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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 26, 2022 7:59:01 GMT
IT HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY 2022 FOR SOME TIME.
Good Morning all, was fed up writing Letters under 2021, so now we can write them in the proper Year!
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 26, 2022 8:05:04 GMT
Good Morning all, the Sun is shining, and everything looks great, but it is so cold. Today, is Shower Day, and all that entails, then when it warms up, will get the Lettuce in, and maybe some Flower Seeds. Might make a few Rock Buns, see how I feel later. Be back some time today. Have a great Day, hope the Weather is good where you are. Love to all, Tina x
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Post by paperman on Mar 26, 2022 9:03:31 GMT
Quite right too Tina!!
Good morning Ladies, I hope this finds you well.
A lovely sunny morning but at 5 degrees it is a bit too cold to continue my outdoor breakfasts, but I will return!
Val, my ‘garsteds are flabbered’ to quote Frankie Howard, that you should even suggest such a thing regarding our chips!! Our interpretation of ‘chips a la Val’ are pots cut into chips, boiled then bathed in semolina and a little oil then into the oven, coming out with a nice crispy finish…..proper oven chips!!
The flip flops seem to be a success, and if they continue like that today I will ceremonially consign my old ones to the great bin in the sky.
We have a Queen’s Jubilee meeting here in the village later this morning to follow up on what is being planned for the celebration.
We are having a second fish night tonight because I am going to make a fish pie which we will have probably with some asparagus.
For us there was nothing that appealed on the box last night so we watched a couple of films, off Prime, neither of which were that entertaining either.
That’s it Ladies, please take care these Covid numbers are getting ever larger xx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 26, 2022 11:58:36 GMT
Morning all,
Another beautiful day here, with a gentle breeze.
The Canada geese in the field have started to wander over to this side of the river, but the local cat population saw them off, and then along comes the angry swan, flying at them with wings up. Do they care? Uh-uh, no they don't. The early wake-up calls from them though is a bit of a pain, and I'll be glad to see them fly off to pastures new.
Tomorrow we are visiting our son (and so too will be daughter and family) for a barbecue. I have been looking on t'internet for some unusual salads, and found one called the underground salad.
Carrots cut into sticks, rutabaga (swede), mushrooms (not sure these are technically underground), 'fennel root'; sweet potatoes; all other root veg cut into cubes, baked and while still warm, laid over some green (they use curly endive) and sprinkled with a vinaigrette.
www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/my-underground-vegetable-salad/
Another one is called orzotto with pancetta and peas and sprinkled with parmesan - looks a lot easier ( ).
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/orzotto-pancetta-peas
I will, of course, make the potato salad - has to be done!
Has anyone else found that some sausages currently have very tough skins, so tough that when trying to cut them, the sausage squidges out from the skin? I am going to skin the rest of the pack of 12, and make them into sausage rolls - it isn't pleasant trying to eat those skins (the dog enjoyed the skins though!).
Chris, apologies for even thinking you would try another type of chips! A friend phoned me one day and said she had planned to have chips that evening, but discovered they had run out of frozen chips, so phoned to ask how to cook chips from fresh! When I detailed our recipe, I had the response to semolina "Well, of course I don't have that!" So perhaps it is just us who are strange in having semolina in the cupboard!
Decided to make a red fruit trifle, and got out the trifle sponges - oh oh - too old! So just cooked a simple two-egg mix sponge and almost done in the oven as I type! I have a pack of frozen summer fruits - ideal for a trifle as it helps it to set.
I have plenty to occupy me this morning, so I'd better get on with it.
Have a nice day everyone, x
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maxh
Junior Member
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Post by maxh on Mar 26, 2022 15:13:34 GMT
Good afternoon all
Val, I use a HF-W fishcake recipe - 250g cold cooked potato to 125g fish. The fish can be fresh, frozen, tinned - whatever you have to hand. The recipe makes 4 nice sized portions. I’ll put the recipe on the cooking thread in case you want to give them a go. Those salad recipes look good, I’ll make a note of them for future use. I can’t comment on the sausage skin dilemma as we don’t have them very often but I’d say sausage rolls is the way to go! Enjoy your bar I tomorrow.
Chris, please post your moussaka recipe as I’d love to try it. Your flip flops have given you good service! Hopefully your new ones will serve you as well. I love that your village is having a Jubilee celebration and presumably it will be outdoors so relatively covid safe.
Iris, good luck with the sale of the tractor. I would have thought it would be a coveted item in your part of UK.
Tina, I hope the smaller oven is working well for you. I love rock cakes too - you can’t beat the old nursery cakes and puds!
Another gorgeous day here today. We’re dog sitting 3 dogs and cat for d and her family as they’ve gone to Center Parcs for the weekend with her OH’s’ parents, sister, b-I-l and 4 children (celebrating mum in law’s birthday). I had my Mother’s Day present yesterday before she went and it included a sour dough bread starter which she’d persuaded a local home baker to sell her. The baker has a tiny business baking from home supplying a local deli and butcher with her bread and delivering a very few loaves to individual customers each day. Her bread is delicious and much sought after. She doesn’t sell her starter to anyone but agreed to do so for d so I am so excited! The starter is called Sharon and she had her first feed from me this morning. It’s like having a new child😂.
We’re going to other d tomorrow for the day. We’re going to Shugborough Hall in the morning as it has fab grounds for walking and then s-I-l is cooking for us all. I’m taking the pud.
If you want to stock up on the rapid tests before the free ones are withdrawn next month, try your local library. We go every week to stock up on books and they always have a pile of free ones to give away. We pick up a box a week and have quite a good stock pile now.
Is anyone watching The Simpler Life? It follows a disparate group of people on a Welsh farm for 6 months following an Amish way of life. It’s made for TV so there are a couple of families who were clearly never going to work out. And I’m not sure how Amish the American Amish lead family are in that they’re on TV and presumably flew from America which I thought was counter to their beliefs. But even so it’s an interesting experiment and, 3 episodes in, is getting interesting.
Have a good day all.
Mx
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Post by irist on Mar 26, 2022 16:21:44 GMT
Afternoon all. Yet another gloriously sunny day. I had to force myself to stay indoors this morning to put the hoover round and iron yesterday's laundry. However, since lunch I've been outside (see gardening thread). Currently I'm having a break before starting on tonight's meal of breaded fish and oven chips - nice and easy after a busy day. I also use semolina on my roast potatoes for extra crunch but haven't put them on chips yet. Perhaps I'll do that tonight! Have fun with your new sourdough baby, Max. What a thoughtful gift from your daughter. OH and I have been invited to our daughter's for lunch tomorrow to which we are looking forward. Our son left a Mother's Day card for me when he was down here recently and often has parcels delivered to our daughter. I had intended to watch the Simpler Life but it's passed me by so far. Perhaps I can watch it on catch up? OH will be watching the F1 pole position shoot out highlights tonight so I'll disappear upstairs to read. Sorry, Chris, but I can't stand the droning noise and all the wittering by the presenters  Not sure how the tractor (and plough) sale will go, Max as the one we have is quite a common model. However, it does have the advantage of having been restored and ready to drive away rather than a project. We'd get more money for it "up country" but vintage tractors and ploughing matches are very popular hereabouts. Obviously it won't appeal to those looking for a project but we'll just have to wait and see. Glad your flip flops are a success, Chris. I cannot wear them - they rub my feet no matter how soft the toe post is. You're brave putting lettuce outside already, Tina. Not sure what is going on weatherwise in Scotland but our forecast for the next week is for temperatures to drop again with frosts possible at night. Although it's sunny here and warmish if in a sheltered spot, the wind is still cold. I've laid a good depth of compost on the veg beds and covered a couple with polythene to warm the soil ready for planting later. Must go now. Enjoy the rest of the day. |
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 27, 2022 8:15:41 GMT
Morning all, lovely and bright this Morning, but cold, yesterday started the same, but turned out like a Summer's Day. Regarding the Lettuce, Iris, they are under cover. I use old Plastic Craft Draws, and they are just right. Happy Mother's Day, to all those it applies to, and have been a lucky Bunny, as usual, Daughter bought me a beautiful Present , as part of mine, the unusually named Clematis, to replace the One I thought I had lost, 'Alpinas Willy'. When I was thinking of removing the dead Clematis, saw several bits of Green, so started to bring it back, am so happy, and it was a Pressie from my dear old Bruv. Sorry, must get dressed, but will be back later. love Tina x
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Post by paperman on Mar 27, 2022 10:38:23 GMT
Good morning Ladies, I hope this finds you well.
It was an overcast start to the day but right now the sun is breaking through. We didn’t lose an hours sleep last night as we just surfaced, officially, an hour later than usual. Ah the benefits of being retired and having nothing to do…..or at least being selective about what one commits too.
We had fish pie last night which was good. I always add some bits and pieces ‘cos as ‘A’ says I can never leave anything alone. So I have paella seafood mix in the freezer and added a small handful of that plus some frozen uncooked prawns, which I cut into pea size pieces and fried in the oil from a tin of anchovies that I also added to the mix…..in fact I often add a tin of anchovies to lamb or beef casserole to pump up the flavours, not that you can taste the actual anchovies.
Yes, Iris, the flip flops are really OK. I don’t like ones that have a ‘toe-post’ either as that irritates the space between my big and next toes so I stay away from those.
Tonight we are having a lamb chop (cutlet in my opinion!) tray bake and I guess if this improvement in the weather, it did rain early this morning, continues we’ll probably go out for a walk somewhere.
That’s it, please take care xx
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Post by irist on Mar 27, 2022 16:59:59 GMT
Afternoon all. A short catch up as we are waiting for our weekly Zoom call with our son and DiL. The last of our Spring-like days for a while BUT I haven't been out working in the garden. I've had a relaxing day, reading the paper this morning and having lunch with the family followed by a lovely circular walk around a local lane. Batteries are now recharged for shopping and weeding tomorrow.
Hope all you ladies have enjoyed Mothering Sunday (and you, Chris, vicariously through A).
Have a good evening. Bye for now.
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 28, 2022 7:19:28 GMT
Morning all, well, the excitement of Mother's Day over, back to normal. Daughter, asked me what Meal I would like for Mothers Day, and chose a Chinese Dish, Prawns figuring heavily, do love them. Had lots of lovely Flowers, so glad that I got two Baskets, as can plant the Contents Outside. It is another lovely Morning, but not as warm, although the Forecast is good. Got my Monday Visitor, if she can get a Lift, her Husband has recently gone back to Work, and although good for them, she will have to ask around, can't drive herself, as She is Registered Blind. Going to make a few Scones, I never measure them, so even easier, not sure whether it will be Sultana, or Cheese. Better get dressed, have a lovely Day, and hope the Weather is good where you are. Love to all, Tina x
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Post by brightspark on Mar 28, 2022 10:05:02 GMT
Hi everyone,
Had a fabulous day yesterday. We went to son's house for a barbecue, and daughter and her family were there, too.
Talking of price rises recently in the news, son bought the meat yesterday - one lamb and mint kebab for each of us, plus sausages (in three different flavours), and burgers - also two large chicken breasts, each unusually flavoured - one Baobab (tree, native to Madagascar); and one Greek avgolemono flavour. Both absolutely delicious. However, the bill came to £70+ ...  (OH paid son, as it was so spenny!)
I made a potato salad, and coleslaw (minus the cabbage, son had to buy it for us, so when we arrived, I prepped the cabbage and stirred it in!), grated a bowl of cheese, plus a batch of sausage rolls to share out for the freezers - though most were eaten before our barbecue. Also made a trifle, and of course the birthday cake for son - A Jaffa cake (a swiss roll style, filled with my home-made orange curd, and then draped in dark chocolate with white chocolate drizzle over the top). We were stuffed afterwards, as you can imagine.
Then granddaughter forgot to take her coat home, so we made a detour and went home via daughter's house to return the jacket, then stopped off at the Gallops to walk the dog - all in all a wonderful day, but shattered when we eventually arrived home. 
Sunny start to the day here today, but a bit chilly !
Have a good day everyone, x
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maxh
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by maxh on Mar 28, 2022 14:30:22 GMT
Afternoon all
It sounds as though we were all properly feted on Sunday - how lucky are we!
Val, that seems expensive but the flavours you describe are mouthwatering. Our d decided to barbecue last weekend and had a similar experience but with the charcoal. We drove to 2 garages and 2 supermarkets with no luck - no charcoal. So we tried Homebase. They had some bags left with no price on. Thought nothing of it. Got to till. Checkout lady put it through, still no idea of price. D looked at receipt outside - £18 for a tiny bag😬. When she got home her OH bought a gas refill to use instead as it was more economical and took the charcoal back for a refund. No wonder there were no prices on it!
Iris, got everything crossed for the tractor sale although it sounds an excellent buy to me being refurbished and restored.
Your additions to your fish pie sound delicious, Chris. I'll try that myself.
I'm glad your lettuces are under cover, Tina as the forecast isn't good for later this week. We're forecasted snow on OH's birthday on Thursday! Funny story, on his 21st birthday, back before I'd met him, he worked for a Bank. His birthday was a beautiful sunny day and at lunchtime he and his colleagues trooped across to the pub to celebrate. On his return to work he was too inebriated to work so was sent upstairs to sleep it off. When he woke he looked out of the window to see deep snow. He thought he'd been asleep for days!! We're hoping it's not deep snow on Thursday😊.
Sharon's settled in and I made my first sourdough loaf with her today. It was delicious. I'm now trawling the Internet for other recipes I can use it for as well.
That's all for now. Take care all. Mx
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Post by paperman on Mar 29, 2022 7:02:03 GMT
Good morning Ladies on what, here, is a grey and unpromising morning. We don’t have rain forecast just continuing grey.
I have a blood test this morning as part of my annual check-up which will be followed next week with the usual face to face review.
My cleaner lady is here later this morning and tonight we have a guest for supper; a lovely lady who at the age of 50 has just recently been widowed and she has warned us not to be too concerned if she cracks up as she is still in shock……’A’ told her not to worry about that it will just be good to have her with us and we can cope!! Just hope she is right! I will be doing the cooking which will keep me out of the way for a while and have decided on pork in cider.
We will be doing a bit of shopping later as I feel a bit like a refugee whilst my cleaning lady bustles around, I’m not actually very good with strangers in my house but as I get more used to Mandy she seems a bit less like a stranger I suppose.
Nothing else to report really, ‘A’ had a lovely Mother’s Day with a call from her son, somewhere above the arctic circle (“I could tell you but I would have to kill you afterwards”) which was a lovely touch, we do know they are due to moor up in Reykjavik for 3 days at some point but that is about all we know for sure.
Val. I cut back my lobelia in the hanging basket as per that article and have also watered it but it looks really dead, I just hope I haven’t killed it as it came right through the winter flowering the whole time. My pansies in the other hanging baskets at the front of the cottage are doing really well, just hope the lobelia revives soon otherwise I’ll have to go down the garden centre and get a replacement.
That’s it Ladies, so pleased you all had super mother’s days family is so important.
Take care xx
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 29, 2022 7:09:26 GMT
The Day we were dreading has finally arrived, the Sun has left us. Not that miserable here, and not raining, but no breaks in the solid Cloud, well, knew it would not last, now wondering when it will come back.
Did not get my Visitor yesterday, as her Grandaughter, who lives with her has Covid. Got Visitors coming this Afternoon, have plenty to offer them, so no Baking, and will take a Cottage Pie out of the Freezer, so just a bit of Green with it, and sorted, as have a Fridge over filled with Desserts. Took the Spring Arrangements out of their Baskets, yes, I know they look pretty, but the Heat kills them, and planted them into Tubs, as usual, three Plants in One Pot, Pot bound too, so now they will flower, and give me much pleasure, in my almost bare early Spring Garden. Better get dressed, but be back later, love to all, Tina x
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Post by brightspark on Mar 29, 2022 19:14:46 GMT
Evening all,
Bit late today, and I'm afraid I got carried away in my sewing room, and towards the end of the afternoon, in trying to rush to finish what I was doing, I kept making mistakes ! That's when the quick unpick came into play - very useful little thing !
I know this may sound a little crazy, but there is a quilter who I admire - she has lots of expertise, and often I find she gives little tips that come in useful. Today she recommended buying some new pizza delivery boxes to keep ready cut pieces of fabric, that way they can remain flat without the need to iron again. In fact, my Bible blocks are all 12" square, and she actually opened one of her boxes to reveal her 12" blocks laying neatly inside. So I did a quick look on t'internet, and most of them the minimum order was 50 or 100 ... mmm ... so I kept looking and eventually found a place that would sell just 10, and with free postage. I'll probably share the with some of our quilters. Result !
I see Iris, you have posted on the gardening thread, but we can still read it!  I can see that trying to sell the tractor is a bit of an issue with your OH, his pride and joy. Perhaps son can have a talk with him, to put his mind at rest?
OH is also a little stressed at selling his car, too - it is one of those that never goes out in the rain, an older car and it is a soft top, although mostly no top at all!
I guess we have to realise that we're not getting any younger!
Our salmon is cooked now, so I'll close and wish you all a good evening, x
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).
(OH paid son, as it was so spenny!)
I can see that trying to sell the tractor is a bit of an issue with your OH, his pride and joy. Perhaps son can have a talk with him, to put his mind at rest?