The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

mcculloch29

I eat crumpets all through the winter.

A vast disappointment for me on visiting the States in 2003 (Vermont) was the discovery that American pancakes are indeed what we know as drop scones in England /pikelets in Wales or Scotch pancakes in cookbooks.

I make them all the time, gutted I was, I had imagined American pancakes as some exotic treat that was beyond my skills.

(Have I told this story before? I have deja-vu.)

My lovely Vermont hostess was a good cook, but only made them from a ready mix (add milk and shake bottle!) and didn't know how to make the pancakes from scratch. I think I wrote out the recipe and method from memory for her.

I have a slight cold and supplies are a bit low, I should cycle to the supermarket but I think it will have to wait.

My nose is very drippy; it's very embarrassing on the trike as cycling seems to make it really stream... Eww.

Tipsntreats

Ok, I'm back. Completly lost my train of thought from earlier?????
I went to visit my relative in the care home, and support the relatives, as well as visit the poor souls that never have a visitor. I was told that two of the residents, that I usually spend time with, have been taken to hospital. So, I will now have to go and visit them there, as I know they will have no vistors there.
NEXT! My husband and I are NOK for his brother, who lives in Portsmouth. He has COPD and bipolar. One of the residents at his home, passed away, and he was very close to her. Now he has gone into deep depression. So, we must go and do our best to support him. Phone calls from him, up to 5 times a day, are the norm at the moment. I just wish the NEXTs would slow down.

We are going to Teneriffe for the twins and my birthday in Sep. Southern trains, our only route to Gatwick, is in chaos.We thought about taking the car, but, we saw the damaged cars on the news.
So, while I was out, hubby booked a Travel Lodge for the night before. Now, the 1 nights stay, plus parking there, worked out cheaper then the expensive Airport parking! There is a shuttle bus from the Lodge to the Airport. So, I think we are now sorted.

Bournemouth is boiling hot today, so many planes and things flying about, I think they are doing a practice run for the airshow next month.

Now the fence: I painted my garden shed with murals on each side. A mediteranian view on one side, and a victorian garden with urns on the door. I also painted murals on the walls at the old Dover hospital, when I lived there. Would you like me to paint the fence? Any ideas on what you all may like? I know it's only vitual, but just picture it in your minds.
Oh, phone is ringing again, so glad I have a half degree in Psychology.
TT X

Islandmaid

It's just not on.....:cool:

I want to try and loose weight, and you lot are talking about Crumpets, butter and all those lovely toppings, now I've had to go and buy some - don't you know I have absolutely no will power!!!!

I like mine with a scraping of marmite - on top of the butter of course

monnagran

Forget crumpets Islandmaid and bend your mind to this.

A few days ago I clicked on a link, can't remember where, can't remember when, and quite by accident I got on to a recipe for chocolate orange cake. I think it was blurbed as the cheapest chocolate cake ever. The Orange was supplied by a jar of cheap orange marmalade and I'm pretty sure that oil was used instead of fat. It looked good and I rushed off to get pen and paper to write it down. By the time I got back something completely different was showing and I couldn't find it again.

Has anyone else here seen it? Or anything like it?
I think I'm just going to have to experiment if no-one can help.

I do remember that the poster had priced all the ingredients up and it was somewhere around £1.50 for an eight inch cake.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! Wretched tablet.

x

Islandmaid

I found this one MONNA

https://sugarspiceetc.com/2013/08/29/nigella-lawsons-store-cupboard-chocolate-orange-cake-chocolate-orange-marmalade-cake-recipe/

monnagran

Islandmaid you are positively evil. That looks absolutely scrumptious, I have put on several pounds just reading the recipe.

Sadly, the recipe I am looking for uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate and oil instead of butter. I'm such a cheapskate I thought that this would make a good standby cake.

Don't worry, I'll keep trying until I make an edible cake and then I'll let you know how to do it.

x

TiredTrophy

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/259381/Chocolate-orange-cake
Fill with marmalade.

But i use sunflower or whatever oil I've got......

Bigjenny

Is this any good Monna

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=9398491&postcount=2436

recipe says at the bottom she has used cocoa and marmalade instead and you could use oil in place of margarine

camelot1001

Don't know about the chocolate and orange cake but when I was visiting DS2 the other week in The Netherlands we went for a meal and one of the desert choices was orange and basil cheesecake. DD chose it and I had a taste - not sure but she enjoyed it anyway.

burtha

Cake recipe looks fab , putting one in the oven now ...used homemade whisky/clementine marmalade .....bang goes the healthy food lol , fingers crossed it turns out ok ....

My late fil used to be a fanatic / pain in the b...... when he was doing his family tree .... If you were lucky and he didn't like you he would just not put you on , or he would change your name to what he thought was right ( or he liked better) ...example if you were John robert Smith , parents called you John , but he likes robert better that's what he put down and missed out the John bit .....
Very strange man .... thankfully he died ( sorry I know that sounds wrong) when my youngest kids were 3 and 4 ..... he met the 4 year old but not the 3 year old .....
Very strange lot .....
Thankfully the mil death / funeral a few months back has all gone quiet now .... had contact via text to say what they were doing with her ashes ....no input into how /what/where ....Didn't go .....well at least dh was asked , although no invite for any of us .... to service/ meal etc ...lol but out of 5 siblings only 2 were there ...of course with there other half's and family..... hey ho .....Over now ....well one more payment ...... gosh I sound bitter .....:think:

Right cake :T:T