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Home > Blogs > Norfolk Single Dad > Posted in November 2007 Norfolk Single DadPosted in November 2007A slice of English life in all its glory, through the eyes of a 39 year-old single dad and his amazing 4 year-old son.... Is It Friday Yet?
Source: Eddie2sox I want to go back to bed.... Phew, in 10 hours I will be at home with Sam, and I can't wait. It's been a long old week but the end is in sight. Goona be a fab weekend, with Sam all day Saturday, pictures with a mate in the evening, then a lie-in on Sunday. Idyllic.
Lamb chops last night for tea and I don't know if I undercooked them but I feel a bit wobbly in the tummy area this morning. Maybe it was the three beers at The Woolpack that did it?
By the way, without Googling, does anyone know the meaning of the term "toe rag"? To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveSoooooooooooo Tired!
Source: Eddie2sox Eddie 2-Sox Is Knackered! The idea of keeping three jobs going is great, "doing it for the kids" etc. The reality is a little different in a sleep deprivation kinda way. Having said that, I am really enjoying myself at the moment, how strange is that? But....
I am chuffing knackered.
Today's a good example of things. Up at 0505, into The Woolpack at 0545 until 0745.
Walk home, then into the car to the steelyard, from 0800 to 1240.
Then back into town, VERY quick bite to eat (chips, naughty boy), followed by delivering papers from 1310 to 1505. Got nearly the whole of the first round done.
Picked up Sam at 1515, took him back at 1830. By FAR the best bit of the week, but still all-action, and when you're 39, keeping up with a 4 year old isn't as easy as it could be. By the way, thanks VERY much to the nice blonde lady who confirmed that Sam had beaten me in our race to the front door of the flats. He ALWAYS wins, s'not fair, can you lie next time?
Now chilling and too worn out to make any tea! Tomorrow evening I fully intend to avail myself of the Grumpy Old Men's Club, if I don't nod off first! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveScams R Us!
Source: Eddie2sox As regular readers know, I love these scam emails, and try to take the fight back to the clowns who send them... But there was a problem. I easily lost track of what I'd replied to which scammer. Not any more! I've written two standard replies, and will write a third if and when any scammer dense enough not to realise he's being ridiculed replies to number two.
Nearly all my scammers "work" at the same place, a bank in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. I am going to compile a list of their names and job titles, this must be the most corrupt bank in the world. But until I get round to that, the scammer-baiting continues. Here are my standard replies:
Standard Reply Number 1: "Send me the money next Wednesday. If you send me any more emails please use the header line “FROTTAGE” so I know you are genuine and not involved in a scam. Hope to hear from you soon. Yours, Delia Oliver"
Standard Reply Number 2: "I told you to send the money, so where is it? Are you wasting my time here? Also, what happened to the password of “FROTTAGE”? Are you for real or a scam merchant? Be careful or I will get a friend who lives in Burkina Faso to come to your house, choke your chicken and spank your monkey. Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once - “FROTTAGE”. Yours, Delia Oliver"
Pic is a scam I'd like to have invented. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveA New World Record!
Source: Eddie2sox In a bid to maximise playtime, I asked Sam if he wanted to try to have the world's quickest bath tonight.... ....and of course he said yes. We did hairwash yesterday, so it was just an all over scrub then out again. We set up stopwatch, set it off, then LEGGED IT, giggling like idiots.
Into the bathroom, off with jumper, shirt, tooziz, undercrackers, and into the bath - STOOOOOOOPPPPP! Off with the socks as well, then into the bath, froggy flannel did the biz, Sam dived under the water to wash the soapy bubbles off, then out. NO RUNNING IN THE BATHROOM! But in the hallway, fine.
The time. 3 minutes 9.7 seconds, a new world record! We ROCK! We kinda defeated the object though by snuggling up on the settee watching a truck racing video and eating yoghurts. Ho hum. (The pic is from another world record - the most number of naked people on a rollercoaster, set in 2004. G Force + nekkidness? The mind boggles....)
But we had a great afternoon, despite me being knackered. Fave game at the moment is "banger racing" where Sam uses his Action Man buggy, with an action man driving, to bash into my bad guys' tractor, usually driven by two pirates. My lot have started trying out new secret weapons, which never work of course. Tonight they tried a comb gun, a banana bomb (which catapulted off and landed inside Sam's vehicle), and disguising themselves as a box of cat food. All cunning stunts I think you'll agree! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink abovePoached Eggs III - Mrs Beeton - "The Ye Olde"
Source: Eddie2sox The legendary Mrs Beeton enters the frayÂ…. Did you know that Mrs Isabella Beeton died when she was just 28 years old? Didn’t think you did. I for one have always imagined this buxom matriarch of the kitchens, gliding around huge country house kitchens dishing out advice and criticism in equal measures. And although the official cause of her death was fever, it is rumoured she died of syphilis passed on by her husband? Yuk. So to the recipe. If you can navigate your way between all the advice on the ideal age of egg to use, and how to use tin egg poachers, this is a perfectly acceptable method, but the fact that the yolk and white ended up cooked differently is weird. Maybe the over-the-top amount of vinegar has something to do with it? You can find this recipe here : http://thefoody.com/mrsbcheese/poachedeggs.html Ease & Effort: 2.5 - The actual instructions for the cooking of the egg were simple enough, but hidden amongst flowery 19th century prose. Being told to “place some” boiling water in a pan isn’t all that helpful, and the instruction to add one tablespoon of vinegar per pint of water was much more than the other two recipes tested so far. And as Mrs Beeton says “To poach an egg to perfection is rather a difficult operation.” A mid-table effort from the olden days. Presentation: 3.5 - This again looked the biz, but in the picture you can‘t really see the runny white or the “started to harden” yolk. The addition of the line “cut away the ragged edges of the white” helped the overall shape but adds another possible “I’m gonna break this sucker before I hit the toast” moment. Yolk: 1.5 - Slightly overcooked in a few parts, but still generally nicely runny and very tasty. White: 1.5 - Too runny. Now how can the white be undercooked and parts of the yolk be overdone? Scores On The Doors Old Bob - 11.5 Rick Stein - 10.5 Mrs Beeton - 9 Running Order: 4 - Ainsley Harriott 5 - James Martin 6 - Vash The Stampede 7 - Mahalo 8 - Poached Egg Machine 9 - Delia Smith 10 - Mr Breakfast 11 - Australian Egg Board 12 - Woolpack Wally Send Me Your Comments! New this time - YOUR chance to participate in the world’s best blog-based cooking/tasting eggy competition. The Welsh Rarebit thread prompted loads of comments and emails, and I wish I’d shared some of them with you. So. Email me at trix68@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment on the blog. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveHappy Mondays
Source: Eddie2sox What a bizarre concept, feeling happy on the first weekday.... ....yet that was how I felt just after 5 this morning, supping a cuppa and with a day's work ahead. It just felt very strange not to be dreading the week, not to be fed up that Sunday was gone, and not to be annoyed that I am not yet being paid squillions of quids to eat, drink and be merry.
My day was good, pub got cleaned, steel got shifted, the doctor's appointment went great (he's very pleased with my progress and wet himself laughing when the subject of the "special move" came up). Then home where I nodded off at 3 in the afternoon - oh the shame. I'm not 40 til MARCH, so STOP acting so old!
Tonight it's putting the leaflets together for the papers, which is frankly a pain in the ass, but it's also work that gets paid, and I can do it sitting on my posterior while listening to the radio.
If I get through it in double quick time I may even poach an egg! Decadence incarnate! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveThe Power Of The Interweb
Source: Eddie2sox Had a big shock at dinnertime today.... Enjoying a sociable pint with a few Grumpies (of whom Ted has been appointed Captain Of The Darts Team for being the grumpiest old man in the world) when Barney walked in. Nothing unusual about that. Shortly after that though two girlies walked in who seemed to know Barney....and as they talked the conversation turned to poached eggs and how to cook them, like they'd seen on the Internet.
Holy **** Batman! Strangers talking about my blog. That was f***ing bizarre. Actually these two lovely ladies turned out to be really nice (hi Julie and Kat?) but I was so freaked that people I didn't know were talking about my blog that I came home. How weird....
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE CRAP I WRITE!
It's scary, especially as I go into so much personal detail. Not 100% sure whether to carry on to be sure, but a good night's sleep will help me decide. Up at 5 tomorrow for cleaning and steelyard, plus a doctor's appointment. Getting into bed before ten is a bit lame but has to be done.
Relaxing day, three nice sociable pints, started the poached egg thread, altogether a nice antidote to the craziness of Friday. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink abovePoached Eggs II - Rick Stein - "The French Odyssey"
Source: Eddie2sox Well renowned seafood chef Rick Stein has a punt at producing the perfect poached eggÂ…. The name of this entry comes from the book it appears in, and - allegedly - was inspired by a trip across the Channel to the country that looks upon English food in the same way that your pet dog looks at Tesco Value Dog Food. It was quite tricky but did produce a great end product, as much due to luck as skill I believe, as there are several points where the whole thing could go completely Pete Tong. You can find this recipe here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/poachedeggswithanart_75445.shtml Ease & Effort: 2 - Where‘s Carol Vorderman when you need her? To start you have to add 5cm depth of water to a wide, shallow pan. Not too difficult, I judged the depth with the Mark One Finger and prepared to get cooking. But hold on, you have to add salt and vinegar to this pan, in exact measures - for every 1.2 litres of water you need 1 ½ tsp of vinegar and ½ tsp of salt. For every 1.2 litres? What’s that about? Anyway, this meant I had to work out how much water was in the pan by decanting it into a bigger pan, then pouring into a measuring jug and then back to the original pan, what a kafuffle! I found that I had exactly 2 litres (phew, easier sums) of water, so set about calculating how much salt and vinegar I needed. 2 ½ tsp of vinegar but 0.833 tsp of salt! I know these top chefs can be perfectionists but that’s ridiculous. The egg was then poached in the simmering water for 3 minutes - a whole minute more than Old Bob’s opening effort, what effect would that extra 60 seconds have? The final line tells you to “drain briefly on kitchen paper” which seems to be a potential egg-buster! Fortunately I didn’t break mine and managed to roll it back onto the spoon before putting it on the toast. Phew again! Presentation: 4 - Another fine looking offering, I think the white looks even better in Rick’s recipe, however the yolk looks darker, and - to me - a little less appetising. Still looks bloody good though! Yolk: 2 - Tasted lovely, looked different to Old Bob‘s. Darker, and a little firmer, but delicious nonetheless. A brighter yellow would have earned top marks. White: 2.5 - I cannot fault this in any way. After breaking the egg into the water I was worried when so many wispy bits flew here and there, but it all came together beautifully when removed from the pan. Scores On The Doors Old Bob - 11.5 Rick Stein - 10.5 Running Order: 3 - Mrs Beeton 4 - Ainsley Harriott 5 - James Martin 6 - Vash The Stampede 7 - Mahalo 8 - Poached Egg Machine 9 - Delia Smith 10 - Mr Breakfast 11 - Australian Egg Board 12 - Woolpack Wally Send Me Your Comments! New this time - YOUR chance to participate in the world’s best blog-based cooking/tasting eggy competition. The Welsh Rarebit thread prompted loads of comments and emails, and I wish I’d shared some of them with you. So. Email me at trix68@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment on the blog. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink abovePoached Eggs I - Old Bob - "The Standard"
Source: Eddie2sox Off we go on another culinary adventure! First in to bat is Old Bob, founder member of the Grumpy Old Men‘s Club at The Woolpack. His method was dictated to me in person last week, so you won’t be able to find it online anywhere except here. The instructions I received were as follows: 1 - Bubbling boil. 2 - Few drops any vinegar. 3 - Swirl round. 4 - Drop egg in “just above” water. 5 - 2 minutes. 6 - Remove. 7 - Eat! Well, when we made the random draw to determine the running order for this experiment, I was delighted that Bob‘s name was first to be drawn, as this method is pretty much the way most people would probably poach an egg. And what a good first result it produced, nice work Old Timer! Ease & Effort : 3.5 With instructions as simple as these there is no difficulty for even the most basic amateur cook to make a decent fist of it. The only very slight reservation I have was the anxiety I felt when dropping the egg into boiling water from such a low altitude, but that’s almost irrelevant. I didn’t scald my knuckles by the way! Bob says use “any vinegar”, and the first one I saw in the cupboard was red wine vinegar which worked just fine. The egg settled delightfully intact in the centre of the water. Presentation : 4 As you can see this looks just about perfect. I would have marked slightly higher, but with the first competitor I think you have to keep something in reserve? So, looked great, easy to make, how did it taste? Yolk : 2 Almost top marks, but for me this was slightly - and I mean very, VERY slightly, too runny. I think an added 15/20 seconds cooking time would have gained a maximum 2.5. White : 2 Again, just about spot on, but again VERY slightly on the soft side for me. However, if you’re a poached egg-a-phobe, try this method for a great result. Scores On The Doors Old Bob - 11.5 Running Order: 2 - Rick Stein 3 - Mrs Beeton 4 - Ainsley Harriott 5 - James Martin 6 - Vash The Stampede 7 - Mahalo 8 - Poached Egg Machine 9 - Delia Smith 10 - Mr Breakfast 11 - Australian Egg Board 12 - Woolpack Wally Send Me Your Comments! New this time - YOUR chance to participate in the world’s best blog-based cooking/tasting eggy competition. The Welsh Rarebit thread prompted loads of comments and emails, and I wish I’d shared some of them with you. So. Email me at trix68@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment on the blog. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveDisastrous Friday, Cool Saturday
Source: Eddie2sox Well last Friday was as bad as life gets, thankfully Saturday went a little way towards repairing the damage.... Friday was one of the worst days of my life! All started well, with the cleaning, but it all went down and down from then on, resulting in me not being allowed to collect Sam for his sleepover. That sparked a stand-up argument with Sam's mum's boyfriend in the street, which unfortunately didn't end in violence.
So, completely and utterly pissed off and furious I did what I tend to in such situations - went to meet my friend Stella. I got completely trolleyed on Friday night, and even swore at some friends (sorry chaps). Still, it meant that I was sort of confined to one place while feeling volcanic, and prevented me returning to their house for another showdown.
To be honest I am happy there wasn't a fight - after all, by his own admission, he is such a skilled and inventive tae-kwon-do black belt that the British Tae-Kwon-Do Association named a special move after him! You don't want to be messing around with those kind of guys eh! No siree! I was also called an "alcoholic bully". Well, that's half right. It's sort of funny being called that by somebody with a police record full of domestic violence incidents, and who wrote his car off in a field while off his head drunk, but there you go. It was refreshing to note that he's still a habitual and easy liar, as within a few seconds he stated "I don't drink alcohol any more", followed by "I don't drink as much as you do". Wonder which one is right? I guess the box of beer I saw him buying a few Saturdays ago were for a friend....
Ho hum. Friday was a total nightmare and I really missed having Sam around.
So to Saturday. I picked Sam up at 8 in the morning and we had a really nice day together. The long-running battle between Sam's Lego Batman and The Joker continued...Sam always gets to be the good guys. It started off with even sides, but over time The Joker's forces have been reduced to such an extent that he now has only a beaten up bin lorry, a small fire engine and Chick Hicks (the baddie from the film Cars) in his possession, and his "army" amounts to two pirates, a lorry driver and a fireman. No wonder he always gets whupped.
Too soon it was 6 pm and time to take Sam back. How can 10 hours feel like 20 minutes? Sam and me had a big tea of bangers and mash, then it was time. I was meant to go bowling last night but I was so fed-up that I would just have depressed everyone else there, so I stayed at home to watch The Culture Show.
I am hoping this week will be better!
p.s. check out Louise Priest's radio show next Sunday morning for another classic 2-Sox embarrassing admission. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveHow To Poach An Egg!
Source: Eddie2sox It's time for another 2-Sox challenge, and this time we're going to be investigating a mystery that has held mankind in a shroud of dark confusion for centuries. How do you poach an egg? For this challenge I’ll be following a variety of methods, from the safe and mundane to the downright bonkers, to try and discover how to cook the perfect poached egg. The recipes will all be followed exactly as they are written (or were dictated!). Unless specified, the egg will be broken direct into the water (if water is to be used of course). Cooking time will either be exactly as directed (if an exact timing is provided), or if a range of times is given, cooked to the mid-point of that range. My ideal poached egg - and bear in mind that all of my cooking and tasting challenges are 100% subjective - will have a cooked but runny yolk and a firm but not tough white. I was intending to simply place the cooked egg onto a plate to judge, but after incredulous and outraged protests from the Grumpy Old Men Club at The Woolpack, they will all be placed on a slice of buttered toast (the eggs, not the grumpy old men). Sheesh, what a load of old women!
Judging Criteria The poached eggs will be judged in 4 different ways: Ease & Effort: How simple was the method to follow? Was there a lot of hard or fiddly work involved? Scored out of 5. Presentation: How appealing was the finished article once placed on a slice of toast? Also scored out of 5. Yolk: Should be runny, evenly cooked, and delicious! Scored up to 2.5. White: Not too runny, not too tough, should be very easy to lightly slide the knife through. Scored up to 2.5.
Running Order: 1 - Old Bob 2 - Rick Stein 3 - Mrs Beeton 4 - Ainsley Harriott 5 - James Martin 6 - Vash The Stampede 7 - Mahalo 8 - Poached Egg Machine 9 - Delia Smith 10 - Mr Breakfast 11 - Australian Egg Board 12 - Woolpack Wally Send Me Your Comments! New this time - YOUR chance to participate in the world’s best blog-based cooking/tasting eggy competition. The Welsh Rarebit thread prompted loads of comments and emails, and I wish I’d shared some of them with you. So. Email me at trix68@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment on the blog. I’ll include them after each recipe. Get journalistic!
The Queen Of Cheese On Toast
Sue Marchant, BBC Radio Norfolk's top totty, and the champion of the Welsh Rarebit challenge has added her title to her Myspace page! The Norfolk Single Dad blog really does reach the places other blogs cannot reach - http://www.myspace.com/voluptuia To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveIt's Only Bloody Friday!
Source: Eddie2sox And Eddie 2-Sox is flippinÂ’ exhausted! Well the week is nearly done, and it’s the hardest working week I’ve had in a while. Getting up at 5.05 has been hard work, hopefully it will become a bit easier as I catch up on a few month’s sleep. I’m happy that I am actually doing it though, as you know that letting people down has become a speciality of mine over the last few years.
Today it’s pub cleaning, then to the steelyard, then home to do housework at about noon. Best of all it’s Sam’s sleepover day, how fantastic is that. He’s still coughing a lot so we’re not going to be busting a gut this weekend. Not sure whether to go and watch the Christmas lights being switched on, it happens at 6.30 and Sam’s bedtime is usually 7.00, so I think we’ll be giving it swerve this year.
To help with Sam’s cough we’re all stocked up with Karvol, plus eucalyptus oil to burn on an oil burner in his bedroom (it helps keep the head clear). Pic is a beautiful eucalyptus flower, sweet eh? No plans for tomorrow either, I can see a play day on the horizon. One good thing is that we’ll be out of bed at about 6.30, so I get a lie-in! Already dreading the six o’clock “back to mum’s” time.
Been invited out bowling in the evening, not 100% sure whether to go or not at the moment. Right, better drag my sorry ass down Tennyson Avenue to the Woolpack, toilet floors don’t mop themselves do they…. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveWelsh Rarebit Week - 6 of 6 - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Source: Eddie2sox Hugh Bingley-Bongley! HeÂ’s mainly a Meat man, so how will he manage with a cheese task? The Good Life wannabe did quite well but fell in the same hole that James Martin did - too many flavours! Less is more you celebs, less is more! KISS (keep it simple, stupid). A nice, simple-to-make offering this time, but how did it measure up? You can find the complete recipe here : httphttp://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/perfectwelshrarebit_13772.shtml Nice try all the same…..
Taste - 2.5 Overpowered. How sad that in a dish based on cheese, top chefs try to dominate the cheese with their own combinations of strong flavours. Why couldn’t they add a couple of delicate, COMPLIMENTARY flavours? Hugh’s meal tasted very confusing, was I meant to taste the cheese or the additions? They were, definitely, exclusive. Presentation - 2 It looked orangey/brown. With a hint of something worse. Is this good? It’s cheese on toast. But it looked like something different. Disappointing. Ease/Effort - 3 This was a really easy method to understand, but a little difficult to follow. “Warmed beer”? What does that mean? I warmed mine in a pan for 10 minutes. Right or wrong? Who knows? Scores On The Doors: Sue Marchant - 13 The Foody - 11.5 Delia Smith - 11 Country Life Dot Com - 9 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - 7.5 James Martin - 5 To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveCatch Up
Source: Eddie2sox Not been blogging about real life for a while, so hereÂ’s a précis. Last weekend.Sam wasn’t 100% so we had a quiet-ish time at home in 2-Sox Towers. It had been a LONG time since we had a MacDonald’s, so - in the light of Sam being ill and wanting to get anything into him - we had junk food tea. Delicious. Monday. I felt unwell, dodgy “movements”, cleaned the Woolpack extra buff because of the afternoon’s events. FuneralIt was the funeral of a mate’s wife who died by suicide. I won’t mention names because I don’t want to make it all too public. People who know me, or him, will know. We went up to the crematorium, and it was nice to see a big turnout of family, friends, workmates, and us lot, the mates from the pub. The service was very nice, and us “mates” all nearly blubbed at the end. One of our friends, who is probably the toughest man in King’s Lynn, had to leave halfway through, you just have no idea how these things will affect you, do you? Afterwards the wake was held at The Woolpack. I stayed in the “normal” side, preferring to leave the family to do their own thing, and I was joined by quite a few others. The funeral was as lovely as these ****ty times can be, so she had a decent goodbye. She’ll be missed.
TuesdayFirst day at the steelyard. Very early start, cleaned the Woolie from 6.45 to 8.45, the straight to SS Roy’s place. I had NO idea what I was doing, but I provided another pair of hands to help load all the steel onto the lorries for shipping out to the buyers. It was a bad day apparently, but I saw much, much worse in my RAF days, so it can only get better! Picked Sam up, he was not lively so we took things easy. We had a fantastic lamb stew for tea, made with the leftovers from my Sunday dinner, which Sam enjoyed right up to the point the was nearly sick! My cooking or a bug???? WednesdayUp at 5 means grumpy me. Cleaned the pub, which is so much more unpleasant when there’s no light coming in through the windows. Then off to the yard. Then home to leaflet the papers. Finally went to pick up Sam and we had a fab evening, even though he’s not well, he’s such a trooper. He’s going to be a reindeer in the Christmas play! On a play note, The Joker AGAIN managed to escape from prison and sent Sam a note, what a naughty man. Sam was really upset when it was time to go back to the mumhouse, I really struggle explaining this now he’s understanding so much. ThursdayBIG day. Cleaned the pub til 5.45 A BLOODY M, steelyard 8 til half twelve, then delivering papers until 5. Busy busy busy. Went to the Woolpack for 3 beers and a relax afterwards, then home to finish the cheese on toast challenge. Hugh Bingley-Bongley was the last recipe. Sue Marchant at BBC Radio Norfolk is hoping to win! Emotions?I am right down at the moment. Very low. Friends are feeling the same right now. If not for Sam I know where I’d be right now. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveWelsh Rarebit Week - 5 of 6 - Delia Smith
Source: Eddie2sox DeliaÂ’s back, smarting from her spanking in the Scrambled Egg challenge. Would this see her rise from the ashes and re-establish her reputation? Delia fared very badly last time out, so this was a good chance for her to reclaim her crown as Kitchen Queen. Unfortunately when I made this recipe I didn’t have an onion for the grated onion (doh) which probably affected the end product. This recipe was quick, easy, and tasted pretty good! You can find the complete recipe here : http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/welsh-rabbit-rarebit-with-sage-and-onions,1373,RC.html A great comeback effort Delia, good work…..
Taste - 3.5 Cheesey. Hint of mustard (Colman‘s, natch). Soaked into the toast. This tasted like a “proper” cheese on toast. I wish I’d had an onion to add it in grated form, but the recipe was very nice without it anyway. The rounded teaspoon of mustard powder together with cayenne pepper made it possibly a little too spicy for the average palate, but that’s a minor fault. I’d go for level, not rounded. Presentation - 3.5 Delia’s scrambled egg was grey, thanks to early pepperisation, and this dish was also slightly off colour. It looked pretty good but not perfect, and the cheese mixture melted very nicely and evenly. The cayenne pepper added a lovely splash of colour. Ease/Effort - 4 Easy and quick, and does exactly what you want. Cheese on toast in short order, but modify the spicy ingredients if you don’t like hotter foods. The recipe was extremely simple to follow, and gave a great result, can’t be bad. Scores On The Doors: Sue Marchant - 13 The Foody - 11.5 Delia Smith - 11 Country Life Dot Com - 9 James Martin - 5 Running Order: Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveOch Aye, Yer Pooh!
Source: Eddie2sox Oh dear, how sad, never mind.... Great news from the world of football yesterday.
First of all, Super Leeds beat Swindon to move to fourth place in the league, despite the minus fifteen points fiasco.
Secondly, Israel beat Russia, in a major shock, meaning that England can now qualify for the European Championships next year if they beat or draw against Croatia this week (any bets on the loss though?).
Best of all though, the gobby Jocks are out, after losing at home to Italy. How unbearable if they'd qualified and England didn't. Can't happen now though, so hopefully the mouth will be put away for a few weeks until they see the next opportunity to belittle their English betters.
Scooo-oootland, Scooo-oootland, I'd walk a million miles, To see you lose, Oh Scooo-oootland!
I'll be laughing all day. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveWelsh Rarebit Week - 4 of 6 - Sue Marchant
Source: Eddie2sox Into the fray plunges Sue Marchant, a lovely young lady who can be found on the air with BBC Radio Norfolk in the eveningsÂ…. Sue isn‘t a chef. This recipe is not written down. Anywhere. It just so happens that after Scrambled Egg Week I was wondering what the next taste test would be, and Miss Marchant suggested cheese on toast (a very sensible suggestion from a vegetarian). She also sent me her own method for producing “cheese on toast” and it worked rather well! There is no online version of this recipe, but you can tune in to Sue’s radio show between 7 and 10, weekdays, here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/ So to the all important verdict…..
Taste - 4.5 This recipe required mozzarella instead of the ubiquitous cheddar. I have rarely used this cheese so it was something of an adventure, as was the use of tomato and basil in this Welsh Rarebit experiment. The end result was bleeding lovely, a really fresh flavour, with added “stringiness” which is all part of the cheese on toast experience as far as I’m concerned. Bootiful. Presentation - 4.5 For such an easy recipe the end result looks rather splendid, and would fool you into thinking that lots and lots of work had gone into making it. The mozzarella is much lighter in colour than the cheddar, and this not only makes the crispy pieces stand out more, it also makes the added tomato and basil look fantastic. Ease/Effort - 4 A very simple version of this classic food, with an amazing end product. Sue’s recipe was only three lines in length yet gave us a real taste explosion. Fantastic effort. The only small drawback was the instruction to toast the bread on just one side - and then not tell us which side the cheese goes on. It’s a small point, and I split the difference, flipping one slice of toast and adding the cheese to one untoasted slice and one toasted. The taste was very similar, but I slightly preferred the “toasted side down” version. I wonder which is the right one? Scores On The Doors: Sue Marchant - 13 The Foody - 11.5 Country Life Dot Com - 9 James Martin - 5 Running Order: Day Five - Delia Smith. Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveCrap Parking League XXVII
Source: Eddie2sox Vauxhall Double Trouble! A new league leader as the humble, but always woefully dumped, Corsa surges to the pinnacle of bad parking's premier competition. This is a beautiful example of copycat crapness, who was first one in I wonder? The Astra scores a bonus half a point for a terrible personalised number plate. Oh dear! Table: Vauxhall Corsa.....5 New Shape Mini.....4 Honda Civic.....2 VW Golf.....2 Ford Ka.....2 VW Bora.....1.5 Vauxhall Vectra.....1.5 Ford Escort.....1.5 Vauxhall Tigra.....1.5 Vauxhall Astra.....1.5 Vauxhall Combo van.....1 Peugeot 206.....1 Mystery Rover.....1 Huge Green American Monstrosity.....1 Ford Focus.....1 Original Mini.....1 Jaguar XJS.....1 Citroen C2.....1 Norfolk Police.....1
Send me any pics of bad parking you collect to trix68@hotmail.co.uk
And why not peruse the Net's best bad parking website at: http://www.crap-parking.co.uk/index.php?mode=home To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveWill Work For Food - Plus Other News
Source: Eddie2sox What a good day yesterday wasÂ…..papers deliveredÂ….but best of all, mates have made me feel pretty humble.... I finished off my papers in record time yesterday. Halfway through I had a break in Tesco car park and ate chips and baked beans with tons of vinegar for dinner, while reading the paper and listening to the radio, lovely! At the Eastern European supermarket on Norfolk Street I was given a bar of chocolate by the owner, who said nobody had delivered there before, and was happy that I deliver every week. So now I know how to say hello and goodbye in Ukrainian (“preeviet” and “paka”). I enjoy the delivery work, and I go out of my way to say hello and exchange a few words with the people on the round. It’s nicer that way. Got home, enjoyed Deal Or No Deal (yes, I admit it, I love the programme, well done Shaz), washed up, then headed off to The Woolpack for a pint and a meeting with The Grumpy Old Men Club. Some senior members are going to Tenerife over Christmas, fantastic. I hope I’m as adventurous when I reach their great age. Talk about Send All Grandads Away….Anyway, the point of this blog is that I left the pub feeling completely humble, lucky and chuffed. You see, Old Bob and Bwana Stewart are off to the sun at Christmas…..and I will be taking them to the airport, and bringing them back. The money they offered seemed to me to be ridiculous, but apparently is well below the going rate….they pay less, I get paid a lot, everyone’s a winner. It wasn’t the only lucky moment. On Sunday I’m helping Danny and Kim with their house move. They’re moving from the pub to London Road, as Debbie and Ian, and family, are coming back to The Woolpack. So it’s all hands to the pump this weekend - if you’re feeling a bit fed up and need a laugh then get yourself to The Woolpack at 9 on Sunday morning and watch some quality “Laurel & Hardy” style removals. In mid-December Old Bob is having his old boiler replaced. But enough about his ex-wife, let's talk plumbing, BOOM BOOM! Yep, Bob is having a combi-boiler installed, and also he needs all his gas pipes changing from 15mm to 22mm. He's not happy leaving his flat keys with the plumber so he's asked me to house-sit while they do their business. I see my role as providing a stream of tea and coffee, which should ensure they do a good job! SS Roy and me were chatting briefly about my employment status….I said I have 20 hours work a week, looking for another 20 to be fully employed (in a jokey way)! I thought that was the end of it. But, as I was about to leave for home after my three (three, pathetic!) pints, Roy said “Oi” and offered me work with him for a short term period. What a star. You know what. I’ve been here for only two years, but I have made some bloody brilliant mates. Last night they offered me some work. How good is that. Meantime I’ve gone for another 3 jobs from the Lynn News and another from the NHS website, surely someone will take me on soon? In the meantime “WILL WORK FOR FOOD” is my message…. In other news…. The parcel from FIAT for the cardboard Ferrari project finally arrived, after Julietta at Fiat sent it to Sam’s mummy’s house. The couriers just weren’t bothering trying to deliver here, so they apparently got a massive rocket up their ass from the Fiat Public Relations office. Anyhow, the parcel was fantastic, Julietta really scored high on Sam’s popularity scale (mind you, I think he “pulled” her the other day when he said hello to her on the phone). Included were colouring books, crayons, balloons, five toy Fiat cars, big pens, Fiat bags, and thankfully the Fiat stickers we asked for! Sam was naturally excited, and we had a really nice, but brief, chat on the phone. You see, what’s more interesting when you’re four years old, Daddy (I speak to HIM every day) or an exciting parcel of goodies from Julietta at Fiat. No contest! The Welsh Rarebit Challenge hits the airwaves next week! One night only, Eddie2sox will be talking cobblers about cheese on toast on the Sue Marchant BBC Radio Norfolk show. Funny where this blogging lark has taken me now and again…. I've also decided to start doing Samaritans work again. I had a break while Dad was really poorly at the end, but I'm now ready to get cracking again and do my bit. And right now the sky is bright pink, so it’s gonna be cold today….and there’s a heavy frost (see pic). Better get my ass in gear and go clean some pub! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveWelsh Rarebit Week - 3 of 6 - The Foody
Source: Eddie2sox A leading gastronomy website takes its turn at claiming the cheese on toast crownÂ…. A competition of highs and lows so far, would the drama continue with The Foody‘s recipe? The Foody subtitled their recipe header with the name in Welsh - Caws Pobi - which was nice. Also admirable was the quote “whatever you choose to call it - it’s still cheese on toast”. Correctamundo! I found this a simple and delicious version. Find the recipe online here : http://thefoody.com/cheese/welshrarebit.html
Taste - 4 Simplicity returned after yesterday’s over-indulgence, and what a relief. The taste of the cheese came through VERY strongly in this recipe, which has to be the main purpose of Welsh Rarebit. There were also a couple of larger pieces of onion (see Ease/Effort) which I personally liked but others may not, and one mouthful was particularly “mustard-y”, hinting that I ought to have mixed for a little longer. The addition of onion to the mixture was new to me but worked fabulously. Delicious. Presentation - 4 As the picture shows, this has a very “proper“ look of cheese on toast about it. Cheese dripping and melting over the edge of the toast, and the surface of the cheese with crispier brown spots here and there. Whether the beer helps the browning I’m not sure, maybe we’ll know by the end of the competition? Ease/Effort - 3.5 It was nice to find a brilliantly simple recipe again, and it was very, very easy to follow. Mind you, there does seem to be a small error. What does “Place half the mixture on toast on each slice of toast“ mean? That’s a very minor criticism though. If you struggle to chop onions without crying, you will be shedding buckets as you grate the onion here, I’ve never grated an onion before and it seems that the chemicals you release “gently” when slicing are hurled violently into the air when grating! Altogether, easy and effective, despite the onion tears. Scores On The Doors: The Foody - 11.5 Country Life Dot Com - 9 James Martin - 5 Running Order: Day Four - Sue Marchant. Day Five - Delia Smith. Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveKing's Lynn 0 Corby 1
Source: Eddie2sox Ventured to The Walks last night, and had a fun evening! OK, the home team lost, but I don't feel "that" much affiliation to them as yet. They played dreadfully though, and made a previously terrible Corby team look like....hmmmmm......Fulham. Miles better than The Linnets but not all that great themselves.
If not for a great display by goalkeeper Howie, Corby would have gone home 4 or 5-0 winners. However, the result was not too important to me.
I stood in drizzle to watch a football match, first time I've done that for maybe 17/18 years. I enjoyed it! I had a pint before kick off and at half time in the Blue & Gold Club (cheap beer!). I partook of a burger van cheeseburger, with onions, and put mustard AND ketchup on it! I really liked watching the game at such close quarters, and hearing the players shouting to each other (and the referee). Altogether it was really good fun, but I doubt any true Linnets fans would say the same.
So. Next Tuesday there's another home game, a League Cup game against Hitchin. The prices have been dropped to just £5 for an adult, so who will be joining me there? Sad to say, but I am REALLY looking forward to it already. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink above |
