cowoman

Great films........ The notebook.....FANTASTIC Pans labrynth  (sub titles) cold mountain

This is a great quick cake for the microwave 175g marg 175g caster sugar 40g cocoa powder 150g self raising flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons milk 3 eggs Put all ingredients into food processer and run until all mixed together.You might have to scrape down sides to make sure it is all being mixed When mixed put into crock or plastic dish.A pate dish is ideal with straight edges.Put a ring of greasproof in the bottom and throw the mix in .Level surface Cook on medium heat for 8 or 9 minutes.If you use the dark cocoa powder this makes a really nice dark chocolate cake that can be cut in half and sandwiched together with cream.And for special occasions melted chocolate on top.You can also make a coconut version by substituting dessicated cocunut for the cocoa.This is really nice sprinkled with icing sugar and filled with jam.  

Sorry didn't mean to scare anyone!!! My son just came home from his physics lesson and his teacher told him that for his homework he should read up or listen to the news on the subject. So we did.

Wow how exciting is this????                                                        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1053162/Scientists-receive-death-threats-Big-Bang-experiment-critics-fear-end-world.html    

I am sure sweet 17 is distressed about her dog killing the chucks and very likely does now keep it on a lead

I do think its a good thing that there is some regulation on animals eating their own species. Unfortunetly this doesn't apply to dog food.I have just been reading a book telling how alot of the top dog foods recommended by vets,use road kill animals,animals put down by vets and brand this food as natural and expensive. According to the book this practice came to light when people were taking their poor pets to the vets to be put to sleep by injection.But the injections would have no effect because the drug was already used to the body due to eating the dog food!  

[quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="cowoman"] Does anyone keep chickens ? Free range eggs work out at around 23p each here in UK.. I dont know what they cost in France but if you have got eggs you are never short of a good ingredient for all home made food.From breakfast ,curry,cakes etc I think  keeping chucks would be a a fun thing to do too. [/quote] No good for me at all.  I have a "Working Cocker Spaniel" (that's her official breed) and she loves chickens...to kill them I mean. She's killed 2 since we have been in France whilst out for walks and I couldn't really tell you about it here because I am still distressed at finding out that I have a killer-dog instead of the gentle, affectionate people-loving pet that I thought I'd brought to France. [/quote] Oh sorry to hear that.It is really distressing when an animal that you love does something like this.It's hard to look at them in the same way.My sons dog killed my daughters love birds by knocking the cage over then killing them.It was just the fact that they were fluttering around that set him off chasing them.It takes a while to forget the episode but it does fade in time...really. I had actually forgotten the incident until i just read this post.

Here in the Uk I know you can buy the battery farm chucks for £5 each and I think they must have been innoculated .This saves them from their not so nice fate.It gives them a chance of a nice end to their horrible existence of a life being cooped up all day.I know a few people here who are doing this.Do they need alot of special food then?I know in wartime people would have a couple in their gardens so presumed they were cheap to run.

Does anyone keep chickens ? Free range eggs work out at around 23p each here in UK.. I dont know what they cost in France but if you have got eggs you are never short of a good ingredient for all home made food.From breakfast ,curry,cakes etc I think  keeping chucks would be a a fun thing to do too.

Wow just got my visa electron card pop through the letter box Ryanair here I come.....wahoooo

I think to be fair if you are referring to me I was defending .myself........not attacking

We now know ,,,,as the title suggests. how low it did go!!!  

 I read that book that states that French women only eat one square of dark choc when winter sets in,because she is so in tune with the seasons.I found it so pretentious but it did get me wondering if the additives in our food  was helping make the UK population get heavierI have noticed that salt is added to everything.It is well known that salt makes you thirsty so could we be getting confused in eating when we really need to drink a glass of water instead?In the book I dont think she mentioned that FRench women smoke but I know that they smoke loads of ciggies.The worst scene that I witnessed was riders geared up to go hunting and all the women smoking .It just didnt go together.....and it looked disgusting. Ps. I am lucky in not having a weight problem.....before i get attacked.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1051805/French-minister-finally-admits-defeat-battle-English-language-claiming-secret-success.html   interesting

Good point. Years ago about40 years ago in fact.My mom and dad used to drive through France ,down to Spain and on to Portugal.My brother used to save up for the trip and was the only one of us kids who had money to spend.In those days there were loads of machines along the roads in the towns.So when mom and dad stopped to buy us our bread and a custard cake, my brother used to put his money in these machines which he thought contained sweets.He had a terrible time because they were laxative machines.It served him right though because he never used to offer them around

I havnt read this book by Mireille Guillliano,but have just read women for all seasons that tells us how French women relate to food ......thus not getting fat After reading this and thinking about things I have come to the conclusion that the reason must be that they use more natural unproccessed food in their cooking than uk It has made me look at food labels and I dont like what I see.All the preservatives and acids in simple food like bread and biscuits.This must be contributing to the UK s weight problem.They tell us that butter is bad for us ,so I use margerine but looking at the label am now not convinced.Bread should be flour ,yeast and water.Biscuits should be flour butter,maybe eggs and the flavour of ones choice....simple ingredients. It has  inspired me now to do more simple home cooking What do you reckon

Thanks for all the info......very interesting.Thankyou

my son attended a summer school course in Geneva last year to see if he liked the school before we signed him up permenently.There was NO English spoken at all in the month that he was there.Unfortunetly there wasnt enough kids his age ....so he didnt go there permenently.He came home with a massive folder of work with mostly ticks for good work in it and seemed to have got to grips with the language.He was at an awkward age at 15 but says the teaching, athough very strict compared with UK schools was excellent.They told me that after a year of this he would have a good understanding of French.He says the teacher used to get incensed if he said Je suis instead of jai ,and she would throw something across the room Its a shame he didnt carry on with it but at that age,you have to be sure that you are doing the right thing by your kids.I am pleased to say he has just got 7 As in his GCSEs so I am gad that we carried on with the English school in the UK.It was a sacrifice for us but it has been worth it.........We wil be abe to live in France one day I hope!

Thanks for the info Are we talking 100s of euro or 1000s euro for these charges?At the moment the house is 3 bedroomed but am not sure of the square meteridge

Have owned our house since January,and let the original owners stay in it for 90 days. I now need to know how much the tax fonciere is and tax habitation.We have been connected to electricity since we took possesion which was done by our estate agent.We havnt had a bill or one letter about this.(in fact we havnt had one letter about anything) I know It seems I am abit laid back about all  this......and I know i am, but I think its time now to start thinking about paying next years  or this years bills Any ideas would be welcome

[quote user="bixy"]I spent sixteen years teaching English as a foreign language, including a year in Italy. I never used the students' own languages and I taught students from complete beginner to advanced. How is it done? - take a TEFL training course and you will find out! As a matter of fact I am currently teaching a student in France and I do use French but I find more often than not it gets in the way. The point being that often there are no direct translations and what one is trying to do is to create an English environment where students think how to express themselves in English rather than form sentences in French and then convert them into English. To answer the OP's original question, what you need is the Franklin Larousse electronic dictionary. This is a superb little machine that provides not only translations but also sentence examples. It will also provide you with all the verb conjugations and has a number of other features. Although I have a large Collins Robert I seldom need to use it as this little machine nearly always give me what I want. About five years ago it cost me about 60 pounds and has been worth every penny. Have a search on the internet. Good luck with your teaching. Patrick [/quote] http://www.portabletechnology.co.uk/english-french-translator-dictionary-bfq-450-4246-0.html Is this the right thing? I am thinking of getting one for my OH birthday which is coming up soon...and guess what I can use it too thanks for info

I aways clear up after my dog .There is nothing worse than treading in dog poo,and think that the people who leave it on the street are disgusting.My dad had the best idea,when a dog continuously pooped on his garden .He watched where his owner lived then wrapped the poop up in brown paper and bow with a label saying "your dog left this...am returning it to you"posted through his letter box Toulouse was the worst place for poo on the pavements that i have ever seen or smelled.The french take their dogs out with them everywhere so the streets are lined with the stuff.....disgusting!!!

Hello anyone know how or where I can get an electron card,to save the booking fee on Ryanair???

Interesting,I thought if i bought a big enough enine one this problem wouldnt occur.I have a litte yardman that keeps clogging up causing the belt to get hot and its stop and start throughout.Its a good job that you mentioned this because I would have been gutted to have had this same probem again.I really wanted a grass box though.I wanted to cut most of it without then just put the grass box on to do immedietly around the house to stop it al waking into the house.

Well thankyou I am going to take your advise (thats a first)and buy locally in France...It makes good sense. Has anyone seen any bargains on one of these in the shops right now?It needs to be a biggish engine for 2 acres and a grass box and 4 inch cut. Its a shame there isnt the equivelent of Hot uk deals in france.I have had some great bargains off this site and have posted some too as i came across them.For anyone not knowing what hot uk deals is about here is a brief description. If you find something thats a bargain price then you put it on hot uk deals and peope signing in can then buy it ...its great they also have money off vouchers and quidco that can save you alot of money....anyway back to mower subject i woud be happy if someone could point me in a good deal direction thanks