|
Post by aussiejan on Mar 15, 2017 22:32:14 GMT -5
Good Thread!
Well, I don't think of myself as particularly interesting. I'm 73 years old, divorced for many years. I have a son who is 49 and a grandson who is 18, and I am very close to them. I am independent by nature, live alone, and am fine with it (prefer it, actually). I'm Canadian, born and raised in the same mid-sized city that I still live in. I'm long retired from a lengthy career as an employee of Canada's Federal Government.
I am quite shy in the 'real world' which is one reason I feel more socially comfortable in a forum such as this. I grew up in a family with 3 other siblings (2 boys and 1 girl), a mean alcoholic father and a passive codependent mother. My parents, sister, and one brother are all deceased now. There was another sister called Marilyn, born before I came along, who died at 13 months from a massive seizure probably caused by undiagnosed spinal meningitis. There was a bizarre element in my childhood: Paternal grandparents who were active Jehovah's Witnesses and tried to indoctrinate we children into what I consider a cult, but we all totally rejected it.
I've never been a 'sporty' kind of person, participation-wise or watching, although I do enjoy watching competitive figure skating. I've always been an avid reader, and continually have a book on the go. I'm a big movie buff (an interest I share with my son and grandson). A love of music has been part of my life as well. As a young woman, I played guitar (not very well) and sang a bit locally (at a few events and in a coffee house) - when I married and became a mother, that got left behind. For several years I was into hand-building pottery but eventually had to give it up when there was no longer a place I could easily get to for firing my 'creations' in a kiln. I was disappointed.
I have health issues that would probably bore most readers. I've blogged about them elsewhere: takerefuge.freeforums.net/thread/926/medical. They keep me less active than I'd like, but I deal with them and still enjoy life.
To sum up my personality in three words, I'd say I'm shy, intelligent, kind.
|
|
|
Post by aussiejan on Mar 15, 2017 22:33:55 GMT -5
I think being kind is the best character trait. I try to be kind but there are one or two people I know who make it a real challenge!
|
|
|
Post by rebecca2013 on Mar 16, 2017 4:06:04 GMT -5
This was such a great idea!! Gracias Mac ✌
|
|
|
Post by smitty45 on Mar 16, 2017 5:37:37 GMT -5
I also love to bake. When I was little I use to watch my grammy until I was a bit older and became her little helper. Funny thing,,, I get very upset like she did when something doesn't turn out how planned,, I too have been known to throw a cake in the trash and start all over haha
|
|
|
Post by QuickSilver on Mar 16, 2017 6:28:31 GMT -5
I also love to bake. When I was little I use to watch my grammy until I was a bit older and became her little helper. Funny thing,,, I get very upset like she did when something doesn't turn out how planned,, I too have been known to throw a cake in the trash and start all over haha I'm definitely not a baker.. but I really admire people who are. My problem is that I'm not disciplined enough to follow a recipe.. and with baking, one definitely has to be precise in following ingredients and measurements. I simply don't have the patience. I do however, LOVE to cook.. I find cooking much more forgiving in that one can fudge on ingredients and amounts and still turn out a perfectly delicious meal.
My grammy was also a fantastic baker.. I still have her handwritten recipes for her most delicious creations.. things I remember as a child. I love reading them as she wrote exactly as she talked. Even including her made up words.. like "dassant"... Used in a sentence.. You dassent add too much sugar at once... only little bits at a time. Is "dassent" a word? lol! Anyway... I'm rambling now.. so I'll stop.
|
|
|
Post by smitty45 on Mar 16, 2017 6:49:24 GMT -5
I also love to bake. When I was little I use to watch my grammy until I was a bit older and became her little helper. Funny thing,,, I get very upset like she did when something doesn't turn out how planned,, I too have been known to throw a cake in the trash and start all over haha I'm definitely not a baker.. but I really admire people who are. My problem is that I'm not disciplined enough to follow a recipe.. and with baking, one definitely has to be precise in following ingredients and measurements. I simply don't have the patience. I do however, LOVE to cook.. I find cooking much more forgiving in that one can fudge on ingredients and amounts and still turn out a perfectly delicious meal.
My grammy was also a fantastic baker.. I still have her handwritten recipes for her most delicious creations.. things I remember as a child. I love reading them as she wrote exactly as she talked. Even including her made up words.. like "dassant"... Used in a sentence.. You dassent add too much sugar at once... only little bits at a time. Is "dassent" a word? lol! Anyway... I'm rambling now.. so I'll stop.
I looked it up,, " dassent " is a word haha.. My grammy never used a recipe,, everything she baked was filed away in her mind. I try to recreate some of the baked goodies she made, but never comes out.. One thing I REALLY miss is her, what we called sunshine pickles she made and canned. A taste I haven't had in over 30 years. Sure do wish she had written down her recipes. She was very old school,,, many have set their houses on fire with over heating oil to the point of ignition.. When she made the best ever doughnuts, she used lard,,, no thermometer,,, her method was, lighting a kitchen match and tossing it in the oil,, if the match when out the oil was not ready,, if it stayed lite it was time to add the dough. Of course if the doughnuts didn't come out perfectly round she'd always say " these aren't fit to eat " but you know,,, no one else complained
|
|
|
Post by QuickSilver on Mar 16, 2017 7:59:25 GMT -5
OH YES!!! I remember my grandma's doughnuts.. They had a particular taste, and I haven't had one like it since.. Yes.. Lard was what they used..
My grandma always complained about her Turkey or Ham... They were always "LONG".... meaning tough or stringy as far as she was concerned. They weren't but she always said so..
Who Knew it was a word... I thought she made it up!!
dasn't | das·n't |\ˈda|sən(t), ˈdaa|, ˈdai|, ˈdȧ also |zən-\
variants: or dassn't less commonly dassent \ˈda|sən(t), ˈdaa|, ˈdai|, ˈdȧ also |zən-\
Popularity: Bottom 20% of words
Definition of dasn't
dialectal
: dare not
|
|
|
Post by aussiejan on Mar 16, 2017 8:31:29 GMT -5
My great grandfather was the Head Pastry Chef at a very fancy hotel in Sydney. When the Royal Family visited he made the desserts for all the official dinners. My grandmother inherited his talent as did my Mum and one of my three sisters. The rest of us? Total failures as bakers. My sister still uses some of his recipes.....Lemon Meringue Pie is to die for and his Christmas Pudding is the best. My scones could be used as cricket balls and most other things are either burnt or semi raw. As a general cook I'm not bad but pastry defeats me every time.
|
|
|
Post by smitty45 on Mar 16, 2017 12:00:53 GMT -5
My great grandfather was the Head Pastry Chef at a very fancy hotel in Sydney. When the Royal Family visited he made the desserts for all the official dinners. My grandmother inherited his talent as did my Mum and one of my three sisters. The rest of us? Total failures as bakers. My sister still uses some of his recipes.....Lemon Meringue Pie is to die for and his Christmas Pudding is the best. My scones could be used as cricket balls and most other things are either burnt or semi raw. As a general cook I'm not bad but pastry defeats me every time. If you use baking powder in your scones, recheck the quantity,,, too much will turn even the best cake into a cake frizbee. As far as burnt,,, either too high a temp which can be due to altitude as well as time baked. Here's a little trick,,, when a recipe calls for 35 minutes bake time,, at 30 minutes check it with a toothpic in the center,, if the toothpic comes out wet, give it another 3 minutes and re check with a fresh toothpic. If the toothpic comes out just damp,, take your baked goodie out,, the carry over will finish it before it starts to cool. Also, your scones being like cricket balls,,, here's a little hint that will help, I promise you,,, mix the batter just until all the flour is gone,, then stop. Over mixing builds up gluten and too much gluten can make things tough... Unless a recipe calls for steps in mixing, the rule of thumb is just mix until incorporated. Next time you make scones I think you be pleased
|
|
|
Post by TheSource on Mar 16, 2017 18:49:34 GMT -5
I like chocolate chip cookies! What else is there to know about me? Pay homage minions!!!
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Mar 17, 2017 13:43:35 GMT -5
My wife loves to bake and since we're talking about chocolate chip cookies, I had to share this photo I took of her last batch. Oatmeal chocolate chip. They were to die for.
|
|
|
Post by Kady on Mar 18, 2017 9:25:48 GMT -5
Yum yum...all the goodies look great, my cookies come from Costco's, I only bake at Christmas.
|
|
|
Post by suds00 on Mar 19, 2017 11:54:10 GMT -5
i love cookies!
|
|
|
Post by highlandannie on Mar 19, 2017 15:06:31 GMT -5
I also love cookies!
Anyway, I'm 65, twice divorced and happily married to my third (and final) husband, a Scot. I left the US in 2000 to remarry and live in Scotland. I have two sons who are in their 40's, 2 granddaughters 6 and 11 and a step grandson in Scotland who is about to turn 5.
I got to retire at 55 when my husband who was already retired want to volunteer somewhere in Africa using his skills in education. So we lived in Uganda for 2 years.
We LOVE to travel. I love photography, cycling, kayaking, reading.
|
|
|
Post by TheSource on Mar 19, 2017 15:44:26 GMT -5
I'm definitely not a baker.. but I really admire people who are. My problem is that I'm not disciplined enough to follow a recipe.. and with baking, one definitely has to be precise in following ingredients and measurements. I simply don't have the patience. I do however, LOVE to cook.. I find cooking much more forgiving in that one can fudge on ingredients and amounts and still turn out a perfectly delicious meal.
My grammy was also a fantastic baker.. I still have her handwritten recipes for her most delicious creations.. things I remember as a child. I love reading them as she wrote exactly as she talked. Even including her made up words.. like "dassant"... Used in a sentence.. You dassent add too much sugar at once... only little bits at a time. Is "dassent" a word? lol! Anyway... I'm rambling now.. so I'll stop.
I looked it up,, " dassent " is a word haha.. My grammy never used a recipe,, everything she baked was filed away in her mind. I try to recreate some of the baked goodies she made, but never comes out.. One thing I REALLY miss is her, what we called sunshine pickles she made and canned. A taste I haven't had in over 30 years. Sure do wish she had written down her recipes. She was very old school,,, many have set their houses on fire with over heating oil to the point of ignition.. When she made the best ever doughnuts, she used lard,,, no thermometer,,, her method was, lighting a kitchen match and tossing it in the oil,, if the match when out the oil was not ready,, if it stayed lite it was time to add the dough. Of course if the doughnuts didn't come out perfectly round she'd always say " these aren't fit to eat " but you know,,, no one else complained Here ya go Smitty. Recipe for sunshine pickles! www.naturalfertilityandwellness.com/recipe-dill-sun-pickles/
|
|