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Anniversary

gitwizard — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:13:48 +0000

On Saturday, I went to visit my Mum & Dad as it was their wedding anniversary.

They now live with my Sister in Bognor Regis. The garden is more or less sorted how they want it, and my Dad is planning where to grow veg for next season.

I helped out a bit, moving soil from the back garden to the front.

My Nephew Jack arrived after school and I was plunged into geek heaven, as he demonstrated his latest cell phone. It’s a Nokia that looks like a Blackberry and does everything except cook your breakfast (although I believe that SpamEggzBacon_HoldThe Spam.com are working on an app as we speak) . Then I had a demo of ‘Guitar Hero’ which Jack did in his gaming chair which has speakers built into the backrest, quite impressive. I was offered a go, but I’ve got far too many digital addictions already, so I passed on that. My Sister later showed me how I could play Scrabble on Facebook, my Father even plays on-line now, it was only a year ago that he finally succumbed to pressure from my Sis and accepted a cell phone as a Birthday present. So I shall soon be playing him when I can work out how to set it up, I’m giving up sleep !!!

Took a few photos while I was there, the pond is almost overflowing with fish if anyone wants any……..

T-Shirt Friday

gitwizard — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:01:54 +0000

No sheep here

gitwizard — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:23:45 +0000

o·vine (vn)

adj. Of, relating to, or characteristic of sheep; sheeplike.

n. An ovine animal.

[Late Latin ovnus, from Latin ovis, sheep;]

Ref: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ovine

There has been a lot of talk lately of mammals of an ovine persuasion.

This led me to think about the suffix ‘ine’, which is used to form hundreds of words.

We’re all familiar with the common usage of ‘masculine’, ‘feminine’, ‘feline’, ‘canine’ etc.

The pictures above depict animals that the following words pertain to:

Macropodine, Strigine, Vulpine, Hircine, Cervine, Psittacine, Ostracine, Spheniscine, Ranine, Elapine, Corvine, Pullastrine, Sciurine, and lastly Murine.

How many can you guess?

Answers here

FRIDAY 5 reluctantly

gitwizard — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:46:43 +0000

Another excellent idea from 70sTeen .

Well, excellent as long as the photos are of someone else……*grumble…harumph!*.

I was horrified to find just how many shots I actually appear in.

Tasty. The recipe’s quite good too……

gitwizard — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:12:24 +0000

http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/frenchwomen.htm

Chocolate Rice Pudding

Chocolate Rice Pudding

Serves 4

This perfect comfort food is a wonderful winter dessert that’s easy and quick to make before your guests arrive and leave on the counter till dessert time.

Ingredients

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 ounces dark chocolate (80 percent cacao preferred), broken into small pieces

1. Pour the milk, sugar, and pinch of salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed (if the mixture becomes sticky, add a bit more milk to keep the rice creamy). Stir in the vanilla.

2. Pour the rice pudding into 4 ramekins and using a spoon, insert the chocolate pieces in the middle of each mold and push them into the rice. Leave at room temperature. The chocolate will slowly melt and mix with the pudding. Let your guests play with the way they want to eat it: mix the whole thing together or start by eating the rice laced with melted chocolate and the chocolate center separately — a matter of taste and mood and a tough decision.

Serves 4

This perfect comfort food is a wonderful winter dessert that’s easy and quick to make before your guests arrive and leave on the counter till dessert time.

Ingredients

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 ounces dark chocolate (80 percent cacao preferred), broken into small pieces

More food please!

gitwizard — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:59:46 +0000

As soon as I repair my oven (new element on the way from eSpares ), I’m going to try this recipe that I found in an old copy of the Chichester Organic Gardening Society magazine.

Duckling in a Cloud

4 Duck breasts (boned)

Salt

Grated rind of one Orange

8oz. Frozen Puff Pastry

A little Milk and Egg to glaze

8oz. Raspberries

1 tbsp. Honey

1-2 tbsp. Cassis or Orange Juice

Pre-heat oven to 220c/Gas Mk 6.

Score skin in a lattice pattern and sprinkle with salt and orange rind.

Roast in oven for 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Roll out pastry and cut into oblongs about 6 x 8 and cut into lattice

Wrap pastry around each duckling portion.

Brush edges with milk or beaten egg and make neat parcels with the seal underneath.

Put on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Pre-heat oven to 220c/Gas 6 15 minutes before cooking, place parcels in oven and cook until pastry is well risen and golden. About 10 minutes.

Allow to rest for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat raspberries with honey and cook gently until juices begin to flow.

Add Cassis or orange juice.

Serve fruit in a pool of sauce alongside each parcel with mange tout peas, sautéed potatoes and a green salad.

But you don’t have an Uncle Paul

gitwizard — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:23:23 +0000

Uncle Paul pays a visit while the Father’s @ work & the Mother and daughter are @ home.

Father: “Hello?,Hi honey this is Daddy. Is Mommy near the phone?”
Little Girl: “No Daddy. She’s upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Paul.”
Father:…”But honey you don’t have an Uncle Paul.”
Little Girl: “Oh yes I do! And he’s upstairs in the room with Mommy,right now!”
Father:…”Uh..okay then this is what I want you to do, put the phone on the table,run upstairs and knock on the bedroom door, then shout to Mommy that Daddy’s car just pulled into the driveway.”
Little Girl: “Okay Daddy, just a minute!”
A few minutes later….
Little Girl: “I did it Daddy.”
Father: “And what happened honey?”
Little Girl: “Well Mommy got all scared and jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran around screaming. Then she tripped over the rug,hit her head on the dresser and now she isn’t moving at all!”
Father: “Oh my God!!!,What about your Uncle Paul?”"He jumped out of the bed with no clothes on too, he got all scared just like Mommy did then he jumped out of the back window and into the swimming pool but I guess he didn’t know that you took all the water out last week to clean it and he hit his head on the bottom of pool,I think he’s dead.”
—Long Pause—
—Even Longer Pause—
Father:Wait..”Swimming pool?..uh Is this 486-5671 Sheldon residence

And for my next trick….

gitwizard — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:04:28 +0000

Kevin Dixie of Fuelmyblog floated the idea of a ‘Fuelstival’ and 24hr charity blogathon on Thursday 10th and I found the above video whilst researching an idea for a competition.

Not sure if it’s a sporting event or circus act, but those girls have got amazing balance!

Butterkekse mit Schokolade

gitwizard — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:58:13 +0000

The few recipes I’ve posted recently seem to have been popular. This one I discovered a few years ago in a German travel brochure. It’s really easy to make, and I have fully ‘road tested’ it on work colleagues (when I was working).

Tried to find a photo on the net, but no luck. The above shot was taken by photographing the actual brochure.

Dipped Butter Biscuits (Butterkekse mit Schokolade)

Ingredients

120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g caster sugar
50g icing sugar
1 medium egg plus one yolk, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
150g plain flour
30g cornflour
2 tbsp milk
200g milk chocolate

To prepare

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas 4.
Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add gradually to the mixture, then carefully mix in the lemon zest, fl our, cornflour and milk.
Place heaped teaspoons of the mixture on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, break the chocolate into pieces, place in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water.
Once the cookies have cooled, dip each one halfway into the chocolate mixture. Place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave in a cool place for the chocolate to set.

Progress Report

gitwizard — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:52:24 +0000

Can’t help but think that Daddy Papersurfer has got a tad carried away with his new shed build