Early Risers.

[PeterBB]

1 hour ago, AndyB said:

I'm not surprised. Receipes often say a "pinch of salt" which to me would be a few grains between thumb and forefinger.  The reality is it'd be much higher.

The reason this has come up on my radar is that I had some rather shocking blood pressure results a week ago. As the surgery couldn't get their heads round it I was sent home to do a week of readings. The only ones that were lower than dangerous were at the weekend. This got me thinking - was it stress from work? Possibly / probably.  Or was it having my office in the garage, which is sometimes harder to get up to temperature. Body coingredients can also raise blood pressure.  So this week I'm bringing get the laptop indoors and seeing if "warm+stress" gives a different result. 

Not really a controlled experiment as I'm also upping my potassium intake and reducing the sodium simultaneously. 

Later on my grocery shopping trip I'm going to get some Lo-salt. 

Andy you also need to watch your potassium intake if you have high BP.  Take things easily is often the best way round.  Tablets are around and Baz has encyclopaedic knowledge on these because of the, not inconsiderable, side effects.  That being the case they can become necessary.

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, AndyB said:

...As I'd thought of also going down the rib of beef route as well I consulted him on the matter. At £84 the recommendation was no doubt excellent but would have bankrupted me! ...

Good grief, only £84 (CHF 100) for a whole Rib of Beef? Blimey that’s cheap. A whole Côte de Boeuf (the closest Swiss cut to a rib of beef) will set you back over CHF 180.00 - at least  (and let’s not even begin to talk about Wagyu beef prices).  Having said that, the price is partly due to the very high standards of animal welfare that Swiss farmers adhere to, a standard that has a cost.  Happy and healthy cows are tasty cows!

2 hours ago, jonny777 said:

...I love turkey, so eating leftovers is not a problem. A turkey and ham pie is one of my favourites, as well as curry....

I didn’t use to be much of a turkey fan, I always found it rather boring. But then I discovered Turkey Mole, a Mexican dish whose ancestry can be traced back to the Incas.  I use the Mole sauce to cook a whole turkey breast in, but if you cook the sauce separately so that the raw ingredients (especially the spices) cook out, then it makes a great sauce for your roast turkey leftovers.  The great thing about this dish is that it is a radical departure from the usual run-of-the-mill turkey leftover dishes and whilst the sauce is made with chocolate and chilies, you can increase and decrease the amount of chilies to taste. Highly recommended!  Another great thing about Turkey Mole is that there are so many variations of the Mole sauce (It would seem that every Mexican grandmother has her own version) that you can easily find the one the best suits your palate (and they all involve chocolate and chilies!).

Serve with rice (plain or one of the very many Mexican rice dishes), warm tortillas and something green!.

1 hour ago, AndyB said:

...I do wonder if you eat in fancy restaurants with "*s" a couple of times a week is it going to feel special? 

Depends on the nature of the restaurant. The cheapest meal you can get at a Michelin starred restaurant costs about £3 to £4 , The restaurant is is in Hong Kong and just does noodles. Undoubtably the worlds best noodles, but noodles nonetheless. The “special” nature of the dish being the quality of the ingredients and the cooking.

When I am in London I try and eat at as many Michlin starred venues as possible (and before you ask, no I am not loaded).  Every meal is a different experience: at some restaurants it is the ambience, for others it’s the service and with others it is the theatre of formal dining.  But all are underpinned by really, really, good food.

Incidentally, it is a common myth that Michelin starred restaurants are universally expensive. They can be, but equally you can eat very well at little cost at such restaurants, either because they have a great value lunch menu or their menu is incredibly reasonable for what they offer.

Where you can burn through the credit cards in a matter of minutes is in those so-called restaurants frequented by oligarchs, football players, social media “influencers” and the like. Such “trendy” establishments are where taste (in all its myriad diversity) goes to die!

55 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

When we eat out that is one of the things I notice, many foods taste salty compared to home cooking. We have been low salt and sugar for a long time. 
Tony

You’ll be surprised how much salt and fat are used in commercial kitchens. When I did a stint as a Chef de partie helping out in a friend’s friend’s restaurant, I was responsible for cooking the bratwurst, leberwurst, blutwurst and rösti. In an evening’s service (roughly between 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm) I used up 500 g of salt and over 10 kg of butter! And if you ever watch Masterchef Professional, you will often see the chefs adding a big knob of butter towards the end of the preparation of a dish. Adding butter at the end imparts richness, glossiness and boosts the taste of the ingredient.

Needless to say, after a week in London (vide supra), it’s back on the very straight and very narrow for me for quite a bit afterwards.

[Tony_S]

1 minute ago, PeterBB said:

Andy you also need to watch your potassium intake if you have high BP.

Although I was on BP medication I was encouraged  to eat one banana (“just one don’t go mad” the nurse said) as other medication was lowering my potassium level. I am getting medication now to counteract side effects of other medications. Aditi takes a carrier bag to bring my pills out from the pharmacy. 

[PeterBB]

40 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I was surprised to learn that a mug of tea drunk just before a BP test can raise the readings by a considerable amount. In the end my high BP readings turned out to be 'white coat syndrome',  still high-ish at 115/60 average but not too worrying. Some of these BP drugs have unpleasant side effects, some of my ailments are down to taking Ramipril for a few years. Its Ramopril thats responsible for my brothers kidney failure.

BP 115/60 seems a bit low but ID probably a better source of knowledge on this.  Ramopril is the other with Amlodipine that are used to reduce BP,  both have side-effects that gradually build up surreptitiously,  yes, the former is a known 'anti-kidney' drug as also is ibrufen.

Edited December 6, 2020 by PeterBB
Spelling

[iL Dottore]

18 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Agree but you will also know that eating outs a problem because most places 'mess about' with food by adding unnecessary, supposedly improving the content,  items thus making it inedible

Yes, it’s called “cooking” and adding spices and the like is very popular around the world   (just ask the Chinese, Thais, Mexicans, Italians, French, Japanese, Indians...)

Edited December 6, 2020 by iL Dottore

[AndyB]

7 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Andy you also need to watch your potassium intake if you have high BP.  Take things easily is often the best way round.  Tablets are around and Baz has encyclopaedic knowledge on these because of the, not inconsiderable, side effects.  That being the case they can become necessary.

Thanks Peter. 

I was started on a lowish dose of Lisinopril a few years ago which was adjusted upwards. I'm expecting the latest tests will show it needs to go up still further. 

They do blood tests about once per year to look at renal funation and - touch wood - so far so good.  

I think a major issue is probably stress. I changed jobs about a year ago to reduce this. I was actually hoping the results would have been better and that I could have reduced the dosage.  Clearly more work to do on the stress front, methinks. 

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Indians

If you want to see a sad expression just ask an Indian to say the word “bland”. 

[PeterBB]

8 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Yes, it’s called “cooking” and adding spices and the like is very popular around the world   (just ask the Chinese, Thais, Mexicans, Italians, French, Japanese, Indians...)

Hence why for me going abroad is a nightmare eating-wise.

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, AndyB said:

Thanks Peter. 

I was started on a lowish dose of Lisinopril a few years ago which was adjusted upwards. I'm expecting the latest tests will show it needs to go up still further. 

They do blood tests about once per year to look at renal funation and - touch wood - so far so good.  

I think a major issue is probably stress. I changed jobs about a year ago to reduce this. I was actually hoping the results would have been better and that I could have reduced the dosage.  Clearly more work to do on the stress front, methinks. 

My job before I retired was very stressful and I expected my BP to go down after I retired but they stayed the same. 

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone 

 

Very late on parade today, partly due to having a bit of a lie-in and breakfast in bed. 

 

Anyway when I finally got to the workshop, as it wasn't raining, I decided to set up my workbench and enlarge the hole in the plywood turntable base. I think I spent more time setting up than actually cutting, but it's done now and the well fits perfectly. Now time to start wiring the switches up in the control panel. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian 

[iL Dottore]

3 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Hence why for me going abroad is a nightmare eating-wise.

Have you tried CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). It’s very good at dealing with phobias. It works by gradually desensitising the subject against the phobic item.
 

So in your case, you’d start by looking at a picture of a chilli, then when comfortable looking at a chilli photo, you’d then put a plastic chilli on the side of your plate; when comfortable with that you would then put a real chilli on the plate and then move onto having just a tiny bit of chilli (1 or 2 ug) mixed into the food, repeating the process, moving forward in incremental small steps until you can go into the local Tandoori Emporium and stun and amaze all your friends and family by ordering a vindaloo! 

[Tony_S]

4 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

phobias

I don’t think the people I know who don’t like very hot spicy food are phobic. Aditi likes subtle spiced items for her Indian food not a hot blast. She thinks all peppers look nice though. 

[iL Dottore]

16 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

If you want to see a sad expression just ask an Indian to say the word “bland”. 

Then I think most of your (extended) family would be well advised to avoid dining in Switzerland. The ingredients are of very high quality but....

 

As Lord Bland of Blandings Castle in Blandshire, honorary  lifetime president of the Plain Vanilla Society and founder of the BSPF (British Society for the Prevention of Foreign Spicing) said of Swiss cooking “It’s a bit boring, isn’t it?”

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

ordering a vindaloo!

I think Aditi would prefer not to go to Indian restaurants that serve vindaloo! 
 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Not certain if this 'commandment' will apply to the inhabitants of Fraggle Rock but HMG has decreed that after 2023 ( may be wrong with this date but certainly in the next few years) that gas boilers are no longer to be installed. Instead they are to be replaced by air pumps which are less polluting. I use the word ' less ' advisory as everything produces pollution in one form or another. Not certain what all of the gas fitters etc will be doing -retraining I suppose?

 

From 2025, but applying to new-build properties so they'll be around for a long time yet:

https://idealboilers.com/blog/future-new-build-heating-2025-2050-beyond

 

The kids keep laughing at my failing memory but they won't be laughing at Christmas when there's no eggs under the bonfire.

 

It must be nearly Chr*stmas - the Bin Men are starting to say "Good Morning".....

 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

I was just going to say much the same as Poly - new build only, replacements are allowed.  Ground source heat pumps are a laugh here, you need planning permission to fit them - for something invisible and on your own property. #sigh#  That would take us back to tanks also - not really practicable unless you use a pressurised system in this house.  Diaphragm failure in these may be a thing in the future..... (not, not that sort)..... they were useless things on ships in my experience, always causing issues.

 

Megator sliding shoe pumps, anyone that served on ships?  Rubber bits everywhere in the water.

Edited December 6, 2020 by New Haven Neil

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

As Lord Bland of Blandings Castle in Blandshire, honorary  lifetime president of the Plain Vanilla Society and founder of the BSPF (British Society for the Prevention of Foreign Spicing) said of Swiss cooking “It’s a bit boring, isn’t it?”

I suspect I have mentioned this before but when Matthew was at the LSE a couple of friends thought a day trip to Geneva would be fun. For their evening meal one if the group insisted on finding a “genuine” Swiss restaurant. The friend ordered steak and chips. Matthew and his other friend said they would travel for days out by themselves next time. 
Tony

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Absent due to a real lack of Mojo - so many many pages skipped, and I can only proffer the usual generic greetings to all fellow ERs.

 

Was just having a shower this morning, when 30747 got a phone call from her manager, about 08.30 this morning to say that three children from the same family had tested positive for Covid, and as a result, the nursery is closed for a week - so I was roused from my shower to get the laptop fired up to see if I could arrange a test - and after much negotiation of the .gov website, managed to get this arranged - and the system also offered an option for another household member to have a test, I sigend up  as well.  The location was, strangely enough, literally next door to her now closed workplace, as she works on a university campus, and there is a test centre there.

 

Other than that, I have managed to convince her to try leaving the boiler on all the time, and to just vary the thermostat, which should be just as economical as switching on and off, then letting the radiators get cold then warm them up when needed - so far, so good - I guess it comes from the fact that we used to have a system without any controls to speak of, and relying on the primitive timer and thermostatic radiator valves.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Bin men saying good morning would be surprise, they rarely get here in the morning, most couriers are around 16:00, the postie just makes the morning between 11:00 and 12:00.

 

All the celebrity chefs idea of a pinch of salt is a handful.

 

We changed to a combi boiler on lot which saves a huge amount of expensive gas 3x the price of mains gas.. but it's less reliable than a conventional boiler, and a long way to the bathroom taps.

I looked into a heat pump, but it would require a outside cupboard built into the house for it..

 

An air / air heat pump is otherwise known as a reversible air conditioning unit. I fitted a kit one to the mobile home which saves a lot of electricity. When I retire and start spending more time in the muddling shed it too may get one.

 

And to today's work.

First to the donated from SWMBO cupboard, I found it in an outside plastic garden cupboard....

Along with all 3 spades that SWMBO had no idea where they were, and various other gardening tools such as long handled garden grass edging shears..

Any way the gardening tools have relocated to the gardening tool shed, the cupboard to workshop. The plastic cupboard has joined the other plastic cupboards.

 

And so to the little cupboard, SWMBO says she / her mother have owned it for over 50 years and it was second hand then.

20 inches wide 15 inches deep, the cupboard beneath is about a foot tall, there was a drawer above about 4 inches deep SWMBO says she has it....somewhere.

Its been cut down from a taller unit probably with more drawers before SWMBO got it.. That was done well. But the unit had been bodged by someone since with many holes in the side.

 

So I found a place for it, where the radio first sat above the workbench, , A shelf as made the fit the foot print of the cupboard, it was put on top, screwed to the shelf, and the wall behind.

Temporarily it's now the home of the expensive varnish tins. Off the cold floor and well below the cold ceiling. 

That roof was dripping water when I melted the ice with the heater on..

 

Then I worked on the keel, cleaning up last week's work, then a final manoeuvre onto its side. The last of the old tin of resin was used, I added a bit more activator this time..

Once all painted onto the glass fibre / keel, I left it with the fan heater gently blowing over it while I took Ben for his long walk.

It now seems to be setting, needing 15C minimum to set it to go off.. the fan heater is now off, the workshop locked up. It will sit there for a week.

 

Next week, I'll reinforce the fore and aft edges of the keel with more glass fibre.

 

 

 

[Dunsignalling]

Hi everyone.

My two pennorth on Central heating. 

 

Living alone and working shifts for 20 years, leaving the system on and just varying the thermostat gave me the flexibility I needed.

Fits well around my random comings and goings in retirement, too.

 

I just turn it down to 15 or 16 before bed. If the boiler fires up during the night, I know it's a cold one....

 

John

 

[Dunsignalling]

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

If you want to see a sad expression just ask an Indian to say the word “bland”. 

But there's a world of distance between the extremes of bland and adding so much "rocket fuel" that the main ingredients become unidentifiable. If the latter are any good, I primarily want to taste them!

 

Historically, spices were used to disguise the fact that meat was "off" after first washing off the green mould, of course.

 

John

Edited December 6, 2020 by Dunsignalling

[New Haven Neil]

The gas man cometh, and purgeth the system, warmth has been restored.  Just as well, Mrs NHN has been out to field archery since 11.30 and will be frozzed when she comes in, although I briefly saw 7c it was during a sunny hour, as soon as the sun hid it was back to 2.  I shouldn't think it was much above freezing at any point in the glen as it is heavily shaded and steep sided, it will lock in the cold.

 

 

[simontaylor484]

Just been up ladder to the loft for some missing xmas decs. Knee leg and back now know about it. 

 I wonder where all this electricity will be coming from to power all these air pumps (that are allegedly very noisy) electric vehicles extra electrified rail lines. And yet we seem to be closing power stations left right and centre and replacing with itty bitty wind farms and the like.

 

[The Stationmaster]

Adternoon all,

 

I shall try to be brief because 'she' wishes to once more make use of this 'puter - probably concucting another quiz and her most recent ones are doing quite well - I don't think anybody has yet managed 10 out of 10 on 'A man for all seasonings' while some of the Eddystone quiz is so  precise in its historical and geographical extenet that it's hardly likely to see any big point scorers.

 

Generally I think i've coped reasonablty well with things so far although I've obviously lost some enjoyable days out and what would probably have been two interesting weeks on the briny, plus any future trips on the briny.  My biggest is moan is about the a.r.souls who are too arrogant, or too thick, to follow some very simple basic rules and in my opinion quite a few of them shon d have been banged up in a very uncomfortable prison for teh duration.  However some clown in the NHS bureaucracy has today applied for the award of the Clown Prince by announcing that with vaccination starting next week we are seeing the 'beginning of the end of Covid'.  This mathematical ignoramus might have been better to use Churchill's words about 'the end of the beginning' because with the amount of Pfizer vaccine on order up to 31 December 2021 (10 million doses) there won't even be enough to vaccinate everybody in the two groups at the top if the list.  And if someone else adds another 10 million doses in the same period that will just get down to part way through the fourth group.  Sorry if I'm sounding rather like John (CB) but the mathematic truth is that unless production and UK orders are at least doubled the vaccination process will still be going on well into 2022, at the earliest. 

 

Right time to go and watch Alec Guinness and enjoy the  gently permeating aroma of roast beef as it emanates from the kitchen, hmmm

 

Enjoy the rest of thhday and stay safe.

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon.   We have had another nice sunset here and a large group of starlings have been flying around almost a murmuration.   This was the view a few days ago from where I type.

We seem to have survived quite well though the two biggest problems are that we are both missing little Emily and I'm not getting out to watch trains.  A simple pleasure denied but at least we are safe for the time being. I've even found some mojo to work on the layout. Something smells very nice in the kitchen.

 

Jamie