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| Johnny Lothian |
Just writing to wish you a very happy, if belated birthday Nicey.
What the public want to know, of course, is if there was a particular treat that was kept to accompany the special birthday sit down and mug of tea in NCOTAASD HQ? Or did you just have cake? |
| Nicey replies: Actually given that it was a fairly chilly damp and drizzly day we had a BBQ in the HQ grounds. I've had a couple of slices of Battenburg today though. Wifey bought me a splendid plastic box to keep screws in, and because it was obviously a special day, a hose reel for the outside tap. |
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| Keith O'Kane |
Dear Nicey and the Wife,
I have just read Chris Capon's problem relating to the unfair distribution of tea making duties at his place of work.
There is a "Tea Turns" device available on the PG Tips web site which may provide the answer to his problems.
Simply add the names of your colleagues, give the wheel a spin and allow fate to select the tea maker for the day.
Keith O'Kane |
| Nicey replies: Yes we reviewed a couple of those tea making deciding things in the last newsletter. I think what is needed is a client server architecture with some form of simple messaging protocol so that people can broadcast when the the kettle is going on and other people can register for tea in a FIFO queue. Ideally all the tea drinking equipment like kettles and mugs would have sensors with bluetooth built in so they could report their status by relaying to your desktop PC. The Kettle might need its own little WiFi enabled base. The whole thing could come in a big kit consisting of sensors, WiFi kettle and portable Java based software. You could then simply click something on your PC to register for tea, and when your mug gets hot and then cools down again that effectively completes that tea cycle. Registering for tea might instruct you to go and make it, and for who.
Its just an idea. Alternatively you could just give people a shout when you put the kettle on. |
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| Chris Capon |
Hi Nicey,
Can you help...every morning when I get to work I make everyone in the office a cup of tea. This can sometimes add up to 6 cups of tea...now the question is how many cups of tea do I get made for me during the day? A big Wagon Wheel (the original size that is) of a zero. Not a one. I don't know if I should stop making the tea in the morning.
More recently I have even had my tea making skills called into question with some people saying I should put the milk in first, and of course every sane person knows that the milk only goes first in coffee. Do you think I should withdraw from the tea making altogether?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Chris
Derbyshire
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| Nicey replies: Yes jack it in. |
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| Redstar |
Just gotta say that i`ve just tried "Tesco`s Fair-Trade Double Choc-Chip cookies" and they are absolutely fantastic!! Normal biscuit fare in this house is Lotus Originals (although the Choco-Leibnitz have been going down well - if a little too sweet & rich for gluttonous consumption!)
I`m used to the normal Maryland - style cookie - small and thin , but these babies are a revelation !
Produced in the UK using Fair-Trade Cocoa and Sugar they are similar to the very expensive "soggy-bake" cookies that you can get. They are also huge ! (65mm across x 10mm thick) . They`ve a gorgeous texture and are very dark and rich.
Highly recommended :-)
they are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of fair-trade tea - yum !
whilst on the subject of toast (were we?) - i`ve got to suggest you buy a tesco`s organic thick sliced loaf - wonderfully nutty flavour when toasted - and thankfully as it`s not very popular you can generally pick up one at a reduced price :-)
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| Chris |
dear nicey
re the vegemite / marmite debate - in switzerland they have a variant called cenovis, which is much milder in taste and colour. in addition to the jar version it also comes in a tube, and is a common addition to salad dressings, as well as being used on toast etc. while massively inferior to marmite, it is quite yummy and perhaps a good starting point for newcomers to the marmite-style taste.
kind regards as always
ps - my tea-drinking partner has just started working at London's tea and biscuit and sitting down hq fortnum and mason, and gets regularly asked for chocolate bath olivers. she directs them to ncotaasd to add their voice to the many calling for their return. |
| Nicey replies: Yes I think Good Food Live tried to get some Chocolate Bath Olivers from Fortnum and Masons also. Nigel McCrea at Huntley and Palmers certainly freely ventured the fact that he gets asked for them and they may fit well with their new portfolio of products. Not sure about the licensing issues, however. We have had a chance to try all of their new range now, and I have to say its all really excellent stuff. The little tiny sweet biscuits were very posh affairs indeed, with lost of hazelnuts and brittle caramel. The crackers were all excellent almost like dark corn tortillas but flavoured poppy seeds or rye and sesame. The little checkers after dinner mints indeed kept us amused playing draughts after a big family dinner yesterday, although people started getting a bit suicidal toward the end so we could eat the pieces. |
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