Struggling Writers discussion
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Chat (Up Until 5/4/2013)
Sharon wrote: "What did Carroll say?"If we invite him as a friend he will give 10 dollars to the Food Pantry. I think it is on the lines of the Resto du Coeur here in France, go on invite him, you know you want to!
I thought he was in this group already! or am I being blonde again?
Sharon wrote: "I thought he was in this group already! or am I being blonde again?"Yes he is in this group but he's not in your friends list! You're slipping fancy missing an opportunity like that!
Okay so now it's me being blonde I didn't see him in your list last time I looked!
Yes I know he is now, I just looked - sneaked that one in you little minx you!
You told me to invite him a while a go, so I did ;o)
Sharon wrote: "You told me to invite him a while a go, so I did ;o)"Did I, oh so I am the blonde one here then! It must be all the green beans I have just blanched ready to freeze and I prepared Coquille St Jacques for the freezer. I think we English call them queen scallops!
Oh how lovely, I love Scallops, Now you are going to make me hungry again ;o)
Jo said the same thing, they were on special offer in the Supermarket 2,60 Euros a kilos. Now you are about to faint how much do you pay in England? For Oysters I pay 4 Euros a kilo that's about 13 oysters depending on the size! And they are Fresh we are only 38 miles from the sea!
I don't know how much oysters are, I don't actually like them. I will give those a miss - lol
Sharon wrote: "I don't know how much oysters are, I don't actually like them. I will give those a miss - lol"I don't like them raw, as the French eat them but I do like them cooked with a Farcie, white breadcrumbs,finely chopped shallots, parsley, mushrooms finely chopped and butter, lemon zest and a squirt of juice. top your open oysters with this mixture covering it completely and top it with a slice of your favourite cheese, cheddar, brie or st agur. serve with a green salad for a starter!
Sarah R wrote: "Sharon wrote: "I don't know how much oysters are, I don't actually like them. I will give those a miss - lol"I don't like them raw, as the French eat them but I do like them cooked with a Farcie..."
That is so good! First appatizer seafood i learned how to make :)
Now you are making us all hungry - LOL but I will stick with the scallops
Sharon wrote: "Now you are making us all hungry - LOL but I will stick with the scallops"Yes me too! I had a yoghurt but it didn't fill much of a hole and I keep thinking cake - mars bars = biscuits! Bad me! I'm gonna make some toast I think, or start work on the third novel!
Chocolate - hmmmm, so not fair especially with christmas coming up.
Did you know it is only 73 days till christmas! Just thought I would share that.
Yep Irene they are rather yummy! I do them at Christmas and New Year usually I buy a couple of kilos and open them stuff them and then freeze them. all I have to do then is top them with cheese and slam them in the oven!
I think you should write your own receipe book of home cooked food, you would make a mint hun.
Sharon wrote: "Did you know it is only 73 days till christmas! Just thought I would share that."I know its not far enough away, I have bought Sophie's present, a tv combi dvd for her room with tnt integrated then she can stop bugging me with Gulli when I am trying to work. As for everyone else not a clue!
Hey, thats what we are getting Renee for christmas - LOL great minds.
Yes maybe one day I will but there are so many recipe books around, perhaps I should write a novel about a chef, I know how about a blonde cookery book!LOL fancy both of us buying the girls a tele!
Any body have sugestions on what to give a guy? Mine and my bf's one year annerviseary is comming up and I wanted to give him a little something. I have christmas covered but not annervesairy.
Irene wrote: "Any body have sugestions on what to give a guy? Mine and my bf's one year annerviseary is comming up and I wanted to give him a little something. I have christmas covered but not annervesairy."depends on what he likes. My friend Morgan is into reading and roleplaying games (As in Dungeons and Dragons) so I would buy Morgam a book and a whole new set of dice :) but thats just Morgan.
He loves to golf but he can't right now so i was origonaly going ot get him some of the sepical golf balls he likes(ones he can't dent) but now that isn't an option because I don't want to remind him that he can't do one of his favorite things. I have him tickets to a pariots (no clue if I spelled tha right or not and it si is fav football team) for christmas with a couple other small things. I likes just about everything, maybe I will get him the new Call of Duty gmae, he wants it but hasn't boughht it yet and probably won't for a while. (eventhough eh really really wants it)
well then you should if he really really wants it ^^
Irene wrote: "He loves to golf but he can't right now so i was origonaly going ot get him some of the sepical golf balls he likes(ones he can't dent) but now that isn't an option because I don't want to remind h..."Always a good idea to buy something he really wants/needs that way you it will at least get used! Even if it's only on the odd occasion.
Last year I bought my petit ami (French for little friend translates as boyfriend)a Sat Nav because he has a tendancy to take the scenic route, roughly translated we end up getting lost and he has only a crappy map of the entire country in his car! He never used it I however who never gets lost have, it's great for finding places here. There are no house numbers in the country just lieu dit (place names) and sometimes several houses have the same lieu dit which is an absolute nightmare! So his present was useful after all!
Morning hunHow are you this misty morning, yep its foggy here! I hope that signifies a warm day eventually because my washing is piling up, I have one load waiting to go out one on the airer waiting to go upstairs and another load waiting to take its place on the airer!
That's what last weeks bad weather left me with I have at least 3 loads still to do and then I have to strip the beds! I am going to have to seriously think about buying a tumble dryer, though the high cost of using one here in France has so far caused me to think twice.
Though seeing as I used less water this year (9m2 apparently) I have a little cash in reserve!
How is the reading going?
Honestly have not started it yet, but I have a whole weekend dedicated to your book, it is the only time I will be free. It has been hectic here and to make matters worse, I has taken me over an hour to actually log on. As for the weather, the sun has started smiling at the moment but knowing the British weather that is bound to change - LOL
Still blooming foggy here, so much for drying the washing today!I am going to tidy up a bit and sort lunch out and then hopefully this afternoon I can dust of one of the manuscripts in the pending tray!
Though Alain is on holiday for the next two weeks but he will be working on the house - Sophie joins in next Friday when she breaks up for two weeks holiday too! So not much hope of doing much!
Ah the dreaded half term, yes I can see things will get a little pushed for time. Thankfully I wont have that to worry about.
Sharon wrote: "Ah the dreaded half term, yes I can see things will get a little pushed for time. Thankfully I wont have that to worry about."lucky you, and I may gain a child/children for the odd day, glutton for punishement - only fair as geraldine has Sophie for me for lunch - we may go to the coast with the kids if we get a nice day they have promised us some, and then I can bring some mussels and oysters back for tea! Oysters for freezing ready stuffed for when Jo and Herve are here for the chasse long weekend.
We will usually have a chasse lunch to prepare so Stuffed Oysters will be a starter they haven't had before followed by Beef in Beer served in a large yorkshire pudding each! That should keep em quiet and soak up the copious amounts of wine they put down their necks! Only trouble is the pudding Herve has requested is Gaelic Trifle laced with malt whisky he hates puddings but makes an exception when I make that!
LOL, looks like you have your work cut out for you then.
Sharon wrote: "LOL, looks like you have your work cut out for you then."Yep that and Alain bringing people for lunch who are working on the house with him I keep going outside and looking for the restaurant open sign. Sometimes it feels like one and they expect better things from me I can't just give em burger and chips!
I have to prepare starter, main and a pudding and because most of them have eaten here at one time or another they expect it all to be fait maison!
I can't go and buy something ready made! I am my own worse enemy sometimes!
On Masterchef last night they gave everyone a flag and a symbol of a country and they had to come up with a Cordon Bleu meal from that country. Sad to say every one of the seven boxes would have been a delight to cook for me. There was just one or two worthy of praise and the girl who got the English box ended up on the teste de supression, masterchefs equivalent of the naughty corner!
The first thing the three chefs said was have you been to England could you not have made fish and chips or a meat pie! Cheeky beggars imagine if I had got that one - I could have knocked spots of em with my Lancashire Hotpot! Or beef and guiness pie with Honey mustard glazed roast vegetables!
She cooked lamb with tarragon with minted peas and carrots! How was that English all except for the minted peas!
Well that was not a bad dish, well if I ate red meat that is. I am a fuss pot sometimes hee hee. One of the secs here has the delightful job of organising the secretaries christmas dinner. I have done it for the past 2 years and it is hell especially when they can not decide where to go and then leave it to the last minute and we end up in the worst place possible. She come back with, is there any reason we haven't been to an indian restaurant for christmas? DOH? I think Indian and Christmas springs to mind here. LOL should be an interesting one!!!
Sharon wrote: "Well that was not a bad dish, well if I ate red meat that is. I am a fuss pot sometimes hee hee. One of the secs here has the delightful job of organising the secretaries christmas dinner. I hav..."I think Roast turkey is overated I would kill to go to an Indian Restaurant! There are very few here and the ones that have opened quickly learnt the French are wusses with spices, they can't take the heat - I don't like it red hot medium is nicer doesn't burn your bum on its way out! But french curry is more like a meat stew with a bit of flavouring thrown in for good measure.
The restaurants will however up the ante if you tell them you're English and like to taste your curry - but they are few and far between I haven't found one around here so far!
As for the meal err have you ever tasted tarragon - sweet and sickly a widely used French herb not renowned for being used with lamb... not even with the French! It's orrible!
LOL, granted it should be mint or rosemary.
Sharon wrote: "LOL, granted it should be mint or rosemary."Try this marinade next timeyou have a leg of lamb
Fresh herbs rosemary/marjoram/thyme a small handful of leaves a few from each. 2 cloves of garlic tspn salt olive oil black/green/white peppercorns a few juniper berries zest of a small lemon juice of half and 4 tblspns olive oil 1 tbspn golden syrup or honey, with a mortar and pestle crush the berries and snip leaves crush with the pepper add salt crush and cream the garlic add zest and juice and olive oil mix well. make cuts in lamb and rub marinade in well leave to marinade at least 2 hours overnight is best roast in oven with carrots potatoes and parsnips. serve with garden peas and stand back and wait for the compliments works with chicken too just add a few leaves of sage to the melange!
sorry forgot you don't do red meat!
Sarah R wrote: "Sharon wrote: "LOL, granted it should be mint or rosemary."Try this marinade next timeyou have a leg of lamb
Fresh herbs rosemary/marjoram/thyme a small handful of leaves a few from each. 2 clov..."
That is really good, my recipe varies a bit but I use that on fish instead of Lamb(which i have nevr had and always wanted to try). It's onteresting to read you guy's posts being I love to cook/bake.
Irene wrote: "Sarah R wrote: "Sharon wrote: "LOL, granted it should be mint or rosemary."Try this marinade next timeyou have a leg of lamb
Fresh herbs rosemary/marjoram/thyme a small handful of leaves a few fr..."
Lamb is nice, but quite expensive alot of the time I splash out occassionally and that is the tastiest lamb ever.
Something that is good for salmon is: ((this is for a whole 14inch by 4 inch flaly of fish)) 2cups mayoniase, 3tbs chives, 2tbs minced sweet onion, 2tsp of garlic, 1tbs parsely, 3tsp salt, 1tbs orgeno, 1tbs thyme, 1 tbs thyme, 1/2cup parmsan cheese shreaded, and the jucie of two lemons (1/4 cup) . Mix it all together thourghly and spread onto salmon, let sit in fridge covered over night or for four hours then bake as you normally would. It gives the salmon a tangy good flavor.
I hope this doesn't offend you Sarah but you remind me of another Sarah that worked with me on a farm for the summer, always logical and funny and very smart.
Anna C. wrote: "I hope this doesn't offend you Sarah but you remind me of another Sarah that worked with me on a farm for the summer, always logical and funny and very smart."No Anna doesn't offend in the least, I like to think I'm smart, but sometimes even the smartest of us do the dumbest things!
Night time for bed for me!
Sharon wrote: "Morning all"Morning hun
How was your weekend. I spent mine cooking for the marauding hoards, today too! Though only 1 extra today and no extra dogs. I am now going to clean my kitchen floor and put the roast in the oven and then put the washing out,m empty the dishwasher and eventually get a shower!
I baked some cakes to keep madam occupied and did some reading. Have not finished yours yet but it wont take me too long ;o)
Sharon wrote: "I baked some cakes to keep madam occupied and did some reading. Have not finished yours yet but it wont take me too long ;o)"Oh I baked too whilst throwing the ingredients for a salad Nicoise into a bowl peeling potatoes, setting the table and washing up!
Lunch here with guests has to be entree, plat principal, fromage and dessert and I can't get away with buying one either!
LOL, I think I can get away with it. I made chocolate chip cup cakes with chocolate on top. I used broken chocolate buttons for the chocolate chips which shocked madam because I had hidden them ready for christmas, now Ijust have to replace them - Whoops!
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Struggling Writers
Books mentioned in this topic
Faking Grace (other topics)Faking Grace (other topics)
Naked Heat (other topics)
In The Devil's Own Words, Catedral Cronicles (other topics)
Yes, I'm worried about him he has had a run of bad luck like so many other American's,my other American friend Lori is in much the same predicament she struggles out of one tight spot only to land in another. My life isn't exactly easy but at least I can hold my own.
I know what it's like to feel the whole world is against you. We miss you Paul come in and talk to us I'll send you an invite.
Hey and Carroll that's a wonderful idea unfortunately I need to start earning money before I start giving it away, and my little girl is standing first in line with a request of a pony of her very own!