The Untied Kingdom? - the British thread 2021

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  • I used to do the same with my small lawn, back in the days when I owned a House and a Garden, but I wore gardening gloves whilst chucking the sand around.

    I'm afraid that, these days, I'd let the grass/moss etc. etc. do what it wants, just perhaps running a mower over it now and then!
  • Yes, indeed gloves might have been a Good Idea! I did toy with (and swiftly rejected) the idea of mowing it first. It has been done once this year already.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    edited March 8
    Not having a garden is one of the advantages of living in a flat.

    In other news, Great-Auntie Piglet strikes again - my niece, L, had a baby boy today, and from the pictures, he's a wee cutie. :heart:

    I'm not surprised - both his parents are drop-dead gorgeous.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    Congratulations to Great-Auntie Piglet! How lovely! An aunt is something I'll never be, on account of Mr Nen being an only child and my two brothers having died Without Issue, as they say.
  • Congrats Great Auntie Piglet!
    I was an aunt when I was 6, and a Great-Aunt at about 27. That's what happens when you are the youngest of 8 siblings. My eldest niece and I were close friends when she was a teen and she would go baby sitting and say her aunt would be joining her. Everyone always expected a grey haired old lady to turn up.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I have a friend in Orkney who has a nephew older than he is (the uncle is the youngest of seven and the nephew is the son of the eldest, who married young).

    My parents were both only children, so no aunts, uncles or cousins for me, but being an aunt (and great-aunt) is lovely. Must toddle off to Am*z*n and start looking for teddy-bears. :)

    I can't quite get my head round the fact that Rosie's no longer the littlest one, even though she's not yet six months old (she will be on Wednesday).
  • Piglet wrote: »
    I have a friend in Orkney who has a nephew older than he is

    When I was about ten, we were quite taken aback when a classmate came in to school and announced the birth of his new uncle. 'cause uncles were old people, like your parents, and did things like take you to the park. The idea of someone's uncle being a baby just didn't compute.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host, 8th Day Host
    I have an aunt two years younger than me, and one two years older. My other aunts were my parents’ age.
  • PigwidgeonPigwidgeon Shipmate
    In first grade I had an uncle and nephew as classmates.
  • TheOrganistTheOrganist Shipmate
    I have no nieces or nephews.
  • PigwidgeonPigwidgeon Shipmate
    Sorry, I didn't mean they were MY uncle and nephew. Re-reading it now I realize it sounded that way. There were two little boys in my class who were uncle and nephew to each other.

    I have no nieces or nephew (or any other living relatives).
  • I have 10 nieces and nephews, and at least 9 great nephews and nieces (unsure here as I haven’t seen some extended family for over 20 years). One of my sister’s was pregnant at 17 and a grandmother in her late 30s.

    Sunny here this morning. I’m about to go for a walk and then it is a day dedicated to marking essays.
  • ThomasinaThomasina Shipmate
    I only have one niece, but on the other hand, I do have five great grand daughters! :)
  • SarasaSarasa Shipmate
    I have six nieces but only one nephew. As I don't think my son will have children I'm looking forward to being a great-aunt sometime in the next few years.
    My husband has toothache. He went to see his dentist yesterday and is booked in to have the tooth out on Thursday. It's got worse since, so he's off to see him again this morning. He doesn't fancy any of the food I've bought in for this week, and neither do I. I'm having a re-think about how I can adapt things so there isn't too much waste.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Ooh - hope your husband's toothache gets sorted soon!
    I may have mentioned in the past that I'm an idiot, but I've really excelled myself today.

    I prepared a lamb-shank last night and put it in the slow-cooker ready to switch on in the morning ...

    No prizes for guessing what I didn't do before I left the house. It's not as if I didn't see the thing sitting on the counter!

    If I had one more brain cell I'd be an amoeba.

    Maybe it's a sign that I ought to try out that Chinese takeaway ...
  • SarasaSarasa Shipmate
    Husband perked up a bit after he took some painkillers. He couldn't get through to his dentist and then they phoned when we were out for a walk offering him a cancellation this afternoon. He's headed off there now. I'm pleased as I've ordered in an expensive meal with drinks pairing from one of our favourite local restaurants for Saturday and it would have been a complete bugger if he still wasn't up to eating it. He should have recovered by then.
    A shame about the lamb shank @piglet, but an opportunity to try out the Chinese. Just remember the cash
  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    Piglet wrote: »
    Ooh - hope your husband's toothache gets sorted soon!
    I may have mentioned in the past that I'm an idiot, but I've really excelled myself today.

    I prepared a lamb-shank last night and put it in the slow-cooker ready to switch on in the morning ...

    No prizes for guessing what I didn't do before I left the house. It's not as if I didn't see the thing sitting on the counter!

    If I had one more brain cell I'd be an amoeba.

    Maybe it's a sign that I ought to try out that Chinese takeaway ...

    Do! And you’ll have the lovely, tasty lamb tomorrow.

    Do not call yourself names, you forgot - that’s all. Next time set a timer with a note next to it. I live my life with timers, alarms and reminders.

    🙂 ⏰

  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I'm going to put a note at eye-level on the front door saying "SLOW COOKER YOU ****** IDIOT", which with any luck will have the desired effect. :naughty:
  • Make sure it's on the inside of the front door...
    :open_mouth:
  • kingsfoldkingsfold Shipmate
    Piglet wrote: »
    I'm going to put a note at eye-level on the front door saying "SLOW COOKER YOU ****** IDIOT", which with any luck will have the desired effect. :naughty:

    You could always cook it overnight, remove tomorrow morning and leave to cool during the day. Then all you have to do is cook the accompaniments and reheat tomorrow night (if forgetting to switch it on is a likely scenario).
  • PigwidgeonPigwidgeon Shipmate
    When you set up the slow cooker, put your keys on top or next to it. When you grab your keys before leaving home, you'll remember to turn it on. (This works well for things you need to leave in the refrigerator until leaving the house as well.)
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    edited March 9
    kingsfold wrote: »
    You could always cook it overnight, remove tomorrow morning and leave to cool during the day. Then all you have to do is cook the accompaniments and reheat tomorrow night (if forgetting to switch it on is a likely scenario).
    The accompaniments are all in it (potatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms) and will cook with it. I think it should be OK if I turn it on to Low in the morning; the kitchen is reasonably cool, so it shouldn't come to any harm.

    Sign affixed to (inside of) door; may well do keys-on-top-of-slow-cooker gambit as well.

    I got a takeaway from the Bamboo Inn (king prawns with cashew nuts); it was OK, but rather bland.
  • kingsfoldkingsfold Shipmate
    Ah well, I've never cooked a lamb shank in a slow cooker (and am unlikely to as I'm not so keen). Mine's old style with an earthenware pot, and it doesn't actually heat up hot enough to cook spuds very well (unless cut up pretty small). We were on a choir week away, and I took the slow cooker so dinner could be ready after evensong (as you do). I used to set it running at about 9-10am which was fine. One day my friend was cooking at set it all up early afternoon, complete with spuds in it. I'd mentioned that wouldn't be long enough; she didn't believe me because hers does cook in that time. Sure enough, come dinner, we had to fish it all out of the slow cooker & finish off in a saucepan as we had potato bullets.
  • Grey and rainy here today so I’ve skipped the morning walk and will start work early instead. Might walk later if there is a gap, if not it will be indoor jogging.
    A little marking and admin today, then I am teaching tonight (family and government policy).
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    My slow cooker also has an earthenware pot and I'm a great fan of them. It had never occurred to me to cook a joint of meat in it until I visited a friend a few years ago who said she never does joints any other way because they're so unlikely to dry out or spoil, and I've found that to be true. It's also true that vegetables take longer to cook in them than meat does: I always pre-boil potatoes if they're going into a slow-cooked casserole, and I tend to do have it on low all day.

    Grey and wet here today but I've got some nice things planned. Not intending to bring the discussion here at all, as there are some good Purgatorial threads for that, but I'm so interested to observe how strong feelings are about The Interview and possible repercussions thereof. Mr Nen is no fan of the monarchy but he got very hot under the collar yesterday evening about something he saw on The Book Of Faces about it.

    It's Wednesday. Chick frick for tea. :wink:
  • Piglet wrote: »
    I prepared a lamb-shank last night and put it in the slow-cooker ready to switch on in the morning ...
    So does that mean it was sitting at ambient temperature all last night, and will be at ambient temperature all day today?
    Will you refrigerate it over night, tonight?
    Or are you thinking of leaving it out ready to switch on in the morning?
    And then cook it on slow, without getting it properly hot first?

    I hope that isn't what you have in mind, it seems a bit risky to me.

  • Wesley JWesley J Shipmate
    edited March 10
    Piglet wrote: »
    I'm going to put a note at eye-level on the front door saying "SLOW COOKER YOU ****** IDIOT", which with any luck will have the desired effect. :naughty:
    Why insult a slow cooker? You think it will work better then? :) Ehem.

    In other news, the shops over here, in Continental WesShire, seem to overflow with asparagussi (I like me creative plurality), so I bought some - well, only of the sort that have the bottom part cut off, coz I can't be bothered doing that myself. And it's less kitchen waste, as I don't have a compost. Anyways, they were excruciatingly lovely, and after the green variety it'll soon be the turn of the yellowish ones. Mmmh!

    I shall, myself, abstain from insulting my fridge, where they momentarily repose, and which contraption is a nice thing to behold indeed. I guess I'm a rather slow cooker myself. :)
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Circus Host, 8th Day Host
    The weather's on the turn here. Yesterday was a fine sunny day, which occasioned getting out the bucket and spade to go and play in the sandpit. The fine weather also coincided with Captain P's Bath Day, which was fortuitous. Considerably less sand gets all over the house if the child is deposited in the bathtub directly upon arrival.

    It was still fairly fine this morning, but it's now going grey and windy. We're meant to be getting rain for most of the rest of the week, I think.

    Asparagus is starting to appear here, but only imported from Spain and Morocco. We'll need to wait a bit longer for French. Given the exploding oven situation (they haven't fixed it yet, claiming that they're still waiting for the part), I tried making a microwave chocolate cake this lunchtime. It was a bit meh - don't think I'll bother again. Steamed pudding would be a better idea, maybe.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Considering a recipe for tonight of slow roasted pork. Given a cooking time of 7 hours, I should have started a while ago. But I've had a busy morning - up and out betimes for fasting bloods; home via the supermarket and the butcher; breakfast; wait for fish van; vacuum five rooms. I need lunch.
  • SarasaSarasa Shipmate
    After two days of not going out much we went for a five mile wet and windy walk this morning. Despite being somewhat cold and damp by the time we returned I enjoyed it and am so pleased my husband is feeling more or less back to normal after having his tooth out yesterday.
    Lunch was soup and toast with peanut butter and very welcome it was too.
  • PuzzlerPuzzler Shipmate
    Tonight we are eating up the remains of a previously slow-cooked beef casserole which has been in the freezer long enough.
    I used to keep such meals in reserve for when I had no time to cook, but that rarely applies these days.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    Sarasa wrote: »
    Lunch was soup and toast with peanut butter and very welcome it was too.
    You're welcome to the soup but mmmm, peanut butter. I dare not have it in the house as I eat it as though it's going out of fashion.

    Mr Nen and I are planning a walk but it's pouring with rain at present. According to his weather app it will have stopped in around half an hour so we'll be heading out then. The weather app is the new looking out of the window. Me: "It's raining.' Him: "It shouldn't be. The app didn't say it would."

  • We managed to get out before the wet and rainy hit. Because the weather was so thoroughly meh, and we were out before many of the dog walkers, the Forest was quieter than it has been for months. We were lucky enough to see a sizeable herd of fallow deer crossing the path in front of us, in time to pause and watch them continue in a leisurely manner all slowly wandering over the track before heading into the trees beyond. And on the way back a pair of muntjac grazing their way nearby having crossed the path ahead of us.

    Lunch was baked potatoes with cheese and carrot salad, made in the microwave. @la vie en rouge I have only managed quite dry cakes in the microwave that need icing to make edible and prefer making steamed puddings.

    There does seem to be a boring consistency to wet Wednesdays which is giving me pause before any thought of planning outside activities for Guides after Easter.
  • I have experimented with a recipe for microwave cake and have got it down to portion size:
    1/4oz butter (melted)
    1/2oz sugar
    1 tbsp cocoa
    1 1/4 tbsp self raising flour
    Milk to mix to a paste (I don't measure this, but probably 2-3 tbsp)
    Mix it all together, add your choice of choc chips, chopped prunes and whatever else, zap for a minute on full power, and up to another 30 seconds depending on how many extras you added.

    I like it with ice cream or natural yoghurt.
  • Wesley JWesley J Shipmate
    [...] Asparagus is starting to appear here, but only imported from Spain and Morocco. We'll need to wait a bit longer for French, [...]
    Yes, that's the case too here! I think some were even from Mexico and Peru! I sometimes wonder if this makes sense. Occasionally, you see organic produce also from faraway lands, and the question may be, how organic - i.e. beneficial for man and field and Earth - this is, if you look at the overall effort to ship it here!

    I normally try to buy local food, or at least sourced as closely as possible, but I guess it doesn't always work out. Should give this a thought for Lent, I suppose. :(
  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    Cold, rain and wind today. I stayed in and got on with my German lesson.

    Take away for tea tonight (Sri Lankan).

    Yay! 👏🏼
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    @Roseofsharon - it was indeed in the kitchen overnight, and I cooked it all day on Low (followed by a quick blast on High to cook the buerre manié to thicken the sauce when I got home), but it was lovely.

    I only had half of it, and I've decanted what was left into an ordinary casserole, so it'll be heated up on the stove-top tomorrow.

    Re: spuds and the cooking thereof, I used little new potatoes (the biggest was smaller than a plum), and cut them in half. I tossed them in the oil the meat had been seared in, along with chopped onions, carrots and mushrooms, and put them in the slow-cooker with the meat on top, and they were perfectly cooked (the carrots were almost falling apart).
  • Wesley JWesley J Shipmate
    For those of you who might be interested in this sort of thing: a great anti-depressant (should you ever need one) just arrived in the post from the UK: the 28-DVD, 77-hour Complete Boxed Set of 'All Creatures Great and Small', the 1970s TV series! And for less than £40! :D

    It's sooo soothing to watch, very calming and refreshing, exactly as I had remembered! (And great video quality too!)

    But please, do carry on. :)
  • PigwidgeonPigwidgeon Shipmate
    I bought a set quite a few years ago (I believe it was when Borders was having a good sale on boxed sets). I love that series, as well as the books.

    A few weeks ago I tried watching the new series, but I quit after about 20 minutes. The old cast was SO good; the new cast and production just didn't do as well in my opinion.
  • We are currently watching the old series on (I think) BBC4, on (I also think) Friday evenings, and enjoying it as much as we did the first time it was aired..
  • The plus side to living on top of a hill is that flooding isn't a worry. The downside is that gales are a bit noisy: at the moment it sounds not unlike being on the boat 😯
  • Gales here have been (and are) very noisy!
  • Absolutely wild here - we're glad it's only pots that seem to have gone over, rather than trees! (as yet, anyway)
  • Yes, gale force winds here too. I’m contemplating my morning walk, I missed it yesterday due to the grey wet miserableness so I really need to get some exercise today. The wind dies down a bit this afternoon so I might go then.
  • Penny SPenny S Shipmate
    Things are moving about in the garden.
    My home is a steel framed building, and it flexes in wind. It managed very, very well in the 1987 storm, I'm told, so I don't worry about the flexing. It is like being on a ship!
  • MiffyMiffy Shipmate
    Windy.

    Bleurgh...still waking up.
  • Horrible night. No damage that I can see, though. Now it's calmed down a lot and the sun has come out!
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    A noisy night here as well - I kept being woken by the wind, and have been completely awake from a rather too early hour.

    We were living on the south coast in 1987 when The Great Storm struck. It was terrifying.
  • Moderately windy here by our standards, but nothing exceptional or even what we would consider a storm.
  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    I only have vague memories of the 1987 storm, I had a two year old and a baby so maybe I was a bit oblivious.

    I won’t forgive the Beast from the East for taking our beautiful Rowan tree from us ‘tho.

    It was blowy last night here and still is this morning. It means the clouds are moving fast so we do get welcome sunny spells.

    I am awaiting calls from my dermatologist and doctor. Neither has given a time, just the date - so I’m stuck in. I hope they don’t ring at the same time. 🤔
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