Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

First off, belated birthday greetings to Jamie. 

 

Well, apart from finishing making and then baking the spiced fruit tea loaf, I’ve done absolutely bu99er all else, it’s been rather nice. In fact, most of this week has been spent in the company of both Ava and Sheila and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Today, both Sheila and I have been telling Ava stories about her mum when she was younger, I’ll bet Vickie is pleased about that., NOT! 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

I could just eat Lasagna and chips right now I'm starving 

The first mention of lasagne in is a 14th century English cookbook. So I think we  British  can  eat it with whatever we like. If others don’t want to that is fine!

[simontaylor484]

I could eat a scabby donkey at this juncture. Still sat in A&E

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Erichill16]

17 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I could eat a scabby donkey at this juncture. Still sat in A&E

And go back for the hoofs?

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 

I don't think such things are so strange to Australians any more.

Yeah, the pub salad bar has gone a tad  fancypants  compared to  the days of  limp iceberg,  quartered rock hard tomato, slice of cucumber and an artistically carved radish all drowning in dressing.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[Adam88]

49 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I could eat a scabby donkey at this juncture. Still sat in A&E

 

Once when working in the US my host provided burritos for breakfast.  I explained this greasy delicacy to my father who asked whether it was donkey   He was a well read man but I had to look it up.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, Adam88 said:

asked whether it was donkey ...

Only a little donkey. 😉

[iL Dottore]

6 hours ago, Tony_S said:

The first mention of lasagne in is a 14th century English cookbook. So I think we  British  can  eat it with whatever we like. If others don’t want to that is fine!

Of course you can (de gustibus and all that)  - but then don’t be surprised to learn that the UK has the highest rate of obesity in Europe (28% up from 9.4% in 1975) after Turkey and Malta (and when broken down by sex, the UK has the most obese women in Europe [28.6%] after Turkey).

Bloomberg published an interesting article about obesity (https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/10-most-overweight-countries-in-europe-173658813.html). Cheap, low nutritional value, high sugar, high carbohydrate, high saturated fat food and excessive alcohol use are all fuelling this obesity epidemic.

Whilst you may wish to dismiss me as a “snobbish foodie” (foodie - yes, snobbish - no: food just has to be good quality and properly prepared/cooked, price and rarity are irrelevant) or a tofu-quinoa-chia munching hipster (definitely not me), consider this:  The NHS estimates that smoking, obesity and drink related illnesses (all avoidable) make up 40% of the disease burden on the NHS!

 

So, maybe chips and lasagna and a side order of garlic bread after 6 pints may not be such a good idea after all….

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by iL Dottore
Typo

[Ozexpatriate]

7 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

tofu-quinoa-chia munching hipster (definitely not me)

Tofu takes on the flavour of whatever it is cooked in. By itself it's pretty neutral but depending on the sauce, it is delicious. Or, like I've had as an appetizer in a Halal Thai restaurant I'd recommend, cubed and deep fried with peanut sauce. (Plenty of recipes online. The tofu needs to be dried, seasoned and tossed in cornstarch to get crispy.)

 

After my root canal during the week I didn't feel like cooking and grabbed some food at a supermarket deli. The apple curried quinoa salad was excellent as a side dish.

 

These meet any 'foodie' definition and did not involve any industrial, plant-based meat substitute.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

Couldn't get to sleep was a couple of hours late doing so, sleep afterwards was intermittent.. woke finally  with back pain, probably due to half a day walking on hard streets..

 

Ben the clever Collie doesn't wear a wrist watch, it'll take a week or two before he gets used to the time change.. we've been out, grass very wet , not a lot of the forecast wind...

 

I didn't see what the Italian street food was. Our trip in being early yesterday to get parking, the muggacoffee stop was before most stalls were open. The bacon roll and coffee stalls are the earliest open, for the stall holders breakfasts.

 

It appears Boscombe's Gate guardian is still there, I last saw it in about 95,

 

28 people were killed when a Yarmouth to Norwich ferry capsized... in the late 1300s!!

Just finished a book on the broads, a lot of history in this detailed book. It was strange though to read of families 100 to 200 years ago involved with life on the rivers, whose descendants I know and are still on the broads today. In fact I'll meet a couple when I go to the sailing club later...

 

With the change of hours I'm getting hungry,

 

Time to make breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

So, maybe chips and lasagna and a side order of garlic bread after 6 pints may not be such a good idea after all….

 

After 6 pints a kebab is traditional rather than lasagna, though chains like Chicken Cottage and Maryland Chicken are flourishing as well. 

[polybear]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Whilst you may wish to dismiss me as a “snobbish foodie” (foodie - yes, snobbish - no: food just has to be good quality and properly prepared/cooked

 

This Bear certainly doesn't consider you as that.

Bear will freely admit that his culinary skills are (a) slighty below perfect, and (b) leave a little something to be desired in the healthy eating nutritional stakes.  However, the mere idea of spending serious time in the kitchen just doesn't float this Bear's Boat and I really can't be ar5ed.  Full marks to those who (a) can, and (b) do though.

As for good quality healthy eating, even mere fruit n' veg meeting those requirements must be pretty difficult nowadays due to all the chemicals & pesticides used in farming.

 

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

The NHS estimates that smoking, obesity and drink related illnesses (all avoidable) make up 40% of the disease burden on the NHS!

 

So, maybe chips and lasagna and a side order of garlic bread after 6 pints may not be such a good idea after all….

 

 

Bear actually dodges the Garlic Bread - I love the stuff but it's anti-social consequences make it a no-no unless Bear is home alone with no visitors for the next day or so.  G.B. is a rare occurrence in Bear Towers.

 

Incidentally, whilst Bear might not be at the very peak of culinary healthy eating perfection (hard to believe, I know 🤣) I've never drunk, smoked or taken naughty substances and my just-checked BMI is 23.6 and in the green zone (with a 4.2Kg "cushion" before I hit the amber zone).  Don't ask me how......

 

Incidentally (and after a reminder of it's existence on the radio this morning) here's a little something to make @iL Dottore lose the will to live:

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-instant-mashed-potato-2x80g?istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=papliplrp&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=15424330555&utm_content=shopping&utm_term={sku}&utm_custom1=129852755749&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwfiaBhC7ARIsAGvcPe4O3kfDlW87raLbJkwn3djyWuAQ3z1M0QREV-lx498rfqrJuYqDYX4aAoz0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Right, Bear here....

Today sees a test of the friendly paint stripper - I just hope it's not too friendly, especially to years of paint....

What else?  Er, not sure yet - maybe some priming of wall areas to be filled using 1:5 PVA/Water, followed by marking the line just below the ceiling to act as a guide when installing the coving; once that's done I need to scratch a sh*t load of large "X's" in the plaster just above the marked line as it helps the coving adhesive to grip the wall.  After that it's a MIUABGA day.....

Bear gone.

Edited October 30, 2022 by polybear

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

… apple curried quinoa salad was excellent as a side dish

We went for a walk round the local RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) gardens a couple of days ago. Loads of heritage apple trees, quite a few spicy plants and in the South American section, quinoa. Chia was growing too. Didn’t see any tofu trees though. 

[iL Dottore]

6 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

…here's a little something to make @iL Dottore lose the will to live:

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-instant-mashed-potato-2x80g?istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=papliplrp&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=15424330555&utm_content=shopping&utm_term={sku}&utm_custom1=129852755749&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwfiaBhC7ARIsAGvcPe4O3kfDlW87raLbJkwn3djyWuAQ3z1M0QREV-lx498rfqrJuYqDYX4aAoz0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Eeeek!

 

It’s not the shortcut to mashed potato that’s the issue (a busy cook who hasn’t got an entire brigade de cuisine to rely on will sometimes use quality shortcuts), rather it”s the Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Disodium Diphosphate; Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Black Pepper Extract, :Sodium Metabisulphite (I didn’t know that you could even raise Metabisulphites in captivity 🤣)

 

Ironically, some of the packaged “quick convenience food” actually takes as long/longer to make than doing from scratch (once whilst shopping at Sainsbury’s I looked at the instructions on one such “quick”convenience food packet [a pasta dish] - which shaved about a minute off doing the same dish from scratch)

 

[Erichill16]

12 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

. Didn’t see any tofu trees though. 

I think they are next to the spaghetti trees.

[iL Dottore]

9 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

…in the South American section, quinoa. Chia was growing too. Didn’t see any tofu trees though. 

There’s been a lot of concern about the impact of high Western Europe/US demand for quinoa on food security and the impact on the poor (traditional consumers) in the quinoa producing countries of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

And it’s not terribly environmentally friendly to ship it halfway across the world (which could also be said of many of the other foodstuffs traditionally associated with the Millennials and hipsters).

 

p.s. of course you wouldn’t have seen any Tofu Trees - Tofu is a shrub (as ane fule kno 🤣)

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

pasta dish] - which shaved about a minute off doing the same dish from scratch)

 

I think the pasta we are taking over to MiL’s today is beyond our ability to make so we are happy to make use of the Italian artisans who made it and put it in a packet. Ferricelli is wound round an iron rod and air dried. Air drying wouldn’t be a good idea here today as it would seem to be unusually damp out. One other ingredient from the final dish will be omitted too as MiL has said,she doesn’t want fish anymore. I don’t like anchovies anyway so I am not unhappy about it. 

[Tony_S]

3 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

impact on the poor (traditional consumers) in the quinoa producing countries of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

It seems to grow perfectly well in the Essex uplands though it may possibly have to compete for space with the vineyards. 

[Gwiwer]

49 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

After 6 pints a kebab is traditional rather than lasagna, though chains like Chicken Cottage and Maryland Chicken are flourishing as well. 

And so, regretably, is the swift conversion of the kebab and ales into a street pizza by means of a Technicolor© Yawn 🤮

 

The moral of that story is limit yourself to four pints 🤣

[Gwiwer]

17 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

It seems to grow perfectly well in the Essex uplands though it may possibly have to compete for space with the vineyards. 

Frinton-on-Sea is replacing its greensward with grapes????? 🤔🍷😂

[Erichill16]

Unfortunately I am quite used to the additives in food having to eat gluten free.

It is said  that eating at home is the safest, then at friends, then ‘out’ and then on holiday being the riskiest.

When out I’ve be advised to eat only at Coeliac UK registered establishments and if not go to large chain establishments where there cross contamination procedures will me more robust.  There are very few registered place near where I live (or anywhere really) and they tend to be high end restaurants rather than tea shops / cafes. As you gather We go out quite often with Syd to the garden centres but I really take my life in my own hands at these establishments. I can either have something that’s been prepared on site and marked GF and risk the consequences or have something prepackaged in a gluten-free environment. 
Quite a few places proclaim ‘gluten free bread’ is available but that doesn’t mean what you  get served is GF. As GF bread tastes terrible it is usually offered as a ‘toastie’ ’ but I have to use my own toaster at home so do they have a dedicated toaster? Same with spreads (butter etc) can’t afford a crumb of ordinary bread from the spread contaminating my GF offering. I’ve been advised that I should ask to inspect the kitchen before ordering! Can’t be @rsed and I’m sure that’s a way to get chefs GF special sauce added to you dish.
It’s much safer eating the ‘pre packed’ offering with all its additives.

Anyway better get a move on, we may be taking mil out.

 

[PupCam]

Morning All!

 

17 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Quite a few places proclaim ‘gluten free bread’ is available but that doesn’t mean what you  get served is GF. As GF bread tastes terrible it is usually offered as a ‘toastie’ ’ but I have to use my own toaster at home so do they have a dedicated toaster? Same with spreads (butter etc) can’t afford a crumb of ordinary bread from the spread contaminating my GF offering. I’ve been advised that I should ask to inspect the kitchen before ordering! Can’t be @rsed and I’m sure that’s a way to get chefs GF special sauce added to you dish.

It’s much safer eating the ‘pre packed’ offering with all its additives.

Anyway better get a move on, we may be taking mil out.

 

 

The wife of a very good, "model railway" friend (probably known to many here, but No Names, No pack-drill as they say)  was finally diagnosed as Coeliac some years ago.   They now effectively have two kitchens as you describe and I know how difficult it is for them to eat out.  As you say, to some extent she has to take her life in her hands every-time she does so.     Not a nice condition so SPTs to you Eric!

 

In Other News

 

Puppers felt extremely tired when he got up despite the "extra hour".    As it was raining I bailed out of the adventure to the Danish Camp.   My neighbour is a much hardier type and I've just heard the thumping tones of a Velocette roar off bound for Bedford.   

 

Anyway, they'll be another day ......

 

So, Puppers may well turn his attention to making a little fixture to help locate the timing side crankcase when we drill the new oil way today.    Or he may just sit on his bxx 🤔

 

TTFNQ