Chatback number 22

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Up at a decent time today. Walked the dogs and did the watering all before the wasps came out. Phew. Measured the steps round the veg patch. I walk a mile and a quarter or just over watering. Would rather spend the time actually gardening, but there you go.

Watched the film Kiss the Ground last night. Got us both thinking about what more we can do for the environment. Temperatures here are getting scary. And we've hardly had any rain all year. I don't suppose my efforts on my little patch will make much difference, especially locally, but every bit helps. Going to be extremely hot again next week and the week after doesn't bear thinking about yet (forecast for us suggests 44 ºC in the shade and very windy). With any luck, it will have changed by the time we get there.

Made a Delia cherry cake yesterday. Ridiculously sweet. I presume part of it is due to the cherries. But I'm rather losing confidence in her. In one of my books by her (still packed away in boxes), she has a tea loaf recipe for two 1 lb tins. We used to love it, and now that I've got some currants I thought I'd give it a go. Her website doesn't have it even listed as a recipe in the book. She's got a different one in her Cakes book, made in what she describes as her Silverwood 1 lb tea loaf tin or a standard 2 lb tin. Trying to find the dimensions of her Silverwood loaf tin took Sherlock Holmes-like skills. I used to think there was no point buying Mary Berry recipes as they were pretty much the same as Delia's. But at least she tells you the tin sizes rather than trying to get you to buy a particular type of tin branded with her name. Right, that's today's harrumph over.

Back to smiles: I was so miffed at Delia that I bought MB's Baking Bible. What a good excuse!

Right, off to make some biscuits as gifts. Don't think it'll be a Delia recipe but the apricot cookies from the book recommended by mothhawk. I'll leave some by the kettle. That'll encourage the smiles to hang around so you don't have to go far to find them.

Have a great day everyone.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all

* sniff sniff…..apricot biscuits?…ooooo yum! Ta muchly!

44C Snoop ? - bonkers weather!
Another autumnal morning here dispersed with the odd reminder of summer when the sun comes out.
Having said that, the rain is bouncing off the ground as I type!
We’re still cutting the grass every 5-6 days because of the warm wet conditions - by now we wouldn't have mown it at all for the past 5 weeks as it would have been dry and crispy. That is time consuming too - 8km of walking each time
I’m sure the farmers cutting hay silage/ haylage and grazing animals must be pleased though!

I’m enjoying reading through some ‘epicurious’ recipes on FB ( OH’s ) deffo worth looking at if you can handle some of the American weights and measures .

I’ve decided to do some more charity sorting today - going to get OH to help me to go through hundreds of books we have .
There are some I know I’ll never want to read and vice versa .
We’ve been given most of them over the time we’ve been here from other English people so it’s time someone else benefitted from them.
I hate getting rid of books

Time for another brew do ya think?

[burnie]

Morning, it feels more like 44 Fahrenheit here, not centigrade, it's dry now and the water butts are overflowing again, they should see me through to September, by then most of my greenhouse plants will be finished, I'm in Autumnal mode already.

[Mr Bones]

Morning all
Late on parade today. Woke at 10 to 4 this morning (don't know why) so have been out and about early. Plumbers are in again today so I'm currently in the lotty shed.
Re the little muntjac I saw a few days back, well this morning I saw its dad.. a large (for a muntjac) handsome chap but I bet he can't half get through some veg. Lovely to see but not on your allotment.
Agree about Kiss The Ground film Snoop, it is thought provoking. We might not be doing huge things but at least we're doing something and collectively our efforts will make a difference. I read elsewhere that 85% of the world's food is grown on plots of five acres or less so if most of those growers head towards no till, organic methods climate change will turn.

Any way, time for a brew

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning Snoop and All Mixed bag of weather so far. My washing is going out regardless. I love MB cakes, they're usually easy and explicit instructions. Have good day All

[bramble]

Good morning all.
Extremely breezy this morning with rain just starting.
No idea what to do with myself today.
Pitch and putt had been called off due to a close contact playing in the club last weekend.
Lots of stuff could be done I doors but I am not really in the humour.
Have a good day all.

[mothhawk]

Afternoon all.

Snoop, I threw over Delia in favour of MB several years ago. I made her sticky toffee pudding for the first time ever last month (and can you believe, I'd never eaten STP before that, ever). She makes it without dates, and when I tasted it, I thought, hello, that tastes/smells familiar. A search through my recipe books and the recipe is exactly the same as gingerbread, minus the ginger, and plus the toffee sauce. Very nice it was too, so I shall be making it as a traybake in future.

Comparing recipes in a book published first in 1852, it is an eye-opener how much less sugar was used then compared with today.

[Snoop Puss]

It was a toss-up between MB and Nigella's How to Be a Domestic Goddess. But you'd be hard pushed to imagine anyone less goddess-like than me. So MB it was.

Looks like I'll be consulting you on here about MB recipes. I've never eaten STP either, mothhawk. Really grateful to you for recommending the biscuit book. Number of gifts I've had out of it beggars belief. Not owning up to how many biscuits we've eaten over the months...

And yes, Mr Bones, very interesting film. We have nearly 12 acres, but nearly all of it forest (mostly pine but some oak and other trees). Maybe 3/4 of an acre usable for 'growing' and a half or so that's slowly returning to forest but which I'm thinking of turning back to olive trees, not that there's a shortage of those here. Most of the 'growable' area is in the valley floor and subject to terrible flooding from time to time, more frequently nowadays. Anyway, plenty of food for thought.

[Bren In Pots]

Evening
I've got lots of recipe books most of the River cottage ones, then a varied assortment including some really old ones but my 'go to' baking book ls a battered Be-Ro one I've had forever. Those Bo-Ro recipes never fail and the best bit is they're in lb and ounces same as my Avery shop scales so i don't have to convert weights.
We've had more rain today but not as much as they Met office predicted and no thunder.

Enjoy your evening.

[Jay22]

I’ve a Be-Ro book which was my mums from way back. It’s very tatty now but the old favourites I still make now and then.

[Mr Bones]

Morning all

Plenty of rain for us again last night, 16 degs and overcast this morning.

And yes, Mr Bones, very interesting film. We have nearly 12 acres, but nearly all of it forest (mostly pine but some oak and other trees). Maybe 3/4 of an acre usable for 'growing' and a half or so that's slowly returning to forest but which I'm thinking of turning back to olive trees

Wow Snoop, you're doing your bit and more for climate control. Those trees alone will be sequestering lots of carbon - hats off to you and Mr Snoop

@mothawk Is that Mrs Beaton's Book Of Household Management, I have a copy from the second printing (1855). Fascinating to read

Not sure what's on the cards for us today, meanwhile I'll get the kettle on - help yourselves to a brew


Edit to add - I wonder why the @member thing sometimes works and most times doesn't..

[mothhawk]

Morning Mr Bones and all.

Not Mrs Beeton's, though I have a copy of that. It is a free ebook download - "A Plain Cookery Book For The Working Classes" by English Italian Charles Elmé Francatelli, who was, between other positions, chief chef to Queen Victoria for 2 years (google is a wonderful thing, likewise wiki).

It tickles me to find that cornflour then was known as "Brown & Poulson's prepared Indian corn".

[mothhawk]

Edit to add - I wonder why the @member thing sometimes works and most times doesn't..

Don't know, but I don't see the point of it either.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Never used the @thingy - does it alert the named person? I have an old school textbook that tells you how to cook on the fire amongst other things. It's starting to rain here. BET on the way. Have a lovely Sunday

[Mr Bones]

Florence Fennel yes, it alerts the member