Salt and Vinegar Crisps

I fancied some salt and vinegar crisps with which to watch the football on TV, so I made some. The crisps I seasoned with vanilla salt (home made), coarsely ground and the vinegar I foamed up. However as you can perhaps see from the photo, the vinegar air (as it's called) quickly looses its foam consistency which is a shame.  What did I do wrong? I used one leaf of gelatine to 100ml of water and 150ml of balsamic vinegar.  My gourmet whip is a litre version and so I charged it with three gas cartridges, since the first attempt with two was an even worse failure. Obviously one has to shake the whip vigorously, and really great foam comes out, it just doesn't stay that way long. Perhaps I had not left it in the fridge long enough for the gelatine to set properly? Or perhaps two sheets of gelatine would be better?

 Well the football starts on the TV in 10 mins so I can wait that long. The crisps will not last much beyond the ten minutes, though, as they are a complete success and melt in your mouth.

HAPPY EASTER

My "Maus" you may remember came from some good neighbours of mine. Well this is their front door and last night I got my "revenge" by decorating their plant with plastic Easter Eggs and by putting a lucky "Lady-Bird" on their door. 

It was quite amusing really, especially as last night I dropped one of the eggs in the dark and it rattle down the stairs!! I thought it was so loud it would wake up the whole block! Luckily it didn't and I got a big hug from my neighbour for my pains this morning.

It just leaves me to wish you all a very Happy Easter.

Another Maus!!

I arrived home this lunchtime, from having been in Kempen this morning where I run an English conversation class, to find another "maus"! And no I haven't spelt it wrong, I have deliberately spelt it the German way, though it is pronounced the same, to differentiate between the real type and the one I found decorating my front door jam!

I laughed quite a lot when I saw it. It is a sure sign that I have some really good neighbours and I will now have to think of something to do to them in return.

In case you were wondering, my real mice problem seems to have resolved itself. My landlord sent some builders to remove the marble window ledge under which the mice had a run and to fill in the two holes they had created in the outside walls. Since then I have flooded the window box and have not seen any mice again, nor did I drown any, least ways I do not think so.

These mice are the good kind and I shall leave him where he is. I think though he needs a name, all suggestions but not "Jerry" would be welcome.

Life is......................

Life is breakfast in the sun.

Life is................

Life is apple pie and cream on my loggia!

New Teddy!

Yesterday a new Teddy was born! I made him myself! :-) My English conversation class gave the kit to make him to me last term. Suggested Names on a postcard...........

More Mice

When I came home from watching the "Iron Lady" with my two English conversation groups I found I had caught two more mice. That makes 10 in all! My grandson and I, Christopher Thomas aged 3, took these to the same place in the woods where I let the other one free. They did not seem to want to leave the safety of the trap. The family all agreed that they looked really sweet and that perhaps I should keep them in a cage as house pets! I thought not.

What still I cannot get to grips with is that they all live in my window box, although they have dug a hole through the wall, so they can get into my flat, which they only occasionally do. All my captures have been in the window box! 

I am thinking now of flooding the window box once the holes have been filled in.