Still can't do latte art. So, get your spargi cacao and dust, baby, dust!

Putting a towel loosely over the escape valve collects the steam and prevents the kitchen becoming damp. Wring the wet towel into the sink. Job done.

Where I live tends to be chilly and damp. If I don't eat my bread quickly it will go green in just a few days. And no,making more is not an option!

I read an Australian study last month that tested a variety of methods in similar conditions to mine. The BEST and most reliable way was to store your bread in a linen or canvas bag and keep it all in a bread bin. Here is the result chez moi.

No more green bread 😄

A very busy wallpaper for my 'dog and bone' but as I don't use icons, it's fine for me.

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis is the forensic identification of the way blood stains are arranged at a possible crime scene, in order to infer their possible causes. Patterns are labelled in a number of ways.

I saw these 'passive stains' on my way to work this morning - possibly the result of a simple nosebleed, or minor altercation.

As I continued on my way I noted how many people were either yelling into their phones, or at eachother, or both simultaneously. As Christmas approaches, expectations seem to climb as well as personal tensions.

So, here is my thought for the day: be kind to yourself, and be kind to eachother. Christmas will come and it will go. Walk softly, and leave the big stick at home.

Namaste.

A few pear trees made this a shady corner.

Brunch today. Luscious tomato and avocado with a drizzle of house dressing. But I hardly tasted it, thinking of the plight of Greenland and Northern Europe, and even NATO. With 'friends' like Trump, who needs enemies?

Busy today so stopped for lunch at my favorite Scandi cafe for their excellent soup and a coffee. Just right 👍

and Carry On

BSL uses both hands to sign. ASL (American Sign Language) is signed with only one hand. Very convenient. But it is completely different from BSL.

Esperanto has a sign language, and of course there is ISL (International Sign Language) which is a pidgin version of all the others. It's often used at the UN and other international contexts.

There's a shortage of ISL interpreters, but I think the time for learning it has passed me by now. But you, dear reader ...?!

Quiet cloudy morning, and on a gray day, these lilies were a fun POP of color on my walk around the block.

Straight out of the camera from the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

I was recently asked if Trivial Pursuit was available in UK. It is, in many flavors. Here is one I saw yesterday.

There are few things that I can imagine would be a better definition of 'waste of time' than playing this 'celebrity' version.

Some of the archaeology is left in the ground for future generations and better technology, or out of respect for the dead.

Steam can be released manually and it escapes here. It comes out under considerable pressure. Best to open the window when doing this!

Processed with VSCOcam with t1 preset

Gelato fico e mascarpone.

This was to die for. An almost overwhelming burst of flavor of figs combined with the richness of mascarpone.

From Mio Gelato in Morecambe. They make everything of the premises from premium ingredients. Not since i was in Italy have i had such a good gelato.

Stewed apples and custard.

Standing to cook yesterday was almost beyond me. Yoga without paying attention to old injuries can be dangerous.

On my return home the soup was finished. ready to be stored in glass jars for the week.

Swede

Parsnip

Celery

Red onion

Red capsicum

Red lentils

Garlic

Ginger

Sage

Rosemary

Thyme

Marjoram

Cayenne pepper

Tomatoes

Chicken stock

Balsamic vinegar

Vegemite!

Cooked under pressure for 15 minutes and left to rest for an hour.

📷 Google Pixel 8 Pro - Throwback to November 2023, Windermere, Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK - (50MP)

Wrought iron gates at Central.

Coffee, candles, incinerated toast and lemon jam. Apple whizzed up with a handful of oats and almonds and cinnamon.

A dose of charcoal is good for the gut from time to time.

I bought this used Google Nest Mini speaker as a birthday treat. It connects to my wifi and is controlled by my phone. I use it to stream the radio and any other audio playing on my phone. Really simple to set up and use. The only downside is it uses about 1.8 W per hour on standby (1.3 kW per month) and 15 W in use. On the up side, that's less than my Internet radio!

I didn't know this before.

Ashton memorial

It's pretty, but a lot of wonga. I will have to pass.

In pressure cooking mode, pressure builds up and this red telltale becomes visible, locking the lid in place until the pressure is released.

I felt we needed a change in tactics and gameplay so i managed to buy this for our team. Only on sale in Spain but popped up in a charity shop in Lancaster. Goooooooooaaaaaaallllllll! 😄

Chilling at home. This is comfortable and classy.

#android #androidography #fotodroids #galaxynexus #snapseed #blackandwhite #lake #zurich #Switzerland #sailboat

Uploaded from Streamzoo

Preston town hall. Side door. I'm not convinced that these signs will encourage people to engage with the democratic process. There's also a sign pointing to the information desk inside. Clearly, messaging is not clear!

Bread pudding has been made in England since the 11th century. Over time other ingredients have been included, such as milk, eggs. butter, sugar, and fruit.

Here's yesterday's attempt, with wholemeal bread, served with custard. Calories and comfort.

I've been looking at some lovely pictures of butterflies taken in Dorset. Such a lovely county.

Here, it will be a little while yet before I see any lepidoptera gracing the landscape!

Time for lunch, methinks.

Crumpler is an Australian brand of bags that protect cameras, computers and even Olympians (well, their gear!) worldwide. I've used them for years. Each bag has an interesting model name.

My revived MacBook has just acquired this Crumpler sleeve, which is made from the same material as my old diving suit. Just the thing for today; it's raining again.

Looks horrendous but tasted better than it looks.

Roasted mushrooms on some toast that was drizzled with Worcestershire sauce. A simple and satisfying breakfast.

This week's soup from assorted stuff on sale and lurking in my cupboard.

Wash but no peeling: fiber and nutrients abound.

The pickled garlic remained firm despite pickling. It sliced as finely as you might want.

Letting the brine cool a bit seems to have avoided any cloves going blue or green.

Breakfast coffee and my Herdy mug. I adore Herdwick sheep for their hardiness and sense of mischief.

A symbol that I seldom see these days. The CND symbol became known universally as a peace symbol. It's the semaphore letters for N and D (nuclear disarmament) enclosed in a circle.

Invert it and it becomes U D (universal disarmament) or the tree of life. However you look at it, it makes sense.

It's 'Light up Lancaster' again; an annual festival where light installations are displayed and often projected onto buildings.