Facemasks on for a trip to the Bluestocking

[CaraDuneRedux]

We haven't had a Bluestocking thread for fucking ages.

Anyone fancy a socially distanced, tables of no more than 6, Bluestocking?

The goat has been covid tested and the patriarchy busting canon polished up to remove all possible virus traces from its surface.

Remember, MN spans the globe, and it's always before the 10pm curfew somewhere.

Thanks Arabella, and the oat pittas sound lovely. They would go brilliantly with my favourite kidney bean curry. Easy to make, and delish! Happy to share the recipe if anyone is interested.

Ah thanks, Errol. I can't have wheat I get poorly.

On a completely different note, DC just asked, "What's a furry and why don't people like them?" Just started secondary.

He's made them with spelt instead of wheat wholemeal, not sure if that helps if gluten is the problem?

leftover curry for breakfast

GOD YES.

@ErrolTheDragon

He's made them with spelt instead of wheat wholemeal, not sure if that helps if gluten is the problem?

I think spelt has gluten in it. Yes gluten is the problem. Same with eggs too. But sometimes I eat very small amounts if I'm eating something else because I miss it.

We watched the new Mulan film last night. When Mulan is presented with her new sword, the presenter asks her to read out the characters for the “3 pillars” on the blade:

Mulan: “Loyalty, bravery, truth”
Giver: “And the fourth on the other side?” (this is a new addition)
Quick as a flash DS (12) calls out “gender equality!”

Attaboy! (We can work on the sex/gender thing later.)

Hahaha
I want to watch that. Was it good?

It was well done, Quentin - beautiful to watch, some great fight choreography and the story was OK. Being a Disney film, the humour was quite broad and it was fairly formulaic as a plucky underdog against forces of darkness story, but we all enjoyed it. It’s only available to buy on iMovies at the mo (£19.99 😯) but we downloaded it as a half term treat. We watched some of the extras to get our money’s worth 😆 and it was great to see how many women there were working on it behind the scenes - director, cinematographer, production designers, costume designers, physical trainers/fight choreography, lots of crew.

The pub seems to have dropped way down the list of active threads, and I need a quick snifter.

Mulled wine, I think. And those German (?) Christmas biscuits - the soft, cinamony ones with the layer of chocolate on the outside.

Cheap wine for me cara and freezer smoked salmon

In the Bluestocking's absence you find me having pre-loaded AND on an empty stomach. So glad the pub is back!

Can we have blue cheese, pickles and melba toast? Or Bath Olivers.

Were the public aware that Bath Olivers have ceased production

Vanilla chai and a piece of bake well tart here

Chin chin, wims!

I never had a Bath Oliver, did I mis a trick?

Do you mind if I pop in? Since it's nearly Christmas I'll have some of last year's Baileys and an ibuprofen. Bought myself an early pressie to read over by the night storage heater...

@Blindingly0bvious

Were the public aware that Bath Olivers have ceased production

Aware, and wrote to our MP!! He replied, agreeing wholeheartedly that this Must. Not. Stand. Very funny that THIS is what he responds to. What a time to be alive. Actually he is a pillock but pleased to get a reaction showing he does, in fact, have some human understanding.

I am obsessed with Strike, Hecate! You’re so lucky to be starting the books. I read from 1-5 over the last month, then went right back to 1 again and started over.

I’d never have done so if I hadn’t bought them as a gesture of solidarity, I don’t read very much crime fiction at all. Thanks to all those who savaged JKR, it’s an ill wind and all that...

SophocIestheFox Bath Olivers might be an acquired taste, not sure.

And those German (?) Christmas biscuits - the soft, cinamony ones with the layer of chocolate on the outside.

Our neighbour when I was a kid was a lovely German lady who would give us these. I can almost taste and feel the texture...
Her DH was an airline steward; he once gave us a pineapple when such things were a rare luxury.

Wow that's quick work Sophocles! At my current rate I'm hoping I squeeze two in before the end of the year. Glad to hear you love them despite not being drawn to crimey fiction, it's never really appealed, but I've heard so many good things - including the the thread on Troubles Blood - I decided to take the plunge. Something to look forward to on wintry nights.

@JellyFishSquish

SophocIestheFox Bath Olivers might be an acquired taste, not sure.

Alas, then, sounds like I will never get the chance to acquire it!

Really hope you like them as much as I do, hecates.

I love a lebkuchen or a pfeffernusse, too, would take that over a mince pie any day.

Ooh I’m here for lebkuchen my absolute favourite; they don’t seem to store well in my house...

I’m bereft having read all the strikes in a row; it’s hard to leave Strike & Robin in peace (& worry how long the time jump will be for the next one!). I’m trying to keep the joy of rereading for just before the next instalment so I can read straight through again.

Lebkuchen! My heart sings.

And yet, this thread put me on the path of investigating the fate of the German Deli in Borough Market, only to learn that time and tide have swept them under (with perhaps a pop-up still rallying the flag). A few Schnapps, please, bartender, in their memory.

Lebkuchen! Of course. (I seem to have these word blanks more and more often )

Round of schnapps coming up. Plus proper south German wine like I remember from my teens (I don't think they export the good stuff.)

And lo! Google informs me that Aldi sell Lebkuchen. Yum.

My Oma’s Christmas parcels of Lebkuchen, chocolates, and hand-knitted woolen socks always arrived suffused with cigarette smoke. It made me cough like crazy but I still miss her very much, years and years later.

Noch eins, bitte!