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Post by sandrainsydney on Aug 9, 2018 1:30:55 GMT
I remember when almost as soon as you were in the door if you visited someone you were offered a cup of tea. The television was turned of and we spoke and listened to each other. today - TV in the background of conversations A time when we played music together, when we recited poetry and told stories on dark winters nights. some of this still exists - in the folk world A time when if we did not see our neighbour on the street we would go to their door, not to gather gossip about them but see if they needed help, a help we would willingly give without figuring out what we could get out of the deal. quote from recent news item - I don't know my neigbours & have never seen them (lady in ordinary suburban street) remark by my friends - There are 37 homes in my street & we know everyone & take a cake or something to welcome new neighbours (who live in an ordinary inner city street) I remember wummin up closes wie a barrel load o weans, yet they always found a bite for an extra mouth or two. one of my friends grew up in such a household where another plate was put on the table when a poor kid walked across the paddock. She was one of 4 kids & (still) has 4 foster siblings, who were probably not formally fostered & her family took in many kids for long & short periods, up to 20 could sit down fror a meal. She is Maori & grew up in a traditional culture. I remember when neither a funeral or a wedding were held in a fancy restaurant. The barn or shed was cleaned out and neighbours dragged in trestles and planks of wood were laid on then for tables. Everyone around brought their wedding tablecloth and china and helped cook food or brew ale to help the young couple celebrate or see a deceased neighbour on their way. today we have industries to do this for us! Those days weren't perfect no time is . There was hunger and poverty, rickets and smallpox, so many diseases that are now rarely fatal yet claimed so many lives. Working conditions were harsh, dangerous and with little safety or job protection with folk working in the morning and laid of by tea. A few years back I went to a Railway history event where retired men told us about their working days. Head protection was a sheet of our local broadsheet, folded into a pirate shape! Washing facilities were a tap & bucket, wages were low but Unions were strong. Today we have safety clothing & better conditions (for those with jobs!) & what is left of the Unions can be fined for coming onto worksites. There are things that have improved, but I wonder if we have as people forgotten the art of hospitality and community. Some people probable never pop into a neighbour or friend's place! Dinner parties, maybe or general parties, but ..., and everyone takes their mobile phone (cell phone) everywhere. I'm often the only one on the train reading a book!
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Post by meganl on Aug 9, 2018 7:21:05 GMT
Good thoughts Sandra
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Post by sandrainsydney on Aug 9, 2018 23:31:32 GMT
oops - a piece of hyperbole - I'm often the only one on the train reading a book! what I meant is my section of the carriage, one end with bench seats, not 2 levels of seats ...
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Aug 12, 2018 22:05:59 GMT
The T.G. Green Ltd company in England, makers of most of my well-loved Cornishware (cream glaze with decorative band of glaze in a gorgeous shade of blue), also make many other kinds and styles of ceramic dishes including a series of dishes with recipes printed on and glazed. I bought a tart pan at a local Narrow-gauge railway and museum yesterday, partly because the recipe reminds me of one of Megan's recently posted recipes. You'll need to make use of Megan's shortcrust pastry recipe for this one, too!
Thatched Top Tart
Line this dish with shortcrust pastry.
Spread a thin layer of jam over the base.
Cream together 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of fine sugar. Add two eggs and beat in well. Stir in 6 heaped tablespoons of porridge oats and 1 teaspoon of almond essence. Spread mixture over the jam in this dish. Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes until filling is set and surface is browned.
It reminds me also of the oatmeal pie I used to make when I had no money for pecans, essentially a sweetened custard pie with oats (and walnuts if I had any) in place of the expensive pecans. When I had some, excellent dark chocolate chips (pieces) were also good added to my mix. I assume "porridge oats" refers to steel-cut oats, and "almond essence" is almond extract.
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Post by sandrainsydney on Aug 12, 2018 23:51:09 GMT
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Post by meganl on Aug 13, 2018 7:11:02 GMT
Like the recipe maeve our ancestors were very good at making a little go a long way. I have often wondered about this steel cut oats now thanks to Sandra I realise we do have them here but we have always called them pinhead oatmeal
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Post by sandrainsydney on Aug 14, 2018 0:43:21 GMT
pinhead! Do angels dance on them?
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Aug 14, 2018 13:59:49 GMT
pinhead! Do angels dance on them? Yes of course... it's Scotland!
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Post by meganl on Aug 14, 2018 15:23:44 GMT
yes dear what else do you expect from a country that has a unicorn as its national animal and gives the angels a share of its national drink
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Post by sandrainsydney on Aug 14, 2018 22:40:13 GMT
Of course I knew that!
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ragdall
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Posts: 1,687
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Post by ragdall on Aug 17, 2018 8:42:51 GMT
Megan, Thank you for posting the recipes for Short crust pastry and basic sponge.
Modern city life is sadly lacking in community human interactions. It disappeared even befot3e the hand-held electronic devices captured so many willing captives.
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Post by meganl on Sept 17, 2018 8:14:18 GMT
From the angles share to the fairy glen. I don't know if stone stacking is a problem at tourist sites where you are, but here it has become so bad that the residents of Skye met a couple of days ago to remove all the stones that had been placed in the fairy glen which crofters have always used as grazing land. A friend placed pictures on her FB page and was savaged by several people so I wrote this piece.
The local community took down the stone stacks on the isle of Skye because they were causing environmental damage and were making it impossible for the crofters to graze their animals. A friend put some pictures of the event on her facebook page I would say I was surprised at how many posts condemned the local folk for removing ancient and spiritual monuments without even a basic knowledge of the facts.
The site was not ancient and most of the stones were stacked up since the bridge was built by people who wanted a photo opportunity. It is sad that while they were carelessly removing stones from old wall and the hillside they were damaging the true magic of that wonderful valley, the shelter even collapsed sections of wall and stones give to local wildlife and plants. Mosses, lichens, plants and bugs that recycle vital nutrients into the soil and clean the air are disturbed with every moved stone.
Scotland was steeped in folklore with many creatures from the Orkney Hogboon to the Kelpie but the one that most concerns the problem in Skye are the fair folk or fairies as folk call them nowadays. They were not however the pretty little winged tinkerbells we see in films that nonsense is a victorian idea with their high rate of infant mortality and diseases like cholera cutting through the population regularly they became fascinated with things like fairies and vampires.
In Scottish folklore faeries came from one of two courts, the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. They were never mentioned as having wings, rather they were often described as being like any other human but of a delicate stature. While those of the Seelie Court could if they were minded be helpful they were not above turning milk or creating other nuisances. The members of the Unseelie Court were known for their vicious hatred of mortals and any new parents went to great lengths to prevent them getting anywhere their baby since they were well known for stealing children and replacing it with a changling who looked like the original baby but was a poor sickly thing. Therefore places connected with fairies were not places of veneration but had to be avoided like the plague.
I wrote the next bit on her post but it got me thinking . Mum always taught us walk gently on the land. Take only pictures and leave only dreams whispered on the wind . For the land is fragile and we are but custodians.
Walk gently on the land my friend Take each step with care Take it slowly, look around And see the wonder there.
Walk quietly and breathe deeply Leave your noisy world behind Let the sounds of nature calm you A new peace you shall find.
Do not endanger others Be it beast or plant or man Do not disturb our habitat Be gentle where you can
You are welcome come to visit Bring your camera to Just leave us as you found us And we will be thanking you.
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Post by sandrainsydney on Nov 30, 2018 11:09:58 GMT
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ragdall
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Posts: 1,687
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Post by ragdall on Dec 5, 2018 3:43:04 GMT
Sandra, Thank you for the link. I loved the strawberry Santas, the melting snowmen and the tree brownies. I'm wondering if I could make the icing in the Santas using cream cheese, to make it "healthier"?
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Dec 5, 2018 20:24:41 GMT
Thank you, Sandra. I printed out the red velvet cookies- for my sister-in-law, who loved the cake by that name.
In the oven is a blueberry pie with a base layer of apricot jam. It's a celebration for my husband, who on a frigidly cold day, as Mr. Bush's service was broadcast (on our computer- no TV here), has put a new engine into a little bulldozer his brother gave him. We need it to move and shape so many areas of uneven, construction-damaged ground. It's running! There will be many more days of frustrating work required, but such a reward for a devoted, hard-working man to hear the engine running, see it puffing out exhaust.
The chickens weren't so pleased.
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