Let's party again!

[wiseheart]

Well, folks, it's *that* time of the year again: I'll be 53 next Friday. So, it's time for the annual game of "let's the threads collapse". Come in, make yourselves comfortable, have a good time and bring your friends. Last years we had some 400+ comments, now we're in for the new record. ;)

This entry will be bounced up each day until October 9, so that all those who want can participate.

Update: On October 4, we had 195 comments on 2 pages. Well done. We still have got 5 more days, so let's see what we can do in that time. I have to say, the conversations in the individual threads were absolutely delightful. *is happy*

Update #2: On October 6, we had 270 comments - sadly, still on only 2 pages. Only 3 more day left to reach the ultimate goal, which would be 444 comments on 4 pages. But the discussions are great, so at the very least, we have the quality, if not the quantity yet. And that's more important, I'd say.

Update #3: On October 8, we had 388 comments, on 3 pages! Yay! I'm not very optimistic about Page 4, but I think the 444 comments might come together by the end of the day itself.

Pre-birthday gifts:
Got a wonderful bakery book from Mum, titled "Muffins and..." well, I seriously doubt that the English language has a word for the rest. Germans might know what Pogatschen are. They are small, salty or cheesy cookies, made usually of yeast dough... a Hungarian speciality. We already have quite a few recepies, but there are some in that book I never heard of. It will be a delight to try them out.

Also, I got the box-set of 2nd Season Torchwood from the most generous the_wild_iris! Thanks, my friend, you really, really made my day after two rather stressful weeks. I can finally watch the only episode I missed while we were in Belgium - the one in which Owen becomes a zombie. Heh!

Pre-birthday preparations:
I baked some strawberry flavoured muffins tonigh - not from the new book, from the carton box, I'm afraid, but for the colleagues they will do tomorrow.

Mum's bravely going down to the hairdresser's tomorrow, because, as she told me, "I can't look like this on your birthday!" Well, after not seeing a hairdresser for months, there's some truth in it.

The day after tomorrow, we're going to the "Blind Crow" for lunch. Unlike in English-speaking countries, lunch is actually the main meal of the day over here, so it will be great. The "Blind Crow" is a very nice little restaurant, and we can reach it on foot, which is the main issue, as Mum can't climb into any busses yet.


Final update:
Well, folks, the party will still be going on until midnight, CET, but I'm already declaring it a great success. We've made it onto Page 4, we've broken through the 500 (!!!)-comment-barrier, and I'm very happy.

Thanks everyone for participating, especially altariel, rcfinch, solanpolarn, the_wild_iris, theromangeneral and lhun_dweller, who've been working diligently and tirelessly to help me break the record. Should I've forgotten anyone, I humbly apologize.

Comments

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

You see? It all comes down to motivation - and fresh yeast is so much better than that dried stuff they sell in little bags. Dough never rises the same way as with fresh yeast - it remains like wet sponge in the middle. Ugh!

Cutting dough with scissors? Never tried to do that - I usually use a small, reasonably sharp knife. But I can imagine that the pattern would be difficult if done with a pair of scissors. Hmmm...

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

The recipes I have seen for making buns that look like that tell me to cut them with scissors; I don't think my scissors have ever been sharp enough and they just make a mess of the bun, so I have basically given up on the idea of making something looking like that. A sharp knife might do the trick though. I will consider trying that.

I do love fresh yeast, especially for sweet baking. For bread I think the dried stuff usually gives a good result as well. It is strange to me how rare it is to find fresh yeast in England, because basically every grocery shop sells it in Sweden. I was very pleased when I realized my local independent health food shop sold fresh yeast and just had to buy some even though I had no plans to bake.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, Hungarian-issue gas ovens just aren't hot enough for baking bread. I've given up on it after several miserable attempts. And it wasn't the reicpe - I baked the same sort. in the electric oven of some friends and it turned out excellent.

Here you can buy all the fresh yeast you want in every grocery shop. They usually have the dried sort, too. We are very fond of our carbon hydrates, among other unhealthy stuff. ;)

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

The English do seem fond of their carbohydrates as well, often eating sandwiches for lunch. For some reason they don't do fresh yeast, though and it just shocked me to not be able to buy it. When I was young my family lived quite far away from the nearest shop, so we did often use dried yeast for making bread because you can store it for longer periods but if we were planning on baking soon after the shopping trip we would buy some of the fresh stuff because it is just that bit nicer to work with.

It must be disappointing to not be able to bake just because the oven won't get hot enough. My recipes tend to tell me to use lower temperatures for bigger breads than for individual one and leaving them in longer. Perhaps you can find a recipe for a really big bread?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yay! Hawkes! You really do have cute icons. The 10th Doctor one is lovely, too.

As for the frigging oven, it isn't just not getting hot enough, it's also quite small. So, no self-made bread for me, I'm afraid. Unless we move into another flat with a big enough kitchen for an electric oven, but that's highly unlikely.

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am quite fond of my icons, but I keep wishing I could have more. Hawkes is one of my favourite characters on CSI:New York -- he is such a geek and a nice guy too. Flack *points to icon* is good too! Very cute! :-)

I do enjoy making my own bread, but it does tend to take quite a lot of time so I don't do it very often. There is also the fact that my bread recipes are for rather large batches of bread since I grew up in a family of six and now that I live on my own I don't need nearly as much bread. I need a bigger freezer...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Of all the CSI guys I like the New York team best. Granted, Stella shouldn't have her boobs hang out all the time, but otherwise, she's a nice character. I adore Lindsey (used to hate Aiden), like Danny a lot, and Mac is an interesting one, too. It took me a while to warm up to Flack, but since he's had a haircut I can bear him a lot better.

I really ought to friend you - would you mind? I can foresee lots of interesting discussions about baking, the exchange of recepies and excessive geekiness, which is a heady mix, isn't it?

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

CSI New York is my favourite CSI show as well. I was very fond of the original series as well, but they messed it around so much I got a bit fed up. Still love Nick, though! I think I have always like Flack; he has that mixture of tough guy and vulnerability that pulls at my heartstrings. It helps that I think he is really cute... Stella is a fantastic character, but I wish they would dress her more sensibly for the profession she has. I sometimes find Lindsay annoying; she can be a bit too chirpy for my taste and I am not particularly fond of the Lindsay/Danny relationship. Somehow they just don't seem right for each other.

As for friending me, I was thinking the same thing! I should probably warn you though that I go through phases with LJ: I am not a very regular poster. I try and find time to at least read my friends' list,
but often I don't have the time or energy to comment.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't worry about that! I've got other lurkers on my friendslist. ;) *hops away to friend you*

I actually like Lindsay and Danny together... although I wouldn't break down in tears if they broke up. Stella, I love to pieces. She treats all others, especially Mac, as if she were their mother, and they desperately need her mothering, IMO. I do agree with the clothes part, but that's hardly a surprise for you, is it?

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

Just thought I would let you know! I like challenges, which is one of the reasons I commented on this in the first place; I am keeping it up because I am enjoying our conversation. However, I often am just too busy with work and other things to have the time to comment in a timely and coherent fashion, so I just end up not doing it at all. Didn't want you to get disappointed or feel ignored!

I liked Danny better in the earlier part of the show. Now I often think he is being a bit of a bastard and cocky for no reason. I liked the friendship he had with Flack and that has taken a back-seat for the Danny/Lindsay romance, which is another reason I don't like that story line. And no, I am not surprised by them giving Stella inappropriate clothes for her role but that doesn't mean I have to like it! They could give her a good fashion sense, and show that off when she is off-duty and testifying and such like, but still make her dress properly for the job at hand when on a crime scene. Maybe one day women won't have to be 'sexy' to be on a prime time television series...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

No worries! By my insane working schedule, I'm not that much online either, unless I've got a virtual birthday party to throw. ;)

I liked earlier Danny better, too. Unfortunately, first season Danny came with Aiden, whom I couldn't stand, so I tend to avoid first season episodes. Which isn't easy, since Hungarian telly seems to love to re-run them every other month or so.

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched the first season of CSI: New York in years despite having it on DVD, so I don't actually remember much about Aiden. I obviously can't have made much of an impression on me one way or the other...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

She always makes my scalp itch.