Christmas has come a little early for me this year, as I have already bought my prezzie from #1 son and family with the money they gave me.
I was in Foodland/IGA on Friday, and had seen the pouches of yoghurt culture before and had not thought seriously about making my own.I stopped and took a closer look. I picked up one of the pouches and read the instructions. They seemed simple enough. Something prompted me to look up, and on the next shelf was the unit as pictured on said pouch. I was very surprised to see how reasonably priced it was. I decided there and then to purchase one, as it would be much cheaper to make my own than to buy it. I could not see how, by standing the container in boiling water over night, it would make real yoghurt that was edible. All one has to do is half fill the 1litre shaker/container with cold water, put the pouch of flavoured culture in, shake it, then fill up with more cold water and shake again. Then all that is required is to fill the large outer container to the level indicated, with boiling water put the shaker in and screw on the top.
I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday morning to find a litre of deliciously smooth Cranberry yoghurt. It is creamier and tastes MUCH better than any of the bought stuff.It has hardly any calories as it is made from water, sugar substitute, and culture. I have no idea how much is in a six pack of yoghurt, but I do not think it would be a litre. They retail for over $5.00 I think every yoghurt lover should have one. Thank you very much folks.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Feet
I had a phone call from the Community Health Services in Mt. Gambier on Monday.The young lady asked if I would like to take an appointment yesterday, to have my feet seen to. This was quite unexpected and as I did not know if Neville was going to the farm or not that day, as he said he might. I was in a quandry as to wheter to accept. I decided to take it,after I had ascertained how much notice they would need if I could not keep it. I spoke to Sue about it when we were out for coffee on Tuesday, and she said she would take me. I hesitated to ask her, as it was at 12 noon, and she has to get her nearly blind husband his lunch. She assured me it was not a problem.
Sue duly picked me up and dropped me at the Cottage, then returned home and fed her family. The cottage houses our Community Health Services. I think it is government funded.
Another reason I hesitated to take the appointment was, the last time I had attended the Cottage, I was less than pleased with what the young female podiatrist had done, or not as it were.
I knew there was a new podiatrist, but had no experience of him/her.
When I arrived I discovered the podiatrist was a man, and he had a client with him. I was assured he was very nice, and everybody loved him.I told the receptionist I would reserve my judgement.
He duly came to greet me, hand outstretched to shake hands, but in my inimitable style, I caused him to do a 'double take' when I said hullo and 'sorry, but I won't shake hands. It is because I have Arthritis quite badly and it is too painful to shake hands'.After he had regained his equilibrium, he was OK about it.
The expression of his face was a classic, and said to me in a flash,' does she think she will catch something from me?'
Sue duly picked me up and dropped me at the Cottage, then returned home and fed her family. The cottage houses our Community Health Services. I think it is government funded.
Another reason I hesitated to take the appointment was, the last time I had attended the Cottage, I was less than pleased with what the young female podiatrist had done, or not as it were.
I knew there was a new podiatrist, but had no experience of him/her.
When I arrived I discovered the podiatrist was a man, and he had a client with him. I was assured he was very nice, and everybody loved him.I told the receptionist I would reserve my judgement.
He duly came to greet me, hand outstretched to shake hands, but in my inimitable style, I caused him to do a 'double take' when I said hullo and 'sorry, but I won't shake hands. It is because I have Arthritis quite badly and it is too painful to shake hands'.After he had regained his equilibrium, he was OK about it.
The expression of his face was a classic, and said to me in a flash,' does she think she will catch something from me?'
No, he is not a blond.
Last month, when we had an early and very uncharacteristic heatwave, I was desperate for some sort of cooler as we did not have our air con installed at that time. We were in Naracoorte and one of the electrical shops was having a sale, and they had portable air cons in the catalogue. They were nearly as expensive as the cost of having the r/c air con installed.
When we got the thing home, we could not make head nor tail of the instructions, and therefore could not get it to work properly. My friend Sue came around, and as she is very cluey about such things, she tried to get it to work. She discovered that we did not have the vents open. Red faces all around. It worked for a while, then just blew warm air out. We tried it again the next day, same result. I went in to the shop next time we were in town, a couple of weeks after I had bought it, and they said to bring it back and they would test it for us. The upshot of that is, we have a replacement unit.
Neville picked the new one up yesterday, and the reason for the title of this post is coming up folks.
Sue's nephew works there and is a very nice, helpful young chap, but he had me in stitches yesterday.
He rang me on my mobile and asked if Neville had one, so he could call him, as they needed the box so they could return the dud. he wanted to catch him before he left the town. I said he was at the farm, and asked if he knew where it was. He was confused and so was I. He then said Neville had just picked the unit up. The penny dropped, and I asked if he was in the shop. He said he was out the back, in the warehouse. I said he had better run and see if he could catch him. He said he would as soon as he got off the phone.
What baffles me is this, why did he waste time ringing me, when it would have made more sense to just dash out the back and see if he could catch Neville? Some people???
When we got the thing home, we could not make head nor tail of the instructions, and therefore could not get it to work properly. My friend Sue came around, and as she is very cluey about such things, she tried to get it to work. She discovered that we did not have the vents open. Red faces all around. It worked for a while, then just blew warm air out. We tried it again the next day, same result. I went in to the shop next time we were in town, a couple of weeks after I had bought it, and they said to bring it back and they would test it for us. The upshot of that is, we have a replacement unit.
Neville picked the new one up yesterday, and the reason for the title of this post is coming up folks.
Sue's nephew works there and is a very nice, helpful young chap, but he had me in stitches yesterday.
He rang me on my mobile and asked if Neville had one, so he could call him, as they needed the box so they could return the dud. he wanted to catch him before he left the town. I said he was at the farm, and asked if he knew where it was. He was confused and so was I. He then said Neville had just picked the unit up. The penny dropped, and I asked if he was in the shop. He said he was out the back, in the warehouse. I said he had better run and see if he could catch him. He said he would as soon as he got off the phone.
What baffles me is this, why did he waste time ringing me, when it would have made more sense to just dash out the back and see if he could catch Neville? Some people???
Pet peeve #5
This may not seem like much of a problem for a lot of people, but it is for those of us who believe Christmas is not about Santa Claus, but the birth of Jesus, the Son of God and our Saviour.
It is very irksome and baffling, when some people who attend church and know that I do also, and know what the real meaning of the season is.
My beef is this, why do these people send us Christmas cards with the jolly gent on them?
I find it an insult as we are not little kids, and I feel very tempted to send the things back. But that would not be in the spirit of the season, and nor would it be what The Lord would approve of either. Nor is in my character to be that mean spirited I have addressed the matter with one person, and he has aceded to my wish this year. It also says, to me anyway, that not a lot of thought or love and care has gone into the choosing of same.
It is very irksome and baffling, when some people who attend church and know that I do also, and know what the real meaning of the season is.
My beef is this, why do these people send us Christmas cards with the jolly gent on them?
I find it an insult as we are not little kids, and I feel very tempted to send the things back. But that would not be in the spirit of the season, and nor would it be what The Lord would approve of either. Nor is in my character to be that mean spirited I have addressed the matter with one person, and he has aceded to my wish this year. It also says, to me anyway, that not a lot of thought or love and care has gone into the choosing of same.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
They call them 'chicken' patties.
This afternoon, we went to visit a friend who had invited us for a cuppa. I had a shopping jeep I had offered her, and she was very pleased to accept it, as she does not drive a car, and still walks to the shops occasionaly. I also had some other items that she will be able to use next week at church, for the Sunday School Christmas breakup party.
Before we went out, I had taken a large tray of these patties out of the freezer, so I could cook them for our tea. We had not expected to be very late, but another friend arrived with some items for our friend as well. She had some news to impart, and as she has 'the gift of the gab' it took some time to tell us all her news. I have not seen her for a long time and therefore did not know what she had been doing of late.
We arrived home about the time Neville likes to have his evening meal. I duly put the patties on to cook. They are quite large and thick through. They were still half frozen, and I thought they would take a while to cook.
Neville kept a close eye on them. It was just as well he did, as the solid hot plates are very tricky to get and keep at a temp that does not burn things.
Neville decided to cut them in half so they would cook quicker. When I had some for tea, my immediate though was, 'the closest any chicken got to these things, was when it ran past the chopping block'!
They are thickly coated in real bread crumbs, and goodness only knows what is in the centre. It does not bear thinking about. Shudder!
However, we can't waste them and Neville will take some to the farm tomorrow. He will probably have to wade through them on his own, as I don't think I could face any more.
Before we went out, I had taken a large tray of these patties out of the freezer, so I could cook them for our tea. We had not expected to be very late, but another friend arrived with some items for our friend as well. She had some news to impart, and as she has 'the gift of the gab' it took some time to tell us all her news. I have not seen her for a long time and therefore did not know what she had been doing of late.
We arrived home about the time Neville likes to have his evening meal. I duly put the patties on to cook. They are quite large and thick through. They were still half frozen, and I thought they would take a while to cook.
Neville kept a close eye on them. It was just as well he did, as the solid hot plates are very tricky to get and keep at a temp that does not burn things.
Neville decided to cut them in half so they would cook quicker. When I had some for tea, my immediate though was, 'the closest any chicken got to these things, was when it ran past the chopping block'!
They are thickly coated in real bread crumbs, and goodness only knows what is in the centre. It does not bear thinking about. Shudder!
However, we can't waste them and Neville will take some to the farm tomorrow. He will probably have to wade through them on his own, as I don't think I could face any more.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
He does pick his times!
I have been waiting, and waiting for my spouse to complete the job of replacing the old kitchen cupboard doors, so they will match the new cupboards he made two years ago, when he made new cupboards to accomodate the new cook top etc.I even had to threaten to get a quote from a cabinet maker to get some action. I was prepered to carry it through, but would probably have been horrified at the cost.
Hie excuse, for the last few years has been that the steel guide on the circular saw was not straight, and he was unable to cut straight lines. It does not seem to be a problem today.
The reason for the titles is simply, today is the day my domestic help comes, and he would be making a mess while she was trying to clean the place, and also, it is quite warm outside, and he is working in the sun.
Ah, well, i am saying nowt, as I do not want to give him any excuse to stop.
I will keep you posted, so watch this space!
Hie excuse, for the last few years has been that the steel guide on the circular saw was not straight, and he was unable to cut straight lines. It does not seem to be a problem today.
The reason for the titles is simply, today is the day my domestic help comes, and he would be making a mess while she was trying to clean the place, and also, it is quite warm outside, and he is working in the sun.
Ah, well, i am saying nowt, as I do not want to give him any excuse to stop.
I will keep you posted, so watch this space!
Air con, at last!
About three or four months ago, I asked my husband if he would remove the old air con from the window in the lounge,as it was not coping well with the heat waves we have, and as I had bought a new split system, I wanted my window back. He immediately complied with my request. Shock number one. It usually takes him years or he just 'never gets around to it'. I was not in a hurry, at that stage to get the new one installed, as it was still quite cold, and we were still using the combustion wood heater. Shock number two, was the very early heat wave we had in November. It has not occured that early since 1887! I thought I had better see about getting it installed pronto.
Shock number three, was when I enquired about the cost of installation. I was told it would depend on how far away from the Stobie pole I needed to have the outside unit. It would cost between $700.00 & $ 800.00. I have since been informed that price is quite reasonable, as it costs much more in the cities.
I had waited several weeks for the guys to get back to me about a time and date, so I went around there one day, and one of the bosses came around here the next day to check it out. When I told him about the Stobie pole comment, he just laughed and said it has nothing to do with where the Stobie pole is in relation to the house, as it has to be connected via the roof cavity and inside fuse box. He told me the lass who said that was only young and new, and was trying too hard.
Yesterday was THE day. The guys came just after 7 am, and it took them nearly four hours to put it in. The younger guy who came first, came in to see where the inside unit needed to go, and asked if I wanted it over the vent. I told him I was not fussed, and he said it would be better to put it up as high as possible. The vent had to go. He very carefully chiselled it off, and went to put it on the floor ever so carefully, and dropped it! It broke into three pieces. It did not matter, as It was of no further use. It also meant that he did not need to cut a hole in the wall. Our house is made of Mount Gambier stone. For the uninformed, it is a fairly soft limestone, that is quarried near Mt. Gambier in the south of this state. It consists of compressed, minute shells, as that part of the country was once under sea. It is very easy for workmen to drill etc. It does however, make a lot of fine white dust, which gets into evey crevice, and nook and cranny.
Fairly early in the proceedings, the younger guy, stepped off the ladder outside, and twisted his ankle. I heard him groaning and went to see what waas amiss. He was lying on the groung in a lot of pain. He said he stepped backwards and heard it pop. He thought he had broken it. The boss and I made him come inside, after we had ascertained he did not need to be taken to the hospital, and I gave him some frozen beans wrapped in a cloth bag to put on it, to stop the swelling. He reckoned he was a bit of a sook, and I told him he was nothing of the kind. He managed to complete his work, though he was limping a bit.
Once the work was finished, and they had done a 'test run', and it was 'all systems go', the boss said all I had to do was pray for some hot weather. I told him I would be doing no such thing!
Shock number three, was when I enquired about the cost of installation. I was told it would depend on how far away from the Stobie pole I needed to have the outside unit. It would cost between $700.00 & $ 800.00. I have since been informed that price is quite reasonable, as it costs much more in the cities.
I had waited several weeks for the guys to get back to me about a time and date, so I went around there one day, and one of the bosses came around here the next day to check it out. When I told him about the Stobie pole comment, he just laughed and said it has nothing to do with where the Stobie pole is in relation to the house, as it has to be connected via the roof cavity and inside fuse box. He told me the lass who said that was only young and new, and was trying too hard.
Yesterday was THE day. The guys came just after 7 am, and it took them nearly four hours to put it in. The younger guy who came first, came in to see where the inside unit needed to go, and asked if I wanted it over the vent. I told him I was not fussed, and he said it would be better to put it up as high as possible. The vent had to go. He very carefully chiselled it off, and went to put it on the floor ever so carefully, and dropped it! It broke into three pieces. It did not matter, as It was of no further use. It also meant that he did not need to cut a hole in the wall. Our house is made of Mount Gambier stone. For the uninformed, it is a fairly soft limestone, that is quarried near Mt. Gambier in the south of this state. It consists of compressed, minute shells, as that part of the country was once under sea. It is very easy for workmen to drill etc. It does however, make a lot of fine white dust, which gets into evey crevice, and nook and cranny.
Fairly early in the proceedings, the younger guy, stepped off the ladder outside, and twisted his ankle. I heard him groaning and went to see what waas amiss. He was lying on the groung in a lot of pain. He said he stepped backwards and heard it pop. He thought he had broken it. The boss and I made him come inside, after we had ascertained he did not need to be taken to the hospital, and I gave him some frozen beans wrapped in a cloth bag to put on it, to stop the swelling. He reckoned he was a bit of a sook, and I told him he was nothing of the kind. He managed to complete his work, though he was limping a bit.
Once the work was finished, and they had done a 'test run', and it was 'all systems go', the boss said all I had to do was pray for some hot weather. I told him I would be doing no such thing!
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