Asiatic Lily "Cappuccino"

The creamy-white petals remind us of white chocolate, and the dark brown speckles look like someone has dusted them with cocoa powder. No wonder they got the name "Cappuccino! And defintiely at home in our chocolate garden! :-)

That is absotively beautiful!!

It's spectacular - love the spattered pattern, love the colours.

Thanx!

Sorry about the "you've been tangoed" phrase, Bernie. It's become a catchphrase here, due to TV adverts for a fizzy drink called "Tango" (horrible, yuk!). :-)

The bulbs were another pressy from my wonderful Dad, back in Spring. Have been waiting with bated breath - and was not at all disappointed!

Wish my veggies were doing so well, lol!

EW! You mean you've drunk it?

yes, Madp ...and am barely alive to tell the tale! Worse than our own home-brewed Irn Bru!!! - and that says lots! Wish they were edible/drinkable, lol!

PS. Love the wordplay with "absolutely" and "positively", BTW! :-)

I LIKE Irn Bru!

OMG!
Do you want some, when I visit, to feed the plants ?

I know, terrible isn't it?

yes, but will bring a supply! :-)

Nah, thanks but I rarely drink fizzy drinks really! Just don't wear your mac!!!!!!!! :~}

Madperth I like Irn Bru - first had it in Scotland a few years ago and there's a version of it in our local supermarket (not like the real thing, but close)! As for Tango - we had something called that many years ago but it was a powder that you mixed up with water to settle an upset tum!!! Sounds like you might need it after you drink your Tango.

Hee hee! I like that idea! Our Tango is dire! If you give it to kids, you're scraping them off the ceiling for hours!

Sounds a bit like our fabulous red Creaming Soda - godawful stuff and sends the kids loopy!

Sound yukky! I used to get something called american Cream Soda, it was nice. Vanilla flavoured!

Had something similar here - it was a yellow type of creaming soda and was lovely, but hard to find now. All this talk of fizzy drinks is making me want a hot cuppa - come to think of it, this all started with the Cappuccino lily!!!

I like these colours David :)

OMG David what a stunning Lily :)

~I have managed to order some from Parkers via the Guardian gardening website which still has them available although Parker's don't!Will have to wait and see if they are available.

Lucky find, Arlee! Hope you get them, they're amazing, aren't they?

Glad you all like this one, too.

Arlene, and anyone else interested, Spaldings (www.spaldingbulbs.co.uk) have theme for sale now. type asiatic lily in their search box and it is the first variety shown (5 for £5.95).

I kniow, because today my Dad gave me his new catalogue, and told me he would buy us £30 worth of bulbs for Spring-flowering for the front doorstep (Dads are wonderful!). I've ordered "Rembrandt" tulips, botanical tulips, Anemone de Caen, and my favourite flower Fritillaria meleagris (Snakeshead Fritillary). Will be busy in October!

Interesting chat, above, on fizzy drinks, btw. :-) Fizzy "lifting" drinks are featured in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory", of course. Lots of suitably-named plants available, but this year we only have Hosta "Lemonade" and Calendula "Sherbet Fizz", lol!

Off your head, definitely off your head! Lol!
Dads are great though. Mine says he's got some rose bushes for me, Pity he cant lift them to the car, poor thing! :~(

How will you get them, then?

Can't remember what line I was thinking along when I mentioned tornadoes the other night. Perhaps I really am "losing it"! :-)

He'll probably send Ali, my stepmum!
I dunno, it made no sense to me at all!
Maybe if you read it back, it'll click! If you'd said thunderstorms, I'da got it, maybe that's what you meant!

Have tried this - no luck. :-(

Also, should have said, that the above lilies were also a pressy from my Dad, back in March. All the bulbs he gave us have done well, some still to flower. :-)

I think you meant thunderstorms! Think about it!

It's a fantastic pressie tho!

These are stunning. Love the colors.

Ooh....I love this David! Yes it reminds me of a cappucino with the chocolate shaken on top....:o)

Sorry David, just read its name....Durr......:o(

OK, I meant thunderstorms, lol!

Don't worry, Janey, have done this myself several times. I think it fab that this conjured up that very image for you. :-)

Hee hee!

:-)

Told you it was thunderstorms, but wrong thread!!

That's a beauiful lily - I'm glad it 'fitted' your theme. :-)

This is a fantastic lily....I want...:::)))))

That is one beautiful lily and very appropriate for 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'

Am glad you like it, too. :-)

Alice, you can get it if you scroll back up to find a retailer with it available now.

Gorgeous David !Can smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee from here !

It's the steam from my mug of hot chocolate you can smell, Bb! It's wafting down through my keyboard. :-)

Will you STOP making me crave chocolate!!

Lol David...Just had a Yorkie !

Not ANOTHER one!! That's it! Where's the ******** chocolate?

Well, you would, wouldn't you, Bb, haha!

My liquid version is all gone now.........aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh, YUMMY!

Well, am off to bed now, up at 5.30am again, to go let my wife get off to work. "Sweet" dreams, folks, lol!

Sorry Madperth but we are Yorkies.Its the law..we have to eat them ! Lol

Sorry, having big probs with pc!
Goodnight David!
BB, will let you off this time!! Lol! :~))

Very nice David

David just messed me up!
I'll have to hit the local nursery and pick up a couple of these!
Absolutely beautiful!
I can hear my wife now... "You brought home more plants?"
{chuckle}

stunning

Sorry, N2, but hope you find some. :-)

Many Thanx, Deida and Majeeka! :-)

You're a bad influence David!

Can you lip-read, Mp? Watch mine......

c...h...o...c...o...l...a...t...e

Pig!!!

Beautiful.....

have these too..they're gorgeous.

Thanks David.......! I REALLY didn't need that 100,000 dollar candy bar dude !.....lol. You must have known I was P-M-Sing....:-)

Thanx!

I noted that you have this, too, Newfie :-)

Fl, Lol! Will change the subject. You remind me of a fave ice cream company - Ben and Jerry's (I know, wrong gender). Their ice cream is to die for - especially the choc-flavoured varieties!!!!!!! :-)

David, do I need to wrap the choc cosmos for winter, or can I pot it & keep it awake?

Hi Marie, was about to check see if you were around, then James pulled the plug on the modem by accident! Keep the plant in its pot for now, don't repot it, and put in the shed at end of this month. It will still die back, however. You can re-pot into a larger one late Spring. Plunge the pot into your border, or wherever you want it to be. Makes it easier, and less traumatic when it comes to storing again next Autumn. Anyway, Mine were all grown from seed, and have gathered loads, so don't worry if yours doesn't make it. Should still flower for a wee while yet, though. I thought ours had finished, but they have had a resurgence, and there are about a dozen or so flowers out there now in our "Chocolate Meadow". :-)

It looks about ready to flower!
Thanks for that! :~)))

Good grief...., now he's got me craving Ice Cream .....! You just don't know when to quit, do you dude....! ....lol. How unfortunate that I'm also lactose intolerant !.......It just keeps getting better and better( heavy on the sarcasm) lol. You know I'm just jerking your chain, right David ? Love you..., mean it...!

Aye, Fl ! must be a very long chain, but I do feel the tugs, Lol! :-) :-)

He's evil, Fl!
Does this all the time! Usually when you dont have chocolate around!!
Poor you! Lactose intolerant? That must be a nightmare!
Cant you get lactose free ice cream over there?

We have oy ice cream Madperth, and I thought I was in 7th heaven for a very short while as it had been 20 years since I'd had that wonderful taste of Ice cream on my lips. But it didn't last for long, as it turns out , I'm allergic to soy...:-(

That is seriously unfair! :~((
You need to get on to the companies that do rice "milk" & see if they can come up with anthing!
So I take it you're stuck with sorbets then?

I agree, Marie, that is defo not fair!! :-(

Yes guys it's good ole flavored ice for me....Whoopie......., right ?! I gave up a long time ago ....lol

I'll look for some alternative recipes for you & pm you if I find any!

...:-), that would be great !

No problem!

And where's the recipe for banoffi, MP?! or whatever that banana thing is you mentioned in another string... I've been salivating over this lily on several bulb sites: usually called Tango here, and there are some other colored Tangos as well.

Coloured, sorry.

Yes, have seen some really creamy/white ones with choc brown stamens on GoY, which have added to my faves for further investigation. Haven't made banoffi pie in years - may do so, now that you mention it. Would like your recipe, though, Marie.

Don't apologise, Orgratis, please.A dropped "u" is neither here nor there - I think (?), lol!

I put it up somewhere! I'll have a hunt!
Found it! This is the one I use when I have tinme!
The quick one uses digestive biccys (wheatmeal cookies to you, Orgratis) Crushed into melted butter, the use that to line the tin/dish/whatever!
I also soak my bananas in a liqueur rather than lemon juice, & use the leftover liqueur in the whipped cream!! Yummy!
Here goes!
BANOFFI PIE
You will need a 10 x 1½ inch (deep) loose bottomed flan tin
Oven temp: 180 C / gas mark 4

For the pastry:
250g / 9 oz plain flour
25g / 1 oz icing sugar
125g / 4½ oz butter
1 egg and 1 egg yolk

Place the flour and sugar in a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and then rub it in to the flour / sugar until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Work in the egg to form a paste.
Chill for half an hour then roll out to the thickness of a pound coin and line the flan tin.
Prick the base, line with parchment paper and weigh down with dry beans.
Cook for fifteen minutes then remove the beans and paper.
Put the pastry case back into the oven and cook until it is evenly golden.
Remove from the oven and cool.

To assemble:
1 ½ tins of banoffi toffee (see note below on boiling the tins or click here)
5-6 ripe bananas
425 ml / ¾ pint of double cream
1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1 dessertspoon of caster sugar
A pinch of ground coffee
Carefully spread the toffee over the pastry base.
Peel and split the bananas lengthways and arrange them on top of the toffee,
(see how they fit the curve of the pastry - that’s why God made bananas curved).
Whip the cream with the instant coffee (if they are granules they will dissolve as you whip the cream) and the sugar until it just holds its shape - take care not to over whip it.
Spread the cream over the bananas right up to the pastry edge then sprinkle sparingly with the ground coffee.
If you are not serving it immediately cover first with some baking parchment or greaseproof paper directly onto the cream and trim the edges then wrap in cling film.
It does not lend itself to being frozen.

Only one variation is acceptable as far as I am concerned and this is ‘Apploffi’.
Replace the bananas with a layer of cooked apple puree made using a mixture of Bramley’s and Cox’s apples cooked in a little orange juice with some Muscovado sugar, then cooled. This version cuts the richness of the toffee and cream nicely.
ABOUT BOILING THE CANS OF CONDENSED MILK
Over the years I have become increasingly concerned about the danger of boiling cans of condensed milk. There is no danger of them exploding unless the water in the saucepan boils dry. If this does happen the result is terrifying and can scald anyone close to it. It has happened to me once and that was enough. Because I now teach and demonstrate a lot I like to make sure my instructions are safe so I have devised this method.

Find a deep saucepan or casserole that will go in the oven.
Put into it as many tins as will fit. (THE TINS MUST BE UNOPENED). It worth doing several at a time to save on power.
Cover the tins with water and bring to the boil.
Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven set to gas mark 1 / 140 C (less for fan assisted).
Cook for 3 ½ hours.
This way there is no danger of the water boiling dry and being in a more controlled temperature you get a more consistent result.
Lift the cans from the water, cool and store.
An unusual bonus comes from storing these tins over a period. After some months sugar crystals begin to form in the toffee and you get crunchy banoffi - mmmmm.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Marie!!!!! Never heard of Banoffi or making toffee from sweetened condensed milk: extra thanks for the warnings & tips. And what kind of liqueur do you soak it in? Can't remember where you mentioned it. Sounds delicious & I can't wait to try it.

You're welcome! I got given the recipe too!
The condensed milk makes a lovely chewy but soft caramel.
As for the liqueur, It depends what mood I'm in! Sometimes I use Bailey's (an irish cream& whisky liqueur, or my fersonal faves Tia Maria or Kalhuah! Up to you, but stick to the sweeter ones!
It IS delicious! (personally I prefer the biscuit base, it keeps better! Doesn't go as soggy in the fridge- if the pie lasts long enough to keep, that is!)

Many Thanks, Marie!

The recipe I used to use called for tinned condensed milk, too (I'd also go for a biccy-base), but the liquer is a new one to me. Might have to make 4 soon, 2 for the kids, and 2 liqueur versions for me!! :-))

The liqueur version is all me!! LOL!

It might be all (over) me by the time I finished, M!!!

LMAO!! I'll get you a pelican bib!