Small Talk: The Quiver

[Mellowyellow]

 Do you guys have Ikea @BkWurm1

I'm doing your chapter next! Anyways I'm wreaking havoc and confusing you cuz I can't decide which thread to post in when I ask questions to research fics 😅

Sowwi 🤗

[BkWurm1]

Absolutely we have Ikea.  And all the jokes that go along with it.  😄

[Mellowyellow]

I went Jessica Huang mental at Ikea earlier this year. They just could not get my delivery right. 

Ended up getting free delivery and gift cards because I raged so much. Hate Ikea!!!!! They have green furniture and furnishings  though which the Kidlet loves so we buy their crap. 

[statsgirl]

14 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Guys what is the most high end, expensive brand of cot that you guys use that is well known to everyone?

Peg Perego. I really like the quality but it's expensive here.

ETA: I've just realized that they don't make cribs. Dolce Note makes a $5000 crib but it's not a well known name.

Edited February 19, 2019 by statsgirl

[Starfish35]

And Netflix is officially out of the Marvel TV business.  Not really a surprise, but Punisher and Jessica Jones have been cancelled.  Jessica Jones still has one season to air, though - date TBA.

[bijoux]

Funnily enough, John Oliver did a segment on Ikea on his season premiere. Ikea, voted number 1 in the Places Couples Get Divorced Magazine. For an added layer of hilarity, they caught his team's attention because they have been selling a map of the world missing New Zealand. As they are preparing to open their first store in New Zealand. 🤣

That said, I am very much opposed to their maze like structure. I know it's to get me to see everything and buy more stuff, but it just makes me feel like cattle being led to slaughter. That said, they have some nice, affordable stuff that I've bought. Nothing that required assembly, it should be noted.  😁

[BkWurm1]

7 hours ago, bijoux said:

That said, I am very much opposed to their maze like structure. I know it's to get me to see everything and buy more stuff, but it just makes me feel like cattle being led to slaughter.

This.  Being forced to go through the whole store is awful.  The first time I went I got lost, accidentally backtracking a couple times.  It felt like there was no way out.  

[bijoux]

I almost bolted the first time I was in their store. The security guard told me I wasn't allowed to do it. Excellent. I really have to be in the right state of mind to visit. And have a clear plan which sections I want to hit and which to rush through.

[Mellowyellow]

They have good pots and pans I'll give them that!

Anyone brave enough to try the food? It looks so scarey in Australia!

Ikea with kids is a never ending nightmare as they loooooove the play area.

[bijoux]

I tried it. Inoffensive, I'd say. I wasn't vowed but it wasn't bad either. 

[Mellowyellow]

For those of you 30 and above do you fear aging? I've never really thought about growing older but I spent a good chunk of tonight talking one of my friends out of aging mania.

She's been pouring over our group photos from 2015 to see how much she has/we have aged since then and blowing up all our faces for comparison. It's kinda funny but she's so upset. 

I feel about 7 most days so I'm just not phased by it. And really there's not much you can do. I just hope my health remains who cares if I look like a prune. 

[bijoux]

Appearance wise, not really that much. Mostly because my genetics is pretty good in that regard. My Dad looked pretty youthful and my Mom still does. One of my grandfathers died at 84 and he barely had wrinkles at all. 

Of course, there are some off days. 😄

[BkWurm1]

11 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

For those of you 30 and above do you fear aging? I've never really thought about growing older but I spent a good chunk of tonight talking one of my friends out of aging mania.

She's been pouring over our group photos from 2015 to see how much she has/we have aged since then and blowing up all our faces for comparison. It's kinda funny but she's so upset. 

I feel about 7 most days so I'm just not phased by it. And really there's not much you can do. I just hope my health remains who cares if I look like a prune. 

I'm with you.  I figured out a while back inside I'm not ever going to feel much older than 16 most of the time but as much as we'd like to stop time, only so much anyone can do and for those of us not willing to spend thousands or go under the knife, it is what it is.  

It does help a lot though that today people in their 40's, 50's and even 60's aren't seen the same way that they were even twenty years ago.  I remember seeing pics of my Great Aunts and Uncles (Most who died of old age in the 1990's) from the 1950's and 60's and they all looked the same as they did 40 years later.   They were old long before they were ever actually old. 

Culturally, there are less restrictions or burdensome expectations of how people over 30 are supposed to act.  Thank goodness.  

Edited February 19, 2019 by BkWurm1

[Kymmi]

I think feelings around aging can depend on where you are in the process.  Aging never fazed me, or bothered me much, but as I approach 50 I find that I'm changing my mind on that.  It may have to do with where I am in my life (one child, will head off to university in the next few years) more than the number 50 that's staring me down.  Or maybe it's hormones.  Either way, I'm feeling it these days and I hate it.

[ladylaw99]

Just after Christmas my friend and I were having this discussion.  I'm in my 40's and have never felt better.  Age is just a number to me. 

I'm at the point in my life now that I have alot established and now able to enjoy my hard work. 

If I am being honest, my boys keep me young.  They are always challenging me to do things I would probable not dream of doing. 

[statsgirl]

I don't find aging a problem except that I need stronger prescriptions every time I go to the eye doctor.  Ageism, on the other hand (people thinking I'm too old to be able to do things the young uns can), that's a big problem.

5 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Anyone brave enough to try the food? It looks so scarey in Australia!

I love Ikea's creamed roe spread. So does Alexander Skarsgard. It tends to disappear fast in our house.

The Daim cake is very close to an almond cake my great aunt used to make. It brings back, and also is useful to have in the freezer in case people drop by.  The chocolate double cookies are nice too. 

[Mellowyellow]

I feel it in the sense that if I go mental on the trampoline I will pull something whereas the 6yo is as right as rain. That's probably the only time I realise "Ok, not totally a spring chicken."

@ladylaw99 how old are your boys? Hubs and I have a running joke that when 6yo turns 10 we should pop out another one so we can have more toddler goodness in our lives! 

[ladylaw99]

13 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

 how old are your boys? Hubs and I have a running joke that when 6yo turns 10 we should pop out another one so we can have more toddler goodness in our lives! 

@Mellowyellow

My boys are 12 and 10 and I sadly lost one.  The 12 year old is going on 20. LOL.  He is my daredevil and gets me to do things I haven't done in years.  He just left today on his first trip out of the province and I fell like I am dying inside.  He has never been away from me for more than a day.  My youngest is the complete opposite of his brother but he still loves to try new things.  He is in a wheelchair but that doesn't stop him.  Doctors tell him he can't/won't do something but so far he has proven them wrong.  

I loved the toddlers years but it really gets better as they get older.  Now I have been told the teenage years  is alot like having a toddler all over again, so i am bracing myself LOL.

[Angel12d]

On 2/15/2019 at 10:32 PM, bijoux said:

I didn't know you were expecting. Congratulations. 🙂🎉

On 2/16/2019 at 3:02 AM, statsgirl said:

Congratulations @Angel12d!  I hope you survive the early days and have lots of joy

Do you have a rocking chair you could put in front of your TV? There's a reason they were good presents to new mothers.

On 2/16/2019 at 3:06 AM, JJ928 said:

Congrats @Angel12d!

On 2/16/2019 at 3:58 AM, tennisgurl said:

Congrats @Angel12d on your Angeltot!

Thanks so much everyone! ☺️💕

[statsgirl]

7 hours ago, ladylaw99 said:

I loved the toddlers years but it really gets better as they get older.  Now I have been told the teenage years  is alot like having a toddler all over again, so i am bracing myself LOL.

A friend of mine who is a psychologist mused that that children have the terrible threes so that we don't feel so bad about letting them leave us to go to school all day (she was a stay at home mom), and the teenage years so that we don't feel so bad when they move out.

[Morrigan2575]

I wonder if David knows the hell he just unleashed on this board by giving us gifs? LOL

[Mellowyellow]

There are gifs??? I was just excited by the response emojis!

Where are these gifs?

[apinknightmare]

4 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

There are gifs??? I was just excited by the response emojis!

Where are these gifs?

You can find them by clicking on the rocket icon in the message editor - it's right next to the happy face.

Edited February 20, 2019 by apinknightmare

[BunsenBurner]

Congrats @ANGEL12D on your new baby. Sleep every chance you get and enjoy every moment. 

[Mellowyellow]

Guys can someone please help me work out what this is in Sydney time?

I tried but I don't get it😔

***

Senior Ladies Free Skate Programme

Friday 22nd February 14h00 – 15h45 MSK (GMT +3)

(EET 13h00, CET 12h00, GMT 11h00, EST 06h00, PST 03h00, CST 19h00, JST 20h00)

[lemotomato]

14 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Guys can someone please help me work out what this is in Sydney time?

I tried but I don't get it😔

***

Senior Ladies Free Skate Programme

Friday 22nd February 14h00 – 15h45 MSK (GMT +3)

(EET 13h00, CET 12h00, GMT 11h00, EST 06h00, PST 03h00, CST 19h00, JST 20h00)

10PM Sydney time, I think. (Add 19 hours to PST)

Edited February 22, 2019 by lemotomato

[Mellowyellow]

55 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

10PM Sydney time, I think. (Add 19 hours to PST)

Thank you!!!! You are a gem!!! 😚😗😗😘

[Mary0360]

They put all the Harry Potter movies on Netflix and rewatching them has just reminded me of the fact that Snape was the underrated hero of the whole damn series and that I still have forgotten what jk Rowling did to Fred 😢 Also that I totally had a crush on Oliver Wood in the film series when I was teenager lol

[Morrigan2575]

For the Bakers out there, which is your preferred Buttercream? I've only ever made/eaten American Buttercream (which I love). However, I've been watching quite a few baking videos on YouTube and many declare American Buttercream to be crap and, Italian Swiss, and French Buttercreams to be superior. I know they're supposed to be silky/smooth and less grainy than American but, I love the sweetness of American Buttercream.

So which do you use when it comes to piping/decorating your cakes? I saw a video for a cake which I might make for Easter. Where the baker made Italian Buttercream to layer/coat the cake and the made American Buttercream to decorate it (pipe some roses).

[scarynikki12]

I've only ever had the buttercream that Publix makes, which I assume is the American kind, and it is YUMMY.  When I do my own baking I don't do icing but I'll eat icing when I buy cake from Publix as long as it's buttercream or fudge.

[Morrigan2575]

Looking at the copy cat recipes I don't even know what to call it. It's made with Crisco instead of Butter (with artificial butter flavored added) and, they add some meringue powder which is not in American Buttercream. The European versions are all meringues but, they call for eggs or egg white and simple syrup. 

Publix seems to be a category all it's own. It's actually easier to make than the European Buttercreams but, the use of Crisco instead of butter scares the crap out of me. I know you can substitute Shortening for butter in baking but, I've never attempted it. Crisco is definitely less Saturated fat and, right around the same calories so it might be healthier than butter.

Interest option 

[lemotomato]

Crisco is used as a substitute for butter in frosting because it’s cheaper and more stable in warm temperatures. I’ve never heard  of meringue powder being added to American buttercream, but I’m guessing it’s also for stability. 

As for frosting preference, I generally use a Swiss or Italian buttercream, not the American buttercream, which is much too sweet for my taste. I also find that it’s a lot stiffer compared to meringue-based buttercream, which makes frosting a big cake or a big batch of cupcakes a pain. I’ll use it for small decorations or for practicing, though. 

[Morrigan2575]

25 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

As for frosting preference, I generally use a Swiss or Italian buttercream, not the American buttercream, which is much too sweet for my taste

I actually love the sweetness but, ive never tasted any other Buttercreams to compare. I think I might just have to breakdown and make an Italian or Swiss buttercream to taste for myself. No one I know has actually ever had anything other than American. 

And yeah the video I watched, Preppy Kitchen did the same, used Italian Buttercream to ice/frost the cake and then used American to make his roses.

[JJ928]

French & Italian buttercream are my favorite in terms of taste, the french uses the egg yolks not just the whites, and it has a richer flavor imo. American buttercream gets stiff faster and creates somewhat of a film that I like for making flowers or other cake decor. The only thing is Italian, French, or Swiss buttercream is a lot more work, but if you have the time I'd try it.  I'm latin and meringue based frostings are the norm for us, so I do find American buttercream too sweet most of the time... but you could adjust the sugar in the syrup. 

Edited February 24, 2019 by JJ928

[Mellowyellow]

I use Swiss meringue buttercream as it is super smooth and I dislike the grainy-ness (sp?) of icing sugar. 

But I will confess that in recent years due to the massive cooking load I've cheated and whipped equal amounts of butter plus condensed milk with vanilla to make frosting. Very smooth and pretty tasty imo.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Mellowyellow

[BkWurm1]

Where does a tub of Duncan Hines rank in the frosting pantheon?  😉

[Mellowyellow]

Interesting article about stand ins.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/jeff-bridges-sterling-k-brown-5-stars-introduce-stand-ins-1187882

Didn't even know what a stand in was before this! Amazing how close some of the actors are with their stand ins.

***

All this talk of frosting makes me want to bake cupcakes!

Edited February 25, 2019 by Mellowyellow

[lemotomato]

2 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

Where does a tub of Duncan Hines rank in the frosting pantheon?  😉

Now I want to fly in and make you cupcakes and frosting from scratch 😧

[BkWurm1]

3 hours ago, lemotomato said:

Now I want to fly in and make you cupcakes and frosting from scratch 😧

Lol

I have actually made the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla frosting from scratch before but I never quite got rid of the powdered sugar flavor.  My mother adored making something called double boiler frosting which looked like royal icing when it was done but was soft beneath the shiney outside layer.  (Not great for layer cakes, they slide) My go to frosting for my go to chocolate layer cake was actually a stabilized whipped cream but if I was doing brownies, the stuff from the store wasn't bad IMO.  

Edited February 25, 2019 by BkWurm1

[Mellowyellow]

Mmm I could really use a cupcake with pink buttercream frosting right now.

Do you guys pipe your cupcake frosting or spread? I spread because I used to not want too much frosting but now that I'm older, the thought of a piped peak high of frosting is very tempting! 

I made red velvet cupcakes at Christmas and I am so tempted to leave out the red food colouring but part of me loves the red colour so I shall be in eternal conflict about this. All those chemicals *sigh*

But it's so pretty!!!!!!!!

***

Anyone here giving the Marie Kondo methods a go?

Hubs has reorganised most of his draws and wants to fold the stuff in mine. I've told him to leave it as is since I like to dig through them, feral that I am.

[Morrigan2575]

I used to spread but, i just started piping it's so much easier

3 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

My go to frosting for my go to chocolate layer cake was actually a stabilized whipped cream but if I was doing brownies, the stuff from the store wasn't bad IMO.  

What do you use the stabiliz it?  I watched a video on Youtube I forgot what she put in it but, all the commenters said she should have used gelatin

[Mellowyellow]

In Australia gelatine is automatically added to our cream. They label it "thickened cream".

[Morrigan2575]

That's interesting, we don't have that here (that I'm aware of).  I've also looked into different recipes, in the US we have Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream but, in the UK they have Double Cream which has a much higher fat content than Heavy Cream. 

[BkWurm1]

2 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I used to spread but, i just started piping it's so much easier

What do you use the stabiliz it?  I watched a video on Youtube I forgot what she put in it but, all the commenters said she should have used gelatin

Yes, it was gelatin though at this point I haven't made either the cake or the whipped cream in so long that I'd have to look up how much to use.  I also would mix in either some chocolate syrup or coco powder to give it some color.  But I've been super lazy and haven't even made a cake in years.  

Looked it up.  This explains it nicely. (Regular sugar works just fine FYI)  It's really very simple.  Even regular whipped cream as a frosting works for a couple days if you don't have hot weather and keep it in the fridge but this extends it a few more days and helps it keep its shape if you pipe it on.  (I also used it as a filling between layers)

https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/how-to-make-stabilized-whipped-cream/

Edited February 25, 2019 by BkWurm1

[JJ928]

I stabilize my whip cream with mascarpone, you can use cream cheese too but I find cc has a stronger flavor.

[Morrigan2575]

3 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

Yes, it was gelatin though at this point I haven't made either the cake or the whipped cream in so long that I'd have to look up how much to use.  I also would mix in either some chocolate syrup or coco powder to give it some color.  But I've been super lazy and haven't even made a cake in years.  

Looked it up.  This explains it nicely. (Regular sugar works just fine FYI)  It's really very simple.  Even regular whipped cream as a frosting works for a couple days if you don't have hot weather and keep it in the fridge but this extends it a few more days and helps it keep its shape if you pipe it on.  (I also used it as a filling between layers)

https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/how-to-make-stabilized-whipped-cream/

Excellent.  Thanks for the link!

[Starfish35]

So did anyone watch Whiskey Cavalier last night?  I’m planning to watch it on Hulu if I can stay awake this evening.  It looks like it might be a lot of fun.

Also, I’ve been seeing some chatter about Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, which hadn’t really been on my radar, but now I’m curious.  Anyone been watching it?

Edited February 26, 2019 by Starfish35

[Mellowyellow]

13 minutes ago, Starfish35 said:

So did anyone watch Whiskey Cavalier last night?  I’m planning to watch it on Hulu if I can stay awake this evening.  It looks like it might be a lot of fun.

Also, I’ve been seeing some chatter about Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, which hadn’t really been on my radar, but now I’m curious.  Anyone been watching it?

ooh thanks for the reminder on WC! I'll check it out!

Hubs LOVED Umbrella Academy! He highly recommends it! He blitzed through it! Says it's very well done!

[statsgirl]

15 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Anyone here giving the Marie Kondo methods a go?

Hubs has reorganised most of his draws and wants to fold the stuff in mine. I've told him to leave it as is since I like to dig through them, feral that I am.

Don't let him near your jewelry! Marie Kondo likes getting rid of things to minimalize.

[tennisgurl]

2 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

Also, I’ve been seeing some chatter about Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, which hadn’t really been on my radar, but now I’m curious.  Anyone been watching it?

I finished yesterday! I really liked it, had a sort of retro quirky but angsty indie superhero vibe that I really liked. It also has a great soundtrack, and they do something really interesting stuff with superhero archetypes and super hero stories are shot and set up. It does end on a pretty big cliffhanger, so I am already ready for season two, like, now. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by tennisgurl