Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

@Penny_Forthem, hope the inaugural BBQ - even if you do have to resort to eating indoors - is a big success. Very sorry to hear about the little dog though. That is a very young age. He will be very much missed by his owners and those who knew of him.

 

Hello folks, we got home a hour or so ago, having detoured slightly to Knoll Gardens near Wimbourne, Dorset. Loved it, very different to most as they specialize in all kinds of grasses so well worth a visit.
I've just been out and watered all the pots as it doesn't like they've had any rain whilst we've been. Deadheaded some roses but too tired to do a lot. I drove for a good ten hours I reckon over the 3 days which is far more than I usually drive. @redstar must be a lot younger than me with probably lots more stamina!

Sorry to hear about the little dog @Penny_Forthem and shame about the poor weather and your new BBQ. I could smell one of my neighbour's earlier so came in - it was making me feel rather hungry.

Hope your visitors arrive safely @Busy-Lizzie and have a lovely birthday with your granddaughter.

My grandson is 16 on Monday, where has the time gone? He's over 6 ft now, a good head above his Dad who's a bit miffed. Looked at his Prom pictures, the girls all look like film stars and my, they've got their pouts off to perfection. My DIL told me they spend hundreds on their dresses, hairdo's, nail do's and makeup, it's got completely out of hand.
That's not counting the cost of the special transport for the evening, everything from jeeps to Lamborghini's, an icecream van, a horse and cart and old Army vehicles - mind boggling. I'd better start saving for my granddaughter's 'do'!

 

I remember @lizzie27 when my nephew and his class mates went to their Prom. They hired a stretch limo. I'm not sure how many went in the limo but they had a marvellous time. He is now a teacher with two little sons of his own and, like you, I often wonder where that time has gone!

 

I am signing out for today. I've managed to cram in baking, gardening and tennis watching today. Anyone got any tips as to how I stop gluten free cakes collapsing in the middle? They come out of the oven looking perfect but after cooling the centre just becomes something similar to a volcanic crater. I am giving some thoughts to buying a bundt tin. If you have any experience of baking said cakes I would welcome any hints. Some of the coffee morning group need to eat gluten free foods.

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@Penny_Forthem that is so sad about the young dog. His owners must be devastated. Your two look like they could be a handful.

@lizzie27 I rather think driving conditions for @redstar, especially interstate, are very different from in the UK where roads are small and narrrow and have much higher traffic volumes. I know I find it much more tiring in the UK than in France.

Possum had a prom at her school in Belgium and some did hire stretch limos and we did find her a fabulous beaded, full length frock in a specialist shop in Wavre but, sadly, only half made the effort. Pity, as she's a great dancer havig done ballroom with us asw ell as RnB, Hip Hop and oriental....... All classes run by the dance club.

@Ladybird4 the general view is that cakes collapse when they've had too much baking powder in relation to the mix. Having said that, I make an almond and poppy seed loaf that always collapses a bit alog the centre line. Nigella's gluten free Venetian carrot cake always comes out right - BBC Food - and I can give you my recipe for apricot and almond cake if you like.

 

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Bonjour to all our French 'connections'. Have a wonderful day.
@Obelix-Vendée, thank you so much for the tips. The recipe I used was from the BBC Good Food collection and I did wonder as to why extra baking powder was added to SR flour. I made some fairy cakes yesterday following the recipe on the back of the gluten free flour packet and they do look 'level' so I may give the cake another go. Yes please for a copy of the apricot and almond cake - most kind. x

 

Morning all.

This French Connection is in England at the moment. We are taking Son and family to Bressingham Gardens today. That's our local attraction for taking visitors to.

Last night we went to the very English thatched pub down the road for real ale. Son likes it better than the rather fizzy lager like beer in France. He also wanted pork scratchings, unavailable in France. His French wife liked them and had a pint of bitter!

10 yr old granddaughter was happy with the Cottage pie and Lemon drizzle cake that I'd made for her birthday, her favourites. She won the battle for which bed she had as it was her birthday, the mattress on the floor. I felt sorry for 12 yr old as she wanted that bed and she ended up with the bottom bunk, her least favourite. She's sweet and gentle. 10 yr old is a bit of a diva and good at getting her way. 7 yr old is just cute and Daddy's heart melts so she doesn't need to do much!

 

Didn't do much. Took dog for a walk, drove to the surgery to pick up a repeat prescription to find they are closed on Saturdays, I was convinced they were open until 12.00 on Sats., came home and cleared up the kitchen before settling down to watch the tennis. Daughter and son in law called in after stewarding on a local beach for an endurance event. Poor things, they arrived back at Heathrow late afternoon Friday, reached the M5 which was closed and they had a 4 hr detour to get home. They both look so well the holiday has done them good. My daughter took her hostas and birthday cake and my son in law took their tomato plants, suitable appreciation shown by both.

 

Good Morning everyone.

My coffee companion this morning was a neighbourhood tabby cat who pops in every day. She bumps and bashes me until I produce a treat, then she goes looking for my boys (who are usually staring at her through the patio window), then trots off on her cat adventures.

OH is interested in U.S. politics so had a late night watching all the Trump attempted assassination news last night.

I’m organising my day around the tennis final so I’ll join anyone else watching later.

 

@Ladybird4 the original recipe was in a Time Life Healthy cooking Cakes book. I've simply replaced the 125g of flour with more ground almonds. You need dried apricots, not the no soak variety.

Apricot and Almond Fingers

175g dried apricots soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
125ml grape seed oil
100g light muscovado sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar
2 eggs
125g wholemeal flour
60g ground almonds
2,5ml almond essence or extract
1 sachet baking powder
Flaked almonds to decorate

Preheat the oven to 190C/170 fan and prepare a 25cm square cake tin.
Drain the apricots and reserve the soaking liquid. Blitz in a food processor till smooth and then remove to a bowl.
Now blend the oil and sugars in the food processor then add the eggs and blend them in. Return the apricots and add the flour, ground almonds, essence and baking powder. Blend till smooth. If it seems very dry, add 15ml of the reserved liquid and blend again.

Bke for 30 to 35 mins till it feels springy.

Leave to cool in the tin then serve cut into rectangles.

I've made quite a few of my usual cakes gluten free simply by replacing the flour with ground almonds. Works very well in chocolatecakes.

 

Hello all, this French Connection is enjoying a lazy day with the occasional pottering around. I had my second cataract op on Thursday so a good excuse for not doing a lot! I have reading glasses to tied me over until I have a proper prescription.
I shall join you later @AuntyRach to watch the tennis, is Pimms the order of the day or a nice G&T perhaps?

 

Surely a strawberry in your English sparkling wine or champagne @floralies ! I do prefer Crémant or Cava tho.

OH is playing golf today but will, no doubt, want to watch football this evening. No Cava for him.

This French connection is dozing about on the sofa between coughing fits and catching up on PC stuff whilst contemplating getting dressed for more painting. It is cool again and grey and we started with rain but it's dried up now. I shall have to go and water all the pots and check on the chooks but no other plans for great acivity today.

I knew that mattress on the floor would be popular @Busy-Lizzie and i trust you're all having a fabulous time at Bressingham gardens.

 

Morning all. it 8AM here. Thanks for all the remarks. Not sure about my stamina. LOL, I just keep going when driving, we switch every 4 hours. However--with the next trip---Leaving Aug. 28, its all him. We will be taking the show car in the trailer. And only he drives then. Its scary on the interstates with the trailer when big trucks pass by---have to be ready for an adjustment on the wheel. Anyway---my job when planning the Car Trips is to make sure the hotel parking lot is big enough for tow car and trailer and that a restaurant is walking distance, as unhitching to drive to get dinner is nuts. Also I plan him to only drive 4 hours then we stay the night. I look at google earth and ask lots of questions before I reserve. Thank goodness this trip is just a copy of the same we took last year, so staying in the same places.

While gone, it will be my birthday, on the way back home, we will be stopping for two nights in Pittsburg, PA, and having my birthday dinner at this awesome restaurant, we did have lunch there last year--it was good. So now for dinner-----https://www.grandconcourserestaurant.com/

Take care.

 

I don't drink wine or champagne @Obelix-Vendée too high in histamines for me!
My daughter is just emerging from a bad bout of Covid, she thought it was just a chest infection, she did a test as her brother was due to visit and hey ho it was positive.

 

Pimms for me please @floralies. I like gin, but not with tonic - I prefer lemonade, elderflower or apple juice. If anyone else is settling down for tennis we could make a jug.