Soops kitcheners

Well what a treat...coming into the kitchen to find that so many of my Granspals have popped in and brought the other kitcheners up to date. If I could, I would transport every one of you to my front door. What a fabulous day we would have. [tbgrin]

bags and I talked fondly of you all and wished you all manner of good things. Especially Bellasnana To have a visit to look forward to, will be a great treat.

Galen you never fail to make me chuckle...

It is sunny but not too warm. The perfect excuse to wear the super jacket that bags gave me yesterday. It is cotton and beautifully lined...it fits like a glove...as do the shoes that arrived this morning. I bought them on-line with a birthday voucher. The fit, colour, style are perfect. So, off we strolled around the village...me in the pink and MacS with a grin on his face. Have uploaded pics for you to see. The jacket is exactly the same pink as the shoes. bags wouldn't have known that I had ordered them. Such a coincidence.

(((((BIG group hugs)))))

Lovely photos Soop.

Lovely photos, soop, you are both very photogenic! It looks as if you had a great get-together.

Bellasnana, hope the electricity problem is solved now. You are having a very trying time but it will be lovely to have family to visit soon.

Ffin I must try the bramley apple jelly (with sauternes! ), sounds delicious. We may have a good crop of bramleys this year (wasps permitting) so I may attempt to make some.

Galen, I have catered for various diets over the years and have just baked two cakes, one gluten-free. I will have to ice
them and sample them before I dare to share with you all (the gf one looks a bit flat).

Charley we have had some real downpours today after a promising start (so I put washing out on the line). I hope it picks up again soon, but preferably not so hot.

It 's been a busy day and a busy weekend coming up so must try to get an early night

Pleased to hear that your DD and GD are coming to visit you soon, bella. You and your family are in my thoughts often.

In fact, come to think of it over the years I've had to cook
Gluten free
Diabetic
Low protein high calorie
Low protein low calorie
High protein
Low potassium
Low calorie (me)
Vegetarian
Egg free

And now:- dairy free

Is there any other diet that I haven't had to cater for?

(And I hate cooking )

Bella I remember my oh being like that! and the thing he enjoyed most after a day or two was a spicy homemade soup like mulligatawny.

What a lovely day! Thank you, soop for another happy day. I took some photos of the wayside flowers on my way there and back.

Had a call from our dental surgery on the way back. I had to find somewhere to stop before I could call back. The receptionist wanted to know if Minibags and I could come a bit early for our check-ups which were scheduled for five o'clock. I had completely forgotten!! I got home ten minutes before Minibags got in from her first day back at school, told her to skip to the loo and clean her teeth and we were off. We managed to get there about twenty minutes early and were in and out in no time as there were no problems. I've put a reminder on my iPad for the next one straight away! February will be here in no time.

What lovely photos of you and Bags, soop and don't you have wonderful scenery on your doorstep?.

Lovely photo of you andbags soop. You are both photogenic I feel as though I know you even though we have never met. So glad I popped into the kitchen when I joined GN.

Agus you must be exhausted what a hectic time you are having or whatever is most needed

Bella you seem to be going through so much at the moment. It must be so trying trying to keep everything together for you wish it could be something more helpful.

soop so glad you enjoyed your lunch with bags, I wish we could have a 'kitcheners lunch/meetup, it would be great fun.
Well, we'll have to settle for a virtual group hug instead!

ffin That last lot of apple jelly made with pineapple and vanilla sounds yummy, on toast with lots of butter. What a pig I am!

dusty you are one of the family on here!

Bella Lovely to hear that your dd and dgd will be visiting soon, that should bring a smile to your dh's face.

for all of you xx

Lovely photos of soop and bags. Anyone else wishing we could have joined them

Bramley apple jelly sounds divine. No Bramleys to be had in Malta either

DH feeling very queasy today and has no appetite, bless him. His sister went to see him as she was due for chemo today but was not well enough to have it. They have given her steroids and told her to come back in a week. She can barely eat, poor darling.

DD3(holidaying on the Costa Brava) has put a photo of herself on Facebook sporting a broken finger apparently sustained (on day 1 of her holiday) whilst going on a water park ride called 'the kamikaze'

DD2 has finally received her passport so will be bringing our darling GD over to visit from the US in three weeks time! Also have brother in law ( my late sister's husband) visiting this month, so much to be thankful for.

And always thankful for all you dear Granspals

Certainly dusty. I also missed Bramley Apples, so decided to grown my own tree. Wonderful crop this year, and I've had many takers, even for the bruised and bugged ones.

Just about jammed out now - final lot made with Pineapple, Vanilla and Lemon (because I was given 2 v. ripe Pineapples) - tastes rather like marmalade.

Returned washed-out jars welcome charly.

I love looking at your photos soop, it makes me feel like one of the family. Both you and that bags are photogenic, you're looking very trim on the bike.

ffinn if I ask very nicely may we please have some more of the Bramley Apple Jelly? Bramleys are the one thing that all British expats here agree they miss.

We had monsoon weather in NW London for a couple of hours this afternoon but the sun is shining again. I parked and went to Waitrose for my free cup of coffee until it was over. It was bucketing down.

soop that sounds a lovely lunch that you had yesterday- fresh fish and well cooked mmmm!

Bella Hopefully no more problems with electricity. Your DH will be more than half way through this course of chemo, with luck he will not feel so weak this time around.

I have already forgotten 28C temperatures as autumn is kicking in here.

If the Bramley jelly is missing, do not look too far, I have "borrowed" it. I will wash the jar ffinnochio!

Smashing couple of pics. Soop.

Made Bramley Apple Jelly this morning after allowing the mush to drip overnight (it has Sauternes in it) - so here's a pot to put on the side for those in need of a good tangy-sugary hit on a slice of buttered toast.

Just back from shopping - new green wellies covered in white dots and cream butterflies! They caught my eye.

Good afternoon dear kitcheners...it is such a lovely day. Have just uploaded a couple of half decent pics of bags (who is photogenic) and me taken at lunchtime at Lochgilphead. As usual we had such a happy couple of hours together. We blethered non stop and she treated me to a number of birthday gifts. The sun was shining and the Smiddy was as busy as ever. Homemade soup and chocolate and raspberry flan with ice cream to follow. Perfect!

Agus what a busy time for you and your family. It's all go! No wonder Granny is jiggered. Sit yourself down and I shall make you a refreshing cup of tea. I may be persuaded to open the box of chocs that bags gave me. There are enough to share around with my Granspals.

number I can understand your frustration with the neighbours and the dumped furniture. It is possible that the council have been notified and will be collecting it. If not...report it. We were livid on one occasion when we were living in Cornwall...overnight some bod had dumped a dirty old mattress on the grass verge at the end of our lane. I have never been so angry. What on earth did that dumper think what was going to happen to his garbage. Such people are utterly selfish.

Bella, many good wishes to you and yours from me and mine.
Soop, it sounds like you had an enjoyable time at the Seafood cabin, isn`t it nice to eat freshly prepared food that also tastes so good?
I`ve been "tooting" out of our back window all afternoon, watching horrible neighbour opposite carting furniture out of the house and down the alley at the back of us, it`s now stacked up at the end, near to the dustbins. I`ve been carrying on, about folk dumping their rubbish willy nilly, but my daughter says to hang on in case he`s arranged to have it picked up. If it`s still there tomorrow I`ll be ringing the council, AND telling them whodunit, because we`re always getting rubbish dumped around here, and it`s not fair on people who dispose of their rubbish properly and legally.

Looking good on your bike soop

Been a bit non stop for us at the moment with various appointments, GD1's birthday, helping DD pack up one house and move into their new house plus helping organise GD's school uniforms as the autumn term started today and it was GD2's first day of school. DD and the girls are happily settled in now but Granny is jiggered

Seems no time since you were waiting for your DH coming home from his second treatment Bella.. My love and best wishes to your family going through such awful times. Hope the time flies by for you until DH is back home but another reminder, don't forget, ramble on anytime, we are always here whenever you need a blether. Thinking of you.

Belated Happy Birthday crafting . Hope you enjoyed your birthday lunch.

Hello dear ffinnochio

Galen your bedspread photo on Facebook is a work of art. Very well done.

Bella Lona has said what I wanted to say. We're all here for you in spirit, no matter how distant we seem geographically speaking. I'm pleased to hear that generator has been fixed. You must have felt stifled and most uncomfortable without air conditioning. I cannot begin to imagine how much worse it must have been for your dear husband and the other patients. Lots of love. xxx

dustyangel I'm very partial to figs...the riper and stickier the better. The very thought makes my mouth water.

number We left the west of Kintyre late morning in a fine mizzle of rain. It was blowy too. As we journeyed around the peninsula the weather perked up no end. By the time we reached a packed Seafood Cabin there was just one vacant table and the sun was shining brightly. It was a lovely treat. The salmon platter was delicious. We also had a sticky orange cake for pud...not forgetting two bottles of Pinot wine. The view of Arran was dramatic. The island looked dark and brooding whereas Skipness was treated to a perfect blue sky. We have just returned home. I'm a trifle squiffy [tbwink] and I need to get on my bike to work some of the excess calories off.

It's good to catchup with your news Bella. It certainly sounds as though you are going to be busy.
I hope your Sil,and DH start to feel better from their treatment, and your poor sister too. She could do without a long drive every day.

The power cut must have been awful, makes you realise why the old houses all had such thick walls and tiny windows to keep the heat out. I visited Faro hospital once before they had any air con ( or heating) and it felt really sticky and airless.

I've bought a basket full of freshly picked figs in for everyone. Both the green and the black ones, they seem to have all ripened at the same time this year.
DH's nephew picked a prickley pear without thinking yesterday. He is still trying to get some of the thorns out.

Hello fellow kitcheners and thank you for all your kind words.
soop, my sister in law is having her next chemo tomorrow. She's in pain so hope it can help her.
My sister started radiotherapy yesterday. She has to drive 40mins to Canterbury every day for treatment that takes five minutes

After I signed off yesterday we were suddenly plunged into darkness. When I say 'we', I mean the entire island
Apparently something blew up at the power station causing a nine hour power outage.
I took a torch and the dog and went for a very long walk. Lots of people sitting on their doorsteps trying to catch a bit of breeze. It was very hot and sticky.
On returning home, I dug out two camping gaz lamps, had a cool shower and went to bed. Spent a very uncomfortable night. No fan and no a/c working meant I woke up soaked! Power was restored at around 4am I think.

Poor DH in hospital also suffered. They had a generator but it didn't stretch to getting the a/c operational. I am off to visit him shortly.

Have already been to feed a friend's cat. They are in France for three weeks and DD3 said she would go in and see to the cat, but she has gone to Spain for a week so I've volunteered to fill in for her. Tomorrow I am babysitting another friend's little girl (hope she won't be poorly this time) so my week has been busier than I thought.

Sorry I have rambled on a bit. Hope you are all ok and thanks again for your good wishes

ffinochio no! Rainbows!

A belated Happy Birthday Crafting!
Soop, I hope you get to the Seafood cabin at Skipness, it`s a very pleasant place to sit out at if the weather is good, but watch out for the ducks, they fancied our lunch when we were there, and took a lot of dissuading!
The weather has been alternately sunny and cloudy today, temperature down to 17 degrees, but, to be honest, the cooler temp has been a welcome change, and I`ve slept better as well these last few nights.

Bella Don't forget that you have all us lot to talk to if you feel a bit lost these next five days.
Take the opportunity to rest your body and refresh your mind, and a few cooling showers may be necessary too! Too much ?

xx

In extraterrestial colours perhaps?