h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Morning all (Saturday). Nice fine day here - though I hope the Cosmopolitan Club dart section's Christmas function tonight is suitably wet.

is tomorrow good, it's 11:50 here

I meant 10:50 but now its 11:02

*trots into the salon from the stairs*
*nods to kiwi man and heads for kitchen, jumps on counter and drinks from faucet*
sniff sniff
Matina give me some food! From that platter, yes!

*bot makes separate plate with chicken and beef and bread and cheese*

Hulloa.

*fixes self *
Want any gingerale, Styx?

What's this then about DNA's saying something regarding sanity, then, Lil?
Certainly sure he wasn't speaking of we at the Atelier...

*gets herself some bread and cheese as well*

*finishes washing face and hands, hops off counter and trots into room*

Yes

Welcome back, Styx.

*puts Mike's tape on the player* This is Bathory, "One Rode to Asa Bay". Have you heard it before?

*pours him one*
*adds two cherries, of course*

*slides it over*
There ya go.

The earlier discussion regarding mincemeat has rather put me in the mood to cook, l must say...mind if l did, Matina? No?

What say, Styx? l think if we've everything for it, l'm going to make some pie. Apricot walnut cranberry...it ends up being rather like mincemeat, except without the meat bit, mind...

*wanders into the kitchen, scans pantry. Gets out flour, salt, sugar, shortening, vanilla, baking powder and soda, and sets on counter. Takes some butter from fridge, and obtains bowl of icewater.

Cuts butter and shortening into small cubes, and measures flour into a bowl. Stirs dry ingredients into the flour, then adds butter/shortening, rubbing with pastry cutter til crumbly. Adds icewater and dash of vanilla; kneads forming dough into ball.

Removes dough from bowl, flattens it into a disc, and wraps in plastic, popping it into the fridge*

That's the crust nearly taken care of...sigh. When will l learn not to bake while wearing black clothes? Flour gets all over...
*brushes at self ineffectually*

*pops head out of kitchen*
Hi Lil!

*bumping about is heard as Odra obtains rest of ingredients from pantry: apricots (California, mind -- not those odd hirsute ones), dried cranberries, walnuts, and brown sugar.

Wielding a chopping knife, begins to dice fruits, then turns attention to walnuts, chopping them coarsely*

Mincemeat from scratch!! I am impressed! *turns volume down hastily as tape segues into "Seeing Red" by Entombed* Oy. This must be what they call thrash metal.

Turn it up!!!

(though admittedly this mightn't be the best background music considering Odra's playing with sharp pointy objects... )

*with everything chopped, Odra obtains more butter, eggs, and some cream. Melts butter, and measures brown sugar, putting both in bowl. Cracks in eggs, whisks mixture, adding vanilla. Slowly beats in cream.

When mixture is quite smooth and thickened, pours in fruits and nuts. Stirs, combining, and allows to sit while she preheats the oven.

Takes piecrust from fridge and rolls out. Obtains pieplate, arranges, crimps, and trims. Pours fruit mixture into crust, smooths, and pops into oven*

Ta da!

*puts -down- the knife, and returns*

*cranks it up in time for Iron Maiden to burst into "Ides of March"*

I'll have some tea, I think, to go with the smell of mince pie.

*perched on kitchen hatch watching Odra, nibbling on cherry*
heh heh heh turn it way up! *tail twitches and hackles stand up*
Good music!

Lest we forget your heritage, rat...

Odra, where did you learn to cook like that? My early years seemed to consist of cans of clam chowder and frozen chicken pies -- I didn't start cooking properly until I went to England where there weren't any convenience foods, except... well, never mind.

Oh, l do most of the cooking round here, really, "here" being RL -- have for some time. My grandmother was a very good cook and taught me a bit, but my mother wasn't such a good cook, so some of this is out of self-preservation

So l can cook lots of things...and only damaged myself badly once, doing it...

*holds up thumb*
l nearly lopped it off two Thanksgivings ago, making stuffing. So the Macy's Day Parade was interrupted by a quick rushing of Odra to the Emergency Room...
Ever since then my mother's been a bit nervous about allowing me to chop things...though l usually manage.

*sidles over and turns up music a bit*

*After Ides of March* the tape is done, so Lil flips it over to play the Saxon/Slayer/Slipknot side again*
*"Motorcycle Man" by Saxon fills the salon*
I reckon if I move to New Mexico my cooking habits will change again. Partly because I plan to be getting a lot more exercise!

*smell of baking pervades the room*

*plays with the fire a bit*

How cold does it get in NM, Lil?

*wonders if MikeA's heard any Disturbed, and what he thinks of it*

*checks watch: pie will be done shortly!*

I was watching the Weather Channel earlier this evening to see whether the Big Cold was going to come down as far as me (it isn't), and I had a look at New Mexico. It was all in the low 30's Fahrenheit ... except for that little patch in the middle where I'm planning to move. It was warmer there.

I wish it was colder here.

lt's very cold here...

l just electronically submitted a financial aid form that was due the 15th, but due to problems l had with scripts on the page, and lSP problems, l only managed to complete the 20+ page monster at 22 minutes past midnight, and so the date was marked as the 16th. l wonder if l'm disqualified now...sigh...

Ah well. Pie!

*removes it from oven; decides not to let it cool...*

Who'd like some then?
*wields pie server*

I certainly will! Matina, could you put the kettle on, please? I'd like more tea to go with this.