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- Thread starter Gutwrench
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They are not necessarily mutually exclusive……
Yes, yes, of course I agree with you both.
However, there are some who prefer to try to divide the world into "Greeks" or "Romans".
Yea I just ignore it if people are using their phones silently. I'm focused on the presenter or the screen. But any sound or people whacking my seat is annoying
Yea it turned hard. Now I'm at the point where I don't want to wear a jacket but will need to soon
I'm so jealous. Autumn has always been my favorite season, but after living in the tropics for years, I now adore it.
Yes, I'm in a somewhat similar position.
I am wearing a pullover over a polo shirt, or wool (or tweed) jacket over a polo shirt; however, I am not quite sure that I will last until the end of September before switching to my winter wardrobe of turtlenecks.
And, for outside, yes, coats - or raincoats, or Barbour jackets, or leather jackets over pullovers - are putting in an appearance.
Actually, autumn has definitely arrived.
I have just put a dish of apples - cooking apples, as I love their tart flavour, - with some organic brown sugar (Billington's), lemon juice, butter, a few spoons of water, cloves, - in the oven; the aroma of baking apples......delicious, yes, but very much an aroma redolent of an approaching autumn.
I have just put a dish of apples - cooking apples, as I love their tart flavour, - with some organic brown sugar (Billington's), lemon juice, butter, a few spoons of water, cloves, - in the oven; the aroma of baking apples......delicious, yes, but very much an aroma redolent of an approaching autumn.
Not here yet, 19-20°C today - enjoying every moment of the prolonged late summer.
As I do every year, and hope that I don't have to change to winter-tires on my electric-bicycle.
I usually get disappointed, but not surprised when the cold hits.
But maybe this will be another warm winter?🙏🏻
Not today.
That reminds me of my mother's apple, or rhubarb, crumble - and she made great apple tarts and rhubarb tarts as well when we were kids and teenagers - ah, memories, memories.
She used to say to us that we would regret not paying closer attention and properly learning her recipes: "Someday," she would cheerfully remark to the bored and grumpy teenagers that we were then, often while preparing an apple tart, or crumble, an activity that we took - adolescents are such self-obsessed morons - entirely for granted, assuming a lifetime's endless supply of delicious apple tarts and crumbles, as we sometimes enthusiastically - or grudgingly - helped, depending on mood - "I'll be dead and gone and buried and you will regret that you didn't ask more questions about how to do this. No point in turning up at the cemetary and asking "what do I do next?"".
Well, Mother, you are absolutely right, and my brother and I have both since mentally kicked ourselves, berating ourselves, (for, adults can learn fresh perspectives) as our respective crumbles have never quite reached the heights that her delicious dish effortlessly attained. Actually, I think that she would crack up laughing, and I can well imagine her saying, with a cheerful grin, "well, you had plenty of opportunity to learn."
Needless to say, I'd give almost anything to be able to make an apple crumble (or tart, but she preferred crumbles, and it was one of her specialities) with her.
Anyway, today, I didn't have breadcrumbs to hand, and I wanted to use up some cooking apples as I am expecting a delivery of fruit and vegetables - apart from citrus fruit, I am almost out of fruit - which will include pears, plums and more cooking apples, which will allow for a more substantial autumnal cooking.
And, when I visit the farmers' market this coming Saturday, I shall keep a sharp eye out for quinces; they have a short enough season, but are superb when baked with other - similarly seasonal - fruit; in fact, they have an affinity with apples.
Given that they had failed to put aside cream last week, this morning (and it has been a filthy day), I phoned the cheesemonger's whereupon they assured me that cream (organic, etc) has indeed been put aside for me, and that following last week's debacle, they will not charge me for it.
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Of my mum’s recipes she made when I was a child her homemade cheesecake was my favourite. But it’s been a good few decades since I’ve had any of that.
Apple or rhubarb crumble were regulars as both grew in our garden in abundance.
She also used to make a raspberry moose. Equal measures of raspberries, evaporated milk and sugar. Served with shortbread biscuit.
No wonder I was a fat kid!
Yes, apple and rhubarb crumble made regular appearances at out table, too.
Now, my brother (Decent Brother) did indeed once prepare an apple crumble (start to finish) under my mother's close supervision, - around twelve or 13 years ago, - which was delicious - before her dementia kicked in, as he wanted to learn how to do it, but, as he omitted to write it down at the time (and his handwriting is so illegible he cannot always read it himself), he subsequently forgot one or two of the steps of the sequence to be followed.
This is also the time of year when we used to receive a basket or two of apples as a gift from what my mother termed the "ancestral orchard", that is, the ancient orchard in the large grounds of the old house where my father grew up, and where my aunt lived until her death last year, which we used to greatly enjoy; lovely, sharp tasting apples.
My aunt also used to turn up with apple jelly (in jars) which she had made herself from her own apples.
Now, my brother (Decent Brother) did indeed once prepare an apple crumble (start to finish) under my mother's close supervision, - around twelve or 13 years ago, - which was delicious - before her dementia kicked in, as he wanted to learn how to do it, but, as he omitted to write it down at the time (and his handwriting is so illegible he cannot always read it himself), he subsequently forgot one or two of the steps of the sequence to be followed.
This is also the time of year when we used to receive a basket or two of apples as a gift from what my mother termed the "ancestral orchard", that is, the ancient orchard in the large grounds of the old house where my father grew up, and where my aunt lived until her death last year, which we used to greatly enjoy; lovely, sharp tasting apples.
My aunt also used to turn up with apple jelly (in jars) which she had made herself from her own apples.
Vegetables (aubergines, courgettes, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chilli peppers, carrots, celery, onions, shallots, French onions, garlic, ginger, potatoes, parsnip, sweet potatoes, mushrooms), and fruit (apples, pears, plums, greengages, peaches, nectarines, grapefruit, lemons, limes, kiwi fruit, dried figs, dried dates), and homemade apple juice have all been delivered.
And herbs: Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
I asked about quinces, which are - just about - coming into season, but they won't be available for another week or two.
And herbs: Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
I asked about quinces, which are - just about - coming into season, but they won't be available for another week or two.
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Just to be different...
Spring has definitely arrived. The stone fruit trees are in bloom, the Japanese Maple has woken up and has new leaves, the noisy miners are ravaging the bottlebrushes (and swearing at our kitty). Even the frangipanis have tiny, teensy little buds on the end of their limbs.
Spring has definitely arrived. The stone fruit trees are in bloom, the Japanese Maple has woken up and has new leaves, the noisy miners are ravaging the bottlebrushes (and swearing at our kitty). Even the frangipanis have tiny, teensy little buds on the end of their limbs.
Yeah, well the next few days are going to be in the high 30's (C). You can have some of them if you want...
This reminds me of something else that's been on my mind.
Blackcurrant jam. 🥰
Had heard of it before, but hadn't actually had any until we (wife, son and I) took a 2 week trip to the UK in May. We spent 4 days in London, 4 days between Edinburgh and Inverness, and then another 4 days or so in/around Windsor. (It's my last name, so we HAD to go there. "Checking in on the house," you see.
)Anyways, while there we ate a ton of good food, and I finally had a chance to try blackcurrant jam. Absolutely love the stuff; and brought some back with me (and will be buying some more.)
Marmite, on the other hand... 🤢
Marmite? Yum. The trick is to spread it thinly. Best on toast. Not a big jam fan, but blackcurrant would be my jam of choice. But I only eat bread once a week as it doesn’t really agree with me.This reminds me of something else that's been on my mind.
Blackcurrant jam. 🥰
Had heard of it before, but hadn't actually had any until we (wife, son and I) took a 2 week trip to the UK in May. We spent 4 days in London, 4 days between Edinburgh and Inverness, and then another 4 days or so in/around Windsor. (It's my last name, so we HAD to go there. "Checking in on the house," you see.
Anyways, while there we ate a ton of good food, and I finally had a chance to try blackcurrant jam. Absolutely love the stuff; and brought some back with me (and will be buying some more.)
Marmite, on the other hand... 🤢
If you ever manage to lay hands on home-made blackcurrant jam, I cannot recommend it highly enough.This reminds me of something else that's been on my mind.
Blackcurrant jam. 🥰
Had heard of it before, but hadn't actually had any until we (wife, son and I) took a 2 week trip to the UK in May. We spent 4 days in London, 4 days between Edinburgh and Inverness, and then another 4 days or so in/around Windsor. (It's my last name, so we HAD to go there. "Checking in on the house," you see.
Anyways, while there we ate a ton of good food, and I finally had a chance to try blackcurrant jam. Absolutely love the stuff; and brought some back with me (and will be buying some more.)
Marmite, on the other hand... 🤢
There was a Dutch lady who used to make the most amazing homemade jams (around 70% fruit content, and with little, to low, sugar) who had a stall in the local farmers' market; my mother adored her blackcurrant jams, which were absolutely amazing, and which I used to buy regularly for her.
Unfortunately, she moved away around two years ago.
Unsure how likely it is that I'll be able to lay my hands on some homemade blackcurrant jam in the States, but yeah, my wife already has standing orders to buy stock in the stuff should she come across it. 😁
Homemade jam will have a (far) higher fruit content, and (usually) a lower sugar content - plus no additives, etc - than is usually the case with commercial jam, unless you seek out small, artisan, excellent (and, unfortunately, usually quite expensive) French or Italian artisan jam - and, homemade jam will also - almost invariably - taste far better.
Both the UK and Ireland have (and yes, France, and Italy...) have excellent local, farmers, markets, - often with a pedigree going back to the Middle Ages - where people sell locally produced produce, cheeses, jams, eggs, honey, fruit, vegetables, meat and so on - the fruit and vegetable delivery last night came from a market stall that had emailed me to let me know that they were heading off on a month's holiday (for some sun) and wouldn't be around until late October; otherwise, I wouldn't have placed that order until next week. These markets will usually take place weekly, - often, a Friday or a Saturday - or, perhaps, monthly, in some very small towns.
Anyway, in a local market, you will have an excellent opportunity to purchase locally made jams, and the quality is - almost always - far superior to what you can buy commercially (apart from the high end Italian and French artisan producers, and those you will only find in small, specialist stores).
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