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The Happy Place Café and Tilly's dog wash is still open.

1000 replies

sashh · 19/02/2025 04:28

Morning and welcome.

To anyone new this is the Happy Place Café, all food and drink served here is calorie free. Everyone is welcome.

There are some people who have been here for literally years and others are newer.

The staff are me, obviously, Florence a French pastry chef who is married to Fernando the cocktail waiter (no one knows where Fernando is from so we suspect the marriage was about visas).

In a previous incarnation one of the regulars was Tilly (RIP) who brought a sparkling light in to the café along with a lemur named Leo.

Leo runs a dog wash (Tilly had a golden retriever and her family agreed to the dog wash as a tribute) but as there are rarely and dogs around he will wash anything, his other interests are goats and eggs. He spends every morning cooking eggs.

Outside the café is seating and a water feature, the water feature becomes a swimming pool in summer and an ice rink in winter. There is also a petting zoo.

Other residents are the kittenbees who are kittens the size of a bee with wings, they are very gentle but like to nibble anything sweet. Please do not give them alcohol.

Outside is where their larger cousins the bumblecats live, they are about the size of a fist and a lot more feisty than the kittenbees.

There is normally a daily special for breakfast and sometimes there is a pack up / bait / packed lunch.

Now to breakfast.

I thought a little trip to Germany would fit this morning so Florence is making bread rolls, soft and crusty, Leo is baking / frying / boiling eggs and Fernando is serving Apfelkorn.

I put out a selection of cooked meats, cheeses, jam, nutella, marmalade and if you want that abomination that people wither love or hate, it is in a locked box in the garden, far from the café, that is where it is to be consumed.

Actually I watched a vid from 'Atomic Shrimp' the other day that featured the brown paste added to warm milk.

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sashh · 20/12/2025 06:37

Morning.

Sorry I have not been around for a couple of days.

Well it is cold and wet here so lets have breakfast from somewhere that is also cold and wet, Poland.

Florence is baking sourdough to make open sandwiches with smoked ham, tomato slices, cold cuts and horseradish sauce.

Leo is boiling eggs, and these can be sliced and added to the open sandwiches along with cheese and mackerel pâté.

Fernando has Polish vodka,

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sashh · 21/12/2025 03:58

Morning.

Another quiet day, lets get Fernando making flavoured coffees, I'll have a hazelnut one.

Florence is making croissants and Leo is taking a stack of boiled eggs to the goats.

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ImDoneOnceAndForAll · 21/12/2025 04:20

Oooh a coffee and a croissant sound yummy

ScottBakula · 22/12/2025 09:14

Can I have coffee flavoured with more coffee please

I like croissant but they are messy so I will eat if outside and the ducks can hoover up the crumbs.

For those of you that have frozen turkey / big joints of ham or beef don't forget to take them out of the frezzer soon .

sashh · 22/12/2025 09:23

Coffee and croissants on their way.

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ScottBakula · 23/12/2025 07:40

Good morning all, I hope that everyone is well.

I will let @sashh have a lie in today and I will cook full English breakfast for everyone.
There is
Streaky & back bacon
Cumberland, Lincolnshire, , pork , veggie , sausage
Black & white pudding
Tinned & fresh tomatoes
Hash browns
Baked beans
Leo of course is at his egg station with fried , boiled , poached & scrambled duck or hen eggs.
Florence is baking farmhouse , seeded, rye, sour dough bread that can be toasted or fried.

Fernando is making bucksfizz and bloody Mary's.

ImDoneOnceAndForAll · 24/12/2025 01:56

Ooooh The hotel i am staying at over Christmas, breakfast is included and i cant wait ....
Full fry up... Yummy

I hope everyone has a nice Christmas or atleast a relaxed one

sashh · 24/12/2025 04:09

Morning.
Thank you for keeping things ticking over.

IRL I had my dad stay over, I love him you bits but he can be hard work.

He had forgotten spare hearing aid batteries, so he couldn't hear me and had no idea some opticians sell the batteries.

The people in the shop were lovely.

For about 20 years I have sent a bag of samosas with him to my brother's but was mistfied by the bag. We had a conversation that consisted of me shouting louder and louder "samosas", and my dad taking a wild guess eg "tomatoes"? Eventually I got him to look in the bag.

OK breakfast. We have to have samosas so I'll add paneer rolls, and chai. F and F are taking the day off. Leo is making spicy scrambled egg.

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sashh · 25/12/2025 09:16

Morning.

No breakfast today but mince pies and Xmas cake (cheese optional).

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ScottBakula · 25/12/2025 23:11

Good evening all, I hope everyone has had a great day and been able to spend time with loved ones.
Mine has been very quiet, just the way I wanted it.
My DB came round for a few hrs and despite not have a bucket full of money bought me some wonderful and thoughtful gifts.

@sashh I am glad you and your dad had a good time , I remember my grandad going deaf , it drove my gran and my dad mad .

Now if you will all excuse me a minute while I go and get the warm mince pies out of the oven and pour myself a mn tiny glass of sherry . . . . .

🍺🤪🤪🤪🤪🍺

sashh · 26/12/2025 07:58

Morning.

@ScottBakula The irony of my dad being deaf is that I'm a sign language user. I did suggest years ago that he (and my mother who was still alive) learn BSL but hey ho.

He's back tomorrow just for another one night on his way home. So l I have been meal planning. He doesn't know what time he will get here so pork in the slow cooker and veg in a cheese sauce that just needs warming up.

Now to breakfast. Well all that lovely neg has got to be made into bubble and squeak, I'll put a couple of rashers of bacon and obviously Leo will add a fried egg.

F and F are having a day off.

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ImDoneOnceAndForAll · 28/12/2025 20:48

sashh · 24/12/2025 04:09

Morning.
Thank you for keeping things ticking over.

IRL I had my dad stay over, I love him you bits but he can be hard work.

He had forgotten spare hearing aid batteries, so he couldn't hear me and had no idea some opticians sell the batteries.

The people in the shop were lovely.

For about 20 years I have sent a bag of samosas with him to my brother's but was mistfied by the bag. We had a conversation that consisted of me shouting louder and louder "samosas", and my dad taking a wild guess eg "tomatoes"? Eventually I got him to look in the bag.

OK breakfast. We have to have samosas so I'll add paneer rolls, and chai. F and F are taking the day off. Leo is making spicy scrambled egg.

Ah just spent 4 days with my grandma who is very very similar.
Love her but its HARD work so i feel your pain

sashh · 29/12/2025 04:32

Morning.

How is everyone today? I'm giving Fand F another day off

I think bucks fizz and smoked salmon blinis today, with Leo's eggnog as an alternative.

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ScottBakula · 29/12/2025 14:04

I am back in work today, it's been nice to have a few days off work .

Egg nog and salmon sounds just right

ImDoneOnceAndForAll · 29/12/2025 21:18

Wondering if we will all get this cold weather that is expected...

Winter energy bills have been hard enough already!

sashh · 30/12/2025 01:45

Morning.

Leo has taught the goats to scate (well slip and slide on the rink) I Know I shouldn't have let him watch the Torville and Dean documentary. So now we have Bumblcats aiming themselves at the goats legs.

Breakfast needs to be warm because what's going on on the ice is worth seeing.

So bacon and sausage butties, Florence is making churros, Fernando has Irish coffee and Lidl pretend Bailey's

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ImDoneOnceAndForAll · 30/12/2025 23:02

Thank you for this morning butties. They were yummy

sashh · 31/12/2025 07:10

Morning.

Did you enjoy the goat / bumblecats on ice @ImDoneOnceAndForAll?

Another warming breakfast so porridge and kedgeree (not together) Florence is making almond slices and Fernando has mulled wine.

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ScottBakula · 31/12/2025 15:08

@sashh please can have some kedgeree and mulled wine.

I love the idea of the bumble cats and goats charging around the skating rink, I think there is going to be a fur and fuzz pile in the middle soon .

sashh · 01/01/2026 06:33

Morning.

I think something lighter is called for today, Leo is making convent eggs, Florence is making sourdough bread to go with it, Fernando has a spiced mulled wine.

I'll leave out some hams and cheeses.

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sashh · 02/01/2026 08:19

Morning.

Well IRL I woke up to snow and tomorrow evening I have an MRI booked.

So I am taking deep breaths and hoping I don't panic (it's my brain o my head will be in the washing machine).

Now Breakfast.

I'm going to get Leo cooking spicy scrambled egg, Florence is making sour dough and dhoas to go with it.

Fernando has hot chocolate and coffee both of which he can add a wee dram to.

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ImDoneOnceAndForAll · 02/01/2026 19:23

Hope your scan goes ok tomorrow.
Woke up yo abit of snow here too!

ScottBakula · 02/01/2026 21:09

Ooh spicy scrambled eggs, can I have some on a couple of slices of farmhouse loaf toast please.

My DB is going for a mri scan next week , to check all his arteries as he is ( hopefully) having heart surgery to fix a defunct valve .
He puts on a brave face but I know he is scared .
I hope your scan goes OK @sashh

ScottBakula · 03/01/2026 23:57

By heck its cold tonight isn't it, its about -2 atm but due tocdrop to -4 in the early hrs. I am so glad I am not in work in the morning.

I know @sashh traditionally makes breakfast here but as its late I thought a curry would go down well so there is veggie Thia green curry, beef madras, spicy chicken wings , rice , nan, pathra, poppadoms, mango , lime chutney and red onions .
If you don't fancy anything spicy there is a huge pan of chicken noodle and sweetcorn soup.

Irl I have just spent the last few hrs cooking that lot so I don't have to cook during the week.

sashh · 06/01/2026 02:58

OK I have have started a new thread but it is too early to do links I'm sure you will find it.

I have left the introduction from last year as I don't think I could add to it.

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