Don't Kill Snails with Salt ... Creme Eggs & Toasted Teacakes ... Biscuits & Bench Stories, Life, the Universe, & Everything! Showing 651-700 of 9,236

[suzysunshine7]

Well, once the entire Group Forum has turned up, with their Towels to baggsy all of the Deck Chairs and Sun Loungers, and got in the Pool - it will soon look like it is full even if it isn't ... ;o> ... ;o> ... ;o>

[Lez]

I’ll stay here thanks, I don’t like sunshine, and swimming pools even less.

[suzysunshine7]

I don't either, Lez Lee, but I thought we could always check out the local Food Markets and Museums - and maybe you and nocheese could also check out Derek's Wine Cellar? ;o>

[Lez]

Good thinking Suzy!

[Martin]

Lez wrote: "Martin wrote: "Hmmmm..... I guessed somebody would sink to that, I didn't think it would be you Lez!"

I thought better of it and deleted :-("

Then I would be less than gallant not to reciprocate😇!

[Martin]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Don't worry, Derek, we have plenty of Snow to spare here ...

Your Swimming Pool-to-be will soon be full to the brim! ;o>"

But why is it yellow?

Just thought I would let you know Suzy, I am at this moment scoffing away on a big bag of Caramac giant buttons.

[suzysunshine7]

If it were Chocolate Buttons I wouldn't be all that bothered ...


But Caramac? ... and GIANT Buttons? ... Ooooooooooooooooooooh!!!

[Granny]

Wisconsin got snow again! We received about 6 inches of the heavy wet stuff which turns to slush as you drive. The plows were out early as usual, throwing sand and salt around willy-nilly. I drove about 35mpg as one road was polished to ice-rink slippery sheen. The rest of the roads were just snow-covered.
I fed my birds on Saturday. Now they have to dig through the snow.
Suzy, I bought three five-packs of Cadbury eggs. 😁😁😁

[suzysunshine7]

That's the most pressing priority taken care of then, Granny ;o>

... although? ... are you really sure that 15 are going to be enough? ...

[Isabella]

I'm not sure this confession won't get me booted off but I don't really like chocolate much. Far too many ice creams, puddings, cakes and biscuits have chocolate as an ingredient or some sort of decoration. I'm really sorry for my oddness but think of it this way, the less I want, the more chocolate there is for the rest of you ;0)

[Granny]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "That's the most pressing priority taken care of then, Granny ;o>

... although? ... are you really sure that 15 are going to be enough? ...

"
Last year I ordered a 48-pack from Amazon.

[Granny]

Isabella wrote: "I'm not sure this confession won't get me booted off but I don't really like chocolate much. Far too many ice creams, puddings, cakes and biscuits have chocolate as an ingredient or some sort of de..."

I thank you from the bottom of my chocolate-coated heart!

[Lez]

I do like chocolate but only dark and good quality, not Cadbury rubbish. However it wouldn’t bother me to do without completely. I haven’t got a sweet tooth at all and never eat cakes or puds. Just give me cheese, spuds, bread and eggs, and of course king prawn curry!

[Isabella]

Granny wrote: "Isabella wrote: "I'm not sure this confession won't get me booted off but I don't really like chocolate much. Far too many ice creams, puddings, cakes and biscuits have chocolate as an ingredient o..."

You're most welcome!

[suzysunshine7]

Isabella wrote: "I'm not sure this confession won't get me booted off but I don't really like chocolate much. Far too many ice creams, puddings, cakes and biscuits have chocolate as an ingredient or some sort of de..."

I absolutely love my Milk Chocolate Brazils but I'm not that big a fan of Chocolate either, Isabella ... anything Toffee'ish or Caramely, but not sickly with it, is much more of my kind of a Treat to myself.

I don't like anything too sweet it makes my Tongue tingle which is why you won't ever catch me tucking into almost all brands of Chocolate Bars these days. The old-fashioned use of Sugar has been replaced with the new craze for the utterly unbearably sweet gloopy goo that is Glucose Syrup - which makes everything just far too sweet for me now.

I do like a Hot Chocolate now and then, but again, I can't drink anything that is too sweet - and it is not all that easy to find one that isn't far too sugary or sweetner-ladened to be enjoyable.

I just love to encourage everyone to make the very most of enjoying a little of what they fancy - and our Granny does really love her Crème Eggs ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

Lez wrote: "I do like chocolate but only dark and good quality, not Cadbury rubbish. However it wouldn’t bother me to do without completely. I haven’t got a sweet tooth at all and never eat cakes or puds. Just give me cheese, spuds, bread and eggs, and of course king prawn curry!"

Ooooh, don't get me started on my Chronic Cheese Addiction!!! ;o>

[Isabella]

I have to own up to a passion for those 'hand cooked' crisps that are laden with fat and calories, especially cheese and onion... (Drool)

[suzysunshine7]

Isabella wrote: "I have to own up to a passion for those 'hand cooked' crisps that are laden with fat and calories, especially cheese and onion... (Drool)"

I like those really thick, yet crunchy, and really 'potatoey' flavoured Crisps whenever I need a Salt fix - but bizarrely, considering my Cheese Addiction, Cheese & Onion is actually one of the last flavours that I would go for?!!

I thought that the Red Sky Potato Chips range were some of the very best that I've ever tried and was quite gutted when they were discontinued by Walkers only a year or so after they hit the Shelves ... not least because I rarely ever eat Crisps and so I'd only bought them barely a handful of times before they just suddenly vanished from sale ;o<

[Isabella]

Yes, it's really annoying when good stuff disappears. Last year, there was a shop nearby that sold a Spanish brand of truffle flavour crisps for a few weeks - they were expensive but really delicious. I've tried other truffle crisps since but they're nowhere near as good. Perhaps just as well or my weight would be suffering even more than it is...

[suzysunshine7]

Isabella wrote: "Yes, it's really annoying when good stuff disappears. Last year, there was a shop nearby that sold a Spanish brand of truffle flavour crisps for a few weeks - they were expensive but really delicio..."

Better not Google them then, Isabella, as you might find them for sale online - and be badly tempted to buy in bulk just to justify the p&p! ;o>

Believe me I know?! - because I've done just that and far too often now! ;oO

[suzysunshine7]

Ohhh squirrels! - and I've just proved it again by buying several big bags of Habas Fritas! ;oO

[Granny]

Crisps! Cheddar and sour cream, mesquite barbeque, sour cream and onion...or plain one are nice. I like Cheetos. 😁

[suzysunshine7]

I've always been rather partial to Cheese Puffs myself (even though I don't rate Cheese & Onion much as being a favourite Crisp/Chip flavour), and Monster Munch, and Hula Hoops ;o>

I particularly like the occasional Cheese Puffs in a Bag that have that extra bit of flavour to them and that ever-so-slightly denser 'gooey' centre ... Mmmmmmmm ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

Chocolate coated Crisps, anyone? ;o> ...



An interesting idea ... and I certainly wouldn't mind trying them out ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

I don't believe it?!! - it's Snowing and thick and fast again?!! ;oO

[suzysunshine7]

[suzysunshine7]

I've just enjoyed an absolutely fabulous Afternoon Tea treat at the 'Pinewood on Wilmslow' with my Mum - in advance of Mother's Day in the UK on Sunday. It matched up very nicely to the photos online except that they didn't really do it full justice as we had a gorgeous full Salad garnish with our many and varied delicious fresh Finger Sandwiches and Chocolate dipped Strawberries instead of just plain ones with our amazing Cakes. My Mum reckons that it was one of her very best Afternoon Teas treats ever - and so I've got quite a big job on my hands now to try to top it with our next Afternoon Tea ;o> ...







The Finger Sandwiches were very generously filled with thickly sliced ... Ham & Tomato with Mustard, Roast Turkey & Cranberry Sauce, Tuna Mayo with Sweetcorn & Spring Onion, Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce.

And the fantastic mini bite-sized Cakes were ... Chocolate Rocky Road square, Lemon Drizzle, Carrot & Walnut with a Yoghurt Frosting, a Chocolate Éclair, Light Fruit Cake, and a thin sliver of Bakewell Tart ... plus a small Jam & Cream Scone each as well! ;o>

[Granny]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "I've just enjoyed an absolutely fabulous Afternoon Tea treat at the 'Pinewood on Wilmslow' with my Mum - in advance of Mother's Day in the UK on Sunday. It matched up very nicely to the photos onli..."

Mmmmmmmm. It sounds delightful!

[suzysunshine7]

Granny wrote: "Mmmmmmmm. It sounds delightful!"

... it was the mention of the Chocolate coated Strawberries, wasn't it? ;o>

[Val]

Speaking of lovely places, I've just booked my son and new daughter-in-law for a two night stay in the White Room at Traquair House, Innerleithen. They're spending four weeks in England, Scotland and Ireland in September - a delayed honeymoon - so this was part of our wedding present to them.

http://www.traquair.co.uk/bed-breakfast/

I rang Traquair about 10.30pm our time and had a lovely chat with Lynne about our respective weather and how things were going. It was lovely to hear her soft Scots lowland accent and she was so friendly and accommodating. All bookings should be so easy and convivial! I know R and H will love it - and did I mention that the House has it's own brewery and is situated between two mountain-biking centres? Tailor-made to cater for two of their interests!

[suzysunshine7]

Very nice indeed, Val! ;o>

And my heartfelt congratulations and very best wishes to the newly married couple - and also to the Mother of the Groom as well ... x x x

[Val]

Thanks Suzy - we had a great wedding! Glamping is the bees knees!

[Lez]

I always meant to visit Traquair to see the Needlework Collection but never got round to it. It’s full of wonderful embroideries, though probably not of interest to your young couple!
They might enjoy New Lanark, founded in 1786 for cotton mills and workers’ housing. It’s a World Heritage Site and fascinating as well as being a lovely area. It’s only about 35 miles from Traquair.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_L...

http://www.newlanark.org

[suzysunshine7]

Fascinating Lez Lee ;o>

Cotton Mills of a certain age all look to be very similar and familiar in construction and setting, don't they? New Lanark reminds me very much of a far smaller site of great interest and historical importance just a few miles away from us here called Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Country Estate ...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=...

[Val]

Thanks for that info Lez. I will pass it on to them although I'm not sure whether New Lanark will fit into their travel plans (geographically speaking). However, I didn't know about the Needlework Collection and that may well be of interest to H who does enjoy cross-stitch work. Thanks!

[Craig White]

why not Kilmarnock? as it says on the welcoming signposts, "you'll never leave!" :)

[Val]

I've already advised them to give it the widest possible berth!

[Craig White]

the gravity of depravity will pull them in! why not stay for lunch? why not be lunch! whoahahaha! :)

[suzysunshine7]

[Craig White]

ha ha ha! it's true! :)

...............but you know he will!

[suzysunshine7]

I've just Googled Kilmarnock and I think it looks rather nice ;o>

[Craig White]

from a distance!.........................5,000 miles!

[suzysunshine7]

Google Stockport Town Centre and you'll soon appreciate the difference! - LOL!!! ;o>

[Craig White]

you're at it! I can see an open shop there! and unless all the jakeys are hiding behind the carousel (oooh, fancy!), it looks like paradise! :)

[suzysunshine7]

Nah! - most of those Shops are boarded up now - and M&S has just announced that they are also giving up on Stockport and joining the long queue of Rats eager to desert the Concrete Oasis.

I rarely ever even think of going into Stockport anymore because there is absolutely nothing there worth the travelling of three miles for ;o<

[Craig White]

yeah, seriously, it's troubling! when a retailer announces withdrawal of stores, we usually assume 'there goes the killie shop!', and we're right about 95% of the time!

[suzysunshine7]

The suggestion doing the rounds here is that M&S are pulling out of the crappy concrete ghost town of the Town Centre like this to put pressure on the Council to give them planning permission to build a snazzy new and bigger Store on one of the more desirable outskirt plots that they have been already been turned down on?

The Shopping Centre is little more than a massive 1960's-70's Multi-Storey Car Park of a place only with Shopping Units in it instead of Cars. Everybody hates it - and the Council have spent over 30 years now trying to dodge the stark reality of it needing to be knocked down so that it can be re-built into something that Stockport can finally get to be proud of.

[P]

Online shopping and edge of town shopping malls which cater for the motorist and protection from inclement weather will continue to hit traditional town centre shopping until all that's left are charity shops and service industries like insurance offices.

We saw Merry Hill Shopping Mall destroy the town centres of Dudley and Halesowen 30 years ago. It's only the market that has kept Dudley clinging on by its fingertips. Prior to the shopping mall, Dudley had several large stores, but they all closed one by one. Newcastle has managed to resist the same fate because of the stores that chose to remain in the centre, despite the growth of the Metro Centre.

[suzysunshine7]

I don't think that Stockport would have any problem at all in keeping or in attracting Stores to stay within the Town Centre - it is so well-placed and has excellent Public Transport (Buses and Trains) just a short stroll away.

The main issue is that the old Shopping Centre is so ugly and is very badly out-dated - and even the very best choice of Units that it offers up are seriously undersized, unappealing, and also un-adaptable to most modern day Stores on both looks and needs.

[suzysunshine7]

Google is advertising this on it's UK Search Home Page ;o> ...

https://artsandculture.google.com/pro...

(It's definitely one for all of the Harry Potter fans out there)