Tuesday, June 28, 2016

DARN IT! I’M STEAMING! IT REALLY NEEDLES ME!




Darn it! There was a lot of “darn it!” being said by me the week before last - from the Friday through to the following Tuesday morning..   I do admit my “darn its’ were uttered using more descriptive adjectives, though.   I’m sure you get my drift without my being more descriptively descriptive.

Darn it!  Sometimes "Darn it!" just doesn't cut the mustard!

I had computer problems. When I have computer problems magically the air turns blue.  I was steaming.  In actual fact, as it turned out, my computer wasn’t at fault, Microsoft was.  But no matter what was at fault, I couldn’t get into my tower.  I was forced to use my laptop and I hate using my laptop.  I bought the laptop purely to be a back-up for when or if I had a problem with my tower. It’s never used otherwise.  For a woman my hands are quite large; too big for comfortable use of my laptop keyboard.  For example, the distance between the tip of my thumb and the tip of my little finger when my hand is extended is a little over nine inches (a little over 23cm).

For the record, I freely admit I have little patience when things go awry.  And, on the Monday things did go even further astray when the damn laptop decided to play silly buggers and go out in sympathy with my PC!  When that occurred its bad behaviour caused the air around here to turn from blue to deep purple!

Fortunately, Kyle, my computer man has more patience than I have. To the rescue, like a knight in shining armour he came.  I was about to fix the problem with a sledgehammer, but, clever Kyle sorted both problems out for me....just in time! 

Does anyone darn these days? I bet the majority of the younger generations have no idea of the true meaning of the word “darn”, let alone give a darn about not knowing. 

To be honest, many years have passed and much water has flowed under and over many bridges, and many yarns have been spun since I did any darning.  I’ve a good memory, but darn it, I can’t remember the last time I darned anything.  I don’t envisage darning in the near or distant future, either. I think the art of darning probably faded into oblivion about the time my generation hit the scene and started kicking up our heels. 

My Nana darned. Mum did, too.  However, because Mum went outside the home to work, most of the darning chores fell within Nana’s jurisdiction. When our socks and underwear got holes in them, out came the yarn and darning needles.  Wearing darned or mended clothes wasn’t something to be ashamed of, but discarding perfectly good items that only required minor repairs to bring them back to scratch was. Wearing holey clothes on a Sunday or any other day just wasn’t done.

When a hole was spotted it was time for the darning needle and yarn to do their job. 

To be classed as a good darner was quite an honour. It was something about which to be proud.  Often, to the naked eye, one couldn’t tell if an item of clothing had been darned such was the expertise shown by the person waving the needle. 

Darning is another past skill that has disappeared in today’s “throw-away” society. Maybe I’m wrong and am making an umbrella statement.

I have a set of darning needles sitting here in one of my desk drawers.  I’m darned if I know why because I’ve never used them to darn my drawers, or anything else for that matter. 

One needle out of the pack has been used a couple of times in an effort to get my disc player to open on my computer tower. Kyle, my IT fellow taught me how to do that; and it worked. 

You never know - the rest might come in handy one day.  I’m a prime example of the “be prepared” mob.  I’m not sure what it is I’m prepared for, but prepared I am, nevertheless. 

I’ve admitted I let off a bit of steam every now and then; and this brings me to the subject of steam puddings. 

Once upon a time, in a world long gone, but not forgotten, steam puddings were regular features on our family’s dinner table, particularly during winter months.  Nana, the darner, was the maker of our steaming steam puddings, too.  Warm custard always accompanied the hot puddings, seldom cream, and never ice cream.

Does anyone make their own custard these days - not the commercially-made custard, poured from a carton variety? When I was a kid it was always custard made with custard powder; or, when eggs and time were plentiful, custard prepared with milk and/or cream and egg yolks at a consistency for easy pouring when easy pouring was called for.  Custard was a huge part of our dessert fare.

Darn it!  Now I’ve talked myself into it!  My taste buds have been alerted and are telling me (ordering me) to make a steam pudding and a jug of hot custard for my lunch!   

The temperatures have dropped here over the past few days...so it’s time to make steam puddings while the weather is cold – a small window of opportunity.  Too bad about making hay when the sun shines...the wind is too chilly to be outside doing such a foolish thing!

Walnut Pudding with Date & Ginger Sauce: Combine 250g ground walnuts, 1/4tsp mixed spice and 1c caster sugar; beat 4 egg yolks; gradually add to mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into mixture. Grease and line base of 5-cup pudding basin or 8 individual moulds; fill with mixture. Cover with greased, pleated foil; secure with string. Place a rack in large pot. Fill pot with boiling water to halfway up mould; cover pot tightly; steam 1-1/2hrs for large pudding; 45mins for individual.  Melt 60g butter in pan; lightly cook 100g whole walnuts until golden; add 1-1/2tsp kirsch; cool. Unmould pudding to cool slightly. Sauce; combine 1/4c redcurrant jelly, 2tbs orange juice, 1/4c dry white wine and 1tsp brown sugar; boil in shallow pan over high heat until coating density. Add 1/4c fresh dates, thinly sliced and 2tsp glacế ginger; simmer 1-2mins. Serve pudding with sauce, whipped cream and walnuts.

Fig Pudding with Mandarin Butter: Combine 250g finely chopped dried figs, 1c sifted plain flour, 125g finely grated suet, 2c fresh breadcrumbs, 1tsp baking powder, 1/2c caster sugar, 1/4tsp nutmeg and pinch of salt. Beat 2 eggs in 200ml milk; stir into fig mixture. Grease and line base of 5-cup mould; cover tightly with foil; tie with string; steam as for Walnut Pudding, 2-1/2hrs. Mandarin Butter; rub 4 sugar cubes over skin of 4 mandarins until cubes have absorbed the colour and flavour.  Beat 120g unsalted butter until soft and creamy; add 1/3c caster sugar; beat until fluffy. Crush sugar cubes; add mandarin juice and 2tsp Curaçao; mix well. Unmould pudding; serve immediately with whipped mandarin butter.

Vanilla Butter Pudding with Rosella Glaze: Grease a 5-cup pudding basin or 8 individual moulds; line base/s with baking paper.  Cream 175g butter and 1c vanilla sugar intil light and fluffy. (Store a vanilla bean in a jar of caster sugar for at least 2-3 weeks before using; top up with more sugar as needed). Add 1-1/2tsp vanilla essence and 3 lightly beaten eggs; beat thoroughly. Fold in 1-3/4 cups plain flour, sifted with 1-1/2tsp baking powder, alternately wih 250ml milk.  Gently spoon mixture into mould/s.  Cover tightly with sheet of greaseproof paper, which has been pleated to allow for the pudding to expand, and greased foil; secure with string.  Place a rack in a large pot (or a roasting pan for small moulds).  Fill with boiling water to come halfway up mould, lower pudding in; cover tightly and steam 1-1/4hrs for large pudding or 3—35mins for individual moulds.  Replenish with boiling water as needed to maintain level. For Glaze:  Combine 1-1/2c fresh rosellas with 3/4c sugar, 1tbls redcurrant jelly and 1/2c water; stir over a low heat until sugar has dissolved.  Simmer for 45-50 minutes or until rosellas have softened.  Rub through a fine sieve; return to saucepan; add 1/3c fresh rosellas.  Swirl to coat the rosellas evenly and to warm through.  Add a little extra water, if necessary, to achieve a shiny coating glaze.
Unmould pudding/s; serve immediately with the glaze.

Easy Egg Custard: Heat 570ml milk, 55ml cream and 1/2tsp vanilla to slow simmer. Vigorously whisk 4 egg yolks, 30g caster sugar, vanilla and 2tsp cornflour; pour milk into eggs, whisking. Return mixture to pan; stir until thickened.

35 comments:

  1. Oh yum Lee, you have me salivating for some treacle bum pudding now. The vanilla and rosella glaze one sounds nice too. I was just going to complain about the overcast, windy weather myself. Perhaps the darning needles will come in handy in a zombie apocalypse.

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    1. Hi Carol...I'm loving this cooler weather. More the merrier, I reckon. Summer will be here soon enough...it's not long left us it seems. I prefer the cooler temps to the heat. Clear blue sky down this way, and the wind has dropped.

      The old treacle or syrup puddings...Nana used to often make them, too....I've not had one in years and years!! Hmmmmm...I do have both treacle and syrup in my cupboard!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  2. Our hands are a very similar size. I do darn. Occasionally. Generally something with huge sentimental value. And I loathe and detest ready made custard. If I am making it (rare these days) milk and egg yolks it is.

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    1. Hi EC....'Tis good to know I'm not the only one with large hands. My computer guy is a big fellow...but my hands are larger than his!!

      I've not made custard for a while, either. And, I do love Creme Caramels and Creme Brulee....I made thousands of them when I was cooking in restaurants. Maybe it's time I did again...make the custards...not cook in restaurants! Been there done that!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  3. Lots of yummy sounding things here, my dear. I hope you are well and thanks so much for all your Good Wishes!!

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    1. Oh, Naomi...how wonderful it is to see you...thank you so much for popping in. I hope you're doing well. Take good care of yourself, my dear. :)

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  4. Darn it! I don't have any of those ingredients for the steamed puddings. Don't have a large pudding bowl either. I only have four small ones, but no pot big enough to steam them all at once :(
    I do still make my own custard though. I have two packets of custard powder for warm pouring custard and I know how to make baked egg custard too. The baked one is a regular on my summer menu, a good way to get eggs (protein) and dessert in one serve.
    I gave up darning socks just a few years ago, when my eyes could no longer see the black-on-black to darn my work socks. Since then the only thing I've darned is a smallish cigarette burn in a black parka for my son. He's happy with it, almost invisible, unless you know where the burn was.

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    1. Hi River...use your small ones and put them into a roasting pan. That will work.

      I love the colour of custard powder (dry)..and always thought a ball gown would look beautiful in that colour. I had such a ball gown once...almost the colour of custard powder...just a little darker...not much darker...just a little.

      I feel like some hot custard now...but I won't be making any. I do have some custard powder in the cupboard..perhaps tomorrow, if it's not out of day...the powder, not the cupboard! ;)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. P.S. my hands are tiny, 6 1/2 inches from thumb tip to pinky tip and that's if I stretch them as wide as I can.

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    1. If you run short, River you can either borrow mine or EC's! ;)

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  6. I have been having computer/blogger problems for the past few weeks and have had many darning/or other moments. I finally found my problem but have become so frustrated at times that I wanted to bag the whole darn/or other thing. I perservered though, and am back on blogger. If I had a curse jar, I might have filled it up these past few weeks.

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    1. Hahahahaha! You and I might have been millionaires if we had had such a jar, Arleen! I might have to get myself one...the problem is I'd end up broke because I run out of money...my own money! :)

      As I said in my post, I have very little patience...if any...when something goes wrong with my computer....perhaps counting to 10 or 20 might help! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. Computer issues are the worst. The last Dell computer I bought was so defective, they finally had to send a technician to my home and they replaced the entire innards of it. :)

    That custard - oh my, wish I had some of that!

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    1. Hey there Lynn...My tower was built by my previous computer man ages ago (he took off to sail the Caribbean and back across the world...he's now residing in Germany). Kyle, the guy I now used updated it to Windows 10 a few months ago. It was an easy transition to 10, thankfully. The problem wasn't with the hard drive...I just couldn't get started because I was all of a sudden being asked for a password...and I've never used a password for my PC. But Kyle finally worked all of that out...thank goodness. My laptop is a Hewlett-Packard.

      Custard might have to be on this weekend's menu! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  8. I am lost with computer problems. I can't find a good printer either.

    I see a lot of pet owners with the same clothes!

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    1. Hahahaha...my two believe in sharing, Gail!

      I've got a Canon printer...and have had it for ages...touch wood it hasn't given me any problems.

      Thanks for popping in. :)

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    2. I had an old Canon, works great for years. Ordered another when the old one passed. It printed two pictures and two sheets and never moved again. My second replacement was worse, never could align it and it printed one quarter of a picture...I'm almost afraid to try again.

      Thanks for your comments. Things are never boring here.

      Have a very wonderful week.

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  9. Don't get me started on personal computers. I bought a new laptop with Windows 10 after I spilled coffee on the keyboard of my trusty (well, trusty some of the time) old laptop. I ended up buying a new keyboard for my old computer since Windows 10 I hate.

    I remember my mother darning socks when I was young. I did suggest darning socks to my wife here once and thankfully lived to tell about it afterwards. Steamed pudding I'm not familiar with however.

    Dieting for my doctors' appointment today, it was hard to look at the pictures in this blog.

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    1. Hi Dave...I've had no problems with Windows 10. I upgraded from XP to 10 about three or four months ago. I slipped into 10 easily...thankfully! The problem I had the other day originally was created by me and Microsoft decided to run with it! I only have myself to blame...so I put my arm admitting my crime!

      Steamed puddings were very popular when I was a kid, as were a lot of things that probably have faded into the distance these days.

      I'm glad you still here to tell your yarn! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  10. Well yes, I still make custard occasionally though funny enough it is usually in Summer for trifle. On the dessert theme though I recently had a craving for old fashioned rice pudding baked like it was in the old days. Had all the ingredients for it so whipped one up and served it warm for dessert with a few tinned peaches. Now there's a trip down memory lane in a bowl !

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    1. Hi Helsie....a while back...quite a while back now, I had a similar craving for a good, old-fashioned rice pudding just like the ones Nana used to make...and I made one for myself. I might just have to do so again before long now that you've reminded me!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  11. PS. And you can forget the darning !

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    1. Hahahahahaha! I have! Darn it! ;)

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  12. Darning, that's what women are for!
    Computer problems, that's what geeks are for!
    It's best to keep one in the cupboard for emergencies.
    Computer problems turn the air very blue around here.

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    1. I do have one kept aside for emergencies, Mr. Ad-Man...my laptop...it only gets used at times as described in my post.

      Darned if I know what men are good for!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  13. I have a problem, and it concerns my short fuse. I go off like a sky rocket and realize I'm making an ass of myself and just try harder. I was pulling a GORGEOUS meatloaf out of the oven, and you know about my sore and swollen ribs. Well, Joe walked into the kitchen and....we "met" in the middle of my ribs somehow and I dropped the huge meatloaf, steaming, in the middle of my BRAND NEW FLOOR. I lost it. Joe cleaned up the mess, but still......

    We were very poor when I was a kid, and darning was the thing to do. I've since darned a few of Joe's socks, but to me, wearing a darned sock is painful. I must have bunched the thread too much.

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    1. Oh, God! You would've heard me venting from here to there where you are, lj...if I'd dropped the meatloaf, too! You were lucky you didn't scald yourself with the juices and hot fat etc! Wow!

      Working in hot,oft times dangerous restaurant kitchens for many years is where I learned how to vent correctly!! I became an expert! :)

      There was little or no money to spare in our household when I was a kid, too...hence the darning etc.

      Thanks for coming by...I hope things are on the up and up with you. :)

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  14. One thing I have a great deal of patience for is sorting computer problems. This is a great disadvantage to me. I keep getting asked to sort them out.

    I love cooking ('though perhaps not as much as I did) but cannot for the life of me be bothered to make custard from scratch. Crème brulet yes: custard no. This is a point of contention with a close friend who always makes hers with Birds Custard Powder and won't eat any other.

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    1. You'd be handy to have around then, Graham! :) For computer problems if not for making custard! lol

      I've not made custard or Crème Brûlée, for that matter, in ages. The latter were always on my restaurant menus and I've cooked many over the years...and I still love them, but I don't cook desserts for myself these days. Actually, other than at Christmas I've never cooked desserts just for myself...only when entertaining others and I do very little of that nowadays. Been there, done that...lots of "that"!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  15. That would be Murphy's Law when you have two computers.
    Pleased all is fixed.
    No I don't darn anymore..

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    1. It sure was, Margaret! A fun time was had by all! lol

      I'll be darned! I was right after all! No one darns anymore!! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  16. Left a comment on your frog post. Darn it indeed. Once upon a time we fixed what we had but now it is toss it out and get a new one. You called it correctly "Throw away society". A few years back one of the older workers at the thrift shop made fun of my patch work on some old jeans. I had used soft material and she said loudly "Your underwear is showing". I turn red as a male worker was near by. I guess my darn it was not that good or she was just being one of those b words. Peace

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    1. Hi Lady Di...some people speak before they think...or think they're being funny when, in fact, it's rudeness and/or ignorance. There are times people should just keep their mouths closed!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  17. But I'm so distracted with the treats I couldn't concentrate on the words written. :D

    Hope you had a happy 4th!

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    1. Hey Lux...I'm an Aussie, Lux...living in Aus...so I don't single out the 4th to enjoy...but I did enjoy it...I think! lol

      Thanks for popping in. :)

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