Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[ShotsnCruises]

Morning cruisers. I have been unsuccessful at uploading pictures from the phone. I keep getting an error. I will try a transfer and see if that fixes the problem. In the meantime, the fawns waited out a major storm yesterday under our deck. Our cats stare at them out the windows and they don't seem to mind. I have located a rescue farm that might come try to capture them this week. They are far too young to be without a mother and will most likely not make it through winter on their own.

 

The good news is that our new stalls are finished, despite lots of rain recently. Instead of battling the bugs, the hubby and I have decided to enjoy our last day of the weekend with no physical labor!

[ShotsnCruises]

I'm on the road at the moment, currently at Glenapp Castle near Stranraer from where we leave for Northern Ireland tomorrow. A few days ago we were touring the Isle of Mull and took this photo at the fishing village of Tobermory.

 

Isle of Mull by UltraPanavision, on Flickr

 

Beautiful picture! So bright and colorful.

[specialcruisegirl]

Happy Sunday Coolers......

 

I'm sure that most animal lovers like myself don't consider them dumb or

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[specialcruisegirl]

Sorry....pressed the send too quickly....

 

Animals are not dumb or stubborn when treated properly.....hot wires or not.....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[UKCruiseJeff]

I made some gefilte fish balls for supper tonight which we ate whilst hot and had with hot horseradish sauce ..... and they were very (very) moreish.

 

Jeff

 

[Fletcher]

Jeff - No midges encountered in Scotland on this trip. Before booking our stay at Glenapp Castle we emailed them to request a grouse dish on our last night and they certainly produced the goods, not just for us but for all the hotel guests. My first grouse of the year and it was superb.

 

We have the prospect of a very bumpy P&O crossing to Northern Ireland today.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Enjoy your travels Fletch ..... and I envy you those meals you booked.:)

 

Today's lunch is a chicken Biryani which is just finalising ....

 

Jeff

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Really sad today to read of the passing of my old boss Len Peach, when I worked for the large American corporation. He was a genuinely lovely man who really cared about people and has done so much without noise and in a genuinely modest way to try and improve life in the UK much more widely than known. Most people haven't heard of him.

 

You may recall my odd ramblings about when I worked for The Corporation when I was responsible for various cultural events including events involving Vlad The Impaler (Ashkanazy) .... my proper job was being responsible for management and marketing training for EMEA with a side responsbility for external corporate affairs.

 

Wifey's fondest memories of him was that he would always find a way to join our table at any event on the basis of his excuse that people always use to be laughing considerably more on my table than anyone elses and he wanted to be where the laughter was. He promoted me several times, way in advance of my capabilities and obviously saw things in me missed by others. We then lent him temorarily to the NHS where they pomoted him to ceo and he started the process of trying to bring management processes in one (if not the ...) largest most complex organisations in the world. I was very selfish and resented losing my boss .... but eventually he returned,

 

I remember once, whilst he was Chief Executive of the NHS I had lunch with him and asked him what he found to be different running the NHS, and he thought for a moment and said "Jeff, if I arrange to have a meeting with you there is a fairly decent chance that you will turn up. At the moment, when I arrange to see people at my office at my headquarters at Elephant and Castle there is more than a 50% chance that they will not survive the journey from the Underground Station to my office without getting mugged half way there".

 

I have so many memories of him but will just say that very few men can you describe genuinely as "lovely" and a truly British Gentleman, but he was one and I have so many lovely memories of him and I'm really sad he is gone.

 

His orbituary doesn't include most of what he did. He was responsible for example of ensuring the bona fides of people the government wish to honour or appoint to be judges or run quangos. He ensured there was nothing seedy going on. However. Here is today's orbituary in the Times for anyone interested. A really very sad loss and a sad day and it was a tremendous honour to know him, work for him and be befriended by him.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-leonard-peach-z8bcrm22h?shareToken=0fae4d605b1953b0aa7cc64879cfcd11

 

Jeff

Edited September 12, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[mysty]

Sorry for your loss J! It sounds like you and the rest of the world have lost a gem of a man!

[TLCOhio]

Really sad today to read of the passing of my old boss Len Peach, when I worked for the large American corporation. He was a genuinely lovely man who really cared about people and has done so much without noise and in a genuinely modest way to try and improve life in the UK much more widely than known. Most people haven't heard of him. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-leonard-peach-z8bcrm22h?shareToken=0fae4d605b1953b0aa7cc64879cfcd11

Jeff

 

Appreciate this link and background on a very interesting person in recent British history. He was a "Sir"!! Impressive!! One of the posts on this Times story noted: "IBM - a great company in those days with great people." Lots has changed with IBM and many other large companies in the world.

 

Must been lots of unique history with the National Health Service (NHS), his role there, etc. We don't, yet, have a NHS here in the USA, but that is another, more complicated subject where we will not go this morning.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 155,586 views for this posting.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks Terry and M!,

 

I see the Telegraph has a better take ... and I think gives a much better idea of how feisty he was and how he fought with and irritated the politicos in order to effect the changes he felt were required to make a "better Great Britain"

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/08/29/sir-len-peach-businessman-and-public-servant--obituary/

 

Jeff

Edited September 12, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[TLCOhio]

Thanks Terry and M!,

I see the Telegraph has a better take ... and I think gives a much better idea of how feisty he was and how he fought with and irritated the politicos in order to effect the changes he felt were required to make a "better Great Britain"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/08/29/sir-len-peach-businessman-and-public-servant--obituary/

Jeff

 

YES!! Agree that the Telegraph did a very good job with their summary. After your posting, I did a little more searching and saw their story on him that seemed to do an excellent job in covering his great history/background.

 

Use Jeff's helpful

http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/news/#.V9b4aWWK9_W

website nearly everyday to check things there in the UK and the world.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 203,029 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[tgh]

Commiserations Jeff .

 

It's extremely sad to see the days passing by so quickly and to find so many who walked among us no longer here.

I'm pleased to be a survivor, but find the folks creating the "new world order" , to be marching to another piper.

 

Seizing the day has quietly morphed from a cliche to an imperative.

[jpalbny]

Thanks Terry and M!,

 

I see the Telegraph has a better take ... and I think gives a much better idea of how feisty he was and how he fought with and irritated the politicos in order to effect the changes he felt were required to make a "better Great Britain"

 

Jeff

 

Sounds like quite the character! Must have been a pleasure to know him.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Commiserations Jeff .

 

It's extremely sad to see the days passing by so quickly and to find so many who walked among us no longer here.

I'm pleased to be a survivor, but find the folks creating the "new world order" , to be marching to another piper.

 

Seizing the day has quietly morphed from a cliche to an imperative.

 

Sounds like quite the character! Must have been a pleasure to know him.

 

Thanks .... yes they certainly do not build them like that anymore.:)

 

I remember when I was at The Corporation and was very ill with a gall stone and diseased gall bladder, when I was in a good enough state to have a removal I was moved a a small private hospital to have the op. Very late one night a few days after the op, the door bell rang and the duty nurse showed my boss into my room. He said he wanted to come and see me and make sure I was OK. He said he wanted to make sure I wasn't thirsty and winked. The nurse asked if we'd both like a cup of tea and my boss said yes. The tea came and when the nurse left, my boss took the cups into the bathroom and poured the tea out and washed them. He plonked them down and open his coat to reveal two bottles of Rioja and a corkscrew was produced from his pocket. He stayed until around 5am and then headed off home. Quite irresponsible I know, but I survived and it cheered me up.

 

Those were the days ......:D

 

Onwards and upwards. :)

 

Today is ribeye day.

 

Jeff

[jpalbny]

That's my kind of post-op orders! Luckily, mine came out laparoscopically, so only one overnight stay for me.

[ShotsnCruises]

Thanks .... yes they certainly do not build them like that anymore.:)

 

I remember when I was at The Corporation and was very ill with a gall stone and diseased gall bladder, when I was in a good enough state to have a removal I was moved a a small private hospital to have the op. Very late one night a few days after the op, the door bell rang and the duty nurse showed my boss into my room. He said he wanted to come and see me and make sure I was OK. He said he wanted to make sure I wasn't thirsty and winked. The nurse asked if we'd both like a cup of tea and my boss said yes. The tea came and when the nurse left, my boss took the cups into the bathroom and poured the tea out and washed them. He plonked them down and open his coat to reveal two bottles of Rioja and a corkscrew was produced from his pocket. He stayed until around 5am and then headed off home. Quite irresponsible I know, but I survived and it cheered me up.

 

Those were the days ......:D

 

Onwards and upwards. :)

 

Today is ribeye day.

 

Jeff

 

Sounds like quite a guy!

[jpalbny]

Catching up with Jeff's food posts. Have never used Gefilte fish in my cooking before. Not much exposure to Biryani either. I recently read a recipe though, and decided that it was unlikely that I would try to cook it. I don't know much about Indian food but I am hoping to learn more when we visit in February.

 

Tonight I had some ground veal that I was thinking of a good way to serve. I was imagining some meatballs with fresh herbs, cooked in a lemon beurre blanc with capers, similar to veal picatta. Instead, Chris found an easier recipe for veal with white wine, capers, and Orecchiette. Took only a half-hour to get dinner on the table and it used all of the flavors that I had been craving!

 

Onion and garlic, sautéed with the meat and fresh herbs, formed the base of the dish. Then some wine and broth, cooked down into a nice sauce, before adding the cooked pasta.

 

 

Of course, after adding the Orecchiette, a dish like this must be finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, butter, and some fresh parsley. My "cooking wine" also made an appearance in this photo.

 

 

Once finished, a little more cheese for good measure and dinner was ready!

 

 

I didn't have an Italian white to go with dinner so we settled for an Oregon Pinot Gris. Close! It was a huge recipe so we have half of it left over for lunch later in the week.

 

Orecchiette is one of my favorite pasta shapes. It holds a chunky sauce like this so well. And this dish used a bunch of ingredients from Eataly - the capers packed in salt, the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the Orecchiette.

Edited September 15, 2016 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good morning all ..... and thanks shots.

 

JP, you might like to try gefilte fish. Think of Thai fish cake without the chilli spicing but a bit more subtle and subtly flavoured.

 

I use to buy them from our supermarket but was fed up with the low quality and high cost. And you had to predict when you'd fancy some. It's ideal for those times when you want something late night but "have nothing in". I noticed that what my supermarket was selling as frozen fish for fish pies was ideal. It had salmon, and cod and a smoked fish all skinned and boned in small frozen chunks. Fish pie mix is ideal because it packs real flavour range, and frozen means it's there just as you want it.

 

So I take a handful out of the bag and blitz it with grated onion and grated carrot, some parsley an egg and matzo meal with salt, white pepper and a touch of nutmeg until it is a fine thick paste, make into balls and fry in oil. It's traditionally served with kren/chrain ie beetroot and horseradish mix. So for simply keeping a pack of fish pie mix in the freezer, gefilte fish is never more than a few minutes away when the fancy grips you.

 

I'm boring with pasta now .... fettucinne fits all ....... I even use it to make cheats lasagne ie mix the pasta with the sauce and cover with a cheese sauce and bake. Saves all that layering palaver and to me tastes better.

 

Jeff

Edited September 15, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[specialcruisegirl]

Good Day Coolers...........trying to catch up as usual! It's been a busy week!

Sorry to hear about your ex boss Jeffers...he sounds like a sterling fellow.

Lazy food here all week as its been very hot so living on jacket potatoes with various fillings....quick and easy!

 

S[emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good afternoon Coolers.

 

Today was chicken tikka masala and pilau and flatbread and this afternoon I have made some Anzac biscuits ....

 

Jeff

 

 

 

[ShotsnCruises]

All you foodies! Making me so hungry as I eat my flavorless protein bar for lunch at my desk. At least it is Friday!

 

The safety company came out today to inspect for underground wires and lines. We are all set to "Dig" fence this weekend. Hoping the weather cooperates.

 

The fawns have taken up residence on our property. They seem to love the clover patches that grow in the back pasture. We cannot get them to eat corn, which worries me that they will not make it through the winter, which is predicted to be bad this year. Hoping the forecasts are wrong.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good luck with the diggings Shots!

 

I made some chicken liver pate ..... enough to feed an army so wifey and I had some for supper tonight. Had it with some carraway and rye bread. It isn't photogenic but tasted nice.

 

Jeff

 

[spinnaker2]

Hello all!

Happy Friday and good weekend.

Jeff food looks delish.

JP I can't see your pictures, but the description sounds yum.

Sophia, potatoes with fillings are wonderful comfort food.

 

I have been having a spate of machine of machine problems. A/C, dehumidifier, my SAAB and air fryer. Weird. The air fryer was turning itself on! I hadn't programmed it to do anything, and had to unplug it to get it to stop. Manufacturer had never heard of that and deemed mine an aberration worthy of immediate replacement. I wondered if Alexa, the Amazon echo which sits on my kitchen counter, was in some sort of collaboration with the errant machines. I even asked her if she knew the air fryer or my SAAB, she said she didn't understand the question I asked. Maybe the machines have been hacked or are possessed by a diabolical spirit.

I did have a Porsche that my mechanic swore was possessed. He gave me a crystal and medals to ward off the evil thing. They did seem to help a bit.

 

 

Our political scenario continues to be mind Boggling. Are we the laughing stock of the world?

Edited September 16, 2016 by spinnaker2

[jpalbny]

Hello all!

Happy Friday and good weekend.

Jeff food looks delish.

JP I can't see your pictures, but the description sounds yum.

Sophia, potatoes with fillings are wonderful comfort food.

 

I have been having a spate of machine of machine problems. A/C, dehumidifier, my SAAB and air fryer. Weird. The air fryer was turning itself on! I hadn't programmed it to do anything, and had to unplug it to get it to stop. Manufacturer had never heard of that and deemed mine an aberration worthy of immediate replacement. I wondered if Alexa, the Amazon echo which sits on my kitchen counter, was in some sort of collaboration with the errant machines. I even asked her if she knew the air fryer or my SAAB, she said she didn't understand the question I asked. Maybe the machines have been hacked or are possessed by a diabolical spirit.

I did have a Porsche that my mechanic swore was possessed. He gave me a crystal and medals to ward off the evil thing. They did seem to help a bit.

 

 

Our political scenario continues to be mind Boggling. Are we the laughing stock of the world?

 

Weird. I noticed yesterday that my pics showed up fine on the laptop, but not at all on the app. Will try quoting myself to see if that works (below).

 

Sorry about your mechanical / electrical gremlins. I used to have a Saab back in the '80s. It was a 1971 model, Sonnet (the tiny 2-seater that looked like you could carry it in your backpack). I could solve 3/4 of its electrical problems by spinning the fuses. Nuts. Kind of like our election, I agree.

 

Catching up with Jeff's food posts. Have never used Gefilte fish in my cooking before. Not much exposure to Biryani either. I recently read a recipe though, and decided that it was unlikely that I would try to cook it. I don't know much about Indian food but I am hoping to learn more when we visit in February.

 

Tonight I had some ground veal that I was thinking of a good way to serve. I was imagining some meatballs with fresh herbs, cooked in a lemon beurre blanc with capers, similar to veal picatta. Instead, Chris found an easier recipe for veal with white wine, capers, and Orecchiette. Took only a half-hour to get dinner on the table and it used all of the flavors that I had been craving!

 

Onion and garlic, sautéed with the meat and fresh herbs, formed the base of the dish. Then some wine and broth, cooked down into a nice sauce, before adding the cooked pasta.

 

 

Of course, after adding the Orecchiette, a dish like this must be finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, butter, and some fresh parsley. My "cooking wine" also made an appearance in this photo.

 

 

Once finished, a little more cheese for good measure and dinner was ready!

 

 

I didn't have an Italian white to go with dinner so we settled for an Oregon Pinot Gris. Close! It was a huge recipe so we have half of it left over for lunch later in the week.

 

Orecchiette is one of my favorite pasta shapes. It holds a chunky sauce like this so well. And this dish used a bunch of ingredients from Eataly - the capers packed in salt, the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the Orecchiette.

 

Testing if this works. Edited to add: it didn't work. Could still see on laptop, but not the app. I edited my quote and repasted the links and now it seems to work. PS - it was just as good for lunch today...

Edited September 16, 2016 by jpalbny