Baking - Tips, Questions, Discussions, Recipes.

I've got - Crazy Water Pickled Lemons book and I love it - it has fabulous rice recipes and I use it quite a bit and would recommend it.

Glad you've got cats to bully you and push you into strange positions. Animal love provides its own powerful healing and comfort. Hope the improvement continues.

flamingo

Oh that's good to hear Flamingo!! It was the best looking one that had water in the title, and it let me look inside to see some recipes. It's why I bought two, as I figured there'd be more than a handful of recipes I'd like the look of. So thought I'd have one for myself. Lol.

And yes, the one nicknamed Cuddlebug often wakes me up to make me lie on my left side, with my left arm out to make a circle, so he can nestle in the crook of my arm in a hug. He even likes the duvet over him, and ends up with his head sharing my pillow. Lol

Lass

Xx

Hey Lass

Despite your illness, pains and aches, you still manage to enhance the lives of others, I'll be searching for the potato and green tomatoes recipe book. A few years ago when in France, I bought a small croque-monsieur recipe book with about 30 different recipes. A croque-monsieur isn't just a ham and cheese toastie or my preference, a croquue-madame with a nicely oozing fried egg on top. Such a variation, with different herbs used. It's entirely in French but my French is quite good however there's a fair bit of dictionary work at the start but after a while the same words crop up again so it gets easier. Fun though!

Nice of you to think of me. 

I have that problem sleeping also, position variable due to cat or dog. It's lovely that they trust and cuddle up for warmth Yes?

Thanks again Lass xx

Tvman 

Hey Tvman,

In the post above you'll see that the tomato cookbook is a different colour. If you click it, it will take you to the book on Amazon. And then this is the link to the potato one. Again, just over a couple of quid with free postage.

And I know exactly what you mean about the book in French. I have a few that are all written in German so that I could get proper authentic recipes. And they're awesome! But as you say as well, def a few bits of Googling needed when it comes to a few ingredients. Lol

And yes, I got my cats for company. I've always had pets, but then my old cat died and I wasn't ready for another. Then I got the first cancer diagnosis right when I was thinking of getting another. Only once things were looking a bit more positive, and like it wasn't the end quite yet did I get the first two. Because I was SO lonely, and sitting home alone all day every day was driving my mind into a dark place. So that's how Cuddlebug and Ladybug came to live with me. Lol

I hope you like the books and make some really tasty things for you and your lovely lady wife/cat to enjoy together!

Lass

Xx

Hi Lass 

            I hope this finds you well, I haven't seen many posts from you lately but I know you are busy sewing and supporting your friend and I hope both are going to plan. Well, Lass, I have finally done it! I made SCONES today! To your recipe and they were PERFECT! looked lovely and tasted even better! Thank you so much for your help on them I also made a bread & butter pudding which I had a bowl of covered in ice cream! 

The weather had cooled down a lot and I am stronger so no excuses and I am delighted with myself over the scones they now taste not just like everyone's which I always preferred to my own but BETTER thanks to your recipe I had one with plum jam and some well-whipped cream!

Ah happy days Love Joanie xx

Ah Bluebell

You've beaten me to it! I am going to bake scones for the first time too, iveI been asking Lass and getting some tips from her as well as a couple of friends who are cooks. I'm just waiting for the right time. Enjoy them Joanie

Tvman xx

Hi TVman

                Not before time for me! But do try lass recipe they are just perfect! light and moist good enough to eat without the Jam and cream! I was overworking the mix and using self-raising flour so I took onboard all her advice and I am so proud of them plus I can see them becoming a staple in my diet! even the ex-mentioned how good they looked when he called although he is not a scone person he was over for the Bread & butter Pud lol

Thanks, TV I shall enjoy and get baking!

Joanie xx

Oh I am pleased Joanie! When I saw the weather today, I did wonder if you'd manage to get them done today! Very glad they worked and you liked them!

Mmm, plum jam. My mum used to make a plum jelly that was wonderful.

As for me, down day today. I don't feel well and keep getting really dizzy spells, not sure what's up. So I've ended up snuggled under a sleeping bag - with a cat on top of me - napping, crying, or feeling a bit miserable, oh and the pain is quite high all over too including a headache that won't shift.

Also got bad news today in that the Barcelona trip I was really looking forward to is now cancelled. My brother decided to quit his job a few weeks/months back and just told me today. He has no new job to go to, just decided he'd had enough of people sticking their nose into his job and trying to tell him what to do. I pointed out that it sounded like every job I'd ever had. Lol. We just aren't great at having people we see as inferior, trying to tell us what to do. >.>

So he's moving back in with the parents until he works out what he wants to do with his life......  that's not going to end well, so I need to prepare for THAT fallout as Mum and he wind each other up!! I'd be more prepared after a few days in Barcelona, but meh.

Did get some good news though earlier in the week. The hormone suppression has worked it seems. The removal of the lining of my womb - and subsequent testing - has shown that there is not only any sign of cancer, but also no sign of atypical hyperplasia, AND not even any sign of hyperplasia even! So everything is completely suppressed at the minute - though I'm still getting cramping and stabbing pains from the new coil they had to put in.

So yeh, bit up and down - but mostly down today.

L

Xx

Hi Lass

             Yes finally made your delicious scones! they are the best I have ever tasted! So thank you so much for the recipe and all the tips! Homemade plum jelly sounds lovely! This is shop bought made by a company called Tiptree but it is very good! 

Ah Lass how terrible for you, I am so sorry you are having such a bad day and sounds like some kind of an infection to me especially pain all over and a headache like that I do hope you will go to the Dr tomorrow if you are not better I do not blame you having a cry sometimes it all gets too much and you wonder to yourself why.... I think it is either cancer or the drugs but some part of me is always acting up and I get tired of it.

Oh no your trip is off! again I am sorry to read this especially when you have been so looking forward to it and as for families I know the feeling about fall out let's hope your brother gets sorted soon there really is nothing worse than being in a job you hate I have been there and it is awful

Oh, Lass, that is such wonderful news!! you must have been over the moon when they told you everything was clear!  Brilliant news!  You deserve some luck my love as you are always so kind and helpful to everyone pity you still have discomfort is it the new coil? Also which drug were you on that has done such a great job of clearing your cancer?

It certainly is a mixed bag for you at the moment but cancer cleared has to outweight the bad? may not seem that way at the moment but trust me it will soon.

I go for my Scan on tuesday to check on all my Mets and see if there is any change I won't get the results untill the following week as my Onco is away , I was with her last week and they do not want to put me on the Herceptin because it is too risky for my heart yet I need it to try to stop this liver cancer they are hoping the letrozole is holding it back but only the scan results will tel excatly what is going on She thought I was looking really well compared to when she saw me last and I certainly do feel a lot better so fingers crossed things may have stablised it is all in the lap of the Gods I also had my post radio eye test and they were very pleased actually I think they were amazed at how much my vision had improved so thankfully that worked thanks to the skill of the consutant and staff at Clatterbridge Cancer center

Once again thanks for all your help and being such a good friend lass

Lots of Love Joanie xx

Hi Lass, 

Sorry to hear you are feeling so down. Joanie Bluebell has already said what I wanted to say. So I’ll just chime in with a rousing chorus of “smiling pile of pooh”. It’s courtesy of my 17-year-old. Pick any marching tune, think of the smiling pile of pooh emoji and sing the words “smiling pile of pooh” until you feel better. I love how daft teenagers can be. 

I made grown up Bounty bars yesterday. Grind 200g of almonds, skin and all, in a food processor until they start to make a butter. Chuck in 3tbs of honey, 2tbs of melted coconut oil, tsp of vanilla extract and 150g of dessicated coconut and a few drops of water and blend to being together into a thick dough. Pat into a flat thing and firm up in the freezer for five minutes. Cut into 24 pieces, coat each with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. Banging. 

Xxx