The Bluestocking Inn, cocktails and cocoa and all

[DeanElderberry]

Opening soon in a salubrious location.

And thanks to the miraculous qualities, although we will indeed have

One-steps and two-steps and the divil knows what new steps
We know that we never would be dull again, bedad
We'll have wine, porter and lemonade.
We'll have cocktails and cocoa and all
We'll have champagnes tonight
But NO real pains next morning
Tonight when we dance at the Bluestocking Ball

slight apologies to Frank Harte

Fingers crossed for you @MyrtleLion. Of course somebody at some point is going to see what a superb person you’d be for the job.

We did.
But a permanent one to add to the team could be handy.
She could deal with Gillian, and give Fuzzy a break.

I watched that last night. This is my sort of gardener and garden. There is a witch elm behind my house. I will take some seeds (edible when green, nice) this year and try growing some witch elms.
That round yellow thing (which I shall not name as not to jinx it) is still in the sky today, we shall be cycling out to our favourite wild garlic patch (known as the bear garlic pit) later.

I dreamt I was playing a computer game and it was glitching, leaving me exploring the same section of map again and again.

@Igneococcus , I have been meaning to pick wild garlic all week but things kept getting in the way.

I want some for a curry and some for bubble and squeak with sausages.

I want to ferment some buds this year

This is from the River Cottage Fermentation book, there are so many interesting ideas in it.

I've pickled garlic buds before, they worked really well.

I've not successfully done lactic fermentation yet - I have failed at sauerkraut several times!

Wild garlic oil is also nice; I've used that in salads and added to soups when serving.

I think I am probably going to reduce my alcohol intake at home (not here, obviously). We had prosecco and wine and cocktails last night to celebrate my interview, and I'm knackered this morning. The Walrus asked if we should drink tonight too because generally if we drink on a Friday, we'll also drink on a Saturday. And I've said no.

I think I'm getting old...

Fermentation book, @Igneococcus??
Thank you- I know someone who would really like that 👌

You, old, @MyrtleLion? Never!

We don't get old here, surely, unless we want to.

It's a good place to escape to if you've been telling a small boy that story about Elvis shooting the TV, and he asks you who Elvis is.

I grow microbes for a living though not the type I'd recommend anyone to eat.
Wild garlic oil sounds like an excellent idea. Do you just infuse oil with the wild garlic?

It's excellent, I also have the one about preserves which is also very good.

I endorse the Preserves book and the Veg Patch book, both of which are excellent.

Yes, I chop the leaves up in the food processor, add a neutral oil and then strain it through a piece of cheesecloth. It only lasts a week or two in the fridge so I freeze it in ice cube trays and decant them to a ziplock bag.

I do the same with basil, but with that I use olive oil, heat it gently to infused, whizz it up and strain it. It tastes like summer in the depth of winter. I grow a lot of basil in the poly tunnel. I love it.

NB - when I'm not working in it, I sit in it with a glass of wine and it ceases to be the poly tunnel and become the solarium. Now there's posh.

Oooh, I need to check out the Veg Patch book, always up for more veg recipes.
It's crazy how quickly a polytunnel warms up when the sun is out. We have growing space in a tunnel but we don't own it and it's a 10 min drive from the house. I only drink tea there because I have to drive home.

I'm marking this afternoon. Please send regular snacks and hot chocolate.

Recycled image.

The gerbils are here with your refreshments Magpie

Perfect, thank you. Although I'm slightly concerned that they seem to be wheeling the hot chocolate bowser away from me? Maybe they've already decanted it into a stationary container within my hollow.

They are just parking the hot chocolate bowser in order to pour it,

I may have diverted some of the fries and ketchup and the pancakes to my hollow.

ETA And I think @Boiledbeetle must have snaffled the Tunnocks on the way.

@PastaAllaNorma I have been meaning to pick wild garlic all week but things kept getting in the way.

I've never been able to cook with wild garlic, because the smell of it "in the raw" makes me feel quite ill, even when walking through woods etc. A relative once brought some and put it in my fridge and it nearly knocked me out when I opened the door! It's strange, because I can eat it when cooked and actually prefer its mild and delicate flavour to normal garlic.

I just need to raise a glass to 'Katie' from Nick Wallis's blog and a bag of pickled onion Monster Munch wouldn't be amiss.

Moi???

Nah.

That's not me, that's my neighbour Lydia.

Honest. That is definitely not me in a ladybird costume.

Lydia looks very cute though.

I've reached the inevitable "chuck laptop across the room while swearing volubly" entry. Student has completely misunderstood the brief. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I am watching the rugby - Scotland have amazed me, and now we wait to see how Italy do against England. I am working on my squares for the blanket - one square done, and now I’m knitting the petals of the flower. If I can get the other square and petals done tomorrow, I can do the appliqué on Monday and get them into the post.

But does what they have produced make sense if you accept their understanding of the brief? Or is it still a complete dog's dinner?