Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Pottering worked...., I shall be back in the shed again today to do a bit of checking on lathe accuracy.

[Sue]

Bob was out most of the day yesterday doing the Santa Special at the model train track. I sewed, cookec soup for the week and generally pottered. Today We shall go swimming early. I have a two hour sewing lesson afterwards but then a quiet afternoon.

[PanBiker]

Waiting for Emma, should be 9.30, I think this session will be my last physio before Christmas.

[Marilyn]

I made ice-cream today, from scratch, for the first time ever. I don't have a machine. I saw Mary Berry making ice-cream without a machine on TV the other day and followed her recipe. ( always wanting to walk before I could crawl, I added Baileys and finely chopped Cherry Ripe!) gosh it is creamy and gorgeous. Will be doing this often adding different flavours!
Very proud of my wee self I am....

[Sue]

I made ice-cream today, from scratch, for the first time ever. I don't have a machine. I saw Mary Berry making ice-cream without a machine on TV the other day and followed her recipe. ( always wanting to walk before I could crawl, I added Baileys and finely chopped Cherry Ripe!) gosh it is creamy and gorgeous. Will be doing this often adding different flavours!
Very proud of my wee self I am....

Did it set ok, when I put alcohol in mine it never set!

[Marilyn]

Yes, it set beautifully. Beginner's luck?!
I put the Baileys into the cream before I whipped it to peaks, then folded the condensed milk and finely chopped Cherry Ripe in. Deliciously creamy Icecream. Thanks, Mary Berry!

[Stanley]

Ian, hope it goes well and progress is maintained!



This doesn't look very exciting and it took 3 hours in the shed yesterday but if you have a look at yesterday's Shed Matters it's a bit of a goodie in many ways. Very pleased with my spell in the shed. I shall be in there again today!
I have remembered that I am due in Butts Clinic tomorrow for my retinal scan..... Deep joy, those eye drops are murder!!

[Sue]

Yes, it set beautifully. Beginner's luck?!
I put the Baileys into the cream before I whipped it to peaks, then folded the condensed milk and finely chopped Cherry Ripe in. Deliciously creamy Icecream. Thanks, Mary Berry!

I used creme de menthe. It was delicious but rather runny.

Yoga this morning, hospice shop this afternoon and pilates at tea time. Quite a normal day today.

[Stanley]

I am impressed by anyone who has a supply of Creme de Menthe in the house!
Not sure today beyond a visit by Susan this morning. Pottering in the shed I think! Then my sleep and more Tomblands.....

[Sue]

I am impressed by anyone who has a supply of Creme de Menthe in the house!
Not sure today beyond a visit by Susan this morning. Pottering in the shed I think! Then my sleep and more Tomblands.....

Not now Stanley but quite a few years ago. My great aunt loved it ( purely medicinal you realise ) and we kept some for her visits. She used to stay with us for a couple of weeks in the summer for a few years before she died.

We will probably go for a walk this morning, this afternoon is the hairdressers for me and this evening pilates.

[Stanley]

This morning suddenly turned into shopping and cooking..... No point pushing to get into the shed just for pottering!

[Big Kev]

I have a small bottle of Kendal Mint Cake liqueur, I presume that will be similar to Creme de Menthe. I've not yet felt the urge to open it

[Stanley]

Go on Kev, be a devil!
Not sure yet what I will be doing. One must is to finish Tomblands today so I can give it to Susan for holiday reading!

[Marilyn]

Can't stand anything Minty. ( not in drink form or chocolate form). Don't like Mint Sauce either.
All tastes like toothpaste to me!
I particularly HATE Spearmint flavour, and would never buy that even in a toothpaste.
I don't like Orange/chocolate combinations either. ( in drink form/ dessert form/ or chocolate)

[Big Kev]

Perhaps a list of what you do like would be shorter Maz

[Marilyn]

True. ( and yet the list of things I really hate is very short...broad beans, garlic, minty things, pork, and anything swimming in fat! I also hate blue vein cheese and really yellow cheese. I don't like many alcoholic drinks either)
Nutmeg brings back horrible childhood memories too

[Sue]

There are a few things i am not keen on, such as bananas and most sweet puddings. Lancashire and other white crumbly cheeses make me go very hot and red...some sort of allergy I think. I would however eat them if I was hungry and there was nothing else or to be sociable but I would starve rather than eat porridge, which makes me gag and heave. Even the thought of it whilst writing this makes me feel like that. I can’t wash a dirty bowl or pan with the stuff. My family all love it but are completely responsible for its own production and disposal

I blame it on my Dad, who was not the best cook in the world. When I was 3-7 years old both my parents worked long hours. Dad used to prepare breakfast ie porridge in the evening and warm it up for breakfast at 7.00 am . It was disgusting lumpy stuff that used to stick in my throat. I was told that was breakfast eat it or go hungry. I tried to eat it and on more than one occasion I was sick. Eventually I decided to go hungry. I think I developed my unusual love of golden syrup in those days as I tried to smother the porridge in something I could swallow

Visiting friends this morning as their Christmas card revealed both have been very ill recently. I used to see their daughter at my yoga class and ask after them but I think extra Working hours over the last few weeks have prevented her attending. My friend who I used to work with at Rochdale College nearly 40 years ago has been diagnosed with cancer and has had some form of operation. Her husband had a fall after he blacked out, from an unknown cause. Both are in their late 70s and early 80s so it is a little concerning.

[Marilyn]

I actually find the subject of likes and dislikes, as regard to taste/texture/smells quite fascinating.
Why are we so different?
I have a son who can chow down on salami/Choritzo/garlic with gusto. And yet I cannot stand them.
Why is it so?he loves Steak drizzled with Garlic Sauce, served with Garlic Bread. After he has visited, I have to throw anything in the fridge with Garlic in, because I cannot stand the smell even of sauces in sealed bottles. I buy them again next time he visits, but in the meantime I can not tolerate them.

[Big Kev]

I have found that tastes change, simple things like sugar in tea. Up until I turned 20 I always had two teaspoons of sugar in a cup of tea, I can't even drink it if it has been any near a spoon that's had sugar on it

The one thing I will draw the line at is tripe, anything else bring it on

[Marilyn]

I I am down to a half teaspoon of sugar...but only in 2 cups of coffee before noon. After noon, I drink only tap water. ( unless I have red wine with dinner). After dinner I drink water again.

[Tizer]

I used to love black pudding as a child. I think my mum steamed it. But later, when I left home, any black pudding available seemed to be fried and not so nice.

[Stanley]

I draw the line at snails and fried insects.... No doubt there would be other bush tucker I would reject but in the normal run of things I can eat anything.
Today is shopping, meeting Susan at the bus stop, writing a thank you letter to Bosom Friends and deciding what to read next..... It's all go......

[Marilyn]

Cleaned the van and made up the beds. Restocked a few items in the drawers ( T-towels, Rubbish bags, dishwashing liquid etc). Dave flushed the water tank and I cleaned the filter. He also checked the tyres. It's good to go...just needs food, clothes and us!
Heading off on Boxing Day...

[Mags]

Look out Max, we have a 40 plus degree day today so you will be getting it in a few days.

[Marilyn]

that's why I did the cleaning and wrestled with the bedding today. I hate the heat.
We have great air-conditioning in the van, both when we are driving and when we are plugged in at the camp-site. The air is so cool that Dave puts a cardigan on! He likes to sit outside when it's hot and I like to curl up with a good book inside in the cool. So long as we have power, I am comfortable...