Joker's Bottle of Frogs
by JokerXL
user profile | dashboard | JokerXL maps
JokerXL.com
Wedding & Portrait Photography
Recent visitors
Friends
More...
A bit O.T.T.
(viewed 675 times)
I bought this little pack of cleaning tablets (for the coffee machine) off
the internet.
They arrived two days after ordering, which is great.
But just check out the size of the package it came in
The box was full of Styrofoam too.
A Jiffy-Bag would've sufficed, and would've fit through the letterbox too,
as it was Anja had to go collect it.
the internet.
They arrived two days after ordering, which is great.
But just check out the size of the package it came in
The box was full of Styrofoam too.
A Jiffy-Bag would've sufficed, and would've fit through the letterbox too,
as it was Anja had to go collect it.
4th Apr 2009, 07:37
comments (4)
Birthday baking
Two cheesecakes!!
One is a "Standard" New York Cheesecake, the other is with chocolate & almonds.
When a recipe says "600gr cream-cheese" I use part Cottage Cheese, part Ricotta (or Mascarpone) and part "ordinary" cream cheese, like unflavoured Philadelphia or something.
For both cakes, crush 120gr digestives (each) and mix with 125gr (each) melted butter. Make the base by patting the mixture down into a greased spring-form tin. Place the tins in the fridge to firm-up.
For the New York Cheesecake, mix up the three cheeses, 120gr castor sugar, lemon rind, orange rind, sour cream and lemon juice in the mixer till thick and creamy.
Add two whole eggs, one at a time while the whizzer's still whizzing.
Pour into the tin.
For the chocolate job, I hacked-up a bar of that 70% Swiss stuff with a big handful of almonds, added the three cheeses, sugar and the juice of an orange whisked until nicely mixed, added the 2 eggs and poured it into the tin with the biscuit base. A few almonds sprinkled over the top and both tins went in the oven (180 degrees C) for an hour and a quarter.
After the oven goes "ping", do nothing!
Leave them in there to cool down, for at least an hour, then on the windowsill until cooled enough to go in the fridge.
The longer they're in the fridge the better (within reason) at least overnight, 24 hrs is better, a couple of days is best.
I'll put a topping of sour cream/lemon juice/sugar on the New Yorker tomorrow and back in the fridge overnight.
The Chocolate job will probably get a coating of chocolate/cream, not sure yet.
These are for Sunday,
it's my birthday.
I've not invited anyone,
all this cake is for meMEmeME!
;-)
One is a "Standard" New York Cheesecake, the other is with chocolate & almonds.
When a recipe says "600gr cream-cheese" I use part Cottage Cheese, part Ricotta (or Mascarpone) and part "ordinary" cream cheese, like unflavoured Philadelphia or something.
For both cakes, crush 120gr digestives (each) and mix with 125gr (each) melted butter. Make the base by patting the mixture down into a greased spring-form tin. Place the tins in the fridge to firm-up.
For the New York Cheesecake, mix up the three cheeses, 120gr castor sugar, lemon rind, orange rind, sour cream and lemon juice in the mixer till thick and creamy.
Add two whole eggs, one at a time while the whizzer's still whizzing.
Pour into the tin.
For the chocolate job, I hacked-up a bar of that 70% Swiss stuff with a big handful of almonds, added the three cheeses, sugar and the juice of an orange whisked until nicely mixed, added the 2 eggs and poured it into the tin with the biscuit base. A few almonds sprinkled over the top and both tins went in the oven (180 degrees C) for an hour and a quarter.
After the oven goes "ping", do nothing!
Leave them in there to cool down, for at least an hour, then on the windowsill until cooled enough to go in the fridge.
The longer they're in the fridge the better (within reason) at least overnight, 24 hrs is better, a couple of days is best.
I'll put a topping of sour cream/lemon juice/sugar on the New Yorker tomorrow and back in the fridge overnight.
The Chocolate job will probably get a coating of chocolate/cream, not sure yet.
These are for Sunday,
it's my birthday.
I've not invited anyone,
all this cake is for meMEmeME!
;-)
3rd Apr 2009, 12:47
comments (8)
Looking for Alfie
I waved, couldn't see him waving back.
:-)
Crossing the Tyne yesterday morning (no fog) in the rush-hour. Plenty of time to stop'n'shoot a couple out the window.
Back in the land of Holl this morning. Sun's splittig the trees.
Alfie, will we see you & JJ @ the Tate this next month?
:-)
Crossing the Tyne yesterday morning (no fog) in the rush-hour. Plenty of time to stop'n'shoot a couple out the window.
Back in the land of Holl this morning. Sun's splittig the trees.
Alfie, will we see you & JJ @ the Tate this next month?
2nd Apr 2009, 06:53
comments (17)
The Angel of the North
Not Finland, not Khatmandu or Tahiti. Rio was close, good guess HotDawg.
Jeroen, Gateshead? Don't be ridiculous, how could "Gateshead" have anything so magnificent, so majestic, to offer the world?
Because the clocks went forward I had to wait till quite late before I went out and snapped these. Whenever I come here it's (virtually) deserted, best kept secret in the North East, if you ask me.
Jeroen, Gateshead? Don't be ridiculous, how could "Gateshead" have anything so magnificent, so majestic, to offer the world?
Because the clocks went forward I had to wait till quite late before I went out and snapped these. Whenever I come here it's (virtually) deserted, best kept secret in the North East, if you ask me.
1st Apr 2009, 09:08
comments (12)
Photo-Op
(viewed 700 times)
Bet you can't guess where I am tonight.
G'wan, have a guess.
Could be anywhere, I know, but see if you can guess.
I'll give you a clue, it's somewhere along the A1. Not much of a clue, I know, as the A1 runs from the center of London to the center of Edinburgh but I don't want to make it too easy for you.
:-)
G'wan, have a guess.
Could be anywhere, I know, but see if you can guess.
I'll give you a clue, it's somewhere along the A1. Not much of a clue, I know, as the A1 runs from the center of London to the center of Edinburgh but I don't want to make it too easy for you.
:-)
31st Mar 2009, 17:49
comments (9)
More Blackbrids than anything else
(viewed 612 times)
Anja puts out all kinds of things for all kinds of birds; nuts in feeders, hanging net-balls, (whole grain) bread, fruit, all sorts.
Consequently we get a lot of visits from a lot of different kinds of bird.
House Sparrows & Hedge Sparrows
Blue Tits & Great Tits
Wood Pigeons & Turtle Doves
Finches, Wrens, Robins
Jackdaws & Jays
Bats (ok, I know, but it flies), Seagulls and the odd Kestrel (or Sparrow Hawk, not sure which)
And, of course, when I stood there for half an hour with the big lens, only this Blackbird dared show his beak!
Consequently we get a lot of visits from a lot of different kinds of bird.
House Sparrows & Hedge Sparrows
Blue Tits & Great Tits
Wood Pigeons & Turtle Doves
Finches, Wrens, Robins
Jackdaws & Jays
Bats (ok, I know, but it flies), Seagulls and the odd Kestrel (or Sparrow Hawk, not sure which)
And, of course, when I stood there for half an hour with the big lens, only this Blackbird dared show his beak!
29th Mar 2009, 20:04
comments (3)
Sunday (vegitarian) Kitchen
Vegetarian Pilaf
Tin of (rinsed) kidney beans
Couple of red onions
A Leek
Lump of butter
Teaspoon Cumin seeds
" Coriander
" Cumin
" Garam Masala
Cinnamon stick
Cloves
Cardamom pods
Carrot, thinly sliced
A chopped up red pepper
300gr long grain rice
375ml Vegetable stock
300ml water
Melt the butter in a large pan and sizzle-off the spices (technical term,
don't worry about it.)
Chop the onions into quarters (or 1/8 if they're bigger) and quick-fry them
with the spices.
Stir in the carrot and leek, followed by the rice.
Add then the stock & water, cover and simmer for 8mins.
At the end add the kidney beans & red pepper (they only really need to heat
through, not cook).
Simmer for a couple of minutes or 'till all the liquid has been absorbed by
the rice.
We had it with "Sweet Corn pancakes" and, for Anja & I, a handful of prawns
thrown in.
Tin of (rinsed) kidney beans
Couple of red onions
A Leek
Lump of butter
Teaspoon Cumin seeds
" Coriander
" Cumin
" Garam Masala
Cinnamon stick
Cloves
Cardamom pods
Carrot, thinly sliced
A chopped up red pepper
300gr long grain rice
375ml Vegetable stock
300ml water
Melt the butter in a large pan and sizzle-off the spices (technical term,
don't worry about it.)
Chop the onions into quarters (or 1/8 if they're bigger) and quick-fry them
with the spices.
Stir in the carrot and leek, followed by the rice.
Add then the stock & water, cover and simmer for 8mins.
At the end add the kidney beans & red pepper (they only really need to heat
through, not cook).
Simmer for a couple of minutes or 'till all the liquid has been absorbed by
the rice.
We had it with "Sweet Corn pancakes" and, for Anja & I, a handful of prawns
thrown in.
29th Mar 2009, 19:45
comments (5)
Even more scary than the previous post;
(viewed 695 times)
I've just embarked on a journey that (hopefully) will lead to a BA (hons) degree in Creative Arts (photography)
It'll take me a few years (probably 5 or 6)but I'm pretty determined to get there in the end.
Like Ian said; "so then you'll be a truck driver, but then with a degree"
well, yes, probably, but hey, there's no rule against that!
Stuff arrives next week, I'll get right on it.
Really looking forward to this.
;-)
It'll take me a few years (probably 5 or 6)but I'm pretty determined to get there in the end.
Like Ian said; "so then you'll be a truck driver, but then with a degree"
well, yes, probably, but hey, there's no rule against that!
Stuff arrives next week, I'll get right on it.
Really looking forward to this.
;-)
28th Mar 2009, 16:49
comments (18)