plum pie

Finally something food-related again! You just can't live on books alone. Especially on birthdays! It was a friend of mine's birthday yesterday and so she wished for a plum pie, also celebrating the joyous occasion of pi day. You can find the recipe, which was very easy to follow, here. It was even easier than that for me, because I didn't make the custard myself (why make custard if you can buy it everywhere in England?). Also, the recipe requires you make your own custard, but the shortcrust pastry comes out of the fridge... Anyway, here is my attempt to make the pie:

The stoned and sliced plums in our very studenty kitchen.

The recipe says you should add ground cloves to the plums and the sugar, which I did - and instantly felt like Christmas in March. You could also leave out the cloves and add some cinnamon, I suppose.

Shortcut pastry from the fridge is great. I really hope I also get it in Germany - makes life so much easier...

 I just love before and after pictures. 

Next time I have to connect bottom and top better, because the form became naturally bigger in the oven...

...and they seperated themselves again.

But it was still a very delicious pie and I will definitely make it again!

a real gentleman

via Synchron Forum

Today is a great occasion to come back to my enthuisasm about the british Sixties TV series THE AVENGERS. Patrick Macnee, who played Mr. John Steed, turns 90 today!

THE AVENGERS is one of my favourite series. On one hand, because of the great emancipated female characters that appeared in it, Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, Diana Rigg as Emma Peel and Linda Thorson as Tara King. On the other hand, because of Patrick Macnee. Always well-dressed, handsome, charming and witty, he solves cases of shrinked tanks, speaking teddy bears and ernourmous amounts of rain.

Recently I finished reading his great autobiography "Blind In One Ear", which is touching, funny and ironic at the same time. I liked it very much and didn't really want it to end.

There are so many great videos of Patrick Macnee, that it is hard to choose one for this special occasion. For example the one that has been taken last June for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of THE AVENGERS in which he talks about the development of the series. Not forgetting the Oasis video for "Don't Look Back In Anger" in which Patrick featured. Besides there is the sweet song "Kinky Boots", sung by Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman.

Finally, I decided to choose none of these, because the only way to celebrate this actor is to watch all seasons of THE AVENGERS and not only a few minutes of it. So, go for it!

I hope that Mr. Macnee has more wonderful years ahead and enjoys his life together with his family. All the best from Fräulein K.

happy birthday to all of us!

In der letzten Zeit gab es einige Geburtstagskinder zu beglückwünschen und einige Torten zu essen. Künstler Jan Fabre, mein lieber Blog und Terry Jones, früheres Monty Python-Mitglied, Comedian, Regisseur, Autor und was-weiß-ich-noch-alles, waren nur drei von vielen. Und morgen gesellt sich ein weiterer zu ihnen: Schauspieler Patrick Macnee! Fräulein K. wird auch diesen Geburtstag gebührend würdigen und wünscht des Weiteren allen anderen Februar-Geburtstagskindern alles Gute. Celebrate yourself! 

happy birthday to hatmantöne

Ein Jahr ist rum! Hatmantöne gehört nun offiziell dem Club der Einjährigen an! Ich freue mich über eure zahlreichen Klicks und werde diesen denkwürdigen Tag mit... Fernseh-Gucken feiern. Und vielleicht ein bisschen Abwasch. 

Happy Birthday Hatmantöne!