The Bluestocking Women's Pub, where brains can exist in a single state

[Magpiecomplex]

Welcome all. The booze here is minimally intoxicating, the food is calorie free and the staff are warm and cuddly. And if the thread title sounds nonsensical, blame the guy Myrtle was listening to this evening!

Also glad to be a non-sausage-eater. Apart from Linda McCartney's in a toad in the hole!

Now class today we will be studying flow charts.

In this diagram, we separate the two parts of the statement: one branch captures how fish are used, and the other outlines what happens when one drinks booze.

Or ‘carmine’ - used in lipsticks.

'Obfusticatte in sex'! Sounds a bit niche, 😃 or 😲 depending on what it entails.

A 5L tin that looked like a paint tin. The ingredients were in powder form.

Good news! Apparently there's no such thing as a cochineal beetle! They're actually a scale insect, a true bug.

@Boiledbeetle if they've been showing up at family gatherings, you've been had!

To be fair the fish had just been in the booze

I once read something on FB that said it helps to think of autocorrect as a little elf in your phone. He is doing his best, but is very, very pissed indeed!

I have only once come across a cake I really didn't like. I was given Herman - a German sourdough starter, with a recipe for apple cake to make with it. I made the cake and it was the worst cake I have ever eaten. Luckily I had three teenage boys at home, and they would eat anything! I have tried red velvet cake, and was rather underwhelmed by it - though I have been told that it should be made with sour cream, which might keep it more moist - I suspect most red velvet cake just has a load of colouring shoved in.

I do like the sound of the red velvet cupcake recipe with the beetroot in - I am a huge fan of beetroot (sorry, @FuzzyPuffling) - I eat it pickled, raw and would love to try roasting it, but can't face the peeling.

I am sorry you didn't get the job, @Magpiecomplex - they are idiots and have passed up a wonderful opportunity.

I have almost reached the end of the crocheting part of making the hydrangeas - I have to make two more small leaves and two more large ones, then I start to put it all together. This will involve a hot glue gun, so could all go horribly wrong, in my cackhanded hands!

At that price you'd think they used cochineal very sparingly.

According to this article, the word 'cochineal' shouldn't be used (since 2019) on food labels. Instead, look for 'carminic acid', 'carmine' (thank you, Errol) or E120.

I don't wear lipstick. If I get one in a gift set I give it to a friend, S. S wears lipstick all the time and has been vegetarian for longer than I have - 38 years to my 30. A quick google tells me the CI (colour index) number for carmine is CI75470.

I've asked the Boots chatbox which no7 lipsticks contain CI75470. The bot gave me a single product - which doesn't have it in its ingredient list.

Do I mention CI75470 to S? I think I ought to.

I'm saving the planet by recycling my AI images over 2 threads (apparently AI is anti... waffle waffle waffle)

I think they bought a tin every six months. A lot went a long way.

I also remember buying a few tonnes of potatoes. I was an assistant buyer. I actually spoke to a farmer in his field. Potatoes arrived the following week.

It was a brilliant job but sadly my first (of 7) redundancies. There was a recession and Tesco cut its luxury pie range so the whole night shift was laid off with me and a junior secretary. Mostly women, very badly paid.

The young gerbils are going to be insufferable bores when they get home from school tonight!

I rarely use AI Beetle. You can have my share.

You step away for a day and so much happens on this thread! I feel I may need to post some pet pics of my spaniels, only they’re boys so not sure if they’re allowed in the Bluestocking?

Just had a tearful morning. My DD, yep the one who has had so many ROGD/ASD/ADHD issues and obstacles to overcome and who very nearly gave up yet again this year, has almost finished her Access Diploma… and has already got enough grades/distinctions to firm her uni place in September. She’s going to be reading Classics at Kings!!! I am so relieved I may have cried when she told me. A lot. Am still crying, in fact.

We’re taking her to Rome and Naples/Pompeii this summer as a treat (Okay more for me than her - history, architecture, wine 😍). If you’d have told me even 2 years ago we might reach this point I would have laughed hysterically in utter despair. So grateful to the people I met here on MN and Bayswater (and even some in person) for keeping me sane. I nearly lost it a few times. 🙏

Ohhh well done miniCautious! Brilliant news.

That's really heartwarming 💕

I was braced for something awful at 'tearful morning', CautiousLurker01, and what a delight to read on and find that they were tears of relief and joy at DD's wonderful achievements - and yours, dear Cautious, you never gave up💖
Several bottles of Bluestocking's finest bubbly await you, and DD if she'd like to pop in and talk Latin to us 🍾🍾🍾

In Belfast chip shops they used to use cochineal to give the filling of pasties* a pink colouring, but I haven't seen that in many years.

*The Belfast pastie, little known elsewhere, is not the same as a Cornish pasty but is just as yum. You mix sausagemeat, mashed potato, onion and plenty of seasoning into a round burger type shape, dip it in batter and deep fry it. You can have it with chips or in a bap.

Sounds a bit similar to a rissole. I've not had one of those in years. Just imagining one in a barm cake, perhaps with mushy peas and gravy...😋. Has the catering gerbil finished drawing up this week's menu? I've had an idea 💡

Lotta dosh for 5l of powder!

Cautious, that is such wonderful news. It's such a relief when a DC you have worried about and who has had endless issues and problems finally starts to head in the right direction. No wonder you're so happy and emotional.

In a bit I have to ring the mechanic along the road to see if he has fixed our car. We haven't used him before, but he is so close it seemed silly not to. But oh my word, is he disorganised. The state of his forecourt should have warned me. Yesterday evening he gave me the impression that ringing him at lunchtime today to see how things were going would be a sensible thing to do. I rang him at lunchtime and he said, 'I do MOTs on Wednesdays'.
Maaaate, if I'd known that I might well have taken the car elsewhere as we do actually need it, coz we use it - which is why we have it!

Well done MiniCautious- fab news!

That’s fabulous news, @CautiousLurker01!
as to your dogs - Colin has been in residence since about 2017 so yes, they’re allowed. It’s humans we’re picky about, though obviously the males of other species are expected to behave with appropriate decorum - no cushion-humping etc please.

Just spent ten minutes trying to generate an image of the BlueStocking Arms with gerbils drinking pints and a sign above the bar saying ‘Servare Fidem’ in honour of parents of other miniCautiouses (Keep the Faith).

I give up [couldn’t even get a ‘sulking gerbil’ to post instead]!!

Yes, but it was what the powder was made from...