Since we moved to the Land of Song my wife has developed a definite partiality for Cardiff Gin (,made by - truly - the "Eccentric Gin Company"). Either that or Hendricks.
As is usual in these situations there was so much I wanted to say I ended up saying nothing, which was frustrating. A couple of others voiced a couple of things I agreed with so that was good.
Now comforting myself with a glass of red wine. Cheers, all.
Since we moved to the Land of Song my wife has developed a definite partiality for Cardiff Gin (,made by - truly - the "Eccentric Gin Company"). Either that or Hendricks.
Do you know, BT, that is the only bottle of gin I didn't even like enough to finish? I thought it had far too strong a flavour of liquorice.
Mrs. S, who prefers Bathtub (when she can afford it) and Opihr (when she can't)
I had a little tiny glass of my blackberry gin just now, inspired by this thread and what I read about it being good for connective tissue - though I'm still as stretchy as ever!
I think it's a common flavouring agent for gin - but that particular gin tastes very strongly of it. Might as well eat Pontefract cakes - cheaper by far.
Am I the only person left on the planet who still quite likes Gordon's or Bombay Sapphire? Admittedly I'd like to give Kirkjuvagr, the Orkney one, another go next time I'm home, but I'm rather bamboozled by the variety of GIN that seems to be available these days.
As for it being flavoured with liquorice, where's that throwing-up icon when I need it?!?
Did I tell you about our rhubarb gin? It was green rhubarb so the colour wasn’t the usual pleasant pink. I decided to put a tiny smidge of food colouring to turn it pink. My hand slipped.
Waitrose sells a Japanese gin called Roku which is the loveliest gin I’ve tasted. My husband bought me a bottle for mother’s day, he has a taste for Japanese whisky from the same company.
I'm ashamed to say that I'm not a whisky drinker, although I could just about enjoy a wee dram of 18yo Highland Park, which is reckoned to be one of the best around; pity it costs over $200 a bottle! Talisker just makes me think of Wright's Coal Tar soap.
After all my exertions yesterday, I'm having a lazy day today (my excuse is that I've got a bit of a headache).
I did, however, make a rather good pseudo* risotto for lunch, with bacon, tomatoes and chicken.
* I didn't have any proper risotto rice, so I used ordinary Basmati instead, and it worked fine - I'll post the recipe upstairs.
Over the weekend I had some of last year’s rosehip GIN and, just because I could, I added some tonic water which made it a really lovely tipple.
Last night the tin tent was buffeted rather a lot by strong winds, making me feel a bit seasick, and I wondered if I’d be tipped into the field next to the campsite. Watching more of the same forecast (and some!) for tonight and the drive home tomorrow I decided to come home early - to the delight of my feline housemate. It’s nice being home with no commitments - a holiday in itself. Now, where did I put that GIN?
Sláinte! (The Irish version, when I trained as a nurse in Luton the local hospital used to recruit in Dublin).
I like Talisker or Laphroig because I like peaty whiskies.
Long day sorting out students today but the initial rush of newness has calmed down and I’m about to settle into a pattern of marking and tutorials. Tomorrow is my self-imposed study day but it’s our wedding anniversary so I am giving myself a day off and presumably we’ll go out somewhere.
Enjoy your wedding anniversary @Heavenlyannie. I'm another one who likes the peaty smoky whiskies, like Laphroaig, not that I've drunk any for years, probably decades. I theoretically do drink, but this year so far I think I've had three or four halves of bitter, when out doing things various, and nothing else.
Finally, my erstwhile next-door neighbour was sentenced on Friday, after I don't know how many adjournments (the date was originally supposed to be 24 September). I do know about four adjournments, but suspect may have been more in addition. She's been given a Section 37 sentence under the mental health act, without time limit. I was expecting the section 37 sentence, but wasn't certain if it would have a time limit or if she'd be given a section 41 sentence. She's already served 8 months on remand, but been on a psychiatric ward for several months of that, which is obviously the right place for her.
Other ingredients: red wine (also a burgundy but an inferior one to what was in the glass), carrots, bacon and mushrooms along with a berry sauce.
That sounds a lot like Sanglier au vin!
Apropos whisky, Talisker was the first single malt I had, courtesy of my dada and it became a tradition to buy him a bottle for his birthday (June) and at Christmas, when we lived in London and I could get to one of the few shops that then sold it. It's still a favourite and I too like the peaty, island malts.
Whisky was the cure-all when I was growing up; it was the 1960s version of Calpol. It just tastes medicinal to me.
Having said that, my father also grew up with whisky as the cure-all, including a dram before going to the dentist (my parents didn't do that to me!) and he likes a nice Speyside malt.
On holiday in Pitlochry last week, we visited Edradour distillery. I avoided the samples of whisky, but tried the whisky cream liqueur and it was glorious. Edradour itself was chocolate-box pretty, especially with the autumn colours.
Finally, my erstwhile next-door neighbour was sentenced on Friday, after I don't know how many adjournments (the date was originally supposed to be 24 September). I do know about four adjournments, but suspect may have been more in addition. She's been given a Section 37 sentence under the mental health act, without time limit. I was expecting the section 37 sentence, but wasn't certain if it would have a time limit or if she'd be given a section 41 sentence. She's already served 8 months on remand, but been on a psychiatric ward for several months of that, which is obviously the right place for her.
Good news, I think, CK. As you say the best place for her own safety and for everybody else.
Nothing for it really, except to make some SOUP. There's a big batch of chicken stock bubbling merrily on the stove, and when I've boxed it up for freezing, I think that's what I'll do.
Carrot and tomato, I think - we decided the other week to try Costco carrots, which are enormous, come in industrial quantities and TBH aren't terribly well-flavoured, so we've been trying to think of ways of using them up ...
We have sn*w forecast for Friday and then for a few days onwards. A bit earlier than usual, but I quite like the stuff, at least at the beginning of winter.
It's certainly an unusual choice if it's not December. Several years ago, a friend's severely-disabled daughter died on Christmas Day and my friend was quite glad to have Christmas carols at the funeral (and have the Christmas tree in the Cathedral lit for the service), as her daughter had loved everything about the festive season.
We still have a light sprinkling of sn*w, but I think it's turning to slushy rain. Although we have the winter tyres on the Pigletmobile, I'm still not psychologically ready for winter - our clocks don't go back until the 4th of November.
Most of the sn*w seems to have gone, for now, Deo gratias, and the temperatures for the next few days don't look too bad. Not warm, you understand (except Monday, when it's apparently going to be 13°), but uncold enough for it not to sn*w, which at this time of year is all that matters.
You can't fool that white stuff by using an asterisk, you know ...
Here it has been a glorious autumn for the most part with some fantastic colours and light. But we are being predicted a Cold Snap with Arctic Air in the next day or so, though still mostly dry and bright.
Much colder today, I considered turning back for an extra jumper on my morning walk.
I’ve turned in 5 hours work already and am now having a long sit down with a cup of tea before drowning in a batch of marking. Other half is home (he’s been around all week as it is half term and he wanted to give the boys some home tuition on programming) and I’m he’ll be getting lunch ready soon.
It is cold and sunny here. Or it was. So I decided to mow my lawn. And then it poured with rain when I was halfway through. So I stopped. Now it's sunny again. I am going to have a cup of tea and then go out and finish. I have a manual lawn mower, so at least no danger of electric shocks.
Comments
Actually, come to think of it, a few shots of GIN all round might not go amiss, especially amongst the Dead Horse Brigade....
Now comforting myself with a glass of red wine. Cheers, all.
Do you know, BT, that is the only bottle of gin I didn't even like enough to finish? I thought it had far too strong a flavour of liquorice.
Mrs. S, who prefers Bathtub (when she can afford it) and Opihr (when she can't)
As for it being flavoured with liquorice, where's that throwing-up icon when I need it?!?
Did I tell you about our rhubarb gin? It was green rhubarb so the colour wasn’t the usual pleasant pink. I decided to put a tiny smidge of food colouring to turn it pink. My hand slipped.
We now have bright red rhubarb gin
Tastes excellent ‘tho it looks odd!
Re Bombay Sapphire, that's our Madam Sacristan's favourite tipple, so you're not alone, Piglet!
I bet you don’t like tea and biscuits either?
Mo leisgeul fhad's a tha mi fann ... (which is, AFAIK, Scottish Gaelic for 'excuse me whilst I faint').
Slàinte mhath (good health)!
After all my exertions yesterday, I'm having a lazy day today (my excuse is that I've got a bit of a headache).
I did, however, make a rather good pseudo* risotto for lunch, with bacon, tomatoes and chicken.
* I didn't have any proper risotto rice, so I used ordinary Basmati instead, and it worked fine - I'll post the recipe upstairs.
Last night the tin tent was buffeted rather a lot by strong winds, making me feel a bit seasick, and I wondered if I’d be tipped into the field next to the campsite. Watching more of the same forecast (and some!) for tonight and the drive home tomorrow I decided to come home early - to the delight of my feline housemate. It’s nice being home with no commitments - a holiday in itself. Now, where did I put that GIN?
I like Talisker or Laphroig because I like peaty whiskies.
Long day sorting out students today but the initial rush of newness has calmed down and I’m about to settle into a pattern of marking and tutorials. Tomorrow is my self-imposed study day but it’s our wedding anniversary so I am giving myself a day off and presumably we’ll go out somewhere.
Finally, my erstwhile next-door neighbour was sentenced on Friday, after I don't know how many adjournments (the date was originally supposed to be 24 September). I do know about four adjournments, but suspect may have been more in addition. She's been given a Section 37 sentence under the mental health act, without time limit. I was expecting the section 37 sentence, but wasn't certain if it would have a time limit or if she'd be given a section 41 sentence. She's already served 8 months on remand, but been on a psychiatric ward for several months of that, which is obviously the right place for her.
That sounds a lot like Sanglier au vin!
Apropos whisky, Talisker was the first single malt I had, courtesy of my dada and it became a tradition to buy him a bottle for his birthday (June) and at Christmas, when we lived in London and I could get to one of the few shops that then sold it. It's still a favourite and I too like the peaty, island malts.
Having said that, my father also grew up with whisky as the cure-all, including a dram before going to the dentist (my parents didn't do that to me!) and he likes a nice Speyside malt.
On holiday in Pitlochry last week, we visited Edradour distillery. I avoided the samples of whisky, but tried the whisky cream liqueur and it was glorious. Edradour itself was chocolate-box pretty, especially with the autumn colours.
Mmmmm... either as a small(ish) liqueur or in a tall glass poured over loads of ice...
I hate to mention it, but it's sn*wing.
Nothing for it really, except to make some SOUP. There's a big batch of chicken stock bubbling merrily on the stove, and when I've boxed it up for freezing, I think that's what I'll do.
Carrot and tomato, I think - we decided the other week to try Costco carrots, which are enormous, come in industrial quantities and TBH aren't terribly well-flavoured, so we've been trying to think of ways of using them up ...
We'll not be buying them again.
An odd choice, to say the least, but presumably chosen (or liked) by the deceased?
Chosen. She chose five looong hymns. Brilliant Eulogy by her nephew ‘tho.
Just out of interest, what were the others she chose?
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds.”
“And can it be.”
“I watched the sunrise.”
“Lord of all Hopefuness.”
Especially if there ain't a cremation.
We still have a light sprinkling of sn*w, but I think it's turning to slushy rain. Although we have the winter tyres on the Pigletmobile, I'm still not psychologically ready for winter - our clocks don't go back until the 4th of November.
There was. As is typical round here the cremation came first, then the service at Church.
Most of the sn*w seems to have gone, for now, Deo gratias, and the temperatures for the next few days don't look too bad. Not warm, you understand (except Monday, when it's apparently going to be 13°), but uncold enough for it not to sn*w, which at this time of year is all that matters.
* with unmessed-about-with words.
Here it has been a glorious autumn for the most part with some fantastic colours and light. But we are being predicted a Cold Snap with Arctic Air in the next day or so, though still mostly dry and bright.
I’ve turned in 5 hours work already and am now having a long sit down with a cup of tea before drowning in a batch of marking. Other half is home (he’s been around all week as it is half term and he wanted to give the boys some home tuition on programming) and I’m he’ll be getting lunch ready soon.