Welcome to Saturday Snippets…

It’s National French Toast Day today...I just love French Toast…or Eggy Bread…It is so very easy to make and for 3/4 slices depending on your bread all you need to do is whisk an egg with a tsp of vanilla extract, 1/4 to 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup of milk…dip your bread in the egg mixture on both sides and griddle the bread in some butter turning so they are golden brown on both sides..serve with a few blueberries and or strawberries and drizzle with some maple syrup…it also has to be the real thing there is nothing like Maple Syrup expensive but so worth it and enjoy!

It is also National Peanut Butter Lovers Month...while I don’t like to eat PB by the spoonful I love dishes with peanut sauces and PB fudge is to die for …it is also lovely on Homemade bread when toasted…

I have been busy this week making mango chutney, sweet mincemeat, Christmas, Puddings and cakes plus bread so haven’t yet made the fudge…

The mango chutney was a must as I had run out and when shopping I saw a jar of mango chutney(Tesco) big mistake…I nearly had a riot on my hands and the uneaten jar apart from the little taken out to taste it was unceremoniously dumped in the bin…I won’t even tell you how my family described Tesco’s attempt at mango chutney as WP would probably ban me…haha

Sandwich Loaf…a Nigella Recipe…

• 500 gm Bread Flour
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 7 gms instant yeast
• 125ml milk
• 150 ml of cold water
• 100 ml of boiling water
• 3 tbsp butter melted

Let’s Bake!

Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl and whisk to combine then add liquids and butter and draw the mix together cover and leave for 10 mins…I now use a shower cap which is brilliant as plastic wrap never stuck to the bowl and the cap stays put…Leave for 10 minutes then knead for 10 seconds(yes) and leave for 10 mins and repeat this 3 times…

On the last one shape and put in a bowl cover and leave to prove for about an hour…Knead and shape and put in a 2lb loaf tin for the final prove of about 1 hour sprinkle a little flour on the top of the loaf…

Once proved put into a preheated oven on 180/200 and bake for 45 minutes…Don’t worry if the crust feels a little too crusty it will soften as the loaf cools down…

I followed this to a T and it came out perfectly it slices very well for sandwiches and makes lovely toast or just bread and butter…It is the first time I have followed Nigella’s recipe and one of my top 5 bread recipes now…The whole family loved it!

Conservation Corner:

I first saw this on Meeka’s blog and I think it is a brilliant idea…it covers all aspects of trading for farmers, child labour so much more…#recommendedread

https://acflory.wordpress.com/2020/11/27/making-tech-work-in-the-3rd-world/

Wellness Corner:

Sally and her health posts are a welcome sight here she always has something which is relevant and Backache is very relevant and painful to so many people…Sally has some great tips and techniques which she is sharing which may prove to provide the relief you have been looking for… I do hope so…xx

So pop over say hello, Sally will make you very welcome…x

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/11/23/smorgasbord-health-column-alternative-therapies-the-alexander-technique-part-three-standing-sitting-and-walking-correctly-by-sally-cronin/

Time for some music…

It was in November 1957 when The BBC’s first pop music show, Six-Five Special, was broadcast from the tiny 2i’s Coffee Bar in London – the birthplace of British rock ’n’ roll. Live music was played in the basement and it was here that Britain’s first rock ’n’ roll stars were discovered, including Tommy Steele – the biggest pop name of the day.

Six-Five Special was so-called because it went out at 6.5pm (6:05pm) on Saturday nights and was created to replace the one-hour “Toddlers’ Truce” on that day. Under the Truce restrictions, no television programmes were allowed to be broadcast on any day of the week between the hours of 6pm to 7pm so that young children could be put to bed.

The Government Minister who oversaw broadcasting in those days was the Postmaster-General, a now-defunct office held at the time by Charles Hill.

He was opposed to the Toddlers’ Truce, saying: “This seems to me absurd. It is the responsibility of parents, not the state, to put their children to bed at the right time.”

Under pressure from the emerging independent television companies, who were losing advertising revenue, Hill abolished the restriction.

Well, I never knew that…Did you????

I could listen to this for hours…

Christmas Corner:

Just a little corner at the moment until next week and then it will begin there will be silent night , jingle bells and all that…

Did you know? Most people think Japanese cuisine is relatively healthy and think of seafood and rice. So it may come as a surprise to know that family Christmas tradition in Japan includes eating their big holiday meal at fast-food giant KFC!

Did you know? Round glass Christmas ornaments were inspired by the shape of apples. Apples were the original Christmas ornaments, put on the tree to symbolize the Garden of Eden.

One of my favourite Christmas Traditions has to be the one that many people in Iceland uphold people will often exchange books on Christmas Eve, then spend the rest of the night reading them and eating chocolate…How good is that? x

The tradition is part of a season called Jolabokaflod, or “The Christmas Book Flood.” As a result, Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country selling most of them between September and November.

Did you know?… Kivak also is known as Mutak or Xmas Catap is an unusual Christmas treat in Northern Iceland but not if you have a delicate tummy or are fainthearted…Made from dead fermented birds, preserved in a hollowed-out Seals body for a minimum of 3 months and often much longer. The taste like very mature cheese so I am told…mmm

https://www.foodista.com/blog/2012/02/15/stinky-foods-10-weird-facts-about-kiviak

It is, however, the Christmas adverts which are for me the best bit about Christmas advertising this one has a powerful message and one I think we all appreciate a little more this year…x

That’s all for this week and Saturday Snippets…xxx

Thank you for reading….enjoy your weekend, stay safe not only from Covid-19 but the wildfires around the world…xx

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!

That’s all for today…Enjoy your weekend and stay safe and well xx