This topic contains 27,907 replies, has 831 voices, and was last updated by thinatlast 3 days, 4 hours ago.
Rosy, that’s one way to cure nausea! Sorry to put the damper on the dominant hand discussion but breaking the non-dominant wrist isn’t necessarily a blessing. From a therapy standpoint, patients actually have a faster and more complete recovery of their dominant hands and wrists – simply because they use them more spontaneously and tend to protect them less during the various stages of recovery. Keep that in mind and use whatever’s not immobilised as much as you can.
Betsy, I hope that bite heals quickly. I’ve seen some truly horrendous spider bites (mostly on hands) so it’s good that it’s being thoroughly monitored. I always have to look up license and licence now.
Totally concur with everything you said about TKRs, LJ and Penguin.
Well, that was a lot of therapy issues raised.
Poor Mr Anzac. Roll on February for the human training classes!
Ah, those anthems! I have been an Australian for nearly 30 years but never understood the anthem. There are some strange, old fashioned words for a new country. I haven’t been able to work out whether we’re asking for Australia to be advanced fairLY, or advancing a ‘fair Australia’ – in either case the grammar is irritating. And how weird will it be for those of us who’ve sung, ‘God Save The Queen’ for our entire lives to have to change that to ‘King’?
Penguin, no-one’s allowed toast on my FD. When I say ‘no-one’, I mean in our household. The OFMs have been sympathetic about this since I started 5:2. It doesn’t bother me to see them eating anything, just that tantalising toast aroma. Not that I ever eat toast, even on a NFD.
Welcome back biggles, that has been a while!
A lovely cool day today, hurray. It has been draining. Will have to cut this short and resume later.
Good morning. Home yesterday (2 am) and the dreaded jetlag has set in, but I’ll try to stay awake long enough to watch Ash Barty play tonight.
Weight damage not too great but I am not going to record it until the fluid issues are resolved. My usually trim ankles are anything but, after a 13 hour flight, five hours in an airport, and another 8 hour flight home. I think it’s less than 2 kilos, which for a 4 week holiday with 2 afternoon teas (not high teas Thin – my Scottish husband is with you on that), gin and wine almost every night, and more bread in the 4 weeks than I usually have in 6 months, I think I’ve done okay. FD later in the week, when I’ve been shopping and stocked up.
Thin, I wanted to post with the wonderful news that all my calls to the agent and the police seem to have been successful, and the noisy foul mouthed boys have not had their lease renewed. Yea! Of course we’ll probably get another lot, but for the time being I am wallowing in the quiet. We’ll have neighbours move in on the other side in a few days – it’s a Chinese family which is moving here because they heard our local school is excellent (and it is) but family noise is so different from boozey tradie shouting and swearing (not that I have anything against tradies … my SIL is an electrician…it’s just this particular bunch of tradies).
More later, once I’ve paid the bills. Lovely to be back.
Thin just on the subect of the anthem….it was written by a Scottish chap who migrated to Sydney in the mid-nineteenth century, hence some of the arcane language. ‘Girt’ is thought to come from the verb ‘to gird’ or to surround. Some of the more inflammatory verses have been dropped (ie the one that lauded Captain Cook, and with a good dose of Rule Brittannia thrown in for good measure).
Hard to know his intent when he threw in ‘fair’. Was he meaning ‘fairly’, or was he again only celebrating White Australia?
But you’d think we could have an anthem that didn’t assume Australia only began with European invasion.
I found the since-dropped second verse
When gallant Cook from Albion sailed,
To trace wide oceans o’er,
True British courage bore him on,
Til he landed on our shore.
Then here he raised Old England’s flag,
The standard of the brave;
“With all her faults we love her still”
“Britannia rules the wave.”
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair.
Hi guys, fd for me today as we were out at a barbie last night.
Thanks for all your good wishes, it’s been a day and a half since I fractured my wrist. The head was only a small gash. The wrist hurts a lot and doing the simplest things is difficult and painful. I’m also frustrated that I can’t drive at the moment.
Re ABBA costume , it would also work for a 70s, disco theme, but am unlikely to wear it much. The main reason I bought it was it was cheaper than hiring an outfit which is ironical.
Re I love a sunburnt country, I don’t get why it says ragged mountain ranges. I thought it was a typo and should have read rugged mountain ranges but ragged is correct. I think there is a Ragged Mt range in the east near the Blue Mts.
Welcome back Lindsay!
Lindsay, welcome home. Lovely to have you here although I do appreciate how often you popped in while on holiday – was that only four weeks? Not too much scales damage by the sounds of it. Thanks for the info on the anthem. White me hadn’t even considered that interpretation of ‘fair’. I quite like the eliminated verse but agree it’s inappropriate to consider the white invasion as Australia’s beginning. Nor is it appropriate to eliminate inconvenient parts of history. As for ragged mountains, that seems an odd feature to mention when describing the world’s oldest, flattest and driest continent. I realise there are beautiful mountains but that’s not our over-riding landscape feature in the scheme of things. And, hurray for getting rid of those vile neighbours. Enjoy the peace while it lasts. Ours have another 11 weeks on their lease.
Rosy, I hope your wrist starts feeling better soon. Head wounds tend to bleed profusely and often look much worse than they are. Annoying not being able to drive.
LJ, those bears are gorgeous. And what a price! But they do seem great quality and clearly, the little ones love their creations. Was that a Christmas present?
I’m off for coffee with a friend so, again, haven’t had a chance to reply to everyone.
Online early today – weighed myself this morning, and after what I consider to be a disastrous couple of days, am only 0.4 kg over what I was 10 days ago, and 0.6 kg LESS than my weigh-in on Saturday. Guess a case of salty chips and fluid retention then, but relieved all the same. Modified FD today, so we’ll see how I go (by that I mean around 800 cals).
Thanks LJoyce and penguin for your comments on TKR. When I dislocated my R knee in China and was home for rehab in 1997, many of the folk in the gym were on their 2nd or more replacements – one retired soldier was on his 4th, and had foot drop because of a cut nerve in that 4th op.; his replacements all lasted about 5 years each. I’m relieved from what you say, that the technology and expertise has improved so much in the past 20 years. Still, I’d like to avoid a TKR until it becomes essential. And lose more weight, of course!!! I have to do daily exercises to keep the muscles around the knee strong. Last time I got lazy with the exercises and had a problem with the leg wanting to give way on me, the physio just said “your knee’s shot, Bette”, but with diligent exercise again, it’s currently okay, so I cross my fingers and keep going. But, pulling the muscle in the thigh of the same leg was not ideal!!! (:
Quacka and thinatlast, unknown bites can be a concern, but fortunately, it looks like this one is settling now – the virulent red inflammation is starting to fade to brown and the heat in it has reduced, so I think it will be fine.
Anzac65, glad you’re enjoying the tennis too. I gave up mid-way through the Djokovic/ Medvedev match as it was getting too late, so don’t know who won. Guess I’ll find out later today.
LindsayL, welcome back to Oz. Interesting 2nd verse of the anthem – hadn’t seen that before. Definitely unsuitable for a few reasons, not least because Australia is not a part of the now defunct British Empire. Also, apart from the original inhabitants, with all the major waves of migration, we can’t be considered as having only “Anglo” origins. I always thought the word “fair” meant an attractive place, though, nothing to do with being white.
Hi Betsy Lea, glad to hear your bite is improving. I agree with you TKR is a last resort treatment. My specialist told me to manage my knee too, that he wouldn’t operate unless I was crawling through the door and the longer we can delay the need for an op, the more chance medical technology will advance making the op a less drastic option.
Re losing weight, plateaus etc, I have been reading about how a growth mindset can help weight loss. There are many interesting articles if you google this and lots of fascinating ways to programme your thinking away from a fixed mindset which can contribute to self sabotage and failure.
Hi all, sorry to hear about all the disasters. I think we’ve had enough now so hopefully the rest of us should be safe 🙄.
Had a lovely weekend away. It has been a number of years since I went past Katoomba and forgot about all the twists and turns going up and once over the mountain I was starting to feel like a rally driver in parts. Bit hairy at times but very exhilarating.
Saturday morning I drove to Bathurst which was another 50k each way but another taxing of the skills drive wise. Had coffee and donuts, sorry, but being a pensioner I get two free donuts and when on holidays. Went to the farmer’s market intending to stock up but prices were a bit steep for me. Then drove to the base of Mt Panorama, race track for anyone that hasn’t heard of it and back to Oberon.
Buses were provided to the wedding and I am so glad I took advantage of that. It was in the back of beyond on a working farm that has turned part of it into a wedding venue waldara.com.au. It was absolutely beautiful. They had lounges and chairs placed around the property and on verandas, umbrellas, croquet games and several others games. The ceremony was under this magnificent tree. The confetti was olive leaves in paper comes. Everything was so casual and happy. I met a few people I hadn’t seen since my brothers first marriage and it was lovely to catch up.
There was a lovely smorgasbord table of antipasto to pick at while they were having photos taken and the drinks were flowing. I stuck to my Prosecco and water all night.
The menu was very different I’ll see if I can send it once I finish this post or else I will lose everything. Got to bed about 1am.
The next morning I took myself off to Mayfield Gardens, which is privately owned and really spectacular. A friend had recommended it but what she failed to tell me was to take a hat, sunscreen, appropriate footwear and the aerogard. I did see quite a bit of it but to do it justice they say allow 2-3 hours I managed half of that.
Anyway after about 500k all up I was very tired by the time I got home and my body is still catching up.
Weight last Thursday 69.2, Monday 69.8, FD today 69.6. I am having a very controlled week before my cruise next week and after looking at the dining options and menus I will be rolling off that ship 😱😢. Life is way too short not experience this luxury. Lobster, I think so.
Went to the specialist with Dad today and at some point he will be having a knee op but first he has to see a vascular specialist.
Rambled on more than usual. Lindsay welcome home. Penguin my ex comes from Mansfield so spent a bit of time around Nottingham way back when.
I agree with Betsy on the national anthem – I’ve always assumed the “fair” meant attractive. Probably because the phrase always reminded me of the John Milton poem “Sabrina Fair”. Lindsay, it sounds like that verse was best forgotten. I’ve always envied those countries with instrumental national anthems – then nobody has to look like an idiot when they don’t know the words, because there aren’t any!
Biggles69, welcome back I hope you get into the swing of 5:2 again with ease.
Betsy, after the orthopaedic surgeon told me I needed a TKR of my right knee I talked it over with my rheumatologist as well. He was very honest about my prospects of a good outcome at the weight I was. His estimate was that if I didn’t lose weight I might get 10 years from the new joint and I wouldn’t gain a lot of mobility. If I lost weight, kept it of and remained active then I could expect at least 20 years and good mobility. I didn’t see the point in option one, which meant I needed to lose a lot of weight. When I was losing weight this helped motivate me and once I’d booked in a surgery date it kept me very focused on getting to goal. I’m surprised about the returned soldier who’d had 4 replacements on the same knee – my surgeon said that 2 was the usual limit.
Lindsay, welcome back I hope the heat doesn’t knock you flat. I’m sure the girls will be happy to see an ocean they can actually swim in.
Thin, it’s all the extras that add to the price of the bears. They weren’t a christmas present just something I thought it would be fun to so and offered to do it before I realised just what it would cost. I am happy that I now own my very teddy bear. This will sound crazy but this is actually the first teddy I’ve ever had that’s mine. When I was a baby apparently nobody gave me a teddy. My sister was more than 7 years older than me and she wasn’t playing with her two teddies anymore so I was given them. Most of her toys got handed down to me as she outgrew them. I did get a doll of my own though – I still clearly remember my excitement the christmas that santa left me a doll in a pram. It seems odd thinking about the way things were back then – when you walk into a kids room these days there’s an absolute explosion of toys. Just different expectations these days I guess.
Thin, the moment someone starts waxing lyrical about mountains you can tell they live east of the great dividing range. You’d get a different description from those of us who live further west. I sometimes think federal politicians forget there even is a country beyond the great dividing range.
Rosy, once the bones start knitting back together and swelling goes down you’ll see a good reduction in your pain and be able to do more. Just be patient – and careful. How long before you return to work – will the broken arm make that difficult?
Lindsay, well done of getting rid of the noisy neighbours – Thin let’s hope you have similar success.
Sorry I’ve probably missed some posts from the last page – will try to catch up later.
I did get to the gym this morning – it was deserted so I had much of the usually busy equipment to myself. I’m surprised as an air-conditioned gym is one of the few places you can exercise on a hot day like this.
I also went to a couple of the local op shops and have come away with a pair of jeans and 3 tops. Now I need to do some laundry so I can wear them. Although I know it’s all in the cut whether things fit me, this is first time size 12 jeans have fitted.
https://imgur.com/a/tEuKlWO wedding menu
https://imgur.com/a/9mZXyWd venue. Don’t know how to add multiple photos.
Thanks LJoyce but you should see menus 😉😉😈
@lj 9 days till I return to work. Thanks for your comforting comments . Patience is not my strong suit. Hopefully I will be improved by that time but at the moment , I have a lot of pain and frustration at not being to do anything. Not taking pain relief as the pain is a warning That I’m doing too much .
Congrats re your size twelve jeans! What a long way you’ve come ! Now that the pressure of the ABBA party outfit is over, I am happy to resume a slow and steady weight loss for my last 5 to 6 kg.
Oops that went too quickly! I don’t mind the plaster cast as much as I do the sling as I am meant to keep my forearm above my heart to aid healing and minimise swelling. I have a post injury trauma clinic follow up appointment on the 31 st Jan where my injury will be reviewed by an orthopaedic registrar. My plaster will then be removed and replaced by a plastic splint.
I have private health insurance but it is all free as I presented to the emergency dept. If I had gone to my gp, It would have taken a lot longer to receive X-ray results and treatment.
So LJ am I correct in assuming that you’ve had a tkr and if so, how was it ?
Intesha – I really like the look of that venue. It’s a style that’s become very popular here – a lot of wineries in the Adelaide Hills are doing it – it’s a good little earner for them.
I don’t doubt there are much more calorific options on that menu than lobster, I was just looking for the silver lining – guilt free lobster!
Rosy I had a TKR of my right knee done in May 2015. Because I have RA my surgeon knew the rehab process would be problematic as my body reacts to things like surgery with excessive inflammation. He had done an arthroscopy on that knee a few years earlier and been shocked at the inflammatory response after such non-invasive surgery. That inflammation actually caused further damage to the knee joint and the knee cap.
After the TKR my entire right leg was twice the size of the left for a few weeks (I’m really not exaggerating about how big it got. Normally our skin wouldn’t stretch that much, but because I’d lost over 50kg before surgery there was a lot of excess skin on the leg and it provided ample expansion opportunity). Where most people had pressure stockings that looked like knee high socks, I had to wear full length ones that covered the thigh as well and attached to a garter belt – they were hell to try and get into and out of – it was day 8 before I could manage it without the nurse’s help.
I had originally planned to go to a rehab hospital for a week or so after I left Sportsmed (the private hospital where I had the surgery), but in the end Sportsmed just extended my stay by an extra 5 days which was just enough. I had daily physio visits and a daily rehab program in hospital. I did absolutely every exercise asked of me to the fullest of my ability. But my progress was slow because of the inflammation, as it makes bending the knee much more difficult. I was in hospital for 10 days and only got close to a 90 degree bend on the day of discharge – most people get there by day 3. I worked really hard at the rehab and just ignored the pain because I knew that if I didn’t get good movement while it was healing the scar tissue would prevent that movement later on. I ended up getting a final bend of over 130 degrees – which is an excellent result. I now have a knee that feels stable and strong and allows me to be almost as active as I’d like. I can be on my feet for several hours at a time with gentle walking included, but if I’m walking really fast then 90 minutes is my limit before the knee starts to swell and makes walking more difficult. Given that walking 100m with the aid of a walking stick was a painful challenge in the weeks before surgery that’s quite an improvement. The only residual issue I have after the surgery is a loss of sensation in the nerves that go down the outside of my leg from the knee to the foot. I chose to have a nerve block done during the surgery which should have lasted 2 days to provide inital pain relief – I knew that permanent loss of sensation was a minor risks that came with that option. It has improved a bit since the surgery and doesn’t really affect me in any way – the skin just has very little sensation when you touch it. The complications of my rehab experience was due to the RA and everyone I know who’s had a TKR due to OA has a much better time with the rehab process. The one thing I can’t stress enough is how important it is to do the rehab program and really push to get the best range of movement before the scar tissue forms. My father refused to do his exercises in anything but a half-hearted fashion because it hurt. He was left with a knee that prevented him from putting on his own trousers because he couldn’t bend it enough.
I had seriously considered doing pool based exercise as part of my early rehab but became frightened of the infection risk so I decided to wait until the surgery wound was completely healed. Then I added hydrotherapy to my rehab program in addition to the exercises I did at home several times a day. I continued to make improvements in my mobility for at least 3 months and then I added weight based strength exercises too to get the muscles stronger. I also had regular physio. It was quite a few weeks before I felt able to drive – I think it was about 8 weeks before I had enough strength to know I could use the brakes freely. As I think I said in an earlier post – delay it if you can, but don’t be afraid to go ahead when the time is right for you – if you do the rehab properly you will be much more mobile afterward.
Penguin, I look forward to setting off metal detectors in airports – it will mean I’m traveling somewhere interesting!
Hello everyone,
Welcome back Biggles! Wow, you were here when I first joined this forum! Congratulations on getting last week done and dusted, and I hope it was a good fast day today.
My day didn’t turn out as expected. I started driving to visit my friend, an hour north of here, but felt less and less well, woozy and fainty, and realised I wasn’t safe to drive. Turned back but managed to miss getting back on the freeway and so came the long way. I ended up stopping somewhere and found a little Greek cafe that gave me gyros and salad which made me feel better and I got back home safely. But I’ve had to just rest and I am just starting to come good now. It seems I was wrong about having adjusted to the heat! Hoping I am okay tomorrow.
Welcome home Lindsay, I hope the jetlag dissipates soon.
I think the ‘fair’ in Advance Australia Fair is more about just and lovely, than blonde! Judith Durham has written alternative words for our anthem. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2015/11/06/judith-durhams-new-anthem-lyric-contemporary-australia
I like them.
My problem is that I don’t particularly like the tune. But my favourite is that a childcare worker taught it to the kids when my daughter was just three. So cute, but my little 3yo insisted we had ‘beauties rich and red’. And when I think of Uluru and Kimberleys, I guess we do have beauties rich and red.
I am glad people seem to be starting to recover from all those injuries.
Intesha, such a lovely weekend, and time to start preparing for your cruise!
I won’t chat more now, back to being horizontal. Best wishes to you all though.
Oh dear Cinque, it would appear you are overdoing it too – rest up. Hope you feel better soon. So glad your woozy spell didn’t result in a car accident.
Penguin, as usual you have dealt with added weight in no time flat. You always amaze me with how quickly you get those recent pounds off. Well done.
The B.O.M. has just updated the weather forecast. Adelaide’s forecast has now gone up to 40C tomorrow and 45C on Thursday – you have got to be kidding me!
@cinque Hope you’re feeling better. Thank you for posting the link to Judith Durham’s lyrics fo Advance Australia Fair. I loved her lyrics, unifying, patriotic, not too politically correct, inspirational and she has a voice like a bell. I don’t like the way that bogans have used Australia Day to be ultra nationalistic and racist. I’m Aussie born and bred and love my country but nationalism and too much over the top patriotism can be ugly.
Good morning all! Partly cloudy and 29 in Sydney today. 7.40am
Well my FD got rid of exactly half of the gain from the party weekend so tomorro’s will hopefully get rid of the other half and then down we go again!
Cinque – how terrifying and I’m so very glad you are ok. Take care
LJ, they said on the news this morning that tomorrow could break all heat records for Adelaide. I hope you can stay indoors with the air con. Thanks so much for the information about your knee replacement. I am often at the physio with mine and it hurts all the time, but nowhere near enough (yet) for surgery. I’m hoping it will all go away when I lose the weight. Oh and MASSIVE congrats on the size 12 jeans!!
Hey Biggles, welcome – I’m new so I haven’t ‘met’ you before. I hope your 5:2 journey resumption goes swimmingly.
Rosy, I too am fed up with the antics about Australia Day. I totally understand both sides but I can’t see that changing the date will help. It is totally spoiling what should be a day where we ALL are proud to be Aussies.
So glad you had a great time on the weekend and at the wedding Intesha. The venue looks superb….but pizza for dinner at a wedding? How odd? Or am I old fashioned? You must be so excited about the cruise!
Welcome back Lindsay and I am so in awe that you were able to go away for a month and put on hardly any weight! Hope the jet lag quickly recedes and so very glad those disgusting neighbours have been booted. Fingers crossed for the new ones
Betsy, that bite sounds very painful and I hope it gets better soon
Maxx update: The last two mornings he has come up with a new party trick. He waits outside the en-suite while I shower then when I come out he starts liking my calves and feet. EWWWW. But cute all the same. If I am brave enough to put moisturizer on my legs he goes nuts trying to lick it off.
Must run, we are flat out again at work. Will check in later
Good morning everyone,
I am enjoying the cool of the morning, gearing up for the next couple of days.
the lettuce seedlings are still having to cope with the foraging blackbird and the fierce sun, but they are holding fast so far.
Biggles, do jump back in to let us know how your fast day went. Are you in a very hot part of Australia?
I’m feeling a bit like ‘the day after a migraine’ but otherwise fine. Tomorrow will be my fast day.
Rosy, It is so true, Judith Durham has such a wonderful voice!
I’m finally getting around to making that soup, luckily it will only take a couple of minutes in the pressure cooker.
Sending best wishes to the Wednesday fasters, and to everyone enjoying the morning after fast day, and hoping lots of healing is happening to all the injuries.
Morning all. It’s so nice to be sitting in a tshirt even though it’s a tad warmer than I’d like. 32 in Brisbane today, which is okay.
Rosy what a dreadful time you’ve had. Hope the pain becomes more manageable very very soon.
Thin I’ve always accepted that noise is part of living close to the city. but these boys were the limit. Did I mention one peeing off the terrace into the back garden, on the Sunday before Christmas? They got home at 4 am and the party continued. I rang the agency and got quite emotional (mostly anger – she thought it was tears), and now they are gone. The lesson for me is not to put up with it ever again. Can you agitate to remove your noisy neighbours? We have a right to live in peace.
Betsylee I have no personal experience of TKR but my friend had hers done. She had to go back in for a procedure to bend the knee back (under a general) because she didn’t have full mobility, but it’s been a huge success. No pain now, and such increased mobility. She was absolutely motivated and did the rehab exercises religiously (and losing 20 kilos helped enormously). LJ your story about TKR demonstrates yet again your motivation and commitment. You really are inspirational.
Intesha how exciting to have the cruise to look forward to. Celebrity has a great reputation. Where is your trip taking you?
Cinque are you feeling better today? Was it the heat that triggered it, do you think? Hope you are staying cool and relaxed today.
re the national anthem – as a white Australian, I didn’t question the use of the word ‘fair’, but an Indigenous friend had a different view. Different experiences, different perspective, I guess. The words have been modified over time – the original started with ‘Australia’s sons…’ but this was made gender-neutral when it was adopted as the anthem. The issue for my friend is that the anthem has included migrants, but not first Australians. Fair point. How much more inclusive Judith Durham’s version is. If I haven’t already bored you witless with this, this is a good read about the history and evolution.
https://www.rap.org.au/evolution-of-the-words/
And Rosy you are so right about the flag … how did flying a flag go from an expression of national pride, to often being a signal of something altogether different.
Anzac I honestly believe that it is the time restricted eating pattern, combined with the extra walking, that made the difference. I didn’t often make the 16:8…more often 14:10, but I didn’t find it too difficult.
LJ congratulations on your size 12 jeans. Slim, slim you.
Hi everyone
Welcome home Lindsay and welcome back Biggles.
Its a FD for me today and I am prepared with some food again. I have cabbage salad and some mushrooms I can make a cup of soup with. I also have a home grown cucumber cut up. Altogether 88 calories. Not sure what dinner is going to be yet buy I’m thinking a big salad and chicken breast, something simple.
I had a low calorie day yesterday and I think that combined with Mondays FD has rid my body of the backlash from the bread binge. Feeling better body wise although I am stressed at work. It’s only been a week and a half and I have already had enough. Is it ok to say that my friend at work is a good friend but a real pain to work with? I feel disloyal but she is driving me crazy. So stubborn, complains about everything all the time and just totally contrary. I tell her she is contrary and she just shrugs it off. I’m tired of it. (Sorry for the whine. I’ve been awake since 4am thinking about it and that is on top of waking up at least three times before that.)
LJ, congratulations on the size 12 jeans! It’s a great feeling isn’t it!
Cinque, you take it easy, ok? Sometimes we must listen to what our body is telling us. I’m glad you turned around and made it home safely.
Intesha, what a beautiful venue and the menu sounds very interesting. Actually, the spelling of some ingredients was interesting too! Well done on avoiding the antipasto. That is my favourite way to eat,so unless my hands were tied behind my back (and my mouth taped shut), I would never have been able to resist!
Anzac, well done on the recovery. Keep up the good work.
Penguin, you too!
Rosy, I get your frustration with not being able to do much. My OH broke his wrist a couple of years ago and it was then that he actually started reading books again. He hadn’t read a book since being forced to when were back at school still!!
Hi Betsy, Minka, Merry and Kanga. Hi to everyone else who may be reading and not posting. Feel free to jump in!!
Well, I’m off to get into my work. Hopefully it gets really busy today so I don’t have too much time to deal with the crap too much. Have a good day all x
Cinque, that sounds a bit scary especially while driving. Hoping you’re having a much better day today.
LJ, I’m glad you finally got your teddy! I hope he stays cool in the air-con today, that’s some heatwave. Guess what the temperature is here in Perth today? 22C. It’s raining! Good job with the size 12s.
Lindsay, I’m pleased your actions had a good result. What disgraceful behaviour. Ours are nothing like that but, after we declined their request to cut down our trees to deliver more sunlight to their the pool, they have made a point of being really, really loud. There’s nothing we can do because they rent directly from the owners who are investors with no vested interest in our neighbourhood, angry with us that they didn’t get their airbnb approval and encouraging tenants to be anti-social (overheard to say it’s fine with them if they park their excess vehicles on our verge and don’t worry if they destroy a few plants in the process). They haven’t done that but the man hacks away at our trees every weekend so that all the screening foliage at the fence line is now gone. Our other wonderful neighbours up and down the street keep me sane.
Penguin, that’s a good strategy and it works. I’m a firm believer that 5:2 can fit into my life no matter what’s going on. I’ve never missed a fast day yet. 59.5kg and I’m smiling.
Anzac, are you doing b2b fasts to get the other half dealt with?
Quacka, our posts crossed. Good morning. I’m fasting with you today. Hope it’s an easy one for you.
Too many posts for me to go back any further but I wish everyone a wonderful day. I shall now venture out for a walk and get a little wet.
10:30am, Wednesday, Adelaide
Rosy a mini-break by the seaside sounds lovely, hope you enjoy yourselves. Don’t get that plaster cast wet!
Thin, enjoy your damp walk – I’m hoping for one of those next week maybe.
Rufus (my new teddy) has taken up residence on the lounge. I didn’t dare put him near my bed as he smells like cake (from the vanilla cupcake scented disc they put inside him). Smelling that while trying to get to sleep would drive me mad. He’s not getting many cuddles in this hot weather!
Quacka, sounds like you are well prepared for your FD.
Of course it’s ok to complain about someone who moans all the time – that type of constant negativity gets you down. I can only deal with people like that in small doses. I don’t envy you having to work closely with someone every day whose glass is always half empty.
It’s nice seeing a 12 on jeans I can fit into, although in reality when I put them next to my 14s – they measure the same – it’s all in the cut.
Lindsay, sounds like you’ve quickly adjusted to being back in Queensland. I hoping for a quiet group to move in next door to you now.
Anzac, sounds like that FD did it’s job nicely.
You’ll have to stop using that meat scented body lotion!
Cinque, I think a quiet day at home sounds like just what you need.
I will be mostly staying inside in the air-conditioning for a couple of days. I’m still deciding whether I’ll brave a drive to the gym tomorrow – might wait until Friday. I’ve also decided to delay my next FD until Friday to take advantage of the high heat – it usually means a very controlled NFD. Thursday will need to be especially controlled if I’m not going to fast because I have my next infusion on Friday and I normally fast the day before. I think having a few controlled days in a row before treatment should be enough to help me avoid the worst of the side effects.
Have a good day everyone. I’ve already done my chores and plan to spend the day inside where it’s cool reading.
Morning all. Weight this morning 69, so gradually on the down. Until I fly out next Wednesday I am weighing and writing everything down. On my NFD I am trying to stay around the 1200cal mark because once I board that ship 🛳 I’ll be having temporary amnesia for 4 days.
Anzac it was unusual for a wedding it it just went so well with the whole atmosphere. It was a mobile Italian caterer and everything was made fresh there was even a gelato cart and towards the end of the night they had ice lollies to suck on.
Quacka I did not stay away from the antipasto. There was a beautiful wheel of Brie/Camembert with a honeycomb on top, simply to die for.
Cinque I hope you are feeling much better today. What a frightening experience whilst driving.
LindsayL I am not sailing on the Celebrity Solstice that is just a lunch. I am sailing on the Regatta, a luxury cruise line.
Hello Thin, LJoyce, Rosy, Penguin and all other forum buddies.
Ewww! Meat scented body lotion!!
I have a quick question Intesha and LJ. Last time I made cookies I iced them and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands. I wanted the icing to be pink so I used red food dye in it. The icing tasted a bit awful! Do you think its the food colouring making the icing taste bad? Do you ladies have an icing recipe I could use on cookies? Of course, I’m only doing very simple ones LOL nothing like you both do!
Quacka, believe it or not, I don’t ice biscuits (I actually don’t like or eat icing – unless it’s a cream cheese or ganache icing). I do sometimes use a buttercream or ganache filling for cockles, but that’s very different to the type of icing used for your purposes. I think icing biscuits requires royal icing, which from memory is icing sugar and eggwhite.
I might leave Intesha to provide her recipe as she is the queen of iced biscuits.
However I have photographed the two types of food colouring I use when baking https://imgur.com/NlMvSA1 I’ve never have trouble with these adding odd flavours. My preference is to use the gel colours where possible as they don’t seem to change the consistency of what I add them to, whereas the other watery ones can. It is also possible to buy powdered colours from specialty cake decorating shops.
Quacka these are the sort of cookies I do. I use piping bags and plastic squeeze bottles with piping tips.https://imgur.com/a/e6qHM82
Thanks Ladies. I don’t think its royal icing I’m after. I’m just making a simple cookie for my OH to take to work with him. They are quite plain and so sometimes I put a choc button on top or if they aren’t frozen I make jam drops with them. When they are cooked from frozen I thought I could ice them after cooking so I could stick some hundreds and thousands or something else (I don’t know what) on them, just so they aren’t plain. I haven’t tried the gel dye just the liquid one.
By the way your cookies are awesome, Intesha.
LJ, didn’t I see some iced cupcakes you made at some stage? Its probably a different icing to the one I could use on cookies though.:)
Hi Quacka, as someone who hasn’t iced biscuits in years, I will just say that the red dye should not have added any flavour at all. Have a smell of it, and if it smells like it tasted maybe throw it away.
I always used butter icing for biscuits. Not so buttery that they couldn’t sit on top of each other, but buttery enough so that the icing tasted nice.
And also, many thanks for the kindness and consideration re my dizzy spell. It did give me a fright (and the adrenaline helped for a while). Glad to have avoided the accident Olympics this time.
Just back from a gorgeous lunch with a community food friend and off to rest before doing some grandma-ing. Catch you later.
Ladies I too use butter icing for cakes and for sticking biscuits together to make cockles. The thing with butter icing is that the fat content keeps it soft which means they can end up getting a bit mangled during transport. Also, on a hot day the butter in them will melt and icing will just slide right off – I had that happen to a cake once!
Royal icing hardens – which makes them much more transportable. As an example, the arnotts tic toc biscuit icing would be royal icing: https://imgur.com/msfzZI1 I think they make a square one with the same icing and hundreds and thousands stuck on it.
I have looked at the BBC food website and they have a recipe for royal icing that doesn’t involve eggwhite – just icing sugar and water. If you want to try the hundreds and thousands on icing that stays put and won’t melt then this sounds promising. (I’d start by halving or quartering the icing recipe though until you are sure it works.)
An alternative to icing would be to dip the tops into melted chocolate and then into hundreds and thousands or maybe chopped nuts. The only risk with chocolate is that it will make a melted mess if they are allowed to get hot.
And one final (and much easier option). Once you’ve rolled your biscuit dough into little balls. Get a bowl of hundreds and thousands and roll the balls in them – no icing required as you bake them on: https://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/fairy-biscuits-L4699.html
Sorry, have I just confused the issue completely?
Thanks for the welcome back.
This year is the big five oh birthday & my goal is to be 58kg or under before August.
Since I’ve now put in writing I have to stick to it!
Last Feb I managed to completely rupture a disc & am waiting on a surgery date – Yikes. So with having been unable to move much let alone exercise, way too much wine & not watching my portion sizes 5kg crept back on. My clothes are not fitting & I just feel blah.
I used to have so much energy & finally felt happy with myself when on 5:2 & I want that feeling again.
I have restarted using my fitness pal to log my calories & am going to fast on Mondays & Wednesdays. This week I’m also going to do try & do Friday a) because it’s so hot – 2.5 weeks of temps in the forties & b) I really, really need to see that scale move downwards & stay there.
Hope today is a successful one whether it’s your FD/CD/NFD.
Cheers
LJoyce, congrats on the size 12 jeans. Some of that is probably your frequent CDs. CD’s seem much more difficult than FD, at least for me. You seem to be getting to a point where moderation is easier to manage, at least on some days. Getting past the all or nothing mentality is difficult, the next step in the 5:2 WOL.
Welcome back, Biggles. A ruptured disc must be very painful. You probably know from before that exercise doesn’t make a huge difference for weight loss, it’s the eating that does. But it does help your health in general, and time spent exercising or moving around is time spent not eating. Not being able to move much because of your back presents the challenge of eating because you’re bored. Things that keep your hands occupied, like knitting or crocheting can be helpful when you have to spend time sitting around. I hope you get a surgery date soon and the healing process is quick. Good on you for getting back to 5:2 and dumping those 5 extra kg. That can only be a good thing so as not to put extra stress on your back.
Rosy, I’m sorry to hear you’re still in so much pain with your wrist. I understand not wanting to take pain meds so you aren’t tempted to use your hand more than necessary. But I hope you are taking them at night so you can get some sleep. Your trip to Denmark sounds like a wonderful and distracting idea. (At first I thought, “Traveling halfway around the world just to get away from the heat is a rather extreme solution! And how does one do that as an overnight trip? 😁 I didn’t realize there was a Denmark, WA. 😏)
Thin, did you mention a page or two back the the renters only have 11 weeks left on their lease? And they wanted you to chop down your trees for their temporary stay? Sheesh! BTW, I was only 100 grams heavier than you this morning after my Monday FD.
Lindsay, glad to hear your noisy neighbors are leaving. Sometimes it pays to keep complaining. I hope the new people are more respectful of the neighborhood.
Cinque, your dizziness while driving sounds scary. Could it have been a lack of enough water or salt? I know you usually have miso on FD’s which is salty, but it’s easy to get too little sometimes when the weather is so hot and you lose some through perspiration. I’m glad you’re feeling better now. If you have a BP monitor at home, that can be helpful. Often dizziness is accompanied by low BP.
Intesha, only a few days left until your cruise. You’re going to have such a lovely time. And a cruise is definitely not the time to worry about what you eat. That’s why we do 5:2, so we have the opportunity to splurge sometimes too!
Penguin, I agree completely on attacking weekend or holiday gains right away before they have a chance to make themselves at home!
Quacka, can you sit down with your friend/coworker to discuss her attitude in a friendly but honest way? Maybe away from the office? Sometimes talking things out helps. Sometimes you just have to figure out a way to live with the situation.
Anzac, our dog likes to lick off hand and body creams too. I often avoid using them in areas not covered by clothing because I worry that they aren’t good for him. Maybe unscented ones are the key. Or pure coconut or olive oil. Both are great for skin and hair (before you wash your hair) but at night they get all over the sheets and pillowcases because they take so long to absorb.
National anthems often are a source of disagreement. Ours, The Star Spangled Banner lyrics sound so militaristic to me:
Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Many, including myself, would prefer America the Beautiful instead:
Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain
America, America, God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea
O beautiful for Pilgrim feet, whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat, across the wilderness
America, America, God mend thine every flaw
Confirm thy soul in self control, Thy liberty in law
O beautiful for heroes proved, in liberating strife
Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life
America, America, May God they gold refine
Till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine
O beautiful for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears
America, America, God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
Morning all. It was a cold night and there was light snow. Not much snow compared to some of the country, where airports and roads are closed, just enough to be white. I had some raspberry plants delivered yesterday but fortunately didn’t plant them out. They will have to wait until the ground warms a little.
Back to the bread topic. I started some sourdough yesterday afternoon, then went out and forgot about it. It has now had a 18 hour first raise, but looks ok.
This is the morning after a two day b2b. Strictly I should say two and a half days because I won’t eat until noon. As usual after a fast I am feeling fit and ready for anything. Also smug, because day 2 took more weight off me.
My studio/study/hiding place is in a old stone farm outbuilding. In the winter I heat it with an oil filled electric radiator timed to come on at 7AM. At 9.30 this morning it was 8 C. I have added supplementary fan heaters but am still wearing many layers. The laptop is cold to the touch. Oh joy. Outside the sun is shining out of a gin-clear sky. A good day for an afternoon walk.
Good morning, a cooler 29 today but still incredibly humid. Ugh.
Penguin, I am totally in jealous awe of where you live…except for the cold of course. Being unused to it I wouldn’t enjoy it. I saw something on the news last night about Paris and it was snowing and we will be there at the end of the year. I wonder if we will see snow? I’ve only seen it twice in my life – once in New Zealand and once when we went to the snowy mountains here in NSW. We have a week in Paris over Christmas and I have started to learn some French phrases. Bonjour!
Your studio/study/hiding place has another name down here. We call them ‘man caves’ and all men must have one. Hubby’s is our garage
I also much prefer to the words to America the Beautiful Cali. I agree that the anthem sounds like they are describing the military with ramparts, rockets and bombs.
Thin, I can’t believe what small-minded idiots you have both as neighbours and the owners of the property. Just be smug and realise they must have sad, little lives to have to be so petty. It makes my blood boil on your behalf though because you shouldn’t have to put up with it.
I didn’t do b2b FD, I am doing my second one today. I had a blip up on the scales after yesterday’s NFD which I’m not happy about but today should sort it out. I want to be back into the 86’s tomorrow for the official weigh-in recording.
So sorry to hear about your ruptured disc and impending surgery Biggles. It must be very painful. I hope the surgery is scheduled soon so you can start the recover process.
When are you making the cookies Quacka? We need pictures please
Hi to everyone else, hope you have a fab day whether fasting or not.
Morning all, Thursday, Melbourne, 8am.
Happy to skim 15c off the next couple of days and send it over to you Penguin! It is 37c today and 43c tomorrow for me.
LJoyce and Gday will want to send you 20c
Biggles, so sorry to hear of the pain you have had to endure. It must make it so hard to do anything. You will love getting back to your energetic happy self, and it will help around your surgery and make that big 5 – 0 easier to face (I remember that feeling! and had similar when I hit 6 – 0, eep! Enjoy that decade ahead!)
Luckily 5:2 works perfectly well without exercise and I bet you find you slip back into the routine easily.
I’m fasting today so I will hand you the baton at midnight!
Anzac, start using coconut oil and Maxx might lick your legs off! :0
Just saw this morning’s post, good luck in the humidity. We are fast buddies today.
Quacka, nice food prep. I am doing the same. It makes fast days more manageable to have it planned out.
My favourite with the biscuits is just to dust some icing sugar over them. It is true that it might get through your hubby’s lunch box but it does add the little bit of specialness and it is so easy.
But on the other hand, a home made biscuit is so wonderful just as it is.
Thin, I wish I was in Perth.
Rosy, I hope you have had a lovely time in Denmark. What a great thing to do.
LJoyce, good luck having an excellent controlled day today, so that your infusion will go well. I hope you have some good things to watch on the TV or otherwise to keep you entertained without going out in the heat.
Intesha have fun with the lovely discipline getting ready for your cruise.
Hi Cali, I hope you are going well, and especially that your BP is settling down. A pity we can’t synchronise.
You might be right about my salt intake. I figured I needed plenty of salt after decades of not even having it in the house. But just recently I have been wondering if I am overdoing it, and tried to cut back a bit. So the last couple of days I have let myself enjoy salty goodness and hopefully that will help. I’m having licorice tea too. Lots of fluids.
You are right about the words of your national anthem, I much prefer appreciating country and community. But I just love the tune of the Star Spangled Banner, sung by someone with a wonderful voice.
I hope you have enjoyed your walk Penguin.
Dr Mosley is in Australia now, and thanks to twitter alerting me, I caught him on a morning show yesterday. He did talk about being able to avoid being really hungry on fast days, so I am interested to try things that will make my fast day afternoons easier.
I’ve also got neighbours moving out. There has been a little factory across the road that makes spiral staircases and has been here for decades. They are moving and what a lot of cranes and big trucks they need to remove their equipment. It has been going on for days. Interesting rather than annoying I am glad to say.
Well, hunkering down for the heat. I have covered the garden and my fan is on already. And, I am starting some celery kvass!
Sending good wishes to everyone.
Bonsoir Anzac. Snow in northern France depends on what you mean by the end of the year. Mid January to March are the most likely months. As a northerner I lived with snow most winters and happily walked the hills in it. In my old age I am less enthusiastic about being cold. I can still function in it but I much prefer a pair of shorts and what the Brits call flip flops (thongs?) My OH is part Norwegian. Some years ago in late March in a freezing, snowy Oslo I asked when it would stop snowing. The answer was a depressed “Last year, June”. I understand why her ancestors settled here.
Yes please Cinque, 15C will do nicely.
We are in Paris from the 19th to the 26th December so we will probably miss the snow. Boo. We move into Italy then for a couple of weeks
The furthest north I have been to in the UK is a little town called Barnsley which is around the Leeds/York region. My friend I was travelling with had family there and we flew Sydney > London > Manchester and it was my first overseas trip (I was 19 so it was a VERY long time ago) so I was completely jet-lagged, homesick and then these people starting talking to me in a different language! I couldn’t understand a word….so funny looking back now. Oh, and it was May and when we landed it was only 8 degrees! In Summer!
Just been looking at the forecasts for Adelaide and Melbourne today. Adelaide is potentially going to break all heat records. Ugh. Good luck LJ, Cinque, Gday, Betsylee and anyone else suffering today. We are avoiding the worst of this heatwave in Sydney thankfully.
FD going well but it’s only 9.15. I was tres hungry around 8.30am but it has waned now. Yay!
Interview with Dr Mosley starts at the 2:00:00 mark https://www.abc.net.au/radio/sydney/programs/drive/drive/10718310
Good Morning everyone
Thanks for all the suggestions for my cookies. I made the dough before Christmas and it was a huge batch using 5 cups of flour. The recipe suggested rolling into logs and slicing them then freezing, which I have done. They can be cooked from frozen which is why I was looking for ways to ice them. You are right though, Cinque, a homemade biscuit is yummy just as is. Thanks LJ, I will check out the BBC website. They have some good recipes on there. The picture of the Arnotts biscuit is exactly the type of icing that I’m after. I didn’t realise it was called royal icing as I always thought that was the icing on those fancy wedding cakes, the one that keeps for years! I’m a good cook just a hopeless baker!! lol
Cinque, I smelled my dye this morning and it doesn’t have a smell at all so I think next time I use it I will just try a little of the icing before putting on the biscuits. If it’s yukky, I won’t use it. OH will eat them plain anyway it was just me trying something different.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the unusual combination of miso paste, wasabi and garlic that OH made up and then we baked mushrooms in it. Well, last night we did the same thing but this time with chicken thighs and put the mushrooms in towards the end of the cooking time (I’m still getting used to the new oven and its a big adjustment when we have been cooking for so long in one that wasn’t working properly). I forgot to mention one of the ingredients!! He also added a bit of honey. I told him that I had posted about it on the forum and he said that I had better let everyone know about the honey in case they wanted to try it!! lol, such a cutie 😉
You’re right Cali, I need to just sit down and talk to my friend but she is so stubborn I doubt she will take anything on board. We did have a little chat yesterday afternoon. There is this one thing that she does that is part of my job but she sometimes does it herself (incorrectly) and has been asked not do it before by our bosses! I am the one who gets the questions about why it is that way and I have no idea that it has even been done! She did it yesterday again and it made me quite angry. At lunchtime I asked her if she did it and she admitted that she had and then I asked her why and told her that I have corrected it. She could see I was angry but I don’t like confrontation so I didn’t say anything else and instead stewed on it all afternoon. Later that afternoon when we started to talk again I gave her a hug and asked her not to do it again. I asked her twice and she said that she won’t. We will see. I told her that I hate getting angry with her and I love her but at the same time I want to throttle her!
OK, today is going to be a good day. I hope it is for all of you too xx
Morning all. As it’s still raining a bit and only 22C forecast, I’ve decided not to walk until after bridge so had some extra time to read the posts today. Yesterday, it was so cold that I had long pants on and a sweat shirt. I wonder how Rosy got on driving down south as there were trees down on major roads and wild winds.
Anzac, from where in the long white cloud does your OH come? I lived in Queenstown for a while and spent a fair bit of time hitch-hiking between there and Christchurch in the snow. I think Queenstown was probably the coldest I’ve been in my life. Coming from the south of England, we didn’t experience a lot of snow and, when it did fall, it rarely settled – just enough to be sludgy and dangerous to the elderly. Well, you were certainly an upmarket 19 y/o traveller flying to destinations within a country!
Yes, the owners next door seem a bit vindictive. After the ‘airbnb’ summer we experienced next door last year, we came to the conclusion that it had become untenable for us to remain here in the long-term which is why I’ve been making an even greater effort on downsizing. We love our house and we love the other people on our street but we can no longer handle with living next to what sounds like the Municipal Pool. CalifD, our good neighbours said the same thing – we shouldn’t accommodate transients by removing our street’s tree canopy for their instant gratification.
I mentioned before that ‘he’ earns in excess of $700K p/a so we doubt they’ll be renting in our neighbourhood beyond the year. Hopefully, they’ll return to Ireland so an Australian can be employed to do the job. It’s irritating that degrees are handed out right, left and centre, heavily subsided by tax payers and with low interest loans that don’t get repaid for years, if ever, when there is often no hope of work at the end. Why aren’t we training these material engineers? There are plenty of intelligent people here.
Penguin, I’ve yet to see any Scandinavian countries but anticipate that they would be beautiful for a visit, if a little depressing to reside permanently due to the limited daylight hours. Where you live sounds idyllic; I expect that you learn to cope with the cold with proper clothing and central heating. And trips to Portugal. Good job with the B2Bs in spite of the tantalising toast aromas. For unknown reasons, I’ve dropped 100g a day this week, and am today at 59.4kg. I think it’s just my body naturally settling back after the silly season nonsense. It took its time.
Cinque, I wonder who you’ll get in the spiral staircase factory now. Do you live in a commercial zone? Thanks for the Dr M. link. I’ll enjoy that later.
Quacka, that sounds like a productive talk with your friend/colleague. If she doesn’t get it now, there’s something else going on that needs addressing.
Intesha, enjoy your cruise. I’ve never done one. I’m afraid of that much food in one place.
Have a great day all. Stay cool, those of you in the east.
So many things have been said, that I can’t possibly do justice to them all….
Our 9th Grade Typing Teacher made us all learn the words to the Star Spangled Banner. Yes, the first two verses describe the battle of Baltimore Harbor, when the Brits shelled the island fort and watchers on the shore thought all was lost. But then the bursting flares reveal the American flag and it was known that the fort had not surrendered. I ended up learning 3 verses and the 3rd is my favorite. I told my sons that if they were to win a gold medal at the olympics, they must sing the 3rd verse only — and drive people crazy. To whit:
O thus be it ever when true men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.
Blessed with victory and peace
May the Heav’n- rescued band
Praise the power that makes and preserves us a nation.
Then conquer we must! [OK, that’s jingoistic] for our cause it is just.
And this be our motto: In God Is Our Trust.
And the Star Spangled Banner forever shall wave
o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
You folks are injuring yourselves left and right! Stop it. Get healthy and stay that way.
What on earth are ‘hundreds and thousands’ ??? Sounds like what we call ‘sprinkles’ or ‘jimmies.’ Very descriptive. Poetic, even.
https://i.imgur.com/P4lcD3e.png
These are hundreds and thousand fm 🙂
11am, Thursday, in a stinking hot Adelaide.
The forecast is still for 45C today. The weather forecasters have said that our weather system is coming from the Pilbara. That I’d believe, as my niece’s husband works there (FIFO) and he said it’s often in the 50s during the day and the night time low is 35C. They alternate between working 13 hr shifts on night or day – needless to say he prefers to be on nights. No wonder he’s shattered when he gets home (they work 14 days straight then get 11 days off – as it take a full day to get back to Adelaide, that means 2 days of travel and 9 days at home).
Penguin, I like the sound of your hiding place, although does sound a bit chilly. Sound’s like it needs a little wood burner (what we’d call a slow combustion) installed into the corner. I also like the sound of your chilly weather, I’d be happy to swap today.
Penguin, what you call a flip flop has many names in many countries. Yes they are thongs here and jandals in New Zealand. Not sure what they are called in the US – I know it isn’t thongs – that means extremely small and uncomfortable underwear in the US!
Penguin & Anzac, one of the places I saw snow was in the Swiss alps (Mount Pilatus) and it was only September! One of those spots where they can ski all year round. We had a snow ball fight – childish but lots of fun. The only other place I’ve experienced snow was in our own snowy mountains, where I spent a week skiing in August 1990. Anzac, I too have a hankering for snow – I didn’t see any in Queenstown because it was February when I was there. I loved the south island of New Zealand, it was one of the few places I’ve been to where I could truly imagine living. If it wasn’t for the earthquakes I would describe Christchurch as the perfect small city. Oddly enough, Lucerne in Switzerland was the other place that felt like it could be home. It think it was because both places were so friendly and relaxed and the cities just felt like big country towns – not the least bit impersonal like most cities are.
Anzac, it must have been the morning for hunger – I was also hungry earlier. I sedated it with a nectarine and a pot of tea and a bit of distraction. I’m not fasting but it’s important that today is very controlled.
Cali, I just saw a picture of Niagara Falls on the news – it was frozen! I didn’t even realise it was possible for waterfalls to freeze. It looked incredible.
FM, according to Wikipedia, hundreds ad thousands are called either “sprinkles” in the US. They come is 2 shapes here – the most common is tiny little colourful candy spheres that are sprinkled onto icing. The other shape is just as colourful and also candy but are tiny log shapes. I think the name comes from their size – they are so small that you would literally sprinkle hundreds or thousands of them onto a cake. https://imgur.com/a/Myns8KC
Quacka, I agree with Thin, that does sound like a productive discussion. Getting the balance right between not causing friction but getting a problem addressed is a difficult one – you did well.
I didn’t realise you were baking the dough while still frozen. (I often make the dough into a log too, so that I can quickly cut and bake bikkies as needed.) If you want to avoid having to ice them, I’d sprinkle the hundreds and thousands directly onto the biscuits once they are on the tray and gently press them on. I suspect that as they bake they will melt a bit onto the biscuits enough to stay put.
One more option is to use a stiff butter icing on half of them and then stick them together as cockles. This protects the icing a bit and makes them more transportable. (For this I like to flavour the icing with orange zest.)
You were partly right about royal icing being used on traditional wedding cakes. The thick layer of icing that is moulded over each cake is called fondant icing. (Some bakers will also put a layer of marzipan underneath this.) It is quite malleable as you have to roll it out and shape it over the cake (I found round cakes were much easier than square when doing this). Coloured fondant icing is also used to make the large icing flowers. Traditional cakes also had lacework or piping or beading or cornelli decorations etc – this is all done with royal icing. I think this way of making wedding cakes is Australian, because when I was learning cake decorating in the 1980s I saw some British books which showed their process. They don’t use the fondant icing they use royal icing for the whole process. They use a big scraper to apply it and smooth it over the cake. They let it harden before adding the finer decoration. Royal icing can set rock hard so if you applied too thick a layer I expect you’d need a hammer and chisel to get through it!
Thin, I agree that you shouldn’t be removing trees to suit temporary tenants. Hopefully your next tenants will be less noisy. I hadn’t realised they were Irish – no wonder being able to play outside on a trampoline or in a pool is such a novelty for those kids.
Cinque, yes I am staying out of the heat for most of the day. I hope you can keep cool – I have airconditioning, so as long as we don’t lose power I’ll be fine.
I do have to go out this afternoon to babysit, but it’s only a 20 minute drive.
Intesha, hope you are managing to stick to those controlled NFDs as I am. I expect you are really looking forward to the cruise.
I’ll be staying indoors in the cool today. Although I do need to go down to my nephew’s to babysit at 3:30. It should be fine as my car is airconditioned and so is their house.
Have a good day everyone.
You must be logged in to reply.
Michael is touring Australia this September! Here's a link to dates and tickets. Hope to see you there.
Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
Michael looks at the Horizon special, "What's the Right Diet for You" and tells us which diet they say is best for him.
in Welcome to The Fast Diet and Exercise forums • updated 21 minutes ago by NorthGeorgia
in Weight loss • updated 50 minutes ago by Brads27
in Top tips • updated 21 hours, 48 minutes ago by Cassidy_B
10:52 pm
21 Jan 19