Some Of My Menagerie!

[alessasavoca]

Well, they used to be until I moved out! I've been off sick the last 3 days so I've been at my Mum's whilst my better half is at work, so I've taken some pics for you all.

This is Chester (Mum's)

This is Mac (Mine, blind since birth, he's 5)

And.... This is the Lovecats! Neo is mine (Blue point siamese) and Basil is Mum's (Chocolate Tabby Point Siamese)

Will post photos of the horse and my tanks asap!

 

[merry78]

wow, they are all really nice looking, you have a lovely menagerie ! Would love to see horse pics, i posted a thread in sports to see if anyone else here had horses, but no-one replied !

 

[alessasavoca]

wow, they are all really nice looking, you have a lovely menagerie ! Would love to see horse pics, i posted a thread in sports to see if anyone else here had horses, but no-one replied !

I never saw it My boy is a 10 year old shire X tb. He looks more like a shire though! He's black with a big blaze down his nose and 3 white, chunky hairy legs He's a gentle giant but has a bad habit of pinging my bra strap or nibbling my boobs through my T-shirt!

 

[-germ-]

Loving the last pic, very cosy looking....
Poor blind pup, well looked after though, goes without saying methinks.
Anyhow nice pics and pets....

Ps; Any word on the arrabiata help?

 

[alessasavoca]

Loving the last pic, very cosy looking....
Poor blind pup, well looked after though, goes without saying methinks.
Anyhow nice pics and pets....

Ps; Any word on the arrabiata help?

Yes! He's asleep at the moment otherwise I'd get him to dictate, but he says if you can, get hold of passata (sieved tomatoes) this is easier to make the sauce with as fresh toms have to 'just right' and tinned chopped tomatoes sometimes just don't do it. He agreed with me about the bicarb and sugar if its too tinny and sharp.

What do you put into your arrabiata?

 

[-germ-]

Umm...
Sorry!
Don't want to hijack the thread...
Depends; poor quality smoked bacon, tomato (i've used most combinations of passata, tomatoes, tomato puree, tinned, home made simple tomato sauce(not ketchup!), various combinations of herbs, chilli (tried birds eye and normal chillis), oil for frying, garlic and penne.
I think the main problem may be the chilli, what chilli would be used traditionally?
I'm thinking maybe some smoked habaneros would give a more rounded flavour....
Some recipes say leave the chillis in, others just keep it in when you fry the bacon so to flavour the oil
I may just give up on arrabiata TBH, or maybe try he bicarb with a little cream, or maybe cornflour, hmm....

When i lived alone i used to learn a recipe a week (sad, but i got bored), cook it traditionally for the first few days until IMO it was to taste and then put my own spin on it....
Most combinations have been tried.
Another thought, i've never tried usng butter.... hmm....

 

[alessasavoca]

I've been cooking more and more pasta since I moved out, mainly because neither of us have the time or the money to cook anything else!

An idea (a bit different but it's dead easy) . Fry some onion and some pancetta, then add some passata and a little bit of tomato puree to the mix, and stir well (season well) warm through, then add chilli flakes ( I have a special assortment of chilli flakes from italy that are meant to go with plain pasta in a bit of warmed olive oil but i use it in this).

 

[-germ-]

Thanks Alessa
What chillis are in the italian chilli flakes?
I eat pasta every other day by choice, love it.....
Ever tried pizza blanca, with potato(optional), tallegio, mozarella but no tomato sauce...

Anyhow, this is for pets...

 

[alessasavoca]

I will have to have a look for you when I get home, but can't promise a reply any earlier than Sunday as we are off to see the inlaws tonight for the weekend (we're not married, not even engaged but that doesn't stop us arguing about me having his last name or me double-barreling it with mine when we do get married, after all Taylor isn't very Italian is it? ) I'll PM you with the Chilli names.

 

[-germ-]

Got the same problem with my daughter to be;
Ame Church Benbow
Ame Benbow Church
Ame Chenbow?
Ame Burch?
or
Ame Benbow (4th name) Church is the most likely, maybe Nyssa as the 4th name....

Poor girl.....

No worries, thanks for all the help Alessa, much appreciated.

 

[alessasavoca]

'Ame Benbow Church' flows off the tongue a bit better if you ask me Congrats by the way when is she due?

 

[-germ-]

Due date is 3 weeks from now, but your advised to give it a fortnight either side for safeties sake.
Meaning a week from now onwards.

Terrified TBH......

Edit; ps; thanks!