Good week, bad week, very bad week! Weather has been decent – very moderate with largely clearish skies and only a smattering of rain. The bad part of the week started on Tuesday when I began to exhibit symptoms of sciatic pain. Oh my goodness, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
Continue reading “4 February 2024”Author: Greg
4 February 2024 – Amusements
During a heartfelt chat with her friend about relationships, the lady sighed and said, “You know, if something happened to Lloyd, I don’t think I could ever marry again.”
Her friend nodded sympathetically. “I know what you mean,” she said. “Once is enough.”
28 January 2024
Oh! We’ve been cold this week! Not that the temperature has been particularly biting. Rather, because we’ve been without any heating for most of the week. We’re just beginning to thaw out.
Continue reading “28 January 2024”28 January 2024 – Amusements
The angry wife met her husband at the door. There was alcohol on his breath and lipstick on his collar. “I assume,” she snarled, “that there is a very good reason for you to come waltzing in here at six o’clock in the morning?”
“There is,” he replied. “Breakfast.”
21 January 2024
A cold and chilly week – absolutely lovely. Frozen ground, bright and clear blue skies and no mud! Hurray! Daisy certainly enjoys not being hosed down with frigid water from the outside tap and I enjoy not sinking to my bootlaces in the quagmire as we traverse the fields. Hurray, hurray! It’s supposed to get up to 14o C on Wednesday – go figure.
Continue reading “21 January 2024”Three Cheese Pasta Bake – One Pot Recipe

Serves 4
Ingredients
500g giant pasta shells – Conchiglie
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large handfuls of torn basil leaves
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
250g mascarpone
2 tbsp red pesto
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
900ml just boiled water
150g baby spinach
150g mozzarella
Parmesan to serve
Salt and pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180o C fan. Chuck the pasta in a large, shallow pan and add the cherry tomatoes, half the basil, canned tomatoes, mascarpone, red pesto, tomato puree and garlic powder. Pour over the water and give everything a mix around. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway so you get a nice sauce.
- Take the pasta out of the oven and add a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the spinach and stir together. Cover and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Check the seasoning here and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Scatter over the remaining basil and rip over the mozzarella. Grate a good load of Parmesan over the top and return to the oven, without the lid, for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
21 January 2024 – Amusements
A man walks into a bar with his dog and puts the dog on a barstool. The bartender asks the man what he wants to drink.
“I’ll have a bourbon and Coke.”
The man then turns to his dog and asks, “What are you going to have, Rover?”
“I’ll have a Scotch and soda–light on the soda,” says Rover.
The bartender is sceptical about the dog talking. “Come on,” he says, “that dog can’t talk — you’re a ventriloquist!”
“No, Rover can really talk. While I am in the restroom, you can have a conversation with him yourself, but don’t let him out of your sight. He is a very valuable dog.”
The man goes to the restroom. When he returns, the dog is gone.
“Hey, where’s my dog? I told you not to let him out of your sight.”
“Aw, I didn’t believe that Rover could talk, so I gave him a quarter and sent him to the drug store to buy me a paper.”
“Let’s go look for him,” said the man.
The two went to the drugstore. No Rover. They walked up and down nearby alleys and streets, but still no dog. Finally, they find Rover in the park romancing another dog.
Pointing his finger at Rover, the man says, “How come you are doing this? You have never done this before!”
“It’s the first time I ever had any money.”
14 January 2024
A chilly but largely dry week with lots of bright blue skies and freezing or near freezing temperatures. Allegedly, we may even get some snow this week although I am not holding my breath.
Continue reading “14 January 2024”14 January 2024 – Amusements
If Carl sleeps six hours and requires two cups of coffee before he will get the baby, and Virginia sleeps four hours in 20-minute increments on the floor next to the baby, how many times can Carl tell Virginia he’s “so tired” before she schedules his vasectomy?
Continue reading “14 January 2024 – Amusements”7 January 2024
Another wild and stormy week – what are the chances of that? Storm Henk has been responsible for this week’s climate calamity – more flooding, more saturated fields which can’t be doing much for the crop of winter wheat which is in the ground. Hmm, whoever decides the names for storms is already at “H” and we’re only seven days into the year. I suspect we’ll have to go around the alphabet several times if this trend continues.
Continue reading “7 January 2024”