Another pointless thread

I remember going to New Orleans in 2005 for a conference. Our informative taxi driver (informal tour guide) asked us why bodies were buried above ground for a quiz on the way to the hotel, the answer was that because a lot of New Orleans was below sea level, what is left won't contaminate the water if ever New Orleans was flooded.

Dutch colleague retorted - we don't have that problem in the Netherlands!! Direct as always!

Of course, this was a few months before Katrina.

I give in!!

I bought a new (cheap) breadmaker from Argos only a few weeks before lock down and the rush to get them. The problem is it's naff!.

I've tried ever way I know but can't get a good dough or loaf out of the damn thing.

Return it I hear you shout, easier said than done.

It was bought from a main store which is closed, the local 'small' outlet has a sign saying no returns, the helpline isn't!

I intended taking it to the nearest store and just getting a refund/credit note but as it is now 4 months old...

GRRRRR!!!!

HG:

Moral: read some product reviews before you buy stuff like that - I generally look at those from WHICH, which has tested a lot of things, and on Amazon but disregard the "glowing" ones (and I take a good look at the very negative ones as they are usually from people who have had "bad experiences" with products).

When we bought our (not cheap) breadmaker 15 years ago the bread was very good. After a few months though we had more 'misses' than 'hits' until the situation deteriorated further and we were unable to make anything edible,

After much experimenting with settings and thinking about returning the machine, we discovered that the source of the problem was the flour. Up to that point we had used just one brand of premium bread flour but something had changed and the quality of the flour was now in question. We switched to another brand, Carrs, and we have had great bread ever since.

Mind you, a few years ago Mrs LTL bought for a Christmas present a bread baking course and I have been making bread by hand ever since. Any 'misses' have been due to the baker and not the ingredients. The breadmaker now sits in the corner of the kitchen and sulks

I'm making Marmite bread this weekend. It really is just bread with Marmite in it. Simple, easy to make and delicious.

Nothing wrong with cheap Argos breadmakers if you know what you're doing.

Same flour, same yeast, same recipe, same bread-making machine, same Mrs Lubbyman in charge of the machine. Usually the result is a good loaf of breaf. Sometimes, though, it's Dwarf Bread (see Pratchett, T., the Discworld novels). No reason that we've discovered. There are things in this world that are destined to remain a mystery.

Steve

The room and/or water temperature either too hot or too cold can be a problem. Could that be an unconsidered variable? Also older flour can need aerating (sieve it or shake it.)

I think the nights are starting to cut in

How many non-essential shopping days to Christmas?

His Nibs just got a six pack.

Texelse Brewery six pack that is, for father's day.

Not as many as I would like. Downhill all the way from here.

I usually get a bottle of Talisker from my son but his contract ended just before lockdown and he's been unable to find anything else, I also get one for my birthday earlier in the month but that never materialized either

Hopefully he'll be gainfully employed by Christmas and I'll end up with three

Let's hope he finds a new job soon HG, whther or not you get your Talisker!
My eldest is still being paid by the Dutch government, but whether he has a future in what he has been doing for the last 24 years in anyone's guess. No sign they government will offer them any extra support, so lots of ships will be going for scrap over the next couple of years .

Good luck on the Talisker 'spider.

As for the btread, I've been making bread for over 20 years now and never struggled with machines, this one has me beat though and is good only for 'battle muffins'..

I tried again recently and the only thing that seems consistent is the temperature in the machine while prooving. It's very warm compared to other machines I've had.

As soon as the main Argos is open again it's going back.

My head hurts, it must be beer o'clock

His Nibs just got another sixpack, this time from the Rock City brewery. It includes a can of All Together Now, a world wide IPA brew, developed during Covid in support of hospitality workers.

Clear skies, warm weather might go looking for noctilucent clouds and Zeevonk (bio luminescence) tonight if we haven't drunk all the beer .