Happy Birthday To Me!

[jeshyr]

Thank you very much to everybody for glorious 40th birthday messages and emails and phone calls and such!

Must admit that the prize for best message totally goes to my brother Ptolemy and sis-in-law Cassandra​, who sent a series of photos of my brand new nephew Archer holding penguin-shaped messages for me! I haven't even been well enough to meet Archer yet, so that was super extra special :)

Unfortunately my health has been pretty crappy since Christmas so I've been mostly resting and resting and watching crappy TV and resting and looking at silly cat pictures and resting some more ... BORING! We have reinstated some dropped medications though so hopefully that will help me pick up. Unpredictability is hard to deal with. Sorry for all the people whose events I've had to cancel at the last minute.

Health aside, things are going well. Urdu study preceeds apace (165 words at last count) and I have been making the most of time spent staring out the window by participating in the Bathing Birds​ summer survey. In the bits of time where I've felt better, Aama​ and I have been decluttering our little flat and rearranging the living room so everything looks roomy and neat which is nice when I spend all day here.

Life is good.

PS
The photo below is a bowl of yummy chocolate custard with whipped cream and almonds on top. Anne​ brought it over to have with a very enjoyable birthday dinner last night. Thank you Annie!!





Cheers,
Ricky

Comments

[azurelunatic]

Hooray for niblings! Penguin messages sound awesome.

[jeshyr]

Thank you :)

"Niblings" is so totally the bestest word. If only there were an equally cool word meaning Aunty/Uncle!

[azurelunatic]

Siblords? ;)

[tyger]

Happy birthday! :D :D :D

[jeshyr]

Thank you :)

[splodgenoodles]

There be photos?

[jeshyr]

Oops!

You can see it here I think: https://twitter.com/atmacjournal/status/562917538984894464

[acelightning]

i'm very glad you had a good birthday, luv! but where's the pudding? :-)

[jeshyr]

It's not pudding, it's mousse! Here: https://twitter.com/atmacjournal/status/562917538984894464

[acelightning]

that does look yummy! (although by my standards, at least, it needs more whipped cream...)

[jeshyr]

It may indeed suit your standards, the way you make it is to make a super rich chocolate custard, let it refrigerate overnight, then mix it with whipped cream! So the brown bit in the photo is already about 25% cream... it's SUPER yummy.

Just in case you're interested, here's Mum's recipe!

Anne’s chocolate custard!
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cocoa
2.5 tablespoons cornflour
½ cup sugar
2 cups milk
½ cup whipped cream

Place yolks, cocoa, cornflour and sugar into saucepan.
Slowly and gently add small amounts of the milk, stirring until will blended and as smooth a paste as possible (without being paranoid!), using about one cup.
(This step can be omitted but hurries things up: Warm the rest of the milk until fairly hot (do not boil) and then gently stir it into the paste.)
When all these ingredients are combined stir over a medium heat until mixture boils and thickens.
Cool covered with gladwrap to prevent a ‘skin’ forming.
When quite cold fold the cream into the custard and refrigerate.
Serve with roasted slithered nuts and extra cream on the side in small dishes (they can always come back for more but it is richer than expected).
Eat with family and friends!!!

Measurements for LOTS of custard:

4 egg yolks
6 tablespoons cocoa
5 tablespoons cornflour
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk - (1 litre)
1 cup whipped cream

[acelightning]

a few days ago, i saw a cartoon in the Sunday newspaper: grandma says to grandpa, "would you like a slice of pie with whipped cream?" grandpa says "yes, thanks!" grandma squirts a dab of pressurized cream onto a piece of pie. grandpa takes the pressurized can from her and proceeds to cover his pie with whipped cream. grandma says, "why did you do that?" and grandpa replies, "i could still see the pie!" :-D

that recipe sounds both simple and delicious - and i happen to have all the ingredients (except for the almonds, which i don't like anyway) at hand, at least enough for the smaller amount. guess what i'll be having for breakfast!

[nou]

Belated happy birthday!

[jeshyr]

Thank you :)

[dadi]

Happy belated birthday, dearest! That custard looks delicious indeed..nommmmm!

[jeshyr]

Thank you :)

[pauamma]

Bappy hirfday, belatedly.

[jeshyr]

My mission in life, dearest crab, is to become as ancient as you ;)

[pauamma]

I'm a moving target! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[jeshyr]

I'm catching up in ratios though ;)

[pauamma]

There is that.