Soop's welcoming kitchen for all in need of a hearty blether.

It is now 36 hours at least with constant pouring rain.
It is so chilly that my GD and I decamped to the conservatory and put the fan heater on.
Molly won't go through the door and I refuse to go up to the garden shed to get the tray and litter out so it is stalemate at the moment.
August is a few days away.
I hope everyone is safe and well.
TOYA.

Himself makes lovely icecream but usually vanilla so I am sharing the recipe ideas with him and living in hope, not that I don't love the super vanilla of course!

So glad you are getting on so well Panache and hope your garage sale goes better the next session. Just a thought, perhaps you could try those countdown markers so that the cars don't fly past.

I think the garden has been watered sufficiently now! Would send some to all those who need it if I could!

TOYA

Last November we had a new road open. It is a relief road opening up the route to Manchester Airport
Many years in the planning and many billions of £'s in cost.Today it is closed for the second time since opening due to flooding.
Where are the planners and those experts who built this road and who is accountable?
Should I perhaps post this in politics?
Can't do with the hassle and nastiness.

ann there are pictures on our local Facebook page of cars almost sailing along the A555. What a remarkable feat of engineering that road has proved to be! I won't be using it until they have finished doing whatever it takes to make it safe again - it's my route to M&S.
It's been raining since Saturday morning and hasn't stopped yet.
I do hope your GD is OK now that she is out of hospital. I know you will be looking after her very well.

The sun is shining here and it is total bliss because the T is not in the 20's it is a mere 14C, wonderful.

I think rain is coming our way later in the week- Ann you must not hog all of the rain- poor Molly that poor young lady!

I will sit outdoors later I think at least I will not melt today.
TOYA

IceCream
Try ready made luxury custard from Waitrose with one jar of apricot compote add 3 tblsp of ammoretto and freeze.

Now that sounds like an idea Galen. I might well try it.

Anything with custard sounds like yuk to me.

But with Amaretto and apricot Charley? You might be surprised! I’ll let you know!

Morning all !

Its the return of the blue sky morning here !

All this talk of ice-cream is not fair- I love ice-cream but our diet does not . Galen I am quite taken with your recipe though and I shall save it for when I'm having a weak dieting moment lol

Soop you'll be pleased to know I got my new gadget to work ( I had the foil in upside down lol) . Its a heated foil quill, that plugs into my die cutter. So I can now write in foil , or draw. Everyone likes a bit of bling lol

We had a good old chuckle here last night, I got a text from our Slimming World Leader to tell me I had been nominated for Woman of the Year and that we would be celebrating with a taster session tomorrow at class.

That sounds wonderful but a) how the heck did that happen as I have lost a fraction of the weight of some of the others, b) I go up and down like a darn yoyo and c) oh my god now I have to find a slimming world friendly recipe I can make in advance, travels well and wont kill my entire class !!!

If you read of a mass poisoning - now you know :-)

Happy day all.

Bellanonna thanks for your kind offer but I do not like apricots and if the truth be known I much prefer savoury food. I hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods.

Two uninterrupted days of rain has left several roads around here in North Cheshire flooded, including the A555 airport relief road. Another road well used by locals, is impassable. However, it's not raining this morning and there's a blink of at the moment.
Congrats, N&G - woman of the year nominee. How about 'before' and 'after' pictures? Back in the day (1982) I had to do that for WW and got my picture in the national autumn advertisements. That will surprise those of you who have seen me as I am now
Your ice cream recipe, Galen, sounds 'interesting.' I suppose other fruit compotes could be substituted for apricot? I once broke a jar of Waitrose custard in the store. It was on the top shelf and I didn't quite grasp it as I stood on tiptoe and reached up. They were very forgiving and didn't charge me for it. I wasn't even banned.
Can't avoid the ironing any longer. I have to face the duvet cover!

Just popping in to say hello to everyone and that I really have been thinking of you all in my absence.
We have had a few months of ‘buggerations’,so many hospital appointments as many of you have that I have just felt overwhelmed with it all.Last week the consultant declared that my husbands hand is ‘really,really bad’ and has expedited his appointment with the surgeon to next week so light at the end of the tunnel.
It hasn’t all been doom and gloom,we had a week in Riva del Garda which was lovely and some lovely times with children and grandchildren.
The sun is shining here today so I am on a mission to get as much laundry and gardening done as possible before the rain returns tomorrow!
TOYA and wishing all with buggerations strength???

Good morning kitcheners,

I am in the Dentist Waiting Room perusing GN to take my mind off my appointment. Really wish I was not such a “scaredy-cat”

TOYA

Good luck GrannyG
I am also dental phobic which is why I never miss my 6 month appt.

I have been on to the care home management yet again, I have had no reply to my first e-mail sent on July 18th.
I will not let this matter drop.

We had sun earlier, it has now gone.
I have a machine full of wet washing, if all fails the dryer will have to be pressed into service.

Must away and do something.

TOYA

Sunshine continues an d there seems no end to it and yet some of you are "indulging" in far too much of this thing called rain it seems!!

Loving those ice cream recipes but sadly though a great favourite of mine I must not partake........despite my now skeleton porportions.

Just thought I must mention the fact my leg dressings of late include manuka honey as you advised dear friends...........furthermore it is also now healing nicely.

A lymphoedema clinic appointment for my dear man added to our list of surgery/Hospital appointments.Of course a bind but quite frankly such a boon and we wonder however would we manage without these many helping hands.

That plum crumble has me crumbling at the knees Lin1066.......delicious!Very morish too especially combined with these ice cream recipes!

Sending hugs and support as you wait in that Dental waiting room Granny G13.......just think of these recipes you can test and try afterwards!!

Waiting is the biggest bugbear in the NHS system Susan 56 but once you get through that tough outer shell it usually gets just a tad easier.Fingers crossed indeed.

Wowee N & G......quite an achievement but don`t go over celebrating and put back on that weight you have lost!It is almost like walking a tight rope!!

Time I was not on here but nothing like making up for lost time...........that is my excuse and I am sticking to it!!
Have a great day friends and I would welcome some of your abundance of showers!
Take care TOYA XX

Dear Panache
As usual your posts lighten the day for us and the way you are coping with all your trials and tribulations are a source of wonder and encouragement, certainly to me.

It is sunny and warm, the washing is on the line,I am showered and shampooed and now am jiggered.
It doesn’t take much now to wear me out.

I hope everyone gets some sun in their lives today.

I shall be thinking of soop tomorrow and hope she is well armed with all the ammunition she needs.
The previous hospital are an absolute disgrace.

Susan56 I'm sorry, I must have missed a previous post regarding your husband's hand. What is wrong? Are you able to share?

ann There must be something in the air. You are in warrior-mode. Me too. I am ready to stand up for my "rights". The little worm (that I was) has turned big time.

N&G Us lot agree that you deserve every accolade on offer. You are a champion.

Raining but gentle with it. Refreshing!

I will eat custard until I pop. Love it! Also rather partial to all fruit crumbles.

Anno
Any other fruits purées can be substituted. Try strawberries cooked in orange juice

Thank you, Galen. Sounds delicious.

I'm sharing a photo of a Balsam plant. When we were given it, it had no flowers. It has yet more buds-in-waiting. I shall need to collect the seeds to be planted next April

soop that balsam plant looks amazing. I'm just off to Google it!

Good afternoon everyone.
Although just a fleeting visit today it was lovely to spend the afternoon yesterday in this warming kitchen. No hospital duties tomorrow so I'll make sure I send a proper post.
I've read everything and sending much love.

Tomorrow will be thinking especially of our soop. ?

Hi soop,he had an accident back in March and injured his hand and leg.It was decided at the time he would need surgery,every health professional we have seen since agrees but took until last week for a consultant to be pro active in expediting his appointment to next week.Not a major issue considering the problems others are suffering but it meant he had to finish work immediately and even though he had planned to retire at the end of May it has just taken a bit of getting used to although I have to say he got used to not working pretty quickly!!
Wishing you well with your appointment tomorrow soop and hoping you get some answers and appropriate treatment?
TOYA.xx

soop all the very best wishes for tomorrow. Will be thinking of you.

I agree, at least you are well prepared soop.

The weather here today is glorious- like Panache we have not had rain during the day for a while.
TOYA