The BB cafe

[Kazzl]

The BB cafe is open for business!
Welcome all to a new chill and chat place for everyone on the forum.

The BB cafe is whatever you want it to be. There are comfy sofas, tables and chairs, coffee machines, a kitchen stocked with everything. There's a pool outside, a bbq area, an annexe with comfy beds for a quiet sleep, tv, dvd, books and whatever else you would like to have here.

Most of all, it's a place to meet friends and fellow travellers for a bit of company. Talk over problems, tell jokes, share your day, escape into a world of your making. Grab a coffee and pull up a chair ... 

So, with a nod to the wonderful Carole King (Hard Rock Cafe) ...

Now if you're feeling just a little bit lonely
Don't sit at home just mopin'
Come on down to where the friendship flows freely
You know the door is always open

At the BB cafe
Come to the BB cafe
They will help keep your blues at bay
At the BB cafe

Important Message from ModSupport: 
The main intention of the BB Cafe is to encourage light conversation. Please look after your fellow community members by nuturing the BB Cafe as a place to escape some of the more pressing issues in life and save those conversations for personal threads. 

[mmMekitty]

Hi Grandy. Lovely to see you here.

I like the idea with the over-cooked garlic bread (perfect in fact.

I'd like to take a hotdog roll, opening it out & spreading garlic butter on that, then toasting very crispy, then topping with a piece of crumbed fish. I'm so glad I can do that here in BB Cafe. [Widely grinning LRC]

Those dumplings I remember were rather dense, I suppose, a dough like a heavy bread. If they were under cooked, I'm sure they would seem doughy. I'm also sure they were dropped into the soup to cook. I wish I knew more.

I think I'd like to google 'types of dumplings' & see what turns up!

This late in the afternoon, I will have to get back to you tomorrow.

I was doing more grocery shopping, & so far, the prices are okay. I'm not sure when the effects of the flooding will reach the supermarket shelves.

I was able to resist certain 'temptations', which helps to keep the spending in check. I'm not going to run out of anything to eat, & what I do have will be quite healthy.

Health is worth the money: my new mantra, if you like.

mmMekitty

[Paw Prints]

We always had dumplings cooked on top of stew... I haven't made them in years (decades)... I know I used to use grated suet as it made them lighter than butter or lard... they only went on top of the stew a short time before serving so they plumped up nice & light & didn't get soggy... think a soft bread roll... depending on the ingredients in the stew I would add things to the mix, but usually just made them plain.

[mmMekitty]

That's really interesting, Paws, because I could not imagine the dumplings would only take a few minutes to cook, even in a steaming pot of soup/stew. Would they really have to have an animal fat in the mixture, too?

I like croutons too. It's just I"ve been thinking about those dumplings we had. Probably not so good to include in my new healthier diet, but just a few, for old time's sake...? It would be.. a small thing, I guess, just something to soften how I view my (ex-)step-mother, would make it worth a try.

Still soupy this weekend, having had some rain here, last night & this morning. It's eased off for a while ... we'll see. I'm not putting my floaties away yet. So, indeed, more soup on the menu, please.

I haven't figured out if the dumplings we had have a name, or were directly derived from a specific type of dumpling - just that they were not, broadly speaking, asian. I've had potato gnocchi, so I'm sure that's not what we had.

Hugzies for anyone ...

mmMekitty

[Paw Prints]

mmMekitty the dumplings I used to make were not like asian dumplings most people probably think of these days when someone says dumplings... they were just the old style English dumplings made with flour, baking powder, suet, & just enough milk to bind the ingredients... depending on the stew I would mix in finely chopped herbs or leave them plain... rolled into balls they went on top of the stew about 15 to 20 minutes before serving... 

[sbella02]

I just read dumplings, soup, and hot dogs, mmmm.

Tonight, I'm bringing pizza to the BB Café. We have all types - pepperoni, Hawaiian, extra cheesy, meat-lovers, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, lactose free... there's something for everyone.

Sending love to everyone who's been affected by the floods/severe weather... I've been watching what's happening on the news, and it's absolutely awful. My heart goes out to you all, I hope everybody is safe and well. 

Take care, SB

[ecomama]

Hey everyone reading in the BB Cafe, just a reminder.... 

EVERYONE is welcome to post in the BB Cafe, so pop in and have a chat, we'd love to hear from you 😉

Hey Grandy & sbella, yeah all this talk of yummy food is making me hungry lol. 

That's a great idea with your garlic bread Grandy. So TASTY! 

My d married a Greek Egyptian man and every home we went into had a huge container on their table filled with "paxi malaxis" lol a family name I think. Just slices of bread lightly toasted in the oven. Spread whatever you want on them, kids ate them straight up lol, or snap them into salads as croutons. 
Became quite the habit for my kids to eat, so I did the same here for a few years. 

Happy to hear you're feeling better Grandy, hugs. 

Hey Paws, your dumpling recipe sounds amazing to be like crusty bread rolls, wow. Nice to see you too! 

I LOVED making French Onion soup in specific soup bowls (can't recall their name? Anyone remember?), they had handles. Cutting a piece of puff pastry to fit over the top and bake till crusty was so yum. 
Buying a new set could be a present to myself lol. 

It's a BLEAK, rainy ole day here. THANKFULLY I get to "work from home" today lol yay! 
A very important part of my working day is to look after my own mental health, so here I visit of course! 
I'm having some fun time on Chump Lady too. Tracy is AWESOME! 

French Onion soup with Grandy's crusty Garlic bread and Paws' dumplings on the menu for lunch! 

Plus some wicked wings for all our Holy guests :-))
HAM bacon and all good things for Kitty too lol. 

See you all soon
Love always EMxxxx

[mmMekitty]

Hello everyone,

I can do a little pseudo pizza using a piece of flat bread, with a little sauce or tomato paste, cheese (of-course), though next time I might try feta, with capsicum, black olives, & chicken& adding some tabouli with some grated cheese on top - but only if someone stops me putting so much of the the topppings that I can't eat it without things falling off everywhere.

Hey EM, how is the the Futsal going? 

Feels like I'm about to go into summer; things are warming up here.

Hope everyone is doing fine, caring for yourselves & those around you.

With hugzies for anyone,

mmMekitty

[Paw Prints]

mmMekitty it sounds like you just need more cheese to glue everything ontop of the bread 😁😁

hugs

Paws

ps... from another cheese afficiando - you can never have too much cheese 

[mmMekitty]

Lol, Paws, like wht I always say, "Cheese - the glue that binds us all!"

I can't imagine ever not having cheese.

I am imagining maybe not having potato, or pasta (previously an unthinkable thought), but having been eating so much salad, I am not eating so much pasta or potatos. That seems like a good idea to me, because, after all, potato is mostly starch, & even the wholemeal pasta I have is still wheat flour based, & so these foods are mostly 'filler' foods, & not much better than my having muesli-based breakfast, anyway. Just how much fibre do I think I need, anyway?

I remembered an old-fashioned word, 'ruffage', the other day - & I think I'm getting more of that having more fruit & salad stuff, which may well be better than the fibre from the bread & pasta, for me. I emphasise , I'm only talking about what I think I need to do, not giving advice to anyone else.

In my imagination I could drag a whole sphere of mooncheese, int towards the sun, melt it & enjoy the gooey mess, while listening to it sizzle as it drips onto the sunny side of Mercury.

*

Here, Woofa, cheese for nose bops? That's gotta be better than one of my furballs. [Cheesey grinning LRC]

mmMekitty

[Paw Prints]

Woofa says ta muchly for the offer of cheese but my mean human won't let me eat it... offer me a carrot & I will give happily give you nose bops & if you want I can even give you a very quick wash with my big Great Dane tongue... 2 licks should be enough for a little red cat

🐕