What are you doing for Easter ?

[GUT2407]

35 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

No, no, no, no, no! Chocolate is a poison to dogs and many other animals. Max needs his own special easter egg made from something safe for him to eat.

 

My cat would happily eat a cheese easter egg. 

Max will get a carob egg if I can find one, otherwise his carob and yogurt buttons are popular.

 

[lyndarra]

2 hours ago, Russell21 said:

'm going to pig out over Easter, or at least as much as my Diabetes lets me. I go in for a bowel operation the next Friday and have virtually 2 days of fasting before hand, and restricted diet for a while after. I know what I'm in for pain wise as something similar was done to me some years ago that didn't quite fix the problem.

After you've pigged out you can wash it all down with some yummy lemon cordial.😉

[lyndarra]

This morning I decided it was bread baking day. Dragged out the bread machine and grabbed the box of ingredients from the pantry - best by date 9/2015. "That's good" I thought. It's had time to prove. The machine is now whirring away in the kitchen so in a couple of hours I'll see what comes out. BTW, no weevils.

Getting a bit tired of Dr Phil, Judge Judy et al so I think I'll make a start to finish reading the Harry Potter series. I read #1, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, some time ago but I've seen all the movies more than once. Went to see the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne last month a couple of days before all the theatres were closed. Reading the books will help tie it all together.

Alternative reading could have been E E Doc Smith's Lensman series that I've already read a few times.

 

[GUT2407]

2 hours ago, lyndarra said:

This morning I decided it was bread baking day. Dragged out the bread machine and grabbed the box of ingredients from the pantry - best by date 9/2015. "That's good" I thought. It's had time to prove. The machine is now whirring away in the kitchen so in a couple of hours I'll see what comes out. BTW, no weevils.

Getting a bit tired of Dr Phil, Judge Judy et al so I think I'll make a start to finish reading the Harry Potter series. I read #1, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, some time ago but I've seen all the movies more than once. Went to see the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne last month a couple of days before all the theatres were closed. Reading the books will help tie it all together.

Alternative reading could have been E E Doc Smith's Lensman series that I've already read a few times.

 

Whenever I am in hospital I know it is time to go home when I look forward to Phil, Judy asht the like.

[GUT2407]

If I have to go to town Harry’s might get a visit.

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

If I have to go to town Harry’s might get a visit.

Good man, the mushy peas will do you and Maxxy good.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, lyndarra said:

This morning I decided it was bread baking day. Dragged out the bread machine and grabbed the box of ingredients from the pantry - best by date 9/2015. "That's good" I thought. It's had time to prove. The machine is now whirring away in the kitchen so in a couple of hours I'll see what comes out. BTW, no weevils.

Getting a bit tired of Dr Phil, Judge Judy et al so I think I'll make a start to finish reading the Harry Potter series. I read #1, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, some time ago but I've seen all the movies more than once. Went to see the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne last month a couple of days before all the theatres were closed. Reading the books will help tie it all together.

Alternative reading could have been E E Doc Smith's Lensman series that I've already read a few times.

 

I'm going to quote your best by date 9/2015 to my daughters.  5 mins after 9/2015 the ingredients would be gone.  Went to use a herb from my sealed herb box, gone.  When I complained, I was advised all herbs past the use by date had been thrown out.  That must have been a big job going through all those little packets of herbs.  I explained dried herbs last forever, to no avail.  With a mother like me, I can't understand how my daughters got to be so pedantic about expiry dates.

I didn't get a chance to pick up a pair of glasses from the footpath yesterday, before I heard a shouted "Don't touch them!"  Raced back in the shop to get a serviette, raced back out to pick up glasses, raced back in the bakery explaining someone must have dropped glasses, whilst being glared at by bakery customers concerned about me being an incorrect distance apart.  Daughter not happy at my disobedience!  

One day I'll have to tell them about the mice/rats in the bakery flour, which we could see through the glass outside the bakery.  Maybe this is why my generation and above are a hardy bunch!

I've retreated back to my self isolation for a rest!

Movies and books are still on my to do list. 

How did you enjoy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"?  Does it still run over two performances?  When it ran in London, in its biggest theatre, the crowd with tickets, waiting to get in, went right around the theatre.  I was surprised most of the crowd were adults.  I thought it was a children's story. 

[MMDown Under]

7 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Whenever I am in hospital I know it is time to go home when I look forward to Phil, Judy asht the like.

ha ha

[LittleFish1976]

I had a sudden craving for toast and vegemite seeing everyone on social media is talking about FOOD all the time. Of course we have vegemite - what sort of family doesn't have vegemite? Opened it up - it looked a bit thick. Turned the jar over...

[Aus Traveller]

10 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I'm going to quote your best by date 9/2015 to my daughters.  5 mins after 9/2015 the ingredients would be gone.  Went to use a herb from my sealed herb box, gone.  When I complained, I was advised all herbs past the use by date had been thrown out.  That must have been a big job going through all those little packets of herbs.  I explained dried herbs last forever, to no avail.  With a mother like me, I can't understand how my daughters got to be so pedantic about expiry dates.

 

My daughter's the same on 'best by' dates. I tell her they are 'best by' not 'expiry'. The best thing is not to mention the dates!

 

I had a few items (nibbles etc) I planned to take on our beach holiday (that was to be last week) and somehow I was going to have to hide that the 'best by' dates were earlier this year, and one was last year. If she saw the dates it would have been "Muuuuum. It says use by XXXX!"

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

I had a sudden craving for toast and vegemite seeing everyone on social media is talking about FOOD all the time. Of course we have vegemite - what sort of family doesn't have vegemite? Opened it up - it looked a bit thick. Turned the jar over...

0909 you win!  ha ha  Did it still taste alright despite the consistency?  My younger daughter just said to me "You talk about food all the time".  I replied maybe that is because mothers are always planning meals in advance.  As you can see, three independent women in one tiny kitchen is proving challenging.

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

My daughter's the same on 'best by' dates. I tell her they are 'best by' not 'expiry'. The best thing is not to mention the dates!

 

I had a few items (nibbles etc) I planned to take on our beach holiday (that was to be last week) and somehow I was going to have to hide that the 'best by' dates were earlier this year, and one was last year. If she saw the dates it would have been "Muuuuum. It says use by XXXX!"

Sounds like your daughter and mine have the same fear that we may be secretly trying to poison them.  

Edited April 9, 2020 by MMDown Under

[lyndarra]

55 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

How did you enjoy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"?  Does it still run over two performances?  When it ran in London, in its biggest theatre, the crowd with tickets, waiting to get in, went right around the theatre.  I was surprised most of the crowd were adults.  I thought it was a children's story. 

A common misconception is that Harry Potter is just for kids, it isn't. The show was fantastic. It is performed in two sessions of about 2.5 hrs each session (with an intermission). You can go to morning then afternoon session or consecutive evening sessions. We went to  Thursday/Friday evening sessions, that way we had the days free to explore Melbourne. It was a fantastic experience. It wasn't essential to have seen the movies but it does give some background to the characters. BTW it is a drama, not a musical. We were there on the Grand Prix weekend. Highly recommend it. Another BTW, it wont be going to Sydney.

Edited April 9, 2020 by lyndarra

[OzKiwiJJ]

41 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I'm going to quote your best by date 9/2015 to my daughters.  5 mins after 9/2015 the ingredients would be gone.  Went to use a herb from my sealed herb box, gone.  When I complained, I was advised all herbs past the use by date had been thrown out.  That must have been a big job going through all those little packets of herbs.  I explained dried herbs last forever, to no avail.  With a mother like me, I can't understand how my daughters got to be so pedantic about expiry dates.

 

They don't last forever although they don't go off per se. They just slowly lose flavour so whatever you're cooking doesn't taste as good as it should. It's the same with spices. I go through my herbs and spices every so often, throw out stuff that is well past it's use by date, and buy a new supply online.

[OzKiwiJJ]

However some cheeses, like Brie and Camembert, are perfect to eat about a week after their use by date. 😄

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

They don't last forever although they don't go off per se. They just slowly lose flavour so whatever you're cooking doesn't taste as good as it should. It's the same with spices. I go through my herbs and spices every so often, throw out stuff that is well past it's use by date, and buy a new supply online.

You are right of course.  My cousin was surprised that I still use dried herbs, because fresh herbs are so readily available.  However, to my recipes a pinch of this or that herb does seem to make a difference.

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

However some cheeses, like Brie and Camembert, are perfect to eat about a week after their use by date. 😄

I didn't use to eat any cheese.  Finishing off a round of camembert, so it didn't go to waste, put me in hospital.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

You are right of course.  My cousin was surprised that I still use dried herbs, because fresh herbs are so readily available.  However, to my recipes a pinch of this or that herb does seem to make a difference.

Sometimes dried herbs work best, especially for background flavours. If I'm making a fresh tomato sauce for pasta I'll often add a pinch of dried Italian herb mix, even if I'm adding fresh basil at the end. It just builds the flavour base of the sauce.

 

I usually have some fresh herbs in pots in my vertical garden but I didn't get around to replanting the ones that died off when we were on the five week cruise last year, so only have chives at the moment. For some reason whoever we have as housesitters always manages to kill off the herbs. I didn't want to plant new ones while we had the water restrictions as I wanted to limit the number of pots.

[OzKiwiJJ]

15 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I didn't use to eat any cheese.  Finishing off a round of camembert, so it didn't go to waste, put me in hospital.  

That sounds nasty. If the cheese has been kept in the fridge, without opening, it's usually OK for a week or so after the use by dates. Usually the use by dates don't allow the cheese to ripen properly IMHO.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That sounds nasty. If the cheese has been kept in the fridge, without opening, it's usually OK for a week or so after the use by dates. Usually the use by dates don't allow the cheese to ripen properly IMHO.

Oh, there was nothing wrong with the cheese. My body didn't like the richness.  Something similar happened with pesto, which I didn't realise was rich.

[MMDown Under]

10 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Sometimes dried herbs work best, especially for background flavours. If I'm making a fresh tomato sauce for pasta I'll often add a pinch of dried Italian herb mix, even if I'm adding fresh basil at the end. It just builds the flavour base of the sauce.

 

I usually have some fresh herbs in pots in my vertical garden but I didn't get around to replanting the ones that died off when we were on the five week cruise last year, so only have chives at the moment. For some reason whoever we have as housesitters always manages to kill off the herbs. I didn't want to plant new ones while we had the water restrictions as I wanted to limit the number of pots.

That is a shame.  Can you use this time to grow some more.  My seedlings have been transplanted and are still alive.  Our garden club is encouraging members to submit photos of their plants and garden to our Facebook page.  I'm going to get my daughter to take some photos for me, such as "Is this a weed?", "what is this plant?", and"evidence that seedlings are still alive", which should keep the true gardeners amused.

Edited April 9, 2020 by MMDown Under

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, MMDown Under said:

That is a shame.  Can you use this time to grow some more.  My seedlings have been transplanted and are still alive.  Our garden club is encouraging members to submit photos of their plants and garden to our Facebook page.  I'm going to get my daughter to take some photos for me, such as "Is this a weed?", "what is this plant?" which should keep the true gardeners amused.

I will, when it stops inconveniently raining every time I plan some time to work on my vertical garden. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Oh, there was nothing wrong with the cheese. My body didn't like the richness.  Something similar happened with pesto, which I didn't realise was rich.

I have to be careful how much cheese I eat these days, I can't handle a lot of it any more. Yes, pesto has a lot of parmesan in it, plus pine nuts and oil. Nice in small amounts though. 

[MMDown Under]

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said:

I will, when it stops inconveniently raining every time I plan some time to work on my vertical garden. 

Oh it hasn't rained here at all, except for a sprinkle when I put a camp stretcher out under the tree to maybe read my first book today.  I think the rain may be put out because there are no real campers, just pretend campers like me.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Oh it hasn't rained here at all, except for a sprinkle when I put a camp stretcher out under the tree to maybe read my first book today.  I think the rain may be put out because there are no real campers, just pretend campers like me.

We've had quite a few rainy days, or days when it's rained overnight which means the pots are too wet to work on. It's usually fine on days we have other things planned though. Go figure! 🤣