Good Morning Early Birds!

[waterboatman]

Thursday. The weather is back to what has become normal, wet'n windy.

My morning at the hospice today. I'm looking forward to it.

Have a happy day everyone.

[Elina]

Morning Waterman, same here weather wise! Not looking forward to going out in it to be honest.

[waterboatman]

Morning Lina xxx Nor me. It's become normal hasn't it.

How are you this morning my lovely? :o}

[Elina]

Oh I'm fine Waterman. Not so much time to enjoy our morning coffee, central Piccadilly closed off to buses (roadworks) .. so having to walk a distance to nearest bus stop ... that goes on for four weeks!

[Elina]

I must be off Waterman, have a great day & hi to anyone comes on after me! :0)

[waterboatman]

That's no fun! You'll have to start taking a flask with you.

I hope we get a really good summer after all this. I can't remember when I last saw a piece of dry land.

[waterboatman]

Have a happy day Lina xxxxx

[1ozzy]

Hi and bye Elina, hope you have a good day.

G'day Boaty, probably not much consolation, but here's a bit of dry land.

https://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/australian-drought.jpg

[waterboatman]

Afternoon oz. So that's what it looks like! :o}

How goes it me old buddy? :o}

[1ozzy]

All good Boaty, Mrs Oz's car fixed this morning, cost me more driving it there and back than the actual repair, I'm not complaining. Just finished killing weeds, hopefully they will be looking pretty sad in a few days time.

Bet farms in the UK are a different colour ;-).

How's you today?

[waterboatman]

I'm fine thanks mate. Farms here are looking more like lakes in some places. The ones around me are OK being on high ground are not too bad, the low lying ones are feeling it. In the north they have really been hit, some places flooded three times in less than a week. Thieving scumbags have been going round looting and smashing up flooded homes.

[waterboatman]

What turned out to be the problem with Mrs. oz's car?

[1ozzy]

It's a shame the low lives pick on targets that aren't in a position to defend themselves and/or their property. Can only hope they get busted and dealt with severely.

No real problem with the car, engine warning light was staying on, it'd had a temporary problem with a fuel sensor and the diesel particulate filter some time in the past but fixed itself. They reset the 'putor, test drove, charged me all of $20.00 and sent me home. I'm happy!!!!!

[1ozzy]

Just a shame it was a 200km round trip to get there.

[waterboatman]

That's technology for you mate.

Yes. Those scumbags should be shot! I don't know though, that's too quick. Strung up by the goolies would do it!

[1ozzy]

Did a bit of shoplifting while I was in the big smoke today, grabbed some "Kanga Bangas", amongst other stuff, Mrs Oz reckons she couldn't possibly eat an animal that appears on our coat of arms, so I repacked 'em before she saw the label ;-)

[waterboatman]

Nice one! :o}

I had roo steaks when I was over there, not at all bad! Need to be cooked slowly or they go hard.

I made a beef Welington yesterday. Had that with some cheesy mash. Luverlee.

[1ozzy]

Dead right about skippy steaks, you can sear them on a barbie but never cook them past medium rare, or rare if you're like me, unless you have a taste for boot leather. Very lean meat, over cooking destroys it.

The beef wellington sounds good, I've a full roll of Scotch Fillet in the freezer, might defrost that in the near future and make a family sized one, Mmmm, mash, peas, carrots, gravy and maybe a cauliflower cheesy thing, just to be a tad decadent ;-)

[waterboatman]

I don'y know how you do your mash, The way I do mine is, Don't peel the spuds. Scrub them, dice them boil, no salt. Drain, a bit of fresh ground black pepper, butter bit by bit until you get the as smooth as you like, crumble some Stilton in and keep mashing until it's all melted in. Wonderful! :o}

I agree with the skippy steaks, it's the same with venison. Blink and you have a tooth breaker.

[1ozzy]

Pretty similar Boaty, depends what sort of spuds I have to work with. What we call "new potatoes" no peeling just wash and dice. If I have them big ole spuds with thick skins and dirt attached, peel, wash, dice then cook. Add butter until a light yellow colour happens then add milk to get the consistency. Sometimes add minced onion or finely chopped bacon, herbs, cracked pepper, cheese, (not all every time). Shall try some Stilton if I can find it in this little backwater. Sounds good.

[waterboatman]

That's it mate. I should have added 'Depending on the state of the skin.'

I like to finely dice an onion and put it, with as much of the juice as possible, into a jug then make the gravy in it, along with a bit herb to compliment the meat.