Chitchat thread #24

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

No dippy eggs for me, Nicos, but I'll go for the toast and butter if there's any left (sounds like GF has worked up an appetite, all that talk of cakes).

Dull here, but no rain yet. Due a storm this afternoon, according to the weather folk. It'll be welcome. I was out looking at my veg patch yesterday and realised how long it has been since we had any decent rain. The ground is very dry. If it doesn't rain in the end, I'll have to water everything. Madness at this time of year. More to the point, I'm not sure where my watering can is.

On the cards for today: bread-baking (I placed my big flour order yesterday, so am feeling a bit like I can afford to use up some of my current stocks), washing-up (Mr Snoop is relieved of this duty: he is going to have a bad day today, as he has to find a seatbelt to go with the seat he removed from a car years and years ago and apparently they've decided this year it won't pass the MOT without said removed seat), gardening (if the storm holds off), dog-walking and socialising with a neighbour (to swap some bread for some eggs laid by her chickens, but mostly to keep out of Mr Snoop's way) a bit of work and a bit of eyelid inspecting. Hope there are enough hours in the day for all of that.

The smiles set off while I was lolling about this morning. My jolly mood was a bit infectious, I suspect, as they were very skippy this morning. Bet they make a beeline for you, GF, if they can make it through. Your plan of making and eating cake sounds like a good one for a spell of bad weather.

Good luck with the weather, everyone, and have a great day.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

It looks rather cold out but no frost or snow, like GF we did have a few flurries yesterday but they didn't hang around for long.

I'll save my dippy egg till later Nicos I've had my usual pinhead oats with apple, raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Snoop thats a pain about having to replace that seat, wonder if the same rule applies here in the UK.

[rary]

Good morning very cold this morning but not a cloud in the sky, I tried posting several times yesterday but it kept failing, don't know why, it really was just to say that wives were better at the shopping than us husbands, as I said it failed several times, which makes me start to wonder what influence some of you have on things🤔 anyway was at my garden club last night and once back home I went out to the greenhouse and put the fire on which kept the overnight temperature at the lowest of -1 with a -5 outside that wasn't too bad, I also keep a fan running all the time, which helps prevent frost damage, need to go and supervise OH doing the housework, will be back on later providing I'm not at hospital with a broken bone

[bramble]

Good mornig al
A bitter cold breeze here but its dry and not a sign of snow
Domestics today and caring for grandson this evening.

Nicos, thanks for the offer but had dippy egg and toast earlier.

Won €40 at the bingo last night and enjoyed the night out.
Have a good day all and stay warm.

[greenishfing]

He he he he! The chocolate cake is in the oven, the breadmaker is clanking away and the pastry is mixed. However, I know that I've made a booboo. When I'd zapped the pastry I suddenly realised I'd used the wrong flour. I made it with bread flour for some weird reason. I think I was just on autopilot. Oh well I'm not wasting it. I'll let you know what it's like later. Edible hopefully.

No snow yet!

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Nice win bramble

[Bren In Pots]

Afternoon

Its not stopped snowing since my morning post luckily none has settled yet.

Congrats on your win Bramble

You cake should be fine GF if its on the heavy side cover it in custard. yum.

[Florence Fennel]

We've had a couple of s sner showers but very fine so seems like a threat only.

[greenishfing]

Afternoon

Its not stopped snowing since my morning post luckily none has settled yet.

Congrats on your win Bramble

You cake should be fine GF if its on the heavy side cover it in custard. yum.

It's the pastry for the meat pie that got bread flour in it. I managed to put the proper flour in the cake which is going to be stacked shortly.

I've been out and about and decided to call up at the garden centre, only a couple of miles away but much higher, for more bird food as I'm sure they'll be cold and hungry too.

As I set off home the odd snowflake started falling. It's still just the odd snowflake and the sky hasn't got that ominous heavy look yet.

[Nicos]

Brill win bramble!

Our second batch of peanuts arrived today …80€ for 18kg
It’d probably be cheaper to bake them bread!!!!

You can’t say I’m not dedicated to trying to compensate for Hibou’s occasional ‘mishaps’…her main preferred activity fortunately is hunting mice and voles of which we seem to have more than our fair share munching their way through our fruit and veggie patches and those stored in the barn.
Rural living eh?…at least they don’t live in our walls anymore since we have renovated the house!

Right…time for a brew. Can’t do anything outside as the rain is really pouring down - anyone care to join me?

oh and gf….something rang a bell so I’ve looked it up….
Cornish pasties are made with strong bread flour to make them nice and crispy like a pizza base…
https://tomkerridge.com/recipes/shortcrust-pastry/

the pie will be different from usual but should be lovely!…just tell your OH you are experimenting

[Nicos]

Oh…and a warning!!!!
Don't whatever you do start looking at his desserts….

Its full of ‘awful’ recipes like this one….
https://tomkerridge.com/recipes/cher...e-custard-pie/

I would never have thought of that one

[Florence Fennel]

Sner! Fine but only settling on the grass, not the roads and paths. Very pretty but that's enough thank you. - I have my grory hop delivery tomorrow.

[Snoop Puss]

Oh…and a warning!!!!
Don't whatever you do start looking at his desserts….

Its full of ‘awful’ recipes like this one….
https://tomkerridge.com/recipes/cher...e-custard-pie/

I would never have thought of that one

I can live without that (amazingly!).

[mothhawk]

Afternoon all.
It's snowing here too but not settling at all, the flakes keep switching from large and fluffy to something akin to frozen drizzle. Did the grory hop this morning, and to the library so I have books to keep me indoors.
Took me ages to do redactle today, even though it was horticulture related. I'm not good at thinking of long words to fill in all those big blanks.

I also had to pop into the doctor's surgery for a pick-up. Not been for quite a while, it's a big old Victorian house, they've had a big extension built and the car park has been improved a great deal, but the change that surprised me was the perspex security screen now enclosing the reception desk up to the ceiling, plus a big notice that said appointments can no longer be booked at reception. Good job I hadn't gone to book one then.

I wasn't impressed by the attitude of the receptionist either, who was not at the desk, but had to come through from another (perspex enclosed) space round the corner behind reception. Oh well, changing times.

[Florence Fennel]

Himself tried to phone our GP today to check an appointment, but gave up after being number twenty-one in the queue.