Eddie

The person seemingly buying all the aubergines at Tesco is really trying my patience. I tend to buy one or two a week for when I want to make moussaka, aubergine parmigiana, brinjal bhaji and the like, but for some strange, completely unfathomable reason, they have been unobtainable for the last three weeks.

I had one like that - all the pushing played havoc with my back

Little things please little minds.
This cheered me up...

Little things please little minds.
This cheered me up...

I hate it when people put apostrophe's in the wrong place as well

I'm spending an hour a day flicking through sky scanner, booking.com, Airbnb and trainline.
Not booking anything till I've had the jab but I've got a dozen potential holidays in my head depending on how long I have off, when I can go and how safe the destination is.
 
 

My favourite film of all time.

I get a regular supply of Tynt Meadow, but that's the only beer they brew at Mt St Bernard Monastery. If they did a tripel and a quad, life would be a whole lot less fretful.

Unfortunately my business is importing and installing high value industrial inspection equipment from Germany.
It nothing short of a disaster. I'm mid way through a project with a Northern Ireland company who are having a machine built in Italy. It's now easier for the NI company to deal with Italy than with me just over the Irish Sea.

As expected, BIAB have today filed for bankruptcy.

Just a heads-up - a Belgian friend reckons that BIAB are no more, have gone out of business, have ceased to be.
I used them for about 10 years without problems, but around November 2019 they started having problems. I think they expanded when they just weren't really ready to, and never really caught up.
Luckily, all my outstanding orders came through a couple of weeks before Christmas (about £400 worth), but I know people who weren't so lucky. If you have an outstanding order, put a claim in through Paypal or your credit card - pronto.

Just a heads-up - a Belgian friend reckons that BIAB are no more, have gone out of business, have ceased to be.
I used them for about 10 years without problems, but around November 2019 they started having problems. I think they expanded when they just weren't really ready to, and never really caught up.
Luckily, all my outstanding orders came through a couple of weeks before Christmas (about £400 worth), but I know people who weren't so lucky. If you have an outstanding order, put a claim in through Paypal or your credit card - pronto.

Just a heads-up - a Belgian friend reckons that BIAB are no more, have gone out of business, have ceased to be.
I used them for about 10 years without problems, but around November 2019 they started having problems. I think they expanded when they just weren't really ready to, and never really caught up.
Luckily, all my outstanding orders came through a couple of weeks before Christmas (about £400 worth), but I know people who weren't so lucky. If you have an outstanding order, put a claim in through Paypal or your credit card - pronto.

I feel like a fraud though. I appreciate your appreciation for these kind of things hence wanting to gift it to your goodself. 
 
Its a similar mindset to someone never going to Pride Park but blagging a Wembley ticket for the play offs! ?

They have no idea Eddie, try running a business where 95% of your raw materials are imported direct from Germany.
Never mind at least they can look forward to being served by a Somalian (instead of a Pole), next time they go into Wetherspoons.

Uphill into the fog both halves.

Beautiful...

*As long as they’re doing worse than us. 

Merry Christmas, gumps.
We love you really.

Merry Christmas, gumps.
We love you really.

That's very kind of you sir.  Same to you.
Gimme six, bro!

Angels in Belper are selling Plum Porter Grand Reserve in 2 pint containers to takeaway on Xmas Eve.
So thats that sorted 
 

It's Flemish stew - tastes utterly fantastic.
3 or 4 chopped onions 7 or 8 cloves of garlic, chopped 250 g mushrooms (I use chestnut mushrooms, but any really) 2 carrots, sliced thinly (julienne) 400 g beef (I tend to use shin beef - cheapish, but a decent cut) 25 cl beef stock 60 cl Belgian dark beer (I tend to use Leffe Brune - not the best by any means, but ok in a stew) Half a teaspoon of nutmeg 2 dessert spoons Syrop de Liege or any heavy fruit preserve (I've tried Morello cherry preserve, and that was really good) 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 dessert spoons Demerara sugar 2 slices of bread, liberally coated in Dijon mustard 1 bouquet garni Method
Fry onions in hot olive oil until they start to caramelise Add the garlic, reduce the temperature a little, continue frying for a couple of minutes until the pungent aroma hits Add the meat, fry until browned and sealed. Add the mushrooms and carrots Add the beef stock and beer Add the vinegar Reduce to a simmer Stir in the nutmeg Add the sugar and syrop de liege Add the bouquet garni Spread 2 slices of bread with the mustard and float on top of the stew, mustard side down Cover and simmer for 3 or 4 hours, until the meat starts to disintegrate, stirring occasionally. By now, the bread will have completely dissolved, and this causes the stew to thicken When the stew is very thick, serve with French Fries or chunky chips.

Give us a quiche and I'll tell you.

Actually, I fib. We are having the pork pie I froze 2 weeks ago (It was wrapped in parchment, silver foil and clingfilm as a test) and has now thawed. The quiche is to be frozen in the same manner as the pork pie was (but still in its dish) and is for Boxing Day. More pork pies to be cooked this Saturday.

Give us a quiche and I'll tell you.

Actually, I fib. We are having the pork pie I froze 2 weeks ago (It was wrapped in parchment, silver foil and clingfilm as a test) and has now thawed. The quiche is to be frozen in the same manner as the pork pie was (but still in its dish) and is for Boxing Day. More pork pies to be cooked this Saturday.