Chitchat thread #24

[bramble]

Good evening all.
What a beautiful sunny day we had.
Spent some time in the garden taking out my sweetpeas which went over far too quickly
.
However, I sowed some seed I found later in the year and planted them on a north facing wall.
They are doing really well and I am letting them go to seed for next year.
Took out some of my peppers from the greenhouse, it wasnt the best year for them.
I wont bother growing peppers again, they just dont do justice to the space they take up.
Anyway, hope you all have a pleasant evening.

[mothhawk]

Mothawk I would love to have a neat kitchen with empty worktops but it will just never happen realistically. If I had to get heavy things out of the cupboards they would just stay there for all eternity. Permanently on my worktops are: Steam generator (although it only gets used once a blue moon) it's too bulky and heavy to shift around, food processor (used most days) Kenwood mixer (too heavy to move used maybe weekly), breadmaker (lots of use), little deep fat fryer (not been used for months and months) , kettle, toaster, microwave, bread bin and bread board. You have now inspired me to get rid of the deep fat fryer....

You must have more worktop space than me, GF, to have all that on it. At present I have a microwave (it's a big old thing from the late seventies but still works perfectly well), on top of which were a milk pan, teapot, 2ltr measuring jug, 1 ltr glass teapot, microwave cover, egg poaching pods, large sieve, flat scales, and microwave bowl (told you it was a big MW ). On the rest of the worktop a wide fruit bowl, a small dish of toms, toaster, kettle, bread board, all my mum's tablet boxes, and another teapot.

So far, everything is gone from the top of the MW except the s/s teapot, MW cover, jug, and scales. Not thrown out, just put away in cupboards. The tablets are in a drawer, teapot in a cupboard. What a difference it makes! The kitchen looks calmer already. Still need to find a home for the toaster and bread board, but I haven't tackled the main cupboards yet.

The breadmaker and slicer already live under the stairs as they are not hard to reach once or twice a week. Perhaps I should get rid of my juicer, which is taking up space in a cupboard and as you say, GF, is a pain to clean. There's an apple peeler, sausage maker, and steamer in there too. Maybe used once a year. Is that enough to warrant keeping?

[greenishfing]

You must have more worktop space than me, GF, to have all that on it. At present I have a microwave (it's a big old thing from the late seventies but still works perfectly well), on top of which were a milk pan, teapot, 2ltr measuring jug, 1 ltr glass teapot, microwave cover, egg poaching pods, large sieve, flat scales, and microwave bowl (told you it was a big MW ). On the rest of the worktop a wide fruit bowl, a small dish of toms, toaster, kettle, bread board, all my mum's tablet boxes, and another teapot.

So far, everything is gone from the top of the MW except the s/s teapot, MW cover, jug, and scales. Not thrown out, just put away in cupboards. The tablets are in a drawer, teapot in a cupboard. What a difference it makes! The kitchen looks calmer already. Still need to find a home for the toaster and bread board, but I haven't tackled the main cupboards yet.

The breadmaker and slicer already live under the stairs as they are not hard to reach once or twice a week. Perhaps I should get rid of my juicer, which is taking up space in a cupboard and as you say, GF, is a pain to clean. There's an apple peeler, sausage maker, and steamer in there too. Maybe used once a year. Is that enough to warrant keeping?

I've got an electric steamer (a gift many years ago) that I don't use very often (mainly for Christmas puddings). I was getting that out of the depths of an under worktop cupboard the other day when I got "stuck". Aaaarrrgggghhhh! I wouldn't get rid of it though as it does have it's use and I can fit 4 small puddings in it. I make Christmas puddings for all the family. I also have in the depths of the airing cupboard an electric mincer which has never been used. I did not buy it. I tried to explain to Mr GF a long time ago that we have only got room for new things in the kitchen if something goes out. I don't think I would miss either the toastie maker or pie maker if they got lost. Mr GF is still muttering about getting an air fryer but I just don't see the need or have room.

After seeing some peoples "perfect" kitchens that look as if they are never used for proper cooking I am always happy when I visit either of my sisters whose kitchens resemble mine.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

Another hot day here with a thunderstorm this afternoon
My worktops are busy I like things to hand when I'm cooking/baking so this works for me.
Microwave, kettle, teapot, mug tree, knife blocks, toaster, bread board, utensil pots deep fat fryer, Avery scales/weights, Kenwood chef and slow cooker, fruit dish/toms and pencil pot.
They're used daily except for the slow cooker and fryer, the Kenwood attachments, Pressure cookers, dehydrator and mini George are in a cupboard. I've not got an air fryer still not sure If i need one.

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

I long for the day when I have work surfaces... The kitchen is still waiting to be reroofed. When that's done, I'm promised a really good kitchen. Not looking like it'll be coming any time soon, mind. Ah well. Better late than never. So long as it's not so late that I'm too old and crotchety to want to use it.

Anyway, yesterday was a minor failure from my perspective. The town where we went shopping is having its annual fiestas now. The big supermarkets were open (just as well we didn't go tomorrow, as they would have been shut), but most other places were closed. Including the nursery. I think we found by chance just about the only restaurant open for lunch. Amazing, a town coming almost to a standstill. I hadn't expected that at all. They really take their fiestas seriously there.

On the cards for today, no paid work if I can help it, but domestics and some baking. Still got the banana demanding to be turned into cake... I imagine the smiles will be heading home early today, so make the most of them while you've got them. Looks like I might be hogging them for a bit this weekend.

Have a great day everyone.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Sunny again here. On one worktop I have the hot water machine and on the other is my Kenwood and a corner microwave. Every other "gadget" is in a cupboard, including the air fryer. It's lighter than the microwave so easy to lift. It lives on the worktop most of the week, but I put it away most weekends. I find it replaces the oven (very useful in these hot days). Have a good day

[mothhawk]

Morning all.

Good Morning All Sunny again here. On one worktop I have the hot water machine and on the other is my Kenwood and a corner microwave. Every other "gadget" is in a cupboard, including the air fryer. It's lighter than the microwave so easy to lift. It lives on the worktop most of the week, but I put it away most weekends. I find it replaces the oven (very useful in these hot days). Have a good day

That's what I aspire to, Flo, clear worktops, just the kettle out as it is used throughout the day.

Snoop, where do you do all your baking if the kitchen has no adequate roof?? How do you cope with nowhere to put anything down?

[bramble]

Good morning all.
A dull start to the day but se are forecast sun later.
Nothing planned for the dsy .
Just going to the park and the farmers market.
Have a lovely day all.

[nick the grief]

moring all. YOu have my sympaties if youre having kitchen work done. we had 2 months of turmoil when we had our Bathroom and Kitchen done stripped back to bare plaster but itsworth it in the end ... We had a mini kitchen set up on the dining rom table.

Still back to the english favourite subject ... the weather ... warm enough for everyone?

[greenishfing]

Good morning.

Today is hot already and forecast to sneak over 30°C🥵

Bren I love your description of your worktops, "busy". I'm adopting that word to describe mine. It sounds so much nicer than other suitable descriptions of mine.

I'm off out shortly. One of yesterday's "naughty" tops that jumped into my bag needs changing for a larger size.

I think then I'll find a cool spot then to hide.

[Florence Fennel]

Morning all.



That's what I aspire to, Flo, clear worktops, just the kettle out as it is used throughout the day.

It was only because of the disaster we had when a burst pipe flooded the kitchen and lounge MH. We were without a kitchen for 6 months so I had to be ruthless about what had been rescued when everything had to go into storage. I also had another worktop and cupboards built into the new kitchen. They were empty at first, but not any more!

[Snoop Puss]

Snoop, where do you do all your baking if the kitchen has no adequate roof?? How do you cope with nowhere to put anything down?

The kitchen table, formerly the dining table in Mr Snoop's family when he was a small boy.

Pretty well everything lives downstairs in the basement when not in use. In the kitchen, we have everyday foodstuffs on some angle iron shelves, pans hanging from a chain strung across the ceiling, and plates and the like go in a dishwasher now used as a cupboard. My food mixer lives on top of the fridge. Not quite countertop height, so I have to peer in a bit, but manageable.

In the basement, we have an old artesa or pastera. A smaller version of this but with a lift-up lid that goes across the full length: https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paster..._horno_pan.jpg
Inside is where I keep all my dried fruit and baking chocolate and the like. I'm thinking of bringing it into service as a worksurface for my dough sheeter. Mostly it serves as a dumping ground for shopping waiting to be put away.

[Nicos]

Afternoon n
sorry, I’ve been a bit distracted this morning.
Had to get one of the gites ready for people arriving this afternoon. It’s blissfully cool in there. I sat on the tiled floor for a while whilst checking and cleaning underneath the worksurface and my bum ( s’cuse my French!) actually felt cold!
There is a small underground stream running about 2ft beneath it which caused great fun when we were renovating.
Interestingly there were slabs of granite balanced on granite stones basically allowing the water to pass through underneath, then the whole area was covered in granite stones the size of hedgehogs ( actually called ‘hedgehogs’ in french)- again allowing excess water to pass through. Then covered with a thick layer of clay. Very interesting to see what they had done when it was built in the late 1600s.
We’ve done loads of work creating a waterproof, insulated area on top of all that and it’s sorted now, and we’ve learned so much doing this. Interesting that the chill still reaches upwards, but nothing as badly as it used to.
It was originally used as a creamery iso the coolness was perfect.

Loving hearing about your kitchen/building Snoop. I waited 8 years to replace my kitchen which was built from reinforced cast concrete That was fun smashing to bits! horrible kitchen but it was at least mouseproof!

You’ve all made me feel guilty about the state of my kitchen surfaces now

[Nicos]

Oh…and I forgot to say that we’ve been trying to sort out one of our chooks which is ill. she’s got sourcroup. Basically a croup which has become blocked with tangled grass then full of everything she’s eaten yesterday….and now fermenting
She needed help emptying it.
I think we’ve got her sorted but she’s quietly resting in the cool and we’ve started giving her diluted apple cider vinegar which we made last year. Let’s hope we cleared the blockage.

Speaking of which, I better go and dose her again.

Very hot here again mid 30s so far…and climbing. I want to collect seed heads whilst it’s dry , so that’s a job for later on.
Enjoy your day peeps…I think I may need to eat a mint magnum. The last two we have in the freezer. Well- we need the space for the stewed fruit!…that’s my excuse anyway

[Nicos]

Love the pastera Snoop - fabulous!