Cluzo

As I have a breadmaker in France as well as the UK - so that is why I bring my bread flour back and forwards over with me from the UK  as I know it is the correct stuff and it works and it means i dont leave stale stuff in the wrong place ( well not a lot anyway) Im tempted to buy some sarasin flour to make a Galette  before i return as \i dont expect I will be able to get it in the UK . We are having a crepes party tomorrow afternoon to impress our neighbours - so keep your fingers crossed for me .

Thanks for that Frenchie -   Well we have given it a go - my OH thought they should be thicker and I thought they should be thinner !!!!!    so we will  just have to give them another go tomorrow !!! So is there  a crepes season in France ????    In the UK its on Shrove Tuesday .

Im so excited --  We bought a crepiere yesterday ( electric)  - I hunted out my flour - all bread flour from UK  - so bought cheap and cheerful t55 farine menagere .   So will that be pertfect for Crepes ??????????????????????????

I think it could be a super idea .  We are looking into getting one for my husband  ( UK) and were suprised how reasonably priced they are .  The one we are interested in comes apart into 5 pieces - the heaviest being the bit with the battery and suits people over 18 stone    ( My OH is over 6ft 3 and around 19 stone )  but we have chatted with folk who have a hoist in the back ( Picasso -not grand for example )  it fits flat to the side when not in use and lifts the scooter up and in . Other people have metal ramps - but they seemed to have younger fitter OH's .  A possible downside might be - our neighbour who has a fold down ( but it has 4 wheels though) one ( he comes over to france with a dog as well )  hasnt been able to charge his up for the last couple of days as it looks as if all the dampness and rain has b****ered it up somewhat . Hes only had it for a few months but the only suggestion the manufactureres have come up with is when  he returns to UK next week bring it in for them to have a look at !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But the good thing about his one is it can be lifted up steps onto peoples decking and out of the rain .

Sounds good Norman - but do you know even though I own ( or have owned) almost every kitchen gadject ever made I have never had a tagine !!!!!    But i know a casserole can be used instead maybe Ill give it a go !!!

After many years of seeing Chefs on TV using citrons confits - I bought some in Super U yesterday .  But guess what ????   I cant remember what to do with them !!!!! Anybody got any ideas ?????

I must agree with kathyF that the breast cancer care forum is very informative and supportive . I used to use it regularly a year ago when just diagnosed - Im sure the answer to every question you never thought to ask is on there .    A year on and with my treatment all finished I never need to look at it any more - in fact it rarely crosses my mind that I ever had cancer in the first place !!!

But Ive got a memory like a sieve  Sweets - Id be making 50 cups a day !!! sometimes it goes in and out 5 or 6 times  - BUT - perhaps its because I have a very odd sense of taste and smell - I think tea still tastes like it used to  but maybe it doesnt !!!

I cant believe that nobody has said they use their microwave for reheating their cups of tea that they have let get cool !!!!!    I think thats what I use mine for mostly.

My advice is to be able to say in french numbers what your weight is in kilos and your  height in centemeters -  my OH was admitted with a heart attack and I got all flumoxed and mixed up and I think said he was 7ft 8  and 25 stone !!!!! or something like that  . I know he is big  but not that big !!!!!

I think having a kindle enables me to read even more as I can take it everywhere with me and read it in places where its difficult to read a Book ( in bed for instance ) . I dont think it will make me stop buying real books at all - but it takes the panic out of thinking I might run out of something to read  and an upside of owning a kindle may well be that I can let go of some of my many hundreds of books that are piled upeverywhere

Well if its going to be Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher I will definatly NOT go to see it -    I dont want to spoil the image I have in my minds eye

We went from Toulon overnight ( lovely cabin) not on the french ferries ( they were on strike) to Bastia and returned to Italy    It was May - probably Ascention time - it was on an impulse - we coulnt get a cheap room in |Toulon so jumped on the ferry . ( well drove actually) - we didnt even know where it was going It was the most magical place - the wild flowers were spectacular -we had no trouble finding a hotel in a good location . We only did the north -would love to go back another time and stay for  a lot longer do more of the island and maybe carry on to Sardinia . 

When I first started reading this thread back in january I hadnt heard of Jack Reacher -then i picked up number 13 from somewhere and realized who you were all talking about . I got 1 & 2 from Amazon just before we returned to france and my daughter gave me 3,4 5 & 6 .  My OH has been sitting quietly for the last 2 weeks reading - chuckling occasionally  I expect he will finish number 6 tomorrow so then  I will be looking for another series for him to read . Luckily on the Parc where we are we have a super English library so I do have some war type books lined up for him - but he has been totally spoilt by Jack Reacher

We live on a mobile home park that is open for 9 months of the year. Allegedly it is not in an area where proper houses can be built (sort of  green belt ) I guess the land was cheap . We do not pay any individual rates to the council  ( mobiles are less than 40 sq metre) -only charges to the park ( a lot of money ) . We have used the mobile as a permanent address ( we are here for around 6 months every year) for a bank account  and we bought a camping car here  and used this address for all legal documentation etc .   But wether this was really legal or not or  wether the camping car sales place just wanted our money - who knows I  know it really doesnt answer your question wooly - but for your info there must be over 30  couples who spend a long time here a year so maybe its their way of second home ownership . There is at least one couple who have a mobile here for the summer and a have a cheap flat in Spain for the winter

I live in St Jean de Monts for 6 months of the year but I have mostly Brits and Southern Irish for neighbours ( lots of cars with Cork numberplates ) . So Im sorry I cant help you . I expect the bars will be the best  place  to come across French speakers . we find them very friendly and chatty . Best of luck in your quest!!!

How brilliant - Id love to have one for my cat to find out what he gets up to and where he goes when he goes out . Id also like a camera on his cat flaps to find out who comes visiting .!!

something fishy something cold smoked salmon dressed crab prawncocktail   (with not too much pink sauce)

 For the past 8 years we spend April May Juneish in  France - return home to miss the heat and holiday makers then back for Sept Oct . I think we have the same insurance as GG with Saga with Breakdown cover  . we have never had to claim Our house in UK is insured with NW and provided the heating is left on at 13 degrees and somebody checks property over every 14 days .  Our daughter comes every day to feed cat and do the bins etc . we have never had to claim . Our health is covered by EHIC . My OH  had a heart attack in France taken to hospital by ambulance - had a stent put in -spent 4 days in intensive care and 3 days in small Heart ward . We Just had to pay a few euros a day -just over a hundred in all and 150 E for a months prescription of heart drugs   all the rest was covered by our EHIC    ( the intensive care room was over E 1000 a day )  . As luck would have it - 6 weeks later back in the UK  he had virtually the same experience - a heart attack -ambulance to hospital and a stent inserted  and a week in hospital - totally covered by NHS of course !! He says he preferred the French experience !!! . One bit of advice - know your measurements in metric !!  my OH is 6"3 and 18 st   When asked for the info  in hospital i converted it to 7"8  and 11st   !!! or something like that !!!! I now have it written on a sticky in our passports !!!    By the way his feet stuck out the back of the ambulance !!!! Luckily we have never had to return for our health appointments but we manipulate the timing of our journeys round appointments - at the moment Im in the middle of dental treatment ( not NHS) and OH  new hearing aids ( also not NHS) Our daughter opens our mail and manipulates appointments for us . In fact she re-arranged my routine mammagram for me which I might have missed otherwise ( and I did turn out to have Breast cancer)   Everyone was very helpful about arranging treatment arround us to-ing and fro-ing to France . I hope that gives some pros and cons for you Matelot .    I have to be very organised about it all and write loads of lists and stop possible cons  from developing - other than that its all pros .

I never thought to ask for advice on here - and I think I paid much the same as you  did Sweets in the UK  for spare couple of 40W that Ive put away in a safe place -  I bet I cant find them when we want them !!!

As Im sure Ive said before - I have 2 Remoskas ( only standard size ones)  one in France and one in UK and I use them a lot . In fact I rarely use my oven at all and  I rarely use my grill even though it  is eye level - after so may years of not having one - I forget Ive got it I also have a few slow cookers of different sizes .  Im going to try the tip of using a big one as a bain marie with a smaller casserole inside it - sounds like a good idea - I woulnt have thought of it . My new "gadget" which I use most days is an Actifry  . I had one a couple of years ago when they first came out ( which was "borrowed" by one of our daughters and never returned ) but I really only used it for chips - I hadnt realised how it can be used for an amazing array of stuff - wet stuff like bolognaise sauce - chicken in cream with mushrooms . My daughter was telling me this morning that her friend does liver and onions in  it . I made it last night and had frying pans all over the place - it was gorgeous though, so must find out how she did it .

I use them at Super U  for stuff like bread and get rid of a jarful of loose change .  ( sorry about italics -my puter is playing up )

After reading all this posts I have been converted from a Kindle sceptic to  a - gosh I think I might try one .   My OH has been wanting to buy me one for ages as Im always reading and have got thousands of books all over the place but Ive alwas said no as  like others I really get pleasure from handling the actual books . Well anyway - he is going to get me one for my next birthday( a special) one .  He wants me to let the kids know what books I want so that they can get a kindle version for me ( I think he thinks they are on a disc or something)  I have told him that they are uploaded ( by magic !!)and ones account at Amazon is debited .   But I wonder - is there anyway that they could buy a kindle book for me ??????? I have a list of books I am "looking out for " but none of them have a kindle version !!! If somebody could let me know Thanks

I notice ITV1+1 is on the list - I must retune our box when we return to France in March . Its only been around in the UK for a few weeks - but we find it good to watch when there are really good programs on especia;lly at  9 oclock on both BBC1 and ITV .

Hi Leo We were talking about this service the other day and we wondered-  did you use this service in November ????  if so how was it ????????????