Today...what have you been up to? [3] (1 Viewer)

[Joan]

Wishing both of you a Very Happy Anniversary.


I laughed when Wayne told us about the alarms, said hope they didn't keep going off or there'd be trouble and he said that will depend on your cooking. I told him I don't burn food so that should be OK, my neighbour has an alarm in her hall and she's always setting it off through burning her toast.

Compared to what it was like before John's foot is looking great, he can walk better now and he's been able to drive, although he can't do too much or it aches and he's supposed to rest it but as he say's you can't sit about all day with your foot up, I mean how are you supposed to go to the loo.

It's Caia's 2nd birthday today, it's not the best time though as Pete's grandma died last week and it's her funeral tomorow and he's one of the pole bearers.

 

[A Guy]

[video=youtube;nf8ZAMRO1DU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf8ZAMRO1DU[/video]

A Guy

 

[Joan]

I've got a new toy to play with today. Just got myself an Air Fryer, it's all the electricians fault.

When he came to check the electrics he was worried about my fryers. I have 2 deep fat fryers so at least they are the controllable ones, because I have wall cupboards all round the kitchen of course fumes hit the socket where the plugs are. I never used to pull them out to the front of the counter so of course the plugs got very greased up.

He was worried about them being so close to the plugs with regards safety, but I was more worried about having them at the front because when you have the handles fitted to the basket they stick out so I was afraid of catching them.

He was telling me to get Kelly to get me an Acti-Fry, he's Peters cousin so they are always winding each other up. He said they are brilliant and as you don't have to use oil they are healthy.

After humming and harring I got one, it's not the expensive type, can't afford one of those, but I'm hoping it will be OK for mainly chips, trying it out this evening.

 

[A Guy]

Much healthier of course. Let us know how you like it When I was a kid, my Mom always used deep fryer for french fries. I remember the 1st time we had over baked fries, we thought they were terrible! But like many thing, we soon got used to them. haven't had a deep fryer since I moved out. All that oild to deal with, lol. A Guy

 

[Joan]

I know what you mean about dealing with oil Bill, my fryers both hold 3ltrs and when you had to clean them out, yuck.
I used to keep one fryer just for chips and the other for battered or breaded items then after I'd used the chip one a few times I'd use that for the covered items and put clean oil in the other, that way the oil lasted a bit longer and I didn't have to change them both.

The Air Fryer I got doesn't have a paddle to stir the food, probably would have been better, I make my own chips and cut them with a special cutter so they are all uniform size. The booklet that came with the fryer told you for homemade fries min 300g max 800g 12-20 minutes at temp 200. I did just over 500g after 10 minutes I stirred them around then did the other 10 minutes. At the end of the time some were cooked but a lot were still raw so I did them for another 10 minutes and kept checking.

They had coloured and the majority of them were cooked, just a few still a bit hard but John thought they were OK for the first time of using it.

I'll have to research and see if there is a variety of potato more suited to it. So far I think I'll like it, time will tell, I know one thing no more greasy pans, although I'll still keep 1 deep fat fryer for the battered and breadcrumb items but that's not used as much.

We'll see how things go.

 

[A Guy]

You likely have to get used to it as well. I have a microwave that is almost 25 years old, and still going strong. I know exactly how long to cook things, so I keep it. If I get a new one, which will be more powerful, I'll have to learn all over again.

A Guy

 

[Joan]

You're right about getting used to it but today I've found a great site with free recipes and every stage is explained alongside photo's, it's great.

I have 2 microwaves but I don't use all the bells and whistles so when I wanted a new one I just got a Samsung that just came with a dial for different power levels and another for the time to set, it also has a Ceramic interior so very easy to keep clean.

Of course having a dark interior means you can't see inside when it's cooking but that's not bothered us, we like it and will get another the same when the other gives up the ghost.

 

[Angie]

Hello, I'll catch up fully with you guys tomorrow, I'm currently sat listening to Han read Hound of the Baskervilles. She got it today from school we're only up to chapter two and we've been googling words already. The book is over 150 pages long so this is going to be a long drawn out read! The joys of being back to school!!!!

 

[A Guy]

A Guy

 

[Joan]

Wonder what questions she'll be asked about it, I've never read it just seen the TV version of it years ago.

I do remember when I was at school the books we were given to read were Treasure Island and Mill on the Floss. John said he had Shakespeare, I don't remember ever reading his work at school.

Is Han pleased to be back ? I know Kelly is pleased her boys are back, they got extra time off because they were building a new school they were moving to when they went back. The infants were on one side of the road and the juniors the other. The new school now has both of them in the one building and what was the juniors at the side of it was being turned into the Welsh Speaking Juniors. The infants school is being pulled down to make a rugby pitch for the Secondary school which it backs onto.

Nice to see you back Angie.

 

[A Guy]

I remember reading Wuthering Heights...Heathcliff and Cathy. All I remember is Moors, lol

[video=youtube;-1pMMIe4hb4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4[/video]

A Guy

 

[Joan]

I only remember Wuthering Heights from the TV film years ago and of course Kate Bush's rendition of the song which was brilliant.

Don't think they were school books but I know I read the Little Women books.

 

[Joan]

Had bloods taken again today, it's my appointment with the specialist on Friday. Got upgraded to the Anniversary Edition 10 last night and today and I'm now trying to sort out what's broke, one thing for sure and that's the touchpad still working while I have the mouse plugged in. Got to get my Windows Live Mail back working as well.

I've been busy with a flat pack today, in the bedroom we've got a 14" portable TV connected to a Sky box and because of where we have to have it set up until we can afford to get a new LED TV it has to sit behind the Sky box so it wasn't quite high enough to see. The TV has been sitting on a couple of bricks and it had been OK, if Willow was around she wasn't that bothered although the other night she decided to jump on the box so her moving around the TV was going haywire, turning on and off going to channels we didn't want. Chased her off and it was OK but last night she jumped on the box then up onto the TV, now that would have been OK if she'd not moved around but of course she has to start grooming herself and moving around and over topples the TV and lands on top of the Sky box. She's never jumped so quick off the cupboard.

We went online to Argos and John found what they called a coffee table but we thought it would be OK but without the plinth. It was just a top and bottom with 2 sides but I put it together and it works the TV sits on top and the Sky box sits inside, it's bigger than we really need but anything else and we wouldn't have been able to get the digi box inside.

Anyway all done, but I'm kn****red what with that washing drying and sorting the veg out for the guinea pigs and getting dinner ready my bums hardly touched the couch today. I'm going back to try and sort out this computer the damn pointer is driving me crazy jumping around every time my hand touches the pad.

 

[A Guy]

Wow, never a dull moment at your house!

A Guy

 

[Joan]

Wow, never a dull moment at your house!

A Guy

Oh yes, if you want entertainment come over here and we'll be as dull as ditch water. :roflmao:

 

[Angie]

Ok here goes...I'll start with your Acti Fry first Joan, the chips actually take around 40 minutes to cook properly. I've had a couple over the years after changing from a proper chip pan to a much healthier option because of John etc, I think this is about my 3rd one now. I fill the green spoon with a little rapeseed oil and pour over the chipped potatoes then turn it on. I then open the lid around every ten mins to shake the chips to make sure they get an even distribution of 'Air Frying'. The one we have has a pointy stirrer inside which moves the chips round. We also pre cut them with a chipper beforehand so that the chips are the same size. I must admit it was a lot of trial and error but we did get there. Yours may take less time because there are only two of you but I would at least set the timer for at 35 mins. Ours start to brown a little and even though they aren't crispy like proper chips they are still nice and we enjoy them.

...As for Han, yes she was sooooooo ready to go back to school, she's really missed her friends. She was a little apprehensive on day 1 but also a little excited. She has jobs to do now similar to the 'Prefect' roles we had in school like looking after the children making sure they are following rules etc so she's made up with that. She's also just done some mock tests at school ready for her SATs in the summer and she did really well which she's pleased with. Her and another girl got the highest marks for the English test which she was ecstatic about.

As for Hound of the Baskervilles....I made her change the book the thought of reading the remaining 100 and odd pages made my brain hurt so she's chose something else that we can now read together without googling every 5 mins. We did Shakespeare at school and Animal Farm by George Orwell, Animal Farm was fabulous although I did write 13 pages of A4 on Shakespeares Macbeth for my English GCSE Exam many years ago!

Joan with all this running about your doing I think you need a Fitbit to track your steps and heartrate...flat pack furniture should come with a health warning! At least your sorted now. I do hope Caia had a lovely birthday and John is up and about too.

I have a microwave that is almost 25 years old, and still going strong. I know exactly how long to cook things, so I keep it. If I get a new one, which will be more powerful, I'll have to learn all over again.

A Guy

That's good going for a microwave, although I've never had one die on me just replaced them to go with my kitchens etc. I do tend to buy the ones with bells and whistles but really only use one setting if I'm honest...full power is a great function for EVERYTHING!

 

[Joan]

My fryer is a hot air one and doesn't have the paddle, I found a site that showed doing chips and that was doing them for about 40/45 minutes. The last couple of times I've done some Asda crinkle cut frozen ones and they took 25 minutes to cook. I do tend to waste a lot of potato when I cut them myself because I'll only cook the middle evenly sized ones and discard the outside ones.

I've been missing all morning, had to go to hospital to see the specialist for my thyroid. What's so damn annoying is that you are told to be ready to be picked up at 8.30am, my appointed was for 10.30am, they didn't turn up till nearly 10 of course that meant had to take my first load of tablets at the wrong time and couldn't have anything to eat or drink because they might turn up just as I'd started to eat. I did spend the whole morning being wheeled around in a wheelchair, got brought home and arrived back here about 1.40pm.

At least I know how tall I am now, all my adult life I'd been nearly 5' 9", I'm now 5' 3¾"

 

[A Guy]

My Mom looks a little smaller each time I see her :shock:

A Guy

 

[Joan]

My Mom looks a little smaller each time I see her :shock:

A Guy

I know we all get shorter as we age but mine is more to do with having osteoporosis and my spine being collapsed.

It wouldn't look so bad if the shortness affected all the body parts but when you've got very long legs and they don't shrink it looks odd. :roflmao:

 

[A Guy]

We'll get you a funhouse mirror Joan :grouphug:

A Guy