Cadbury Mystery Bars–All Is Finally Revealed …….

 You may remember way back in September when we spent quite a lot of time and energy deliberating over Cadbury’s two mystery flavour bars ………

……. which, to be honest, we weren’t all that struck on either, but to roughly quote from our own post of 7th September 2022 “Our final, final answers are:- 01 raspberry or gooseberry and then strawberry for the 02 one”

Well, it seems that Cadbury have revealed that Mystery Bar No.1 was in fact rhubarb and custard,  while Mystery Bar No.2 was a blue, raspberry slushie flavour, so near (???????) …….. yet so far!

However, we feel that we sort of got a mention in amongst all the resulting bumf …….

…… we quote again …….. “In a bid to correctly guess the chocolate bar flavours, many fans submitted unusual suggestions throughout the competition, these included Bakewell Slice, Rosewater, Gooseberry and Knickerbocker Glory”  ……. OMG, the gooseberry was us!!!!

What are we like, if not “unusual”, neigh inventive  in our flavour suggestions. We knew that there was raspberry somewhere, we just got the wrong bar, but blue raspberry slushie, well, that’s just being a bit too clever and specific!  Oh well …… next mystery bar please!

Ever Festive And Seasonal ……..

As you know, we very much like to “go with a theme”, within our very careful budget,  whenever we can  ……… and in this month of March our dedication to said theme will not be found wanting.

So, with that aim in mind, the day after Pancake Day we took ourselves off (en masse) to our very most Charity Shop of choice (Vale Wildlife) to peruse their ample mug section.  I think it’s pretty obvious from our pictures that it did not let us down ………

…… with three mugs pertinent to the season and all its expectations duly purchased for the princely sum of just 50p each, our morning coffee and bedtime Horlicks have never tasted so erm ……apt.

……. and then, after all the Easter eggs etc. have been eaten, we can, if we want, simply donate them from whence they came, to look onwards and upwards to the next celebration that takes our fancy, ……….what are we like? 

Spring Is Sprung

“Blossom by blossom the spring begins” - Algernon Charles Swinburne ……

…… and finally Nigel’s very, very, very favourite caterpillar trees are out ……

……… holding him spellbound and in thrall as they wiggle and jiggle in the springtide breeze.

On the other hand, Darrell says they make him feel quite queasy, not being the greatest fan of anything of a creepy, crawly, wiggly type nature.

As for me? I am pretty neutral about such seasonal writhings , but when the crocus’s start peeping through ……..  that’s when my heart begins to sing ……. what are we all like?

“If you’ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.”
Audra Foveo

Nigel Left Absolutely Speechless.

Lovely Rob, our beloved Postman, dropped off a surprise envelope for Nigel this morning …….

…….. the contents of which absolutely floored the little fella. To say that the emotion that ensued was rife, would be a gross miscarriage of justice.

Reading the letter first, we found it was from the very lovely and again much beloved Paula, who had seen our post where Nigel had drooled over the full Highland regalia he’d spotted in the charity shop window on the corner of our road ……..

…… she said it had touched her so much she, and I quote “cobbled something together”. Let’s just say that the tears started even before anything had been unwrapped.

In the first package was a laced vest, just like the original one that had Nigel so filled with romance when he set eyes on it. It was exquisite, but that was only the start of it …….

Next followed a pair of tiny pumps complete with tiny buttons and socks with ribbon garters …… which then had Darrell reaching for the tissues.

There was then a proper, real life jacket, but unbeknownst to us all the best had indeed been left ‘till last, something where, even I, was lost for words ……..

……. a kilt …………

…….. the most perfect kilt that there ever was ……… cue more tissues, robust sniffs and unfettered tearing up! Cobbled together????? My Aunt Fanny!!!!!!!

It took quite a while to compose ourselves, but eventually, an emotionally exhausted Nigel finally managed to get himself changed ……..

…….. only for the floodgates to open again.  Paula, what did you do to us?

We were totally in awe and dumbstruck ……..

…….. you’ve made Nigel’s day, week, month, year, neigh century! He’s already planning on cutting a swathe wearing it on our little sojourn to Weymouth and on the beach on our next Greece Oddity …….. what is he like?

Thank you sooooooooooo much Paula, you may have even topped Santa this year with this present!

XXX THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU XXX

Nigel Accepts Defeat Graciously, But Is In No Way Beaten.

With not a single whiff of a suitably seasonable mug to match my own wonderous find of a week or so ago, Nigel has admitted defeat ……….

……. but no way is he taking it lieing down ……..

…. he’s simply moved on to the next big event on our social calendar, to wit our long weekend in Weymouth in April, our “out of the blue”, surprise present from Father Christmas ……..

……. after stumbling across this Weymouth souvenir mug for just 50p in our very favourite Charity shop of choice in Evesham. 

He says it was a spooky, omen-tal find that was meant to be, sent to help him count down the days before we eventually get to the seaside town in real life, tempting him with its many illustrated pleasures!  What on earth is he like?

With Darrell also unable to secure a seasonal mug at this late stage of the month either, I wonder what drinking vessel he’ll now bring home from his travels, following Nigel’s lead of a poignant calendarial nature to reflect any of our other future planned adventures?  As always, you can be rest assured  that I will let you know as and when developments occur!

It’s Pancake Day 2023……….

It has to be said, bless him, that Darrell was up at the crack of dawn this morning to get his various batters whisked, chilled and rested to perfection, in a kitchen where a little later his festive enthusiasm for tossing would hold no fear or bounds ……. yes, Pancake Day has come round once again!

So, embracing the spirit of the day, we started off with some of Darrell’s most excellent, bijoux, lemon and raisin pancakes for breakfast.

Then, as promised, a little later, we’re going to “sample” Nigel’s crispy pancakes of yesterday for lunch …….

……. and then in the evening we’ll have a real life, proper Pancake tea, which will just need warming up as Darrell prepared them earlier, saying he really didn’t think he’d be up to two lots of tossing in one day, especially knowing just how many Nigel alone can get through in one sitting!

Now …… although we are on the very cusp of Lent, much as we would really love to give up chocolate and other varieties confectionary, where would that leave our much appreciated seasonal reviews, especially with so many new products hitting the shop shelves at the moment!  ……..

It’s a huge, erm ……. sacrifice (??) of a not holding back type nature we know, but we’re prepared to do it on behalf of all our followers who are going to do without for the next forty days and nights, so that that they can still make informed and considered purchases before the big day, without having to prejudice their own resolve.  WHAT are we like?

A Blast From The Past ……. Crispy Pancakes

Nigel came back from town in very buoyant mood this morning, holding aloft a packet of what he proclaimed to be real life, antique, olden day food, like what they used to eat in the 1970’s – 80’s …… something different, perhaps, for Pancake Day, which is spookily tomorrow?!!!!

The little fella was well up for giving them a whirl as they were not only loosely traditionally seasonal in a retro type way so could …….  erm …… form part of his historical commestible education! 

Now, to my recollection said pancakes were originally made by Findus, although I expect that there have been quite a few company takeovers since then and that dear old my mother, God bless her, may have availed me of them once or twice in my dim and distant younger days …….

However, when Nigel proudly showed said pack to Darrell, I swear I heard him (Darrell) mutter “Over my dead body” under his breathe, but I think Nigel’s natural enthusiasm and effervescence for anything new must have won him over ….

…… because about five minutes into their conversation I heard Darrell swallow his culinary pride and bow down to Nigel’s persistent beseechment, saying that he would serve them up, just this once, for  Pancake Day luncheon tomorrow, with crinkle cut chips, peas, half a grilled tomato and a sprig of parsley,  “Purely” and I quote “…. for the advancement of Nigel's historical research and science purposes!”  

Sorry Mr D, these are probably not available in romantic Mexico but no doubt a food stuff of which you have some memories? 

Picture of old picture of Findus Crispy Pancakes curtesy of https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/8554591/birds-eye-axes-findus-crispy-pancakes-replaces-with-new-recipe-new-name/

An Abundant Day For Seasonal Findings?

On Wednesday, it has to be said that quite a few of Nigel’s  “happen upons” along the school run, were of a seasonal nature …….

……. to wit, mostly, but not exclusively, singular gloves ……..

…….. plus ……..

……. a supermarket basket, most probably from Lidl which is just down the road from where it was abandoned ………

…… and then there were two mysterious boxes in the shape of books, one was beyond salvageable, but the other he did decide to avail himself of and save from the rain,  to show Darrell, (more of which, perhaps, in a following post?)  …….

…… and then finally, an optimistic looking soft toy, hoping, no doubt, to be reunited with it’s little owner.   I think this must have been Nigel’s greatest tally of lost items ever in one day, but the spooky thing was every single one of them had gone by the next day when he was off on the Thursday run, ………

……. when Iris and Bertie, in turn, were absolutely thrilled to “find” that Uncle Nigel had bought some of Darrell’s freshly baked, mini sausage rolls to snack upon on the final leg home.  A case of swings and roundabouts I suppose!