Thread 14 - TalkLair: “What The Hell Are We Supposed To Use, Man? Harsh Language?”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 13).

Summer should be well under way, but the chilly wind, grey clouds and pouring rain beg to differ. Looks like 2024 continues to be a washout - on the bright side, the Tories got washed out too! In the TalkLair, we remain hunkered down keeping cosy and warm. The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

You can't use raw spinach in spanakopita, it's far too wet. You have to cook amd squeeze or you'll end up with soggy paste instead of pastry.

Ah, thanks @NoBinturongsHereMate - I won't try that then!

I also have Spinach Teeth Syndrome - only noticeable on the inside of my lower front teeth. It's a very odd sensation but not enough to stop me scoffing the stuff.

Speaking of food, I just had a Tesco delivery and as I had ordered some emergency tinned soup (so that MrG doesn't starve when I run away) I added a couple of those small 100g bags of garlic croutons. Whoever was picking the order presumably had no idea what a crouton is, because the substitution was 2 x 420g squeezy containers of Heinz "Turkish Style" Garlic Sauce. No, I did not keep them.

The delivery driver warned me never to add Christmas crackers to a delivery order, unless I like Jacob's cream crackers.

That's a lot of garlic sauce.

I'm slightly intrigued by the idea of Turkish-style garlic sauce, and how it would be used in a meal. Was there a serving suggestion?

I assume it's the mayonnaisey stuff that goes on felafel wraps.

A swirl of it would probably work on top of soup, but ideally with croutons rather than instead.

I sometimes make a garlic sauce, using crême fraiche, or Greek yoghurt, half and half with mayonnaise. I use garlic paste from a tube, because I'm a barbarian and it's easier.

I'm making some chilli sauce right now. After my DS complained last weekend that I didn't have any hot sauce when I offered him pittas. 😛I used to always keep some in the fridge at one time, must have got out of the habit.

I adore garlic, and mayonnaise, and garlic mayonnaise/aïoli, maybe I'll seek out that Turkish garlic sauce next time I'm in a supermarket.

Got caught in a big thunderstorm this afternoon. They're really loud when you're outside, aren't they.

Anyway, on the way home we pass the Cornbury Estate, where there are Horse Trials from the 11th to the 15th. Looked at the sign and thought about it then started wondering 'What crimes have all these horses committed for these trials to be going on for five days?' Naughty Horses!

It's presumably a version of tarator, which in Turkey is a sauce made with walnuts, bread, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. It's delicious with fish, but I wouldn't trust Heinz to make it (and it's very easy to make it yourself).

“Turkish Style” garlic sauce sounds like something Heinz really shouldn’t be attempting.

Love the warning about Christmas crackers! Thankfully the Ocado robots are generally more sensible when it comes to substitutions.

Oooh! Does Ocado have actual robots? I look forward to one of them going berserk.

To be fair to the person who started the being a thief in hotels thread she didn't actually take glasses or mugs she just wanted to. Some people were laying into her as though she had been a big old teef. That said I don't know how she could think that it might be alright to do so. Someone mentioned Ross off of Friends on the thread, so maybe she watched that episode and took it as some sort of "how to thief from hotels" infomercial.

In feels of accomplishment I finished the Emma Donoghue book (Learned By Heart) and have moved on to The Sealed Letter which is based on the Codrington divorce case in 1864. I'm hoping that I've properly found my way back to reading again.

Oh and the book was just beautiful. Sad and beautiful.

@MouseMinge I took the "hotel thief" thread as intended for non-serious discussion, but there's a lot of The Importance of Being Pious on MN. I have sometimes coveted the bathrobes in expensive hotels, but never seriously because - well, who wants a white bathrobe? Mine is multi-coloured cotton towelling, non-fluffy, 15+ years old, bought in an Italian equivalent of Lidl for well under a tenner, made in Egypt and will probably see me out. I still really like it.

There's a lot of The Importance of Being Pious on MN

Arf! 😃'Tis true, sometimes.

Yes, actual robots (I think Ocado has made a lot from selling the technology). Here you go:

I think the robots did burn a warehouse down at one point so they’re not immune from tantrums.

MN competitive piety can be both maddening and hilarious.

My favourite mumsnet posts are the ones where someone starts a thread about their partner's thoughtlessness or plain abuse, e.g. AIBU to be upset that my husband forgot my birthday and sat around in his pants all day watching football and calling me a c*nt instead?

'That's awful OP. My DH would never do a thing like that, in fact for my last birthday he bought me a gorgeous diamond eternity ring then surprised me with a city break to Venice. We had a three-course meal at a chic restaurant where he'd arranged a quartet to play Salut D'amour for me, followed by a moonlit ride on a gondola where he showered me with kisses and champagne.'

And the odd "You can't expect him to remember everything and the poor man needs time to relax and enjoy the things that make him happy. Plus, what did you do or say to make him call you a c u next Tuesday because I'm sure you must have annoyed him quite a lot for him to do that."

Is it very wrong to actually laugh when someone has a go at you on here?

No, only quite wrong and generally only to quite wrong people. Some of the ways people have a go makes me laugh and I'd probably laugh harder if it was me they were having a go at.

artant · Yesterday 14:07

I think the robots did burn a warehouse down at one point so they’re not immune from tantrums.

Ah. They should have engaged Lister to look after their Scutters.