Simple living in the country - back to basics

Baileys_Babe

MIL used to make a trifle inspired dessert instead of sherry she used Armagnac, it was lush. 

Cheery_Daff

I loathe sherry too. I could get behind an amaretto trifle though! 😁 Ooh, or malibu 😁😂 Maybe for Christmas 3 😂

Been to the vets with Sunshine chicken today 🙄 Wanted a check up as her comb has gone rather purple which can be an ominous sign, but fortunately they can't find anything too wrong with her. Couple of suggestions, and a provisional appointment for next week which we can cancel if she seems fine. £89 - not great but the last time we went it cost £365 so I'm considering this a bargain! 😂

Tescodealqueen

Hope Sunshine feels better soon. Got to admit Sherry is my guilty pleasure both to drink in a trifle in Christmas cake need I go on?

Suffolk_lass

Why not use Agar Agar crystals to make vegetarian jelly? It's just as easy as jelly cubes but must be boiled to activate the setting agent. Here's a recipe from GH

Cheery_Daff

I've never used those SL - are they flavoured, or do you have to mix them with fruit juice or something? 

Suffolk_lass

Cheery_Daff said:

I've never used those SL - are they flavoured, or do you have to mix them with fruit juice or something? 

You can buy Agar Agar (made from seaweed, usually flakes or crystals) from whole food suppliers or Health Food Shops. Two spoonfuls with some fruit juice, wait a while until they start to dissolve, warm through then taste and add sugar if needed, then you must bring to the boil for a couple of minutes (to activate the setting quality), cool completely then it will set like jelly cubes, in a fridge for 4 hours. The setting agent is a bit stronger than gelatine. Lots of ready made jellies use it. I don't think it tastes at all

EssexHebridean

Loving the Christmas 2 pic Cheery - glad it was lovely! I'm another who isn't a fan of sherry - MIL makes a lush chocolate trifle though - can't recall what booze she uses mind! (It occurs to me it might be nice with Baileys though?!)

Hopefully Sunshine is just having a few off days and is all better now - she's probably bored with it STILL not feeling particularly spring-like if she's anything like me! 

teapot2

I can report that a Bailey's laden trifle is yummy 😍😏

EssexHebridean

Now I'm tempted to try to see if I can recreate the idea... 

Cheery_Daff

Mmm, I could get behind baileys in a trifle, although not sure it would go well with strawberry jelly! 😂😂 maybe blancmange?! 

I've been having a nice day today. Got up early enough to sit outside for breakfast, managed a little walk with Mr Cheery at lunchtime etc. 

Then got some stupid work news - nothing unexpected, nothing major, just we were planning something cheerful and we've now been told we can't do it - a waste of time and effort, and it's been replaced with something more crap 🙄

Pottered around outside for a while in an effort to cheer myself up. Took the winter boards off the chicken run to give them more air and light now the worst of the rain has passed. Started sorting out the junk heap that is my greenhouse. Lopped some branches off various things - rose, apple, damson etc - wrong time of year but they were all quite unwieldy, and sometimes the 'right time' is when you've got the secateurs in your hand...

Also shoved some willow cuttings into a really soggy bit - not sure they'll take as it's a bit late, but willow often grows anywhere soggy, so we'll see.

Made the chickens a new dust bath with all the old compost out of last year's greenhouse pots.

So, mildly more cheerful, I came back inside.l, and the boiler has gone off again 😠 Texted the plumber this morning as it's done this a few times over the last few weeks. We've managed to get it going again each time, but clearly there's something underlying tripping it up. Now it's showing a different fault code as well, and not restarting quite as easily. Fingers crossed I can get it going.

Yawn.