memb

How sad. Really feel for you.  Edward will always be your son and will always be in your heart and will always know you were his special Mum.  My thoughts are with you.

[quote user="Frenchie"]I couldn't get connected since yesterday afternoon .. What happened ?[/quote] I could'nt get connected either (only tried evening time though).

[quote user="Geordie girl"]Ugh some poor womans got to wake up next to him[/quote] Deepest sympathy to whoever she is!       How many have noticed that some houses keep their little snowy white window pictures on all year, we've seen the same one's on one house about 4 miles from here for the last 3 years!     Someone lives there because we see different washing on their line in the garden as we pass!   Wonder if they can actually see out of their windows?

[quote user="Cat"][quote user="S"] Do you have a problem with Polish and Eastern Europeans? One thing about SW France, too many snotty English old farts! Have you thought about joining the French Police force? [/quote] Hoi, I resent that!  I might live in SW France, but my nose is nicely wiped, thank you, and have no problems with flatulence (at this moment). Take it back this instant. [/quote] Ditto

STARTER - EASY BROCCOLI & STILTON SOUP 12ozs broccoli   -   2 ozs butter   -   1 chopped onion   -   1 chopped leek (white part only)   -   1 small potato, cut in chunks   -   1pint hot chicken stock   -   1/2 pint milk   -   3 tablespoons cream   -   4 ozs stilton cheese (rind removed) and crumbled   -   salt & pepper 1.  Break broccoli into florets, discard tough stems (set aside 2 small well shaped florets for garnish) 2.  Melt butter in a large saucepan and cook onion and leek until soft, add the broccoli and potato, then pour in the stock and cover, now simmer for 15-20 mins (until tender). 3.  Cool slightly and strain through a sieve back into the pan. 4.  Add milk, cream and seasoning to pan and reheat.  At the last minute add the cheese stirring to blend but DON'T boil ! 5.  Blanch the reserved florets and cut into thin slices, place on served soup with a dash of black pepper.

[quote user="LEO"][quote user="47AJM"] [quote user="Scooby"]Those close members of my family, sadly now gone - to say all things I wish I'd said while they were here. [/quote] I would choose the same. [/quote] Mike Rutherford , ex Genesis ( Mike And The Mechanics ) wrote and recorded "The Living Years" which sums up this sentiment. [/quote]   We have the EP.   I said all those things, I just wish I could say them all over again more often.

[quote user="Scooby"]Those close members of my family, sadly now gone - to say all things I wish I'd said while they were here. [/quote] I would choose the same.

[quote user="Bugbear"][quote user="47AJM"] Bugbear - "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. " Seems very apt coming from yourself.      When the emphasis was on the word "Encouragement" in the previously posted thread, some spoke of suicides!   We spoke of banging our heads against a wall !   I do think an open forum is for each to give their thoughts or opinion, and I do believe that there is no right or wrong opinion, simply an opinion.  I also think that posts should try and aid the person to build a picture, be it a negative or positive, but I still think it would help if posters kept the Subject Title in mind when they post.      The title was clear enough........."miserable posters keep out". [/quote] Sorry you've lost me, who was on about suicide ? [/quote] Within the "Encouragement Please" thread................... Re: Encouragement please!   Or how many French teenagers committed suicide this week? or : Re: Encouragement please! I wonder how many teenagers were gunned down in France this week?

GG - think you could be right about the font of Logan's posts, kind of matches the pic under the name, but its each to their own I suppose, and its his/her right to choose that font and pic. Bugbear - "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. " Seems very apt coming from yourself.      When the emphasis was on the word "Encouragement" in the previously posted thread, some spoke of suicides!   We spoke of banging our heads against a wall !   I do think an open forum is for each to give their thoughts or opinion, and I do believe that there is no right or wrong opinion, simply an opinion.  I also think that posts should try and aid the person to build a picture, be it a negative or positive, but I still think it would help if posters kept the Subject Title in mind when they post.      The title was clear enough........."miserable posters keep out".

[quote user="LEO"][quote user="47AJM"][quote user="Frenchie"] It s a shame that threads too often end up in something completely different from the original post.................. I was interested in this one originally but now, I m not reading posts explaining why you loved France but something completely different and IMHO it s a shame .. I find that happens most times on this forum and its mostly the same people who change the subject with their witty(less) one-liner's.[:@] [/quote][/quote]   One - liners usually , paint big pictures! [/quote] Agree they can do, but sadly on here many times they don't! [:@]

[quote user="Frenchie"] It s a shame that threads too often end up in something completely different from the original post.................. I was interested in this one originally but now, I m not reading posts explaining why you loved France but something completely different and IMHO it s a shame ..   [/quote]   I find that happens most times on this forum and its mostly the same people who change the subject with their witty(less) one-liners [:@]

Georgina - No I hav'nt gone "home", my "home" is here in France.  I was referring to the post below which was posted sometime ago by someone else. "Please can a few of you give me and moh some encouragement to make the move to France we have planned for over a year. All I keep reading are posts from people who are desperate to get out. To us it seems like there are no Brits who want to be there any more and we are getting quite despondent." 

Teleconnect did say we are a long way from the FT exchange.   Just checked that site with our friends telephone number (who rave about Teleconnect) and their number stated 2432 kbps... a tad difference to our's!     I would have thought there was a "lower limit" they stoodby before agreeing to supply their package because surely they know they will have grief from the customers in due course.  Cartref have you checked your telephone number?  It will be interesting to find out if yours is low like our's.  Thanks for your help.

STARTER - EASY CHEATS FISH SOUP QUICKEST EVER 1 jar fish soup (in glass jars in Intermarche or Leclerc...the more expensive the better it is)   -   1 vegetable stock cube   -   1 tin tuna   -   enough king prawns to serve 6 in the middle of the bowl for each person. 1.  Crumble stock cube and add it to the fish soup in a saucepan. 2.  Cut the tuna into smallish chunks then add it to the soup, heat through thoroughly (try not to break up the chunks of tuna) and serve with the king prawns on the top (you can heat them for seconds in a microwave prior to dropping them into the soup). Serve with crusty bread.

[quote user="Geordie girl"]Mmmm nice on a cold winter afternoon , with crusty bread, in front of the fire[/quote] Precisely GG !   More soup recipes to follow shortly.

Pity you did'nt post on the "Encouragement" thread some time ago!

STARTER - EASY CARROT/APPLE/CASHEW NUT SOUP 1lb carrots  -   1 large onion   -   1 small potato   -   1 large apple   -   2ozs butter   -   2pints veg.stock   -   2ozs broken cashew nuts   -   salt & pepper 1.  Roughly chop the vegetables and the apple.   2.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and coat the veg and apple, then saute for 5 minutes or so. 3.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring it to the boil, cover and then simmer it for 30 minutes (until veg is tender).  Blitz it in blender to smooth down.

Thanks Mayennaise, seems we may have to go along the route of a new modem (it must be my birthday today because its only been off once so far.....touch wood)!

Thanks again ErnieY.   I've just checked out our telephone number on the site you recommended and it states : Vous bénéficiez d'une des offres proposées ci dessous Freebox (adsl non dégroupé) 608 kbps   That bit of info has gone whooshing over the top of my head at the speed of Concorde, but having read what you have said about the possibility of having no telephone line, dare not take that risk.     With a new modem is it just a question of unplugging all  the leads currently into it and replugging them into the new box or will we have to do something else?

[quote user="ErnieY"] If you still pay line rental to FT then you are not full degroupee. [/quote] Thanks for that info ErnieY, we do pay line rental to FT (I did'nt think there was any other way).   Mayennaise how did you get the new modem set up.    Did you follow the instructions step for step as if it was the first one received, or did you just take the connections out of the old modem and plug them into the new one?    Thanks in advance for any info.

[quote user="ErnieY"] EDIT: Not clear from your messsage 47AJM whether you are full degroupee or not. I'm not. [/quote]   Sorry to ask but what does the above mean?

[quote user="ebaynut"]   Not a cake I know, but very nice Christmas Brandy cookies! [Www] Mind you, I have never managed to finish the recipe in order to sample them!   Christmas Cookie Ingredients 1 cup water 1 tsp. baking soda 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 cup brown sugar lemon juice 4 large eggs 1 cup nuts 2 cups dried fruit 1 bottle Cognac Sample the Cognac to check quality.  Take a large bowl. Check the Cognac again, to be sure it is of the highest quality.  Pour 1 level cup and drink. Turn on the electric mixer.  Beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cognac is still OK, try another cup, just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy, break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in 1 cup of dried fruit.  Pick the frigging fruit off floor... mix on the turner.  If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cognac to check for tonsisticity.  Next, sift 2 cups of salt or something.  Who giveshz a sheet. Check the Cognac.  Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.  Add 1 table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.  Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.  Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cognac and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher. CHERRY MISTMAS!!!!!! [:D]     [/quote] Well that made me smile !  Bet you're related to Keith Floyd !  Reading this reminds me of the short film made Dinner for One watched by 100's at Christmas it seems........    video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8908622153579785434

Snap Cartref - we are having dire problems with it, its gone from bad to worse over this last month or so, during the week we had nothing for almost 2 days.    We previously had Teleconnect for our telephone calls only, then when they introduced this package we signed up for it,  but its not the service we had received during our telephone only days.    We wrote to the Director we had such a headache with it at installation stage, the worst thing being that we booked a slot for a technician to ring us to sort the problem and no-one ever rang.  After the letter we seemed to receive better service.      It was decided our best way forward was to switch the modem off and on over a 10 second period when we had no VOiP light illuminated.....we've done that sometimes up to 5 times per day, but this last month its got worse and worse culminating into no lights for 2 days.    We spoke to a technician (via our mobile) on Thursday, he said FT were to check the line and it would take 2 - 5 days for this to be done, meantime I was to try the off/on 10 second period reboot the following morning and it came back on!  Its been off 4 times again since then....absolute disgrace.     It seems Teleconnect blame FT and FT blame Teleconnect....and us, well, we're in the middle!      We also told them if they did not return the promised callback we would again write to Jacques the director, we were told he was no longer there.    Hmmm, a little worrying.

 SALMON STEAKS WITH RED SALSA - easy 4 salmon steaks   -   2 medium red peppers   -   2 tomatoes (deseeded and chopped small)   -   1 tablespoon chopped basil   -   1/2 red onion (finely chopped)   -   juice of 1/2 lemon   -   1 tablespoon olive oil 1.   Wash and  roast the peppers in a roasting tin in a preheated 180deg oven for about half hour (they must be soft!).   Place the peppers in a plastic food bag and leave to cool.    Leave the oven on. 2.    Cut the peppers in half, deseed, cut out the white membrane and skin.   Slice it into strips. 3.    Put the salmon steaks into foil parcels with a little of the lemon juice, cook in the oven (same heat) for half hour.   The final 10 minutes of the salmon cooking add the peppers and all the remaining ingredients to a small saucepan and heat through.   Serve right next to the salmon steaks.

Glad you're enjoying them G.G.     Really depends on the size of the duck breasts, but as they are skinned, so none of the tough skin is there to be cooked I would say I cook mine for about 15 minutes, keep turning them whilst cooking.  Enjoy![:D]