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Easter and all the trimmings

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Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Gillthepainter » Wed Apr 17, 2019 8:22 am

I've bought my leg of lamb. The rosemary pot is thriving. Mint sauce will be made with malt vinegar and plenty of pepper.

Buttons easter eggs are half price, I shall treat myself to one, as I have that or a smarties egg.

We shall take a cycle ride out to Tewkesbury and back, calling in at Morans when we are home for a refreshing tea and cake (Tony will have a jumbo cheese straw). It has super cakes and savouries until 5.30pm
https://www.moranseatinghouse.co.uk/the-bar.php

We were going to go walk Helvellyn in the Lake District, but ordinary hotels are charging way over £150 a night over the Easter.
Another time ....................... we'll stick to doing stuff at home.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Wed Apr 17, 2019 8:56 am

We are at home for Easter, as Mr Strictly is working from Good Friday to Easter Sunday (he works in a 24/7 non-retail workplace!) . I will be making the following for our evening meals:

Seafood Pancakes for Good Friday
Tortellini Minestrone on Saturday
Slow Cooked half lamb shoulder in port and thyme for Easter Sunday - this is using the last of my workplace farm's lamb. Accompaniments will be roasties and veg
Lamb, Mediterranean veg and tomato savoury rice using whatever is left of the lamb for Bank Holiday Monday

Pud for these 4 days will be chocolate fondant tart with Mini Eggs in it (my tweak on a much loved Mary Berry recipe, although we prefer it cold rather than warm as suggested in the recipe!)

I am hoping to make some Easter Brownies (with Mini Eggs inside), and some cheese straw type things for work. It's a bit of a tradition with me, as in making stuff for work over Easter.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Gillthepainter » Wed Apr 17, 2019 10:49 am

That all sounds fabulous, Stricters.
Especially the fondant tart. :yum

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Alexandria » Wed Apr 17, 2019 12:20 pm

Happy Easter Holiday ..

Sounds wonderful.

I am up in Galicia working with a Tour Group,
so lunch shall be in Pontevedra. We are booked
and it shall be "group rate" from the menus of the
establishment.


My dear is up in Cadaquès with the family and our
grandsons (age 7 & 8), twin sons, 2 daughter in laws, his parents and
grandparents & my parents and my grandparents ..
Barcelona, soulful & spirited, filled with fine art, amazing architecture, profoundly steeped in culture & history, and it engages all your senses, and food fancies.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby karadekoolaid » Wed Apr 17, 2019 1:13 pm

No special food associated with Easter over here. In past years, we might have gone to the beach, but this year, we´re staying put.
I´m thinking of making aracinu - just because I happen to have the right rice and a jar of saffron!!

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Apr 17, 2019 2:35 pm

Hot cross buns will be made and distributed around the hameau as usual.
Aioli garni on Saturday - again traditional in Provence and on Sunday we are going to lunch with friends at Mannu's restuarant.

I shall hide anything chocolate from M I might have a couple of small squares but honestly I'm not bothered.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Gillthepainter » Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:50 am

Show them neighbours how it's done, Joan. HXB's are a national treasure.
I think I'll make some tomorrow, I like to put cranberries in.

Of all the things that Tony doesn't eat, rice is my one regret.
There are so many wonderful ways with it, Clive.

I don't know Pontevedra, but we've toured the North and then some for a month. My Spanish landlady thought Burgos was the most beautiful place in Spain.
And we will be back there in June - showing off our John Lewis deckchairs.

They are always much admired on the coastal beaches by the Spanish. I'm not sure they have them.

Keep that chocolate hidden now. I never know how people can keep their Easter goodies for months in the cupboards.
I'd systematically hoover them up every day, till it is all gone.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Apr 18, 2019 10:45 am

I have a guinea fowl to do something with
I’m out all day Saturday including dinner with friends
Will go to the supermarket and green grocer soon
Don’t feel like making any buns myself but Morrison’s The Best are pretty good, I sampled one pack already

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Wic » Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:00 am

We shall have gammon, because there is a joint speaking to me from the freezer. We had one at Christmas, too, and because we were short of time on Christmas Eve i cooked it in the Instant Pot. I wasn’t expecting it to be other than average, for some reason, but needs must, etc, and it cooked it beautifully. We like it with Pommes Dauphinois.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Gillthepainter » Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:42 am

I should try those Morrisons ones.
I did buy some clementine HCBs last week from Waitrose. They were a bit acrid, I only ate one toasted. 1 out of 5 from me.
Tescos has a high taste test score I believe - without googling.

Enjoy that Gammon, Wic.
I still remember the citrus gammon I made yonks ago. It's a lovely roast.

We are eating our lamb earlier than Easter, tonight. As we've booked a meal out at the Ivy, which has changed our simple plans somewhat.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Pampy » Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:39 pm

I bought some Tesco HXBs last week (the ones they only make at Easter, not the all-year-round ones) - they were dire! Dry, hardly any spice and very stingy with the fruit. I haven't tried them but I've heard that Lidl's are very good.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Badger's Mate » Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:54 pm

We like the extra fruity HCBs from Tesco, not the new fangled flavour combinations nor the normal ones, they are our favourites of any of the supermarkets and better than the local bakers.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Alexandria » Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:02 pm

Gil, The Painter,

I am uncertain what a John Lewis Deck Chair is by
this name ..

However, we have " sillas de playa " which
are same beach chairs, made in Spain.

Can also be used on terraces or in a back yard
or garden .. There are uncountable styles.

We each have our personal preferences when
it comes to regions and cities or places ..

All depends what you are seeking too ..
Art, coast, mountains, ancient
architecture etcetra ..

Burgos has an amazing Cathedral and a Museum
of IX Century Roman Art which is incredible.
Las Huelgas I believe is the name. Filled with
ancient art ..

However, there are cities we prefer much more.

Barcelona, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela,
Girona, Las Rosas & Cadaqués, Cádiz,
Alicante City & Playa San Juan (10 minutes
from Alicante City), Dénia, San Sebastian,
Bilbao, Gijon, Asturias, La Guardia, Álava,
Logroño, La Rioja, The Basque Country
and Lleida. Galicia is a Marvel and
I always look forward to tours
in Galicia.

We also have enjoyed Toledo,
Segovia and Cuenca as well as
The Alcarria Route and Pastrana in
Guadalajara & Majaelrayo & Valverde
Los Arroyos in Guadalajara..

Have a lovely holiday weekend.
Barcelona, soulful & spirited, filled with fine art, amazing architecture, profoundly steeped in culture & history, and it engages all your senses, and food fancies.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Amyw » Thu Apr 18, 2019 10:24 pm

A deck chair from a British department store called John Lewis

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Alexandria » Thu Apr 18, 2019 10:48 pm

Gill The Painter,

The Monasterio de Santa Maria de Las Huelgas ( 1187 founded ) ..

This is the name of the Monastery ( Museum ) in Burgos on the left side of
The Arlanzón River, in the City of Burgos.

If you have not been there and like Roman Art and Artifacts,
Ancient Paintings, and Ancient Architecture, it is extraordinarily
amazing.
Barcelona, soulful & spirited, filled with fine art, amazing architecture, profoundly steeped in culture & history, and it engages all your senses, and food fancies.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Wic » Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:02 pm

If you are driving to Spain, the Hotel Almirante Boniface, in Burgos is a find. (Other hotels are available!). It’s comfortable, the people are lovely and, most important, it has a secure, locked garage for the car.

We have spent many an evening wandering round the town, it’s beautiful and there are a lot of really good delis and places to eat.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Gillthepainter » Fri Apr 19, 2019 9:41 am

A quick interlude:
The Santa Maria Monasterio is indeed wonderful. We stayed at the ABBA hotel not far away from it, Wic. And thanks for the hotel recommendation.
At the time we went, they only did tours in spoken Spanish, so I was the translator for my husband. The guide and I had a mutually impressive moment, where she stopped patiently for me to relay the details received back to Tony, the only other english tourist there amongst the spanish visitors.
So her patience with us, will be remembered for a long time yet.

Thank you for your holiday list Member 461. Yes, we've been to every one of them, and more, except for: Álava and Logroño.

This a John Lewis deckchair.
It is so admired as it hasn't got a plastic piece to its name: https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/furnit ... 0yZ1z141aa



As it's so sunny here for Easter, I'm preparing the bbq today, in anticipation of many meals cooked al fresco.

The "John Lewis" lamb was excellent too.
I shall now convert the remainder to the only dish I know how. A shepherds pie.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Fri Apr 19, 2019 10:41 am

We also have a gammon joint in the freezer, but I shall use that some other time.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby Meganthemog » Fri Apr 19, 2019 11:24 am

Apart from being flatter and not having a cross and a glaze, what is the difference between a teacake and a HCB? M&S have some really lovely luxury teacakes - about £1.20 for 2 but they are really good.

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Re: Easter and all the trimmings

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Fri Apr 19, 2019 12:09 pm

Hi Meganthemog

The only other difference is that fruit teacakes don't normally have spice in them - well, that's the case with the ones I've have eaten in the past. Teacakes are usually a bit lighter than HXB's, and the dough might be a bit less rich. TBH I normally buy them, especially you can get a good choice, although the choc ones don't really appeal all that much. This year's we've bought a pack of Asda's Extra Special Bramley Apple and Cinnamon hot cross buns for a change. We have some lemon curd in the fridge at the moment which should go rather well on them. I'll report back when I have the first one, which will probably be tomorrow.

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