Storm Aiden

I thought we were up to E with our storms,  then I learnt that the UK storm naming season starts in Autumn.  Hello Aiden. 

Pain de Campagne aka Miche

We were at the Leeds Bread Coop and saw this massive round loaf labelled as Miche.  When we say massive, we meant MASSIVE, it is size of 4 loaves or more, a normal bread knife won't cut it, you need a Katana.  I thought I might have seen it on the Bake Off a few years ago, something to do with French farmer.  The Leeds Bread Coop staff tried to explained it to us, and that they sell the Miche in halves and quarters.

So I looked it up, "miche" is just the French word for loaf!  This kind of giant farmer's loaf is called Pain de Campagne, but just colloquially called miche.  Some sources say it usually comes in 2kg or 4kg loaf!  Now that is a challenge!

Burning CD

We need to take a copy of a software, and so it happens we have some CD-R on site.  I just burnt two CDs.  Who has done this since the 00s?!

You say Aragostine, They say Codine Ripiene

On our way to Wheldrake, I stopped at Valeria for some Aragostine, so I thought.  We got a bag of "aragostine" just the other week. 

When I got to the counter, they were labelled as Codine, I was very confused.  Their menu said they are called codine ripiene.

After looking up online, they are called Sfogliatelle.  I am so very confused!

Wheldrake Ings

The first time we went was extremely hot, we had no energy and mood to walk to the furthest hide, quietest. This time we were prepared and know what to expect.

 

I saw on the news that some sites are getting thousands of migrating birds, so I had high hope to see some, but there weren't that many. Nevermind.

Sunday Roast at Home

Since I got some chicken, the last of the Lincolnshire potatoes, I turned it into a roast.

This is also a perfect time to use some some of the lard on the roasties and the Yorkies. 

I have already jointed my chicken, so I thought I would tie up the breast for roasting, and I watched a video and practiced on my water bottles. I would say, not bad at the first go. 

     

 

Mature Tiny Garlic

I have picked this a few weeks after the prematured garlic. It was still very tiny but its cloves looked a lot more developed. I let is dry for a few weeks.  I finally broken into it.  It smells nice, tastes nice.  By and large hassle free.  I would consider growing them again.

 

Autumn Clearing

This year is been quite.  Potentially the sunny Spring and Summer has given the tree extra plummage.  I cleared it over the weekend, and by the time I take the bin out, it was full of leaves again and I had given it another quick rake.  Let's hope I can get rid of the leaves before council stops taking the brown bin.

Rheostat

 A rheostat is a variable resistor which is used to control current. They are able to vary the resistance in a circuit without interruption. The construction is very similar to the construction of a potentiometers. It uses only two connections, even when 3 terminals (as in a potentiometer) are present. The first connection is made to one end of the resistive element and the other connection to the wiper (sliding contact). In contrast to potentiometers, rheostats have to carry a significant current. Therefore they are mostly constructed as wire wound resistors. Resistive wire is wound around an insulating ceramic core and the wiper slides over the windings. Rheostats were often used as power control devices, for example to control light intensity (dimmer), speed of motors, heaters and ovens. Nowadays they are not used for this function anymore. This is because of their relatively low efficiency. In power control applications they are replaced by switching electronics. As a variable resistance they are often used for tuning and calibration in circuits. In these cases they are adjusted only during fabrication or circuit tuning (preset resistor). In such cases trimpots are often used, wired as a rheostat. But dedicated 2 terminal preset resistors also exist.

More importantly, it doesn't save you any energy, get a TRIAC dimmer!

Disproportional Starbursts

I got a tube of Starburst, and the first three sweets were all strawberry!  By the end of the tube, strawberry accounted for 40%, strawberry is double of the other flavour.  Weird.

Housing Liability

There are a few programmes about housing newly availability.  I keep seeing all the liability I hasn't previously considered.  Maybe a detached house would be worse, as no neighbour would have a stake in helping or even reminding.  My interest in becoming a landlord is diminishing by the minute.

Marinated Human

With the gym discouraging use of their shower, my regular lunch swim means a regular marinating.

Nectar Hiccup III

Nectar's annual hiccups is back.  I thought I snapped up some good Nectar offers, but with all the offers are "subject to availability", and you need to remember to complain 28 days after the offer is over with screenshots, there is no chance in getting the bonus points.  Why do I bother?

Genuine Cornish Pasty

I have been meaning to try to make a Cornish, so I went for THE recipe.  I tried out some top crimps and some traditional crimps.  They came out well, I think I should have been more generous with the salt.

The Price of Air

Some garages still have free compressed air and water for the car, and it is getting fewer and fewer.  Last summer, I saw a caravan in a garage filling up drums of water. 

More recently, we went to a garage and found air to be £1 for 6 minutes.  We can always just use the little compressors, but we like the convenience, but nothing is ever "free".  The electricity to the pump, the annual PSSR inspection, the maintenance and repair of the compressors, etc.  On the other hand, I am surprise why the expensive garages don't provide provide those for free either.

Buying Off Plan

There are a few people loving the idea of buying a property off plan, or even an unfinished property.  I was only young in the late 80s and early 90s, but I still remember people being burnt on these scheme, property not as described, delays and company going busted altogether.  It is still the case now, recently shown on the TV show Manctopia.  Even the well established house builders here are giving buyers grieves.  

Moral of the story, don't buy off plan, the rewards really not worth the risks.

The Great East Run Tour Day 4 - Lincolnshire

On our way home, we made Mountain's Abbey Parks out quick pit stop.  There were at least five "farm shops" on the short stretch of A17.  Sarah asked me what a Chine was, and I was able to tell her it was a Lincolnshire cut of pork. 

We picked up the three "treasures" of Lincolnshire, sausages, potatoes and flour.

I was prepared to hate the Lincolnshire sausages, and I did.  It wasn't so much as the sage, but the lack of meat in "traditional recipe" that bothered me more.

The potatoes were not that brilliant, good news is that they were not overpriced, bad news is that I now have 7kg to go thorough.

After the positive experience with Tuxford Mill, I paid over the odd for these Maud Foster flour.  I hope they don't disappoint.

The Great East Run Tour Day 3 - Hunstanton

We had a little walk from Heacham to Hunstanton. With the wind, it felt a lot longer than it is on the map. 

If I didn't have an umbrella to shield me from the bulk of the wind, I would have felt sick really quickly.

By the time we got home, we were very knackered.

The Great East Run Tour Day 2 - Houghton

The Houghton Hall was one of the few visitor attractions that was still open in the area.  It has very nice ground, the sculptures were a nice addition.

Before the end of the day, we caught someone trying to steal the sun!  

The Great East Run Tour Day 1 - Heacham

We braved ourselves with a very long drive East.  We first stopped at Sandringham for lunch and a little walk.  We would have visited the Sandringham Estates if it hadn't closed for Winter.  The walk in the Sandringham Country Park was very pleasant and civilised.  The facilities were good.

Then we went shopping at Drove Orchards, we were surprised by the range of shops and products were at their site.  We had some East Coast Gelato, kippers from Gurneys, apple, pear and cheese from Drove.  

We went to see the sea before settling in for the day.

Gurneys Kippers

The queue was long at Gurneys, so when it was my turn, I made a quick decision on the kippers, the last kipper, without have a good close look.

 

They had white crab meat, which I was not sure it was prepared fresh.  They had brown shrimps but sold out potted shrimps, which I was not sure they are local.

When I came to eating the kippers, it was big!  I had not seen a kipper this big.  Everything was good, juicy, tasty, expectedly bony. 

Blenheim Orange Apple

 

I had Blenheim Orange from Lotherton before.  This Blenheim Orange is rather mild in taste, good texture. 

Spartan Apple

Spartan has a much redder skin.  I wasn't sure I would like this North American variety.  The flesh was very white and it is very pleasantly sweet. 

Elstar Apple

 

Being apple season, we got some apple from an apple farm.  First of the three was elstar.  I have heard of it before.  It tastes a little like braeburn.  

Honey and Spelt Bread

I used the same spelt bread recipe as before, substituting half with flour with white flour.  

This looks good, tastes good, but I am still not sure about the spelt premium...

Worst Pistachio Ever

I was in Home Bargains picking up a few home bargains, I picked up a bag of "My Garden of Eden" pistachio.  They turned out to be the worst pistachio I have ever had, completely in a different league.  They should be called My Sodom and Gomorrah nuts.

They are owned by AIB foods, "connoisseur of World Foods"... Not

Twice Shrunken Cha Siu

I have been making cha siu, Cantonese roasted pork, at home.  I kept forget that they shrink, twice, in the process: once in the marinated process, a second time in the oven.  I am always starving after a cha siu dinner!

Brown Flour

I was happy that we had white bread flour and bran at home, surely we can make bread of any brownness.  

Whilst we were in the shop, we picked up some brown flour, next to it, there were some wholewheat flour.  The only difference in the ingredience if that wholewheat bag did not seem to be fortified, I thought it was the law.

Confused, we bought one of each.  When we got home, we search for the answer, but I think it means brown is between wholewheat and white, but still with bits in.  And most of those bits are bran!  So I am right all along that I could make any brownness bread with my flour and bran.  I don't think we can tell the difference looking at the flour when we do come to look at them.

Dangerous Mole Grips

Some people may consider mole grips an essential multipurpose tool but my recent experience really make me wanting to throw them away.

When spanners was the right tool for the job, mole grips were lazy and dangerous.  I incurred two injuries, one from the mole grip slipping, a second from filings that mole grips created along the way.

Just stick with the trusted spanners.

Contortionist

I am flexible for my age, but after having done some plumbing works under the sink and failed, I am definitely not a contortionist. 

I did well putting both my arms and shoulders and my head under the sink, but I didn't have the flexibility to push and pull the way I needed to.  A lesson learnt.

Plastic Plumbing

I was struggling to fit a new kitchen tap because the pipework were done in plastic, aka shit.  The previous kitchen tap has the connect pipework welded to copper pipe, rather than the normal flex connection.  The plastic isolating valves are also very flimsy.  No more plastic!