The Bluestocking: home of the ice-cold Mojito foot-bath

[MarieDeGournay]

Welcome all to the Bluestocking Women's Pub, where food and drink are free as in gluten free, calorie free, alcohol free - but still delicious. And free free too, of course.
Served by highly professional staff who are gerbils.

The Bluestocking Ice-Cold Mojito Foot-bath kept us deliciously cool through the heatwave. Come and join us, in case there's another one🌞

Another day, another trade show, another tractor. And plenty of merciless sunshine. My car said 36°C as I left to get back to work, although it did drop a bit once I got moving.

I’ve got a temporary cover on the crown, had it X-rayed & going back tomorrow for the expert to have a proper look & suggest options.

When it works, the NHS is bloody brilliant.

How did your appointment go, @Chickadeeinme?

Only a few weeks until my birthday week starts. August will soon be here.

What does the Bluestocking do for Boily’s birthday week? Is it big?

And what are you going to do, Boily?

The tribunal has been so much that I have spent time plotting the next Gosie book.

But you’ll have to wait until the Gerbil World Cup has finished.

Oh, that reminds me. Is it too late for a Discworld team?

Don't we have to do something for everyone's birthday?

I'm all for equality.

Nothing really. I just say "well it is my birthday!" A lot!

Oh and I usually do absolutely nothing on my actual birthday and usually spend it alone.

<sad face that illicits sympathy>

Will death and binky play as one or as two?

Hmmmm…

That will be up to Griselda. But I think we have 15 teams, so a final addition might be possible.

I have to point out that some of you will be disappointed with the results, but that’s how these things go.

I have no idea what this means.

It's football, not polo, so probably two.

@MyrtleLion Binky is Death's (perfectly normal) horse. As the books say, he tried a skeletal steed but bits kept falling off.

Binky is the living white horse of Death, serving as his loyal mount and companion across the Discworld novels.

ETA and yes I did a straight cut and paste for that!

illicit eh? watch out or those pendants will come creeping out of their corner

I never tell anyone my birthday, but we had a cake at today's coffee morning (I couldn't eat any because wheat and the birthday girl insisted we had the date wrong) and it was quite pleasant. We sang Happy Birthday To her, on the reckoning that it would actually be her b'day some time in the next 365 days.

I hadn't even noticed! It's been a long day!

Elicits!

Hi, all!

I've had a day of doing stuff then waiting... Was weeding the driveway early this morning to avoid the heat, while laundry was on. Made it to about 11am before it became too hot to be outside (it's a very large driveway), so back inside to catch up with the tribunal and hang out clothes. Wait for them to dry.

Then decided to make Nadiya's kulfi ice cream bars, which has taken most of the afternoon. (Remind me that if I ever decide to make them again, buy a mixer first! I sold my stand mixer years ago, so had to whip 350ml of cream and condensed milk by hand! My arm will be aching tomorrow...) And chop up pistachios by hand, and pulverize 400g of custard creams by hand... (I also sold my food processor... I am an idiot).

Made the base. Wait for it to freeze.

But I melted the butter outside in a covered pan in the sun! So no electricity or gas used at all except for the freezer.

Then back to the tribunal. And wait 4 hours for the kulfi to freeze. Ask me after 8pm if they're any good (pistachio, raspberry, and cardamom - the custard creams are for the crumbly base and topping). Altogether too much sugar!

I think I stopped celebrating my birthday at 50! It's just another day now. I don't mind. I can do whatever I want any day I want anyway.

I celebrate the anniversary of me being diagnosed with breast cancer. Another year! Still here! 😁

That kulfi sounds wonderful. I made some mango ice cream the other day - 1 can sweetened condensed milk whipped with 1 pint double cream and a pinch of ground cardamom. With a mixer I have to whip it for about four minutes so I understand the arm ache @AngleofRepose ! Then I folded in a quarter cup of mango puree and swirled another quarter cup through it. It is currently in the freezer - I haven't tried it yet but it tasted good when I licked the beaters!

I am now back from the dentist - no pain involved today as it was just taking impressions for the crown fitting to the implant I had in the spring, and the crown will be delivered in August. I say no pain involved but there was wallet pain - I had to pay half the cost up front today and the rest in August, so my credit card is wincing a bit. Having the implant earlier in the year maxed out most of my insurance, as I expected.

I'm pleased all the dental work went well.

And a Discworld team would be wonderful. It would have to feature the Luggage, and Granny Weatherwax.

Mmm mango ice cream! Sounds very nice. I've never made ice cream before, but if I like this kulfi, I'll get myself a mixer and make it again. Wasn't difficult, just time consuming and fiddly.

Sorry about your tooth. Am very glad I don't have to deal with health insurance anymore. (Although I did always have it through work). Just wish the NHS were better, and better funded.

Off to search for stand mixers now... (wonder how much I have to shell out now?)

There is a gin and a rum made from crayfish. I don't like seafood but am intrigued by the idea, so I have ordered a bottle of the gin to go to my dad's house as I am going there on Friday. Dad and step mother like seafood so hopefully they'll like the gin, I can try it and decide. Anyway, dad messaged me to say it had arrived and I replied that he can make a real prawn cocktail (yes, I know crayfish and prawns but they're both shellfish I think) He didn't even give me a smile let alone a laugh.

That's very unfair of him, Rum. I made a mistake unladylike snort reading it.

OMG! Sometimes I just want to kiss her!

https://x.com/i/status/2074833120679919925

Poor effort, @deano_tony. You could have easily crammed in a few more insulting references to female genitalia yet managed only a measly two. Maybe that seems a lot to you, being double the number you've seen in real life? On which subject, fondest regards to your mother.