I know, it's a curious title for this morning's post, is it not! Let me start with the subject of her much loved green beanie. How did she survive all these years without one?
The weather is unseasonably warm, far too warm for the month of December. Down here in deepest Knightsbridge we haven't even had a severe frost, we've had them out on the allotments - which reminds me to tell her to do something - but here, we've had a few chilly nights but nothing like a proper frost which is when you wake up and everything is crisp and white.
We have also had a 'bit' of rain in the last couple of weeks but it's the north-west and the south-west of the UK who've had the monstrous rainfall. There was a report from Carlisle last night showing street after street with the entire contents of the houses' ground floor piled up out on the pavement waiting to be taken away. The water having reached the height over four feet inside the houses.
The contents were: Carpets, kitchen units, electrical items, furniture, beds, mattresses, clothing, toys, Christmas trees.. And still we are sending millions to India in Foreign Aid and they, meanwhile, have recently been able to spend over a BILLION Sterling with China to update their railway system.. and are also building a Space programme.
It doesn't matter whether it is a Conservative or a Labour government in the UK, they are incapable of realising that their own people need to have huge emergency funds for financial support first.
For 'weather' happens in this small country, speak to the people who live on the Somerset levels about water and the lack of river maintenance caused by financial cuts to our Water Authorities.. and you'll get an answer, that's for sure.
OK.. I'm now going back on track with today's post..
The weather report was for heavy rain last night, but did we get it in London? A spot or two but not what she calls 'heavy' rain. What we have had in abundance is wind.. old sneaky wind that plays havoc with your hair.. scaffolding, awnings and trees.
As she is enchanted with Pats' gift of pretty green beanie, it goes out with her most days and because it is pure wool it is light and yet warm, it folds up neatly into a pocket and saves her hair from being blown about or getting damp, for although we haven't had heavy rain, we sure have had many grey, drizzly days.
So green beanie comes home wet and we all know that leaving wool wet is not a good idea. "Hum GeeGee, where shall I put green beanie to dry? Oh.. lookielookie.. I have seen the perfect place" and she had, for right infront of her was old WW and the top of WW''s handle is an upside down U!
It is the perfect place for green beanie to live, the diameter of the handle is smaller than green beanie so the wool is not stretched and the shape of the U means the sides are kept away from each other, plus, she'll always know where it is! Green beanie sorted.
Now onto Paul Hollywood's magic hands..
You would have to be completely uninterested in food, the making of food or without a television in order not to know who this man is. He is a Master Baker and to watch him last night on BBC2....
Yes, I know, we double dosed on two food programmes last night, first there was the last semi-final heat of Professional Masterchef and then a Christmas Bakeoff with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
Back to watching him last night.. he made a Christmas tree out of Chelsea Buns and a Pandoro, this is an Italian cake eaten at Christmas time, Mary did two deserts, all four desserts were stars in their own right and fabulous!
What was especially fabulous was, or is, to watch him making dough.. the ingredients go into a big bowl and are mixed, he removes the dough, flours his work surface and pure magic begins!
From being just a lump of flour, fat, eggs & liquid it grows into a living organism! He works it and to watch him work dough is marvellous, puts it into a bowl, covers it, allowing it to proof and grow, doubling almost twice in size, takes it out and works it again, then, in the case of the pandoro, shapes it slightly into a V shape to fit into the baking tin, gives it a push so that it fits properly, into the oven it goes and .. HEY PRESTO.. no, not hey-li-cheese.. it's hey-li-cake!
Out it comes, this uniquely shaped cake.. he cut it and arranged the slices and dusted it with icing sugar and now, it only leaves me to ask you this question.. "do you prefer to eat Milanese Pannetone or Veronese Pandoro at Christmas time?"
GeeGee Parrot.
December 18th, 2015.
The weather is unseasonably warm, far too warm for the month of December. Down here in deepest Knightsbridge we haven't even had a severe frost, we've had them out on the allotments - which reminds me to tell her to do something - but here, we've had a few chilly nights but nothing like a proper frost which is when you wake up and everything is crisp and white.
We have also had a 'bit' of rain in the last couple of weeks but it's the north-west and the south-west of the UK who've had the monstrous rainfall. There was a report from Carlisle last night showing street after street with the entire contents of the houses' ground floor piled up out on the pavement waiting to be taken away. The water having reached the height over four feet inside the houses.
The contents were: Carpets, kitchen units, electrical items, furniture, beds, mattresses, clothing, toys, Christmas trees.. And still we are sending millions to India in Foreign Aid and they, meanwhile, have recently been able to spend over a BILLION Sterling with China to update their railway system.. and are also building a Space programme.
It doesn't matter whether it is a Conservative or a Labour government in the UK, they are incapable of realising that their own people need to have huge emergency funds for financial support first.
For 'weather' happens in this small country, speak to the people who live on the Somerset levels about water and the lack of river maintenance caused by financial cuts to our Water Authorities.. and you'll get an answer, that's for sure.
OK.. I'm now going back on track with today's post..
The weather report was for heavy rain last night, but did we get it in London? A spot or two but not what she calls 'heavy' rain. What we have had in abundance is wind.. old sneaky wind that plays havoc with your hair.. scaffolding, awnings and trees.
As she is enchanted with Pats' gift of pretty green beanie, it goes out with her most days and because it is pure wool it is light and yet warm, it folds up neatly into a pocket and saves her hair from being blown about or getting damp, for although we haven't had heavy rain, we sure have had many grey, drizzly days.
So green beanie comes home wet and we all know that leaving wool wet is not a good idea. "Hum GeeGee, where shall I put green beanie to dry? Oh.. lookielookie.. I have seen the perfect place" and she had, for right infront of her was old WW and the top of WW''s handle is an upside down U!
It is the perfect place for green beanie to live, the diameter of the handle is smaller than green beanie so the wool is not stretched and the shape of the U means the sides are kept away from each other, plus, she'll always know where it is! Green beanie sorted.
Now onto Paul Hollywood's magic hands..
You would have to be completely uninterested in food, the making of food or without a television in order not to know who this man is. He is a Master Baker and to watch him last night on BBC2....
Yes, I know, we double dosed on two food programmes last night, first there was the last semi-final heat of Professional Masterchef and then a Christmas Bakeoff with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
Back to watching him last night.. he made a Christmas tree out of Chelsea Buns and a Pandoro, this is an Italian cake eaten at Christmas time, Mary did two deserts, all four desserts were stars in their own right and fabulous!
What was especially fabulous was, or is, to watch him making dough.. the ingredients go into a big bowl and are mixed, he removes the dough, flours his work surface and pure magic begins!
From being just a lump of flour, fat, eggs & liquid it grows into a living organism! He works it and to watch him work dough is marvellous, puts it into a bowl, covers it, allowing it to proof and grow, doubling almost twice in size, takes it out and works it again, then, in the case of the pandoro, shapes it slightly into a V shape to fit into the baking tin, gives it a push so that it fits properly, into the oven it goes and .. HEY PRESTO.. no, not hey-li-cheese.. it's hey-li-cake!
Out it comes, this uniquely shaped cake.. he cut it and arranged the slices and dusted it with icing sugar and now, it only leaves me to ask you this question.. "do you prefer to eat Milanese Pannetone or Veronese Pandoro at Christmas time?"
GeeGee Parrot.
December 18th, 2015.
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