The Lake District is gorgeous this time of year. I always get sucked into the whole fingerless glove thing; utterly pointless. The fact is it’s your fingers that get cold not the backs of your hands.
Please let me know where I can send you a few cans of Libby's solid pumpkin. It's so easy to prepare, trust me. Do you have pre-made pie crusts? Check. Ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cloves (just a touch of those)? Check. I add a dash or two of cardamom if I'm feeling frisky. Eggs? Check. Evaporated milk? Check. Caster sugar (as it's called in the UK)? Check. It's a must!
As an expat Canadian, I can totally recommend making pumpkin pie. Tinned pumpkin is the way to go; definitely don't be tempted to try and do puree from scratch. For one thing the pumpkins you get in the UK are carving pumpkins, not eating pumpkins. And even if you found an eating pumpkin, the texture from pie made with actual-pumpkins isn't right - stringy, rather than velvety. But, on the other hand, don't be tempted by pre-made tinned fillings. It's a totally pointless shortcut, because making the filling is dead easy.
Amazon and Ocado usually have tinned pumpkin at this time of year.
Ah thanks, Holly! do you have a fave recipe to follow? Also, don't mind my creepily-fast reply – I'm online writing my next newsletter, not just lurking in case anyone comments 😆
The tin will usually have one which is good. I’ve experimented with various other online ones, but haven’t found one which is massively better than the rest. I do recommend this pastry recipe: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/22662/flaky-pie-crust-recipe/ (do half for a pumpkin pie, and blind bake).
Vermont it ain’t for sure! I’ve spent the morning searching for maples only to find that the nearest are lining the A3 and protected by army surveillance.
I don’t know about you but we were staying downtown, so our hotel didn’t even have power and we spent every evening in our room in the pitch black, with all the streets in total darkness around us - not what we thought the holiday would be but definitely memorable!
🙈 we were a little higher up so did at least have power, so I have no grounds for complaint, but like yours our holiday was certainly memorable - in part for the extortionate amount we spent on eating in the hotel itself 😳😂
Haha, how come? We never get trick or treaters here so it mostly passes me by but I love anything vintage halloween related – old photos and illustrations etc
Here in New Hampshire, with the maples already half red, I'm not far from NYC by train and now want to go visit this fall, maybe take in the High Line and drink the first couple sips of a hot chocolate.
This made me laugh so much 😂 HARD RELATE. Have just had to cancel my trip to NYC after spraining my ankle (more like fracture) but have luckily visited during Halloween before. No where else like it! x
I have a camel cashmere pair that I bought eight million years ago. Every winter I manage to locate and jubilantly wear them for approximately one week before they somehow disappear again
My issue is that my fingers are always cold, so cold that I can’t even really move them to type on a keypad or feel them in general on cold days, so WHY would I even want such a contraption 😂
might you consider nyc in the earlier (middle) part of october? we are generally really really good at that...and then if you want non-city options you can do great day trips up through the Berkshires...yup it's nora ephron all the time up there....
Oh definitely and the weather would be even better! Though, we've left it too late to organise for this year. I've done the coast around Boston in early Oct before and the Catskills but not the Berkshires and it sounds like my potential spiritual home...
The Lake District is gorgeous this time of year. I always get sucked into the whole fingerless glove thing; utterly pointless. The fact is it’s your fingers that get cold not the backs of your hands.
Ha, exactly!
In terms of the utility of fingerless gloves all I can say is that I used to love them when I was a smoker 🥸
Please let me know where I can send you a few cans of Libby's solid pumpkin. It's so easy to prepare, trust me. Do you have pre-made pie crusts? Check. Ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cloves (just a touch of those)? Check. I add a dash or two of cardamom if I'm feeling frisky. Eggs? Check. Evaporated milk? Check. Caster sugar (as it's called in the UK)? Check. It's a must!
Ahh that is so kind! I'll see if I can find it online here!
As an expat Canadian, I can totally recommend making pumpkin pie. Tinned pumpkin is the way to go; definitely don't be tempted to try and do puree from scratch. For one thing the pumpkins you get in the UK are carving pumpkins, not eating pumpkins. And even if you found an eating pumpkin, the texture from pie made with actual-pumpkins isn't right - stringy, rather than velvety. But, on the other hand, don't be tempted by pre-made tinned fillings. It's a totally pointless shortcut, because making the filling is dead easy.
Amazon and Ocado usually have tinned pumpkin at this time of year.
Ah thanks, Holly! do you have a fave recipe to follow? Also, don't mind my creepily-fast reply – I'm online writing my next newsletter, not just lurking in case anyone comments 😆
The tin will usually have one which is good. I’ve experimented with various other online ones, but haven’t found one which is massively better than the rest. I do recommend this pastry recipe: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/22662/flaky-pie-crust-recipe/ (do half for a pumpkin pie, and blind bake).
Vermont it ain’t for sure! I’ve spent the morning searching for maples only to find that the nearest are lining the A3 and protected by army surveillance.
Lolling at that! Our decent seasonal trees are so rare, they have back-up
🤣🍁
Dear Eleanor, thanks so much for play list……it’s bloody excellent 😍
Give in to the urge to book those tickets!!
Ha! We too were in NYC in 2012 and had to make do with watching hurricane Sandy rather than the Halloween parade. One day……
I don’t know about you but we were staying downtown, so our hotel didn’t even have power and we spent every evening in our room in the pitch black, with all the streets in total darkness around us - not what we thought the holiday would be but definitely memorable!
🙈 we were a little higher up so did at least have power, so I have no grounds for complaint, but like yours our holiday was certainly memorable - in part for the extortionate amount we spent on eating in the hotel itself 😳😂
Your writing is so clever and relatable, thanks for the giggles!!!!
Thank you!
With you on so much of that...but I'm afraid I hate Halloween so not on that! Another great piece.
Haha, how come? We never get trick or treaters here so it mostly passes me by but I love anything vintage halloween related – old photos and illustrations etc
I just find myself cursing the wind, and the leaves, bloody leaves blowing into the house the whole time...but cosy jumpers
Here in New Hampshire, with the maples already half red, I'm not far from NYC by train and now want to go visit this fall, maybe take in the High Line and drink the first couple sips of a hot chocolate.
This made me laugh so much 😂 HARD RELATE. Have just had to cancel my trip to NYC after spraining my ankle (more like fracture) but have luckily visited during Halloween before. No where else like it! x
Oh man that is the worst timing 😭
It rains for 31 days straight here in Berlin too in October! I envy those people who live in places where October is beautiful and sunny!
I know it and yet I still buy suede this, suede that 😅
The fingerless glove paragraph had me rolling 😅
I have a camel cashmere pair that I bought eight million years ago. Every winter I manage to locate and jubilantly wear them for approximately one week before they somehow disappear again
My issue is that my fingers are always cold, so cold that I can’t even really move them to type on a keypad or feel them in general on cold days, so WHY would I even want such a contraption 😂
You missed stage 1, denial :D
might you consider nyc in the earlier (middle) part of october? we are generally really really good at that...and then if you want non-city options you can do great day trips up through the Berkshires...yup it's nora ephron all the time up there....
Oh definitely and the weather would be even better! Though, we've left it too late to organise for this year. I've done the coast around Boston in early Oct before and the Catskills but not the Berkshires and it sounds like my potential spiritual home...
Whole Foods sells pumpkin pie by the slice xx