220g self raising flour; 110g butter; 110g caster sugar; 120g dried apricots and mango chopped; 1 tbsp honey; 3 eggs; 3tbsp milk. Mix well and bake for 40 mins at 170C. Icing made with zest and juice of 2 clementines. Full marks from my testers Aaron and Jamie!
STOLLEN RECIPE
But in the meantime I have sort of followed a recipe! Dried apricot and mango cake. I think with maybe lemon icing?
Candied peel
I am going to try this recipe. And then a stollen cake.
JUST A THOUGHT
Parliament is located in Tier 4 – no travel in or out? If there is a Brexit agreement it will need to be voted on by Parliament. Err ‘Houston we have a problem’ situation? The Houses of Parliament are a potential fire hazard. It would seem to be a no brainer to use this current crisis for a bit of sensible geography/econmomics.
Relocation to the Midlands/.North would seem obvious. Using a dedicated (non-hackable? zoom type link surely most debates could be done on line. I guess face to face meetings will be needed sometimes, but surely not all the time. Savings on expenses could be huge.
Wentworth Woodhouse would seem like a grand location with 250.000 sq.ft of rooms it is similar in size to HoP. But if not a new bespoke building would seem sensible. Jobs created in building, transport links and the add ons.
COVID – LATEST
So travel to and from most of Europe is now banned. Do I feel sorry for people who were going to spend the holiday there – actually not at all – travel is a major problem.
I do hear the words fascism and totalitarianism increasingly. We know many people will ignore advice. Shock and horror should be used – how many people are on ventilators at any one time?
I am listening to a Tory MP who is saying he wants a debate in Parliament on tiers and measures. I agree with him that debate is necessary so that arguments against lockdowns can be heard and justified.
Some different stats that belie the suggestion that more tests. are creating the apparent problem: People tested up 4%, People tested positive up 51.2%, deaths up 9.9%, Patients admitted 18%.. The facts are concerning.
GRAVY
Whatever you are eating this Christmas, one of the joys of a roast is gravy. So here is a veggie version which I have tried and is great. GRAVY
I will certainly be having a nut roast over the next few days, all ingredients are interchangeable! A NUT ROAST . This one has a huge list of ingredients – but it is Christmas!
MULLING
What a great word! I am mulling over what to write!
Lots of nice words – baobab, granite, sesquioxide, cumulus, cirrus, Belem!
Christmas 2020 Quiz – 1
1. In which country was Silent Night composed?
2. Wenceslas Square has a memorial to whom?
3. Who is seen as the first Martyr of Christianity?
4. What does the word Islam mean?
5. What does the word henotheism mean?
6. Which football club is known as the hatters?
7. What is an Oryx?
8. Watling Street roman road went between Dover and …?
9. Who is seen as the richest person ever in financial terms?
10. How big was the wood Winnie the Pooh lived in?
11. In which book was the main action taking place in 1929?
12. What is the county town of Wiltshire?
13. ‘Something in the air’ was a No.1 for 3 weeks in 1969 – who by?
14. The Coronation Stone—is an oblong block of red sandstone that has been used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland, and later also when the monarchs of Scotland became monarchs of England as well as in the coronations of the monarchs of Great Britain and latterly of the United Kingdom following the treaties of union. What is it better known as?
15. Born in Portsmouth, WHO? left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors’ prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms.
16. Who was the 5th president of the USSR?
17. What number did Michael Jordan wear on his shirt for Chicago?
18. Which British Prime Minister was assassinated?
19. At what temperature are Fahrenheit and Celsius equal?
20. Which 2 planets lack moons?
COVID STATS
EDUCATION
A considered answer. I think I have this right.
In January students at all secondary schools will have a staggered return (apart from Years 11 and 13 and the children of key workers and ‘at risk students’ (there is probably a better title for them, but they must feel shit to be in that group whatever the label). All or some of the students will be given a test (which is about 50% accurate) by persons unknown. Oh and this is a good news story as stated by Gibbs; as long as all the negative aspects about it are ignored! DfE’s civil servants have been offered £1000 to work over Christmas. But none for teachers! No pay, no play should be the motto. The first day/week back will therefore be chaotic. Will the tests be in school, who should administer them? Will heads allow unverified volunteers onto school sites?
On a superficial level suitable for readers of the Express, Mail and Sun it is a brilliant idea – mass testing at last, and being stopped by snowflake left wing whingers! They will ignore the facts – unworkable at such short notice, not practical without education about what a negative result means (possibly negative), not necessary in some areas. Basically they are admitting that TTTI has been a billion pound failure!
All this is not hindsight – I have posted similar posts for months!