Today I shall be Mainly...

[Marilyn]

And no veg ever gets wasted. I cook them up into Vegetarian Slices etc and freeze them.

[Stanley]

I shall be going in the shed but knocking off after an hour to go to do my early doors shopping. I got my veggies yesterday at Chaudrey's. Then 'In Our Time' and second sleep. After that exercise and reading....

[Big Kev]

On the subject of eating out (not something we tend to do often), you will be amazed just how little fresh food is cooked by so called “Chefs”. The particular place we went to really only heated stuff that was previously frozen! They had 4 types of Fish on the Menu ( we love Fish). Two were pre-battered with garlic in the batter, two were pre-crumbed with garlic in the crumb. Could I just have a plate of chips then? No...because they come in frozen and pre-seasoned with garlic in the seasoning. So what about your Butternut Pumpkin and Lentil dish? Sorry...that has garlic in it madam. Can I have a plain salad then. No...that comes pre-flavoured and bagged...and has garlic croutons already in it.
Not much actual cheffing going on in that kitchen!
So, microwaved rice and plain steamed fish that they must have nipped out and bought special.

You must be eating in the wrong places, my friend's restaurant gets all its produce fresh and local. Anything 'pre-prepared' is done by his chef and frozen.

[Stanley]

"my friend's restaurant gets all its produce fresh and local. Anything 'pre-prepared' is done by his chef and frozen."
That's the rule in this kitchen as well, but sometimes the veggies aren't as local as I'd like.
I have had my hour in the shed and done the weekly shop as well.



The wobbler engine has a stand now!
Next I shall cook breakfast....

[Sue]

Morning

I think Maz you misunderstand. The fruit and veg I buy from the market is unwrapped but at the present time it is not advisable to press, squeeze, smell etc. A few weeks ago it would have been dangerous to do so, especially in Greater Manchester where the figures have been high. You do not know who has done it before you. All fruit and veg goes straight into a bowl of water when we get it home. When I referred to wrapped goods I meant things like clothes which have not been hanging in a shop for people to handle. Ordered online they come packaged. Evidence is now that packaging does not transmit the virus, though I am not as meticulous as I was a year ago, wiping everything down with soapy water I still leave things a while before opening.

We too have no food waste. I make my own soup, and we cook what we buy, eat what we cook or freeze the portions for another meal. Everything in our freezer is labelled too. As for use by dates, we buy, we cook, we eat. At the end of the week we buy again. I gather this is the normal pattern for all my friends. Many now buy from local farm shops rather than go anywhere near a supermarket. Maz I can see you are ultra organised, far more than me but I would love to go the shops to browse clothes, feel food etc but I think my shopping habits have changed like many other people. I have learned a different lifestyle to keep safe. By the way I think there is a name for an allergy to garlic, I am sure I have come across it.

Yesterday was my first trip into a store of any size since March 16 th last year. Quite an adventure, and luckily not busy at the time we went. Though they didn’t have the tomato plants I wanted, I bought two climbing roses for the new trellis and six fuchsia plants . I have absolutely no desire to go in any shop with a lot of people. I have never liked crowds and like them less now. Our weekly online shopping order is mainly of the cleaning, laundry and bathroom variety . Use by dates are not that important , I am not consuming them and anyone can pick them for me. The real urgency of Covid is waining at the moment but I shall continue shopping in the same way. Fresh food at Bacup market on Saturday morning, everything else delivered. I have to order fabric online as there are no fabric shops near us and until a couple of weeks ago we were not allowed to travel. I use the same reliable outlets and only a couple of times have I been disappointed. On opening, it all goes in the washing machine . I have a pile of washed, ironed fabric waiting for sewing inspiration.

Yesterday was cool and not very sunny, this morning looks much brighter. I understand another frost was forecast last night, it certainly felt cool enough so I covered all my plants in the greenhouse again . Apart from the dead tomato plant they are slowly recovering. I have pilates at 10.00 am and a zoom meeting with friends at 8.00 pm with nothing else planned. I think Bob is planning on doing the fence panels but otherwise we may walk.

Have a good day everyone

[Sue]

Kev, our local restaurant/ pub also buys fresh, they actually use the same butcher as us ( meat comes from yorkshire farms) and gets fruit and veg off the markets, supporting local. The food is all made on the premises, not bought in. In fact the chef in our local pub has won a regional prize. He does good home cooking type food as well as more exotic.

Though I admit we avoid the bulk food outlets , and their cardboard chips as I call them

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, if Rochdale follows us you'll be having a sharp little frost but the sun is coming in on full power and will soon see it off. Looks like it's going to be a lovely day.

[Sue]

Morning Sue, if Rochdale follows us you'll be having a sharp little frost but the sun is coming in on full power and will soon see it off. Looks like it's going to be a lovely day.

Yes hopeful. Tomorrow is forecast good too.

[plaques]

They had 4 types of Fish on the Menu ( we love Fish). Two were pre-battered with garlic in the batter, two were pre-crumbed with garlic in the crumb. Could I just have a plate of chips then? No...because they come in frozen and pre-seasoned with garlic in the seasoning. So what about your Butternut Pumpkin and Lentil dish? Sorry...that has garlic in it madam.

Do all Australians suffer from halitosis hence the need for all this garlic camouflage. ?

[Marilyn]

I think...sadly...that anyone having a restaurant and surviving the Pandemic...must now have their business hat on as well as their Chef’s hat. Frozen produce helps their livelihood survive, should there be another snap lockdown. Frozen food will survive. It is not as if the leccy has gone out.
Will we eat there again?
Not on your Nelly! ( it was an expensive night and we really expected better, especially as we were socially distanced and absolutely had to be there on time or our booking would be cancelled if we were 10 mins late. A glass of wine was equal to what we would normally pay for an entire bottle. To hear that so much of the food was simply heated by the “Chef”...mind blowing!
)Local pub is much better and we don’t have to dress up like Turkeys!

[Tizer]

I've just read through the last couple of pages of posts about garlic in food etc. I'm in a similar situation to you Maz. I avoid garlic but my main problem is with spices and pungent herbs which inflame my gut. Therefore no meals out, no ready meals etc. Even Cornish pasties and fish & chips are difficult to find without spices nowadays. They're so ubiquitous that if you ask people who sell food products or meals if they are free of spices and pungent herbs they'll say yes even though they contain them!

[Marilyn]

I know Tiz. And they are not there when your gut reacts afterwards! I prefer not to eat out...I do not trust it. My tummy lives quite comfortably with home cooked food.

[Sue]

I think we are lucky here, we have a plethora of pubs that do a good standard of food. All home cooked on the premises with fresh ingredients. A variety of meals, veggie, vegan, gluten free, spicy and traditional. There are poorer ones of course and I know its not the same in Manchester , but we never eat in Manchester as we never drive there and getting back on public transport is not desirable either now or before the pandemic

[Marilyn]

When you talk about “pungent” herbs, Tiz...is Rosemary among them?
I love smelling Rosemary if I brush against it in a garden. Lovely...but I can’t tolerate it in food. I love the smell of Lavender too, but could not consume it ( though people do). Coriander is another herb that I love the smell of, but can’t tolerate it in food. Tastes like soap to me.
Sue... we have at least 3 good basic pubs here. Good value for money, decent meals, a certain degree of choice. Have to pick and choose as far as taste, and if you don’t mind choosing buffet veg or salad they are ok. I don’t look forward to a meal at any of them but if one has to eat out, I can find enough to eat. ( they do tend to sneak garlic in the Cauliflower Cheese etc, but I can smell it a mile off, so no problems making choices)

[Sue]

Such a shame Maz. Certainly better than that here in my locals, but not necessarily in every pub in the area but then most of the others are pie and chips !

[Sue]

This sounds like you Maz, I am sure there is a name for it. I am sure I have read it in the past.

http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/in ... ?FoodId=71

Its a shame if there is nowhere near you that does good plain home cooking

[Stanley]

First thing I will do is sew the waistband button back on my jeans,that has gained them a reprieve actually because they are starting to descend into the holes that people have artificially made in new ones. I had decided to bim them but if I have to sew a button on they can have another wash! Wobbler engine of course later and take advantage of what looks like the hottest day of the year so far. We are promised 16C!

[Sue]

Morning

Another glorious morning, we are promised 17 degrees and sun. Yesterday was beautiful. After pilates I pottered in the garden and did some washing, whilst we waited for delivery of additional keys for our new front door. They arrived earlier than expected so we took ourselves off for a lovely long walk through the dell and up on to Rooley moor . I think everyone must have taken to the garden for the afternoon because it was deserted. We met about 4 people, one of which I knew and had a long chat to. The other was a retired butcher so it seems. He was taking a break from his mou tain bike and was sitting admiring the wild life at the lodge. He too chat for ages. As we walked on we saw a heron, the butcher told us there had been three. Earlier we had seen two deer, could almost have touched them, as we walked through the woodland up towards the moor. We returned via the waterfalls which are now very low indeed and the railway track

The walk was followed by a beer and a long sit in the garden. As the sun went behind the house I watered the garden with a hosepipe, the second time this week, and then put the plants back in the greenhouse and covered them for the night. It was late when we ate and at 9.30pm I remembered my 8.00 pm zoom meeting. Apologies were sent all round and it transpires that my friend Sue had also forgotten. She was probably in the garden too. Poor Jean was all on her lonesome.

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Today is dance exercise followed by zoom craft. I shall only stay on zoom half an hour or so as we have decided to take a picnic lunch to Blackstone Edge and walk round the reservoir there, so that will be our afternoon. We should get another sit in the garden when we get back

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

I think you're right Sue, even here we are offered 16C.
I've been in the shed and had a good morning. I built the wobbler and blew some high pressure air down the steam pipe and it went like the clappers! No hesitation.



Then I put some cloth on its bum and it becomes part of my clutter.



Now I have to decide what to do next. Could be another 10H like Bob made. We'll see.

[Big Kev]

The other was a retired butcher so it seems. He was taking a break from his mou tain bike and was sitting admiring the wild life at the lodge.

Did you catch is name? Was it Stephen Hirst?

[Sue]

The other was a retired butcher so it seems. He was taking a break from his mou tain bike and was sitting admiring the wild life at the lodge.

Did you catch is name? Was it Stephen Hirst?

No I didn’t Kev. He said something about taking his car to Heywood,walking back home and going out on his mountain bike. He implied he was local to Rochdale

[Big Kev]

The other was a retired butcher so it seems. He was taking a break from his mou tain bike and was sitting admiring the wild life at the lodge.

Did you catch is name? Was it Stephen Hirst?

No I didn’t Kev. He said something about taking his car to Heywood,walking back home and going out on his mountain bike. He implied he was local to Rochdale

Probably just a coincidence, I know a retired butcher who goes mountain biking

[Sue]

Well you never know. If we see him again on our walks I will ask his name, or at least find out where he lives

[Big Kev]

Well you never know. If we see him again on our walks I will ask his name, or at least find out where he lives

This is what he looks like, or did look like 5 years ago.

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[Stanley]

Not sure yet. Taking advantage of the good weather and walking but not dashing into the shed.
I'll take a view of the situation later....