Chatback number 20

[Bren In Pots]

Morning it was misty here first thing Nicos and only 7c in my GH it had that autumn feel to start the day.

Life's never dull with Hibou around

[Snadger]

I'm just here for the crack! It IS like an extended family.
Prostrate problems are a problem for me but sometimes you jut have to get on with it and try and live life to the full..

I don't use flour much apart from batter or Yorkshire puddings. I do use ready rolled pastry a lot though. Yesterday I made five pies, two mince and tattie, a ham and egg,a blackberry and apple and an apple and blackcurrant. Two of the pies were put in the freezer and the rest are just about devoured.

Shopping day today.Hopefully shops will have plenty of food as the threat of a lock down caused queue's last time. If he lawn dries out later I may even get it cut.

TTFN

[Nicos]

What pastry do you buy Snadge?
Here they are circles of pastry - I've never seen rectangular ones in our supermarkets.
There is one make called Marie which doesn't contain palm oil ...so I always grab a few when they are in stock.
I always make my own for mince pies though...yum yum !

[greenishfing]

Beautiful morning here although a little chilly still. I get through quite a bit of flour, plain for pastry, self raising for cakes and bread flour for Yorkshire puddings and bread. I couldn't make decent shortcrust pastry until I started to use the food processor and kept my hot little hands well away from it. A couple of minutes and it is amazing. I do buy frozen puff pastry though.
Unfortunately I must do some shopping today, but I 'm going to the allotment shortly to make the most of the glorious weather.

[mothhawk]

Morning everybody.

Was out early today for a grocery collection. Made the little boy in the car next to mine very happy by giving him the lego cards that came with it. (I remember collecting Star Trek cards when I was at school, but they came with a bit of chewie in the pack).

I've just made the first batch of this year's mincemeat, so the house smells wonderful. I make the amount I want in several batches, partly because one batch fits my big saucepan, but mostly for the wonderful aroma that lingers in the house all day. I like to spread that smell over a couple of weeks. And it gives me a warm, December 25th glow too.

[burnie]

Morning,was up early so I went off to the Montrose Basin looking for Geese and Spoonbills with my camera, I wasn't up early enough, 2 wildfowlers were already there, so I went to the river, but there were 2 anglers after the sea trout, just not my day lol. I did find a nice Curlew though

[Snoop Puss]

Just morning all.

Can't imagine life without coming on here of a morning. We've got another data shortage here, but still got to drop in and see how you're all doing. Will pass on the prostate message. Mr Snoop had a blood test but that was years ago.

Mothhawk, you've materially improved our lives even though we've never met. Made the ginger biscuits - fruity from the book you recommended. Also delicious. Managing to eke them out, two a day each. The rest are in the freezer. If I buy biscuits, we get through them far too fast. This book lives by my right elbow on my desk. Next ones might be the date and treacle cookies.

On the rat front, we have one that has moved into the basement now I've moved out. Time to get a living trap, I think. It's rather large if the tail and rump I saw are anything to go by... Mini armadillo is how I described it to Mr Snoop.

Got a great pile of work to get through. So better step on it.

Have a good one, everyone. Nicos, I've got a huge bag of Rary's smiles, so I reckon we can all have another one today. Catch you later.

Edited to add: gorgeous photo, Burnie. Brilliant focus.

[Nicos]

MH...any chance of sharing your mincemeat recipe please?
I made some a couple of years ago with green tomatoes.....took hours to boil down and I really wished I hadn't bothered!

I may well have to make my own this year as I've no idea if I can make it to the UK pre Xmas the way things are going....online orders from the uk are frustratingly financially restrictive

[Snadger]

What pastry do you buy Snadge?
Here they are circles of pastry - I've never seen rectangular ones in our supermarkets.
There is one make called Marie which doesn't contain palm oil ...so I always grab a few when they are in stock.
I always make my own for mince pies though...yum yum !

I use Aldi's finest!

It's cheap (79p I think) rectangular and rolled. I divide it into four, rolling each section until it fits my 6 inch pie dishes. After covering the top and bottom of pie dishes, I cut off the remains, roll it into a ball, flatten and roll it out to give me another base.

Using this method 2 X 79p pastries is enough for five pies.

They have puff pastry and shortcrust.

Recently I have been experimenting with only covering the tops which makes twice the amount but certain pies a re better with a base.

[Snadger]

I would never have thought at my age I would be discussing the merits of pastry, but in retirement I have found I quite enjoy making pies.

I'll be taking up knitting next!

[bramble]

Good afternoon all.
It's a beautiful sunny day here.
We attended a funeral this morning and then had a lovely drive around the coast.
Some bulb planting this afternoon.

[burnie]

Blowing a hoolie out there, been for a bike ride, but it was too rough, so we cut the run short, nice and warm out of the wind though.

[Bren In Pots]

Afternoon I’m sat in the garden enjoying the sunshine with mug of tea and piece of carrot cake

[Snoop Puss]

I would never have thought at my age I would be discussing the merits of pastry, but in retirement I have found I quite enjoy making pies.

I'll be taking up knitting next!

A pie is a thing of great comfort and not to be sniffed at. Good on you, Snadger.

As for knitting, I keep thinking about it. But I'd have to knit cotton as I'm allergic to wool and don't like acrylic. I've never seen cotton for knitting with, but I suppose it must exist. Somewhere.

[Florence Fennel]

Doesn't our Bren knit dishcloths with cotton, or have I imagined that? I'm so pleased that the cakes were said to be delicious, and it's restored my confidence to start baking again. I'm the pie maker in our house Snadge. Married the wrong man Good on yer