Chitchat thread #24

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Good news, FF. Sounds like you're pleased with how it looks, too.

Cloudy and cold outside and feeling proper discombobulated myself. Better chivvy myself out of that. Got a lot to do today.

Not sure what the smiles got up to yesterday but they're slow to get up today. Mind you, Mr Snoop got up very early to make a cup of tea and re-stoked the fire in the bedroom, so perhaps they're just feeling warm and snuggly. Doubtless they'll be raring to go soon.

Better get on with the show. Have a great day, everyone.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
Looks like we have sunshine at the moment - having had a frost earlier. Send those smiles on their way Snoop - I’ll leave out some crumpets for them. Bet that helps them get a wiggle on
Please thank Mr Snoop for the brew earlier - very thoughtful.

Might do the first cut of the front lawns today - if the rains hold off. Has anyone else started mowing yet this year?

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

A dry day so I'll be in the garden soon I need to dig up some parsnips and JA's, then empty a compost bin.

No lawn cutting here Nicos, ours has hardly grown so it looks like it will be another month or so.

Enjoy your day.

[lottie dolly]

Morning all,looks likes its going to be a better day outside,what great news GF,it will take a while to get used to where things are,then comes the re arranging,have fun and enjoy,I have some smiles hovering thank you ,what bit of grass i have will go,less work,when I have had more lessons on how to,I hope to get some pics up,I am loving my new lappy,got to go out in a bit,I maybe need a kick in the humhum,although i love my new place,it somehow feels like something missing,yes I know,just have to be patient,Rome was not built in a day,I really miss the friends I had,a phone call is just not the same,well I suppose I need to get in gear,have a good day andBgood2yourselves

[greenishfing]

Morning all! I'm reasonably organised so far today. The slow cooker is already bubbling gently in the kitchen ready for this evening.

The forecast today is overcast with occasional showers and the odd sunny spell later, maximum temperature this afternoon of 7°C. It feels cold at the moment and the cloud is thick and dark grey.

[greenishfing]

My microwave has died. I had decided to make the chocolate mousse recipe that Nicos posted. I put the chocolate to melt in the microwave and the microwave went on strike.

I have made the mousse and it is chilling but now need to go and get a new microwave. It is something I rarely use, but Mr GF makes his porridge in it every morning, so just a basic, small simple one will do the job.

[Nicos]

Sorry to hear about your microwave gf…I’d be lost without mine tbh.
I don’t cook proper meals in it but use it for rice, custard,defrosting,melting, porridge, warming milk, jelly, reheating…anything which can be speeded up.
I remember our first one was a freebie with some kitchen units. That or a spice rack!. So you can imagine the quality of it.
Stiil, I wouldn’t be without one now.

Hope you enjoy the mousse I often grate chocolate on the top to give an alternative texture to it.

[greenishfing]

Sorry to hear about your microwave gf…I’d be lost without mine tbh.
I don’t cook proper meals in it but use it for rice, custard,defrosting,melting, porridge, warming milk, jelly, reheating…anything which can be speeded up.
I remember our first one was a freebie with some kitchen units. That or a spice rack!. So you can imagine the quality of it.
Stiil, I wouldn’t be without one now.

Hope you enjoy the mousse I often grate chocolate on the top to give an alternative texture to it.

Well new microwave now in place. It's just a basic model, no grill or bells and whistles, but it will defrost and heat things up. I've gone back to the old type with two dials as I have a sneaky suspicion that Mr GF might have inadvertently fried the brain on the old digital one. To be fair I think the old one may have been dying for a while as I tested this one with a glass of water and it heated much faster (same max wattage). The other amazing thing is the new turntable is identical so I have a spare for accidents. 🤞

Surprise, surprise. I've already been thinking about grated chocolate on top of the mousse, or even some piped cream. In fact when I was making it I meant to add a dash of something alcoholic and forgot.

[Nicos]

Glad you got that microwave sorted so quickly!…wow!

Its a fairly soft mousse so needs serving straight from the fridge - I’ve not tried adding booze but it might make it too soft?
Piped cream sounds yummy. Let me know if you succeed if you give the booze a go at some point!
Hope you enjoy it x
I feel quite touched that you’re trying it out!

[Bren In Pots]

Evening

I'm another who only uses a microwave for defrosting and reheating. It's handy when you've batch cooked things like soup a quick zap and your meals ready.

[lottie dolly]

Hi I ended up not doing much,never mind,I to would miss the microwave,it is my convenience machine,is good you got it replaced so quickly,I wonder how FF is getting on filling the shelves up ,am thinking about a wrap tonight,I have some chicken and salad,simple and easy food,have a good evening ,if nothing good on the TV,it will be a film

[rary]

Good evening, its been nice day today, frost cleared by half eight, though it felt a bit cold when going up for my paper, back home made breakfsr for OH then washed the floors, just got them finished when daughter dropped in with the dogs, fortunately they weren't too mucky, went a walk with daughter and the dogs, went a rout I haven't been on for about 3 years nice to see how some trees have grown, more important nice to see some locals have been sorting the paths, so might start using this area again, after that I spent some time in the greenhouse, sowed some seeds and now need to look out some tomato seeds and get them sown, enjoy what's left of the weekend but keep safe an smiling. Goodnight

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all

Rary - it’s amazing how much trees grow when you stop to think about it.
We’ve commented on how much an elderflower tree has grown in the chicken run over the years.
A couple of weeks ago we came across a photo of the chicken run when we set up the fencing…and guess what?…no tree there at all - not even as a teeny weeny stick . It’s clearly self seeded and grown since we moved here 14 years ago. We could have sworn that it was there from the word go.

Today I’m intending to spend as much time in the garden as poss. Weather permitting. I need to finish off weeding the old strawberry bed and start on the potager next to it where we’ve got a few lettuce growing .

First things first…how about a brew followed by a sausage and egg butty?

[greenishfing]

We had a frost in the night. It's still only 3°C, but the sun is shining. It's forecast to cloud over shortly however.

Mr GF tried out the new microwave for his porridge and likes it I'm glad to say.

If the weather stays fine I'm going to the allotment, if not I think I am overdue to clean out the two odds and ends drawers in the kitchen. They are rammed full of everything: spare batteries, measuring tapes (at least three), pastry cutters, pen knives, the odd screwdriver, jar labels, bags of screws, nuts (no bolts), sticky tape, glue, picture hooks, drawing pins, birthday cake candles, mandolin, mezzanine luna herb chopper,and everything else imaginable. I spent ages looking for an icing bag in there yesterday. I'm sure lots of "rubbish" can either be thrown away (obsolete) or put somewhere more suitable. I might actually be able to see the remaining contents easily then as every time I root through them they end up even more messy.

[Nicos]

I have two drawers like that gf!!!!
One is the official ‘Man Drawer’ and the other is just a simple ‘Stuff Drawer’. Have to say though that I did raise my eyebrow at the thought of a mandolin in yours….….hope it’s in its box?

You see…as you can list their contents , you clearly could easily put your hands on them if needed . Clearly very well organised drawers!

Very occasionally I look for something I’ve not needed for years and up jumps in my mind where I stored it in our previous house 14 years ago!!!!