Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Car, Zoom, April 21,

Tuesday morning I got a call from the garage, they hadn't replaced the transmission filter!!! Could I go in this aft. No, I would be listening to an audio about Owls by the Nature Conservancy, was I free tomorrow aft. Yes, so that is when I am going in. I was asked to drive it as little as possible meanwhile. This is unlike them, but they are rushed off their feet right now. I don't really understand why, has everyone waited until isolation to get their car fixed or something? Nor do I understand the amount of cars out and about, I thought there would be very few but it seems like a normal amount to me. I guess everything hasn't stopped after all.

Happy Whisk suggested I should arrange to speak to my Alzheimer group through Zoom. Good idea I thought, now all we have to do is arrange a time. One of them is still working and is apparently also very busy, apart from the time of the financial year I gather. I also heard on the news that some of the States are considering relaxing the isolation laws, less concerned with public health than the economy.

I decided to do one of my favourites again, Instant Pot Butter Chicken. I ended up defrosting rather too many chicken thighs, but nothing lost, I decided to cook them all. Worked fine and they were, as usual, delicious. Suspect I might have to put some of the cooked chicken in the freezer though.

Many years ago, on April 21, 1952, I was staying with an uncle and aunt and their twins who's birthday it was, and at breakfast time the British National Anthem was played because it was the new Queen's birthday. My cousins tried to convince me that the anthem was being played for them. I was about 14 at the time, but not that gullible. However, it has stayed with me ever since so I have always know when my cousin's birthday was as well as the Queen until today, I forgot the Queen. Incredibly she is 94 today. I don't know when Prince Philip's birthday is but last I heard, he was 97. Amazing really.

The following recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes was supposed to have been made at the Palace in honour of the Queen's birthday. Not quite sure how true it is, but here's the recipe released from Buckingham Palace.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipes

Ingredients for the cake sponges – (Make about 15)
250 g self-raising flour
300 g caster sugar
75 g cocoa powder
10 g bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
5 ml vanilla essence
60 g butter (melted and cool)
50 ml vegetable oil
300 ml milk
15 g vinegar
100 g white chocolate chips
Cupcake cases

Ingredients for the buttercream topping:
125 g icing sugar
100 g butter
90 g high-percentage dark chocolate, melted
(option to also use Royal Icing instead of buttercream. Royal Icing available pre-made in shops. Add food colouring to create different colours.)

1. Cake sponge method:

2. Preheat the oven to 150 C.

3. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl.

4. Whisk the eggs in a separate jug with the vanilla essence, melted butter, oil, milk and vinegar.

5. Slowly add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, little by little.

6. Ensure the batter is smooth with no lumps.

7. Finally add the chocolate chips (alternatives could be nuts, dried fruit).

8. Lay the cupcake cases onto a tray.

9. Use a metal spoon to equally divide the mixture into the cases.

10. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, take out of the oven when golden and springy on touch.

11. Leave to cool.

12. Buttercream icing method:

13. Cream the sugar and butter together, until light and creamy.

14. Add in the warm melted chocolate.

15. If you have a piping bag to hand, pipe the icing on the top of cakes for decoration (otherwise gently use a teaspoon or small spatula to ice).

16. Royal icing method:

17. If decorating with royal icing, roll the icing out and cut into circular discs.

18. Lay the disc over the cupcake and mould to required shape.

Yield: about 15

Have a great day, stay safe, stay well, stay home.
 

12 comments:

  1. Chocolate cupcakes. Yum. Here's to a fun meeting on Zoom with your friends. I never used Zoom before but I love that there are options out there for people to get together.

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    1. So do I Ivy. You and I should do it one of these days too.

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  2. The last thing I need to do is bake. Made scones the other day. Thinking of making biscuits. Weather here is still crappy and I can't work outside.
    Pity about having to take the car back. I have to spend the morning on the phone with a local store that charged me twice for a food pickup. Such is life.

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    1. Me too Denise. My pants have shrunk in the last year. Yes, a nuisance too, took, all told, about two hours off my afternoon. Always something isn't there?

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  3. Hi Jo - the Queen had a lock-down birthday ... the Duke's is June 10th ... he will be 99 ... born 1921. I hope the car is fixed ... so glad (mostly) I haven't got one any more ... Zoom is interesting ... I may try and join one in Connecticut on Saturday (educationally interesting - suspect I can't resist) - I avoided the local one ... but we'll see - take care and all the best - Hilary

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    1. Yes I read that Hilary. 99 is pretty incredible isn't it although as I keep commenting, people getting over 100 is getting more and more common. I certainly hope it's fixed now. I would hate to live without one. Zoom seems to work pretty well.

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  4. I suspect that relaxing distancing rules and lifting other aspects of fighting this virus is going to come back to haunt those states and they may find their hospitals and clinics totally unable to deal with the spike in infection. People are going to die.

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    1. Gloomy aren't you David, but I think you are right nevertheless. I think it is way too early much as I would like to get out of this lockdown.

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  5. Charles is going to die before the Queen does.

    There are a lot less cars on the road here. Sometimes by half, other times even more.

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    1. I wonder Diane? She certainly is living a long time.

      Discussing it at the garage, he assured me that the main road where they are is virtually empty compare with normal. Looks pretty busy to me.

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  6. I hope the zoom meeting goes well when you can find a time which suits all. I have yet to try it.
    I wonder whether the Queen does crave the simple foods. I suspect that she often does. Mind you, I wouldn't be royalty for any money. Now there is a job which never stops.
    Our roads here are MUCH quieter. There is talk of reducing the isolation requirements here too, but slowly. And our infection rate is dramatically lower than yours at the moment (which I believe is because of the isolation).

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    1. So do I Sue. I am sure she gets whatever kind of foods she wants. No, I would hate that job and look how long she has had it too.

      Our highways certainly are, David Gascoigne posted pix of a road that is normally choked with traffic and there was nary a car in sight.

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