Wednesday/Thursday

Wednesday we went to the bowling alley for our lunch and played one game but I was not feeling 100% so we came home early. IBS playing me up. Then I really didn't feel like writing a blog as I had little or nothing to talk about. I stretched out in my lounger and felt sorry for myself LOL.

Thursday I made some Picadillo for supper and then we went bowling. I had two excellent games and one reasonable. Matt was the same. No pressure I guess. The Picadillo, which we ate in the evening, was very good. First time I have ever made it. Matt always did so before.

I bought a DVD of Dunkirk which I thought was the movie but turned out to be BBC programmes as it turns out, the two episodes we watched were excellent. A lot of people probably don't realise it is only 22 miles across the Channel from Dover to Calais. The channel is wider in some places of course, but it isn't very far which is why a number of small yachts were able to cross to Dunkirk to help with the evacuation of the BEF. (British Expeditionary Force). My history of that time isn't very good, but certainly England was not prepared for war, Prime Minister Baldwin having tried everything he could to not get into a war, they didn't do anything much about arming and training British soldiers. In fact Baldwin and his faction didn't/wouldn't believe Germany was rearming.

I just came across this recipe tonight, one I saved a while back and which I intended to try but have never done so. I save so many recipes and sometimes I forget that I have done so.

Chocolate soup

3/4 cup double cream
7 1/4 oz good-quality dark chocolate
1/2 cup strong coffee
4 Tbs brandy (optional)
vanilla ice cream, to serve

1. Put the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently bring to the boil. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate into small pieces using a heavy knife and prepare the coffee.

2. Once the cream is just boiling, turn off the heat and throw in the chopped chocolate. Stir gently until completely smooth, then add the coffee and brandy (if using).

3. To serve, divide between 4 small bowls and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each.

Servings: 4

Author: Barney Desmazery
Source: BBC



Have a great day
 

May Day, Liebster Award

It’s May, it’s May, the Lusty Month of May (Camelot) maybe the weather will be good and the asparagus will grow.

Before the A to Z Blogfest began, I was given the Liebster Award by Denise D. Hammond who had previously researched the award and discovered:

The Liebster Award appears to have originated on the German blog Bird of Paradise, in 2010.  The German word, translated means sweetheart, beloved person, darling. I am not sure that my nominators meant just that when they chose me. I choose to think, in this instance, it means good friend.

1. Thank the blogger(s) who gave you the award with a link back to their site(s) – So, thank you very much Denise. I was also awarded it during the Challenge by Deirdre Greely at http://dgwordworks.wordpress.com so thanks to you too Deidre. 

2. Place the Liebster Award icon on your site.  Use this one or find another online. (I have actually had it on my site for the whole month of April). I have seen a whole raft of different icons during my ‘travels’ this last month. 

3. Nominate 3, 5, 7, or 11 other bloggers with less than 200 or 3,000 readers.
What was different on my nomination was, according to my nominator:

• Post 11 random facts about you, by way of introduction to new readers
• Answer 11 questions that the presenter of your award has asked
• Nominate 11 new bloggers with fewer than 200 followers (or 3-5 blogs having fewer than 3000 followers, if you prefer to keep with the original tradition) that you want to pass the award on to
• Ask your nominees 11 questions
• Be happy! You are not obligated to do any of this – just strongly encouraged. Someone would like new readers to get to know you and your blog.

So, in turn, I will nominate the following seven bloggers and ask you to answer the same questions as I have answered.

1. Viveka at http://mygulitypleasures.wordpress.com/ I love reading about her cooking, travels and country.
2. Connie Gruning at http://www.peanutbutterandwhine.com/
3. A Daft Scots Lass at http://gillianhefer.blogspot.com
4. Patricia Bacon at http://sugarspiceallthings-nice.blogspot.com
5. Laeli at http://fatfitandrunning.blogspot.ca
6. Deb Betz at http://wearinglemon.blogspot.com
7. Patsy at http://myarmsopenwide.blogspot.ca/

1.  If you could be any animal, which would it be and why?  Cheetah, I was introduced to some socialised cheetahs, they really are lovely animals, and I would love to run.
2. What kind of tree are you? Oak, just ‘cos I like oaks. 3.  Are you a city person or a country person? Definitely country. 4.  If you could meet one historical figure living or dead, who would it be? Queen Elizabeth I. I want to know the truth. Was she or not? 5.  Window seat or aisle? Aisle, easer to get to the loo. 6.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go? Greek island. 7.  Fast food or gourmet meal, assuming you are doing the cooking? Gourmet preferably although just for us two, we don’t do the whole thing on a daily basis.. 8.  What or who inspired you to start a blog? My desire to make money, big joke. Carried on because I like doing it. 9.  When it come to appointments are you there ten minutes early or ten minutes late?  Or are you Mr./Ms. Punctuality? 10 minutes early, I often think we must be a bloody nuisance sometimes. 10.  What the most challenging thing you have ever accomplished? Learning to sail a dinghy as a youngster. 11.  Why did you decide to accept the award and answer all the questions? Just for fun.

Being a chocaholic I couldn’t resist this recipe when I came across it. Unfortunately in North America we still have the same problem, our cream isn’t really thick enough, unlike English double cream, however, we have to work with what we’ve got.


Chocolate soup
  3/4 cup double cream (whipping cream)
7 1/4 oz good-quality dark chocolate
1/2 cup strong coffee
4 Tbs brandy (optional)
vanilla ice cream, to serve

1. Put the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently bring to the boil. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate into small pieces using a heavy knife and prepare the coffee.
2. Once the cream is just boiling, turn off the heat and throw in the chopped chocolate. Stir gently until completely smooth, then add the coffee and brandy (if using).
3. To serve, divide between 4 small bowls and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each.

Servings: 4
Author: Barney Desmazery
Source: BBC

Happy May Day