Nice People Thread Number 11 - A Treasury of Nice People

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

Odd reading that as it's still early morning on Sunday here.... your weekend's over and done and yet ours doesn't feel like it's started.

Yup. And my weekend starts as you lot are rocking up at work on a Friday.

It's 5:15 here and the beef is about to go in the oven.

PasturesNew

Generali wrote: »

It's 5:15 here and the beef is about to go in the oven.

I hope you're not letting the side down .... I hope you're cooking Yorkshires!!!

I say Yorkshires, plural, but what I really mean is one monster Yorkshire pudding that fills an entire, large, roasting dish and rises 4-5" round the edges!!

With lashings of hot, brown, gravy

vivatifosi

Generali wrote: »

I think that we paid a little over $9,000 (call it £4, 500) for a return ticket for the next trip. Admittedly that's at Christmas oh and for 4 of us. I reckon we normally pay about a thousand quid a head for adult tickets on Virgin.

.

DH was saying that some of the airlines flying to Aus were pulling their routes, I think Virgin may have been one of them. Something to do with achieving the right economies of scale being harder on the Airbus A380. I hope that doesn't affect fares too much.

The good news here at least is that the govt has reduced the taxes on fares to Australia so that they are the same as flying to America.

LydiaJ

Spirit wrote: »

I read this article expecting it to be a third world problem.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/17/health/hrw-children-tobacco-workers-report/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Is this really the same country that has Disneyland?

Astonishing that it's all perfectly legal - that the richest country the world has ever seen can't provide for its poor without child labour of that magnitude.

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

I hope you're not letting the side down .... I hope you're cooking Yorkshires!!!

I say Yorkshires, plural, but what I really mean is one monster Yorkshire pudding that fills an entire, large, roasting dish and rises 4-5" round the edges!!

With lashings of hot, brown, gravy

I make individual yorkies. I introduced the kids to them a few weeks ago and they love them.

I make gravy with juices from the meat, red wine, homemade chicken stock, flour and red current jelly (we're having beef rib so there's quite a bit of fat so it needs a little sweetness).

We've got roast parsnips, carrots and onions too. And, controversially, Brussels sprouts.

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

Astonishing that it's all perfectly legal - that the richest country the world has ever seen can't provide for its poor without child labour of that magnitude.

I think if you lived in that area it'd look different, except where there are opportunists/bad employers. I suspect most probably ship family in en-masse to pick the crops and have a family get together - and the wages aren't low, they're high (I have a friend living/working in New York who earns about $1000/month, along with associated high living costs).

It's probably like harvesting used to be here: family and locals all getting together in a short time-span to get the crops in.

Of course, if there's no Elf N Safety dictating how things are done then they'll just do stuff the way they always did.

But it's not like they're employing "child labour" for $20/day.

PasturesNew

Generali wrote: »

I make individual yorkies. I introduced the kids to them a few weeks ago and they love them.

I make gravy with juices from the meat, red wine, homemade chicken stock, flour and red current jelly (we're having beef rib so there's quite a bit of fat so it needs a little sweetness).

We've got roast parsnips, carrots and onions too. And, controversially, Brussels sprouts.

I've always loved the central "soggier part" of a big Yorkshire to the crispness of individual ones... although I like a crispy edge to pour the gravy onto (and soak in). When I used to do a big Yorkshire for four people, I'd cut it into 8 pieces, so those that like the corners (all crispy) can have two corners .... and, for us, it just worked out well as our likes matched the available parts .... with one left over as mum didn't really like Yorkshires much so would only ever have one small piece.

I've never had gravy made from juices, or with wine... etc. Our gravy used to be boiling water in a small saucepan, with Bisto added - then, in later years, it became instant gravy granules and water boiled in a kettle. I'm sure "posh/proper" gravy's nice, I've just never had it. We also rarely had beef as I was growing up; chicken was our usual Sunday roast - I have one memory of mum/dad pawing through the freezer in a Fine Fare specifically seeking out a 1lb 15oz chicken ... and standing there for quite some time as dad was going through every one to get the exact weight he wanted.

I once went to Sunday dinner at a bf's house and his dad got one saucepan and opened a tin of peas into it and a tin of carrots .... then added bisto to the saucepan .... then strained off the liquid into a jug as the gravy. That wasn't a great meal/day.... but it was edible.

I love Brussels.... I had a bf whose mother would put the Brussels on, boil them, then put them down to simmer ... and then she'd pick up the car keys and drive to town, into town, across town, to the railway station to pick up her husband as he finished work (BR worker) .... then back across town, into their drive, park the car, into the house ... and then the meal was served. AWFUL Brussels!

So many great veggies .... so little plate space. That's why I go for a carvery without any meat.... just a HUGE pile of well placed veggies stacked ..... massive.

lostinrates

Spirit,

I am very happy for your OH. If you'd like e to take you to a space nk in prep for this wonderful situation for your DH let me know. You could come here, park and meet my deplorable critters and we could go To Bath and perhaps if she is able to, meet Lydia for lunch? Not sure if any of your non working days coincide?

Btw, not that you NEED a trip to space nk! its just you mentioned an interest in buying stuff and I had recommended space nk. There must be one nearer to you mind you,

I remember talking about how much he had put into this, and if know what it is to be proud of a husband and supportive.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

I make individual yorkies. I introduced the kids to them a few weeks ago and they love them.

I make gravy with juices from the meat, red wine, homemade chicken stock, flour and red current jelly (we're having beef rib so there's quite a bit of fat so it needs a little sweetness).

We've got roast parsnips, carrots and onions too. And, controversially, Brussels sprouts.

I almost always put something sweet in gravy, to match the meat. I make or buy jelly a for this purpose. E.g. Mint or lavender with traditional European lamb, apple or quince with pork, redcurrant or haw or port with beef. I've been more adventurous at times. Bramble, rosehip or rose. peach and honey suckle cheese was excellent with pork. I really like gravy, . And would rather have veg and gravy tbh. DH used to dislike gravy now likes it having been introduced to mine.:D. I think of it needing to be balanced to reflect meat, but have salt and sweet, and sometimes some edge.

I also love a nice jus. No one else here so much, so I make gravy.

I'd eat your sprouts gladly. . I love 'em. I bet your lunch is amazing, and I'm not even fussed about roasts.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

....take you to a space nk in prep for this wonderful situation...

I thought this was some bizarre typo until I saw it further down ... and twigged it's a shop.

So I googled it .... there's one in Bournemouth too, apparently. Not suggesting that as a venue, no desire/need to go there ... and I'm sure the three of you will have a nicer time overall in Bath, which isn't quite so grubby (I imagine).