Thread 16 - TalkLair: "Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish-yet-affordable boots, but there's definitely something unnatural going on here."

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 15).

Another year over, a new one just begun...

In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, the walls festooned with tinsel, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors, the tree is twinkling with fairy lights (and possibly being clambered on by cats). The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics.

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

I can just imagine it being said, nose in the air as she spoke.

I didn't make a Christmas cake as the weirdos over here disdain fruit cake, but the urge for cake has overcome me so I plan to make a carrot cake and frost it with cream cheese frosting today, an American style of which I thoroughly approve.

Speaking of weirdos - this is quite the oddity: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/deadliest-rat

NoBinturongsHereMate · Yesterday 22:12

They wouldn't have approved at all of my grandmother's trifle. She was raised Methodist and was virtually teetotal except for medicinal purposes, and trifle.

Oh God, you've reminded me of when my nan died. She never drank, but had a drink cabinet with Italian cherry brandy, which she used to make trifle at Christmas, she used to have a good dollop of it.

Sister and stepmam found about £5,000 in fives, tens and twenties in drawers, in books and magazines including Playboy and Hustler (dated years after granddad died) and dozens of empty an half full bottles of said cherry brandy, loads under the sink.

They were semi po-faced, but amused and I was just thinking: "Sneaky, legend!"

I like "sneaky legend". That is a top description.

Re cheap veg. I got swede, carrots, parsnips and Brussel sprouts from Morrison's today all at 10p per pack/swede. You have to have a Morrison's card though otherwise they are much more expensive. I'm chuffed that we now have Christmas veg (minus potatoes) for 40p.

My mum definitely used to make trifle back in the day. I wonder when making trifle became a bit of a thing of the past? I've not thought of making it myself but I'm thinking I should give it a go because I do like trifle.

In other news I bought some baubles for my tree today. I got some in TK Maxx including some by Christian LaCroix (four for a fiver) none of which I would have bought at full price and none of which I would have bought if I'd had the options of my lovely decorations. Then I remembered that there's a B&M near me so I went there as well and picked up more for even cheaper. My tree is now hugely overladen and looks like Christmas has vomited on it. I'm loving it.

Here it be in all its inglorious wonderfulness. It looks better in the "flesh".

That’s an excellent tree!

Well done on your Morrisons bargains, Mouse, I got parsnips and beetroot, the last two parsnips, today. I was driving my disabled pal, we didn't end up at the disability place, Newcastle was too crowded, so no rubber bungs for his crutch. Of course, Aldi had billions of better parsnips...

I'm ridiculously chuffed with my Morrison's bargains, @SinnerBoy . I found myself hoping that it was as pleasant surprise to people who are seriously in need as it was for me. I'm imagining being a family with a couple of kids and living very much hand to mouth. To be able to buy enough veg for all of you for less than a pound and hopefully potatoes for not too much more must take some pressure off. Not enough pressure and everything is pretty grim out there economically but I hope it helps people out. It's helped me out and I'm not dirt poor just pretty poor with added financial stupidity.

I love beetroot. I thought they had some marked down beetroot in Morrison's but I'm clearly going a bit stupid in the eyes because it was marked down raspberries. In my defence they were with all of the Brussel sprouts/swedes/etc so I was expecting something savoury and not lush berries.

So today's epic baking frenzy incorporated making the chocolate custard for the Black Forest trifle (now in the fridge waiting for whipped cream on top), making a carrot cake and frosting it with cream cheese frosting, making two dozen mince pies and four dozen Russian teacakes (also known as Mexican wedding cakes). I am knackered but strangely satisfied.

I'm intrigued by the connection between Russian tea and Mexican wedding!

@FagsMagsandBags lovely Christmassy tree 😍 You should put it on the Christmas tree thread!

That is an amazing amount of baking @Britinme and I also want to know what the connection is between Russia and Mexico!

Trotsky?

Are you suggesting @Britinme makes cookies that need to be cut with an ice axe?

Beautiful tree, Fags!

I went out for a couple of stocking filler gifts yesterday. The local deli does all sorts of naice things so thought it worth a look. Many of the shelves were all but empty and all that was left in the chilled counter was one piece of cheese and half a bowl of olives. The couple who run it were standing by the till looking rather dazed and told me the rush had been crazy. I did find some fancy mince pies and mint chocolates, which will do nicely.

Apparently they're also known as Italian wedding cookies, which I think rules out Trotsky.

Peak Freen's Trotsky Assortment?

@NoBinturongsHereMate this is for you. I've just been in with a deranged shopping list. Of course, they had all of it.

I have no idea why they are Russian, Mexican and apparently Italian as well. They are like little balls of very tender cookie rolled heavily in powdered sugar.

I am awake at stupid o'clock trying to decide whether to try and go back to sleep again.

I was at M&S at 08.03 this morning and went straight in. It wasn't at all busy except for staff stacking shelves. I didn't have to queue for the till, so after buying only a few things, 10 minutes later I was on my way home. No air of panic over anyone.

Possibly because it seems most people started their holiday yesterday - I was working and got a lot of out of office messages.

I do miss that place. We have a little hardware/garden/flower shop here with a moderately bonkers assortment of stock, but it's only about 1/5 of the size.

For other posters, this is the legendary Thorn's hardware shop in Norwich. It's made up of several 17th and 18th century buildings, it's on about 27 different levels, it's staffed by cheery and knowledgeable middle aged chaps, and it has EVERYTHING.

It can feel a bit like a Tomb Raider quest when they tell you where something is - "Up those stairs there, sharp right at the top and then left at the end of the hinges, down the stairs by the Fablon display and it's in the second cabinet along..."

That shop sounds fabulous.

One of my favourites is an occasional visit to Chesapeake Mill, which is Fareham way. It's a huge warren of rooms all stuffed with second hand everything. I've rarely bought anything but love to wander around and gaze. There are some pictures a bit further down the landing page of this site.

https://thechesapeakemill.com

Here's an interesting¹ thing I missed earlier in the year - a whole new phylum of viroids: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10827157/

¹ Admittedly somewhat niche interest.

That shop looks marvellous. An excellent hardware store is always a place of wonder but one with knowledgeable staff and a good level of eccentricity in the buying policy sounds fantastic!