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Messages - Merlin

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61
Introduce Yourself / Re: its here
« on: June 19, 2012, 07:25:02 am »
There should be absolutely no difference between skim and full cream milk.  It's definitely the amount of cornflour that affects the final texture. I prefer my custard quite thick so I often cook with more cornflour than the recipe states and you can hear the change in the TM when the custard is cooked properly- it stops 'whooshing' and starts to sound more 'gluggy' and this is when I turn it off even if it is well before the stated time is up for that particular recipe. You just  need to listen to the TM for certain recipes and you get to tell how well things are chugging along.

62
Non Food Recipes / Re: Miracle spray
« on: June 19, 2012, 06:02:51 am »
Also, I thought tea tree oil also works as an anti fungal and antibacterial agent plus I love the smell!

63
Non Food Recipes / Re: Miracle spray
« on: June 19, 2012, 06:00:05 am »
No-I use Windex or vinegar spray on the windows and the microfibre cloth. I have laminated windows so I'm not game enough to try the miracle spray on them!

64
Introduce Yourself / Re: Hello from the Highlands
« on: June 19, 2012, 05:19:13 am »
Welcome to the forum! I know I'm generally pretty busy and exhausted by the end of the day, but just reading your background makes me feel knackered! Good luck with your new 'baby'  :) :) :)

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Non Food Recipes / Re: Miracle spray
« on: June 19, 2012, 04:35:16 am »
I made this up yesterday and confess I used tea tree oil instead of eucalyptus oil as  I know I have eucalyptus oil somewhere but couldn't find it and the tea tree oil surfaced instead! Does smell very nice though. I also confess that I am addicted to microfibre cloths as well as they do a great job on my windows with the windex and don't leave any streaks or lint marks.  The miracle spray definitely does live up to it's name I have to say!

66
The towel thing works for me too although these days I either do the higher speeds when I'm the only one in the house or I'll just warn the kids when I'm about to crank the TM to higher speeds. I try not to cook too much when they're asleep as one of mine can sleep through anything and the other one wakes up at the slightest noise.

67
Chit Chat / Re: This is my last day without having a Thermomix!!!
« on: June 18, 2012, 05:47:52 am »
Congratulations and enjoy your thermie! It's hard waiting for it, isn't it? I would do something like creamy garlic prawn risotto and definitely custard for dessert. If you're feeling adventurous and you want to try out your Varoma straight away you could do Baf's all in one chicken dish or the steamed salmon dinner. The  creamy tomato and salami  fettucine recipe  from the EDC is always a successful one. There's so many good recipes to choose from- at first you want something simpler eg risotto to impress and then work your way up to more involved dishes once you get a feel for all of the functions.

68
Babies and Kids / Re: Appealing soup for 2 & 4 yr olds?
« on: June 17, 2012, 01:38:29 pm »
Lisel, I remember when my twins were in high chairs. I think we had practically the entire kitchen floor covered in plastic sheeting due to the amount of food thrown, dropped, you name it! I don't think I need to explain anything to you about what it's like. Even though we are well and truly beyond the chucking stage I still seem to be permanently sweeping up a mountain of food from beneath our dining table. It's like a cyclone hits our dining room whenever we eat a meal. Obviously the rule of thumb is that the amount of mess is inversely proportional to age although my 19 yo stepdaughter often competes well with the 5 yo twins in the making a mess stakes! totally hear you!  :-)) :-)) :-))

69
Tips and Tricks / Re: Best potato for mash potato
« on: June 17, 2012, 01:27:48 pm »
Carisma aren't great for mash. Try cream delight or Desiree instead.

70
I made it last night and it was a hit.

71
Chit Chat / Re: Not sure if I'm flattered or offended.....
« on: June 14, 2012, 07:47:09 am »
 ;) ;) ;)LOL- JD, apparently they think I run a hotel, but no, I am just one of many of you domestic goddesses out there who happens to have  a highly stressful job, high maintenance 5yo twins and certain crap relatives! Not that they seem to realise all of the above. At least, last time as I was escaping out of the house I chucked them a packet of taco shells and some mince and said to do something with that as the chef was leaving the building! My DH has finally realised that they act like this, mind you, she, ie the cousin of my DH , acts like a perfect angel around my husband and Jekyll and Hyde towards me when I'm alone with them. I kept telling him that these particular cousins are users and I think the penny has finally dropped!

72
Recipe Requests / Re: Healthy Children's Meals please?
« on: June 14, 2012, 06:09:54 am »
Look in the special diets section- there are plenty of  great dishes eg vegetarian/vegan, dairy free, gluten free options. I make tons of recipes from there eg quirky Jo's lentil bolognese is always a winner with my kids and they don't realise there's no meat in it. There's also healthy chicken nuggets and lots of  lentil based dishes eg soups, patties/ rissoles, pasta dishes, casseroles etc. I think you'd be hard pressed to find any other TM site with more healthy options for kids on it!!!!!
Also, go onto brazen's culinary adventures or Quirky Jo's blog for heaps more healthy kid food suggestions.

73
Chit Chat / Re: Not sure if I'm flattered or offended.....
« on: June 14, 2012, 06:00:39 am »
Thanks for all the advice everyone! At least the one consolation factor is that  this particularly annoying family is on my DH side and not mine therefore I feel I can tell them where to go in future. I have been polite up until now because it is my husband's family but it is also our house so I put my foot down a number of times eg last time they came I blew a fuse (metaphorically speaking ie had a meltdown) and told them that they should stop lounging around all day and make their own dinner/ meals etc or at least help in some way. After that- I grabbed a bottle of wine and my kids ( not necessarily in that order) slammed a few doors and left them to their own devices to get their own dinner ( I had arrived home from a particularly long day at work to find them all standing around asking "what's for dinner?")  The amazing thing is they still  don't get how rude they are- they  rang a few weeks ago wanting to 'visit' ie to stay at our house again later this year at a time when we are actually away and have a house sitter staying. We said no, but they still rang back asking to stay whilst our house sitter is here (who doesn't know them at all)!

74
Chit Chat / Re: Not sure if I'm flattered or offended.....
« on: June 13, 2012, 11:51:41 pm »
Maddy, I have relatives (particularly a family of four)like that who invite themselves to stay at our house for any length of time, despite the fact that they dont ask us if it is convenient ie fits into our work/school arrangements at that particular time- they request certain meals as they know I can whip up fantastic meals in the TM (which I am flattered by also)  but dont offer to help in any way ie preparation, buying ingredients, even little things like washing up/clearing up the table. To feed eight of us for more than 2 or 3 days in a row is a major workload especially when I have to come home from work late and nothing has been done in the house. They don't ever offer to cook or even to get takeaway or take us all out for a meal- in other words they treat our house like a hotel- beds are left unmade and the spare room gets incredibly untidy- they have even left laundry etc for ME to do, which I have put my foot down at- they can do their own washing!! I am normally a very charitable person and love to entertain family and friends but this particular family really annoys me (read- total freeloaders) and I as soon as I read your initial post, I immediately thought your friend sounds like these relatives of ours. Admittedly, she wants to pay you but I think you should politely decline her offer and suggest that despite the $50 you dont want to undertake the stress and workload of turning out a beautiful cake for her 40th.

75
Chit Chat / Re: Not sure if I'm flattered or offended.....
« on: June 13, 2012, 12:17:41 pm »
Don't do it unless you are a really good friend! I did a castle cake for my niece with 3 tiers once. Of course it was my niece so I didn't mind but if I was costing it including the fondant, extra cake tins I needed to buy as well as the extras for decorating, it would have easily cost over $100 at a bakery. Sure, the flour, butter, eggs etc may be relatively cheap but when you add in all of the incidentals, there's a reason why she was quoted $110!!!

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