COLD DARK ROOM

[JoesMum]

So wish I could ?, all sounds so yummy

Virtual afternoon tea is zero calories.

 

[jeneliza]

Virtual afternoon tea is zero calories.

More fun to actually eat it though ?

 

[jeneliza]

Happy Saturday. Overcast, cold & rain forecast for the better part of the day. The CORONA lockdown has most ppl honkered down, the hum of lawn mowers & weed whackers is still there, but not the normal buzz of activity. No school buses, less traffic in general.

The garden stuff - onions, lettuce, etc in containers are enjoying Springtime weather, as our the Spring flowering trees & bushes. Great display of lilac, white n pink dogwoods. Our peonies are reaching for the sky, nice buds and should be opening in a weeks time. The other perennials are pushing up. I just hope the deer don’t get to them!

Haven't been out kayaking for two weeks now, my co-kayakers don’t want to mingle too much AND the weather has been kind of crappy.

Last year about this time, we were down on the Virginia & North Carolina border in the Dismal Swamp.

View attachment 291447

Wow, that doesn't even look like a swamp, from the photo,

 

[JoesMum]

Simple recipes....

Irish Tea Loaf

This is my Mum’s recipe. I have no idea why it’s in cups, but that’s handy for those of you over the Atlantic

Soak Overnight: 1lb dried fruit in 1 Cup black tea and 1 cup sugar (ideally Demerara but any will do)

Next day add 1 egg, 1 cup all purpose flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder and mix thoroughly (Doesn’t need a mixer)

Heat the oven to approx 240F/125C (fan) Add degrees if you don’t have a fan oven.

Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin or other cake tin. This doesn’t rise much due to all the fruit.

Bake slowly for approx 2 hours until a skewer poked in it comes out clean.

Good as it is, or spread with butter or with cheese. Tastes even better the day after it’s made.



English Fruit Scones

Makes 6-8 depending on your cutter size

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) If no fan add 20 degrees

Rub together 8oz /225g all purpose flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 2oz/75g soft butter or margarine.

Stir in 1oz/40g sugar and 2oz/75g mixed dried fruit.

Break an egg, beat lightly with a fork and stir into the mix. Add milk a little at a time until you have a soft dough. (You won’t need much milk)

Flour the work surface. Pat the dough flat so it’s just over an inch (3cm) thick. Don’t make this too thin! Cut out circles with a cutter. The one I use is approx 1.25 inches diameter

Place on a floured baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the top is just starting to colour.

Serve warm. Spread with jam and cream or butter and jam.

 

[EllieMay]

Virtual afternoon tea is zero calories.

I will take the extra lbs just to sit at that table!!! Then take a gander at the new pond to see if you’ve gained any inhabitants;-) Then, ill extend my travels to kayak the dismal swamp with a friend to make up for all the delicious eats.. I can think of a few other friends I’d like to visit around the globe as well... pretty amazing to see what we were all doing this time last year..

 

[EllieMay]

Wow, that doesn't even look like a swamp, from the photo,

I remember when he posted these photos last year... I expected to see a shadowy figure of a beautiful woman in a flowy dress..... fading out of the picture... like she had an important story to tell

 

[Maro2Bear]

Wow, that doesn't even look like a swamp, from the photo,

The interesting thing about The Great Dismal Swamp is that there’s no inlet or outlet. Back in the slave trade days, ppl used to run & hide in these swampy lagoon areas..... it’s massive. Very few fish either as I recall - very acidic due to the swamp conditions.

 

[Cathie G]

Simple recipes....

Irish Tea Loaf

This is my Mum’s recipe. I have no idea why it’s in cups, but that’s handy for those of you over the Atlantic

Soak Overnight: 1lb dried fruit in 1 Cup black tea and 1 cup sugar (ideally Demerara but any will do)

Next day add 1 egg, 1 cup all purpose flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder and mix thoroughly (Doesn’t need a mixer)

Heat the oven to approx 240F/125C (fan) Add degrees if you don’t have a fan oven.

Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin or other cake tin. This doesn’t rise much due to all the fruit.

Bake slowly for approx 2 hours until a skewer poked in it comes out clean.

Good as it is, or spread with butter or with cheese. Tastes even better the day after it’s made.



English Fruit Scones

Makes 6-8 depending on your cutter size

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) If no fan add 20 degrees

Rub together 8oz /225g all purpose flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 2oz/75g soft butter or margarine.

Stir in 1oz/40g sugar and 2oz/75g mixed dried fruit.

Break an egg, beat lightly with a fork and stir into the mix. Add milk a little at a time until you have a soft dough. (You won’t need much milk)

Flour the work surface. Pat the dough flat so it’s just over an inch (3cm) thick. Don’t make this too thin! Cut out circles with a cutter. The one I use is approx 1.25 inches diameter

Place on a floured baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the top is just starting to colour.

Serve warm. Spread with jam and cream or butter and jam.

I'm going to try the scones for breakfast. Maybe I'll get some of those lbs you promised.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think I'd like to try the fruit loaf. I'll try it with raisins or dates as I'm not partial to other dried fruit.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Ok here is the first time on my new leg. I used the walker with the arm platform because I knew I would be a little on stable. You can see I am learning to hard on the walker.
As I get comfortable walking. I will use my prosthetic arm also and not put to much weight on Waller. Also need to stand up straighter.

 

[Yvonne G]

***Yvonne rubs her hands together ***
Maverick, Wagon Train, The Big Valley and The Virginian!!! Old westerns all day long! Doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Yvonne G]

Ok here is the first time on my new leg. I used the walker with the arm platform because I knew I would be a little on stable. You can see I am learning to hard on the walker.
As I get comfortable walking. I will use my prosthetic arm also and not put to much weight on Waller. Also need to stand up straighter.

Interesting how the knee joint bends when you swing the leg forward and yet holds firm without bending as you put weight on it. Good job, Ray! I'll bet it feels good to be up and about.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Interesting how the knee joint bends when you swing the leg forward and yet holds firm without bending as you put weight on it. Good job, Ray! I'll bet it feels good to be up and about.

Thanks Yvonne, when weight is put on the heal the leg locks so it won't bend. As I walk through the weight transfers to the toe and the knee unlocks.

 

[Pistachio's Pamperer]

***Yvonne rubs her hands together ***
Maverick, Wagon Train, The Big Valley and The Virginian!!! Old westerns all day long! Doesn't get much better than that.

James Garner. Robert Horton, Lee Majors, Doug McClure. James Garner and Lee Majors especially when they were young. **SWOON** Yeah that sounds like a good way to spend the weekend. We had a dog named Shiloh based off of the Virginian. LOL

-Meg
*stuffs the old soul back in the box*

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Ok here is the first time on my new leg. I used the walker with the arm platform because I knew I would be a little on stable. You can see I am learning to hard on the walker.
As I get comfortable walking. I will use my prosthetic arm also and not put to much weight on Waller. Also need to stand up straighter.

Awesome man! U’ll get the hang of it ?

 

[JoesMum]

Ok here is the first time on my new leg. I used the walker with the arm platform because I knew I would be a little on stable. You can see I am learning to hard on the walker.
As I get comfortable walking. I will use my prosthetic arm also and not put to much weight on Waller. Also need to stand up straighter.

Excellent to see you mobile

 

[JoesMum]

James Garner. Robert Horton, Lee Majors, Doug McClure. James Garner and Lee Majors especially when they were young. **SWOON** Yeah that sounds like a good way to spend the weekend. We had a dog named Shiloh based off of the Virginian. LOL

-Meg
*stuffs the old soul back in the box*

Hello! Have we welcomed you formally to the CDR? I’m Linda and I live in Kent in the South East of England.

We’re an international bunch of idiots /friends here who sometimes talk tortoise and fairly regularly talk puns and nonsense.

Pull up an armadillo and the one-legged pirate will be along shortly to bring you your beverage of choice. The big armadillo is called Montgomery and is a very obliging coffee table, especially if you dust him or tickle him under the chin.

It’s rather gloomy in here, but the flying jellyfish glow a little brighter when you polish them. The blueberry ones seem to be glowing brightest at the moment.

Watch your step; it’s easy to stub your toe on the hedgehogs in the gloom. The wool spider, if she exists, seems to be in a better mood since we locked the leprechaun in a jellyfish tank. The snow leopard is very friendly and eats carrots

 

[Pistachio's Pamperer]

JoesMom:: Not formally no... LOL Thank you for that. Long time lurker. Just got legit last fall when Pistachio came into my life.

-Meg

 

[EllieMay]

Ok here is the first time on my new leg. I used the walker with the arm platform because I knew I would be a little on stable. You can see I am learning to hard on the walker.
As I get comfortable walking. I will use my prosthetic arm also and not put to much weight on Waller. Also need to stand up straighter.

Great Job for you & Rose!!!! Was it comfortable for you?

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh for pete's sake! Who on earth ever thought Audy Murphy would make a good western movie leading man? He can't hold a candle to Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Randolf Scott. I tried watching one of his movies just now and it just doesn't work.