Tag Archives: Cooking from scratch

CarolCooks2…weekly roundup 31st May-6th June 2020…Climate Change, Recipes, Whimsey, Coconut Ice and …looting and riots…

Welcome to this weeks edition of my weekly roundup of posts…I hope you are all staying safe and well…Let’s take a pew and have a read… I hope you enjoy!

Covid-19 is still here but dominating the news now are the riots and demonstrations… The following is going to be my only utterance on this subject on this blog…To me ALL lives matter …I do agree there are ingrained issues, faults and endemic practises in government departments,  schools, colleges, homes and workplaces which have no place in my world or yours I hope.

Peaceful demonstrations I believe in…However, come on the hordes of people I have seen around the world demonstrating with no thought for social distancing…There will definitely be a second wave of this virus…

Around the world governments are struggling not just with containing this virus..deadly virus I will add and resources are being rerouted now to fund the policing of these events…no doubt health services are also being stretched further…

Shops and business are being looted, police horses injured, flares being thrown, the statue of Winston Churchill vandalised, young squaddies being verbally abused while cleaning up this mess…ABSOLUTELY APPALLING AND IT IS NOT HELPING…the cause of Black lives matter at all…

All the people I know are condemning this on social media…so who are these people??? Who are the organisers?? Who is stirring up these actions??

Is the answer tear gas, pepper sprays, water cannons, rubber bullets…? Just by the sheer numbers, there are too many to arrest…

Should police and the press be withdrawn and anyone who is a peaceful protester advised to stay away…Are no reactionS and publicity what they want? I suspect not but the cost could be too great.

I invite your polite comments…

Recycling and Climate Change…1st June 2020…and Covid-19…

Toilet rolls or bum guns, metro farms and a river who can sue you…Yes, it can!

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/06/01/recycling-and-climate-change1st-june-2020and-covid-19/

Tuesday: National Fruit and Vegetable Month…

smart
smart
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National Vinegar month drew to a close and my bonus during this month was the discovery of black vinegar and a sponge cake made by replacing eggs with vinegar was a huge success…This month is National Fruit and Vegetable Month and also Papaya Month which means I can combine the two …I have lots of great recipes for you…I also hope to discover at least one recipe or fruit/vegetable or aromatic which is new to me…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/06/02/national-fruit-and-vegetable-month/

Wednesday: Smorgasbord Health Column – Food Therapy – Olive Oil…keeps your body moving by Sally Cronin

Just like our cars and bikes which need to be kept well oiled…Sally is on hand with her expert advice on the oils we need to keep our bods in tip-top condition and the benefits…Please pop over and have read and leave a comment on what oil you use…we would love to know there are also some tried and tested recipes for you…Everything you need at your fingertips for a healthy body …Enjoy!

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/food-therapy-olive-oil-keeps-your-body-moving-by-sally-cronin/

Whimsical Wednesday with CarolCooks2…

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coconut Ice

I didn’t realise how popular Dalgona Coffee is…How many of you have made it at home…?? my third attempt at making coconut ice was a success(at)last…I also made my second cake with vinegar to replace the eggs… filled it with non-dairy cream and mango preserve …my first vegan cake…go me!

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/06/03/whimsical-wednesday-with-carolcooks2-7/

Thursday: National Cheese Day…4th June 2020

One of my favourite foods in life…so many varieties and ways to cook and eat…A lovely ploughman’s lunch in the sunshine, mozzarella with tomatoes and basil, a hot brie or camembert with crusty bread, rarebit with tomatoes, au gratin of vegetables, A slice with your Christmas cake or just a little bit as you go past the fridge…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/06/04/national-cheese-day-4th-june-2020/

Friday: Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 Resilience – How much do you get for your 1500 calories and Music Therapy – Sally Cronin

project-101-2 Sally Cronin

None of us like counting calories particularly me but as Sally states its good to be aware and maybe like I do take a check now and again…I do it by keeping a food diary just for a couple of weeks and checking that I am keeping within my limits for my weight or as it can be with me I don’t always eat enough…I tend to forget to eat when I am writing…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/06/04/smorgasbord-health-column-project-101-resilience-how-much-do-you-get-for-your-1500-calories-and-music-therapy-sally-cronin/

Saturday Snippets:

This week there was more cooking…why yesterday…? I was a bit ..just down, disappointed with the world…Just dispirited it won’t last as that is not me but I think it showed in this last post the joy and wonder at the world was gone…Temporarily I know but I was sad…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/06/06/saturday-snippets-2/

God bless you all in these turbulent times…be safe and stay well…

My hopes…for the future…

When this is all over my hope for the future is a cleaner world… I do want to see communities, and caring for your neighbour becoming the new norm…WORKING TOGETHER INSTEAD OF WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER…Being kind to each other…Loving someone whatever their religion or skin colour…Can we make this happen? We have to but in the right way…Are we willing to make a stand? Personally, I would love to see lessons learnt ..realistically I have my doubts…

Thank you for reading be well and stay safe xxx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all stay safe and healthy xx

Smorgasbord Health Column – Food Therapy – 12,000 years of history that we know about and avoiding the wind factor by Sally Cronin

Beans, Beans are good for your heart, The more you eat the more you ****…Not if you listen to Sally’s advice…#recommended read lots of good health advice, how to cook beans and some recipes as Sally has very kindly linked back to one of my posts…Thank you, Sally 🙂 xx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

As a follow on from the recent series on theWeekly Grocery Shopping List of foods that contain the nutrients the body needsthat contain the nutrients the body needs I am going to repeat my series from 2017 on the health benefits of some of our most common foods.

Food therapy is a broad term for the benefits to the body of a healthy, varied and nutritional diet of fresh foods.

Most of us walk through the fresh produce departments of our supermarkets without really paying much attention to the individual fruits and vegetables. This is a great pity because the vast majority of these foods have been cultivated for thousands of years, not only for their nutritional value but also for their medicinal properties. If you eat a healthy diet you are effectively practicing preventative medicine. A robust immune system, not only attacks external opportunistic pathogens, but also…

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CarolCooks2…weekly roundup 2nd -8th February 2020…

It’s that time of the week again… Time to relax and have a read…My tea this morning is Oolong Green Tea…What’s your early morning cuppa?…

steaming tea in a cup a book and a flower

Thank you to those of you who shared with us your early morning cuppa last week…The cold spell here seems to have eased somewhat the mornings now are just right a gentle sun and a light breeze…we could really do with some rain though not had any for about two months now…

Grab your cup and join me for a cuppa and a catch-up…x

Monday…The day when I try to find the good news on recycling and Climate Change…The day when I try to decipher just what is happening around the world and it certainly is a mish-mash…a hot potato…Lots of truths and half-truths…The bottom line methinks is we have to start doing just that little bit more, teach our children and grandchildren …make them aware…we need to be more aware…I also will name and shame as you know…I also think as a consumer we need to be calling out those companies who are blatantly flouting the rules…

honey bee

In my naughty corner last week…Governments and developers who build on reclaimed land from the sea and then wonder why at some point the sea reclaims the land…Doh! Bit of a no brainer really…Profit over brains…

But did you know that bumblebees are just as important as honey bees? That trees in the rainforests capture moist air coming in from the ocean and help produce rain in the plains thousands of kilometres away? That a forest helps create above ground and below-ground water sources?

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/02/03/recycling-and-climate-change3rd-february-2020nature-based-solutions-and-jute-bags/

Tuesday…now a designated non-blogging day for me…It was also the day we finally received our visa stamped for another year. The day when after two months of angst and stress…I have driven my family mad…and made myself ill…It was also the day when I realised just how deep and openly the corruption went…I am shaking my head here…I just didn’t realise…sigh…

Wednesday…Thank you to everyone who loves my whimsy rambles as much as I enjoy writing …Rarely planned I jot notes down through the week and on Wednesday I start to write and one thing leads to another…random thoughts with a theme( most) weeks…February is an interesting month lots has gone on in February over the centuries not all good but I omit the bad things as Wednesdays are for fun and nostalgia…See you this Wednesday…xxx

hippie vw camper van-1203391_640

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/02/05/whimsical-wednesday-with-carol-25/

Friday …the day when I invite you into my kitchen…as you know I believe in cooking from scratch and using all of the food as in rinds, leaves, stalks or stems etc…why compost it or bin it when you can use it?

The thing is most of these add more flavour and depth to your food and often have the most nutrients…Citrus peel/zest to me is the most wonderful thing…

zest-4180654_640 (1)

Make citrus extract powder: Make zest or twists (lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit) being sure to remove the pith and allow to dry, about three or four days for twists, less for zest. Put in a blender (or spice grinder) and pulverize into a powder. Store in a clean jar.  Make citrus sugar: Make citrus extract powder and add it to sugar, or you can use fresh twists, put them in a jar with sugar, let the oil from the peel infuse the sugar and remove.  Make lemon pepper: Mix lemon extract powder with freshly cracked pepper.

Pop some lemon peel (with pulp and pith removed) in your brown sugar to keep it moist and pliable.

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/02/07/carolcooks2this-week-in-my-kitchenpickled-watermelon-rinds-chicken-jalfrazi-orange-peel/

Saturday…This week it was part 5 of Sally’s series on health and weekly shopping by nutrient…This week it was the turn of amino acids and liver health…#recommended read

vegetables-1085063_640

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/smorgasbord-health-column-weekly-grocery-shopping-list-by-nutrient-part-five-amino-acids-and-liver-health/

That’s all for this week…Thank you for reading and thank you to all of you who have commented and shared my posts this week …I love your comments so please keep them coming…Make my day xxx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great Sunday and a fabulous week xx

Time for part 4 of Sally’s fabulous new series shopping by Nutrient…There are times in all of our lives when we may have been lacking in iron, Vit C anything and we may have been at a loss as to what we can eat instead of popping a pill…

Sally had done all the work for you, easy to read and all ingredients which most of us buy anyway…Do pop over and have read…

 

via Smorgasbord Health Column – Weekly Grocery Shopping List by Nutrient – Part Four – Phosphorus to Zinc

The Culinary Alphabet XYZ…

Finally after two years …I have reached the end of this series we are on  XYZ…No zebras in sight…haha…I have enjoyed writing this series and my thanks go to Esme for indulging my passion… I love researching and finding out new methods of cooking and foods…

Here we go then…The Culinary Alphabet The Letter XYZ (1)

 

Xawaash Spice Mix…

Xawaash (pronounced Hawash) comes from the Arabic word Hawa’ij (حوائج). Hawa’ij can be translated as ‘requirements’ or ‘essentials’. For example, there are the essentials accompaniments for Arabic coffee, Hawa’ij al-Qahwa (حوائج القهوة). The Hawa’ij spice mix is believed to have originated in Yemen.

In the southern regions of Somalia, Xawaash refers to the spice mix that is added to savoury dishes: meats, stews, soups, etc. However, in the northern parts of Somalia, Xawaash is used in a broader sense and it refers to any spice mix, even the spices that are added to tea and coffee.

Keep in mind that the types of spices used and their proportions are not cast in stone. There are regional variations dictated by personal taste as well as the availability of certain spices.

The use of the aromatic Xawaash is what gives Somali food its unique character and flavour.

Xoconostle…

Or cactus fruit a cousin of the prickly pear…The bright red centre of the Xoconostle cactus fruit has a few dozen, small edible seeds that have an appearance similar to the seeds of passion fruit. The flavour is described as complex with a sour tang and an acidic finish.

Ximenia…

A small fruit, only about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) long. It will ripen to orange, or red with white spots, or yellow, depending on the diversity. The Ethiopian variety goes yellow. There will be 1 seed in every fruit. The pulp is sour and tart. Birds also love this fruit. Known as a powerful healthy fruit it is packed with Vitamin C as well as Vitamin E, phosphorus, fibre, carbs, starches, magnesium, calcium, and lots of protein too… The stems, bark, and leaves of the tree also contain lots of natural steroids that may be used in the future for treating diseases such as cardiovascular disease and strokes… New studies are underway…

ximenia

Photo credit: berniedup on Visual hunt / CC BY-SA

In traditional medicine, the bark is used to treat oral infections and toothache… It is also commonly known as tallowwood, hog plum, yellow plum, sea lemon, or pi’ut (Chamorro), it is a small sprawling tree native to the tropics, a sour plum found in South-East Africa also a related species grow in the Western United States.

Xiaolongbao…long bun…

Quite simply are the popular bao buns which.is a type of Chinese steamed bun from the Jiangnan region, especially associated with Shanghai and Wuxi. They are made from either leavened or unleaved dough with minced pork or another meat filling. Many of these buns are eaten here they come in different shapes and colours and look very pretty…

bao bun pork filled

 

Photo credit: wallyg on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Yams

Yams are a relatively low-protein food, yam is not a good source of essential amino acids. Experts emphasize the need to supplement a yam-dominant diet with more protein-rich foods to support healthy growth in children. Although often in the poorer countries this does not happen. This is the purple yam there is also white yam and some are quite hairy they are a common sight on the markets here.

purple yam

Yam is an important dietary element for Nigerian and West African people. It contributes more than 200 calories per person per day for more than 150 million people in West Africa and is an important source of income. Yam is an attractive crop in poor farms with limited resources. It is rich in starch and can be prepared in many ways. It is available all year round, unlike other, unreliable, seasonal crops. These characteristics make yam a preferred food and a culturally important food security crop in some sub-Saharan African countries.

Yokan

matcha-cream-green-tea-yokan

Photo credit: Kirinohana on Visual Hunt / CC BY

Is a Japanese sweet similar to Turkish Delight…which is a favourite of mine and generally a treat at Christmas… The above yokan is made with matcha green tea, chestnuts are also used and other colourings mainly natural colours…Like pandan leaves…

Yeast

The first known yeast was some hundreds of millions of years ago…There are some 1,500 different species which are currently recognised. Most of us know yeast is used in baking, winemaking and brewing…Yeast is a single-celled microorganism that is classified, along with moulds and mushrooms, as members of the Kingdom Fungi. It is also the subject of much research.

Yellowtail Fish…

The Yellow Tail fish or Amber Jack is native to the North East Pacific from Japan to Hawaii. It is also not related to the Yellowtail Tuna.

Sesame crusted Yellowtail fish

In Japan, this fish is eaten cooked or raw and known as Hamachi or Buri…For further info and the recipe for the fish …

We thoroughly enjoyed this recipe which was tried and tested in my kitchen and are looking forward to this fish coming into season again although the recipe could be used with any fish steaks.

Yerba buena

Yerba buena or Hierba Buena is the Spanish name for a number of aromatic plants, most of which belong to the mint family.

Za’atar

A Middle Eastern spice blend …this aromatic spice blend has been around for ages, but the recent surge in popularity of Mediterranean foods and flavours has sent the demand for this bold blend through the roof. And as the spice grows in popularity in mainstream culture, it’s gearing up to become the next everything bagel seasoning: sprinkled on just about everything by just about everyone to make dishes instantly ten-times tastier.

Zest

zest-4180654_640 (1)

Doesn’t the zest of citrus fruits just liven up your cooking? As a garnish, in baking, it just adds that extra zing. I am a big fan of adding lemon, orange or lime zest to my cooking…Both sweet and savoury dishes…

Zingara

Popular in French cuisine it is a sauce made from chopped ham, tongue, mushrooms and truffles combined with tomato sauce, tarragon and sometimes Madeira wine. Additional ingredients may include white wine, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and orange rind. It is also known by the name of gypsy sauce…

Zucchini

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I have always called it courgette which is the British/ English name whereas Zucchini is the American/English name…Classes as a summer squash it is harvested when the skins are soft and immature as the skins harden and it grows in size I know it as the Marrow…Very popular now and cooked in many ways …It can be baked, stuffed made into zoodles and used as a healthier answer to pasta…It can be used in baking bread, cookies, shaved in salads or rolled with veggies or prawns so many recipes.

That’s it…Finito, finished, the end…

If you have stayed with me throughout this series then thank you and thank you, Esme…I hope you have enjoyed this series if you are new and have missed it then pop over to Sally’s as she has very kindly offered to repost this series instead of my normal posts on my cookery column over at Smorgasbordto allow me the time to finish my cookbook and novel…It will be the same just with a few tweaks from moi…  Thank you xxx

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

 

Whimsical Wednesdays…with Carol…

Good morning and welcome to this week’s Whimsical Wednesdays with moi…Carol, Caz whatever you want to call me as long as it is not too late for dinner…haha

Did you know? 

Prior to World War 11 more than half a million stretchers were produced in preparation before World War II even began. Someone had some foresight, didn’t they?  Stretchers, which were no more than two steel poles flanking a stretch of wire mesh, were quick to mass-produce. They were also easier to clean than conventional wood or canvas stretchers.

stretcher railings london

 

Photo credit: STML on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

During the war, many of London’s housing estates lost their original metal railings when they were manufactured into weaponry to serve the war effort. With a large stockpile of stretchers following the war, the London City Council decided to have the stretchers welded vertically together, fixed onto poles, sunken into concrete, and used to replace this missing fencing. The two kinks in the poles, designed so that they could be rested on the ground then picked up easily, can still be seen on the railings today.

Circular recycling at its best…

Time for a story…

This is a continuation of a short story started by author Steph Richmond with the offer to contribute …intrigued I took her up on this offer so as you will see I write the occasional chapter…Will this be finished who knows.?.. The girl as yet doesn’t have a name just an unknown past…Enjoy!

The Charade – Chapter 18

By  Dewin Nefol & S C Richmond

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The carriage picked her up as Mr James had said it would, she felt nervous but knew she couldn’t let Mr James down and once she met Mr Peasbody she hoped she would remember him and she would be able to relax. The journey to York took a long time and the journey wasn’t very comfortable but finally, the carriage pulled up in front of a very grand building on a fairly quiet road she couldn’t see much of her surroundings as night had drawn in. The driver unloaded her case and pointed to the door. At that moment she felt small almost like an orphan standing before the large front door. She was shown in but a maid and taken to her room, Mr Peasbody wasn’t there but they were expecting her. She was exhausted after her journey, the bed called to her and she fell asleep almost instantly.

She awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, she was also confused not really understanding which way she should turn, she was in a strange house and didn’t know her host yet or what was expected of her. She grabbed her coat and slipped out of the room and out through the front door, she didn’t encounter anyone on her way through the house. Even at this early morning hour, the city is alive with the pulse of a different beat to that resounding in her heart. She feels alienated in a strange place, alone and a little uncertain but yet a part of something far larger and far more expectant of her than she is of herself: expectant in ways both great and small. She walks along the unknown streets taking in everything around her, new sights and smells.  Turning into a small street she saw a sign that read ‘Astrological Society’ and below it ‘Open’ and even at this early hour the door stood ajar. Whilst deliberating on the doorstep trying to decide if she should enter the building she hears the sound of footsteps come running up behind her. Turning quickly she is startled to see a small girl run past her and disappear in through the open door. She remains rooted on the spot surprised by the small girl’s sudden appearance and even quicker disappearance when suddenly there’s a scream from inside the building…

T.B.C

 

January is National Soup month...For those of you who live in the Northern Hemisphere, the months of January and February are typically the coldest.

I love soup, most soups but my all-time favourite is tomato soup... Preferably made with fresh tomatoes but I also and this is a hankering back to my childhood love canned tomato soup and very occasionally I treat myself to a can of tomato soup…

Ingredients:

  • 8 or 9 tomatoes, cored and quartered
  • 3 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
  • 2 small yellow onions, cut into wedges
  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 5 cups homemade vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • olive oil

Let’s Cook!

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup.

Preheat the oven 375F/190C

Grease two baking sheets and place tomatoes skin side down on one, then lightly coat the peppers and onions in olive oil and place on the other baking tray also throw the unpeeled garlic into the tray…Pop it in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes.

When the tomatoes and peppers are roasted heat your vegetable stock in a pan big enough to take the tomatoes and peppers. Add your roasted tomatoes and peppers to the vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

tomato-soup-482403_640

Allow your soup to cool slightly and then either using a stick blender or your liquidiser blend to your desired consistency… I prefer mine a little chunky. Taste and season.

Serve with a swirl of cream or natural yoghurt if liked…

Enjoy!

Did you know? On January 10th 1863 the World’s first underground railway service opened in London. It was the Metropolitan Line which runs between Paddington and Farringdon.

Time for a tune…

January 15th 1961 – The Supremes signed a worldwide recording contract with Motown Records.
Originally called the Primettes, they became the most commercially successful of Motown’s acts and are, to date, America’s most successful vocal group with 12 No.1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

This is The Supremes, featuring group member Barbara Martin. She was one of two other original members (the first being Betty McGlowan). She left the group because she got pregnant. The other three went into music history.

Then on 15th January 1983, Phil Collins had his first UK No.1 single with his version of ‘You Can’t Hurry Love,’ a hit for The Supremes in 1966. Collins’ version was the first track on the very first Now That’s What I Call Music CD.

I like both versions …but Phil Collins just has the edge for me…

For those of you who love pizza and bagels although I don’t know why they were put in the same category on Pizza Day…The bagel makers have decided they are having their own day so today has been designated National Beigel day...I haven’t had a beigel since I left the UK…I used to love cinnamon and raisin bagels, smoked salmon and cream cheese I am salivating now… I have thought of making them and got as far as reading a few recipes and it seems they are boiled first…Has anyone made their own and are they good and relatively easy to make or are they quite time-consuming?

I have been told you make a lean dough which is a dough with little or no fat or sugar…Then they are cooked for 1 min each side in a beigel water bath…to which honey or barley malt syrup can be added and then they are baked…

beigel bakery-3254475_640

Mmmmm I am sure they would take a tad longer than it took me to type that…I do have very happy memories of eating a salt beef beigel the last time I was in the UK…very nice it was…If you are celebrating beigel day then post your pics with a #nationalbeigelday 

Beavers…Cute furry animals that build dams is what I think of if I hear the name beaver…Beavers are also known as a ‘keystone’ species because of their significant positive effect on the environment.

So much so that Beavers are being reintroduced to Cumbria after 400 years as it is thought that they might reduce flooding.

Beavers are to be reintroduced into Cumbria’s Eden Valley to see if they can thrive in upland environments. Fingers and toes crossed that they can thrive and help bring some balance to the environment.

beaver-1352439_640

 

Beavers are native to the UK and used to be widespread in England, Scotland and Wales, but they were hunted to extinction in the UK in the 16th century mainly their fur, meat, and “castoreum” – a secretion used in perfumes, food and medicine.

With similar efforts underway in Yorkshire and Somerset.

Beavers can help reduce the risk of flooding lower down in river systems by building dams and moderating water flow. Their modifications made to the streams can also raise the water locally, creating wetland areas and boosting biodiversity.

It seems very much to me when you read and look around that much of what is being done is to repair what man has undone…All of of our global warming and climate change has one cause…man…

It seems we find something which is useful or profitable or edible…and we hunt it until it is extinct we now are reaping the benefits and some of us are madly back peddling…

Anyway, this is not the post for doom and gloom I am happy that beavers are being introduced back into the wild and there are plans to introduce other animals back into the wild I do hope that they are left to grow and thrive and do what they do best…

Thank you for joining me for Whimsical Wednesday I hope you have found something of interest or that just made you smile xxx

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you again for joining me for Whimsical Wednesday I hope you have enjoyed yourselves…If you have please leave a comment as I always enjoy hearing from you it makes my day xxx