Posted in November 2007

Is It Friday Yet?

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 30th November 2007, 5:27am

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"?

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Soooooooooooo Tired!

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 28th November 2007, 8:17pm

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!

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Scams R Us!

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 28th November 2007, 8:02pm

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:

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:

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.

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A New World Record!

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 28th November 2007, 7:53pm

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!

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Poached Eggs III - Mrs Beeton - "The Ye Olde"

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 26th November 2007, 9:29pm

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.

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Happy Mondays

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 26th November 2007, 7:16pm

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!

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The Power Of The Interweb

Source: Eddie2sox
Sunday 25th November 2007, 9:25pm

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.

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Poached Eggs II - Rick Stein - "The French Odyssey"

Source: Eddie2sox
Sunday 25th November 2007, 12:41pm

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

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

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.

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Poached Eggs I - Old Bob - "The Standard"

Source: Eddie2sox
Sunday 25th November 2007, 11:59am

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

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

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.

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Disastrous Friday, Cool Saturday

Source: Eddie2sox
Sunday 25th November 2007, 9:45am

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.

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How To Poach An Egg!

Source: Eddie2sox
Saturday 24th November 2007, 10:13am

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!

The poached eggs will be judged in 4 different ways:

How simple was the method to follow? Was there a lot of hard or fiddly work involved? Scored out of 5.

How appealing was the finished article once placed on a slice of toast? Also scored out of 5.

Should be runny, evenly cooked, and delicious! Scored up to 2.5.

Not too runny, not too tough, should be very easy to lightly slide the knife through. Scored up to 2.5.

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

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

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It's Only Bloody Friday!

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 23rd November 2007, 5:41am

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….

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Welsh Rarebit Week - 6 of 6 - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Source: Eddie2sox
Thursday 22nd November 2007, 8:53pm

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…..

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.

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.

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?

Sue Marchant - 13

The Foody - 11.5

Delia Smith - 11

Country Life Dot Com - 9

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - 7.5

James Martin - 5

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Catch Up

Source: Eddie2sox
Thursday 22nd November 2007, 8:35pm

Not been blogging about real life for a while, so here’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.

Funeral

It 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.

Tuesday

First 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????

Wednesday

Up 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.

Thursday

BIG 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.

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Welsh Rarebit Week - 5 of 6 - Delia Smith

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 19th November 2007, 8:34pm

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…..

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.

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.

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.

Sue Marchant - 13

The Foody - 11.5

Delia Smith - 11

Country Life Dot Com - 9

James Martin - 5

Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

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Och Aye, Yer Pooh!

Source: Eddie2sox
Sunday 18th November 2007, 8:47am

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.

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Welsh Rarebit Week - 4 of 6 - Sue Marchant

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 16th November 2007, 3:05pm

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…..

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.

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.

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?

Sue Marchant - 13

The Foody - 11.5

Country Life Dot Com - 9

James Martin - 5

Day Five - Delia Smith.

Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

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Crap Parking League XXVII

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 16th November 2007, 12:58pm

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

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Will Work For Food - Plus Other News

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 16th November 2007, 7:36am

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!

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Welsh Rarebit Week - 3 of 6 - The Foody

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 14th November 2007, 11:24pm

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

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.

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?

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.

The Foody - 11.5

Country Life Dot Com - 9

James Martin - 5

Day Four - Sue Marchant.

Day Five - Delia Smith.

Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

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King's Lynn 0 Corby 1

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 14th November 2007, 1:39pm

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.

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Welsh Rarebit Week - 2 of 6 - James Martin

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 14th November 2007, 9:15am

The Scrambled Egg Champion attempts to defend his crownÂ….

Off to a reliable start yesterday thanks to Country Life’s website recipe, next into battle was “Baby” James Martin. He stormed his way to victory in the last taste test thanks to not only a tasty recipe but great presentation - could he do it again?

No. James’ recipe had the longest list of ingredients for this week, and although I followed it exactly the finished meal was nowhere near as good as his scrambled egg masterpiece. Terribly disappointing.

Find the recipe online here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/welshrarebit_72299.shtml

There were so many different flavours involved that they all seemed to merge and become unrecognisable. Is there really any need for mustard AND Worcester sauce AND Tabasco? The texture was rather doughy too, which was not the nicest. Plus the addition of the egg - unbeaten - I’ll put that down as “unconventional”? Afterwards I even felt slightly nauseous....

Ideally I think you should see a few small brown patches on the top of your cheese on toast - not with Mister Martin’s recipe though. After placing the cheese mixture on top of the toast, it was returned to a low/medium grill, and VERY quickly developed one large brown crispy area on each slice. The finished product looked a little like two miniature yellow and brown Millennium Domes - on toast. Not 100% appetising. A bonus half a point for trying to dress it up with tomato chutney.

This was quite a labour intensive recipe. Heating milk, but not boiling, adding cheese to it until it dissolved, removing to cool then adding other ingredients at various other moments. I did manage to follow the recipe to the letter but even the slightest distraction would probably prove disastrous. I was really disappointed that the cheese mixture expanded into dome shapes and very nearly burned under the grill.

Country Life Dot Com - 9

James Martin - 5

Day Three - The Foody Dot Com.

Day Four - Sue Marchant.

Day Five - Delia Smith.

Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

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Welsh Rarebit Week - 1 of 6 - Country Life

Source: Eddie2sox
Tuesday 13th November 2007, 12:46pm

Off to a flying start, and introducing two ingredients I had never considered beforeÂ….

Our first recipe was the “Perfect” entry, and turned out to be “Perfect Welsh Rabbit” from Country Life’s website. There are a couple of interesting historical notes attached: “Yes, rabbit, not rarebit, as Welsh rabbit turned up in print in 1725 and rarebit 60 years later. In 1747, Hannah Glasse had recipes for rabbits for Scotland, Wales and England. The first was just toasted cheese on toast and butter, Welsh rabbit had mustard added, and English rabbit had red wine soaked into the toast.”

The inclusion of mustard was something I had only heard about in the last week or so, when both Old Bob AND Woolpack Wally told me that they like to include it, during pre-competition discussions at the Grumpy Old Men‘s Club. Equally, the inclusion of beer was a new one on me, so I had some concern as to what kind of beer to use. A few of this week’s recipes demand beer, be it “brown ale”, “beer” or “strong beer” so I plumped for Marston’s Pedigree which seems to tick all those boxes.

As always the photo is my own version of the recipe.

Find the recipe online here : http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/article/116565/Perfect_welsh_rabbit.html

A good start and a tasty, easy recipe. I’ve never included mustard or beer in cheese on toast before, but they certainly provided a bit of depth and “oomph”, making the whole thing a pleasure to eat.

Looks just like cheese on toast traditionally does. There’s toast at the bottom, and cheese on the top. Not bad, not great, just…..cheese. On. Toast. Will any of the other recipes try to do anything different?

With minimal ingredients the recipe was simplicity itself, but would that produce a bland, uninspiring finished product? The first job was to “grate the cheese”. Again, I have always just sliced the cheese, so this was another new one on me. This was then mixed with butter, Worcester sauce, mustard and beer to produce a “rough paste”, which was then spread over toast and grilled. The recipe tells you to grill for “a minute or so” until the mixture singes in patches, but this actually took four minutes until the required effect appeared.

Country Life Dot Com - 9

Day Two - James Martin.

Day Three - The Foody Dot Com.

Day Four - Sue Marchant.

Day Five - Delia Smith.

Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

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I Own A Football Club!

Source: Eddie2sox
Tuesday 13th November 2007, 11:42am

Along with the other members of MyFootballClub.Com of course....

A deal has been agreed in principle to take over Ebbsfleet FC, who play in the Blue Square Premier League and are hoping to be promoted to the Football League this season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gravesend_and_northfleet/7089473.stm

http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=46265

Look out for me in my Ebbsfleet shirt around town soon!

Oh, and you can call me "Gaffer". Or if the idea appeals to you sign up and become a co-owner with me!

The website tells us this:

MyFootballClub has agreed a deal in principle to purchase a controlling stake in Ebbsfleet United FC. Placed 9th in the Conference, Ebbsfleet United FC is one promotion from reaching the Football League for the first time in its history.

MyFootballClub members will also have the option to buy 100% of the football club in the future for a fixed price.

Funds will be made available to Liam Daish during the January transfer window to help the club push towards the play-off places.

As part of the deal, the current Board will continue their roles at the club as non-executives after the date of takeover, and club staff (including the manager) will also stay on.

The football club selection process
Some of the top 15 clubs chosen by members were ruled out because they didn’t fulfil our criteria, for example high levels of debt. In all, MyFootballClub was approached by nine football club owners, and we approached several others. Getting to know one club and meeting the personalities involved is a process that can take several weeks. In three months, we took a close look at seven clubs. Confidentiality means we cannot disclose details of any of these discussions.

Of the seven football clubs considered, the MyFootballClub team believes that Ebbsfleet United FC presents a unique opportunity. Here is some background to the deal and the football club:

Price
We have been able to structure a deal so that the up front payment is relatively small (to allow investment in the squad), with a further staged payment due 12 months after takeover. The club will also have a small amount of debt, which will need to be repaid or refinanced 3 years after takeover.

Only when due diligence is complete can further details be released.

Current Directors and club staff
For continuity, all club staff will remain. Directors will become non-executive Directors and will continue their roles at the club.

The manager
Liam Daish’s title will change from Manager to Head Coach, in recognition of the unique role he will perform. Liam’s backroom staff, including assistant Alan Kimble, will remain.

Division
Playing in the Conference National, MyFootballClub members across the UK will have the opportunity of going to watch Ebbsfleet United matches close to home. This would not have been the case with a club in a regional division.

Promotion to the Football League is one of the great prizes in English football, and the Conference also has a Wembley play-off final. The division enjoys a similar amount of TV and press coverage as Division Two.

History
Ebbsfleet United FC is a new name, but its roots can be traced back Gravesend United FC (formed in 1893) and Northfleet United FC (formed in 1890). These two clubs merged in 1946 to become Gravesend & Northfleet FC. In May 2007, the football club changed its name to Ebbsfleet United FC.

Ground
Stonebridge Road was built in 1946 and has a capacity of 5,248 of which approximately 4,000 is standing. The club has a 17-year lease to play there the with a peppercorn rent. Plans are ongoing to build and move to a new stadium in the vicinity.

So as well as offering something for the traditionalist, there is also the prospect of a new stadium in future.

Club sponsor
Eurostar is the club’s main sponsor. The club is in the first season of a three-year deal. The club will receive monies in year two and three.

Location and transport
Ebbsfleet United FC is in northwest Kent and enjoys good transport links. By car it is junction 2 on the M25. And Northfleet station (a 5 minute walk to the ground) is 55 minutes from Charing Cross, London. Gravesend Station is also near by. And it is a 40 minute drive from Gatwick Airport.

Ebbsfleet International Station, on the Eurostar line, opens on 19 November. It's approximately 500m from the Stonebridge Road. In December 2009, a high speed 15-minute domestic service from St Pancras will be added.

Local area
The new £100m Ebbsfleet International Station with its 15-minute journey time to St Pancras will make the area extremely desirable for commuters and businesses. To provide for Ebbsfleet’s growing population, plans are in place for 3000 residential units, 2,190 acres of new parks and open spaces and 4.5 million sq ft of commercial property, which will create around 20,000 new jobs.

Commenting on the deal in principle between EUFC and MyFootballClub:

Liam Daish, Ebbsfleet United manager: “Everyone has worked wonders to get this club to in the top half of the Conference. We all agree the club needs something extra to take it to the next step.

As a football fan, I think the MyFootballClub idea is fantastic. And as the coach, I look forward to the challenge of working with thousands of members to produce a winning team. Alan Kimble and myself are 100% committed to making this work.”

Jessica McQueen, Ebbsfleet United Supporters Trust Chair: “Also being a Trust, our members understand the MyFootballClub concept immediately. We very much look forward to working with the MyFootbcallClub members for the benefit Ebbsfleet United.”

Jason Botley, Ebbsfleet United Chairman: “The Board, Liam Daish and his coaching staff, club employees and myself are united in believing this is a great opportunity for Ebbsfleet United. This extra finance and support will enable our club to progress.”

Brian Kilcullen, Ebbsfleet United Director: “This partnership will also allow us to concentrate on driving the club forward in other areas, such as working on the new stadium development.”

Will Brooks, MyFootballClub: “Nine football clubs approached MyFootballClub and we believe that Ebbsfleet United is the perfect choice. We hope that MyFootballClub members and Ebbsfleet United supporters will join forces and make the football club more sustainable and successful.”

Dan Jones, Partner at Deloitte and Editor of the Annual Review of Football Finance: “The MyFootballClub ownership model is an innovative way of funding a lower league club. Reports of having raised over £700,000 in 11 weeks suggests it is viable too. The Sports Business Group at Deloitte has been following its progress with interest, and we're now looking forward to offering our experience in football finance to assist with advice and guidance during the due
diligence process.”

Further Quotes from Liam Daish: “Picking elevens and formations isn’t a precise science, and luck often plays its part. I believe a strong dressing room and 11 who want to perform are just as important. And I’ll continue to make sure that happens.

“During and after matches, Ebbsfleet supporters often give me their opinion on which players should or shouldn’t start games. Now they can have their say.”

“My job won’t change that much. As a club, we’ll select an eleven and formation together. But just as before, what goes on at the training ground, in the dressing room on matchday is down to me.”

“It’s the supporters money that will finances this club. Pays my and the players’ wages. So there’s a good argument for them having a say in what players they want to see.”

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Bird Flu Crisis!

Source: Eddie2sox
Tuesday 13th November 2007, 7:16am

Never mind thinking whether or not us humans can catch bird flu....

....what about the birds!? Who's thinking of them? NOBODY! And Norfolk Single Dad is disgusted.

6,500 innocent turkeys lost their lives yesterday. What did they do? Did they ever drop litter? Did they make hoax calls to the fire brigade? Did they HELL!

Imagine if you woke up one morning with a sniffly nose and sore throat, then by teatime you were dead, electrocuted and incinerated. An ex-turkey. You wouldn't be very happy.

Think about the birds!

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Sam's Award!

Source: Eddie2sox
Tuesday 13th November 2007, 7:08am

How proud am I today? Sam has been awarded his first ever certificate from his school....

What's most impressive to me is that the certificate was for "Best Manners" so far this school year. It's true that Sam does have excellent manners, and people often tell me so, but to be handed a real, proper, red certificate will cement the idea in Sam's own head.

Super proud!

p.s. the picture is of ska band Bad Manners, which is obviously not what Sam got his certificate for....

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Email From Sam

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 12th November 2007, 8:49pm

I got an email from my son today. How proud am I of my superstar>

The email I received is here in full:

Sam has drawn a plane tonight and wanted you to see it!

erierikewkrlro4p3-34p33[=[e';re;0;/edsQW/E////

eVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

w;o'll43ple43kr5.kt5lk65m,4k5

Daddy8wqioi

SAM

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Cheese On Toast / Welsh Rarebit Week!

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 12th November 2007, 2:47pm

Off we go again, road-testing six different ways of producing comfort food favourite "cheese on toast". For simplicity's sake it will be known as Welsh Rarebit from now on....

Six different versions of a favourite recipe. The Scrambled Egg Week was great fun, so we're off again, slapping cheese onto toast, together with various other ingredients, and using different ways of cooking the whole lot to produce a childhood memory meal.

The draw was carried out earlier, and the order of the week will be:

Day One - Perfect Welsh Rarebit (where "perfect Welsh Rarebit" is entered into Google, and the first recipe is used). This time the recipe is provided by Country Life Dot Co Dot UK. This is first up, later today.

Day Two - James Martin. The winner of the Scrambled Egg challenge, will photogenic Mister Martin retain his crown?

Day Three - The Foody Dot Com. A gastronome's website present their own special take on our recipe.

Day Four - Sue Marchant. Sue is a BBC Radio Norfolk DJ, presenting the evening show in great style. Indeed, it was Sue who suggested we try "cheese on toast" recipes, and she emailed her own unique version to Norfolk Single Dad last week.

Day Five - Delia Smith. Let's be having ya Delia! After narrowly avoiding relegation with her scrambled egg, Mrs Reliable is back to try and regain lost kudos.

Day Six - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Somewhat of a wildcard, who knows how modern-day Good Life devotee Hugh will perform? Will River Cottage be top of the pops?

The ingredients are collected (see pic), the recipes are printed. Good luck everyone!

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IMM Bloggers FC Top Of The League!

Source: Eddie2sox
Sunday 11th November 2007, 9:45am

Our team is currently 9 points clear at the top of the league with only 7 games left to play!

Top scorers so far are Roxy with 43 goals, Letty with 40, and Pasty Muncher with 37.

Betsy has been booked most times, with 9 yellow cards, followed by Green Fingers (7) and Hazel Eyes (5).

Betsy's also been sent off twice, while are only other two dismaissals were Frustrated Businessman and Green Fingers.

We're gonna win the league!

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Great Day, Touched With Sadness

Source: Eddie2sox
Saturday 10th November 2007, 10:49pm

Yay, I was free of norovirus symptoms so Sam was on a sleepover!

Picked him up from nursery and we had good fun playing Batman and Joker Lego games until tea time. Tea was Pukka pie (you can get them in Tesco now), chips and beans. Unhealthy food does you good now and then. Sam was very tired so bedtime was quick.....but then my usual Friday night horrors began!

I can NEVER sleep well when Sam is here. I wake up every hour and feel I have to check on Sam to see if he is still breathing - ridiculous I know, but I can't help it. I went to bed at about 11 after watching the Beeb's ace comedy night, but I can remember being awake at 2355.

At 0044 I woke up and went to check Sam.

At 0158 I woke and went to check on Sam.

At 0348 (according to my phone) I woke up but couldn't see the time on the radio. Then noticed the hallway light was off. Jumped out of bed fearing a weird kidnap attempt for Sam. Looked out of the window and there were no lights in King's Lynn, anywhere, as far as I could see. Checked the fuse box, no trips. Assuming a powercut I lit some candles, in case Sam woke up in complete darkness and panicked. Five minutes after lighting candles the lights came back on.

At 0420 I woke worried about Sam - he was OK.

0538 Sam arrived in Daddy's bed. Not a bad thing but you know sleeptime is over.

0615 Alarm goes off, Sam leaps out of bed and says "Shall we start playing?", Daddy rolls out of bed and says "Soon"

Then the morning routine starts. Bit of telly, lots of playing. Breakfast, log in to the TMI website.

Then TMI starts. Today, if Caroline Flack ended the show with more "friends" than she had at the start of the show, she would be soaked/gunged/glooped to the n-th degree. I asked Sam what he wanted to do. Sam said "Vote for Caroline so she gets soaked"! Good lad ;)

We had ham sandwiches for dinner while I cooked our spaghetti bolognaise tea (saves a lot of time in our Saturday evening rush), then set off to visit Nana.

I was somewhat nervous about going to my Mum and Dad's house for the first time knowing Dad would not be there. Sam wasn't. I happened to mention that we weren't far from Nana and Grandad's, and Sam corrected me by saying "Daddy, it's just Nana's now". How easy is it for young children

Sam fell asleep and woke up just as we arrived at Nana's. For the first 45 minutes he was SO uncommunicative. I think it was a lot to do with just waking up, but probably, in hindsight, trying to sort out what was going on in this place where Grandad always is, but isn't now. It's the first time the facts of Sam's Grandad passing away have been met head on. We had a really nice visit.

THE SADDEST thing for me was completely unexpected. I made Sam have a wee before we left, then followed him in. Then I noticed in the corner of the bathroom, put out of the way, Dad's beer. There was a pack of Boddington's beer - he loved it - with three of the four cans still attached. His last drink. I had a quick tear sitting on the side of the bath before we came home.

At the end Sam gave Nana a massive huggly hug, which was lovely. Auntie Cas arrived at exactly the same time. I feel bad, but with Sam due home at 6 we couldn't stay longer, sorry......

When we got home we had a normal Saturday night rush. Quick bath, Sam washed Daddy's hair for a change, Sat down at the table for tea, then we had 5 minutes play before You've Been Framed came on. I'd arranged with Sam's mummy that he could watch it there, so that was the softener for going back to mum's house.

We had a great day today. Tinged with sadness. Who'd have thought that a pack of beer with just one missing would make me cry? Must describe the Marching Band thing soon, we laughrd ourselves stupid at the Hardwicke Roundabout tonight....

I went out later, but that will either remain a mystery or I'll tell you tomorrow.

Love you Sam. Love you Mum. Love you Dad.

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East Anglia Flood Alerts

Source: Eddie2sox
Thursday 8th November 2007, 11:39pm

Seems like not everyone in East Anglia is taking it seriously!

While Norfolk was on high alert at 9 p.m., Suffolk radio was reporting people looking at the sea and thinking it was lovely.

While Norfolk residents were almost fighting for sandbags, Suffolk radio was laughing at the very idea of sandbags. There was even a quote "Everyone including the fire brigade knows that sandbags do no good anyway".

While vulnerable people in Norfolk were being evacuated to safe places, the same people in Suffolk were not.....

So who will be right? I am not into the Norfolk v Suffolk rivalry but I have witnessed tonight two very different responses to the predicted spring tides.

BBC Radio Norfolk were advising about the potential flooding from tea time. BBC Radio Suffolk were still doing the jolly hockey sticks, it'll be something nice to look at at the seafront aspect, until at least ten thirty pm.

Who is right? Who knows at this time of night. I hope it turns out to be a scare over nothing. That way the Suffolk authorities will be vindicated. If not, the Norfolk way will prove to have been the best.

Update at 2351 : Radio Suffolk is still saying things are calm in Lowestoft, yet saying this must be a huge risk as the Government have been talking about it. Let's hope the Suffolk people have nerves of steel and that the flooding doesn't happen!

Off to bed. Wanted to zonk out earlier but not tired. Ready for sleep now. Seeing Sam tomorrow!

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I'm Definitely Buying A Football Club!

Source: Eddie2sox
Thursday 8th November 2007, 8:56am

As reported on 3 June in this blog, I am part of "My Football Club", and we're about to buy a real football team!

I know it's of little interest to anyone else, but I will soon be part-owner of a real, live football club, and will also be voting on player selections, tactics, transfers etc.

I am ridiculously excited.

If you want a piece of the action look HERE

For a bonus of two points, who can tell me which English League club's Directors' Box is shown in this picture?

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If You Can, Spare A Thought....

Source: Eddie2sox
Wednesday 7th November 2007, 7:47pm

A mate's wife died today after jumping from a car park.

All the fellow members of the Grumpy Old Men's Club, and lots of other people, have been rallying round, but I guess it means sod all to him right now. Seeing our usually extrovert friend looking so empty and lost was a real shock for everyone.

I only met his missus a couple of times (not mentioning names at the moment) but she seemed to be a lovely woman, under huge pressure at work. Why can't we see the signs before they take the last step?

Once again, please send an email, or make a phone call, or send a card to someone you haven't heard from in a while. When they're gone, they're gone, and it's crap.

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Eddie2sox Is Not Well....

Source: Eddie2sox
Tuesday 6th November 2007, 9:38pm

Typical, when life seems a bit crap, something else happens to make it worse....I've picked up Winter Vomiting Virus!

Also known as norovirus, it started with intense projectile vomiting at about half three in the morning, progressed to the cracking headaches, aching limbs, and the disgusting watery diarrhoea. Somehow I made myself go in to clean the pub, but that had the effect of completely exhausting me. Staggered into town for Immodium and Paracetemol, and it's been horrible ever since.

As well as the physical symptoms, me and Sam's mum decided that I wouldn't see Sam today or tomorrow as norovirus is extremely contagious and I did not want my little boy going through what I am. Not seeing Sam is another kick in the teeth. We'll think about the weekend if all symptoms have been gone for 48 hours.

What's the next disaster going to be?

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Name That Bird?

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 5th November 2007, 12:23pm

Sam and me spotted a very unusual bird outside our flat at the weekend......

.....and we hope someone will help us find out what sort of bird it is.

Apologies for the poor picture, but it was the best I could manage.

The bird was about 30cm tall, with a reddish/brown head, white face, and greeny/yellow feathers. More green than yellow actually as it blendeed nicely with the grass it was sitting on. The beak was long, pointy and black - Sam thought it was a woodpecker.

Any ideas?

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College Repairs Sign!

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 5th November 2007, 12:07pm

Another Norfolk Single Dad triumph!

On October 10th I blogged about the litter around the college up the road, and also how terrible their sign looked with the "A" missing. It read "College Of West nglia". Shoddy.

I emailed my opinions, and photos off to relevant people and hey presto! The "A" is back!

I've lived here for nearly two years and the letter has always been absent from the sign, yet when the Norfolk Single Dad blog gets on the case we get results. Another consumer result for IMM.

The college sign joins the Walks lamp posts, Seabrook's crisps, Norfolk meatloaf, banger racing documentary and national bad parking website in our list of battle honours. Norfolk Single Dad Rocks!

Media Interest

As we speak, Norfolk Single Dad is in tentative talks with a radio station with regards to discussing the Scrambled Egg Week. What a strange world.

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Scrambled Egg Week 6 of 6 - James Martin

Source: Eddie2sox
Monday 5th November 2007, 2:10am

Last in to bat is girlie favourite Mister Martin, can he upset the apple cart?Â…..

The James Martin recipe had high ideas - it was easily the fanciest of the week. You see, the recipes have increased in complexity through the week - I don’t just throw these things together you know! Tirelessly working for a better world!

So. James Martin.. I’m not sure if I like this cook or not. Mostly I think he’s a funny-ish bloke who’s lucky to be on telly doing something he enjoys. Good for him!

This recipe was the first that mentioned presentation. I found that something of a revelation. Added to that the separate parts of the recipe, which made the whole cooking experience easy and productive. James Martin came up with a cracker, scrambled egg disguised as full English. I cooked this with my 4-year-old running round, so it wasn’t a difficult recipe.

This recipe can be found here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/print/scrambledeggswithwil_84259.shtml

So how did this rate:

Taste - 4.5 - Absolutely delicious! Taken as a whole meal, this was basically bacon and eggs, dressed up as scrambled egg. This was bloody delicious, The parsley mushrooms were fantastic, MUCH tastier than I had imagined,

Texture - 4 - I don‘t own a texture meter, but if I did I think it would have gone off the scale. As with all recipes there was no advice on how long to beat the eggs, but after a week of scrambled eggs the whisking has become standard.

Ease/Effort - 3.5 - This recipe is the most demanding, presentation-wise. But it is also one of the easiest. Anyone can fold parsley into cooked mushrooms!

Total score = 12 out of 15. The most demanding recipe of the week wins through. What won it? Well, presentation combined with a superb combination of flavours. This is, essentially, a full English, dressed up as scrambled egg. Make sure the bacon is good quality and you will not go wrong.

The full Results :

12 - James Martin

11 - Jamie Oliver

10.5 - Nigella Lawson

9.5 - Mr Breakfast

8.5 - Delia Smith

6 - Waitrose Dot Com

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Fireworks Party Fun

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 2nd November 2007, 11:45pm

Tonight we went to a traditional back garden fireworks party - and it was FAB!

We were going to set off our fireworks outside the flats, but were invited over to Janet & Oscar's instead. Janet's mate Zoe and her little boy Harry were there too.

I set up the fireworks while the girlies made hotdogs and coffee for everyone, and tons of cake and ice cream for the nippers, who were playing together and having great fun as if they were old friends. The boys had been given torches on arrival and were having a lot of fun playing with them, and spotting non-existant monsters in the garden. We then trooped out to set off the fireworks (we had lots of them, great 2 for 1 deals from supermarkets), including 17 rockets, catherine wheels, roman candles, the good old-fashioned names from my childhood. Sam watched from inside as he's not keen on the bangs yet, and Daddy forgot the ear defenders, doh.

It was a lovely evening. I don't think I have been to a "proper" fireworks party like that for maybe 20 years. Only downer was Sam's mum phoning up in a strop because we'd gone to the party AND NOT TOLD HER. How terrible. She was also trying to illicit as much info as possible about the two lovely ladies who were there. It was pretty embarrassing altogether. As we left Sam and Harry were given a special Spiderman toothbrush and holder, which Sam was so excited about.

Sam cried when we left, "end of funtime" tears, but he went to sleep really nicely at bedtime after a story or two. Bedtime for me now as well, got a busy day playing tomorrow and a few drinks with a gaggle of gorgeous girlies in the evening. Can't be bad eh?

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Dear Deidre....

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 2nd November 2007, 12:39pm

The Woolpack's greatest agony-aunt based "fill in the gaps" contest is back with a ****! (Answer = BANG!

Yes quiz fans, you read that right, "Dear Deidre" is BACK in The Woolpack! The game where punters have to fill in the missing word from the headlines on The Sun's Dear Deidre problem page returned last night for the first time in.....ooooh.....yonks.

Reigning champion Craig was present to defend his title, with stiff opposition from Susie Lemonpants, Jay and Shaun. The rules are simple - contestants try to guess the word that has been removed from the headline of each sob story, if they get it spot-on the bag 2 points, a good attempt nets 1 point, and points can be added or deducted for ANYTHING at all. Last year 2 points were awarded for someone wearing a nice yellow jumper. Bribes are always welcome, and usually rewarded.

The headlines were (the stars don't equate to the number of letters in the answers):

1. "Sex so sweet and **** with my dad's new wife".

2. "All jibes and no ****".

3. "She sleep-****"

4. "Perv boss texted me **** pics".

5. "Bride **** me blind".

The game was intense and tactical, the quality of play was high, and the new Dear Deidre Champion Of The World is SUSIE LEMONPANTS! Good work girlie, and hard lines boys. And Craig, you took the loss of your world crown with great dignity and sportsmanship. You'll be back son, you'll be back....

By the way, the correct answers were:

1 - Hot

2 - Action

3 - Cheats

4 - Naked

5 - Robbed

DEAR DEIDRE ROCKS!

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Crap Parking League XXVI

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 2nd November 2007, 9:01am

Ello, ello, ello, what have we here then sunshine?

Whoops-a-daisy! The boys in blue (well, actually, this car was in the care of two female coppers) enter the bad parking fray with this absolute beauty. It's lovely and straight, but unfortunately they're blocking in four cars in the Disabled Parking section of the car park. Tut Tut WPC Plod. Helping make Norfolk a safer place - by preventing people from driving around....

Table:

New Shape Mini.....4

Vauxhall Corsa.....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 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

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Scrambled Egg Week 5 of 6 - Nigella Lawson

Source: Eddie2sox
Friday 2nd November 2007, 2:39am

Time for the sexiest cook on TV, with the most amazing bottom - not as if that would affect the judgingÂ…..

A seemingly complicated recipe which turned out a lot better than I’d hoped. Nigella goes for a complex version of this easy meal and comes up trumps. This is another recipe that adds extra ingredients yet doesn’t tell you how long to whisk the egg mixture for, which I would have thought is the most important part. This is a tasty meal, and you don’t have to dip your finger into the mix then lick it suggestively - unless you want to of course. For added realism I pushed a pillow down the rear of my trousers, to provide a similar bootilicious bumper to the awesome lady herself.

The complete recipe is here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spicyscrambledeggs_87272.shtml

So how did this rate:

Taste - 4 - The recipe was not specific about the egg mixture - again - so I whisked until there was a uniform colour and consistency. I am amazed and disappointed that so many recipes for scrambled eggs do NOT tell you how long to beat the egg mixture for. The taste was a great mix, and I loved it. There were different mixes of flavours in each mouthful, the green chilli really plays its part. The tortillas - much to my surprise - worked well, and “bulked up” this recipe to make it a real meal deal.

Texture - 4 - The eggs were “fine“ using the “whisk until consistent“ method. The fried tortillas were amazingly good, and added to the dish immensely. The served meal had the usual scrambled egg with a good mixture of the chilli, tomato, and the tortillas. I didn’t think it would work, but it did.

Ease/Effort - 2.5 - The recipe seems quite arty-farty before you try it. There‘s quite a lot of effort involved, which seems daunting beforehand. In practice, de-seeding chillies and tomatoes is easier than it sounds. The result though makes the effort worthwhile. Looks complicated which may put people off, but isn’t, so a lower score for looking scary.

Total score = 10.5 out of 15. A superb contribution from TV‘s sexiest cookery expert. Thank you Nigella for this recipe, I LOVED it. See you at Green Quay next week, Wednesday, at 10. This recipe looks so much tougher than it actually is. The addition of other flavours seemed to be a bad move but turned out just great.

Results so far:

11 - Jamie Oliver

10.5 - Nigella Lawson

9.5 - Mr Breakfast

8.5 - Delia Smith

6 - Waitrose Dot Com

Tomorrow - James Martin

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