rough water at Mud Cat

The things we do for our hobbies CJ hope your Lillies have defrosted now lol

Not quite..I am about to grab one of my blanket that I sell and bundle up it it...for got to wear my silkie warm wear under my pants and sweater today...and now I just cannot get warm...my teeth are hurting and I am bound and determined to not turn on the heater...elelctricty cost is through the roof...I'd rather freeze than pay those blood suckers anymore.....brrrr...wonder if a dish of ice cream would help....they say, ya know, that if you eat something cold it makes your internal heater take off...is that a good enough excuse to eat ice cream do you think? chatttteerrrr...clatttterrrr....brrrrrr.

Aye Cj I think you should have that ice cream, after all its for medical reasons lol

~put a thick pair of socks on and get into bed with a hot drink! and the icecream!
take care !
Arlene

Bwaaaa Arlene..there is no bed here..I am at Mud Cat but there is a very large freezer of ice cream here....& a blankie...couldn't sell it if I get ice cream on it though....where are those customers...must not want to walk through this gale going on today... aaarrrgh... brrr should I have Chocolate peanut butter, or strawberry, or pumkin pie or praline pecan ...oh dear what a dilema....

Your having a bad day CJ just have the lot ...lol

Really? ...Ok....

Oh my I don't have a bowl big enough...will have to get out two bowls maybe three...will be busy for a while now....

What time is it with you there now?~if it's that bad outside your customers are probably inside! Time to lock up and go home?

Not yet ..it is only 2:30 in the afternoon..sun just came out but the wind is still howling and the sunlight is not warm...this is just the beginning of the stormy weather we will have through January...I always forget what it gets like this time of year....ugh...

I have eaten half of my ice cream and I am colder than ever...how much do you think I have to eat to get the infernal internal heater to kick on? I will keep trying....

~ Stop with the icecream and bring on the brandy in a nice hot coffee before you turn blue! Sorry about the weather Cat~ will be thinking of you freezing your derriere!

I've got the hot coffee..no brandy though...now that would be nice.

~you'll have to get the hip flask out and fill with some decent stuff ~for emergency use only you understand! and todays been designated an emergency! so have some when you get home after a hot bath or shower!
You must be about 8/9 hours behind us as almost 11 .30 now and time for bed~ let's hope we all have a better day tomorrow~ no wind allowed!

Hope you have a good sleep Arlene...stay warm... ^..^ ~cat

~Have a nice relaxing evening!God bless!

Thank you Arlene...I came home to a house full of Grand daughters and a very sick Dallas...boarder/wanna be son...The GD's 3 of them...all spent the night...2 in the guest room and 1 in with me...they are all still sleeping..2 of them stayed over because their parents were on a date night...1 stayed over because she always comes after school and wanted to stay with her cousins rather than go home with her mother when she came to pick them up. LOL...so my evening was lively to say the least..I sent them down to watch movies in the guest room while I relaxed and unwound when I first got home after I found medicine for Dallas and checked on all the pets...did not get to see my horse, too dark and cold and blustery..let my friend do the hay tossing as he was available to do that. The girls are ages 9/10 & 13...very rowdy crowd...and just love to giggle and play with cats & dogs..Grandma mostly treid to stay clear and find peaceful places...they fixed their own dinner...with me close by giving directions....they knew I was tired. They are a sweet lot.
The weather today is calmer right now...and I can see that we may have a spot of sun for a while this morning...I need to see my horse...hopefully I will fit it in at some point today after work.

Good old West Coast weather. I know that cold. So damp it freezes the marrow of your bones. Hope today is warmer Cat. You know what they say...If your feet are cold, put on a hat!!
Great photo by the way.

~hope today is better for you and that Dallas is on the mend! it's that time of year when you are missing the sunshine and you immune sysyem needs a boost~going to make a thick vegetable broth with dumplings and masses of different sorts of beans!
`~bought some bamboo socks recently at TK Maxx and they're great warm and really soft~not something you woild expect to be made of bamboo!
~also bought some Knox thermal under motorcycle suit gear for the kids~black with small white logo long sleeved shirt and pants to match which apparently keep you dry and warm~really neat slim fit~any good to you CF?

I remember that northwest cold myself. Brrrr. I'll take subzero dry. :-) I hope your days goes better as well. Ice cream warming must be why we go through so much up here. :-)

~Yes Gilli I am sure you know it well too..a hat is a good idea and may have to find one that I feel ok about wearing inside.
~Arlene I have no clue what I am going to do with Dallas...he needs some sort of help....not sure what kind though. My daughter sells bamboo clothing all the time...it is very nice. I also get my silkie long underwear from her shop it is very comfortable and it works as long as I remember to wear it as I did today. What you are talking about sounds nice and cozy warm too...when I lived on boats I used a lot of a new thin thermal that worked very well...
GT...I know what you mean about the dry cold versus the wet cold...nothing soaks in worse than the damp cold wind... I think you all have it pretty down pat up there and sit in toasty warm homes eating ice cream...LOL...that is why you eat so much of it...!

~ has it been as rough today?P lenty of customers?
~recently went out for a birtday meal~not mine!~ and we had the most gorgeous rum and raisin icecream~one of my favourites!
~ I have only seen socks and towels from Bamboo so far but will see what else is available~doesn't seem to go hard in the wash as cotton does!
Have you got things planned for the weekend~ some time with Flash?

Sun is out but it is still cold..I do have the door open, everyone who comes in is bundled up and so am I...so it works...no wind thank goodness.
I have carried rum raisin icecream...it is very good...I also love toasted coconut and pistacio cheesecake...that is the best.
My daughter carries blouses, dresses, nigh gowns etc in bamboo..she likes to sell natural fiber clothing.
I hope to be able to spend time with Flash tomorrow...I may get to see him at least to pet him tonight after work..thanks for asking...~Cat

Arlene, that veggie broth and dumplings sounds good. Can you send some over here? It would just hit the spot.

My favourite ice cream is that pecan praline you mentioned yesterday Cat. Can you send me some of that? It will be a nice dessert after Arlene's veggie and dumplings.

Glad it wasn't so windy today for you. It was a beautiful day here. Chilly but sunny.

~will have a huge pot ready tomorrow and suet dumplings added for the last 20 minutes~do you get leeks and swede?usually make it with a piece of unsmoked gammon boiled and the meat then added with all sorts of beans including the red kidney which I love and parsnips, carrots ,leeks ,swede,and potatoes~`think this is a traditional north eastern recipe my mother and gran used to make after the leek shows when everyone had masses of huge vegetables left! Great on cold days!
That pecan icecream sounds delicious can we swap?

LOL..I am afraid I do not know what swede is....and I don't know what gammon is either...all the rest yes...we do have that...LOL..what is a suet dumpling? ~Cat

O my ~how to explain!
~Swede is basically like a turnip but with orange flesh instead of white~ gammon is from a pig~ possibly translates to ham in the US?~ and a suet dumpling is made from beef suet ,flour and water and absorbs the flavour of whatever it is cooked in whilst becoming light and twice the size~ very good for keeping the cold out!
Gilli will know what I am talking about!

~check out www.hub-uk.com/vegetables/swede.htm ~ I believe they are eaten with haggis from Scotland~ that's a whole other ball game!

Cat, I believe Swedes are called Rutabager up here. Gammon is basically ham. The dumplings are, well, dumplings. Lovely. My kids will kill to have the last one. LOL.
Sounds divine Arlene. I'll be right over.

~i'm thrilled you still make them Gilli~ do you do roast beef and Yorkshire pudding?

I thought you would know the answers Gilli..thank you...I make Chicken and dumplings often...will have to try this with the ham and beans and veggies...sounds very good and nutritious for this time of year especially..I love to make soups anyway...rarely use a recipe just start with the ingredients on hand and go from there...toss/chop/ season to taste..part I like best...LOL...I make some sort of crusty warm bread or corn bread or biscuits or make dumplings ...I will have to make some soup today....this is getting me all in the mood for cooking now!
~Ok Arlene..now Gilli is going to have to tell me abou the Yourkshire pudding...LOL...a friend u visiting from California was in my shop yesterday and told me how she used brown sugar Splenda in her Persimmon Pudding...she has sent me that recipe before..I wonder if I still have it...

~ i think it's the same or similar to pancake batter but you pour it into hot fat and cook in a hot oven until it rises beautiful and golden maybe 3/4 inches~ it is served with roasted beef,roast potatoes and vegetables like brussel sprouts,carrots parsnip,cabbage etc and is still served up and down the country as Sunday lunch!~my kids love the beef really tender rather than rare and my gravy is a speciality!

It all sounds wonderful Arlene...I am gaining weight just reading and thinking about all this yummy food!!!!...LOL..I will have to try your Yorkshire pudding recipe sometime...

Arlene, if I stopped making Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudd my life wouldn't be worth living. My Mum and my Grandma used to make big ones in round cake tins that were served before the meal with lashings of gravy.
Cat, have you never had Yorkshire Pudding??? Do they not serve it in the States? Yorkshire Pudding is a very old traditional dish. Made with flour, eggs, milk and a bit of salt, it is baked in the oven in hot meat drippings. The fat is heated to smoking point and then the cold batter is poured in and baked. Traditionally it was used by the poorer families to "stretch" the meat and help fill the family's tummies. That's why it used to be served before the main meal.
Arlene, I made Toad in the Hole the other day. My step kids had never had it before. Needless to say, this has gone on the "you can make this every night of the week" list. LOL.
Cat, Toad in the Hole is made of sausages baked into the Yorkshire pudding. I also add caramalized onions and sliced mushrooms.
Gosh, I'm making myself hungry. :o)

Oh my that sounds yummy Gilli...what sort of sausages do you use? My Grands would love a dish called Toad in the Hole....LOL...

~toad in the hole is also a favourite here but sometimes served with mash and baked beans! We also make a bread and butter pudding that takes 6 eggs a pint of milk and is served with double cream! We use pork sausages for our toad in the hole,because that;s what everyone prefers and these days you can get such a variety of gourmet sausages in all the supermarkets~it's lovely to think of these traditional recipes being enjoyed by your kids~long may they love them!

Yup. Pork sausage is the only way to go for Toady. I haven't made bread and butter pudding in a long time. Hmmm. Maybe that's a thought for dinner.

You know Gilli..instead of you coming down here..why don't I come up there...I could stop in around dinner I suppose...

Anytime Cat. I'll make extra for you. :o)))

~do you make bacon and egg butties~ that's a definite cold weather comfort food!~a meal in a bun?Mcdonalds I think put a burger in as well but that's not needed with crispy fried bacon~!

Oh is that what that is?!...Bacon and egg sandwich...lol..do you use a English muffin or bisquits...for yours...

~usually a plain bread bun which can be split and lightly fried and served with brown sauce!

Oh my goodness...is it like Eggs Benedict only with brown sauce then?

~except we usually fry rather than poach the eggs and the bacon!

~probably a very high level of cholesterol !not for every day but nice at the weekend~~usually use vegetable oil to shallow fry!

We fry our bacon and ham most often..I love fried eggs but use real butter for them...I am a believer in the low carb diet where you eat less processed flours and sugars and eat more protein, veggies...etc. and use real butter or olive oil...I lost the most weight when I was eating bacon, eggs and rye toast every morning...along with avocados etc...it kept my cholestrerol down and in perfect balance as well...I give into easy foods to fix a bit too much these days and afraid I am not doing quite so well as I was....LOL..chocolate or pastries are big downfalls for me.... :(

~Chocolate and double cream for me CF!

Arlene, I haven't had a good old slab of fried bread for years. Fried in the bacon fat. Mmmmmmm. Yummy. Ha ha. Those were the days. My Grandma used to make bacon butties and then pour the bacon fat over top. Oh, a heart attack waiting to happen but soooooooo good.

I forgot about dripping and bread too. Did you ever eat that? And crackling off the pork roast?

Wow....I've loved reading this......looks really cold Cat but wonderful too to be right on the edge of the ocean. Mum was with us today and we were talking bout dripping sandwiches...ooh all the brown salty jelly....yum.....and crackling..Ian still loves it and my granddaughters fight over crispy chicken skin.....urgh! You can buy crackling in bags now Gilli in pubs like peanuts!!

~ it's definitely the right season for comfort food!