Good supper dish or starter.
For 2/3 people.
Tin of asparagus[or fresh],350 ml white sauce made with asparagus liquid from tin and milk,cup grated cheese,1/4 teaspoon salt,freshly ground pepper,dash of cayenne,small packet of plain crisps.
In a flan dish--oven to table--put a layer of asparagus.Cover with white sauce---I cheat and make mine with cornflower,liquid from tin and milk,knob of butter,salt and pepper,cayenne.Cover well with crumbed crisps---open bag and use a roller or just bang until it is crumbed.Cover with grated cheese,another shake of cayenne.To make it very rich add some cream to sauce.Bake in the oven until gorgeously golden and crisp.EAT and ENJOY.

As said in previous blog re this huge Amaryllis here are photos of the flowers on one stalk that have opened.As can be seen the kitchen ceiling is so near I can hardly enjoy these magnifecent blooms.

Is this for the Guinness book of records ???? Flowered last year,put to sleep for the winter and NOW after following all instructions it has taken over the kitchen windowsill.Possibly related to the TRIFFIDS ?? Anyway the stem is 82cm high [books say 65cm ] and has outgrown the window.The flowers are huge and will open in the next day or so--more photos to follow.

BBC 2 Tuesday.The most striking part of this program,for me,were the British fellows saying the Poles earned 50p and hour and another £2.50. And they were jobless and WANTED to work.But when told they can earn £7.00 an hour--FOR WHAT--picking and packing veges they laughed and said NO WAY.One Pole said the British are too lazy to work and benefits ????The Poles would not encourage others to come if there were no jobs for them in this wonderful land of honey ! It happened in the 60's when all the London transport was taken over by the Black immigrants and Heathrow airport cleaning,etc by the Pakistanis.Come on Brits GET WORKING and stop lolling about and complaining.

Oh how I wish I was born at least 20 yrs later ! Life on other planets would just confirm what I have always thought MUST be possible.Some of the scientists last night were not so young anymore and it must be a frustating for them to think that a life's work may not reach fruition in their lifetime.I did wonder if putting some instruments on our moon would not bring them any nearer,so to speak, to what they are seeking ?? Well I suppose I should be satisfied with the many advances that have occurred in my lifetime.Sad to say there are so many that I have NO idea how they work ! My 9 yr old grandson probably knows more than I do.

Any South Africans blogging ??????

On the news yesterday re smoking,drinking and drugs affecting sperm DNA.The public are so gullible and the fear factor used by the media is ridiculous.Just a statement with no data---men have been smoking for so many years and before contraception 100s of normal babies have been born.Impression given that if you want to produce a child you must give up---does that mean that the day after you give up you are A O.K. ?? I do not condone smoking or excessive drinking and drugs,believe me.Isn't it time the government banned the import of tobacco ?? So it will become another "underground" drug but it's availibilty to 10yr old and up will not be so easy.

I have often wondered what the Americas and Caribbean would be like today if there was no slavery of the African peoples.On research of the subject of slavery in the Caribbean--all the islands had African slaves.The people living there before the various islands were discovered in the 1700s were the Amerindian arriving from north America.But as they were not good workers the Spanish got rid of them and preferred the African slaves.Imagine North America with no slaves ??? Any comments will be welcomed.

This recipe,my own,is not for "cook a 3 course meal in 20 minutes" person.:.Please follow absolutely otherwise you may be disappointed with result.
500 grm stewing beef--trim off fat and gristle.
2 big potatoes--- cut into big squares.
2 big onions---sliced.
6 mushrooms-or 2 big black--sliced coarsely.
2 big garlic cloves--cut in half.
2 bayleaf,6 peppercorns,4 cloves.
300ml red wine.
Pkt of dumpling mix.Follow directions to mix.
Cut beef into +- 1" squares--DRY very well with paper towels--very important.Large lidded pot.Oil to cover bottom of pot on HOT plate.Wait to heat to HOT and add meat to fry on ALL sides until nice and brown.Add sliced onion and garlic and spices.Stir well until onions have also turned a good colour.Add potatoes and mushrooms.Mix adding wine and 500 ml water.When it boils again turn heat down,give a good stir about every 15 minutes,when water reduces add 1/2 cup at a time.Simmer until meat is tender about an hour.Meanwhile cook some rice,when cooked put in colander,top of pot with boiling water, and keep warm.Mix the dumpling mix and leave.When meat is cooked,add water--a cup.,bring to the boil.Now,ignore recipe on box,take a teaspoon,big scoop of mixture,and drop--about 7-8--around pot and centre.Do not stir or cover JUST PUT ON THE LID AND DO NOT OPEN FOR 15 MINUTES.VOILA--a meal to really enjoy.It also freezes well depending on how many,about 4,people you are serving.Please feel free if you need to ask me anything.E N J O Y.

WHAT is happening ?? Is it my imagination but in the last months so many in trouble.Incompetence,overloading,ignoring weather forcasts--or blame it all in GLOBAL WARMIMG ??