JAMMING WITH QUINCE JELLY AND WINE

Salud, Kids!

We wore sweaters this weekend. For about an hour and then we were back in shorts.

Now, here we are at Monday and I'm clicking the keys to welcome the week.

Yes, I know I promised more Queen Victoria from British Brian, and it is in the queue, so never fear.

But, as I have been seriously hunkered down with writing (now up to Chapter Twenty) my fictional creation, Privately Palmer, I am a bit behind. For those who connect with me on my personal Facebook also know that Britt and I have been doing kooky Halloween stuff (complete with the video of our ghost who moos instead of boos). It IS Autumn, even as we continue to wear shorts and sandals in South Florida.

Guess what?

It's also Autumn (in case you didn't know) over in the United Kingdom and British Brian and Mo don't just take sassy trips on the QV.

Read on to find out more about the wine and jelly making shenanigans from across the pond. And, when he says he has wine for two good folks...he ain't speaking of YOU kids!!

Oh, what in HOLY HELL is a Quince???

Brian never ceases to bring me something fabulous and I'm thinking a Quince is just that. For one thing, I love the fact that it gets ready when it feels like it...sort of like me!

Contributed by Brian Wilson
Bath, UK
All rights reserved and copyrighted

Over here Autumn is well advanced - but you would not think so, as the sun has been shining (at least in our area) - plants and animals seem to be a bit confused.
Our Boysenberry (a cross between a European Raspberry, a Common Blackberry, and a Loganberry) - unfortunately it is not named after my lovely Mo (Boys that is) - is still flourishing and bringing on more and more berries.

Boysenberries ripe for picking.
It has large fruits, deep maroon/black colour and is ideal for pies, jams, or just eating as fruit. Seems to think it is still late summers as it continues to fruit (well we're not grumbling as the taste is "yummy").


The same is true for our Raspberries - you really cannot beat just fresh from the garden. So we have been picking them and adding into fruit pies or even making more jam.

Everyone's garden seems to have gone mad.

A friend of ours found that his grape vines (that form the pergola covering the patio) were ready for picking - so I traipsed off and spent an afternoon picking grapes. They were very sweet - mmmm.

Then back home to remove the grapes from the larger stalks - they weighed 90lbs!!
Then came the pressing.
We have a small fruit press that can press up to 24lb of apples.

Inside the wooden frame I put a net bag, then piled in the grapes.
Winding the handle down lowered a wooden plate on top of the grapes - the juice began to flow.

After one press, I mixed the pressed grapes up again - then back into the press to extract the last of the lovely juice.

After 3 hours I had 5 gallons of grape juice - all held in one of my larger fermenting vessels (I must sound as if I have a "production unit - but it is only for home consumption - we have some of 2010 waiting for you two good folks in 2012).

Then add in a bit more sugar (as grapes grown in the UK have not have enough sun to increase the sugar content of the grapes), then some yeast (A champagne yeast) - give it all a good stir and then put it to one side and let fermentation begin.
We hope to have the wine ready for autumn 2012 - or even earlier.

We were also given 14lbs of quince.

The Quince is a member of the apple family, it needs some care and attention before you can eat it - but it is worth all the trouble.

It's a devil to peel and can be rock hard. Yet baked or pickled and eaten with ham or cheese, the quince becomes a rare treat.

You cannot hurry a cooking quince. They are ready when they feel like it. It can take half an hour or more to poach to tenderness in a sugar syrup.
But, the scent of them cooking fills the house with a rich, mellow sweetness.
The quince can be made into a lovely pickle, jam or wine - added to an apple pie gives a beautiful fragrance and a subtle perfume.
But, we made them into jam, jelly and wine.

Now a question to all you out there in US land - does anyone still make home made wine, jam or jelly?

If so Pam, let's start a part of your blogs "Recipes across the ether" - come on folks, give up your secrets!!

If you are wondering about my bees - more of that later

Love to one and all - Brian and Mo!

##

See ya 'round the beaches-real or virtual.
Read me fictionally, The Bainbridges of the Palm Beaches, Barnes and Noble, eBooks.
Friend me on Facebook!









Brian Wilson
brian@europaassociates.co.uk

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A PALM TREE

Salud, Kids!

Before you get your weekend groove into high-gear, hop on over to my blog, The Wishing Palm Tree and drop in a wish under the Comments section.

Be silly, be absurd, be anonymous; we don't care or need to know who you are.

Be a kid again, and just wish something...you dont' need a special well to toss out a wish and you KNOW you want to.

See ya 'round the beaches-real or virtual.

http://wishingpalmtree.blogspot.com/

SALMA HAYEK, KITTY SOFT PAWS

Salud, Kids!

Listen, I have some fun stuff coming up this week from, British Brian and his sidekick, Mo. Yep, that zany duo lived the high life on yet another Queen Victoria cruise and you do NOT want to miss what they share.

However, as it is a rainy (I would say fallish, but when it's 90 degrees and I'm in shorts and flip-flops that simply is not accurate) Monday, let me share what Gaz and I did on a rainy, Sunday (yesterday).

We zipped down I95 to Ft. Lauderdale to hang out on the Allure of the Seas for the world premier of, Puss in Boots.
It was a day with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and their on-screen characters, Puss in Boots and Kitty Soft Paws (apply the proper character to the proper celeb, I can't do everything).

Even in the rain, it was a groovy way to spend a day and the movie isn't bad either.

Salma and Antonio were gracious as they greeted the press peeps. She is PERFECT and tiny, tiny, tiny (well, not ALL tiny) and so glam even dressed down in a super casual ensemble. He was engaging and seemed like a genuine sort of guy (is that possible in the world of celebs?).

Now, come on back later this week for more British Brian and his Marvelous Mo!!

See ya 'round the beaches-real or virtual.
Friend us on Facebook, Indiscreetly Us

BRITISH BRIAN TAKES ON A TRAM

Salud, Kids!

So, my last whiny-ass post now pales.

MOMENTS after I hit the publish button, BAM...in floats this from Brian of Bath, UK.

First, I'm just now getting over that he and the fabulous, Mo, were wining, dining and dancing all OV-AH the gorgeous, Queen Victoria.

Second, I feel bad for being jealous (not really) and am wondering if he had on his famous (or infamous) RED socks.

Third, he MAY have uttered some expletives? Hell and damn, I have uttered no less than 50 of 'em in the last two hours alone!

Fourth and the most important one, please notice that after being HIT BY A TRAM, Brian (oh, that Brit) hauls it inside for a nice cup of tea. A CUP OF TEA, kids!!! You (and by YOU, I mean ME) can't touch that sort of depth of character.

Read on...

Contributed by: Brian Wilson
Bath UK
All rights reserved and copyrighted

We got back from our trip on the 4th October and we have had so much catching up to do.

Also I am nursing lots of big bruises - no, its not Mo it was a tram - yes a tram!!

We were in Istanbul for 2 days and on day 2 we took a tram from the harbour up to the Blue Mosque - it really was something to marvel at (more of the later).




The Blue Mosque


We then walked down to the Suleymaniye Mosque, had a welcome cup of turkish tea and coffee and then girded up our loins for the fray.

There was quite a queue for the Suleymaniye Mosque - people were waiting alongside a wall on the pavement.

There were so many people going up and down, so we went to find the end of the queue,
Mo was in front and I was walking on the pavement (trying not to barge into people), when BASH.

A tram came by - the tracks are within an inch of the pavement - and it caught me on my shoulder, elbow, hip and leg - sending me flying past Mo and ending on my back, on the pavement!

The tram is still going by - but then rescue came from 2 Turkish guides (there are so many "guides" offering to help you) who immediately moved me away from the pavement as my feet were over the edge of the pavement and the tram is still going by!!

If it had not been for them I may now be a foot shorter!!
The trams not only run very close to the pavement, they consist of a number of carriages - and these "bend" on corners.



Is this the offending tram? - notice how close it is to the pavements edge

As you can imagine I was in shock - so was Mo.

Bu,t our guides pulled me up and took me into the Suleymaniye Mosque, by passing all the queues, to get us into a cafe so we could have a cup of tea. I cannot tell you how grateful we were to these guides - who, once they had ensured we were ok (no broken bones) left to carry on with their work.

So, in true Brit style, after 40 minutes of tea and rest we went into the Suleymaniye Mosque - again a sight for sore eyes.



The interior of the Suleymaniye Mosque

I was hobbling around, my knee hut and as for my hip - well I may have let out one or two anglo saxon expletives!

But, I was determined to carry on - after all we had come this far - us Brits are made of strong stuff you know.

After that, I stumbled to the Topkapi Palace - another must to see when in Istanbul -it needs a day on it's own.

Then back to the Queen Vic and the Doctor - who checked me over and (I really did not believe it) but I had not broken anything (apart from a slight graze on my knee) - but the bruises were already arriving!!

When Mo and I reviewed the day, a cold shudder came over us when we thought what could so easily have happened, if the 2 Turkish guides were not on hand or if they had not acted so quickly.

I am now the proud owner of a bruised elbow (but that's going down now) and a rather impressive multi coloured bruise over my hip, left buttock, up to the base of my spine and down my left leg!

I will spare you the photo of my "rear end" - I do not want to be accused of sending porn over the net!!

I have been writing my blog of the trip - so wait a few days for the next instalment.

Love to you all over there - Brian and Mo

Brian Wilson
brian@europaassociates.co.uk

PRICKLY PRIVATELY PALMER

Salud, Kids!

You know how some days are just one of THOSE days?

Yeah, today is one of THOSE.

Quite frequently I refer to this as me feeling like a prickly-pear. A day that is annoying and cranky-inducing as I have utterly lost control of the situation. The situation being concentrating on writing.

Attempting to move my fictional creation, Privately Palmer, along has been, um, IMPOSSIBLE.

It is not that I need absolute silence or things such as that. A modicum of peace would be EXTREMELY helpful.

Here is a sampling of my silly frustrations (some remain private...like Palmer):

#Lawn service guys arrived at 7:45 am and began trimming shrubs. Loud and then some.

#Lawn service guys trimmed shrubs until 3:00 pm.

#Animal types DEMANDED unusual amounts of attention and would NOT be put off until later.

#The shrubs were trimmed a ridiculous amount (yes I am grateful to have folks do this service, but they went way too far) and now look beyond skimpy. I liked 'em beter shaggy.

#Animal type lounged and frolicked in a basket of clean and folded clothing which now must be returned to the laundry (yes, my fault as I should have promptly put them away...now, where IS that sword?).

#Foam core with precisely organized notes kept falling and notes dropping off.

See what I mean? Nothing major, just minor annoyances I am ALLOWING to distract me.

Perhaps the universe is simply slapping me in the face and shouting that the world does NOT need another potentially fabulousecharacter thrown into the fictional arena.

Probably, but I refuse to accept that scenario, so I will see if I am able to corral my concentration and compose dialogue at a later time. Doubtful, but I once heard that Danielle Steele wrote her first novel late at night/early morning in the bathroom, on a yellow-pad after her nine or ninety kiddies had drifted into dreamland.

True? I have no idea, but if I have to resort to writing in the bathroom, I'm hauling in a recliner with wooden arms and a loaded mini-fridge. I'm more than willing to pay a bunch of dues (haven't I already done that?) and all, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna write while sitting on the side of the bathtub or worse! Then again, it worked out splendidly for Di. Hm.

See ya 'round the beaches-real or virtual.
Read me fictionally, The Bainbridges of the Palm Beaches, Barnes & Noble, eBooks!

BEACHES BISTRO BUZZ

Salud, Kids!

Wednesday is not simply hump-day 'round the beaches, it is also time for dining-in-the-daylight 'round the beaches.

In other words, Britt and I amble around the Palm Beaches until we land at a restaurant and sample their cuisine.

Yesterday, we rolled into a place on PGA in Palm Beach Gardens called, Carmine's.
A restaurant and market combo, we found it to be one fascinating place-clean and inviting.

To be honest we had a rocky beginning before we even tasted the tiniest morsel. Our adventure began in the buzzing parking lot. It was overflowing with zipping around by less than patient (understatement) drivers, while some random gentleman in white shorts stationed himself in a position to sort of, well, direct the traffic. It was crazy.

This being our first time, we didn't know the spaghetti ropes so once inside, we sauntered to an area with signage proclaiming it to be their Pizzeria. Which turned out to be a modest sized restaurant.

First impression?

Good.

Why?

Because I'm a sucker for white table clothes and linen napkins. Call me shallow. Many have.

Second impression?

Confused.

Why?

Because there was no signage regarding seating (seat yourself or wait to be seated).

Some random, yet official looking, guy pushed past us without any eye-contact and barked for us to take a seat. He also mumbled something about inside, the other side (whatever that meant) or outside.

With a shrug of our shoulders, inside it was.

Atmosphere is very nice.

Service was adequate (lower end of the scale).

Food was both excellent (soup and salad), and marginal (chicken parmigiana). The chicken was a little overcooked, but had the potential to be really tasty.

After lunch we roamed through the market portion of the place and departed with the most beautiful fresh fish (Sole) and two boxes of desserts (we later deemed them fabulous).

The fish market guy was service oriented, and friendly. Unfortunately, the same can not be said of the lady boxing up the sugary confections. The guy ahead of me got the friendly one, so next time I will shuffle around until she's free. It would be worth the wait, believe me.

In conclusion, Carmine's is a place I will visit again. The outside seating area is lovely as it is waterfront with scads of expensive looking boats bobbing around for your viewing pleasure.

Anxious to visit the market section in the near future and see what food treasures are to be found.

Oh, next time I will opt for the complimentary Valet Parking.

See ya 'round the beaches-real or virtual.
Read me fictionally, The Bainbridges of the Palm Beaches, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.
Facebook friend me, Indiscreetly us and/or Bainbridges PalmBeaches

SPORTS BARS, DINING, DANCING AND SWITCHING

Salud, Kids!

Last evening found us at Duffy's. You know, the place where you dine with zany types (that's why we fit in) and football helmets. Duffy's is a SPORTS BAR!!

Hundreds (could be an exaggeration) of screens line the joint with, well, sports shows.

One quick glance told me these guys just don't get it. Not one screen was flashing the flashiest of sports shows. Dancing with the Stars (they have taken major liberty with that term). Seriously, if THAT isn't a true sport, I am at a loss. Apparently, DAWN-CING is NOT an approved sport in the world of Duffy's (this according to our server-who obviously has NEVER taken a dance class). Fred and Ginger must be spinning at this nonsense.

I often ask myself and anyone around me who will listen (not that many), why restaurant bars keep their televisions tuned to sports channels, exclusively.


Think about that for a second.

How many establishments offer up anything for our viewing pleasure except sports?

See what I mean.

Oh, I am not REALLY talking about a bar that is absolutely designed to cater to sports fans. I'm giving the squint-eye to ALL sorts of restaurants from A-to-Z. No matter the price range, no matter the particular cuisine, no matter anything. Almost without fail, restaurants will have their bar screens blasting out some sport. Even if it's amateur ping-pong,marbles or horseshoe tossing...it is sports.

Would it kill 'em to switch over to Turner Classic Movies, the Food Network or a little Bravo once in a blue moon? It isn't very sporting of them to neglect an entire segment of diners, is it?

Just for grins I would like to sit in the bar at Morton's, sip a lovely Malbec, nibble on sliders and focus my blood-shot eyes on Paula Deen slapping butter and mayo on everything in her kitchen. Now THAT is a sport!

Naturally, I assume they have done scads of market research and totally understand that sports is THE one and only way to keep idiots, I mean diners, spending cold cash on food and beverage.

Evidently the majority of diners spin with rapture while swilling beer, gulping potato skins while allowing their eyes to glaze over enjoying the very finest of fine...wrestling.

This sports bar phenomenon is holding on for dear life, and I fear turning that tide would resemble getting the Kardashians out of the media arena. An impossible, but quite appealing dream. Oh, if only, but that's another blog.

Moving on, I have concluded I shall begin an online (where else?) campaign to lobby for some restaurant (and when I say restaurant, I am casting an eye at places like Arby's) to step up, slap a flat-screen on a greasy wall and anchor that channel on something more girlie (and when I say girlie, you can apply that to anyone).

Actually, I don't care WHAT channel Arby's (insert YOUR favorite greasy-spoon here) dials in, just NOT sports 24/7.

Kids, I am a good sport (don't listen to my nearest and dearest) and willing to share the screen time with sports fanatics...50/50.

Come ON, didn't restaurant bars learn the Golden Rule of sharing? I think I know the answer to that question.

See ya 'round the beaches-real or virtual.
Facebook Friend, Vivienne Rae, The Unreal Housewife of Palm Beach Gardens!
Read me fictionally, The Bainbridges of the Palm Beaches, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.
Facebook friend me, Indiscreetly Us and/or Bainbridges PalmBeaches