Chatterbox

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

We are feeling equally smug, Dennis. As we've chosen to stay put too.
The bluebells are coming up fast. Lots to be seen on a hazy day when we went over the Malverns, coupled with the beginnings of that smell of garlic.



Enjoy your book, Renee. I'm reading "paying guests" by E M Benson.

[Joanbunting Profile]

It got to 25 here yesterday but I still had my cardi on !

Have you heard about the bees which have hives on the roof of Notre dame? They survived the inferno!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Perhaps I’m losing my memory, but surely loose fruit and veg to help yourself was the norm in UK supermarkets until a few years ago, it’s hardly a revolutionary idea

Still is in most of Europe of course

[WWordsworth Profile]

J is working this morning, he wants to do some gardening later and we are staying in tonight with our feet up.
We were out for curry with pals last night, going to another friend for lunch tomorrow.
On Monday we are heading north for family time as we are burying Mum's ashes on Tuesday.

She's going in Dad's grave, it was her wish.

[Renee Profile]

Dennis we crossed and I nearly missed those lovely photos. What a beautiful view and the bluebells with the white tulips look so pretty. Egg and watercress sandwiches are one of my favourites. I'm glad that you had such a lovely day together.

What an incredible view Gill and I'm glad that it was hazy so that it didn't get too uncomfortable.

I've been ready books by JoJo Moyes. She is such an incredible writer and it's so difficult to put the books down, but I do because I don't want the stories to end quickly. The first one that I read was Me Before You which was made into a film.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Me-Before-You- ... 0718157834

I hope that you have a good journey on Monday WWordsworth to carry out your mother's wishes.

[Alexandria Profile]

W. Wordsworth,

Safe travels ..

My deepest condolences.

Best wishes.

[dennispc Profile]

Wordsworth, we'll be thinking of you on Tuesday. Safe journey and take care.

Gill, loved that shot of the path going way into the distance.

As for supermarkets and loose fruit/veg, here's Waitrose on Friday morning. Good to see the loose Granny Smiths selling before the packaged ones. The conference pears, just eaten one, were £2 a kg. No idea how that compares.

Apples Pears.jpg

And finally, I did some baking as we were invited to Devon daughter's today. It's a Dan Lepard overnight in the fridge recipe.

Hot Cross.jpg

[Renee Profile]

What gorgeous hot cross buns Dennis!

[Alexandria Profile]

Petronius,

Yes, lovely buns ..

And surely, we never buy packaged in plastic
fruits or vegetables, so it is a positive to see
supermarkets back to " farmer´s style "
markets.

We buy most of our fresh produce at the Le Mercat,
La Boqueria ..

[Sakkarin Profile]

Nice buns Petronius, and with a dead oven all I can do is admire them, not recreate them myself

Made a pig of myself on "Tesco's Finest" buns a few days back (chocolate & maple syrup and apple & ginger variants), but they were a bit underwhelming, I'm sure yours are better!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Oink!
I've just been very good and quaffed a bowl of strawberries. Out in the garden sunshine.

I say I was very good ................... Tony wanted strawbs rather than anything else. I'll feed my inner greed tomorrow.


Those HXBs are expert.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Snap - We've just had fruit salad sitting in the garden.....

Wonderful looking HCB's Petronius - almost food porn - I want one of those now!
Haven't had any this year

[dennispc Profile]

Your joy at seeing those HCB's made me smile.

“chocolate & maple syrup and apple & ginger variants” doth not a HCB make!

Something went ‘wrong’ with this batch - usually it makes nine buns at around 100gms - but this gave eleven. Method includes dough in fridge for twelve hours, divide and knead individually by folding. Cold dough is hard work! Then allow 2.5/3 hours for proving. Total time, plus a bit of rye flour does make them tasty.

Haven’t forgotten about fibre Renee.

What follows is stuff that was new to us and came from various doctors/consultants. I considered making it a separate thread but wanted it to be kept at the chat-over-a-cup-of-coffee post rather making heavy weather. Hope it makes sense - it's a bit rushed.

First, shaving celery sticks with a peeler makes the strings curl. Thats what happens when eating anything fibrous. Our stomachs and digestive systems are excellent machines in turning food into liquid. At some point, that ‘soup’ gradually dries out with the usual result. Though for some poor souls those curly bits may stick around.

Current NHS advice is we need fibre in our diets. Probably about ten years ago the standard advice was a diet high in fibre was the best. A leaflet given by the hospital to one of our family recently mentions, “People with symptoms from diverticular disease respond differently to fibre in their diet”, (http://www.corecharity.org.uk). There maybe different effects from soluble fibre from fruit and veg, than insoluble, such as found in cereals and grains.

NHS Help, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diverticu ... ticulitis/

says:

“It's not known exactly why some people get diverticular disease, but it seems to be linked to age, diet and lifestyle, and genetics.”

The bit about genetics was totally new to us, we thought it was only diet.

Did a bit of search and found this;

High intake of fiber did not reduce the prevalence of diverticulosis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724216/

Which is all a long way from those HCB’s and yes, it’s still a beautiful day here, though the wind is picking up, but I knew if I didn’t do it now before tea, then it wouldn’t be until the end of the week.

[Renee Profile]

Well, what a very interesting and surprising read Dennis. People who consume plenty of fibre are more likely to suffer with diverticulosis, which is a bit depressing really, because I have, over the years, increased my fibre content and everything works well! I also clicked on a few of the links, especially the ones about probiotics which I find very interesting. Many thanks.

[dennispc Profile]

And so will I Renee - it works for me so I ain't changing my diet either.

[jeral Profile]

Petronius, I'm playing catch-up so belated happy anniversary and many more to come Hoping you've both enjoyed a couple of restful feet-up days after the weekend flurry, not to mention gorging on those delicious hot cross buns - if you managed to get any of them that is...

Re loose fruit and packaging or not, I was astonished when I learned yesterday that black plastic package trays are used for no better reason than that the colour contrasts well with the contents. Even I know that black plastic can't be recycled due to carbon content or some such, so I'm sure supermarkets know that.

If everyone left all or at least excess packaging in the shop, the message might get through quicker. Or, is the likely contra argument valid being that it's only because of the packaging that customers are able to unpack perfect unbruised goods at point of sale?

[Sakkarin Profile]

"chocolate & maple syrup and apple & ginger variants" doth not a HCB make!

If you think that is heresy, my 2008 Easter Not Cross Buns included banana!!!!

(Courtesy of Dan le Pard...)

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

ooooooo nice.
I like most things with banana in them.

[Renee Profile]

Very nice! I would love the flavour too and the banana would keep them moist.

[Luca Profile]

The hot X buns all look great. I didn't have any this year and am not a baker. Bananas however are on my 'need to eat more of' recommendations so perhaps I should give them a go. Tend to use them in smoothies only.... but now appetite appears to be back I should maybe make some banana bread.