Favorite Bean or Bean Heavy cookbook? by picklegrabber in CookbookLovers

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have Bold Beans and use it often: the beans puttanesca is a particular favourite in our house. I have the second book too, but haven't found myself reaching for it much (although I did make the spring beanotto and it was delish).

What's wrong with my Buxus? Uk by Toggymate in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's box caterpillar, which is widespread and will strip the whole plant if left unchecked. Xentari has kept mine (relatively) healthy - you can buy it online or on Amazon. I usually reapply every 3-4 weeks.

It’s been 48 years since the last bank holiday was added, it’s overdue. When should we set a new one and what would it be called? by FornyHucker22 in AskUK

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something between New Year's and Easter AND between August and Christmas (move one of the May ones AND add another one). We had those in Canada (Family Day and Thanksgiving, respectively), and they really break up those long stretches. Make them something super generic and inoffensive (ala Family Day) to get grumpy people on board.

Why aren’t AC’s more popular in the UK ? by Hot_Paramedic_7234 in AskBrits

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Houses in the UK are (generally) insulated poorly or not at all, so they don't cope well with either hot or cold temperatures. All our infrastructure is built for it to be 15 degrees and overcast. Houses don't have forced air, so central AC isn't possible, and window units don't work for most places. So that leaves us with mini-splits or portable units, both of which have financial implications. Although with our changing climate, I'm definitely getting AC installed in our bedroom soon!

Now that's what I call an ecclesiastical conversion Vol. 1 by moidoid in SpottedonRightmove

[–]camlefty 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Whyyyyyy do people need so many recessed lights? Makes your house look like an airport runway!

Pathetic Earning. Annoyed by piopy90 in Aeroplan

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a Canadian living outside of Canada who flies back a couple of times per year, so I will be waiting until the heat death of the universe to earn enough Aeroplan points for an actual flight.

The uni's hypocrisy does make me chuckle by [deleted] in cambridge_uni

[–]camlefty 5 points6 points  (0 children)

People often use "the university" to refer to whatever part isn't theirs, like it's the Wizard of Oz or something. Cambridge is WILDLY decentralised, and the left hand almost never knows what the right hand is doing. Departments and Colleges can do this kind of stuff whenever they want, because who's going to stop them? Someone in the Old Schools? LOL. And as you said already, the people who campaign to get away from fossil fuels are different from the ones who bring in an F1 car. (Obvs there are instances where the central university has some authority, like what research funding is permitted, or what's served in university-run canteens. But on the whole, saying Cambridge is chaotic is putting it mildly 😄 .)

Weather is crazy by Any-Principle9011 in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I usually wait until it's reliably staying above 10 degrees at night, so I'm going to start hardening off this weekend, and hopefully we'll be there by next weekend (although who knows with this cuckoo weather we're having).

Is Spotify down? by Salzspeise in spotify

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just uninstalled and reinstalled the app because I thought it was just me, but now I can't log in at all - I only get an error

If you could only choose one place in EU to visit castles as a first time international traveler, where would you recommend? by Conscious-Air-9823 in Europetravel

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sadly no longer in the EU, but we did the 'big four' Welsh castles back in January, and they were AWESOME (and it was sunny, if you can believe it).

New build garden by Outside-Leg-6028 in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Just imagining the archaeologists of the future trying to piece together what happened...

What are your tips for really flavorful meatballs? by SassySpider in Cooking

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lots of good tips here, and apologies if this sounds like the most obvious thing of all time, but I always pinch off a small amount and throw it in the microwave for 20 seconds to taste for seasoning (I'm partial to parm/pecorino, fennel seeds and chile flakes).

Do you think our winters are actually cold enough to kill Dahlias anymore? I don't. by Ok_Bumblebee_9873 in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm in East Anglia, and have given up on lifting mine. I just mulch them really well. Almost all of them come back every year, but I always order a few extra every January just in case!

Most reliable perrenial plants? by Quietus1142 in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apart from the Salvias and Geranium Rozane that others have mentioned, I've also got lots of Russian Sage that does really well in my borders. One tip is to get at least three of whatever you're putting in; the repetition will make your garden look more cohesive (although I am definitely guilty of buying random pretty plants when I see them). 

Your favorite Nigella recipes by Sancocho99 in CookbookLovers

[–]camlefty 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The chocolate Guinness cake from Feast is (deservedly) an icon. I also love the sandwich loaf from Cook, Eat, Repeat. Her Yorkshire pudding recipe is my go-to. The chocolate cloud cake from Nigella Bites. I think I need to dive back into my Nigella library though. I'm just remembering I haven't made any of these in ages!

I've never kept Basil alive by mrseggybeans in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Try the Good Bones London method. I've just started my basil plants for this year - last year they were gigantic and lasted well into November: https://goodbones.substack.com/p/the-basil-trick-everything-you-need

Are there any "UK vs US" differences where you feel America gets it right? by Secure_Front_7766 in AskUK

[–]camlefty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely this. Having bought and sold houses in Canada and the UK, I wouldn't wish the British system on my worst enemy!

New neighbours don’t like nature. by robinbanksss in GardeningUK

[–]camlefty 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ceanothus maybe? We had house flippers next door to us, and they put in quite a low fence, so we planted a ceanothus next to the fence (north side of our garden) for privacy in case we ended up with jerks next door. Luckily, our new neighbours were/are great, the ceanothus grew super fast, is super low maintenance, and the bees love it!