Wow - will you be able to grow them where you are? The idea of free avocados is very appealing! I wonder if avocado stones would grow as readily as accidentally-scattered sunflower seeds ...
Sadly not - at the moment but with climate change who knows what the possibilities will be. When I was in SW Kenya, my hosts didn’t serve us avocado until we begged them too because they didn’t think the fruit was special enough: the tree grew like a weed in the hedges and the avocados were so plentiful.
I am trying to remember where I read (possibly Alistair Cooke) that it was a native American practice to show respect for the animal by using all of it. I'm about 98% vegetarian - had a bacon relapse yesterday - though by preference rather than conviction. I'm never going to eat a bear.
I am flexitarian, eating meat only about once a fortnight and cooking it about once a year when I can’t see my guests accepting an alternative (one day I’ll give them a pleasant surprise). I have so many weird allergies & intollerances that can make eating out a nightmare, so being flexible helps my hosts or any friends I’m dining out with. I support nose-to-tail eating, and if I could eat dairy and did then I’d reconsider eating cow, but I think that thought would turn me off dairy. In Finland once I noticed tins of bear meat but chose to bring a tin of reindeer home to scare nieces with on Christmas Eve (I didn’t go through with it though).
Yesterday my copy of Together - Our Community Cookbook arrived full of recipes from women from the Grendel community who gather to cook meals for family and friends. There are a lot of non-meat recipes that I look forward to trying out, starting this weekend with veg samosas, baked rather than fried.
It's a right miserable old day here - p*ssing with rain and currently 6° at 3 in the afternoon. It hasn't really got properly light today - it feels odd needing lights at this time of day. It's probably Trump sending us the bits of Hurricane Michael that he's finished with.
Socks have been reapplied and at this rate the heating might have to go on, although it's forecast to warm up again overnight and tomorrow.
Over here, on The Continent, the heating has been on for a few days already. The weather is generally behaving very strangely here now: bright and very warm autumnal days, much too warm for the season, as has been the entire year, at least since April or so; currently 20C max daytime, but low single digits C at night - the heating is off at night, but comes on with a bang in the morning, then goes off again during the day.
The main problem in the Wesleyan neck of the woods right now is the formidable lack of rain. Elevated danger of forest fires in wide parts of the land, luckily not much is happening though, as people seem fairly disciplined. What is remarkable is that the trees, in all their autumnal beauty, seem all to have wrinkly and strangely rolled-up leaves, that is, if they're still on the branches and haven't been shed before in the summer heat and the increasing dryness. It's sad to see this, and it somewhat spoils the enjoyment of the lovely autumnal colours.
Plus I just feel it's much too dry. I guess people can feel that too - I mean in terms of perhaps more pollutants in the air, slightly more dust than usual. A few recent, lengthy rain showers and thunderstorms - still too rare! - were most welcome, and it really felt as if you sort of got 'normal' again, could breathe properly, felt much less irritated and more yourself really. Literally, a few welcome breathers and a kind of pleasant, helpful humidity, at least briefly!
Unfortunately, I just love rain and the cold... - well, at least after this never-ending, and ongoing summer... This is just weird.
Ach well. Breakfast beckons. Twinings English or Irish Breakfast Tea, anyone? (Must get some Ceylon Breakfast Tea again, also a rather nice variety.) Mugs at the ready? o(_)~
And yet here in the soon-to-be frozen north, it has been a very wet autumn. Not any colder than usual (first snow on the mountains in September, and odd frosts some nights), but rain, rain and more rain: and autumn is usually one of our better seasons for good weather. Still looks lovely, though.
Much too warm on this bit of the continent as well. It's been mid 20s most of the week, close and sticky. It's a bit of a bugger because it's not particularly warm in the mornings but if you put on a coat you're far too warm in the afternoon. It rained hard yesterday evening so hopefully it should be a bit fresher today.
Warm days here in Cambridge too. I just looked at the sky and thought it might finally break and we’d get a deluge but the BBC weather says a little light rain then 21 degrees this afternoon, 17 degrees overnight.
Just had my morning latte but will soon be having a cup of Ceylon, my usual mid morning cuppa. Today is a work day and I’ve already caught up with my emails and forums so will go for a walk shortly before phoning some students and planning a tutorial.
Ach well. Breakfast beckons. Twinings English or Irish Breakfast Tea, anyone? (Must get some Ceylon Breakfast Tea again, also a rather nice variety.) Mugs at the ready? o(_)~
Irish Breakfast for me, please. I suppose Russian Caravan is off the menu these days...
Pops into thread to announce the arrival of the third miniferijen, this time a ferijenette in contrast to her big brothers. Born on Tuesday, a beautifully sunny autumn day, although I didn’t pay a huge amount of attention to the weather.
Ach well. Breakfast beckons. Twinings English or Irish Breakfast Tea, anyone? (Must get some Ceylon Breakfast Tea again, also a rather nice variety.) Mugs at the ready? o(_)~
Irish Breakfast for me, please. I suppose Russian Caravan is off the menu these days...
Probably better novichuck it out instead of drinking it. - Never had Russian Caravan. What's it like?
Wow - will you be able to grow them where you are? The idea of free avocados is very appealing! I wonder if avocado stones would grow as readily as accidentally-scattered sunflower seeds ...
Sadly, although they grow well in the UK (I used to get the stones to sprout in water, at the height of the houseplant boom!), they don't fruit. I did hear on the radio that you can grow them outdoors, even in Scotland - if the frost gets them, they just shoot again the next spring
I used to sprout avocado stones when I was a little kid. I found it fun to put fruit and veg stones and pips in little flowerpots and cover them with soil, water them, and watch them sprout and grow over time. The avocado ones grew really well, but yes, no fruit.
Apropos of completely nothing else on this thread at the moment, I've just come across this reference to the incomparable Alan Bennett, English author, actor, and playwright extraordinaire :
'Around this time [the 1960s] Bennett often found himself playing vicars, and claims that, as an adolescent, he assumed he would grow up to be a Church of England clergyman, for no better reason than that he looked like one. '
The italics are mine.
I larfed, O how I larfed...!!
Praise the Lord, Bennett is still alive and well, aged 84. Long may he flourish!
Back in the days, I had an avocado grow from seed. It grew well and fruited prolifically. I was surprised and many fruits grown from seed don’t fruit at all. This kept us in fruit all summer. Perhaps the operative word here issummer. Lots of heat to encourage it. The fruit do not ripen on the tree but need to be picked. That did not deter the goldfish in the pond underneath which used to eat any which fell into the pond.
Congratulations Ferijen, and welcome aboard to the new Ferijenlet!
Loth, I'd have thought it would take a fair bit of determination on the part of something the size of a goldfish to bite through an avocado skin!
It did warm up a little here today; it was 10° when we came out after D's recital, although I'd say it felt a little warmer than that. For some reason the house doesn’t feel all that warm though, maybe just because I'm sitting around doing not very much.
We're getting to that stage in the autumn when my body-clock decides it's time for the clocks to go back (which they will in a couple of weeks) - I'm feeling a bit sleepy and lethargic and needing that extra hour!
There's always a bit of debate in these latitudes about whether we actually need to change the clocks at all* (we probably don't), but coming from as far north as I do (where we did), it's ingrained in my subconscious, and it sort of marks a change in my mood from autumn to winter. I'm lucky that seasonal changes don't really seem to affect me: I'm as happy with the short days of winter as the long ones of summer.
* In Saskatchewan, a good bit west of us, they don't.
Along with the avocado saplings, in the compost were as many avocado skins and, as the bin hadn’t been added to for probably 4 years or more (lovely rich compost), just shows how resistant they are to decaying.
As it is proper autumn here, with wind and rain, I think it is a baking day rather than a digging day. As the freezer is full I’ll be offering virtual samosas later.
We battled across to the other side of the Severn yesterday, which was fun as the bridge was closed and we had to go through Gloucester - but it was all worth it to see the amazing mask theatre company, Vamos. They were performing 'Finding Joy', a play about an old lady with dementia and her grandson, who cares for her. It's so finely observed that it is at once hilarious and heartbreaking. They do wonderful work (though it's very disconcerting to see yourself portrayed on stage, as the daughter trying to hold things together!) <notworthy>
Readers of the Decluttering thread will laugh when I tell you that the Picquot-ware teapot made its appearance on stage!
We're supposed to go to Wales for a week, though we may delay by a day, given the truly dreadful weather!
Mrs S, it is only now , some 20 years after dad’s death that I can watch the series Mother and Son. It was just too painful even if it was very funny. Dad had dementia for some years before his death.
South Wales is at present Very, Very Wet (I can see it out of the window).
Our holiday cottage is currently entirely cut off by water (pace A A Milne's Piglet!) so we'll probably delay by two days *sigh* but it's turned into a lovely day here
No rain here today (after a rather wet couple of days), but not much heat either - it's 8° and not going to get any warmer. I think I must be getting old - I never used to feel the cold!
Warm, Windy and Wet here, though not anything like in Wales. Just Odd. I was outside at 10pm last night and it was positively balmy (barmy?).
Mini-Fete worse than death (tm Piglet) today, so am knackered and can't look a bun in the face. Not well attended but those that came had a good time so it was worth it. We now have a fridge full of leftover gammon and apple sauce and approximately a metric fucktonne of jam left. Such is life.
Virtual mulled apple is available for tasting, should the mood take anyone?
Thank you for the congratulations, the mulled apple and the CAKE. Ferijenette is doing ok so far, and her big brothers are responding very well. The two year old’s attempts at breastfeeding are so far the most amusing aspect.
It’s been nice enough here to dry several loads of washing on the line. Tomorrow, however, looks horrible. There remains plenty of chocolate in the house...
... There remains plenty of chocolate in the house...
I'll be right over!
I did go for an amble, which I quite enjoyed although it was decidedly unwarm, and I was glad I'd put on my denim waistcoat* - I'm still not quite psychologically ready for a full-on coat.
* It has to be one of the most useful pieces of clothing I've ever bought, as it gets slipped on over anything from a tee shirt to a sweater.
Comments
I am flexitarian, eating meat only about once a fortnight and cooking it about once a year when I can’t see my guests accepting an alternative (one day I’ll give them a pleasant surprise). I have so many weird allergies & intollerances that can make eating out a nightmare, so being flexible helps my hosts or any friends I’m dining out with. I support nose-to-tail eating, and if I could eat dairy and did then I’d reconsider eating cow, but I think that thought would turn me off dairy. In Finland once I noticed tins of bear meat but chose to bring a tin of reindeer home to scare nieces with on Christmas Eve (I didn’t go through with it though).
Yesterday my copy of Together - Our Community Cookbook arrived full of recipes from women from the Grendel community who gather to cook meals for family and friends. There are a lot of non-meat recipes that I look forward to trying out, starting this weekend with veg samosas, baked rather than fried.
Socks have been reapplied and at this rate the heating might have to go on, although it's forecast to warm up again overnight and tomorrow.
The main problem in the Wesleyan neck of the woods right now is the formidable lack of rain. Elevated danger of forest fires in wide parts of the land, luckily not much is happening though, as people seem fairly disciplined. What is remarkable is that the trees, in all their autumnal beauty, seem all to have wrinkly and strangely rolled-up leaves, that is, if they're still on the branches and haven't been shed before in the summer heat and the increasing dryness. It's sad to see this, and it somewhat spoils the enjoyment of the lovely autumnal colours.
Plus I just feel it's much too dry. I guess people can feel that too - I mean in terms of perhaps more pollutants in the air, slightly more dust than usual. A few recent, lengthy rain showers and thunderstorms - still too rare! - were most welcome, and it really felt as if you sort of got 'normal' again, could breathe properly, felt much less irritated and more yourself really. Literally, a few welcome breathers and a kind of pleasant, helpful humidity, at least briefly!
Unfortunately, I just love rain and the cold... - well, at least after this never-ending, and ongoing summer... This is just weird.
Ach well. Breakfast beckons. Twinings English or Irish Breakfast Tea, anyone? (Must get some Ceylon Breakfast Tea again, also a rather nice variety.)
Just had my morning latte but will soon be having a cup of Ceylon, my usual mid morning cuppa. Today is a work day and I’ve already caught up with my emails and forums so will go for a walk shortly before phoning some students and planning a tutorial.
All CAKE gratefully received. Also, chocolate...
Indeed, all the very best to ferijenette and all related ferijenbeings!
October is the best month to be born in
Please except freshly baked virtual cake. We have apple or lemon polenta on offer.
Sadly, although they grow well in the UK (I used to get the stones to sprout in water, at the height of the houseplant boom!), they don't fruit. I did hear on the radio that you can grow them outdoors, even in Scotland - if the frost gets them, they just shoot again the next spring
Mrs. S, better at eating them than growing
'Around this time [the 1960s] Bennett often found himself playing vicars, and claims that, as an adolescent, he assumed he would grow up to be a Church of England clergyman, for no better reason than that he looked like one. '
The italics are mine.
I larfed, O how I larfed...!!
Praise the Lord, Bennett is still alive and well, aged 84. Long may he flourish!
Loth, I'd have thought it would take a fair bit of determination on the part of something the size of a goldfish to bite through an avocado skin!
It did warm up a little here today; it was 10° when we came out after D's recital, although I'd say it felt a little warmer than that. For some reason the house doesn’t feel all that warm though, maybe just because I'm sitting around doing not very much.
We're getting to that stage in the autumn when my body-clock decides it's time for the clocks to go back (which they will in a couple of weeks) - I'm feeling a bit sleepy and lethargic and needing that extra hour!
There's always a bit of debate in these latitudes about whether we actually need to change the clocks at all* (we probably don't), but coming from as far north as I do (where we did), it's ingrained in my subconscious, and it sort of marks a change in my mood from autumn to winter. I'm lucky that seasonal changes don't really seem to affect me: I'm as happy with the short days of winter as the long ones of summer.
* In Saskatchewan, a good bit west of us, they don't.
Along with the avocado saplings, in the compost were as many avocado skins and, as the bin hadn’t been added to for probably 4 years or more (lovely rich compost), just shows how resistant they are to decaying.
As it is proper autumn here, with wind and rain, I think it is a baking day rather than a digging day. As the freezer is full I’ll be offering virtual samosas later.
Readers of the Decluttering thread will laugh when I tell you that the Picquot-ware teapot made its appearance on stage!
We're supposed to go to Wales for a week, though we may delay by a day, given the truly dreadful weather!
Mrs. S, hiding under the table
Windy here, but not so wet. We're promised a few showers, maybe.
Our holiday cottage is currently entirely cut off by water (pace A A Milne's Piglet!) so we'll probably delay by two days *sigh* but it's turned into a lovely day here
Mrs. S, who has planted bulbs!
24 degrees C and dry as a bone here, with a hot, sultry wind coming (I am told) straight from the Sahara Desert.
Is this The Beginning Of The End? I think we should be told....
Dry as a bone in England, and currently bucketing down rain here in "sunny" Arizona. Definitely The Beginning Of The End.
I might contemplate an amble later.
Mini-Fete worse than death (tm Piglet) today, so am knackered and can't look a bun in the face. Not well attended but those that came had a good time so it was worth it. We now have a fridge full of leftover gammon and apple sauce and approximately a metric fucktonne of jam left. Such is life.
Virtual mulled apple is available for tasting, should the mood take anyone?
It’s been nice enough here to dry several loads of washing on the line. Tomorrow, however, looks horrible. There remains plenty of chocolate in the house...
I did go for an amble, which I quite enjoyed although it was decidedly unwarm, and I was glad I'd put on my denim waistcoat* - I'm still not quite psychologically ready for a full-on coat.
* It has to be one of the most useful pieces of clothing I've ever bought, as it gets slipped on over anything from a tee shirt to a sweater.