Bucking The Trend On Hot Cross Bun Day

As in Towers tradition, on a Good Friday, we are indulging in an elevenses with a  ample plenitude of hot cross buns, as collected from Lidl's bakery by Eric and then gently warmed in the oven and plated up by Darrell.

And..... this year we are going back to nature of a totally unfrilled type nature, with plain, honest, unadulterated buns, after being caught out too many times with the latest whim and on trend flavours, from marmite, cheese, chocolate, salted caramel, orange marmalade, to even raspberry and white chocolate, to name but a few.

There's been, in our opinion too much messing about with the humble, festive bun and we're not falling for it any more, we've gone back to basics, warmed as I said before, halved and then spread sufficiently with real life, salted butter (definitely not margarine), as simple as that.

What more could we want to start the Easter holiday off with a bang?

Proper, seasonal, comfort food, washed down with a good, strong cup of PG tips, absolutely wonderful and glorious, happy, happy days.  Sorry Mr D if such delicacies aren't available in Mexico, no doubt memories will still kick in of sticky buns you've had in the past!

We have an extra post tomorrow, Saturday, as we've been inundated with so many lovely presents this year, we haven't been able to fit everything all in!

Festive Easter Tranklements A-Plenty Despite Our Reining In A Little!

This year, Chez Towers, as we've said before, isn't going the whole, full hog in regards to our Easter décor ......

........ but, it would still look very remiss and incredibly rude not to make some effort to make the Easter Bunny feel at home, when he, hopefully, comes calling to drop of a few choice, chocolate eggs for us, fingers crossed .......

........ soooooooo, the ever fragrant one and Eric have been doing a bit of crafting to help deck the halls, where it would appear that the humble carrot has become somewhat of our festive "love language". 

Never before have a bunch of faux, aforesaid carrots been so artistically arranged, after much creative and festive debate and despite Eric, at one point, becoming alarmingly stuck to the table, but the end results, after passing Darrell's strict and stringent, eye for detail was declared "tres par excellence and a triumphant triumph of root vegetable form!???

Then continuing the theme, just before the hour goes forward on 29th, we're embracing the evenings in the full glow of the carrot candles Eric found in Home Bargains (99p reduced from £1.49), which were obviously duly purchased.

I have to admit they are really different and certainly evoke the spirit of Easter, plus a couple of other things!  

And finally, where would Easter be without a gay abundance of fresh cut daffodils and tulips .......

..... especially when displayed so beautifully in Darrell's prized, charity shop, tulip vase. When he picked it up he was over the moon, knowing exactly what it was, as one of his long felt wants, with an very envious lady remarking how unusual it was, if he'd seen it a second or two later he's pretty sure she'd have easily nabbed it before him!

Anyway, we think we're pretty Easter ready now ....... so all that's left to say is bring on those warmed hot cross buns!

Eric Spends His Pocket Money ....... Again!!!

Remember the other day when I mentioned that young Eric was pondering ways of taking full advantage of our large puddle, what is under the bridge, up the road?

Well, let's just say he sorted out all his small change in neat piles to make sure he had enough and then put in an online order ......

Let me tell you, the tension and excitement dans Les Towers while he waited for his delivery was both unbelievably palpable and tangible, in equal measures.  

We all thought he might be in danger of bursting, even though we didn't actually have a clue as to what he'd ordered.

And then, when it arrived, I just don't know how we hadn't guessed what he was up to ...... he'd only gone and got himself a dingy!  Unfortunately, he'd forgotten to order any oars, so for now he is using his extra long arms to help propel himself  through the water, what is he like?

It goes without saying that he's extremely chuffed with himself, saying that although he doesn't want to wish his life away, he can't wait for the hot summer days when he'll have hours of paddling enjoyment in the shade, lying resplendent before him ........

....... adding that the bridge itself also gives a very satisfying echo when he feels compelled to whoop in delight! Heaven help us all.  I suppose I should just be grateful that he didn't order himself a jet ski or an aqualung!!!!!  Oh lordie, what have I gone and said now!???

We Accept The Malteser Mini Bunny Challenge.

We are soooooooooo glad we didn't launch with rambunctious, festive abandon into our milk chocolate Malteser Mini Bunnies sent last week from our beloved Pharmacy Michelle ........

...... because she's sent us yet another wonderful package ........

...... containing a copy of  her local freebie, "Make The Most of Sefton" (more of that in another post) for our delectation PLUS two new packets of mini bunnies, in the guise of white chocolate, that boast of being "full of crunchy, creamy delight".........

..... and the other of a popcorn type flavour, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom!

The gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down and we willingly accept the challenge for the honour of Chez Towers. We'll "taste test" all three varieties, to compare, contrast, review and finally score each one on our world famous Richter Scale of Noms.  Well, it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?

However, in order to do this fairly, under stringent, scientific conditions, we've decided to do it a week or so after the big day, in order to allow our palates to cleanse professionally, especially after, hopefully, a Bank Holiday of full bodied and robust chocolate overload! But yes, Pharmacy Michelle, we are well up to the challenge!

When Did This Happen? Sadly Way Behind The Times ........

I think I really ought to start helping Darrell a little more in the kitchen, although I know there will be undoubted protestations ........

 ...... however yesterday I discovered something that until now I had hitherto been totally unaware of .....

...... to wit, I'd always blithely assumed that the humble Oxo cube, be it red, yellow or green  was a tightly compressed, properly square cube of dehydrated stock, no ifs or buts ......

 ..... soooooooo imagine my surprise when I discovered that they are actually a flattened edge X shape!  How, what, why and when did this happen?  I felt so ashamed that something so basic and simple had just gone right over my head (and into my gravy)!  What am I like?

Darrell said not to worry, gravy is gravy, whatever the shape or form of the stock. He couldn't remember when it happened either, but he thought it might have come about as a cost saving exercise, think how much Oxo could be saved by taking four triangular pieces out of the aforementioned cube without anyone really taking heed, after all, look how long it had taken me!

My sad lack of knowledge in culinary developments then got even worse, because rather than have questions asked in Parliament I did my own research only to find that this change came about in 2009, according to the manufactures to make the cubes easier to crumble ......... I hang my head ........ in shame! 

Heaven Help Us All ....... Eric Has An Idea!

It has to be said that the "puddle" under "our" bridge at the top of our estate has grown significantly over the time we've been at The Towers, probably in sync with the corresponding traffic of larger and heavier scrap metal lorries that pass under said bridge in order to get to the scrap yard!''

It's been a long felt want of Eric and the ever fragrant Alice's that during the cold, winter months (preferably over a weekend) it would freeze over, to form a temporary ice rink for their unbridled skating pleasure, alas, as of yet, that hasn't happened.

However ........ with all the rain we've been having, seeing that the puddle has grown even more over the past month or so, occasionally channelling off from the entrance, to run down into one of the drains at the top of the estate, Eric has come up with another, he claims, brilliant idea to partake in it's potential but unutilised pleasures. I really hate to think what he's up to, but as and when he reveals all, you, as always, will be the very first to know!

Elegant, Elevated, Easter Entertaining.

It has to be said that we don't really go a whole bundle as to the titivation of The Towers for Easter, a wreath on the front door, a vase of daffs here and there, a basket of eggs and a few bunny ornaments scattered here and there, but it's certainly not the kit and kaboodle of Christmas, and this year it's going to be an even quieter affair, what with other family commitments, so we won't be entertaining on the scale of previous years, over the Easter weekend at least.

However, while he's out and about Eric still likes to send pictures of some of the seasonal displays that have taken his fancy for Darrell's future inspiration and reference and it seems that one of Primark's Easter table displays has really impressed the little fella, with all it's layers, delicate, pastel shades, flowers, bows, candles and bunnies. In his opinion it's almost too impossibly romantic for words, totally enchanting of an affordable budget type nature.

He says all it needs is for the ever fragrant one to be sat sitting at said table to elevate the whole look to the levels of "the ethereal", he's totally smitten! The add one of Darrell's glorious and triumphant celebratory Sunday lunches, complete with  an ample joint, roasties, Yorkshires, a whole myriad of five a day vegetables and a fabulous gravy, with an apple crumble and custard for afters, he sighed, it would be absolute perfection!!!

At Christmas we are also known for our festive bedding, however as Mr D is oft to point out, we already live in some sort of Tardis in order to contain all our decorative bits and pieces and much as we'd love to deck our beds to match the season, I'm afraid our burgeoning linen cupboard couldn't possibly take anymore. So a florally, spring inspired diffuser or air freshener and, perhaps, a small floral arrangement on the window sill will have to suffice ........ but, of course, a space for a small wicker basket at the end of our beds for the Easter bunny to drop off our eggs on Easter morning is obligatory!  What are we like?