Just needed to be heard for a little while

seven-day-weekend

I don't have a dog of my own, just two cats. I suppose I could borrow the Spanish Pointer, Big Handsome Boy.

We took him to the seaside when we lived in Spain, he'd never seen the sea and we thought he would like it.

He was completely underwhelmed, ignored the beach and the sea and just proceeded to pee up every lamp-post he could find and empty a litter bin.

We took him home and he was sick in the car on the way home.

We're not keen to repeat the experience.

Waves_and_Smiles

Hahahaha! Oh dear, SDW. Not the best day out!

WaSp just came in all proud of himself carrying two pumpkins! He said he will help me make pumpkin pie for Halloween and carve them and put candles in them as soon as I tell him what to do!

Errr I don't have the faintest idea. Anyone know anything about pumpkin carving and how on earth I am meant to turn the fruit into a pie? I have never had a pumpkin in my life...

Pyxis

It's quite hard work. You slice the top off, prob about a quarter of the way down, then scoop out as much of the flesh as you can without piercing the skin. (Remove the seeds - you can roast them if you like- and save the flesh for the pie.)
Then carefully carve two triangles through the skin for the eyes, a smaller one for the nose, and then the mouth, with jagged, spiky edges. Keep the 'lid'.
Use a tea light in the base.
Light it with a long cook's match.


Here's the link to a recipe....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkinpie_70659

codemonkey

In Scotland we used to make turnip lanterns (guess they'd be swedes to you southerners) - those were such hard work. I think you can get templates online for pumpkins, although I'm so awkward I'd probably chop my fingers off.

Are you feeling any calmer lir?

elsien

Gitdog'll eat the salad. He'll eat anything. In fact he'd probably polish off the hamper as well, given that the one in my mother's house now lacks its handles. And corners.
I am celebrating the end of the non- working week with a sausage sandwich and a large glass of red wine. Shortly to be followed by a rummage in the kitchen for the emergency chocolate. Cheers, all.

elsien

Just to go back to Lir's previous post about medication, you were absolutely right to raise it with the pharmacy and point out what may have happened had you not noticed. In my job, I'd phone up the pharmacy and complain every time they made a mistake even if it was just missing out one tablet. Because they are meant to have a system of double checks, so it actually means that two of their staff have not done their job properly. If you do want to take it any further another time insist on speaking to the store manager rather than someone in the pharmacy, and point that out.

I do know though that it's different when you're doing it on your own behalf. I was given the wrong dose of meds once and didn't notice for a couple of weeks when I realised they weren't working. I plucked up courage to go in store, asked to speak to the manager, then instead of getting cross ended up crying all down the front of him in the middle of the shampoo aisle.

Waves_and_Smiles

Hahahaha! Cheers elsien, enjoy! How is Gitdog these days?

I won't be cutting the pumpkin, that will be WaSp's job, I am not going anywhere near it! The pie recipe looks safe and not like I can hurt myself, apparently I have to make puree from the pumpkin first before putting it in the pie. I am thinking of cheating and buying a ready-made pastry case, my hands aren't up to making pastry sadly. It can't be too hard to make a pie, can it?

elsien

Gitdog, in theory, will be doing his canine good citizen bronze award in 7 weeks time. We are in no way making any assumptions about the possibility of him actually passing it.

Pyxis

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

Hahahaha! Cheers elsien, enjoy! How is Gitdog these days?

I won't be cutting the pumpkin, that will be WaSp's job, I am not going anywhere near it! The pie recipe looks safe and not like I can hurt myself, apparently I have to make puree from the pumpkin first before putting it in the pie. I am thinking of cheating and buying a ready-made pastry case, my hands aren't up to making pastry sadly. It can't be too hard to make a pie, can it?

A ready-made pastry case is good, but unless you have a really, really sweet tooth, get an unsweetened one. I bought a sweetened one once, and with a pie like pumpkin, it was sickly!

Or, you could just get some ready-made pastry and roll it out to line a pie tin if you have one. If you haven't got a rolling pin you can use a glass bottle, well floured!

whitewing

It is hard work with a pumpkin but they look fabulous when they are lit. We prefer pumpkin soup to pumpkin pie. Mmm, crusty bread.