Chitchat thread #24

[Florence Fennel]

I can't have the heating on until the radiators have been painted, so it's a bit chilly in here. To make matters worse, the cat has just been for his treats and I have to keep the door open so he has an escape route. Himself has got the best idea - he's still in bed!
Despite the temperature, the water in the bird bath is not frozen.

[greenishfing]

Good morning all.

Absolutely Baltic weather here. The parked cars that I can see are all frozen solid. I think the temprature is supposed to climb to above zero in the next hour or two. I had yet another rubbish night's sleep and went and turned our thermostat well up at about 6am. We're supposed to get snow this evening and tomorrow. When I looked at the forecast last night it was predicting 10 to 12cm, but that has changed to 5 to 7cm. .......... not that I believe the forecasters.

I will go out later and grab some odds and ends, and more milk, just in case we wake up to a blizzard in the morning.

I need to make us another Christmas cake in the next few days and my youngest sister also sent me a Mary Berry tea bread recipe yesterday to try, which she recommends. We spent nearly two hours on the phone yesterday.

I've just found out her daughter has moved out and bought a house with a garden covered in fake grass and a wooden patio she plans to get rid of. I asked my sister if something for the house would be a good idea for her at Christmas. My sister suggested something for the garden, bearing in mind she's an absolute beginner who has little spare time but likes to cook vegetarian food from scratch. It doesn't seem long ago when, as a 7 or 8 year old, she shyly asked me if she could have a few vegetables from my allotment for her harvest festival at school. She insisted on digging up her own potatoes, and having a photo taken of her doing it, to go with the (banana) box full of my veg and fruit, and my sister's jams and chutneys. Evidently when she and her mother turned up at school with it and her headmaster put it separate as a "Special" she was overjoyed. As she grew older she would always come to the allotment to pick cherries, usually with a couple of friends. I don't think she's ever had a spade in her hand since digging up those potatoes though.

Time for more coffee I think.

[bramble]

Good morning all. A dull and wet start to the week here.
Nothing exciting today domestics. I was due to go out for lunch but it's been cancelled.
Plenty to keep me busy.
Have a good day all.

[Snoop Puss]

I need to make us another Christmas cake in the next few days.

Might you fancy sharing the recipe on the new thread, GF?

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...stive-specials

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
Blustery and raining here. Definitely an indoor day. Our snow is forecast for Wednesday evening. I’ll get my grory hop done before then if it’s still forecast.
Our small lanes become ice rinks,as they only salt the major roads , so I want to be stocked up for when our friends come to stay on Friday.
I had intended going Thursday as it’s market day and there’s a massive hypermarket nearby, but it’s minor roads all the way there…

More sewing for me…the Fair is this coming Sunday, so it’s fast approaching.

Enjoy your day peeps…and remember to pass on a smile.
Speaking of which…..I’ve not seen the Smiles this morning…are they sorting out their winter wardrobes?…S’ousters and thermals maybe?

[lottie dolly]

Afternoon all,it is cold here,but not like up north yet,will have to remember to look at the car earlier on before going out,in case it needs defrosting,we take it for granted in the other months,not been on over the week end,i have not been well,a flippinn ear infection,very pain full,thought my ear drum was going to bust yesterday, when trying to blow my nose,the noises in the ear were horrible,to much preasure,much better today,still ache and bunged up,awe well,tripple sqeek and get on with it,the new cooking thread is a good idea ,stay safe everyone,it sounds a good idea to have some extas in,just in case,i got lots off candles from years ago,so nod to myself ad matches to the list,in case the lecie goes off,it will be bad if that happens as no central heating,i have a calor gas heater,might be a good idead to see about a refil,need to look for a stokist near me,oh the joys of bad winters,i pitty those on the bread line,

[Snoop Puss]

Good to see you, LD. Nicos commented on not seeing the smiles recently and I thought they might have been stopping with you, as you'd had a good weekend. But obviously not. Sorry to hear you've been unwell. Ear infections are really nasty things.

Looking forward to your contributions on the new thread. Greenishfing has posted a few things and has probably got more up her sleeve. So we'd better all chip in to keep up!

[lottie dolly]

Thank you Snoop,ME,i need retraining on some things,people go crazy over my coffee walnut cake,and tiramisue,got out of the way on lts of things since i moved as had not much call for,but i did iron some shirt shirts this afternoon,the first for a few years,just hope i done em right hehe,and before you say anything,it was my idea ,it was certainly a difference from a flick over my things that need it,ref smiles did see a few on Saturday but nothing since,unlesss they been sheltering in my greenhouse

[Bren In Pots]

LD a friend used to make a rather nice coffee walnut cake I never did get the recipe from her so yours would be welcome.

Its been snowing here for a while so we have the LED camping lights and battery ready plus some candles hopefully we won't be needing them.

[greenishfing]

Good evening

It is really cold here. My latest Amazon delivery arrived a couple of hours ago. .... .brushed cotton deep fitted sheets. I will wash them before I use them. They feel nice. They ones I am using now seem to shrink slightly every time I wash them and to get them on the mattress is a fight and a half. I am hoping the new ones aren't as much of a struggle.

I think, out of the corner of my eye, I saw some of the smiles rushing past pulling their sledges. I'm sure that if the promised snow appears they will be flying downhill.

According to the forecast we have an 89% chance of snow in the next hour. No sign yet however.

[Bren In Pots]

GF we’re having the same problem with some Aldi brushed cotton sheets it’s a shame because they’re cosy and warm.

[greenishfing]

GF we’re having the same problem with some Aldi brushed cotton sheets it’s a shame because they’re cosy and warm.

The one's that I nearly gave myself a hernia putting on the bed last week feel great. They were cheap striped ones from Dunelm and they certainly don't need ironing as they are pulled so tight they couldn't possibly have any creases. I'm just not strong enough to keep waging war with them.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks for sharing the cake on the new thread, LD. It would have been my mum's birthday today and coffee and walnut was her favourite. I'll try and give it a go over the weekend.

[greenishfing]

The world is white! We certainly have snow here. Just a good covering so far but it looks set to continue.

[bramble]

Good night all. No snow here, but it hasn't stopped raining all day and it's still falling.
Sorry to hear you had an ear infection Lottiel very painful.
GF, I know what you mean about struggling with the fitted sheets, plenty of strength needed.
I must dig out some of my old recipes, I used to bake regularly when my children were younger,
Stay warm all and have a good night.