What’s on your mind?

[arkitect]

It's a glorious Spring day here today!

Blue skies… little puffy white clouds, green hills across the valley.
Looking forward to summer!

Until I look at the trees and realise, oh, this is just a gorgeous Autumn day… and not going to last much longer than mid afternoon.

The dark winter awaits… For all the cosiness and snuggling up and fires and roasted chestnuts, I hate the darkness, the having to wrap up in several layers of clothing.

Blah…

 

[kazmac]

I am thinking about good things, random.

 

[decafjava]

I am thinking about good things, random.

One good thing and kinda odd is how much I discovered I enjoy snacking on raw celery stalk. Tear off one, cut of the bottom rinse and eat, leaves and all. I feel like I'm eating a tree - like with raw broccoli. Gotta be local/organic though.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's a glorious Spring day here today!

Blue skies… little puffy white clouds, green hills across the valley.
Looking forward to summer!

Until I look at the trees and realise, oh, this is just a gorgeous Autumn day… and not going to last much longer than mid afternoon.

The dark winter awaits… For all the cosiness and snuggling up and fires and roasted chestnuts, I hate the darkness, the having to wrap up in several layers of clothing.

Blah…

Agree with your sentiments about autumn (and the unwelcome approach of winter) completely.

 

[lowendlinux]

This afternoon I found out I was referred for the position

Now comes the waiting game, the hiring official will probably get the resumes next week, another two weeks to cull them, so interviews sometime around the middle of October

 

[arkitect]

Just noticed that it is the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath again this weekend…
What would Bath tourism be without the woman? Even though she pretty much hated her years here.

So the weekend will be streets full of folk in 19th Century costume. Some really push out the boat… many look distinctly homespun.

What I have noticed though is modern people generally don't wear old fashioned clothes comfortably or with nonchalance. (Same at weddings. All the fascinators and men sweating under ties.)

Mostly because they jump from jeans and t-shirts into breeches and bonnets.
They fidget and rub and pull… and when it rains the dresses trail muddily… because no one taught them how to deal with the excess "stuff".

Anyway. I look forward to rubber necking over coffee as they shuffle by on Saturday morning.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just noticed that it is the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath again this weekend…
What would Bath tourism be without the woman? Even though she pretty much hated her years here.

So the weekend will be streets full of folk in 19th Century costume. Some really push out the boat… many look distinctly homespun.

What I have noticed though is modern people generally don't wear old fashioned clothes comfortably or with nonchalance. (Same at weddings. All the fascinators and men sweating under ties.)

Mostly because they jump from jeans and t-shirts into breeches and bonnets.
They fidget and rub and pull… and when it rains the dresses trail muddily… because no one taught them how to deal with the excess "stuff".

Anyway. I look forward to rubber necking over coffee as they shuffle by on Saturday morning.

I think it is a mixture of the clothing itself - this is very strange and different to what people are used to, not to mention probably quite uncomfortable, if authentic - and the fact that people aren't used to wearing it.

 

[scubachap]

You sure it's a festival? To be honest that just looks like a normal day in Bath to me ... We all know its terribly la de dah round those parts.

Mind you heed my warning - that should you find you stray further south west and out to the bad lands of Bridgewater and Yeovil that you'll probably find it's more 14th C there...

 

[arkitect]

You sure it's a festival? To be honest that just looks like a normal day in Bath to me ... We all know its terribly la de dah round those parts.

Mind you heed my warning - that should you find you stray further south west and out to the bad lands of Bridgewater and Yeovil that you'll probably find it's more 14th C there...

Hahaha.
No even for us Bathonians it is not regular dress. Most of us find all the JA stuff a real pain in the proverbial.

Besides I suspect most of these dresser uppers are from further afield.

Oh yes, I agree, the further south west you go it gets all mediaeval. "Arrr!"… better known as poirit tahk.

 

[mobilehaathi]

One good thing and kinda odd is how much I discovered I enjoy snacking on raw celery stalk. Tear off one, cut of the bottom rinse and eat, leaves and all. I feel like I'm eating a tree - like with raw broccoli. Gotta be local/organic though.

Bleaaaachh. By all means eat it to extinction. The world will be a better place for it!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

@mobilehaathi: You like sours, and sour beers and citrus fruit (as do I).

In central Asia, and Turkey, I have had fresh pomegranate juice when it is in season - delicious, sharp and tart and wonderfully palate cleansing (and horribly healthy).

Today, I bought a bottle of pomegranate molasses - a thick syrup - comprised of 100% pomegranate juice, in my cheesemonger's.

I had intended using this in salad dressings, much as I use aged balsamic vinegar, or cider vinegar, - and you can indeed use it for dressings and marinades.

However, the label also said you can use it as a cordial, which is what I am doing just now - a mug of piping hot water, pomegranate molasses and a spoon of (locally sourced) honey; I also added a large teaspoon of Italian apricot preserve (145g of fruit per 100g). Delicious.

Re on my mind, I have a bit of juggling to manage for this coming Monday; my mother is due to return from the hospice having had a week's respite care, - by ambulance, - and I received word this morning that I am supposed to be available for an important meeting at the exact same time.

I've attempted to reschedule the latter, for later in the week, but haven't heard back from them yet.

 

[mobilehaathi]

@mobilehaathi: You like sours, and sour beers and citrus fruit (as do I).

In central Asia, and Turkey, I have had fresh pomegranate juice when it is in season - delicious, sharp and tart and wonderfully palate cleansing (and horribly healthy).

Today, I bought a bottle of pomegranate molasses - a thick syrup - comprised of 100% pomegranate juice, in my cheesemonger's.

I had intended using this in salad dressings, much as I use aged balsamic vinegar, or cider vinegar, - and you can indeed use it for dressings and marinades.

However, the label also said you can use it as a cordial, which is what I am doing just now - a mug of piping hot water, pomegranate molasses and a spoon of (locally sourced) honey; I also added a large teaspoon of Italian apricot preserve (145g of fruit per 100g). Delicious.

Re on my mind, I have a bit of juggling to manage for this coming Monday; my mother is due to return from the hospice having had a week's respite care, - by ambulance, - and I received word this morning that I am supposed to be available for an important meeting at the exact same time.

I've attempted to reschedule the latter, for later in the week, but haven't heard back from them yet.

Ah yes I usually keep a bottle of pomegranate molasses around. Making a tea with it sounds like a great idea.

 

[Apple fanboy]

This afternoon I found out I was referred for the position

No comes the waiting game, the hiring official will probably get the resumes next week, another two weeks to cull them, so interviews sometime around the middle of October

Good luck.
[doublepost=1536959881][/doublepost]

Just noticed that it is the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath again this weekend…
What would Bath tourism be without the woman? Even though she pretty much hated her years here.

So the weekend will be streets full of folk in 19th Century costume. Some really push out the boat… many look distinctly homespun.

What I have noticed though is modern people generally don't wear old fashioned clothes comfortably or with nonchalance. (Same at weddings. All the fascinators and men sweating under ties.)

Mostly because they jump from jeans and t-shirts into breeches and bonnets.
They fidget and rub and pull… and when it rains the dresses trail muddily… because no one taught them how to deal with the excess "stuff".

Anyway. I look forward to rubber necking over coffee as they shuffle by on Saturday morning.

How odd. Looks like that Victorian woman on the right has some sort of weird looking snuffbox or powder puff in her hand that looks strangely familiar!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Good luck.
[doublepost=1536959881][/doublepost]
How odd. Looks like that Victorian woman on the right has some sort of weird looking snuffbox or powder puff in her hand that looks strangely familiar!

Reminds me of the picture my brother sent me of the stills shot in advance of the release of Downton Abbey one year; unbeknownst to all and sundry - unnoticed and quite utterly forgotten - resting on a mantelpiece in that gloriously authentic drawing room, was a (quite splendidly out of place) plastic bottle of mineral water.

My brother thought it hilarious.

 

[LizKat]

Reminds me of the picture my brother sent me of the stills shot in advance of the release of Downton Abbey one year; unbeknownst to all and sundry - unnoticed and quite utterly forgotten - resting on a mantelpiece in that glorious authentic drawing room, was a (quite splendidly out of place) plastic bottle of mineral water.

My brother thought it hilarious.

I love little things like that in movies or TV shows. The double-take and guffaw. Had to be a scene where something else was of great concern in several takes maybe, so that one little detail just escaped everyone's post-shoot attentions.

Sometimes they're just continuity errors but no less amusing really. Wrong dress, or the laces of the wrong boot are untied, stuff like that. Somebody sets off a barfight, and when the dust settles a guy picks up from the bar a bottle of whisky he'd been drinking from before the fight began and takes a swig... only last time we saw that bottle, it was on a table where he was sitting with it before the ruckus started. That was an actual error in Hud that was pretty noticeable, only because one could wonder how a bottle could still be standing anyway after all that... but that wonderment then triggered one's thinking, wait... um...

 

[kazmac]

Thinking good things, random and not so much (such as a favorite Italian giallo thriller film may see US blu ray release, and more importantly, do I break into the bag of blue corn chips mocking me right now? A frivolous duo of things to preoccupy me from real life stuff).

@arkitect LOL about the Jane Austen fest (I would fit right in with Bathonians about her and Victorian era garb).
May your coffee gazing be amusing this weekend.

 

[Lioness~]

Enjoying that I have a heart and mind that are being upgraded beyond expectation, totally exponentially in awareness.
iPhone upgrades pffttt

 

[Gutwrench]

Bleaaaachh. By all means eat it to extinction. The world will be a better place for it!

Lol...! I’d like to add kale to that list please.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Lol...! I’d like to add kale to that list please.

The trick with kale (and some other brassicas) is not to boil them; keep them away from water entirely.

Either steam them (which works very well, wash them, shake them dry, leaving just a few drops of water clinging to the leaves, shred them, and then steam them, with butter) and then serve with lashings of butter, (and, maybe garlic), or, (my personal favourite): Shred them, then add to a wok, with hot oil, smashed or sliced garlic cloves, grated ginger, some chilli, and stir-fry.

Tasty and healthy.

 

[arkitect]

The trick with kale (and some other brassicas) is not to boil them; keep them away from water entirely.

Either steam them (which works very well, wash them, shake them dry, leaving just a few drops of water clinging to the leaves, shred them, and then steam them, with butter) and then serve with lashings of butter, (and, maybe garlic), or, (my personal favourite): Shred them, then add to a wok, with hot oil, smashed or sliced garlic cloves, grated ginger, some chilli, and stir-fry.

Tasty and healthy.

Definitely.

Ijust got back home with two big bunches Cavolo Nero — and they are going to be shredded and fried with some garlic — served with a creamy mushroom ragout for dinner.
[doublepost=1537020561][/doublepost]

Lol...! I’d like to add kale to that list please.

Oooh no.

Greens are wonderful.

In fact I have never met a veg I didn't like.

Potatoes, not so much, but the rest. Yummy. Of course butter makes it all so much better.

 

[Gutwrench]

The trick with kale (and some other brassicas) is not to boil them; keep them away from water entirely.

Either steam them (which works very well, wash them, shake them dry, leaving just a few drops of water clinging to the leaves, shred them, and then steam them, with butter) and then serve with lashings of butter, (and, maybe garlic), or, (my personal favourite): Shred them, then add to a wok, with hot oil, smashed or sliced garlic cloves, grated ginger, some chilli, and stir-fry.

Tasty and healthy.

No worries that I might boil kale; I prefer them with a Round Up vinaigrette.

 

[Lioness~]

Greens are wonderful.

In fact I have never met a veg I didn't like.

Potatoes, not so much, but the rest. Yummy. Of course butter makes it all so much better.

I love potatoes. I stuff in a lot in oven. All veggies is great baked, even if I don't love all of them raw

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Definitely.

Ijust got back home with two big bunches Cavolo Nero — and they are going to be shredded and fried with some garlic — served with a creamy mushroom ragout for dinner.
[doublepost=1537020561][/doublepost]
Oooh no.

Greens are wonderful.

In fact I have never met a veg I didn't like.

Potatoes, not so much, but the rest. Yummy. Of course butter makes it all so much better.

What about potatoes gratin, (dauphinoise potatoes)? Nigel Slater has a wonderful recipe, which I adapted, as I parboil the potatoes first which cuts around an hour or so off the preparation time.

Essentially, parboil the potatoes, (already peeled), slice thickly, add to a dish with - Nigel simply ran the side of freshly squeezed garlic around the bottom of the dish - I am greedy, and love garlic, and think the concept of moderation does not apply to garlic, so, I have been know to use a full head of diced garlic for this.

Thus, add the parboiled roughly sliced or chopped or not - depending on size - spuds to a dish with (desired quantity of) garlic. Add double cream (and perhaps some whole fat milk), to the potatoes, with their tops poking out like mountain tops above the cloud cover when you are flying, and proceed to place in a preheated oven (at around 180 degrees C) for around 40-50 minutes.

This goes with absolutely everything; I serve it with a green salad and whatever meat (steak, sausage, whatever) or other "main" course is on the menu.
[doublepost=1537021927][/doublepost]In winter, I also do a root vegetable version of this dish. (Carrots, parsnip, celeriac..)

 

[Apple fanboy]

Notice 'what's on your mind' has quickly become a food thread!

Think that says a lot about us!

 

[arkitect]

Notice 'what's on your mind' has quickly become a food thread!

Think that says a lot about us!

Guilty as charged!
Definitely says a lot about me.
[doublepost=1537025900][/doublepost]

What about potatoes gratin, (dauphinoise potatoes)? Nigel Slater has a wonderful recipe, which I adapted, as I parboil the potatoes first which cuts around an hour or so off the preparation time.

I parboil them in the cream… then bake.

But there as many variants as there are (good) cooks…
I cook by eye… splash and glug and pinch and handfuls…
I bake with mls and gms.

It's not that I hate potatoes, they have their place, but I'd much rather eat something else.

Besides, eating ketogenically rather limits my potato consumption.