Category: Food

Sweeties – 30 December 2024

Posted on by Zogman

A day of blog writing and posting as well as Flickr posting, but almost up to date now … I hope!

Another windy day with bins blown over and rain lashing the windows. Definitely not a for going out anywhere. That’s probably why I sacrificed it to the great god Catch-Up. Four photos posted on Flickr and about the same number of blogs written and posted.

Because of the weather, it was a still life photo for today. A tub of Jelly Beans produced the subject and a small sherry glass was the support. Lighting was courtesy of a small COB (Chip On Board) light. An old piece of velvet covered the parts I didn’t want anyone to see and eight photos and just over half an hour later I had today’s PoD. I actually like it.

Scamp and I had Chicken and Pea Traybake for dinner. A very easy dinner that works well, because everything is cooked in the oven with minimal fuss.

In the late afternoon the wind died away and so did the rain, although more rain is predicted for tomorrow, but thankfully the snow warning has been removed for our area.

We watched a woeful special Christmas episode of Death in Paradise. I could just hear Simonne cringing at the accents.

Maybe we’ll get out for a walk tomorrow, just because it’s the last day of 2024.

Blustery day – 29 December 2024

Posted on by Zogman

A windy day with quite fierce gusts.

Scamp was feeling better today. I don’t know what it was that caused all the bother, but it did seem to take the feet from her. Hopefully she’s on the mend now.

We walked down to M&S in the afternoon. Scamp got some Kimchi and a tub of Kefir yoghurt, both of which seem to be good for gut health. On the way back I carried the bag halfway home and Scamp took it the rest while I went for a walk in the gusty wind over St Mo’s and got a photo of a little mushroom. That made PoD.

We watched a complicated and almost totally unbelievable first of two episodes of The Split, a series we’d watched for the last two years. This one however felt just a little bit fake. We may watch episode 2 tomorrow.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening and did our best to explain the chaos that was Friday. Hopefully we never have another day like that again. He agrees that we need to write a letter of complaint to LNER.

Another recovery day today, but snow forecast for Wednesday.

Not your normal journey home – 27 December 2024

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Last night the bags were packed and we were ready to leave.

This a long story, so get comfortable and listen.

Today after breakfast we did a quick once over to make sure we hadn’t left anything behind and said our goodbyes to Simonne and got in Jamie’s car and were driven to Stowmarket for the first stage of our journey home. Said our goodbyes to Jamie and thanked him for the last week and walked over to the platform to wait for the train.

The platform was a lot busier than we’d expected, given that Christmas two days past. We were crammed into the vestibule of the train after using sharp elbows to make sure we would get in, even if we didn’t get a seat. We were the lucky ones. Others were left on the platform.

We both finally got a seat on the train, but it was an uncomfortable journey to Peterborough. I was beginning to worry that we wouldn’t make the connection, but when we got to Peterborough we found out that the Edinburgh train was running six minutes late. The six minutes eventually turned to 28 minutes, but we did get into the shelter as people who were heading for other destinations left its warmth for their trains.

Finally the train arrived and we were in the first class carriage, only to find that two folk were in our seats. Luckily an assistant was on our coach and the two chancers were ejected and we had seats and on our way. All the seats were taken on our coach and some folk were standing in the vestibule. We did manage to get a cup of coffee, a glass of red wine and Scamp had two buttered crumpets and I had a soggy microwaved veg sausage roll cold on the outside and hot as hell inside. My, First Class standards were falling. But worse was to come.

At the next stop the carriage became a lot busier with folk standing in the aisles and by the time we reached Doncaster there was no room to move in the carriage.

At the staff changeover at Newcastle, the crowding was a bit less and Scamp asked one of the attendants if she could please have a bottle of water and got the reply of “NO! I’m far too busy!” Standards certainly are slipping!

A family of four were taking up some empty seats as the crowding reduced. One of them went looking for water, but got the same reply from the harridan. Eventually after others were asking too, she relented and gave out water, but point blank refused to hand out beer or wine. I think a letter of complaint will be heading to LNER.

We were running 2 hours late by the time we eventually reached Edinburgh and just missed our connection to Croy. Then there was an automatic alarm telling everyone to evacuate the station immediately. Not knowing how long we’d have to get back in and what state the trains would be in, I suggested we walk down to the bus station and get the bus to Glasgow and a taxi home from there. Scamp agreed and we picked up another woman who had the same idea but didn’t know how to get to the bus station, so we three found the entrance went our separate ways to our buses.

We reached Buchanan Street without further problems just as the X3 arrived. So instead of getting a taxi, we chose the X3 to make sure we did actually get home after such an eventful and avoidable day.

PoD was a lovely sunset as we crossed the River Tyne at Newcastle.

Things I’ll remember for a long time:

  • Crammed in a train that was 100% full.
  • The arrogance of the Harridan.
  • The lack of inspectors or staff on the train.
  • A long, long way home.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a day of relaxation.

 

More visitors – 26 December 2024

Posted on by Zogman

Today we got a message about 10am to say that Hazy and Neil were on their way to meet us and should arrive in about two hours.

That message gave Jamie and Simonne all the information they needed to plan today’s dinner which was based on a Three Bird Roast (Duck, Pheasant and Wood pigeon) with the warning that there might just be some shot in the mix as some of the birds were shot in the wild. Everything was organised and running to schedule which left us all some time to spare before the work needed to begin.

Scamp chose to sit and read in the comfort of a warm room heated by a log burner Jamie and Simonne were reading and I wanted to go out to get some photos of the old church and churchyard in the village. I’d come prepared with my trusty leather boots and a pair of jeans. Since everyone was settled for an hour or so, I went out to take in the countryside.

I walked through the churchyard, past the church itself and down the path that would take me to a bridge across a stream. From there I could travel in one of three directions. I chose left, which was the muddiest of the lot although I didn’t know that until I was part way along it. It gave me an opportunity to try out my new Shokz headphones.

The further I went, the muddier it became until I was slithering along with just a patchy hedge to stop me sliding into the stream. Eventually I came to a path that would lead me up to the village, but I knew the path got steeper later in the walk and didn’t fancy coming a cropper on our second last day in this countryside and having to bundle my muddy boots and jeans into a Tesco carrier bag and carry them all the way home. No, safer was best, I turned round a walked back the way I’d come with a few photos in the bag, but nothing spectacular. PoD turned out to be two of Vixen’s Kong toys stuck in the gate of the house to be rinsed by the rain while she played with a new one.

Not long after that, Hazy and Neil arrived and our family was complete again. Stories were told and prezzies were exchanged. Vixen inevitable got another new Kong, an octopus this time. Then it was dinner time! The Three Bird Roast was lovely. Scamp, not being a meat eater had chosen fish again for her meal and it looked very nice. I think all the family had Salted Caramel Cheesecake for dessert and it too was really good. I think the diet will have to start as soon as we get home.

All too soon it was time for Hazy and Neil to head back down the road again but we’re hoping to see them next year, all being well. It’s strange how empty a house feels after two members of the group leave, but that’s how it felt to me today. We will be the next to leave tomorrow.

Watched TV in the evening but had to make the break and start packing later in the evening.

Things I’ll remember:

  • That complete family feeling when we’re all together
  • The slippery clay path beside the stream
  • The antics of a dog with a new kong
  • Food!!!

Tomorrow it’s our turn to head for home again.

Suddenly it’s Christmas – 25 December 2024

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Indeed, Loudon Wainwright’s lyrics nailed it perfectly.

All of a sudden, Christmas was here with all the memories it brings. Simonne went to church and Vixen knew that something was up. When she returned and the parcels were handed round, Vixen realised what was happening and when she heard that Kong squeak the tearing of the packaging began and for a good quarter of an hour, chaos ensued. It wasn’t a day for going out and besides, Scamp was still not feeling well, so we just stayed in and watched TV for a while while the Kong squeaked.

Just to get some fresh air, we went for a walk in the garden and took a few shots, but the PoD was inevitably Vixen standing guard over the Kong.

Scamp had smoked haddock with carrots and sprouts for Christmas Dinner. The rest of us had Wild Boar with carrots and sprouts. Both were really, really good. I’m going to start looking for somewhere that has wild boar near us.

Things I’ll remember:
– Vixen the paper ripper.
– Watching TV in the morning – something we never do
– Watching Jamie and Simonne working in harmony in the kitchen.
– The Prezzies.

A great day was had by all and we get to do it again when, hopefully, Hazel and Neil come a visiting!

At the seaside – 23 December 2024

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Jamie had organised a walk on the beach, twice today.

Simonne was working today, but Jamie had a plan. He drove us to Southwold and we had a walk along the long promenade. We didn’t go on to the pier, but I got a few shots of the pier with some interesting clouds as a backdrop, while Jamie and Scamp walked on. We passed a long line of painted beach huts. Loads of photo opportunities, but eventually we came to the end and turned back, then we headed into the shopping area. No boarded up shops here and no Poundstretchers.

Jamie knew of a good ice cream shop. Ice cream on a day when the mercury was in the lower single figures. But, he was right. Lovely ice cream cones and coffee afterwards. We walked round the town, although it was more of a large village, A busy place though. Plenty of folk out getting last minute prezzies. It has a lighthouse in the middle of the town/village though which prompted another photoshoot.

That was the first part of the seaside visit. Jamie drove us in a bit semicircular path to Dunwich, another beach. This one was almost the complete opposite of Southwold. The beach was half sand and half shingle. Steep cliffs rising behind the beach. We passed one man fishing from a wee black tent with a beach caster rod. I haven’t seen a beach caster for years. I didn’t envy him because the wind was even colder here, but he did seem to be well sheltered.

We passed two couples on our walk along the beach, but decided it would be better to turn around after about a mile and headed for a pub next to the car park for lunch which was soup for Scamp and me and a ploughman’s platter for Jamie, but he kindly gave me a large slice of his sausage roll.

Jamie drove us home by a different route from the way we’d come and by the time we got back to the house it was quite dark.

In the evening, Jamie took us all to The Ship pub in Levington. The pub was fairly full and a bit noisy. Food was good and so was the drink, but not for Jamie because he was driving.

PoD was a beautiful cloud bank behind the pier at Southwold.

Went to bed fairly early after a very interesting and busy day. We may go for a walk tomorrow, all being well.

Things I’ll remember:

Southwold
– The model boat pond – no boats today!
– Beach huts in Southwold.
– Ice cream on a cold day.
– Black recycled coffee cups – might try to source them.
– Lovely wild sky.

Dunwich
– Beachcaster on the shore.
– Picking pretty stones from the shingle.
– Food and beer in the pub.
– Cold wind

The Ship Pub
– Noisy locals.
– ‘Terry’ just a bloke one of the locals fancied.
– Terry’s wee dog wanting to get out of the pub.
– Us being called back because the waitress had messed up the bill.

Training – 22 December 2024

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Off on our travels again.

Taxi from the house to catch a train to Edinburgh, an hour earlier than we needed to be there, just to make sure that there wouldn’t be any glitches because of the unnamed storm that was threatening to disrupt our journey to Jamie & Simonne’s for Christmas.

We found the First Class lounge for LNER so at least we were fed and watered as well as being comfortably warm as we waited for the platform for our train to be displayed.

We had the long walk along the platform to our carriage which was second from the front, so almost the furthest away one from the gate.
Settled and sorted sitting across from two young Japanese(?) twins(?) who were very serious looking and seemed only to speak in their native tongue, at least between themselves. While we enjoyed a glass of red wine each at around 11.30am! (Not something we usually admit to!) Said red wine was useful to help wash down the Roll ’n’ Chicken with Stuffing and Gravy. Delicious. That’s why we book First Class when we can.

Unfortunately we had to get off at Peterborough and into the freezing cold, but not for long because we continued our journey in a fairly comfortable train that took us to Stowmarket where Jamie was waiting to transport us to the house.

After dinner we watched TV and relaxed.

PoD was a view from the First Class lounge in Edinburgh at what looks like a deserted platform – Everyone was away to the left, waiting for the Polar Express to arrive!

What I’ll remember:

  • Hoping against hope that the wind wouldn’t spoil the day.
  • Enjoying that hot chocolate and pain au chocolat in the posh lounge.
  • Getting a window seat. Scamp gave me the window seat. Thank you.
  • That roll ’n’ chicken with all the trimmings.
  • ‘The Twins’.
  • Horrible wee noisy boy on the train to Stowmarket. Some children should be seen and not heard. For preference they should not be seen either!
  • Seeing Jamie waiting for us at Stowmarket.
  • The drive-by tour of the inflatable Xmas decorations near Old Newton

Tomorrow we might be going out to the coast.

 

The Fort – 20 December 2024

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A lazy start to the day. It rained for most of the morning, but cleared away completely in the afternoon.

We drove to The Fort for some odds and ends and I finally got a shaver. Not the Braun I was looking for, but a Philips rotary shaver which seems to do what it’s meant to do and is much quieter than the Braun that’s going in the bin. The parking was fairly decent, although we did have to cruise around for a while before we found one.

While Scamp went off to find those odds and ends, I went for a browse in Waterstones and came out with another book. That makes it three in the same week and I’ve another one on the go just now that came from Fred. I was looking for something to photograph and saw the three “Easy Deer”. Easy, because they never run away. That’s probably due to them being cast in bronze. Got a view looking over their heads from behind, as you can see, as if they were watching the people rushing madly about. It wasn’t such a madhouse as Glasgow the other day, but I think everyone was in the new Primark.

When we were sure we had everything we came for, we drove home. A more pleasant drive that coming as the sun was now at our back. Some lovely landscape shots were passing beside the north facing side window, but as usual there were no places to stop and take a photo.

Dinner was a stir-fry made by Scamp an it was lovely. That was part of the ‘odds and ends’ Scamp was looking for at The Fort.

I watched a Kevin Bridges film in the evening: The Overdue Catch-Up. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favour and watch an hour and a half of Kevin. Just brilliant. After that, Scamp watched The Quartet. I think I’ve seen it before, but it was worth watching again.

Other than that, I tested the shaver and found it comfortable to use, no nicks! I think Scamp is now sorted for Christmas. We’ve had a glass of wine or two and we’ve watched the obligatory sickly sweet Nigella Lawson trying to pretend she has friends who come to her dinner parties. Aye right!

We’re hoping the promised incoming storm won’t be as bad as the weather fairies predict.

The gas man cometh – 18 December 2024

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Today we were waiting in for the boiler engineer to come and sign off our water boiler for another year.

Thankfully he didn’t arrive dead on 9am but knocked on the door an hour later when we were properly awake. He didn’t take long to clean out the boiler and certify it until next year, all being well.

That left Scamp me just enough time to run Scamp up to the town centre under a clearing sky to meet Isobel. While they were having coffee and a blether, I started putting everything back into the boiler cupboard. We’d decided that there were too many jackets hanging behind the cupboard door and we had to dispose of some and put others in long term storage, which is almost the same as disposing of them. I’d visited Tesco on my way home and brought home some essentials like milk and bread.

Scamp arrived not long after I’d finished and we had some lunch. I was about to dig out my boots and go for a walk but Hazy phoned and I wanted to speak to her, so delayed my walk. Scamp spent a while talking to her about her travels to Manchester and faulty buses. I asked her about the difficulties of moving Android data to iPhones. We were both glad that Neil is finally getting recognition for the work he does outside school hours.

There was just enough light left to take some photos over at St Mo’s pond and I’d brought some cabbage leaves to feed the waterfowl. Well, attempting to feed them. apparently they hadn’t had the memo about green leaf veg being good for them. They sailed past along to a bloke who was feeding them bread.You’ll regret this later waterfowl! A low level shot of the mixture of birds on the pond today made PoD.

It took me about an hour, probably more to copy the data from an almost full micro SD and paste it into a shiny new and much larger one Mr Bezos was kind enough to send us by Royal Mail, free of charge. Hopefully that’s the last of the computer work I’ll have to do for a while.

We watched the finale of the Portrait Artist of the Year and watched Brogan Bertie paint his version of Lorraine Kelly. It wasn’t the worst painting I’ve seen on this program, but it wasn’t great either. So different, it was from his work in the heats, I began to wonder if there was a ghost painter somewhere. Just thinking out loud. I must ask Fred for his opinion.

Tomorrow Scamp is OUT AGAIN. This time she’s intending meeting her pal Mags for lunch. I might go looking for a new shaver.

A day to relax – 16 December 2024

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Both of us used today as a recovery day after yesterday’s dramas. If that means nothing to you, read yesterday’s blog.

I noticed today that the sun hardly rose behind the houses facing us. In all the years we’ve lived in this house, this is the first time I’ve noticed it. Maybe it’s me who is shrinking. That’s the only logical way to explain it.

In the afternoon I went for a walk round St Mo’s, but by the time I’d completed one circuit, the light was visibly low in the sky and the camera had to be put away after taking just three shots!

I walked down to the shops to get some Basil because neither of us could find the full jar that’s somewhere in the house. Of course, I bought a lot more things as well. I bought a glass jar of dried basil in M&S for around £1.25 and then noticed a similar quantity of basil in a not so posh looking glass jar in Life for 65p. Almost half the price of M&S. Now, basil is basil. I don’t believe there is much difference in quality and no difference in quantity. It’s just something you sprinkle on pasta. I might need to put my Captain Clipboard hat on and query the price difference, doing blind taste tests and maybe even buy a microscope to compare samples. I might even know someone who has access to all that equipment. I might have to speak to him.

Spoke to Jamie later and heard about their plans for next week. A walk along the sea shore sounds good on your day off. Glad he’s got his door finished and painted at last. Hope his Captain Clipboard approves of the correct shade of white!

The previous part of the blog was written hours before this next part.

Scamp had started to download the photos of her Manchester trip into OneDrive when it all went a bit tricky. Only a fraction of the photos made it from her phone to the computer. We both worked on it and eventually, after a couple of hours managed to tease out the knots in this problem. Just after midnight we had three different folders on a memory stick and they held most, if not all of the photos. It still amazes me how a simple slip of a finger can cause so much mayhem, but it all worked out in the end. That is the reason you didn’t have a blog to read this morning. Sorry. To think that I started writin this blog with “A day to relax”! Little did I know.

PoD was a drab looking photo of St Mo’s that mirrored a drab day. It’s Scotland, what did you expect.

Tomorrow we might go in to Glasgow.