Chitchat thread #24

[lottie dolly]

Good morning all,was raining now suns out,finaly got cakes done,and the kitchen mess cleared up,please help yourselves to cake,choc,coffee and walnut and a an LD mix,sponge with jam,hint of ginger and sultanas,it feels nice and moist,also a drinks tray,enjoy,of to my group later on,have a lovely day and Bgood2yourselves

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Rary, if that's a lazy day, what do you do on a busy day? Hope your OH starts to feel better soon.

Cloudy here. Relief for the eyes, that's for sure. Did the watering and barely had to dodge any wasps, as it was cool enough to keep them all still tucked up in my bolted lettuce or in their nests.

Busy day ahead finishing off paid work and then settling down to work out bills. Getting paid is one of the the best things about working! Sadly, I can't take early retirement. Missed the boat at my last birthday! Everyone told me it was this year! Will just have to work out how to say no more often to work I don't want to do... I don't find that very easy.

Also looks like more bread and buns will be required today. In this instance, not so much as gifts but as bribes for people taking delivery of stuff I've had shipped over from my mum's house in the UK. Should be arriving soon, so better get ready with the cakes.

The smiles were in a good mood this morning, as the buns will be lemon and blueberry. Always popular. I shooed the smiles out, though, to make sure they do the usual rounds. Hope they're making it all the way up north to you, Rary.

Have a great day, everyone.

[bramble]

Good morning all.
A bit on the dull side but at least it's not raining,
Domestics this morning and then playtime this afternoon with my grandson.

Lottie, you've been busy in the kitchen, I will try a little bit of all of your cakes
Enjoy meeting up with your friends.

Have a good day all.

[greenishfing]

Good morning all. I feel shattered this morning. I hope I'm not coming down with something. I just ache all over and everything is an effort. I'll try and fight my way through it and take it easy today.

It was raining earlier and more showers are forecast later.

I amazed myself yesterday by ordering things online for a birthday that's 3 weeks away. Unheard of organisation from me.

I think I'm going to go back to bed for an hour and see if I wake up feeling a bit better.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
As forecast …. Loads of rain and thunder whilst we were away , but there were enough sunny breaks too to sit out and eat and explore a couple of interesting historical and prehistorical places without getting wet.

I came back to a pile of windfall apples, so I guess that’s most of my afternoon sorted!

I use my microwave very regularly. Glad to see I’m not the only one who uses it for Birds custard. Doesn’t stick does it!
I prepare a lot of ready meals and once defrosted ( I try and let them do that naturally) they are great heated up in the microwave as they don’t dry up . I have memories of my mom plating up food for me when I was out with the horses at mealtimes. She’d rest the plate on a pan of simmering water with a lid on top . Worked well too.
I’ll often cook veg slightly ahead of time and then zap it in the microwave to get it back up to temperature. Less hassle than trying to get everything coming together at the last minute- particularly when the ‘ last minute’ generally ends up being very flexible!
Porridge works well in there - with a bit of stirring.
I’ll melt / soften frozen butter if I have an impulse to bake. I know part will liquify but I go with the thought that if you can add oil to make a cake then why not semi liquid butter!
The one thing I’m on high alert with is reheating Xmas pud. I’ve read some horror stories about them bursting into flames
Exploding egg yolks is something to watch out for.
I’ve also gently heated biscuits and crisps which have gone slightly soft. That works.
I’ve made sponge cakes but tend to add a teaspoon of cocoa as they can look insipid- unless you have a combi/ grill type microwave.
Heating up left over pizza works well ( I know - what’s ‘left over pizza’ you ask) but I place a glass of water in there too to help keep it moist or it can go like cardboard.
I stew my apples in it too in Pyrex bowls. Those don’t get as hot as other dishes.
Also cooking a bowl of blackberries before squashing with a potato masher to release the juices.
Heating a lemon slightly before squeezing the juices out really works.
Gosh …the list is endless .I’d be lost without mine!

Speaking of which…I best get that machine earning its keep - I have a mound of apples to prepare for the freezer !

Enjoy your day peeps - I did see the smiles earlier - I saw them glittering overhead in the sunshine and it looked like they were heading up towards Mrs Rary. I hope they drop off a haggis on the way back. I’m really fancying some haggis.

Best crack on - I keep getting distracted

oh and at muchly for those cakes lottie - yum yum and triple yum!

[Snoop Puss]

Brilliant, Nicos. Thanks for all the info.

I tried using it yesterday before the sun was up to heat up milk for my coffee. Not worth it. Doesn't take long for our solar batteries to plummet. But on bright days, we have more electricity than we know what to do with, so it will get plenty of use during the daytime.

I used our previous one a lot when we lived on grid. Fantastic for fish. One of Mr Snoop's favourite things was a real kid special: souffléed rice pud. Make a rice pud, mash in a banana and an egg yolk then fold in the whipped white. Cook in microwave till well risen (can't remember for how long now so will doubtless have to experiment a few times..). I foresee a few lunches being puds of one variety or another.

[lottie dolly]

The cake is for my birthday 79 today,it is only a bit of paper hehehe

[greenishfing]

The cake is for my birthday 79 today,it is only a bit of paper hehehe

Happy Birthday!

[Nicos]

Many happies Lottie!

[Nicos]

Nice recipe Snoop. You know I’m going to have to try that now don’t you?

I’ve never cooked fish in my M/W …any tips please?

Just a thought….could you heat milk and leave it in a flask over night?
I’m filling a thermos most times now when I boil the kettle if there is any spare.
Not sure if milk would change flavour if kept hot overnight? Anyone tried that? Would it stay hot enough?

I’m experimenting too because of the camper van ….

[Jungle Jane]

Happy Birthday LD enjoy your day Snoop/Nicos & everyone who likes a cuppa,would you get one of those ghillie kettles,camping kettle,needs no electric,just little sticks,they look fun. Talking of fish,I remember when our dad cooked kippers in the microwave,the kitchen would be stinky,I’m grateful I grew up with all these cheese & fish smells,makes me not mind the smell I’ve cooked salmon in the microwave with a bit of butter & lemon,needs covering with a plate or you can get special microwave containers but I never have bowls & plates do fine. Melt chocolate in there too,put squares in a bowl takes a minute & twenty seconds,I know that well lol!

[Nicos]

Oh yes…melting chocolate - I do that too.
I did slightly overcook some once and caught it just before it burnt - and it came out a bit like an aero.

Will try the fish - sounds simple enough…don’t know why I’ve never tried it before. Maybe I expected it to cook unevenly?

I’d also never heard of the ghillie kettle ! How have I ever coped without one!…looks amazing I’ve actually saved the link to that.
You are a VERY bad influence JJ !

[rary]

Morning all.

Rary, if that's a lazy day, what do you do on a busy day? Hope your OH starts to feel better soon.
The smiles were in a good mood this morning, as the buns will be lemon and blueberry. Always popular. I shooed the smiles out, though, to make sure they do the usual rounds. Hope they're making it all the way up north to you, Rary.

Have a great day, everyone.

Snoop a busy day consists of dodging about trying to avoid housework

[rary]

Good evening, was at the church coffee morning before taking the dogs for a walk, and very little done after that till it was time to pick up a couple of the grandsons, c
Just got the news about the Queen, though not an ardent royalist, it it sad news as she was a corner stone of the country, and a committed Christian.
God bless

[Nicos]

Hi there Rary.
Not a royalist either, but it’s always sad when someone dies. Especially as devoted as she was to her work.
It’s going to be strange to think England has a King again.

I realise some of us are only a tad older than the rest of of us… but does anyone remember George VI dying? ( 1952)
I remember seeing the funeral of Churchill on the TV back in 1965