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 29th March - 4th April Week 14 of #Project365

Happy Sunday and Happy Easter! We don't really celebrate Easter in my family but we do enjoy the chocolate eggs and I have been telling the girls all week that they can't have their eggs until today so I quite expect them to be devoured by tea time. I will take my time with mine, chocolate always tastes better in egg form!

I hope you have all had a good week. Mine has had its ups and downs. I felt like I was starting with a cold at the beginning of the week but felt better by Tuesday afternoon. It must have been the adrenaline of getting my first tattoo that scared the cold away. lol Everyone is home over the weekend, which has been nice. It doesn't happen often so I make the most of it. We had homemade pizza last night and just watched TV but it was good to be together because Becky has a busy couple of weeks coming up with breaks away, concerts and seeing a show.

Now for a photo every day!

88/365 29th March

I started watching The Pitt which is on HBO MAX! I have been limiting myself to just 2 episodes a day at the most, as I don't want to rush through it. It's so good but so stressful to watch. Not everyone gets to live. Eek! The first season is 15 episodes and each episode covers one hour of a single ER shift, so it feels like it's happening in real time and you are right there with them!

89/365 30th March

Chicken soup for lunch. I wasn't feeling great, so I wanted something comforting and chicken soup was it. I had it in my Halloween mug that Stu said I wouldn't use as soon as October was over, he was so wrong. It is the perfect size for soup and chicken soup just makes everything feel a little bit better.

90/365 31st March

Just a little tattoo that I got, I did write a whole blog post about it yesterday and how it came about. Everything I have ever said about tattoos, I take it all back!

91/365 1st April

My dad went shopping and saw the cheap veg being sold in all the supermarkets and came home with a box full. I had my pick and he took some to my brother too. I chopped lots, cooked it and popped it in the freezer. It will be great for using in the future.

92/365 2nd April

The dandelions are taking over the back garden again. It's fine, I know they are weeds but I like them. They are a cheery flower and I even like them when they turn white into the puffballs.

93/365 3rd April

Good Friday can only mean one thing: fish and chips from the chip shop! It’s one of those little traditions over Easter that we do stick to but to be honest a chippy tea is a regular Friday thing here. I learned from last year and ordered half an hour before we actually wanted them because I know how busy it gets on Good Friday.

94/365 4th April

Homemade pizza for tea and I could make the dough from scratch but I buy it ready made. This is a new one for us so it better be good! I could have taken a picture of the pizzas made but I wanted to take a photo of the dough so I remember which one to buy in the future or not. lol

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