Baking Books

I appear to have done it again.  

I have accidentally collected too many books to read. 

Certainly I took advantage of an 'Amazon' card to obtain three 2nd hand books via 'World of Books' for just over £7, this I find the best way to obtain them, but am I to blame for other books being given or er, found in places?  They cannot be left lying around, someone might steal them, so taking them to a safe refuge such as my bookshelf is important.  

Looking at these books I am wondering why I was looking through the 'Amazon' shelves again just because there is another £7 or so pounds to be used up.  Shall I go for more Ronald Blythe, or another trip around the country?  Possibly yet another 'must have ' Great War book that ought to be on my shelf?  Suggestions, and I get them, to obtain books teaching spelling, grammar and 'How to Write Properly,' will be ignored as they were while I was at school.

A woman on Twitter the other day mentioned how she attempted to offer books to the local school.  They were grateful but only took one.  It appears kids will not read books, possibly the mobile phone and online research is good enough to get them through, depending on the subject.     

Trying to warm the place up cheaply, I decided to bake what one woman called 'Wartime Shortbread.'  Whether it has any other name I know not.  4oz, marge, 8 oz flour, 2 oz castor sugar, she says, though I tended to just dump it in, and 20 minutes later out comes a biscuit.  

The last one I made tasted OK, though some fool had put in too much castor sugar.  The same fool accidentally put in more this time.  I need something late at night to accompany my tea and this is the answer, a cheap biscuit.  Even I can do it, but it will never sell.

A similar version using oats worked last time, but it tends to put on weight when you just eat the lot in one go!

Media Flapjacks!

A quick glance through the front pages of the papers, as seen on the BBC website, reveals the sad state of journalism in this nation.  Both the BBC site and the BBC Scotland site offer the front page of the press, the front page is occasionally different in Scotland.  These offer large bold headlines with little story to accompany the headline. The story offered is of course not the main story of the day, it is the main story the owner wishes you to read, his Oxbridge select editor may well disagree with almost everything he publishes but will print it anyway as the money is good.  Facts, integrity and, gulp, journalism will be difficult to find.  What a sad state of affairs.

It has of course always been this way.  Know what your audience wants and give it to them, even if it is junk!  In recent days we have seen such media scream for Nicola Sturgeon to resign, the failure of the Scots committee to nail her to the wall leaves the press the next day avoiding the failure and looking elsewhere for distracting stories.  How disappointing for them.  While demanding she goes none demand any of the Conservative cabinet go, no matter how many lies they offer.  Today Pritti Patel's bullying is revealed to have cost the government £340,000 in compensation, plus the costs, yet she is still in place, how can this be? Until the PM's men indicate she must go the right wing press, which is all we have left, will keep quiet about her misdemeanours.  

The judge in another case has declared Hancock failed in his duty to publish details of PPE and other contracts within the specified time.  Those bringing the case were awarded £85,000 towards costs.  Hancock has lost, will he resign?  No, those days are now behind us.

The BBC is now controlled totally by the government, no condemnation, no journalism allowed if it exposes Boris and his men.  The others, SKY and ITV are also submissive to the controlling elite, we must ask why?  

It is now a requirement of those who wish to know more, to find journalism, to find facts, that an internet search is a daily slog in the hope of finding information regarding the days dealings.  This is a risky business as the web is flooded with false information, biased newsrooms and foreign interference.  It is however the only way to go.

However, we must ask why we have such a poor, crooked government elected?  How did they get there?  Clearly the Brexit lie helped, the Brexiteers closed their eyes to the cost, many still do, and emotion won the voctory.  But a vast number opposed this and the opposition party did not make use of their grumblings, why so?  

So we have corrupt government, feeble, indeed, missing opposition, a lying press living off this bunch of gangsters, and now a pandemic on top.

Something is going on, and this is not clear to any of us at the moment.

 

 

Are 'Flapjacks' meant to look like this....?

I feel I may have misjudged the recipe amounts.  First I put in too little, then too much, then altered it and within minutes I could smell smoke...

I had made er, shortbread, shortly before this so the oven was quite hot.  This, er, flapjack, does have a sort of taste, mostly Stork Margarine, and with the burnt edge removed it is quite edible.  

Flavour of course is not an option...

 

Burning...

After several days of sloth I decided to bake today.  I have been planning this for a while now and finally got around to it.  In days past I often made my own oatcakes, flapjacks and shortbread.  I gave this up after finding the flapjacks delicious and putting on half a stone in a relatively short time.

Today I had a go at the oatcakes and as long as I can cope with a burnt topping, crumbling mess and putting on weight I think I did OK, though why it does not stick together I know not.  

The picture above comes from a different recipe, one I will try next as it looks simpler than mine.  

The mess left behind is completely out of proportion to the feeble burnt offering produced.  Far too many items require washing up, far to much of the bunker is covered in a variety of er, stuff, and I need to eat all produced to give strength to clean up after cooking.  How come people do this for a living?

 

 

The Chancer of the Exchequer produced yet another budget making the poorest pay for the richest. He did not mention those who live abroad as tax exiles, failing also to mention if his wife does this, nor did he pay anything to the NHS as promised.  Indeed it appears he is cutting their cash, to benefit US private health companies I suspect.  The usual blether from the right wing press, there appears to be no other today, supporting this great man, much to Boris's indignation I would suggest.  However, it makes little differnce to the poor like me, though you rich people out there might find your tax cut, if you bring in lots of 0000's in your wages.

 

 

The Tory press is quite quiet today having failed to cause a war within the Scottish National Party and failing to create a situation with which to force Nicola to resign.  The clamour for her resignation was loud in all right wing English owned media and threats of 'confidence' votes were heard, today nothing!  

The media calling for resignation are the same media that do not call for Boris or Sunak or Hancock to resign over their lies, corruption and deceit, I wonder why?  Now I actually am not a fan of Nicola, I prefer Alec, and much in the way the SNP is run worries me.  However, when she gets the Indy vote through, when Scotland is independent the Scots government will run things in their own way, parties will change, personnel will change and hopefully we can return to arguing with one another properly without English interference.

Monday Muse

George Osborne the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave his speech today at the Conservative Party Conference and earned 'luke war applause,'  according to one Rosa Prince, the Telegraph 'Online Political Editor,' whatever that is!  "What did he say?" I hear you ask.  I neither know nor care.  In fact whatever was to follow here is now rapidly going the same way I did while listening to said Chancellor lying in his teeth discussing his policies on the 'Today' programme this morning.  I switched off then, I think I will do so now.  Suffice to say his friends will be OK, and the 'plebs' will carry the can, they always do.

This is a painting by one Mark Rothko, a famous, important, abstract painter whom you have never heard off until now.  This 'work of art' was 'vandalised' by a chap who added a postcript at the bottom.  What surprised me concerning this news was the price, this 'art work' is valued at £10 million!  "Jings! Crivvens! And Help ma Boab!"  I used to do abstract art at school but at no time did the art teacher put down the geography teacher from next door long enough to inform me that my 'work' was worth 'millions.'  He did place one on the lobby wall certainly but I am unsure whether he sent it to a gallery after I left or used it as dart board.  I can guess....  The art world, and indeed the fashion world, are one big con!  An understanding and appreciation of art is not required, just lots of money if you wish to be seen buying the 'right thing,' and a huge determination to be seen and find fame and fortune if you are an 'artist.  Talent is not required.

I attempted the Carrot Cake today and I am mightily surprised by the result.  It may never sell in the local national bakers but it will be good enough for me.  Quite why she calls these carrot cookies I fail to comprehend.  The Yanks were still playing baseball in 1940 while Britain 'stood alone' as the cheese eating surrender monkeys did what they do best.  I am quite pleased with myself now.  Tomorrow it's Bannocks!

.

Monday Ramblings

With autumn settling in, the leaves beginning to brown and the rain making it's presence felt I thought a picture of blue sky was called for.  I took this snap on Saturday when two ancient aircraft flew over the cemetery.  They must have been heading for a show somewhere, there are still several airports within a twenty mile radius. Sadly my little camera is not capable of reaching them 2000 feet up. In the cemetery I was once again looking for Serjeant Smoothy.  I called to him several times, I suggested he raised his hand so I could see him, but no answer was the reply.  I suppose being dead since 1919 slows down the responses. 

Mine we slow when I sauntered round to the museum early to dismantle the 'Essex in Sport' exhibition, or whatever it was called.  A display commemorating all the sporting greats from the county.  This included a visit from Jimmy Greaves, a genuinely good footballer and England great.  Not from from us resides Geoff Hurst though whom England stole the World cup, for the second time, by not scoring three goals in the 1966 world cup final.  The ball never crossed that line!  Not that I am one to mention this however.  The work only took a short time, less than an hour and my contribution was complete and I was flung back out onto the street.  However being so unfit I feel the effects even now.  How easily muscle goes stiff!  

Bored?  So am I.  Nothing to write about, no rants apart from the usual,nothing sensational to lay before the world.   My brain has been dead for a few days and no original thought crosses my mind just now.  Although the 'date cakes' I made from the World War Two recipes were excellent!  And I rarely say that about anything I make.  Try it!  I should say my weight is increasing, possibly I've had too much of the Date Cake.  Anyway, Carrott cake tomorrow. 

OK, yawn with your mouth closed, I'm off to watch the football, and fall asleep.

p.s. So you don't like Bill Evans jazz music eh?  Phillistines Pah!

.

Rain!

Rain! Non stop rain, beginning before the world arose from slumber, continuing non stop till now, and looking like it will cease only once the Friday drunks make their stumbling way to bed. Early this morning I woke to the sound of car wheels informing the world that not only were they up early but it was also wet. By the time I managed to pull the ragged curtains apart (how come spiders make so many webs?) and glance upwards, bleary eyed, at the gray clouds overhead, the world was sodden. No birds sang form high in the trees, vast numbers probably killed of by the snow I suspect, only umbrellas, hats, and turned up collars were to be seen passing by. The raindrops landing in the ever growing puddles making those lovly geometric circles as they plopped into the mucky water. If only I had a camera capable of capturing that moment. If only the lighting was such that those precious drops of water would release a glistening photograph for me. I suppose had I such a camera, and even allowing for sufficient light to obtain a result, I strongly suspect the natives here would request I place the camera in a more suitable place and shift my bulk out of their path. Barbarians abound in these parts. While the rain drenches the eastern half of the nation as it makes its way to the North Sea it at  least cleans the streets and in some areas this must be considered a good thing. Some part of the land, like Glasgow, only ever get clean streets in such weather!

Hamlyns of Scotland

To encourage you into healthy eating, here is one of my favourite recipients. By 'favourite' I mean one I can almost do successfully, sort of.......

Try it!

Biscuits and Cakes

Oat Rounds

These biscuits are the first cousin to the Digestive biscuit, with added oats. They are good with cheese or eaten by themselves with morning coffee.

50g (2oz) caster sugar
100g (4oz) soft margarine
100g (4oz) Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats
50g (2oz) plain flour

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3. Lightly grease two baking trays. Measure the sugar and margarine into a bowl and cream together. Add the oats and flour and work into the mixture. Lightly knead the mixture until smooth and roll out to a thickness of ¼" (5mm) on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds using a 2½" (6cm) cutter and place on prepared baking trays. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or beginning to colour. Lift onto a wire rack to cool.

Using margarine rather than butter results in a more shortbread-like product.