Honeycomb Mould, if you can pull it off, will separate into 3 layers - jelly, custard and frothy.
My SiL was doing some salmon-related market research when a respondent told her what he looked for was ‘a bright, lively eye’ - which, as she said, is a big ask for a dead fish.
I actually have some canned pink salmon, bought for Guides this week as the only thing I could find that I was prepared to buy and show that had a marine conservation label. I'm planning salmon fish cakes and purple sprouting broccoli. The irritation is going to be my lack of homemade GF breadcrumbs because I finished them up on an Ottolenghi Romano pepper recipe.
The Guides session was on labels and the symbols thereon (Packaging Puzzles), for which I have created an interactive, to some extent, PowerPoint. But I also wanted some real life examples to show. The other Guide leaders didn't know half the labels, and I'm glad I'd found the salmon as it was one of the labels for which they denied all knowledge. The new ones on me were the new EU organic leaf, whether it was on my egg box or not, and the UTZ logo, which just looks like another watered down Fair Trade scheme.
Oh I love that self-saucing lemon pudding. Maybe I will make one tomorrow. The last one I made I ended up eating all myself as Mr Puzzler did not like it. To be fair, he is diabetic, but that doesn’t stop him eating certain things he ought not to if he likes them.
Well, husband managed to get his car out of the garage for an hour or so to take me for my jab so I am now done. It took less than 10 minutes - I didn't have to wait around as I had AZ and don't drive.
The monthly fish van having visited, tonight's dinner will involve Scottish King Scallops and Dover Sole. The NZ Sauv Blanc has been chilling since lunchtime
Plus we ordered a fresh crate of wine earlier in the week and I believe @Sandemaniac is currently unpacking it downstairs. The suppliers were doing an Easter mixed case with a free bottle of Prosecco thrown in. Now we just need an excuse to drink fizz, since we've still got the last bottle they sent in the summer...
Spring has sprung, and my tulips have started to look like flowers rather than just leaves. Or at least, the red and yellow ones have. The red-red ones are taking longer.
After doing the market shopping this morning (as opposed to the supermarket shopping), I spent a pleasant hour or so in the garden this afternoon clearing a raised bed and planting radishes. The irises planted by the previous gardener are soon going to flower. I also found a mysterious plant floating about underneath them and after sending the photo to my Dad I have learned it is a houseleek.
Tonight's dinner will be aligot (South-Western stodge made of tatoes and CHEESE) and Toulouse SOSSIDGES.
That's so bad I'm not sure it even merits a groan!
... This constant talk of oven-cleaning will have me look into it ...
You do realise you have to more than just look into it, don't you?
Interesting* variant (and apparent improvement) on the commute this morning. Instead of going up the escalators (one of which is broken - the longest one, natch), I took the lift, which brings you just about as close to the bus stop, and lo and behold, the bus I usually miss arrived less than five minutes later, and I got to work shortly after 8 o'clock.
Of course, it's perfectly possible that these two events are quite unrelated, and that the bus was just a bit late. I don't care - it was nice to be able to get away slightly earlier - or it would have been if the phone hadn't rung just as I was about to put on my coat!
ION, I've discovered the hard way that the aforementioned coat isn't waterproof: it was absolutely pissing down when I was going to work, and I was soaked through.
Hmph.
* Actually that's a big fat lie - it's really boring ...
ION, I've discovered the hard way that the aforementioned coat isn't waterproof: it was absolutely pissing down when I was going to work, and I was soaked through.
Might be worth trying one of the waterproofing sprays the outdoors shops sell.
It's possible it wasn't meant to be: I only bought it because I wanted something lightweight, but with a hood to keep the rain off. It's been a bit of a disappointment all round: the hood is absolutely huge, and I have to keep pushing it back so that I can see where I'm going!
Dinner here was from the new posh Asian fusion restaurant in the village again (they do a pre-ordered, pre-prepared heat at home affair). Good sourdough bread and butter followed by some very good garlic king prawns, then crispy duck leg and carved duck breast with port and orange sauce, cauliflower puree, red cabbage and Asian salad with mango. Pudding was sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce, poached pears and cream. It was absolutely delicious.
When I collected it I was left with the Chinese waitress's small daughter for a few minutes while she got the food. The mother came back and asked me if the girl had asked my name. Yes, I said, and also where I lived, what was my house number and whether I had any daughters...
... This constant talk of oven-cleaning will have me look into it ...
You do realise you have to more than just look into it, don't you?
Indeed; I spent years looking into mine, but it didn't get clean.
I broke the rules today and went for two walks with two different friends. Really nice walks but it was blustery and showery at times as well. We've had a nice Zoomy evening and sunk a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc between us so I'm now heading for bed.
I paid a man £50 to clean my oven - well worth it!
Today would be great drying weather if it wasn’t for the rain! :rofl:
It’s sunny and windy - but showery. I’ve washed Tatze’s big blanket and hung it out but I’m keeping a close eye on the weather so that I can run out and bring it in if necessary.
It appears to be sunny with a bit of a breeze here too; I'm heading along to the post office now to collect a parcel that they tried to deliver the other day when I was at work (new shoes, since you ask).
Brunch of an omelette with veggies and cheese has been consumed, and there's a steak defrosting for supper.
Well, stuff that for a game of soldiers. My parcel wasn't delivered by the Post Office, but by the Royal Mail, which is apparently now a different body, so it's not at my conveniently located Post Office (a few hundred yards along the road), but at a delivery office (on an industrial estate in the next postcode). Which is un fat lot de bon when you haven't got a car.
I can have it delivered to the aforementioned post office, but I'll have to give them money* and wait for another week to get it, as the PO is closed by the time I get home from work.
Spent an hour or so placing a half dozen large stones as the basis of a rockery. These were ones the guy found in the ground when laying our front path - others went into building a low wall between us and next door. Some have adhering plaster or soot blackening or traces of working and were presumably part of some structure here before the houses were built in the 1920s.
Piglet, can you not re-arrange the delivery to your house at a convenient date on the Royal Mail website? That is what I usually do. It is free. Royal Mail has been separated from the Post Office for a number of years now.
Yes, we've only been able to rearrange missed Royal Mail deliveries for a year, since Covid19. Up until then we could collect from the local sorting office, which is a different building, but only a short distance from the nearest post office. The other problem with the Royal Mail offices is that they have only ever been open for very short time slots, Saturday morning only for those at weekday work.
Spent an hour or so placing a half dozen large stones as the basis of a rockery. These were ones the guy found in the ground when laying our front path - others went into building a low wall between us and next door. Some have adhering plaster or soot blackening or traces of working and were presumably part of some structure here before the houses were built in the 1920s.
Were the houses built in the grounds, or on the site, of a much larger mansion? If so, you may have come across remnants of some of the *domestic offices*, stables, coach-house etc.
Royal Mail separated from the post office in 2012.
We’ve been able to re-arrange deliveries at home for at least a decade here, originally phoning via the sorting office but they stopped that years ago and we do it online.
I think the web site said something about rearranging the delivery to your house, but as I'm at work during the week it would have to be next weekend anyway, so it wouldn't be any advantage. The post office is just along the road: I'm happy to pootle along next Saturday - I just hope it's a nice day!
Spent an hour or so placing a half dozen large stones as the basis of a rockery. These were ones the guy found in the ground when laying our front path - others went into building a low wall between us and next door. Some have adhering plaster or soot blackening or traces of working and were presumably part of some structure here before the houses were built in the 1920s.
Were the houses built in the grounds, or on the site, of a much larger mansion? If so, you may have come across remnants of some of the *domestic offices*, stables, coach-house etc.
More likely farm buildings. There were bigger houses - about half a mile north you can trace the remains of Sciennes House, where Walter Scott had dinner with Rabbie Burns. There are other 18thC fragments - a coaching inn, cottages - embedded in mainly 19th C tenements. The next block to the north of here is the late Victorian stone houses of the wealthy burgers. The terrace opposite is Edwardian. This side and a couple of streets behind are post WWI, at the bottom of the street I can see 1980s semi-ds, beyond those infill developments built in the last 20 years.
It's not one of your grand bits of Edinburgh, like the New Town, but it has a legible and interesting architectural history.
Yay! We’ve been further than Sainsbury’s today, curtesy of Mark Drakeford. Welsh Covid rules now mean we can go anywhere within Wales, so we went to Abergavenny and on to Brecon. The rules on masks etc still apply, but we are now entitled to meet up to 6 people for outdoor excercise, AND I got my hair cut this week! (And Wales won the 6 nations rugby championship, so it’s been a good weekend!)
My hairdresser has a salon in her house, but because there’s a step, she usually comes to our house (just the other end of the street). Because of covid, Darllenwr put me in a wheelchair and Sarah cut my hair outside on the pavement. It saved clearing up all the bits, and thankfully, most of our neighbours know her, but it must have looked funny!
One of our neighbours - in England - works at a salon in Wales, only 6 or 8 miles away. She can go to work and cut people's hair there, but not at home. I am not supposed to go to her salon, though, since I live in England - they now only take people's mobile numbers, so they can't be accused of knowingly cutting English residents' hair!
My neighbour says all the Welsh ladies sit and complain about not being able to go to the garden centres!
(And Wales won the 6 nations rugby championship, so it’s been a good weekend!)
We were having our Zoom dinner with a Scottish friend on Friday evening, so we were all honorary Scots! I try not to be too triumphalist as Mr S is definitely an England supporter but he was desperate that the perfidious French - who should have forfeited the Scotland match in the first place - should not win the game, let alone the trophy <snigger>
Welsh garden centres have been open since last Monday (and we've been).
Yesterday was our wedding anniversary and I ordered a meal to be delivered from a local Italian restaurant. TBH I'd eaten there once and wasn't overly impressed, but this was excellent - both the Penne with venison ragu and (especially) the Ravioli filled with wild boar and a funghi sauce. There was also nice Sicilian wine. We managed a couple of the cannoli biscuits (superb) but didn't have room for the desserts so we'll have them today!
My wife was delighted to find the World Figure Skating championships on the BBC Red Button, too.
Gardening yesterday (no jab side effects) so weeding and potting. Then the usual online games with no 1 son. On Tuesday we are hoping to drive to York and bring him home for a couple of days (he is still alone so is part of our bubble).
Heavenlyannie, are you allowed to drive that far out of your own region, even to pick up your son?
Must get up and contemplate Doing Useful Things. Bed linen laundry is beckoning - what an exciting life I lead!
First though, baked eggs on TOAST for brunch. Supper is going to be something I haven't tried before: a chicken tray bake thingy with onions, tomatoes and peppers from Saving with Jamie that I think looks (a) easy; and (b) good.
If Heavenlyannie’s son is a student, yes. Students are allowed to travel between their term time and home addresses at the start and end of term (though are not supposed to travel at other times) and it is a lower risk of infection for him to travel in her car than by public transport.
(I’ve found and double-checked the relevant page of current guidelines in preparation for my husband transporting our daughter home to Wales from university in England today; I don’t think there are border controls, but you never know.)
Yes, he is a uni student. He is living in private accommodation but his housemates did not arrive so he has been by himself for 3 months. Hence the Saturday family online games.
But the current aim anyway in England is that rules are changed tomorrow so that people no longer have to stay local, though it is still encouraged.
Bugger the clocks going forward. We hates it, we hates it forever.
We went out this morning for flowers and desserts (essential weekend purchases) and are going to be having a late lunch on account of the aforementioned buggering about with the time. Roast pork with prunes is on the menu.
I confess that I've never minded the changes in time. It's probably because of how far north I grew up (59°N), where it does actually make a difference in the winter months.
Unlike Boogie, I actually get a feeling of "needing" the time change - especially the winter one when we get an extra hour - I find myself feeling a bit lethargic for a week or two before the change, and once it's happened, I feel better.
I can see why people who live closer to the equator (even by a few degrees) think it's a waste of time (excuse the pun), but apart from the faff of changing the clock on the stove (why do they have to be so complicated?), I'm happy enough with things as they are.
I love the light evening we'll be getting for the next few months, so I like the changes, even if I feel slightly discombobulated for a day or two when the clocks change.
I've just gone on line and booked a hairdressing appointment. My stylist hasn't a free slot until early May by which time my hair will look really grim, we may have moved and things might have locked down again (ever optimistic me). Oh well I guess I should be brave and find a hairdresser where we're moving to, but I do like the one I've got.
Despite a rather dull and chilly morning, I've had my couple of hours communing with Nature - well, not so much communing as ripping out the bits I don't want, like couch grass, buttercup, chickweed etc. The rockery is all rocked up and I just need some plants.
France is in the wrong time zone to start with. We were originally in the same one as the UK, then the Nazis moved us to German time during the war. We've never gone back, so when summer time starts, we're living a full two hours ahead of the sun.
The upshot is dark mornings. My animosity towards summer time stems from the fact that it has just started getting light at a sensible time in the morning, and now sunrise is an hour later again. In the summer, there is also the result that the hottest part of the day happens late - at about 5 or 6 p.m. when everyone's just starting their evening commute. AFAIC there are no redeeming features.
Changing clocks is Mr Puzzler’s job ( he has a collection, as well as the normal ones). Great confusion yesterday when he had done some but not others so I really struggled, more than usual, to know what time it was, especially when cooking the evening meal.
I was later to bed than I ought to have been, slept badly and not long enough. Our two bedside clocks are self- changing, but they did so at some point between 7 and 9 am, so we were late getting up and only just managed to make the zoom church in time.
Tonight he wants to watch Line of Duty after F1 ends at 11 pm, but I have told him I will be asleep by then. I could really upset him by watching it at the proper time in another room.
I killed our oven clock and display a couple of years ago. Life is much easier now, no faffing changing the clock, just a nice wind-up timer on the surface - and, of course, Alexa will time anything for us.
We have enough power cuts that trying to keep time on anything that runs off the mains and isn't self-correcting is a mug's game. I change my watch, various electronic devices change themselves and anything left can go forth and multiply because it clearly doesn't need to know the time that badly.
Time zone wise we're half way into the next already so BST puts us almost a full hour and a half ahead of sun time.
... various electronic devices change themselves and anything left can go forth and multiply because it clearly doesn't need to know the time that badly..
I suspect I'll be cursing the change tomorrow morning when it goes back to being dark when I leave for work, but it'll not be long before it rights itself, and we'll get daylight at both ends of the day again.
Mr Nen and I were particularly weary last night so went to bed early and I haven't particularly thought about the loss of the hour. It feels like bedtime now, though - 8.40pm.
I've been eating a lot of the wrong things today and now have indigestion. Serves me right.
The chicken thing turned out OK-ish, but I'm still wrestling with the vagaries of my oven. After cooking for the time specified, at the temperature specified (minus 20° to allow for the fan oven), it still came out a bit blackened (and the baking dish will probably have to soak for about a week), but the flavour wasn't bad, and I think I'll try it again.
I'm not sure whether to cut down the time, lower the temperature or both, but I'm willing to give it a go.
Oh - and I used the first of my home-grown oregano in it.
More seriously, I would probably use it in a green salsa or an Asian-style salad. But the Good Food website has a recipe for key lime pie if you have some cream.
Comments
My SiL was doing some salmon-related market research when a respondent told her what he looked for was ‘a bright, lively eye’ - which, as she said, is a big ask for a dead fish.
The Guides session was on labels and the symbols thereon (Packaging Puzzles), for which I have created an interactive, to some extent, PowerPoint. But I also wanted some real life examples to show. The other Guide leaders didn't know half the labels, and I'm glad I'd found the salmon as it was one of the labels for which they denied all knowledge. The new ones on me were the new EU organic leaf, whether it was on my egg box or not, and the UTZ logo, which just looks like another watered down Fair Trade scheme.
Plus we ordered a fresh crate of wine earlier in the week and I believe @Sandemaniac is currently unpacking it downstairs. The suppliers were doing an Easter mixed case with a free bottle of Prosecco thrown in. Now we just need an excuse to drink fizz, since we've still got the last bottle they sent in the summer...
ETA we do occasionally actually talk to each other, I just know the signs of Not Listening.
After doing the market shopping this morning (as opposed to the supermarket shopping), I spent a pleasant hour or so in the garden this afternoon clearing a raised bed and planting radishes. The irises planted by the previous gardener are soon going to flower. I also found a mysterious plant floating about underneath them and after sending the photo to my Dad I have learned it is a houseleek.
Tonight's dinner will be aligot (South-Western stodge made of tatoes and CHEESE) and Toulouse SOSSIDGES.
Interesting* variant (and apparent improvement) on the commute this morning. Instead of going up the escalators (one of which is broken - the longest one, natch), I took the lift, which brings you just about as close to the bus stop, and lo and behold, the bus I usually miss arrived less than five minutes later, and I got to work shortly after 8 o'clock.
Of course, it's perfectly possible that these two events are quite unrelated, and that the bus was just a bit late. I don't care - it was nice to be able to get away slightly earlier - or it would have been if the phone hadn't rung just as I was about to put on my coat!
ION, I've discovered the hard way that the aforementioned coat isn't waterproof: it was absolutely pissing down when I was going to work, and I was soaked through.
Hmph.
* Actually that's a big fat lie - it's really boring ...
Might be worth trying one of the waterproofing sprays the outdoors shops sell.
When I collected it I was left with the Chinese waitress's small daughter for a few minutes while she got the food. The mother came back and asked me if the girl had asked my name. Yes, I said, and also where I lived, what was my house number and whether I had any daughters...
I broke the rules today
Today would be great drying weather if it wasn’t for the rain! :rofl:
It’s sunny and windy - but showery. I’ve washed Tatze’s big blanket and hung it out but I’m keeping a close eye on the weather so that I can run out and bring it in if necessary.
☀️ 🌧 💨
Brunch of an omelette with veggies and cheese has been consumed, and there's a steak defrosting for supper.
Well, stuff that for a game of soldiers. My parcel wasn't delivered by the Post Office, but by the Royal Mail, which is apparently now a different body, so it's not at my conveniently located Post Office (a few hundred yards along the road), but at a delivery office (on an industrial estate in the next postcode). Which is un fat lot de bon when you haven't got a car.
I can have it delivered to the aforementioned post office, but I'll have to give them money* and wait for another week to get it, as the PO is closed by the time I get home from work.
* only 70p, but it's the principle of the thing.
disgruntled piglet 😡
Were the houses built in the grounds, or on the site, of a much larger mansion? If so, you may have come across remnants of some of the *domestic offices*, stables, coach-house etc.
We’ve been able to re-arrange deliveries at home for at least a decade here, originally phoning via the sorting office but they stopped that years ago and we do it online.
More likely farm buildings. There were bigger houses - about half a mile north you can trace the remains of Sciennes House, where Walter Scott had dinner with Rabbie Burns. There are other 18thC fragments - a coaching inn, cottages - embedded in mainly 19th C tenements. The next block to the north of here is the late Victorian stone houses of the wealthy burgers. The terrace opposite is Edwardian. This side and a couple of streets behind are post WWI, at the bottom of the street I can see 1980s semi-ds, beyond those infill developments built in the last 20 years.
It's not one of your grand bits of Edinburgh, like the New Town, but it has a legible and interesting architectural history.
My neighbour says all the Welsh ladies sit and complain about not being able to go to the garden centres!
We were having our Zoom dinner with a Scottish friend on Friday evening, so we were all honorary Scots! I try not to be too triumphalist as Mr S is definitely an England supporter
Yesterday was our wedding anniversary and I ordered a meal to be delivered from a local Italian restaurant. TBH I'd eaten there once and wasn't overly impressed, but this was excellent - both the Penne with venison ragu and (especially) the Ravioli filled with wild boar and a funghi sauce. There was also nice Sicilian wine. We managed a couple of the cannoli biscuits (superb) but didn't have room for the desserts so we'll have them today!
My wife was delighted to find the World Figure Skating championships on the BBC Red Button, too.
Gardening yesterday (no jab side effects) so weeding and potting. Then the usual online games with no 1 son. On Tuesday we are hoping to drive to York and bring him home for a couple of days (he is still alone so is part of our bubble).
Heavenlyannie, are you allowed to drive that far out of your own region, even to pick up your son?
Must get up and contemplate Doing Useful Things. Bed linen laundry is beckoning - what an exciting life I lead!
First though, baked eggs on TOAST for brunch. Supper is going to be something I haven't tried before: a chicken tray bake thingy with onions, tomatoes and peppers from Saving with Jamie that I think looks (a) easy; and (b) good.
Will report back.
(I’ve found and double-checked the relevant page of current guidelines in preparation for my husband transporting our daughter home to Wales from university in England today; I don’t think there are border controls, but you never know.)
But the current aim anyway in England is that rules are changed tomorrow so that people no longer have to stay local, though it is still encouraged.
We went out this morning for flowers and desserts (essential weekend purchases) and are going to be having a late lunch on account of the aforementioned buggering about with the time. Roast pork with prunes is on the menu.
Me too - it gives me a weird sort of jet-lag feeling for days. 😡
Unlike Boogie, I actually get a feeling of "needing" the time change - especially the winter one when we get an extra hour - I find myself feeling a bit lethargic for a week or two before the change, and once it's happened, I feel better.
I can see why people who live closer to the equator (even by a few degrees) think it's a waste of time (excuse the pun), but apart from the faff of changing the clock on the stove (why do they have to be so complicated?), I'm happy enough with things as they are.
I've just gone on line and booked a hairdressing appointment. My stylist hasn't a free slot until early May by which time my hair will look really grim, we may have moved and things might have locked down again (ever optimistic me). Oh well I guess I should be brave and find a hairdresser where we're moving to, but I do like the one I've got.
The upshot is dark mornings. My animosity towards summer time stems from the fact that it has just started getting light at a sensible time in the morning, and now sunrise is an hour later again. In the summer, there is also the result that the hottest part of the day happens late - at about 5 or 6 p.m. when everyone's just starting their evening commute. AFAIC there are no redeeming features.
I was later to bed than I ought to have been, slept badly and not long enough. Our two bedside clocks are self- changing, but they did so at some point between 7 and 9 am, so we were late getting up and only just managed to make the zoom church in time.
Tonight he wants to watch Line of Duty after F1 ends at 11 pm, but I have told him I will be asleep by then. I could really upset him by watching it at the proper time in another room.
Time zone wise we're half way into the next already so BST puts us almost a full hour and a half ahead of sun time.
I suspect I'll be cursing the change tomorrow morning when it goes back to being dark when I leave for work, but it'll not be long before it rights itself, and we'll get daylight at both ends of the day again.
I've been eating a lot of the wrong things today and now have indigestion. Serves me right.
I'm not sure whether to cut down the time, lower the temperature or both, but I'm willing to give it a go.
Oh - and I used the first of my home-grown oregano in it.
The sole in cream and parmesan was predictably rich.
I need to find a recipe using an awful lot of limes as I have four shrivelling in the fruit basket.
Involving food rather than alcohol.