Is cooking a hobby? :) Sourdough starter!

[ICLori]

I like to cook and sometimes bake, and I'm learning more about how to bake various things lately.

I bought some sourdough starter through the mail (I could never get mine to turn out right when I tried to make the starter on my own) and I've been feeding it etc. since yesterday and it's bubbling away happily now! I have it in the oven with a light on (the light provides just the right amount of heat) and I'm so excited that it's doing well!

I just have to "feed" it every 4 hours (I'll give it a double-feeding before I go to bed) and keep it going, then after a few more days I can put it in a jar and refrigerate it and I'll be able to make sourdough bread any time I want!

I really like sourdough bread, that's why I'm kind of excited about this experiment.

Anyone here ever try making sourdough starter/bread?

Blessings, Lori

[dancemomof2]

Good luck , i never have luck with it either. My MIL keeps it going all the time, and as soon as I get a batch, it is blah in no time.

[ICLori]

I found out that the key is to keep it at exactly the right temperature (between 70 and 80 degrees) and to feed it regularly. What I have to do with this stuff is, every 4 hours, dump out excess starter (anything over about 1-2 cups) and then "feed" it with at least one cup of flour to one cup of water (can do double or triple feedings if I would like, then I'd only have to feed it once every 8 or 12 hours). My biggest mistake before was that I didn't "feed" my starter nearly often enough - I thought I only had to feed it once a day! What happens is the yeast starves/dies if you don't feed it pretty often. Anyway that was the mistake I made in the past.

Blessings, Lori

[Sarojini]

I haven't tried to make it, but this is funny that I saw this... my husband and I were talking about it over the weekend and want to try it. :) My father-in-law makes it all the time and makes sourdough bread, sourdough waffles/pancakes, etc and they are sooooo good. We really want to give it a shot. What's your recipe?????

:grouphug:

Thanks :)

[Rosalie]

Cooking most certainly is a hobby especially when its to try out a new recipe for some special occassion.

[traceann]

I agree, cooking is a HUGE hobby of mine, kinda sucked when I got IC, but now I just have to use my mental muscles a little harder to create stuff... I am totally addicted to Food Network... I also ask for kitchen/cooking gadgets for presents! Like for Christmas, birthdays...etc. LOL My bestest one yet was the Wustof knife my hubby got me for my bday a couple years ago!! LOVE IT!!!

I have never tried sourdough, overwhelmed me a bit... I have made that "Amish Friendship Bread" where you start a "starter" that you pass on along with a loaf of the bread...hmmm, have to dig out that recipe again! Yum!!!

Hugs!!

[Rosalie]

I recently bought a $2 spatula/spoon. Its like an ordinary spatula with a slight curve in the blade.
It has turned out to be the most useful gadget in the kitchen!

[ICLori]

Here's a link to more about how to make sourdough starter....I think it's kind of fun. I like cooking in general, I have to admit. Not that I'm especially good at it or anything, I have my share of failed recipes.

Blessings, Lori
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/recipe-berkeley.html

[traceann]

Ooooh Rosalie you bought a "spoonula"!! That's what Rachel Ray calls hers, lol. I agree I have a couple silicone ones and would be LOST without them!!! ;)

Ok, gotta check out the sourdough starter site, you have me intrigued now, lmao! I agree, I have had my fair share of um, disasters....hee hee hee!!

Hugs!

[dg2901]

Cooking is a huge hobby. I'm an extreme foodie! My tv is always tuned to Food Network <except for when Seinfeld is on> and I plan vacations around restaurants.

So whats been cooking/baking/frying/broiling/sauteing lately? for dinner? lunch? snacks?

do tell
diana
PS I didnt cook tonite due to everyone being so irrational.haha..however last night I made a nice stir-fry consisting of chicken, onions, carrots, and green beans..made is quite spicy with sambal, served over jasmine rice.

[ICLori]

I'm glad to find someone else who enjoys the food network, LOL! I am ashamed to admit though I've never actually tried the recipes from there yet.

Well, to keep this thread rolling for those who would like to talk about cooking, I'll start....I made a crab and corn bisque for a dinner party that people requested seconds of and asked for the recipe, so that's on my list of good recipes now! (I will e-mail the recipe to anyone who would like, but it's just your standard corn and crab bisque recipe that you can find on the internet easy. I did make sure to use organic cream and organic butter though which I think improved the taste.)

[tlacey]

Lori-

Please send me that recipe; I'd love to try it. My husband and I are looking for recipes for Christmas cookies. He starts baking now and doesn't stop until Christmas. We make up trays to pass out to our friends and neighbors.

Does anyone have the recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies?

[dg2901]

Heres a simple recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies--quite tasty.

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces



Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

Send me some when theyre ready to be served! :)
bon appetit
d

[tlacey]

D-

Thanks for the recipe. I really appreciate it.

Traci

[Rosalie]

With Christmas only six weeks away I've been making Chrissie puddings for the family.
I use my great grandmothers recipe. There was always a ritual at home with making them. Everyone who was in the house at the time had to come and have a stir of the pud as the brandy went in. Mum said it was for good luck. So I still stick to that, hubby and the kids all make their christmas wishes as they stir away.
This recipe is for a large fruit pudding cooked in a bowl over simmering water for 7 hours. It is heavenly with custard or brandy butter.

[traceann]

LOL, I swear Food Network is the only channel my tv gets... between my mom and I, it's on CONSTANTLY, even got hubby addicted now....I am a huge Rachel Ray fan, I have a lot of her cookbooks and have tried a lot of her recipes, she's shown me that Risotto is really easy to make! LOL!!!

Hugs!

[dg2901]

haha..i laughed when I read your comment about risotto, Tracey. The first time I attempted to make it, it took FOREVER!!!. I kept saying "its only suppose to take 20-22 minutes..whats the deal???"..haha...well guess what i forgot to do????--HEAT the chicken stock i was using...duh!...haha

[dg2901]

heres a pic for the foodies...

[traceann]

Hey Diane, I hear ya on the Risotto thing, I was always intimidated by it, but now we buy arborio rice by the pound!! (arborio also makes FABULOUS rice pudding -- if you like that stuff, hubby loves it!)

Hmmmm, is that Mr. Bobby Flay there?? Hee hee, I also love Tyler Florence. I kept trying to come up with something for Food 911 so he could come to my house....hee hee hee ;)

[dg2901]

Hey ya.
I too have written in to Food 911--I found a red carrot and wanted information/recipes, though I never received a response. I guess you have to be more interesting than a red carrot to get their attention..haha

And yeah, thats Bobby Flay coming out of his Las Vegas Mesa Grill this past summer.

I keep laughing about the rissoto...

[dg2901]

Tasty bread basket and beer at Spago..



http://static.flickr.com/23/34447770_8e657433f2.jpg

[dg2901]

http://static.flickr.com/21/28676200_e5b1087d6b.jpg

[dg2901]

The above picture is the ending to my lunch at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Vegas

[dg2901]

http://static.flickr.com/21/29296690_3b4b760c98.jpg

One of Emerill's restaurants in Vegas

[dg2901]

http://static.flickr.com/25/37511992_9c32d309d2.jpg

on the wall at Spago, Las Vegas...

[dg2901]

http://static.flickr.com/22/37511995_67c04113b1.jpg

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Las Vegas..

[dg2901]

Before it was devoured (see above picture)..haha
http://static.flickr.com/21/28893203_9641099d8d.jpg



Something to cleanse the palate, Centennial Cocktail at Spago...
http://static.flickr.com/22/28676199_c1fb216463_o.jpg

[traceann]

OMG.....now I am drooling...oh how fun! I love to vacation for restaurants!!! LOL...now I am jealous! And hungry! ;)

[dg2901]

We have tentative plans next week to visit Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah, Ga. If we end up going i'll be sure to post a review complete with pics...haha

[traceann]

Oh yes please!! And find out if them sons are married!! She's got some nice looking boys there...yeah yeah, I know I'm married....LOL......

[traceann]

LOL, duh I forgot to ask you where the heck you found a red carrot??? LOL Damn that Tyler anyway! LMAO!

[dg2901]

Them there boys are too country for my liking, HOWEVER should we end up going (trying to find a boarder for the dog), I will definitely ask just for you..haha..
stay tuned....

[traceann]

;) Oh yes please, like I said even though I already got one, it's nice to dream....LMAO!!!! Oh I am a bad bad girl!!! One who hopefully will get to play with her macro on her camera this weekend! But I fear, all I have to take pictures outside of is........snow....ugh.

[dg2901]

Snow? Already? I guess thats probably par for the course in your neck of the woods huh? I'm in Va and today it didnt get out of the 40's (a bit cool for the norm) and we're about to turn into icecycles..haha...couldnt handle snow this early on..brrrrr!!
Maybe you can build a snowman and take macro shots of him/her?..haha..just a thought..

:)

[Judith56]

I also love the Food Network, though my favorite cooks are Ina Garten and Giada Delaurentis. I have tried several of both or thier recipes-yummy! I use the website for recipes as well. Judith

[traceann]

Oh yeah, snow snow snow...ugh. I wasn't ready for it to stick!! Supposedly got down to 17 degrees last night....brrrr.....

I love Ina Garten!! I have tried some of her recipes!! YUMMY!

[dg2901]

Ina Garten has it going on, thats for sure---nothing like having your husband work out of town for the week and leaving you home alone in THE HAMPTONS!!!..WOOHOO!!!..sounds like a plan to me!..haha

Tracey, I just noticed that you inquired about where i found red carrots--theres a grocery store here called The Fresh Market and they carry things that are usually hard to find in the chain grocery stores in this area. I was browsing one day a year or so ago and noticed this thing that appeared to be a red carrot. I wasnt sure if it was actually a carrot or maybe a parsnip or a look-alike, so I inquired..Sure enough it was a red carrot. I emailed Food 911 and never got a response. Oh well, I really dont care for Tyler Florence anyhow--too high-strung and hyper for me--though it would have been neat if they would have taken my request and showed me some recipes.

[Rosalie]

All this talk makes me wish I could get American TV. Sounds like an interesting chanel.
Has anyone ever seen The Iron Chef? Its the quirkiest cooking show that I have ever seen.

[dg2901]

Yeah, Iron Chef comes on here in America on The Food Network channel.
what type of channel does it air on over there in Australia?

[Rosalie]

Iron chef is on SBS (special broadcasting service),which is a national free to air chanel. Most of SBS broadcasts are in language other than English and has some pretty unusual shows.
Some friends were talking about this crazy show,Iron Chef and once we saw it we were hooked. We get such a laugh!
However, I don't think I'll venture into their recipes.

[traceann]

Yeah, I think I could handle Ina's house to live in, and the kitchen and the garden....LOL

Wonder if you could just cook/prepare the carrot as you woud any garden-variety one...interesting....

I love Iron Chef!! LOL, it's crazy isn't it? I even got hubby hooked on it!

[Rosalie]

Hey Tracey, just noticed the name of the chef you are talking about Ina Garten...In a garden? Is this intentional? or is it just my warped mind again?
Do you reckon that the Iron Chef is rigged? How come he always wins? Well nearly always.

[dg2901]

The Iron Chefs usually win due to their intense training/cooking experience. If you notice the Iron Chefs are usually alot older than the challengers.

Anyone watch Paula Deen today (sunday)? She made a....turducken...haha..

And Tracey, while I never bought the red carrots I did find out theyre used like any other carrot; carrots also come in purple and if memory serves me correctly, black. The orange carrot is one of the new colors of carrots actually.

:)

[traceann]

Well, I'll be a turnip! I never knew carrots came in anything other than orange or whitish. Nifty! Learn something new everyday...I would think most would have a hard time with black ones....I can hear the conversation around the dinner table now: "what is THAT?" "it's a carrot!" But it's BLACK, is it spoiled?" LOL

Oh my Rosalie you are a clever one, as much as I have watched her I never saw the "garden reference" -- that's pretty neat!! :)

Oh damn the one time I miss the Food Network, around here with hubby Sunday = Lions football...lol. Too bad they don't win....LMAO!!! :)

Hugs!

[Judith56]

I have had red carrots as well as the purple ones. They all taste pretty much the same, though the red may a little bit higher sugar content, thus being a little bit sweeter.

[dg2901]

Next time I see the different color carrots i'm going to buy some. If nothing else they'll make for interesting conversation..maybe

[Rosalie]

Amazing! I never knew carrots could be so colourful. Whatever happens now to the old healthy saying of "eat something green and something orange everyday"?
I've only ever seen the orange variety. I'd better start paying more attention in the veggie department.

On Sunday, we had our family KK draw and sorted out who was bringing what for the traditional christmas day lunch. As usual, I got the cake, christmas pudding and custard with assorted sister-in-laws preparing the turkey, ham and pork, roasted potatos and pumpkin, beans and gravy. Others bring the soft drinks (everyone also brings grog! Yeah!) and nuts and chocolate to festoon the tables.

It is up to the current years host to dress the tables and provide the bon- bons. Last time I had the clan at my place, we seated 28 people! I just love it, christmas day!
Silly, isn't it? that we still stick to the traditional hot heavy meal when it could easily be a 90deg day. Ah! Boxing day-- cold leftovers and salad.

Now I know that each culture has different christmas traditions foodwise (and otherwise). My nephews wife is Canadian so we make sure there is also mashed potatos for her...we just can't come at sugar pie though!
So, what will you be having for Christmas lunch?
I say lunch, but is lunch your main celebration or another meal? And is Christmas day or eve your main focus?

[dg2901]

I only have step-family locally so Christmas for me is very low-key since I couldnt care less if I see these people on a regular day, much less a holiday. My husbands family is a bit dysfunctional; this year my husbands one local brother seems a bit more settled, if you can call it that and his current girlfriend, if you can call her that, is having Thanksgiving at her house. So I guess to answer you question regarding what we do for the holiday(s) is...we stay low-key at home since nobody gets along with anyone anymore. I'll probably make a crudite platter and some finger foods that we can munch on throughout the day; if anyone chooses to stop by they can help themselves to whatever we have. Theres really no tradition anymore with us--we just play it by ear. My son is just as happy that we're not galavanting around town between relatives since he'll want to socialize with his friends--its just as well, Christmas is for the kids.

:)
d

[traceann]

Hmm, the traditions my mom and I have had for ages, pretty much are for Christmas Eve. That is our special day/evening. We go out few days before and buy all nibbles kinds of foods - veggie platters, olives (green, black and Greek), cheese of all sorts, some little cocktail weenies - lol, crackers, some meats like shaved ham, salami, summer sausage - all stuff like that. Then we'd make up a batch of Brandy Alexanders and relax, play Trivial Pursuit and munch. I'd always invite my friends to stop by if that had the chance, some years we had quite a little party, lol. Then on Christmas Day, we'd snack on the left-overs and maybe make some kind of brunch thing. Christmas Day was for us visiting our friends who'd invite us over, usually me at my current boyfriend's etc. Now, it's hubby, Mom and I on Christmas Eve, then he and I pack up and drive down to his folks house for the day and stay overnight. Works great for us, no one feels left out, nice to be able to split up the holidays that way!!! :)

[ICLori]

Anyone else enjoy cooking for Thanksgiving? It's only hubby and me but I like to try to make a lot of stuff anyways.

I am making (of course) a roasted turkey with gravy, sausage and apple stuffing, creamy cucumber dill salad, and sweet fruit salad, and pistachio salad, banana bread, cranberry/orange bread, and parker rolls, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole with pecans, roasted asparagus, glazed carrots, pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.

For munchies beforehand, I have a sausage/cheese tray, stuffed celery (cream cheese and caviar on top), pate, mixed nuts, cookies and chocolate truffles. That should keep hubby happy until the turkey is done....

Of course we'll have way too much food, that's part of the fun...

Blessings, Lori

[dg2901]

Well, Lori, since its just you and hubby would you like some company???? If for nothing else to help you "get rid" of some of the food you'll be serving...it all sounds quite tasty!!! And I think its cool that you go all out for yourself and your husband!

Do post and let us know how it tasted---or maybe I'll just swing by and sample for myself.
:)

Happy Thanksgiving!
diana

[Rosalie]

It sounds to me as if your Thanksgiving festival is celebrated more than christmas. Is that right?
Here Christmas is at the beginning of the school summer holidays so I guess that is another reason why it is so looked forward to. I know so many say that christmas is only for the kids but to that I say "bah! humbug!" I love chrissie time and everything about it.
I come from a large family with four brothers and a sister. Most of them have produced children- 13 nephews and nieces and now I have four great nephews and nieces. My brothers all have very wicked and cheeky senses of humour. There is never any ill feeling or discord nor a dull moment in the day. I guess I am a very lucky girl.

[traceann]

I have to agree with Diana....what times the feast??? Do I need to bring anything? How about a doggie bag?? LMAO!!

Rosalie, I would say it's equal. Thanksgiving is all about food, lol (and giving thanks too, lol) so it's pretty huge. But Christmas is just as a big, if not bigger.....

Hugs!

[Rosalie]

OK! Can I invite myself too!
Never having celebrated your Thanksgiving, I'd love to tag along. Perhaps I can reciprocate with an invitation to some typical Aussie shindig?

[dg2901]

Rosalie, do you partake in the vegemite?????....

[Rosalie]

My word, yes Diana. Love the stuff. Most mums introduce it t their children at a young age on toast and it seems to remain a favourite for life. It is a great source of vitamins.
Have you ever tried it? Most people other than Aussies hate the stuff and if you knew how it came to be! well.. ... nah! you don't want to know!

[dg2901]

Yes, I've tried it and no I dont like it..haha..its definitely got to be an aquired taste amongst you Aussies...haha....so do tell, how did it come to be?

[Rosalie]

A Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid - but the taste is QUITE different!

Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract (a by-product of beer manufacture) and various vegetable and spice additives. It is very dark reddish-brown, almost black, in color, and one of the richest sources known of Vitamin B. It's thick like peanut butter, it's very salty, and it tastes like - well let's just say that it is an acquired taste!
It's supposed to originally be made from the yeast sludge left over from the beer making process...beer!... of course any Aussie would love it!

Australian children are brought up on Vegemite from the time they're babies. It is said that Australians are known to travel all over the world with at least one small jar of Vegemite in their luggage, for fear that they will not be able to find it.
As a matter of fact, is now comes in a tube as well as a glass jar just for travellers! Aussies are at least very loyal to our icons...either that or we are a bit wierd....either suits me!

It is made by a company called "Kraft" which, I've just learned came from an the merging of an American company in Illinois owned by a James L Kraft. Hmmmm so you yankees are partly to blame!
Anyway I LOVE the stuff. Life would'nt be the same without Vegemite! If you perservere with it, you will get hooked too!

[Rosalie]

A Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid - but the taste is QUITE different!

Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract (a by-product of beer manufacture) and various vegetable and spice additives. It is very dark reddish-brown, almost black, in color, and one of the richest sources known of Vitamin B. It's thick like peanut butter, it's very salty, and it tastes like - well let's just say that it is an acquired taste!
It's supposed to originally be made from the yeast sludge left over from the beer making process...beer!... of course any Aussie would love it!

Australian children are brought up on Vegemite from the time they're babies. It is said that Australians are known to travel all over the world with at least one small jar of Vegemite in their luggage, for fear that they will not be able to find it.
As a matter of fact, is now comes in a tube as well as a glass jar just for travellers! Aussies are at least very loyal to our icons...either that or we are a bit wierd....either suits me!

It is made by a company called "Kraft" which, I've just learned came from the merging of an American company in Illinois owned by a James L Kraft. Hmmmm so you yankees are partly to blame!
Anyway I LOVE the stuff. Life would'nt be the same without Vegemite! If you perservere with it, you will get hooked too!

[dg2901]

I bought a small jar of vegemite a couple of years ago and about gagged when i smelled it..i finally got past the smell and tried to eat some however that didnt pan out too well....its definitely an acquired taste!.

:)
diana

[Rosalie]

Can't understand why...LOL
I tried peanut butter and jam once...won't be doing that again any time soon!

[ICNDonna]

When my son went to Australia he brought back a small jar of vegemite --- I agree that it has to be an acquired taste --- and I didn't acquire it! It was just as horrible as the Hawaiian treat called poi.

All I can say about either is YUCK!

I still want to visit Australia, but hope they have peanut butter!

:biglaugh:
Donna

[Rosalie]

Did you know that in England they have a similar product called 'Marmite".
At one stage vegemite was going to be called "Pawill"
Get it? Ma - might and Pa will? Crazy antipodeans!

[dg2901]

hahahaha--Rosalie, i was going to ask you if you like or had ever tried peanut butter and/or peanut butter and jelly..hahahahaha...hilarious!

[Rosalie]

Love peanut butter! My hubby is a Queenslander and up there they call it "peanut paste". He has this running joke with the kids (although at 20 and 17 they don't think its funny anymore!) where he crosses out the word butter on the label and writes paste. When they were younger they would cross that out and write butter...on and on until the jar was covered!
Favourite of mine is to fill the cavity of celery with peanut butter...Yummmmmmmmm!

[dg2901]

I get on peanut butter kicks..my recent peanut butter kick was about 4 weeks ago and it lasted for a good 2 weeks. I would eat a half of a peanut butter sandwich sprinkled with chocolate chips for breakfast...so gourmet! :)

Adding raisins to the peanut butter filled celery is known as 'ants on a log'..haha

[Rosalie]

Ants on a log hey... sounds great!
Just call me an echinda!

[traceann]

I love my peanut butter on a toasted bagel. I never got into peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, even as a kid, not my thing. But love love love peanut butter. And my favorite for a few years now is the Smuckers All Natural, yummy. But as I have said before I have to buy regular stuff for the sugar freaks in the house -- and the natural doesn't work on celery for me, gotta have the sweet stuff...lol!!!

[dg2901]

I dont like jelly, much less on a peanut butter sammich...ewwww...i've never understood how people stomach pb&j's.

Her Rosalie, if you ever make it to the states you'll have to make plans to go to the Mall of America in Minnesota and visit PB Loco. Its an eatery that sells only peanut butter and jelly sandwishes..haha

[Rosalie]

Just how many different ways can one prepare a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Feels funny saying "jelly"
In Australia "jelly" is what you call jello (I think). It would melt and run all over your hand! LOL

[dg2901]

isnt it funny how words have different interpretations depending on region...
Do an internet search for PB Loco or Mall of America....i'm not sure if the actual eatery has a website though.....Food Network did a show on the owners about a year or so ago..it was quite intersting to see how it all started and how busy the place is..haha

[dg2901]

Heres a picture of my thanksgiving turkey that I cooked the Sunday following Thanksgiving...




http://static.flickr.com/29/69831809_479a3dd05f.jpg

[Rosalie]

Diane, I checked out the PB Loco on the internet, amazing! Never thought of peanut butter in anything other than smooth or crunchy.
I especially liked the "Arachibutyrophobia” Cool! I hope I don't get it!

[dg2901]

hahaaahahhaaha...you gonna visit PB Loco when you make it to the states?..haha

[Rosalie]

Absolutely! Top of the List, even before I get to Disneyland.
Perhaps I should start one up in Australia. Trouble is..I'd eat the profits

[dg2901]

that would be a good idea to start one up in Oz. You could even offer vegemite and whatever ya'll pair with it, to those who are peanut butter fans..haha..its could be called PB&J's with a side of V

[dg2901]

that was a lame attempt at business names..hahaha

[Rosalie]

Hmm peanut butter and vegemite? Nah...wouldn't work. Anyway every Aussie already has vegemite in the cupboard.

The standard is with cheese. Check out the kids' lunchboxes at school and half of them will be cheese and vegemite sandwiches! Yummmmmmm.... think I'll have one for lunch!
Come on over and I'll educate you in the ways of the Vegemite...Come to the dark side!

[traceann]

Uh oh...Rosalie...are you at"tempt"ing someone over to the dark side?? Hmmm, gotta check the rule books on that -- there is a certain protocol one must follow for "Dark Side Tempting"......

LMAO!!! :)

[Rosalie]

You are right Tracey but when it comes to vegemite there is not much darker!
Have YOU tried it?
I feel like Adam tempting you to the forbidden fruit(vegemite and cheese sandwich)
It has secret properties you know... before too long you'll be saying G'day with the best of them..HaHaHa! I'd love to hear that!

[MarthaB]

:) I might have cheese and vegemite for lunch too, all this talk makes me hungry, I reckon craft peanut paste ( or butter for the melbournians haha) is the best, and I love vegemite, when my dad came here in 1994 I let him try some, and he hated it.
martha

[Rosalie]

OK Cheese and Vegemite sandwiches all round.
You are invited to lunch, but be quick as I am hungry!

http://community.webshots.com/user/gypsyrose52

All you non-believers in the wonder of vegemite, come on down for a treat.
Martha, you said thats what you were having for lunch too, so you can come as well.

[dg2901]

LOL@the pictures you have posted of the "lunch"..ahhahaha...old scotch whiskey, vegemite, and i'm assuming this was the vegemite and cheese sammich?..ahhahaha...hilarious!...sooo, how was it?...good?..haha...

[Rosalie]

Ymmmmmmmmmmmmm............hick..................

[dg2901]

i'm half schnockered over here..that wine was too much for me, yet i couldnt put it down..now i'm somewhat tipsy and feeling a bit off..ugh!..now that i've finished the wine i've got myself a bottle of water and a caffeine free Coke.

[Rosalie]

Ha Ha Ha. Just as well you weren't here, wine and scotch do not mix.
You type pretty good for someone under the affluence of inkerhol Hehehehehe!

I didn't really have the scotch. If you could have seen me - killing myself laughing as I poured it into a jug and then back again. Nearly spilled some Agh!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeh, 1.30pm in the afternoon is a bit too early for me to have a drink! But you go right ahead. You'd better go easy on the water...you know what they say about the stuff.

[MarthaB]

:) Thanks for the laugh Rosalie, I did have my cheese sanger with vegemite, at about 12.15. thanks for the invite, maybe I can make it next time.

[dg2901]

I think I drank the wine too fast as I ended up with a sick stomach afterwards..ugh!..
its never too early for a drink..130pm is the perfect time for the 3 martini lunch!
:)

[Rosalie]

Diane, I'm starting to worry about you!

[dg2901]

haha..no worries.....i take it you've never heard of the 3 martini lunch?..it actually used to be very popular then it kind of phased out...the high falutin' business people tend to be the ones who have time enough on their lunch break to enjoy the 3.

[traceann]

LOL, you are right Diana! The "3 drink lunch" was a very popular thing! Yeah cripes, if I downed 3 alcoholic drinks of anything on my lunch hour, I would have to surrender my keys and stay put!!! LMAO!

Hmmm, can't say I have ever tried vegemite!! But, does singing about it count? As in the classic Men at Work song????

Hugs!

[dg2901]

Trust me, from one American who's tried vegemite to a fellow American who hasnt---signing it is alot tastier than the real thing!..hahahhhahah

[Rosalie]

You know, I could take offence here! Knocking an Aussie icon! What next? You'll be having a go at football, meat pies, kangaroos and holden cars :biglaugh:
Works better if you sing that one too.
I love Men at Work although by now they should be "the old blokes at the nursing home" Ha Ha . Do you know what "chunder" means?

[dg2901]

haha..isnt it an Australian slang meaning to vomit?; chundered, chundering, chunders <---how about that conjugation?

[dg2901]

and Australian football i do believe is American soccer..and i love me some meat pies!..haha..kangaroos are cute until they decide to box your ears..and what is a holden car?..i'm stumped!

[Rosalie]

:mad: HOLD ON THERE GIRLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Say the game the gods play is like that soccer( a game for namby pambies!) and you are likely to get the rough end of a pineapple inserted where the sun don't shine!
Hmmph!!
I shall have to find you some pictures or clips on the internet to educate you. I'm nearly speechless.
And I don't need any Queenslanders or New South Welshmen chiming in here either with your nonsense about rugby!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, information about Holdens will have to wait till I calm down..I can hardly see the keyboard for the tears.

I'll be back........................(at least Arnie understands)

[dg2901]

I take it by your post that Australian football is not the same as American soccer?..hahaha..and I take it its not like rugby either?...Dry the tears and get back on here to explain...hahahaha...i'm very curious now...must be a sport all its own...

[dg2901]

It just dawned on me while browsing Sur La Table, that I've watched Australian-rules football on tv...I know what youre talking about now, Rosalie...so dry up the tears and get back on and explain to me, uh us, what a Holden is...please..hahahaha

[MarthaB]

:) GO THE QUEENSLAND COWBOYS, :woohoo:
Rosalie, Rugby is a men's game, aerial pingpong is only for pansies south of the border, :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
Now don't you get upset with me, because hubbie told me to write that, haha
Thanks for the laugh, hubbie heard me laughing so hard, he had to come to see what was going on.
Diana we might have to sent you a really big crate of vegemite for Christmas, you could spread it over the turkey, haha

[dg2901]

Oh my goodness!!!...i think the turkey would get up and run screaming when i approached with a crate of vegemite..ahhahaaha...
i'm going to have to find something here in the US that you people down under dont know about and/or like..hahahaha....i'll come up with somethin'!..hehe...just gimme a little while..

[MarthaB]

:) Alllrightyyy then, start thinking Diana haha

[dg2901]

well, its 1:50am so i'm going to have to think in my sleep..haha...since the US is a big ol' melting pot i doubt i'll be able to come up with anything...<scratches head>
ciao' for now
d

[Rosalie]

Alright Martha, I'll concede that Rugby Union is OK...isn't that the 'thugs game played by gentlemen' and League 'the gentlemens game played by thugs'?
Hahahahaha...or so I'm told.
A holden ute is the car driven by real Aussie men!! Only joking..........

[traceann]

Oh my goodness, ladies ladies!! We seem to have quite a "discussion" going on here, and damn...I missed it all again!! ARGH! ;)

I will take your word D, think I will just skip by the vegamite -- thank you ladies-- but no thanks, lmao!!!

Ok, apparently saying the football is like soccer can actually make a girl cry, and not give us answers on the Holden car thing......

[dg2901]

I cant seem to come up with anything that the people down under-you know those people that play that squirly game with something simliar to an american football-wouldnt be familiar with and probably wouldnt like. So i give up on this subject..haha..

[dg2901]

How about a durian fruit?..anyone like those?..YIKES!!!!

[dg2901]

Its not indigenous to the US though

[Rosalie]

OK, its taken a while and a damn good girls lunch, but I've calmed down now and can probably forgive the American girls.."Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they say". And if I didn't like you so much Martha, I might have brought up cane toads and cockys!
Holdens are a wholely designed and built aussie car. We can tend to get quite parochial about these things. Honestly if you put one against a ford of a similar model its hard to tell the difference. If you go to www.holden.com.au
you can see what I mean.

So, besides peanut butter a jelly(hahaha) sandwiches, is there nothing thats percular to the US? What about rattlesnake burgers? Or mountain lion muffins? Or grilled grizly?

Only would an Aussie when looking for something to spread on his toast, go to the sludge in the bottom of a beer vat, look at the brown muck and say " yes yum, that'll do me!"

[dg2901]

Well Rosalie, I've had rattlesnake, grilled though, not in burger form..haha. Cant give my epicurian perspective on moutain lion muffins or grilled grizzly since I havent had the chance to partake..haha..<mental note-make sure i'm not anywhere near the grizzly rustler>

I just browsed the Holden website. So this is strictly an Australian brand of vehicle?
Do you have one?

[Rosalie]

What does rattlesnake taste like? I've heard that snake is a bit like chicken.

I drive a SAAB at the moment,very old, very heavy but it has a good sound system. But my first car was a holden torana. A bonza little red number that took me to many a great partyand brought me home form a few breakfasts too. Naughty girl!!! My daughter better not read this!

[dg2901]

Rattlesnake to me tastes like a gamey chicken, if that makes sense. I like it, however its very hard to come by in my part of the country (southeastern Virginia) In the southwestern states its more available since thats where all the rattlers are..haha..

Ahhh, Saabs are nice. My brother bought him and his wife a Saab last year and both are loving them. My SIL has the luxury 4 door type and my brother drives a little sporty version.
We have a 2004 Honda Element and recently bought a 1984 Volvo for my son (he gets his learners permit in 8 weeks---yikes!). I really want a Hummer H2; unless I win the lottery that want will always be just that, a want..haha

[Rosalie]

All snakes are protected here, we are not supposed to harm them. Fine, as long as they do the same for humans.hahaha.....

Wise move to put your son into a volvo. They are pretty solid cars. My 17yr old daughter has her learners permit but I'm not up to giving her lessons. Its far too scary for me. She can't get her licence in Victoria until 18. The older the better I reckon.
I overheard her on the weekend asking her brother "how long after you got your learners did you feel confidant driving" his reply "about three months after getting my Ps" (Licence)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have a system where new drivers are "Probationery" for three years and have to display a red "P" on the windscreen.

[traceann]

Anyone seen the movie "Crazy People" with Daryl Hannah?? The advertisments the crazy people come up with that are hit...wasn't one of them "Volvos- their boxy but their good" ??

[dg2901]

Heres in VA you can get your learners permit at 15.5 years old. You have to hold the permit for 9 months before you can test to get your license so that puts you at 16yrs 3mos. Once you pass thats it, you can drive by yourself with no restrictions other than you cant have more than 2 people in your car at any time. This rule applies until youre 18.
Sounds like Australia is alot more harsh than the US when it comes to driving.

[dg2901]

And yeah, the Volvo has an excellent safety rating. The only reason we dont want him driving is the Element is because its new and we paid it off..hahaahahhaha. So into the Volvo he goes!

[dg2901]

Its quiet around here huh?...

Has anyone done any holiday baking yet? If so, care to share what you've made or will be making?

I made some snowball cookies (wedding cookies) last night that turned out nicely. The peppermint bark however was another story; ended up tossing that. For some reason it didnt harden like it was suppose to...oh well....

do share
d

[MarthaB]

:) Hi Diana, I don't bake too much, but I like to make rumballs, they are yummy, the strange thing is I don't like rum, but I do like the rumballs, I think Rosalie is busy baking, chrissie cake,and other things, she'll probleby reply to this, and let us know what she baked,
merry christmas Diana
martha

[dg2901]

I do hope others post and share what they're baking...its neat to see what others like.

Its funny you should mention rum balls--i just got finished making some..haha..I used vanilla rum along with some coffee liqueur..so far theyre quite tasty, and quite strong..haha....what's your recipe?...mine is quite simple--vanilla wafers, confectionary sugar, chopped walnuts, rum, cocoa powder, and allspice. Once theyre rolled into balls theyre then rolled around in some confectionary sugar.

[Rosalie]

I've just made some shortbread, dark chocolate truffles and peanut brittle to put into gift boxes for the people for whom I work.

Also I've just finished icing and decorating christmas cakes (Rich fruit cakes), one for us, one to take to the McKenzie clan gathering on Christmas day and a small one for David to take to work on Friday to share with his staff. These were nmade a couple of months ago and should be pretty yum by now.
I had made an extra one but it got used as a christening cake for my new great nephew. I made tiny blue and white blossoms and a lacy cradle as the top piece.
My girlfriend dropped by earlier this evening with her cake for me to cover with pettinice too. Seems that I am the designated cake decorator in my group!
That's Ok cause she makes a pretty mean potato salad and we always get her to make it.
So until Christmas eve thats all the cooking/baking I need to do.
What about you lot?

[dg2901]

Can you send me over some of them dark chocolate truffles, please? I'm sure they'd be just fine by the time the got here..hahaha..
whats your recipe for the truffles? I ask because everytime i make them they never seem to harden up to the right consistency--they seem too soft.

[Rosalie]

The truffles are a mixture of cooking chocolate and cream. If your are using white chocolate the ratio is about 1/3 cup cream to 350 - 400 gms choc. The darker the chocolate the more cream you can use. Wiht the dark choc truffles, I use around 200 gms to the 1/3 cup cream.
Over here what we call "snowballs" are marshmellow ball coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut. Are yours the same?
If not, whats your recipe?

[dg2901]

i'm guessing the humidity around here affects the truffles i've made in the past..who knows... I also have warm hands which doesnt make it easy on the chocolate..haha..

The cookies I made called "snowballs" are also known as wedding cookies. Theyre made from flour, salt, butter, sugar, vanilla, and pecans. The cookies are dropped by teasponfuls and baked for approximately 20 minutes; once cooled they are rolled in confectionary sugar. Theyre very addictive..haha...as are most cookies :).

I've got several more recipes I think i'm going to try over the next couple of days.. One is for a chocolate candy that cant be more simple; its marshmallow cream, Hershey kisses, evaporated milk, half stick of butter, and pecans..you heat the milk, sugar, and butter in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. You then pour that mixture over the kisses and marshmallow cream and stir until blended. Once blended you stir in the pecans. Then drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper..voila'!..haha..very easy and quite tasty..

:)

[traceann]

Well, glad to see I am not the only one in a baking flurry and it seems I have got nothing accomplished.... *sigh* I have on tap for this year: cranberry-pecan biscotti, Florentine cookies, a snack mix that's sweet and spicy, Puppy Chow (or Chex Muddy Buddies), and a Fig-Walnut stuffed cookie (any of these look familiar D?? The biscotti, florentines and fig-walnut cookies are Giada's!! LOL). Trying all new stuff this year! (the snack mix isn't new and neither is the Puppy Chow). I have the doughs made for the biscotti and the fig-walnut cookies, but not baked off yet. Seems like every time I get ahead or a chance, something comes along...ugh.

I love the wedding cookies! My recipe is called Honey Sand Balls, and you are so right they are soooo addicting! I used to make them every year, this is the second year I haven't made them. I make pecan tarts too, but haven't gotten a chance yet this year...my mom will have my head if I don't make some. She passed the torch to me for the annual baking of the tarts....ugh. So much to do, so little time... no sleep...LOL

I love making truffles too, I make mine with the chocolate and cream too (ganache), yummy!! My favorite flavoring to add to the dark chocolate ones -- now get this-- is blueberry. Then I dunk them in white chocolate to coat them..oh yummy. It was a surprise combo that turned out super yummy!!!

:)

[MarthaB]

:) Rosalieeeeee, where are you, I have sent you some e-mails, and you haven't replied back, hope everything is okay, hope you are reading this, could you let me know how you make those truffels please??, I know you have mentioned some stuff in there, but I'm not sure about the rest, I'm one of those people what need the whole recipe to be able to do it, but if you don't have time, it's okay no worries.
What have you been up too? hope you've been good?haha, you know santa knows if you have been naughty or nice!!
Catch ye later,
Martha

[Rosalie]

Nice to know I'm missed.
Martha I've just sent you an email. I hope I don't disappoint you but mostly I just guess ingredient amounts. I used to hate it when Mum would say "just add a bit of this and a dash of that" Now I do it myself...I must make that a new years resolution to stop that.

Does it confuse Santa if you've been soooooooooo naughty its nice?

[dg2901]

Blueberry dark chocolate truffles....hmmmmm...sounds like a plan!..what form of blueberry do you use--extract? dried? jam? ????..do tell!...:)

[traceann]

LOL, sounds like my mom. She has no realy amounts for any of her things that are my favorites. Mostly she'd know if it was spiced right by the smell...good thing growing up I helped her make her meat loaf and stuffed cabbage rolls, otherwise I'd be screwed!! LMAO!!!

Nothing confuses Santa.... he's not like regular men... ;)

[Rosalie]

My sister's the only one who can make Mums tuna caserole and have it taste like it should. Now she's vegetarian and that the one thing she misses, me too cause now she doesn't make it anymore!
Helen wrote down the recipe for me, but I can't get it right.

[dg2901]

Tracey---you didnt disclose your dark chocolate blueberry truffle recipe..is this top secret?..haha

[traceann]

LOL good thing I checked this thread before bed...hey that rhymed!! (must be tired I am getting goofier than my usual goofy...) I bought a candy making flavoring at a store that sold that kind of stuff. I just went and dug out my candy making stuff and the brand I get is called LorAnn. Comes in little bottles. This candy store sold all kinds of Wilton cake/candy supplies etc and had tons of candy flavorings. They are super concentrated so they don't mess up the integrity of your candy by adding in extra liquid. I am bummed as the store I used to go to is no longer....ugh. Figures!!

I'd used semi-sweet chips for the truffle, not as sweet as milk choc, but not as bitter as bittersweet, lol. I'll dig out my recipe and post it!! It's a ganache recipe I think I got from Food Network, go figure right??

8oz Bittersweet chocolate, grated or chopped (I use chips, lol)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tbsp liqueur such as Grand Marinier', Kirsh, bourbon or rum (I haven't used any of them, lol)

In a glass bowl, place chocolate & butter. In a small saucepan, combine cream and corn syrup. Bring cream to a boil. Immediately pour over chocolate/butter combo. Tap bowl on counter to settle cream around the chocolate. Let stand one minute.

Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from center of bowl. Be careful not to add to much air to ganache, stir about 2 minutes, until chocolate is melted. Add flavoring, stir to combine. Cool until firm. Scoop and form into 1 inch balls, coat as desired.

I just used white chocolate chips with some shortening added to make it better for dipping, and honestly can't find that recipe!! I looked it up online somewhere...LOL!

So, there, not top secret at all...well, not anymore!! LMAO!!!!

[MarthaB]

:) yeah Tracey, what's up with that??? secret recipe hey?? haha
I'm going to have a go at Rosalies truffles, I sometimes buy the belgium truffles, yum, but I guess these are going to be slightly different, who cares it's chocolate, I like everything chocolate, as long as it's not the cheap stuff, that's nasty, i'd rather spend a few extra bucks, and get something really good.
I have been good, and have been eating just the white chocolate, but I am going to be naughty this christmas, and eat the normal chocolate.
I wish I could copy some of the things you girls make, but I'm not sure we have the stuff available here, and certain things have a different name, so it can get confusing.
I bought some toffee and pecan biscuits (you call them cookies) they are made by a scottish recipe, but contain American pecan nuts, they look yummy, I let you know later what they tasted like haha
2 more sleeps hohoho
martha

[traceann]

LOL, any time you want to know if something is just sneaking by under a different name, give a shout, and I am sure we will see what we can come up with, especially D, she's like a walking food encyclopedia!!! Gotta love that!!! ;)

[dg2901]

Hilarious!..hahaha....truffles are yummy!....
Not sure if I mentioned it but I ended up making rum balls for a friend of mine who had surgery 12/23. Wouldnt you know it, I ended up at the DR's office 12/22 with a sinus, chest, and ear infection. So i never got around to getting her the rum balls. However my neighbor had no problems taking them off my hands Christmas day.hahaha..
I still have some pecan cookies sitting here in a Tupperware bowl..anybody want some? Since I was sick I didnt get around to making much, unfortunately..Theres always next year i guess----or maybe tomorrow!..ahhahahaha...

[Rosalie]

Thanks D, I'll be by soon for a cuppa and some cookies!

[dg2901]

Cool beans!!! Come on by. I just got a new coffee maker so the coffee is fresh and ready to be brewed (in under 60 seconds I might add..hahaha). I'll have to check to make sure the cookies are still fresh--you never know how trustworthy that Tupperware is...hehe...

[traceann]

Oooh, ok I am coming too! Get another cup out please!! LOL I'll bring some of those fig-walnut cookies I made, they were a pain in the ass, but hubby loved them, so I am stuck with them in my cookie repetoire, ugh.

Funny, but this year I actually had no desire to eat anything I made...that's frightening...I think it's the Wellbutrin, says it can suppress appetite, yep, I think it is too. But, that hasn't stopped me! No sir-ee!! LOL I will force myself to eat the yummies! Ha so there Wellbutrin, take that! Uh oh, must also make me crazy....huh, thought it was supposed to help with that....oh well...

Oh did I tell you? I got my KitchenAid!! Yippy!! Haven't had a chance yet to use it...figures, right?

[dg2901]

You MUST break out the Kitchen-Aid and whip something up before you head out to VA..While I'll still let you in my house and share my coffee and treats I cant say that I wouldnt be disappointed that you showed up empty handed and I might even have to spread the word to my neighbors!..haha..
Ohhhhhhh, and the fig-walnut cookies sounds scrumptious! When I was kid there was a lady who lived a couple houses away who had a HUGE fig tree in her front yard! Theres nothing like a good fig! I remember plucking them off her tree all season long..yum!

[Rosalie]

OK Kitchen-Aid? Is that a food processor? You can have sooooo much fun with one of those. Santa brought me a braun blender and we have been making the most wonderful things. Mainly icy drinks- for lunch we made one with kiwi fruit, strawberries, homemade gingerbeer and lots of ice! For breakfast I had a banana smoothie....I may never need my teeth again hahahaha!
Appetite suppressor? yep, thats what I need right now!
I picked up, in the after christmas sales, a new exercise bike and stepper! My legs are sore but boy do I need it!
I blame the Elavil for some of it but I do have to own up to being very naughty over the past few weeks.
So, here's to the same new years resolution that I have made for the past twenty years.

Diane, I'll be over for the coffee or tea if you have it but I'd better forego the cookies....buggar!

[dg2901]

Kitchen Aid is a brand; their claim to fame, if you will, is their mixer. You can google Kitchen Aid if you need more info..haha....

Heck, I could have sold you our treadmill--dust included at no extra charge!

And come on over with Ms Michigan--we'll all have coffee, tea, and COOKIES!

[Rosalie]

Ok. Never met a cookie (or biscuit) I could refuse..I'll just grab my hat and be on my way. What's the weather like? Do I need my sunhat or beanie?

PS Forgot to ask. If a cookie is a biscuit, what do you call a biscuit? Or what do I call a biscuit.....I'm confusing myself here!
Is it a scone? If a biscuit is a scone...what's a scone? Hahahaha...I'm getting a headache!

[dg2901]

I put the word "cookie" in all capital letters to get the point across to you that you WILL partake in the goodies..I wasnt even thinking about the different terminology..hahaha....Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, here in the US what ya'll refer to ask "biscuits" we call cookies. We call biscuits, biscuits..haha...scones, well thats like a heavy thick cookie..hahaha..(reminder to myself--dont forget to eat the chocolate chip scones that are sitting on the kitchen table!).

Whew! back to the question regarding the weather conditions here in eastern Virginia. The next 5-7 days are supposed to be in the 50's to low 60's F. However the saying here in Virginia is "if you dont like the weather at the moment wait a few minutes cause its sure to change"..haha...and thats true...Sooooooooo, a light jacket, a heavy coat, gloves, shorts, t-shirts, socks, and a sweatshirt should cover you for anything that might be thrown your way in the form of weather..hahahaha

[dg2901]

An example of dramatic weather changes--last March I left my house for an appt around 9am and it was cloudy/light rain and around 62 degrees F. When I came out of the appt 1.5 hours later it was 35 degrees and snowing!..believe it or not

[traceann]

LOL, sounds like what we say about Michigan weather!! In the summer I am never caught without wide range of clothes...shorts, jeans, long-sleeved tees, snowsuit....

Ok, no worries, I will bring something whipped up, and if they suck then it's the mixer's fault, ha ha ha ha ha!! Sounds good don't it?? :)

Ok, I am still in confusion on the cookie/biscuit/scone conversation, lol. I can see a lot of food confusion should we ever visit each other -- both ways! I'd want a cookie and get a biscuit, etc. Oh well, could be worse.... what do you call liver? Hopefully not "chocolate cake" or something like that!! LMAO!

Shoot, sorry can't sell you my exercise equipment, I'd then have no where to hang my clothes....

:)

[Rosalie]

Yes Mame! I'll eat the COOKIES! I don't like the sound of the consequences if I don't.

I've got the cookie/biscuit thing because retailers have tried to Americanize our bickies...even tried selling oreos(?) But they haven't taken off. Same as Dr Pepper...it was a monumental flop here.
But the biscuit/scone is still confusing. A thick cookie doesn't sound like a scone. :hmm:

Lets see....Rub butter into self raising flour with a pinch of salt and sugar if you want a sweet scone. Then mix into a soft dough with water or milk.Knead lightly, flatten to approx 1" thick and cut into rounds approx 2" in diameter (I'm old enough to remember imperial measurements!)..Bake in a hot oven about 10mins.
Now what do you call that?

Delicious with jam and cream, and if you serve it with tea, its called a Devonshire tea.
You can add sultanas or even make pumpkin scones. Why, we've even had politicians famous for their pumpkin scones! Hi there, Martha seen Lady Flo lately?

Now for the liver/chocolate cake bizzo...Personally I just call liver yuck! And even if you have a chocolate version, I think I'll still pass thank you very much!

I've been thinking about this and I would like to know the differences between milk and cream. We hear it on movies and TV shows...coffee..would you like cream with that? Arghhh! Cream is the thick stuff you beat up to put on the top of your scones!
I don't fancy it in my coffee (decaf of course)
So I gather what we call milk is your cream? So what is.....milk and cream?

This is very funny. One will have to very careful ordering food.
Another one is tomato sauce!
We will have to sort all of this out before we get over there for our COOKIES. :biglaugh:

[dg2901]

Cream is the part of milk that contains butterfat.. Milk is w/o the butterfat.
Here in the US cream or milk is both used in coffee--personal preference. I like cream because its thicker and adds a bit of substance to the coffee.

I couldnt think of a better way to define scone..haha.. I guess its more like a biscuit than a thick cookie.....here in the US its easier to find a sweet scone than it is to fina a savory version. My personal favorite flavor scone is cinnamon--theres a bakery a few miles from my house that sells the best cinnamon scones! Speaking of scones--i forgot yet again about my chocolate chips scones sitting on my table...argh!...Ohhh, and the sound of pumpkin scones--yum!.. and with a dollop of Devonshire cream???...yum yum!!

Ok, i'm lost regarding the tomato sauce...what is ya'll definition for this? I would think this would be the same worldwide...no?..do tell!

And lets keep sorting out all this stuff before our meeting because the last thing I want to do with a mouth full of cookies, biscuits, scones, double cream, milk, cream, and coffee is have to explain myself!!!!!!!!!..HAHHAAHAHAHA!

Haha!..the liver!..I've only had liver once that I can honestly say I liked. A lady in the neighborhood that i've known forever makes it and in all honesty its quite tasty. She fries it in a saute pan and its seasoned with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic.

So ya'll dont have Oreos? I'm not a big fan--too chocolatey for me--however theyre considered an American staple in most houses..hahaha...And no Dr Pepper? I live the diet version--its about the only diet soft drink that doesnt leave the nasty after taste.

[Rosalie]

Are you trying to confuse me? :hmm:
You reckon a scone is a bit more like a biscuit than a cookie. But whats a Biscuit like if its not a cookie?
Can you give me a recipe for a biscuit, a cookie and a scone? Then I will work it out from there. And it only becomes a devonshire tea if you have the scones, jam and cream with the tea.
Now tomato sauce that we buy here in a bottle is what we would put on a pie or a hamburger. Do you call it ketchup? Or is that something different?

You say potato, I say potarto, you say tomato I say tomarto, Lets call the whole thing off...tra lalala..

Now what else can we add to the mix?
OK, whats a cinnamon roll to you?

About the liver, as kids mum would cook lambs fry in gravy. But she couldn't fool me... I knew it was liver. It was alright for the first mouthful or two but then I'd get the one and only vein left in the whole dish! and that was the end of it. A girlfriend of mine makes liver with bacon and onions. Swears that it is wonderful but I'd rather eat dirt!

You know you can buy cheese and vegemite scones in some bakeries here? Want one?


PS. What state is VA? Is it Virginia? I'm intrigued by the initials. I did study the New England states when I was in secondary school but thats about it.

[Rosalie]

Hey Martha, I see you are on the boards. I have a party to go to. Told you my friends leave these things till late.
All the twenty somethings are in the back yard and the oldies in the front yard, where we will pester any passersby. Hahahah! Rock on over.. Hahaha... Elton John is on the telly in the background!

[MarthaB]

:) Don't you call tomato sauce, tomato ketchup in the US???
No haven't seen Lady flo around Rosalie, I've only been to Kingaroy the one time when my sister in law lived there.
Wow, I missed quite a bit on this thread, so a kitchenaid is a blender?? or not??
I have a blender and a mixer in one, and I also have juicer, it makes really yummy and healthy juices, I can put absolutely everything through it, it's a Jack la lanne's powerjuicer, anyone familiar with that one??
I have just noticed you replied again rosalie, and the scone/biscuit/cookie/ thing is getting really confusing, and the liver thing makes me want to throw up, Tony likes steak and kidney pie, but I'm not going to make it, yuk I don't eat offal at all.
martha :)

[MarthaB]

allrightyyyy I'll be over in a tick, so we can annoy them together hahaha.

[Rosalie]

Better get a wriggle on. I said we would be there about 9.30pm. So you've got about 20mins if you want to go together. Tom and Vicki will be tickled to meet you!

Now Col Joy is on the telly - on the ABC..I'm having a lovely sing-a-long.

There's a bottle of champers with my name on it. I've made an avocado dip with crudites and taking my christmas cake that hasn't been touched as yet.

[MarthaB]

:) Bummer, doesn't look like I'm going to be able to make it in 20 min, anyway I hope you have a great night, the avocado dip sound yummie, love avocado on a ham sandwich.
Happy newyear everyone!!!
martha :woohoo:

[Rosalie]

Next time Martha. Have a great night and Happy happy happy new year to you.
I'm off to party. Its still about 35C outside, even with the sun down. But there is suppossed to be a weak change soon.
Better go, I hear something bubbly harken unto me!

[dg2901]

I'm too damned drunk to care at the moment of whats waht..ahah....i'll have to reread eerythin in the AM and figure it all out form there!

HAPPY NEW YEARS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IN THE U. S. oF. A!

[Rosalie]

:woohoo: Diane
You sound like me at about 2.30am this morning. GREAT PARTY!
Could have been better if the wretched heat had subsided. Oh well got home and fell asleep in front of the air conditioner. Just as well the neighbours were away or else they might have complained...we have a noisy aircon.
:birthday: to the New Year! :biglaugh:

[dg2901]

Its strange to think about the New Years being during warm weather...haha..its was about 40 F here at midnight, give or take a few degress...we lit off fireworks in our backyard, illegally i might add..haha, and drank a bottle of Pemmery champagne, some beer, had a cigar, ate pigs in a blanket (little smoked sausages wrapped in croissants), shrimp, and meatballs!..ahhahaha..now i'm drinking cappucino waiting for my son to get home..its currently 1:42AM eastern time

[Rosalie]

We had record heat yesterday 109! Yuck..and it didn't cool down much as it was still 92 at 2.00am...made it hard to keep the grog cold!

[traceann]

Happy New Year Ladies!!!

Hmmm, let's see so much has been covered and I have missed it all - once again, lol. In my opinion, scones here are like our biscuits (not cookies, lol) only with stuff in them, a little bit different recipe and a different shape, lol. Ok, here's some links: First one is what we call a biscuit (a buttermilk version, not always used)

http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/MmsBttrmilkBiscits.asp

A scone recipe:

http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/Scns.asp

A cookie recipe (there are soooooo many, so I picked one of the most popular here in the US)

http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/ChocolateChipII.asp


Ok, hope that helps a bit, lol. And KitchenAid makes lots of appliances, but usually like D said, their claim to fame was/is the stand mixer that they make. That's what I got, yahooooooo!!!! It's soooooo preeeeeeeeeety.....LOL

Hmm, apparently I was the boring on on New Year's Eve....Hubby and I went to dinner, came home and watched movies!! We rented "Skeleton Key" with Kate Hudson - loved it. Good ghosty-type story, with a pretty decent plot, ending ect. We were so engrosed in it didn't even notice we missed midnight, that it was 12:30 already!! ha ha ha!!!!

[dg2901]

I couldnt think of anything other than a scone is a big thick cookie at that time!..LMAO! I guess i'm never going to live that down!...oh, and remember those chocolate chip scones that I mentioned in one of my posts; i had made a mental note to self to remember to eat them?--weeeeeeeeeeeel, I remembered last night--ONLY 6 days after they had gone STALE!...ugh!..argh!..duh!..doh!..zoinks!

Now go mix something!

[traceann]

LMAO! Figures eh? Get all psyched to eat something to find it's not-so-fresh anymore ;)

The "not cookies" comment above referringto the biscuits were for the Aussie girls, :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

I actually used my mixer tonight!! Made garlic butter to make homemade garlic bread and used it to mix my cheese mixture up for the lasagna I made, woo hoo!! Now I want to throw everything into the mixer!! :loco:

[dg2901]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!. you go girlie!..mix that cheese!

[MarthaB]

:) yeah, they are pretty good those blenders, I had mine for a few years now, and I got the juicer as well, actually I won that one with a crossword puzzle out of the weekly mag I buy, its worth $249.00 dollars, not bad he???
It juices everything, you do not have to take the skin of anything, except melons etc, the really hard skins.
Thanks for the recipes Tracey, If I need to get any ingredients translated I know to see you or Diana, LOL, oh yeah, what is corn syrup?? okay get your thinking caps on guys haha, .....and happy new year to you too.
Martha

[dg2901]

Corn syrup is a mildly sweet, concentrated solution of dextrose and other sugars derived from corn starch. It is naturally sweet adn contains glucose and other types of sugars...Dark corn syrup also contains a cane sugar product that adds a molasses-like flavor..

Martha, you have the Jack LaLanne (sp?) juicer? Does it work like they say it does? You can actually put whole fruit in there, peel and all, and it turns out tasty?

[MarthaB]

:) Diana, I find it a very good juicer, you can put anything in it, peel and all, except the fruit with really thick skins like melons, and you can use it with celery, beetroot, anything really, the juicer seperates the skin, and you just end up with juice, but like I said before you have to peel the thick skinned fruit or vegies first, otherwise you may damage the blades. I cannot remember if the Jack le Lanne juicer is a American brand or not, but anyway I am really happy with it, it's a good solid machine, I was thinking of buying one, and then the juicer arrived in the mail, I won it, I was surprised because I never win anything, can't even win a argument haha,
Are you thinking of buying one Diana??
Martha :)

[Rosalie]

Sheesh! I'm away one day and it all happens here.
I had a lovely day taking my daughter and her friend Emma down to Emma's parents holiday house in Rye. It is about a two hour drive to the south east near the heads of Port Phillip Bay - Melbourne is at the top of the bay.
The weather has cooled and I was welcomed like an old friend.
You know when you meet someone and instantly feel a connection? Personally I reckon it is because of a past life relationship. Anyhoo, that's what has happened here. One of those special things that happen now and then.

Thanks for the recipes Tracey. I've printed them out and think I've got the differences now.
An American cookie is an Aussie biscuit. An American biscuit is an Aussie scone and an American scone is like nothing I have seen before! But they look yum and I will have to bake some to try them out.

It has brought up another difference. We have two types of wheaten flour whether its white or wholemeal - plain or self raising. I gather your "all purpose" flour is plain i.e. containing no raising agent.
I find it intrigueing how, when we come from the same English language, that such differences occur and I know it happens in many counrties.

And santa brought me a new blender too! We've been experimenting with icy drinks. Hillz came up with this one and its delicious: strawberries, kiwi fruit, ginger beer and lots of ice! Yum

Corn syrup sounds to me like the cane sugar equilivent of golden syrup or treacle. Close?

[dg2901]

Martha---I'm not a big juice fan so it wouldnt be worth my money to buy a juicer. I saw the informercial for the Jack LaLanne (sp) juicer several months ago and figured it wouldnt work like they show it does once you got the product in your house..hahaha..Its cool that it does work that way..Does it separate the pulp or does it turn the pulp into juice as well? About the only time I drink juice is when its mixed with vodka..hahaha..I've got some organic white grape juice waiting to be introduced to some vodka sitting in my kitchen as I type..:)

Rosalie--sounds like you had a fun day visiting...its always nice to be welcomed by strangers huh? It actually gives hope that there are still warm human beings in the world!..........
Youre correct re: the different flours. Self-rising flour is all-pupose flour that has baking powder and salt added to it during the milling process.
What kind of blender are you over there experimenting with?..haha..I have a professional grade Oster that I enjoy using. I'm stealing your drink recipe and am going to try it the next warm day we have here; it sounds quite refreshing on those hot sticky days.

[Rosalie]

My new blender is a Braun with blades strong enough to crush ice.My foodprocessor is a Sunbeam and I have a big Sunbeam beater which I use for cakes.
Guess I'm just a kitchen appliance junkie!
My most used appliance is my Bamix hand held blender that I got as a wedding present and it is used constantly.

As we make up new drinks, I will let you know. We did use it to make Pina colatas and mudslides and strawberry daquairis. Yummmmmmmmmmm..................

[dg2901]

I take it you have tons of counter space for all these appliances???..hahaha..My kitchen is quite small so I have to pick and choose as to what I put in there. My appliances include; blender, oven/stove, toaster (buying a new one today because this one caught fire tonite),hand mixer, microwave, fridge, coffee maker. I also have a stainless steel prep table because my counters are very low and until I get the money to remodel I wanted to keep what back muscles I have in working order <haha>(it wreaks havoc on the back because of how low the counters are).....

[MarthaB]

:) Diana, yes it does seperate the pulp from the juice, just as well because I don't think I would be too happy with it, ...I have a Ronson multichef, it never gives me any hassles, it's a food proccesor on one side, and a blender on the other, I put most of mine appliances in the cupboard, except my coffee machine, and microwave of course, I have a fair amount of bench space, but I have too much other stuff on there, .... I like country style stuff, so I got cows ducks, pigs,chickens, baskets, dried lavender, its full of stuff everywhere, my visitors have a lovely time checking it all out, some people say it's to much dusting, but I don't care, I looooove all my stuff, haha, I also like blue and white china, so I save that too,.... on top of my kitchen cupboards I got tins with paintings of darcy Doyle, love his work, and others, old bottles, old tins, I've got retro glasses in there too somewhere, ... my daughter reckons that if I die, she is going to have a massive garage sale hahaha, over my dead body she will ( that doesn't make sense huh) anyhow I will haunt her to no end haha, nobody touches my stuff, not even when I'm dead :loco: ...I'm planning to come back, maybe I come back as your sister Rosalie, Mary Magdalene, and Martha Maria LOL
I have gone right of topic here, but Diana started talking about kitchen space, how much do you have Rosalie??
Martha ( cuckoo)

[Rosalie]

I don't have much room at all...only about 1mtr. In fact my kitchen is right next to the laundry, in the roof of which is a pull down attic ladder that goes up to a storage room David put up there.
I closed off one laundry door and put cupboards in front of it for most of my electrical gadgets- including the coffee maker, popcorn maker, grinder and electric carving knife which I forgot to include.
In the roof I have stuff that I only use occassionally. Up there is my collection of baking tins, difference shapes and sizes (I do wedding cakes etc), all my moulds for chocolate making and six five drawered cabinets full to pussys bow with quilting fabrics.
Up there, we keep suitcases, kids toys and books and my baby furniture that I won't part with as it was my Mums.
Martha, which ever way we come back, I'll protect your stuff and your right to collect it. Some people just don't understand!
If either of our daughters tries to get rid of our stuff, we'll come back and rattle our chains at them!

[MarthaB]

:) Thanks Rosalie, yeah, you're right, and if our daughters as much as look at our stuff the wrong way, we will rattle those chains, haha
Martha :)

[traceann]

You're welcome for the recipes, lol. It was the easiest way I could come up with, to explain and show the differences! :biglaugh:

Oh I too am a kitchen appliance junkie - totally!! I love gadgets, etc. My ex husband thought I was nuts when I asked for a bread making machine for Christmas one year, but they are like "toys" for big girls, lol. I also love my stick blender, great for tons of stuff with out having to drag out the regular blender. I have a juicer I honestly have only taken out of the box once, and that was too look at it. BUT! Now that hubby is into all this canning business, and the making of the Tomato Soup was too labor-intensive with the amount of sieving and juicing you do of the cooked pulp to just get the smooth juice -well, I am sure you can see where I am heading with this...why not just use the juicer instead of doing it by hand?? So we shall see....could be VERY interesting. I've only used my icecream maker once, didn't turn out so I have never tried it agai, lol.

My kitchen decoration style is "Mess", lol. Actually we are hoping to remodel this spring, as I just have no storage space to speak of that is functional and not just wasted space. My ex built the cabinets, and it's poorly designed and organized, so lots of my stuff sits on the counters. I do have tons of counter-space (bench space), but you'd never be able to tell with all the stuff on them. Drives me CRAZY! :loco: Not a whole lot I can do about it -- yet... Oh and Diana, I have an island that I do all my prep work at, and I have been complaining that I wish I had a bar stool kind of thing to help my back out for long days in the kitchen, so Hubby bought me one that has a nice padded seat, decorative back and swivels!! Yahoooo!! I love it, it's already helped me out immensely. :woohoo:

OH! I made cookie dough in the mixer tonight...wow was that a snap!! :biglaugh:

[dg2901]

Well send me over some of that freshly made cookie dough cause I just bought myself a small appliance toaster/convection oven tonite..hahahhaha, since the toaster I did have caught fire last night while my son was trying to warm something up..hahaha. So i'll be checking my mailbox everyday until the cookie dough arrives...

The prep table I have is stainless steel. We bought it last year from IKEA--a spur of the moment spontaneous purchase--happened upon it and said "that would work in the kitchen"..got it home, put it together in the living room and said "ut oh..its not going to fit in the kitchen"..haha...moved it to the kitchen and its a perfect fit--we couldnt have measured and been more accurate..I love it; its approximately 4.5 feet long, 2.5 feet wide, and adjustable height to 48 inches. ............We'd love to be able to remodel our kitchen all at once however unless we hit the lottery its not gonna happen. We really like the kitchen ideas that are available at IKEA so we're slowly but surely going to get there--hopefully..eventually...this millineum...hahaha...It would be so nice to have large kitchen..Most of my friends have large kitchens and they just dont appreciate them---hardly do any cooking...Its ashame really..And whats funny every one of them just HAD to have a big kitchen....why???..dont ask me!..

Hey, how about everybody take a picture of their kitchen and post so we can see! I'll go first as long as ya'll promise not to laugh.....

[traceann]

Oh god, Diana, my kitchen would frighten anyone, but I'll *gulp* do it...maybe I'll try to make it look presentable...LOL. My kitchen is super small, as hubby calls it "it's a one-butt kitchen", lol. Two people have a hard time working in there together.

I have not checked out IKEA, I must do that...I am so hung up on Williams-Sonoma, PotteryBarn and Crate & Barrel lol. Ugh, my absolute faves..... Unfortunately can afford really a darned thing from any of them, but it great for ideas that you can sometimes make work with cheaper stuff, lol. We hope to refinance the house this spring, for a possible addition (remodel everything, lol) and if not at least the kitchen. I am in there so much, it's totally worth it!! Hmmm, how about I send ya a recipe for the cookie dough?? LOL!!!! Might be a little messy to pop it into a envelope.....

[MarthaB]

hey Diana, :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :
no just kidding, haha, I show you mine if you show me yours haha, no really good idea, so lets get out those kitchen photo's .
Martha

[Rosalie]

Ok, you've got me intrigued again..don't you bake cookie dough into cookies (biscuits hehehe)? For a very short time there the girls at Hillz school had a thing about eating unbaked biscuit mix but they grew out of it, pretty sickly!

I'll clean up te mess in my kitchen before I post a picture. But its so small, I don't think I can back up far enough to get it in the shot!

I love Ikea stuff. Going there is a real treat. Even when haveno money to spend, there is alwayssome small thing cheap enough to buy...I'm such a sucker!
If I ever win the lottery, I'm just going to have the Ikea consultants come over.

[MarthaB]

:) NONONO, Rosalie, no excuses, if you can not back up far enough, you will just have to hoist yourself up onto the ceiling, and take an aerial shot haha. :biglaugh:

[dg2901]

I need to mop my kitchen floor then I'll take a photo..haha...what the hells the difference, nobodys eating off the floor so why do I care that it needs to be mopped???

I LOVE raw chocolate chip cookie (biscuit) dough!!!..haha..I just had some a couple of days ago...yum!...

[Rosalie]

:hmm: Aerial shot you say? Not a bad idea...guess I'll just have to drink some Red Bull!

[dg2901]

who said anything about aerial shots??..you been drinkin? or did i miss sumthin?

[dg2901]

damn!..nevermind...my last post got crossed with Sheebah..hahahaha.
damn, i needa drink!

[Rosalie]

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
You lot make my day! and I should be doing something else at the moment. I'm addicted to these boards!
Guess I need to go to Boardacholics anonymous! :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

[dg2901]

OK people, i'm posting a picture of my tiny kitchen with an unmopped floor and a full trash can--tomorrow (thursday) is trash day so I just took the trash out..guess I should have waited to take the picture then however I just noticed the trash can being full when I uploaded the picture..hahaha..

http://static.flickr.com/40/82350519_3242c38962.jpg

[traceann]

I too love raw chocolate chip cookie dough..yum! I used to buy the Pillsbury cookie dough in the tube in the refrigerated section of the supermarket just for eating out of the tube...crazy, yes - I know, lol!!

I love the aerial shots!! Ok, here's a picture of me (please don't laugh at the flowered pants (they are jammy pants) and the University of Michigan sweatshirt ensamble, or the ratty hair...lol. The point is how I am trying to type at this moment...kitty in my lap - not easy! I tore hubby away from the Rose Bowl to take the pic...on to my kitchen now!!! LOL

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45729910@N00/sets/1596291/

Ok, tried linking right to here, but they were HUGE! So, ended up back at flickr - but had to put them in the "baby pics" set, since I have a free acct, I can only have 3 sets, ugh.

[dg2901]

There you are typing away with kitty kitty in your lap...hahaha...Is kitty guarding the mouse perhaps?....and I see you have ICN on your monitor..hahahaha...noooooooooow, move on into the kitchen and take a pic of you in your jammies pants and michigan tshirt whipping up something on with the Kitchen-Aid..:)
oh, and btw--my mailman didnt deliver any cookie dough today.... :hmm:

[traceann]

LOL, that damn mailman anyway! I bet he ate it!!! Uploading Kitchen pics as we speak -- and I warn you, it's not for the faint of heart...you can seem my storage "issues" quite clearly....the counters are a fright! And some are kinda blurry -- ugh.

[traceann]

Ok ---- here we go! Put in the baby pic thingy again...lol

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45729910@N00/sets/1596291/

[MarthaB]

:) I think both of you could use the extra cupboard space, haha, what is that smoke doing on that ashtray Tracey?? looks like me!!, I have a smoke too, while on the computer, but I can only do it while my son is not at home, he hates smoking, and he doesn't even want me touch the mouse, because it will have cigarette germs on it haha, I wish I could give this filfthy habit away, maybe one day'' sigh''
thanks for the photo's guys, it was nice to have a peek into someone else's kitchen, now I'm waiting for my boys to come back from golf, so my son can help me load my pic of my kitchen.
I think Rosalie is still thinking of ways of how to get that aerial shot of hers, haha
Martha :)

[traceann]

Yes yes yes, I know I know....I gotta quit. Not good at all. Seemed like the only vice I had left after the IC business... But now that I am on the Wellbutrin, and I am finally all settled in regards to nasty side-effects, etc...I am going to set my quit date...ugh. But, the stuff helped me quit before - I was quit for a year! But damn divorce and jackass ex started me right back up again....grrrrrrrrr

Ok, I have a mental pic of Rosalie in a harness hanging from her kitchen ceiling....LOL!!!

[dg2901]

I think I just saw Rosalie pass by my window dangling from what looks like a harness...

I see the Kitchen-Aid! I see the Kitchen-Aid!..haha...
I like the sink in the corner of your kitchen with the windows to look out of...Is the kitchen in the front of your house or the back? Mine is in the back of my house-my view is of my backyard and the neighbors behind me.

[traceann]

LMAO!! It's in the front of the house, which is a good thing, otherwise I'd get to look at the brushpile in the back yard!! Oh, the KitchenAid can be seen?? I wasn't sure, and uploaded and ran! Cool!!!!!!

:)

[MarthaB]

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: oh you guys crack me up, that's soo funny, !!!!

[Rosalie]

Ok, now I have to go and take some pickies. I have the harness rigged up and a team of draught horses outside ready to hoist me away
Oops hang on.I have to make dinner for the prince and heir before he goes to work. I'll come back later with my pictures.

[Rosalie]

Love your kitchens! They both look so homely and inviting.
Diane, I'm heading straight for the booze corner at your place.

http://community.webshots.com/user/gypsyrose52
Ok, Here's my place. And you're all here... well your smiling faces are at least!

Pooh! I've finally figured out how to upload directly into the post and it's too big! Buggar!

[MarthaB]

:) I live those photo's, I can see the ic girls, Diana,Tracey, Barb, Leslie, vicky, sandy, Angela,Jen, oh and me too did I miss anyone, sorry about that, I saved those photo's Rosalie, now it's my turn, gotto get my son to help, but he is busy at the moment with his racing car, I get it done tomorrow, promise!!

[dg2901]

An Aussie kitchen!..its the first I've ever seen ..hahaha....The aerial shot is hilarious!

[quiltz]

LOVE the photos of the kitchens, but please ....I'm gonna have nightmares dreaming of Rosalie floating around my house with her camera ....

Ha ha .... will try to send some shots of my kitchen, which will win the tiniest kitchen award for sure!!
Liz

[Rosalie]

Hi Liz, welcome to the crazy corner of the ICN boards! Don't go having any nightmares on my account...I'm fine really.... :dizzy: ...It didn't hurt that much when I hit the floor...the benchtop broke my fall!

Stupid draught horses! They bolted when the bus ( I think it might have been the mob of kangaroos in the bus that frightened them) went by.
First I smacked into the ceiling ,then the rope broke and thats when I hit the floor!

Diane, do you like the Aussie touch of the kangaroos? I won't let them into the kitchen anymore....they take guard in front of the fridge and want to box anyone who tries to take the vegemite! :biglaugh: No Really!
Alright, I lied about the kangaroos...It's really a family of homeless wombats in front of the fridge. :biglaugh: No really!

And if you believe that...I've got a bridge in Sydney I'd like to sell you!

[dg2901]

I'm in for a couple bucks to bid on the bridge in Sydney--it is sturdy construction, correct? Cant be bidding on nothing made of sticks, ya know.
And while you'd like to be in booze corner of my kitchen I'll have to pass on the vegemite corner of yours..ahhaahaha..Is there anything else strictly Aussie that I could congregate around and enjoy?
And dont make me call PETA on you for not allowing the 'roo's into your kitchen! Isnt that bordering on cruel and unusual punishment?--especially when its cold out and theyre bouncing around on your front/back porch, boxing their little hooves on your door screaming "let me in let me in"?
hahaha--husband and i were watching Travel Channel tonite and a commercial came on for Australia--advertising airfare..Hubby said "ask your buddies if they have commercials on Aussie tv advertising "come to America" airfare"...sooooooooooo, i'm asking...do ya?

Oh, and welcome Liz! We're waiting with blenders blending, mixers mixing, coffee pots brewing, and ovens heating up for you to post your kitchen pics!..So do hurry cause we dont want the motors to burn out on these handy dandy kitchen appliances--especially Tracey because we're, especially me, are waiting for her to mix us up some cookie dough and put it in the mail.....

[Rosalie]

Hey, we're not the three little pigs down here you know...sticks indeed! But we do call the Sydney Harbour Bridge "the old Coathanger" Any other bids on a genuine Aussie icon?
:hmm: Peta is my neice. What has she got to do with the price of fish? :hmm:
And I don't have any problems leaving the roos outside. They're vicious little buggars! By the way, they don't have hooves! They have soft little mits that's why they have to wear boxing gloves.

Now for something strictly Aussie.....Got it! But we have to wait until March and go out for it. OK? Sooooooooooooo we're off to the footy (don't say soccer again please!) for a meat pie and sauce and a few Fosters or VB's! Go the Doggies! It's a religion in most of Oz, except for Queensland and NSW and they don't really count. :biglaugh: Thats right Martha and Sara?

As for the advertisements promoting travel to the US...I can't think of any. We already know so much about your country through film and TV. Perhaps Martha can think of something.
:idea:

Liiiiiiiiiiiiizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, where are our pictures of this famous tiny kitchen of yours? Does it have a grog corner like Diane's? Shhhhhssssssssshhhh She's a bit of an alcho you know!

Hahahahaha. Only joking Joyce!

[Rosalie]

Cooooooooooooooo Weee! Where's Tracey and Martha. Gone fishin'?

[dg2901]

I think everyones flown the coop...

Alkie you say?..<hiccup>

SOOOOOOCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!!!!

i know about Fosters (i think there is some in our fridge right now actually), but what is VB? (I used to live in VB-Virginia Beach)...see, another difference in terminology!..haha

And why oh why are there not any advertisments trying to talk ya'll Aussies into visiting the US?..hmmmmm...
Hey, do you know Steve Irwin?

[MarthaB]

:) Yeah, I know Steve Irwin, I have been to his zoo, crickie, hehe, it's only about one hour drive from our place,
Sorry guys I haven't been able to put any pics of my kitchen on here today, because my girlfriend has gone walkabout and she is the one with digital camera, but I will put it up asap.
Hey Rosalie, you know what we say about VB here, don't you, it taste like ginsp**s, haha, we only drink the decent stuff, like fourxxxx, and powers hehe. :biglaugh:
Diana I have not seen any adds on tv here for trip to the US, dunno why??
Rosalie, PETA is some sort of animalright thing, I get e-mails sent to me all the time.
And Liz :welcome: I see you have met some of the other girls, I hope they didn't scare you away, they are a mad bunch, except me of course, hehe, but don't tell anyone I said that haha

[quiltz]

OK ladies ...I'm back with 2 snapshots of the kitchen and need to know how to do it. What size is right? The camera is a BIG one and I know the shot would overwhelm the system ... Liz

[dg2901]

Liz, you can either post a small picture straight from your picture files to this site. Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, you can upload to Flickr's website and link from there.....
If you choose to upload the smaller files directly from your computer you need to "go advance", then scroll down to "attach files", then "manage attachments".....

I hope this made some sense..hahaha....
post again if you have any trouble and we will explain again....

:)
diana

[Rosalie]

Firstly D, VB is Victoria Bitter...a very superior beer. Before Martha jumps in again, up in Queensland where she lives, they have a passable drink called XXXX (fourX)...You know why Queenslanders call it that? It's because the can't spell BEER!

Now Martha, you got blocked hehehe! What is grins**s supposed to be? Nothing derogatory I hope?

Steve Irwin's place is great! Except that he wasn't there! How rude of him! They make a great hamburger too! Martha, if I'd known you were close by we could have dropped in for a cuppa.

Not to sure why there aren't any adds for travel to the US....Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Liz another site we use is webshots. You join for free and it isn't hard to work out how to upload you pictures. You just cut and paste your webshots community address.
Love to see your kitchen. Before too long we will know so much about each others house that we could get around blindfolded or in Diane's case just bling (drunk) Hahaaaahahaa. Save some for me D!

[dg2901]

Crigey..Crikey..Criggie....how the hell do you spell what Stever Irwin always says????.hahahahahaha!...........I took a close up pic of your corner Ro--i'm just too lazy to upload it at the moment..the counter area is actually clean in this pic (husband decided at 745am that it needed to be organized...ugh!..of course he didnt finish doing it because he had to take the kid to school, so I ended up finishing the job...unlike him i'm NOT a morning person!...after I finish my cup of coffee i'll grab the memory card and upload and paste..

Are you Aussies big beer drinkers? I could take it or leave it--i much prefer liqueur/liquor/booze..hahaha..

So wheres Liz??? We're all anxious to see her pics...I forgot about Webshots--that too would work..Hopefully she's figuring something out and we'll have the window into her world up here soon....

[dg2901]

Heres a close-up of the alcohol, especially for, well, you know who you are <hiccup>...

http://static.flickr.com/37/83231955_d3820b849c.jpg

[Rosalie]

What's the stuff in the painted bottle? Looks interesting. I'm not a tequila or burbon person, where's the scotch?

As for beer, I like it but don't drink it very often, it's a bit too gassy for me. However, it is great on a hot day and it's the only drink to have with Thai or Indonesian food. Now I'll have to take a shot of our grog cabinet. I'll be back in a minnie!

[dg2901]

The painted looking bottle <its actually just a label> is vanilla rum
Hmmmm, now sure where the scotch is..haha...seems thats what we're missing. Neither one of us drinks it so................however, never fear--should you knock on my door I'll be sure to have you some scotch within 30 minutes (there are 2 liquor stores within 15 minutes of my house). I also have 4 bottles of wine if anyone would like to partake. One is a bottle of prosecco (sp?), you know the Italian sparkling wine. And this year I remembered to get a bottle of Beujalais Nuveau..woohoo!..(i took a picture of 3 bottle of wine in a wine rack--i didnt post it because the bottles are dusty..hahaha..although now thinking about it the dust kinda adds a vintage look)..maybe i'll post...

Ok, so wheres the grog cabinet?

[dg2901]

OHHHHHHHHHHH, i forgot to mention...Australian Airlines is currently offering airfare from the US to Australia including 3 flights within Austrailia for $999 per person...:hmm:

[Rosalie]

You bloody bewdy! I live 15 minutes from Melbourne's airport. You will fly over my house but I'll be at the airport waiting to pick you up. What time does your flight get in?
Now three flights within Oz. Where will we go? We have to go north to Brisbane to visit Martha. Oh! we will have a great time there too. Brisbane is fantastic with so much close by as well. Hmmmm. two more flights.....What would you like to see D?

[MarthaB]

:) Okay, I am back for anyone who cares to see my kitchen, and if you don't too bad haha,
Diana, Steve Irwin says CRICKEY that how ya spell it, Rosalie the word I used for the VB was ginspiss, will I get kicked off the board?? haha hope not.
Tony's dad would only ever drink VB, and boy did he drink, and he had the belly to show for it, he looked like one of those budda's ahahhaaa.
Tony is having a good laugh, he is the stirrer in this house, honestly Rosalie, the devil made me write it, I am a goodie two shoes, butter wouldn't melt in my mouth, haha
I just told him what you wrote about the 4xxxx, he thought that was funny, he is still thinking about a comeback.
I can see you are on line, I am going to put those photo's up now, just hang on.

[MarthaB]

:) okay, your'e gone, you have to look tomorrow, cya

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52648373@N00/?saved=1

[MarthaB]

:) here are some more photo's, of the kitchen too, and my craft room.
When these are downloaded I'm gonna see the gilmore girls, I missed the first hour nearly sniff sniff.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52648373@N00/

[traceann]

Well my goodness I have missed quite a bunch here!! LOL Hubby and I went shopping for some remodeling supplies last night, and have been in the process of destroying the upstairs bathroom....I just hopped on here about an hour ago, finally!!! At least he's occupied!! I think I am going to run around with the camera here....send some more snapshots!!! Be right back!!

Oh and welcome Liz!! Yes, the one that claims she's not crazy (no names mentioned *cough cough Martha cough cough*) is the ringleader of the bunch....LOL. :biglaugh:

[dg2901]

I bet Ms Sheebah cleaned up and organized TTTTTHHHHHEEEENNNNN she took the pics of her kitchen..hahaha...she wins for most organized i guess (even though she cheated)...hehehehe..(j/k).

CRICKEY!..I'll go anywhere once I'm safely on the ground in Oz. Just keep the poisonous snakes away from me--better yet inform Mr Irwin that I'm on my way and I need him to keep a clear path of any poisonous critters.

Well Tracey went to take pics and she never returned..ut oh!...ya'll think she got lost in all the remodeling clutter?..This is an All Points Bulletin extended from Michigan to Oz--Keep on the lookout for Tracey...report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities.
'

[MarthaB]

:) Diana, I am like that allllll the time, hehe, while hubbie went to get the digital, I had a quick clean up, allrighty at least I fess up to it.
And Liz don't listen to Tracey, I'm not the ring leader, honestly hehe, I'm a :angel:

[traceann]

Whew!! I made it back in one piece!! The bathroom, is um beyond words. Haven't seen it down to the studs since the ex and I built the place back in 94.....Yikes!! I am going to upload them shortly....

Ok after screwing around with them I can't get them small enough, so uploading to flickr...grrrrr

[dg2901]

aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!...the hot white lights made her confess to the clean-up!!!!!...hahahahahahahaaahahahahahahahaha!!!!

And Traceys enamored with the studs in her bathroom nonetheless!..haha

i'm off to drink a cappucino..havents had one in 2 days and i'm having excruciating withdrawals!!!..i'll return later on so dont be screwing around in here w/o me...doh!

[MarthaB]

:) Yeah, we all noticed the withdrawel symptoms here didnt we girls, go on D, get your fix, and we will be screwing around here, wont we girls, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Rosalie]

Martha, you do have a very neat kitchen and I have to admit that I also cleaned up before taking the snaps except for the dining room come laundry, which still looks like that. I keep ironing and ironing but, I swear the stuff is multiplying.
I love your craft room. How did you manage to get one of those? We did an extension many years ago and I planned a sewing/craft/study. But since hubby's snoring has gotten so bad, he sleeps there now. I get a good nights sleep but no craft room.

Just one thing missing....where's the grog? You'd better stock up if Dianes coming!

Tracey are those studs the wooden or the two legged variety? How long will your bathroom be out of action? Could get a bit smelly at your place!

Is that a decaf cappucino? I'll have one too thanks. Have you tried them with a swig of rum or brandy?


PS And I will not be SCREWING around! I am a good girl! Dosen't it mean the same thing in the States? Here we go again with the language barrier thing.

[MarthaB]

:) Rosalie, I kicked my daughter out, haha no just kidding, when she moved out it became my craft room, and ironing room, and guest room , haha, 3 in one.
The grog is in the fridge, and the cabinet in the lounge, I don't have any at the moment, now don't you girls think I am a goody two shoes, can't afford to ruin my reputation, it's just that I had a lot of trouble with my bladder lately, I don't want to risk further pain, even though I had some help from a very good friend of mine, ( you know who you are) and it's definately helping.
Tony loves his Kentucky bourbon and coke, and I am thinking of getting some of that, It taste pretty good, I always drank wine, beer or gin, but I am getting tired of that, so it's time for a change.
I'm not sure about the screwing thing Rosalie, does it mean the same thing??
You know when the americans say, '' we are rooting for you '' it wouldn't mean the same thing if we would say that hey??? ahaaaaaaaaaaaa, I can just imagine calling out '' WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU ALL'' HAHAHA, GET YOUR GEAR OFF LOVEY HAHAHA,

[Rosalie]

It must be the naughty kid in me, but I still laugh out loud when I hear an American say they're rooting for something. Hahahahaaaaa! See? Which footy team do you ROOT for? Heheheeeee! Busy girl! Personally I'd rather watch the game that hang around with my legs in the air!
No offence meant towards the septics on the boards!

[Rosalie]

Oops, Martha. Do yo think Diane and Tracey will be offended? About the "septic tanks" comment?

Oh and one more thing. Do you think we have scared Liz away? I'll have to hunt hr down. Not letting new blood get away that easily!

[MarthaB]

:) Naah, I think they are used to us by now, yes we have to get liz back, we are still waiting for those kitchen pics of her, COME BACK LIZ, COME TO THE DARK SIDE, hehe

[traceann]

LOL, I have one two-legged stud and unfortunately the rest are wooden... *sigh* Although, with as much trouble one 2-legged stud is, I think I will stick with just the one, thank you, lol. Hoping it will be up and running in a few days, once he's on a project like that, watch out - he's on a roll...LOL Thankfully we still have the downstairs bathroom! ;)

I too almost had a craft room...It was "attic" type storage (it's just a spare room off the downstairs bedroom that's over the garage) but then I moved my mom in with me and there it went...LOL You can see what it room it would have been in the house pictures, the window above the garage is open - that would have been my workspace...*sigh*, oh well it's for mom...

I decided on Hot Chocolate this evening, haven't had one in at least 300 years, ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration...more like 298. ;)

Ok, I renamed the "set" - This and That #3... Here go...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45729910@N00/sets/1596291/

Whew, I have been a busy girl! Time for another hot chocolate!! LOL And yes, screwing around can mean the same thing you bad girl!!!!

Oh! I just saw the cutest thing: we bought my kitty a toy basket, as she is now getting into playing with toys, lol. Well, for the first time I saw her take one of her toys out and play with it! For her, that's a major accomplishment, lol. Now, if I could just get her to put them away.......

[traceann]

LOL, ok, I gather rooting means something to do with sex?? Oh if so, that's too funny!!! At least now I know better than to use that expression when I make my way there, lol!!! Ok....now you two forget I am bit slow...what's the septic tank have to do with sex??????

Yes, Liz---pleasepleaseplease come to the dark side - stay away from the light! LOL

[Rosalie]

Tracey, your home looks very inviting. Are you in the country or suburbia. It looks very rural to me.
Now the "septic tank" is rhyming slang for "yank" . Diane has out me straight on the fact that ou are not all "yanks" but I'm afraid tha is what all Americans are known as over here. Its a term of affection. Hence "septic tanks" gets shortened to "septics".
Sounds worse that it is meant.

I'll have to take some more shots around my place. It's very suburban and not particularly attracive but it's home. That will have to be a job for tomorrow. If I don't get that wretched ironing finished David will ge going to work in the all together.

[MarthaB]

:) Tracey you clever girl, rooting indeed has to do with sex, rooting means having sex, so that's why if we would call out'' we are rooting for you '' it would mean , '' we are having sex for you all'' hahaaaaaaaaaa, now my hubbie wouldn't have a problem with that at all, haahaaaa.
I love your house, it looks so cosy, I love the shape of the house too, what a lovely spot you are in, it seems to be surrounded by bushland, and your new kitchen gadget looks shiny and new, have you used it yet?? you know D is still waiting for cookie dough haha
My dog loves to play with all her toys, she drags them out, I put them back in, she drags them out, I put them back in, I've told her that she needs to be a good girl for mummy, and put her toys back , but does she listen?? nooooo,hahaaaaa.

[traceann]

LOL, ok, I thought only the British did the rhyming slang thing, lol. WAY to funny, I snorted hot chocolate out my nose...not attractive at all!! LOL And since I am in the northern part of the country, I guess I am considered a true Yankee, lol.

We are pretty rural, neighbors and trees, but not like typical suburbs. I live in the northern part of the state, my little "town" has a post office, and a corner market (very small, but super handy!), we used to have bar/tavern, but they just closed down, something about embezzelment I believe...lol, quite shady..... Tomorrow I will have to upload some more shots from the last snowstorm and our "neighborhood"...Hubby is hovering as he wants to nap the computer and look up building supplies from Home Depot.com....ugh. I was just getting in a groove here...but since it's a Saturday night, I may hop on later....LOL

I got a new disc label maker yesterday and I haven't even had a chance to play with it!! ARGH!!!!!! Men, humph! ;)

Oh yes do finish the ironing (ick), we can't have him being the most popular (or most talked about) boy at work!! :)

[traceann]

I am sneaking in another while he is still busy upstairs...hee hee hee....I am certainly glad we got the "rooting" thing cleared up, I could have SERIOUSLY embarrassed myself someday!!

Yep, as I said, it's pretty much "countryside" type setting, lots of farms in my area, though well west of me. I live right on the Lake Huron side of the state, and I can hear the lake from my house when it's really kicking up a fuss. I used to live right on it when I was growing up, but here I am now, a bit more inland, lol. So, it's nice. But sucks for shopping, no big city's by us, closest one is 200 miles away....LOL

Oh I am so excited about Missy using her toys! Jer's mom keeps giving us catnip toys, but she's never been a big player with toys, so to see her get the little ball out with her paw was just too cute!! And now she knows where her toys are....I love it!! ;)

[MarthaB]

:) I'm glad to have educated you in that area, Tracey LOL, anyway are you planning to come down under ??
we will be happy to have you too, we can go and paint the town red, don't know which town, any town will do hehe
I would love to go to the US one day, my sister lived there for awhile, in missouri, the same town Brad pitt came from.
Thanks for the pm, Tracey it's very much appreciated :)
Martha :)

[Rosalie]

You know, when I win Tattslotto, I'm going to organize us all getting together!
We will have such fun!
I know I've talked about this before but its a special daydream of mine. Sad you say?
Nah..... having fun is top of my list these days.

[MarthaB]

:) there is nothing wrong with daydreaming Rosalie, I am guilty of it too, I think as we get older, and we have done this and done that, rearing kids, etc, it's time to have some fun, because if we don't do it now, time will slip by, and we may never get a chance to do it.

[dg2901]

If it werent for daydreaming alot of dreams would never come to be, ya know..? You have to dream before you can make it a reality...

You can count me in on organizing a get-together should we win the lottery..wooohooo!!!..haha...how much fun would THAT be?????

Hey Sheebah--did you hear about the shark attack that happened in Brisbane today (i guess this would be your yesterday.haha)..It was a bull shark and it bit both arms off a female swimmer....oy!!!!!!!...It was on the news here a couple of hours ago...

[MarthaB]

:) Diana, I seen it on tv, it near to where I live, poor girl she didn't stand a chance, actually it got both arms and a leg, and another 7 year old girl died here in North Queensland, she got bitten by a box jelly fish, she came out of the water screaming, the ambulance was called, but she died on arrival at the hospital.
Diana, please call me Martha, everyone else does, haha.
Martha
ps. here is a site about stradbroke island where the shark incident happened.
http://www.stradbrokeholidays.com.au/index.php

[dg2901]

Are shark attacks a problem there in Brisbane? Of course where ever theres an ocean there is the risk. A couple of years ago we had 3 shark attacks, 2 of which were fatal, within 2 weeks.
So what exactly is a box jelly fish? They dont sound very appealing. Did this incident happen recently as well?

[MarthaB]

:) yes it happened yesterday I think, poor bugger, I feel for those parents.
Shark attacks are pretty common here, and they are also starting to get into the canals, which is a bit frightening.
Jelly box fish doesn't actually look like a fish, it sort of got this jelly look to it, whitiesh colour, I am looking for a photo so you can see it better that way.
http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/jellyfish.htm
here you go, it will explain a lot, the great barrier reef by the way is a very popular spot, but it is slowly killed off by starfish, it's a big problem.
Martha :)

[dg2901]

Wow..I just read the article explaining the box jelly fish..yikes! Thats quite scary.
We have jelly fish here in the states though theyre nothing at all like the box jelly fish you guys have. Ours are round and clear; they sting but are nowhere near fatal; hurts like heck for a few minutes then the sting fades away.
You guys sure do have alot of creepy scary animals down under..ahahaha..

[MarthaB]

:) yeah, and you should see some of the people here, they are even scarier, hahaaahaaaa

[Rosalie]

Now now Martha don't go putting yourself down like that! You're not THAT scary! You wouldn't get me into the water up North any time after October. Here's another little charmer. The blue ringed octopus has enough venom to kill ten men.

http://www.usq.edu.au/users/weppner/dangerous/blue_ringed_octopus.htm

Then there are those drop bears. You know the ones Martha?

D, I'm sure there are lots of dangerous critters in the US. What about grizzly bears, cougars, black widow spiders etc.? What about rattles snakes and side winder snakes? There must be lots more. And to keep this discussion in the context of this thread,can you eat any of them? In sour dough?

We don't have any large land predators here but there are lots of stingy bitey creepy crawly things around.
Fortunately they don't live in Melbourne...well not near my house......well not too close to my house.

[dg2901]

Youre chances of getting eaten by a grizzly bear or cougar is very slim. Theres maybe one or two attacks a year, if that, and its usually the persons fault (ie. being in the woods right before or right after hibernation; not packing food properly when camping, etc). Your chances of dying from a rattlesnake bite is very slim as well. My neighbor got bit many years ago during a scouting event. He was a scout leader and his troop was out hiking, They came across a rattler and he decided to show the kids how to pick it up (why you ask??..who the heck knows)..He picked it up, showed it around, put it down, and for some reason decided to pick it up again. Well, you can probably guess what happened-bitten. He didnt tell anyone for close to 2 hours--you know, when his arm decided to swell up he figured he best say something. Long story short, many weeks in the hospital and losing his finger, he survived. With prompt attention to the bite and hospital treatment survival is close to 100%. My brother lives in rattlesnake country; before moving to the desert his wife did all sorts of research..haha...theyve been in rattlesnake, tarantula, scorpion, bear country for 13 years and nothings happened..hahaha...
Now, as to whether you can eat them..hahahaha...yeah, you can eat rattlesnake, and probably bear. People have been known to eat deep fried tarantulas (though tarantulas aren poisonous), and scorpions. While I've eaten rattlesnake, not real sure i'd partake in the delicacy that is a spider/scorpion. oooooooooh, i forgot about the black widows--they kind of creep me out because they like to make their houses where theyre hard to be seen (under door handles, etc). When my brother lived in California one had made his home under the garage door handle. My brother wont kill anything so we had to remember to look before reaching for the garage door..yiikes! As far as eating them..nope, not me...hahaha

I just thought of something--theres a gourmet store about 45 minutes from me that I go to a couple times per year. They sell rattlesnake meat in a can...I might just have to pick up a can or two for you and ship it to ya.....

[MarthaB]

:) Rosalie, Dropbears hey??? very funny, are you taking the mickey out of me?? :biglaugh: You have been watching those bundy ads, haven't you?? haha
Diana, I cannot BEAR to think you had rattle snake, what does it taste like ??
I personally don't worry to much about snakes, I have a photo of myself holding a snake, just a carpet snake not deadly by any means, but it can give a nasty bite, and I patted this big black snake once, they had this reptile thing set up in a shopping centre for the school holidays, very interesting.
I will put that photo up, but my flick'r site won't let me download anymore this month, so I put it up as soon as I get some more space.

[MarthaB]

:) I wanted to ask you girls something, have any of you ever used one of those coffee machines?? I show you the page, I wanted to get it for my daughter, her birthday is in march, and this machine is a $ 100.00 off on sale in Target.
http://www.target.com.au/html/catalogue0316/0316e16.htm
martha

[Rosalie]

Oh yes,Martha, I had a similar but cheaper version coffee maker for years...I Loooooooove my coffee. Even found decaf for it. It got used so much the seal has gone. But as I said is was a cheap one.
If Tamara loves her coffee, she should like one of these. I have an earlier model of the George Forman grill too. It is wonderful and still going strong! But you can pick me up a new cordless kettle,hahahaa .... mine leaks!
Yeah , I like the one about the drop bears! Love the one where the rugby player(can't think of his name) says "duck a l'orange, duck a l'orange"..big dumb!!!! No, I don't mean it. I know "Union" players are usually highly educated...not like those "League" guys hey?

Don't wait for a new upload from Flickr. I also got myself onto Webshots.com. Its really good and so far, I haven't exceded any limit.
As for he tinned rattlesnake.....Martha, you give Diane YOUR address so you can try it for both of us! My stomach is doing cartwheels just thinking about it.

Diane, the odds of being taken by a shark or bitten by a snake or box jelly fish or any other deadly creature are quite remote here too.
Did I ever tell you about my pastlife experience I had with a shark?

[MarthaB]

:) Rosalie, I am going to have to send you a bigger wooden spoon for all the stirring you are doing! haha
Talk about the george Foreman grill, I asked her if she wanted one of those for Chrissie, she said she already got one, I wouldn't mind one myself.
That coffee machine does sound like a good deal with a 100 bucks discount, I much rather give her something nice for the kitchen, because if I am going to give her cash, she is only going to fritter it away, and she has nothing to show for it.
I might give that webshots a try, yesterday I scanned about 10 cards ready to upload, and the the flick'r said SORRY, gggrrr, I wanted to show you guys the cards I did with my new stickers, and the 3D paper cut out's, now that's fiddly work, I spend a good few hours last night just cutting.
Rosalie, I am going to send those postcards from wynnum on friday, might be nice to have a sticky beak.
I'm also going to try to import a dragonpicture into the cross stitch program, wish me luck, I hope I don't need it, I will keep you updated on how I'm going with it.
Don't you find that shark attacks are on the increase here Rosalie? they seem to go into places they never used to go.
What really annoys me is that somebody always wants to kill that particular shark, it's their territory, they have a right to be there, besides how can they tell by just looking at the shark if he is the attacker or not.

[dg2901]

Martha, I have a Tassimo beverage maker--its made by Braun. Its a single serve machine that brews coffee, cappucino, espresso, latte's, and tea. You can check it out at Tassimo.com. I'm loving mine--i got it for Christmas and have used it daily--loving it!

[dg2901]

I whole heartedly agree about people and the way they react to shark attacks. If an intruder came into my house my reaction would be to attack; the ocean is the sharks home--its humans that are the predators--swim at your own risk.

Rattlesnake tastes a bit gamey though not too terribly strong. I've only had fresh--never any of that in the can..haha...Are you sure you dont want me to mail you a can or two??????? I'll send both Ro and Martha a can..ya'll could set up a picnic, take pictures, post them on here, and then critique..hahaha

[MarthaB]

:) Diana, is this the coffee maker you have?? The first one on that page??
http://www.ratesaver.com.au/products/Kitchen/browse-289742.html
I am trying to work out if the price is us or au dollars, I am going to find out if they sell those coffee machines here, haven't had any luck on the web so far, so I'm going to call some shops.
AAArgghh forget about the rattle snake Diana, UUggghh, I think I am going to gag, yukkkk.
And about the shark thing, I fully agree , I reckon humans are the biggest predators on earth.

[dg2901]

Yeah Martha, the first coffee machine on that page is the one I have. The price looks to be in US dollars (we paid $169 for ours). I checked the Tassimo home page and didnt see a listing for Australia, however that doesnt necessarily mean they wouldnt ship to you if you were interested.
The machine uses single serve beverage discs--while it first appears to be a bit pricey (per bag of discs) it equals to $1/cup for coffee/cappucino/latte's and a bit cheaper per cup of tea. Theres also no waste.

Let us know which maker you end up purchasing...

ciao' for now
diana