WHAT HAS JUNIOR LEARNED TODAY?

Ah, yes.

When you bake a Pear and Almond cake, remember to line the tin with greaseproof paper...................otherwise the cake mixture will dribble out onto the tray below and you will be left with a cake (albeit very nice tasting) that is a quarter of an inch in depth. Sigh.....very funny.

Gotta laugh:o)

Batteries soon.

Bouncing 'Meat'

I am still trying my bestest to become vegan. I find it really expensive around here, to source ingredients. Anyway, there is a fine, family run outlet not too far away that sells all manner of flours. You name it, they have it. So, off we trots (in car) to buy some gluten flour. It is used in making seitan, which is vegan meat/mock meat. You make it up, flavour it which way whatever...pretend beef, chicken, bacon, pepperoni, veggie, curry.....on it goes. It is the stuff that gluten-free eating people avoid at all costs....and no wonder!

As I lovingly carressed my bag of gluten flour, I proudly told Junior that we could have all the 'meat-substitutes we want....courtesy of seitan.

Well, I followed a recipe. Cup of this flour, add flavourings, add water, knead, wrap in clingfilm and plop into pot of simmering water and leave to simmer for a good hour. When it's done, you are supposed to be able to cut slices of it. (I fashioned my seitan into a sausage shape)

We cooked the stuff and oiked it out of the simmering water. On cutting the seitan away from the clingfilm and popping it on a plate, it looked okay. Do we wait 'til it cools or not? Typically, we couldn't wait, so we cut a couple of slices....and tasted!......mmmmmm...not! I didn't like the flavouring...think I should have wrapped it in foil, instead too, as I could taste chemicals....from the cling film. Still...'don't be so bloody paranoid or picky' I tells myself. 'Wait 'til it cools'. So, next day, we have another taste test. Same. Yuk.

Have to say, that this stuff could maybe be put to good use in another way. When Junior 'dropped' it on the kitchen work surface, it bounced. So she did it again....bounce. Might have happened on an eco-friendly recipe for.....squash balls. That's how GOOD my seitan is! lol

30 Years Ago

Got to get off my chest 30 years of angst.

Was 30 years ago today that my good friend Stephen died. He was my first adult love. Blonde, tall, blue-eyed, handsome....soooooooooooo handsome..film star handsome......clever....introduced me to some good music....Steely Dan, Stephen Stills, Genesis...and I he to The Eagles,...

He took his own life. Looking back, I can see that he was, for some reason, a deeply troubled soul. Had issues with his dad. I thought his dad was lovely, but there you go. He knew what to do to end things...being a chemist. What a waste of life. It haunts me, over and over. I go over in my mind at events previous to all this and wonder if I could have done anything to stop him. I 'dream' of this...'saving' him with the right words and actions... Futile. It was nothing to do with me, but you always wonder if you could have done something to stop this destructive train of thought. When I get to heaven I shall give him a bloody good 'what for!'.... and a knuckle sandwich from his sister..if I get there first!

We were 16 when we started dating. Both gawky teens, but he morphed into a handsome man and I seemed to be left behind...although, looking back it wasn't like that. It was just lack of confidence on my part. I had loads, plenty of 'suitors' in those days but I stayed loyal to him. First love and all that. Plonker me! I worked and he went to uni and he met 'someone'. I couldn't understand this disloyalty. Truly broke my heart. I met her a couple of times and didn't like her at all. Thought she was a precocious, pompous cow. Like 'I'm SO clever, I got to uni, mer mer mer mer mer! type. Ack. This is before I 'knew' who she was. Wasn't clever enough to look after him, was she?

I could've gone to uni, but didn't in those days. Parents couldn't afford it, although they didn't say and wouldn't have stopped me. but, they had struggled enough beforehand, so I went to work.

I have only one photo of Stephen...even though we dated for four years..and the photo I have doesn't do him justice. He was sooooooooooo lovely looking. Why the fuck did he do it when he had so much going for him? Love him as much as I did...and do....but...I think...You Pillock..you had all that going for you!!

He's buried a few 'doors' away from my father, so Dad would have given him a 'what for', too....but will be watching out for him, aswell. And probably beating the uni boy at chess? lol xxx

Happy New Year

Have been on 't'computer, ferreting away..re-visiting much liked blogs....when....tickle is felt 'underfoot'.

Popeye...old faithful..and very quiet of late...was lazing under my desk and decided to nuzzle up to the old feet! Eeeeew!....but whatever does it for you is up to you, so to speak! Ah...bless him.

Mother is not well. So, we're off up the motorway tomorrow to see her. Very frustrating being miles and miles away.

Today we had a 'retro' meal. Was telling Junior of the 'cuisine' that was 'in' in my younger years. So, did her prawn cocktail, spag bog and black forest gateau. Stuff of my 70's. Tinks had my prawns:o).....and is now quietly snoozing ontop of the ghetto blaster, which is situated by the warm radiator in the lounge. Favourite perch.

I can hear Junior in her bedroom....not very happy. The Wii is beating her at some game.

Cats are warm and content.. Sparko around the house. The little buggers better not start partaying when I go to beddybyes. Sigh. The dog is conked out. Overdone it on the treats and sleeping it off.

Happy New Year to All. Peace. xxx