General Chat

Afternoon all,
Have cut and trimmed both lawns, put in two more Plants that Madam has bought. Haven't got much more room for anymore. Have the new tree coming next month, also two hundred and fifty. crocus and snowdrops, there will go in front garden under the three big trees.
Weather saying fine. Ros is tidying up the boarders. I've come in doors now. Arm and Leg playing up. It soon tells me when to stop.
Dinner is already to go on about 4.30pm. Rest of Roast beef from yesterday, New pots and veg.

BBL

Jane how about baked apple & icecrean with your Pork??

Evening all,
It was lovely at the coast ,windy but nice and sunny we had a good walk with the family and ended up with fish and Chips .
Lots of people on the beach and even some in the sea !!

Here's theRunner Bean recipe
You can do half a mix ,but once you've tasted it you'll want more ,this is sons favorite pickle ,every year its have you made the pickle yet

2lbs runner beans (chopped into small pieces)
4 med onions (finely chopped)
1lb demerara sugar
8oz soft brown sugar
1 heaped tblsp turmeric powder
1 heaped tblsp dried mustard powder
1 1/2oz cornflour
1.1/2 pints vinegar
salt


You will also need six 0.5 litre jars



First of all put the chopped onions into a preserving pan or large casserole or saucepan with 10 fl oz (275 ml) of the vinegar. Bring them up to simmering point and let them simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Meanwhile cook the sliced beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then strain them in a colander and add to the onions. Now in a small basin mix the cornflour, mustard and turmeric with a little of the remaining vinegar – enough to make a smooth paste – then add this paste to the onion mixture. Pour in the rest of the vinegar and simmer everything for 10 minutes. After that stir in both quantities of sugar until they dissolve and continue to simmer for a further 15 minutes. Then pot the pickle in warmed, sterilised jars, and seal and label when cold. Keep for at least a month before eating.

Evening all
Just come inside after having a BBQ, as sun has gone behind next doors house and we have no sun left and it's cold, that could be our last BBQ , after all it is the end of August we maybe lucky and have a few nice days in September who knows,

Jason Donavon on WDYTYA tonight this could be a good one or maybe not we will have to see,

Thank you Ann for the photos you sent me.Yes that swan looks a wee bit aggressive.





A few weeks ago I was working on my grand fathers on my Mother's side of the tree. Got stuck.Started a thread on the subject elsewhere.Still stuck.Ive got my Mother, grand father,great grand father,great great grand father.There after its a brick wall.Almost back to 1800.Any help given would be appreciated.

Just been given a bottle of white for the use of the field.

I was looking at an Irish 1912 census showing my Father's grand parents,Francis and Rosanna Irvine.

He was listed as age 72 and a general labourer !! I'm impressed.
Rosanna was listed as age 67.
They hd 10 children, only 3 still living at the time of the census.
I find that very sad.
At the bottom where its signed was his name and his mark.
Francis could not read or write.I find that very humbling

David thats because they are Irish and there are not many Irish records.

David lots of people could'nt read or write and they just put a X after someone else had writen their name. there are loads of those on my tree.

On the one for Fracis someone has signed his name , then there's a cross next to which some has written, his mark. To the right it reads Rosanna wife

Great pics again Ann thanks.I have to say I am not too keen on Swans even though they are stunning birds.
I'm watching the Edinburgh Tattoo .I get goose bumps every year I watch this.Its fantastic.All the pipes and swishing kilts brilliant !!

I have never done a baked apple Shirl (I am ashamed to say)After me going out to buy pudding and somehow ended up spending £60 !!!!,everyone was too full after the roast lol.

Fiona I bet you get another BBQ this summer,surely we will get some more warm weather???

Mandy when I lived down in Plymouth my friend's Mum used to swim in the
sea every day of the year !!!

WDYTYA now and then bed.
Back tomorrow.Night Night everyone x

I have Just watched WDYTYA too Jane it was a good one.
I'm of to bed
catch up tomorrow
night nightxxxxxx

Yes I have a lot of crosses for signatures on my tree too David. It made me think too.......how hard it must be to find things out or know what is happening in the world if you can't read. You would need a very good memory to remember what you were told too. Heavens knows what my cooking would have been like.....I can't remember recipes without looking them up. lol.

The sounds and those kilts and pipes make it look vibrant don't they Jane.

I watched that Martin Clunes programme about horses last night. It was quite good. It showed the rehearsals for one of the queens carriage and horseguards events. Apparently they do it through the streets of London 2 days before....in the middle of the night!!!!

I was watching Andre Rieu again on tv last night......I think he is brilliant and I'd like to see him in Birmingham next month but it is very expensive. Anyway, a 2 year old boy, Akim, and his mum were in the audience at Berlin last December and after the concert the little boy said he wanted a violin and to play like Andre. His mum got him a violin and he has learned so quickly and has become so good in only 8 months that at the age of 3 he played a solo.!!! It was a really long piece but he knew all the notes and his little violin nearly slipped from under his chin once but he kept going with a cheeky grin. The audience was stunned at how good he was, his little fingers moving to and fro to do all the wavery notes too. Brought a tear to your eye to watch him.

Thanks for the recipe Mandy, I think I may try a small batch first to see what it is like!! I bet it was nice on the coast today......I can SMELL the fish and chips!! lol

That was nice to get a bottle of wine Mel, hope they cleaned up any mess.

I've recorded the WDYTTA Fiona.....like you not sure whether I will like it or not.

Off to bed now, night all xxxx

Morning All
What a great morning.It is SUMMER again!!!.Hooray.

Morning another bright and sunny one with plenty of blue sky.

Mum has the heating on !!!!!!!

It's another donkey day for me I guess. I have no bread left so have to go.

I watch WDYTYA on Replay when I am doing the ciggies. Then in the week I watch Country File and Country Tracks and Gardeners World but I don't like the new presenter on that as he talks like he is talking to children. As to him growing a giant pumpkin.....................well with all those leaves on one plant I don't think it is going to get very big and he has put a pallet underneath it already!!

I watched that program with Martin Clunes too. Thought the first one was very good.

Sorry I haven't been around. I have picked up a bug or something. The toilet has been my best friend since 6.30 pm yesterday. Dry toast and imodi#m for breakfast. Still vititing him this morning. I did have a seafood plater on Sunday evening. So that might have somwthing to do with it.

Going to sit outside for a hour, in the SUN.

Poor old Frank.Maybe a bad bit of fishy stuff.Hopefully whatever it is will flush through soon !I bet you have you shorts on.I am just going to get mine out again.
I found another recipe for runners.All it is is beans,onion,rasher of bacon,oregano,oil or goose fat.So I think I will do that one today.You just fry the onion and bacon,add the cut uncooked beans,oregano and seasoning and cook with lid on for about 20 mins.I don't think any water is added.