Sure! I know Bob Smith from London!

I was asked a question by someone just recently, that made me think of a whole bunch of other mildly ridiculous and sometimes hysterical questions I have been asked since I moved State side...

Some of them have been asked by people who live in the US and some have been asked by people at home (I am not going to name any names.) Below are a list of 'serious' questions I have been asked. No jokes here!!

Questions from the USA

1. Ooooh! You're from England? Did you find it difficult learning a new language?

2. So what did you cook back in England? You had to buy everything from farms and make everything from scratch, right? You don't have grocery stores like we do here do you?

3. Oh my god, your accent is so cool! I'd LOVE to go to Australia! Did you ever get to meet Steve Irwin??

4. You're not from around here are you? Do I hear a Pennsylvania accent?

5. Oh, those black bowler hats that all the men wear in England are SO cute!

6. "Excuse me Mam, did I hear you say you were from England??? Do you happen to know someone called Bob Smith? He lives in London!?"

7. Do you know the queen?

8. (Cops in a restaurant) "I have a thing about the English accent, could you please say, in your sexiest English voice, {Mans Name} You are soooo sexy!" Uhm... No.

9. OH cool!!!! You're a Brit!! TOODLE PIP, PIP PIP, CHEERIO CHAPS!

10. Everything stops there at noon for tea and crumpets, right?

11. Your teeth are so nice! You must have had those fixed here, huh? Seeing as everyone in England has bad teeth and all.

Questions from England

1. Can you send me a gun?

2. Do you have cheese over there?

3. What about cows?

4. Do you not find it all very 'Jerry Springer?'

5. Aren't you worried about getting eaten by an alligator?

6. Oooh you're not going to be living anywhere near where that movie Deliverance was filmed are you? You know! De de ling ding ding din ding ding ding..

7. How big exactly is a supersized Big Mac? Can you eat a whole one? I bet they are HUGE!

8. Does your husband talk like the Marlboro Man? You know, "Howdy Pardner" Does he wear chaps?

9. A 20 hour drive from Maryland to Florida? But it's only 2 inches on the map!!

10. I don't understand American Football. ME NEITHER! ;)

11. They eat burgers every day! I bet you are so sick of burgers.

That is actually a relatively short list!! There are many more, I am sure!!

Have you ever been asked a funny question by someone out of town or country? I'd love to hear them if you have!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Tasha

Baked Rice Pudding Recipe

I adore Rice Pudding. I made some a few days ago and my house smelled absolutely amazing! My Mum used to make this all the time when I was growing up; I can't get it quite like hers though... I wish I could because I have never tasted another quite like it!

I think it's down to the cream... In England there are lot's of different thicknesses of cream available to buy. You can buy Single Cream, Double Cream, Whipping Cream (Heavy Cream) or my personal favorite, Clotted Cream (yum!). She pours double cream all over the rice pudding for the last 15 minutes of cooking and it goes so thick and gooey and creamy. (I'm salivating just thinking about it...)

The one I make is still very good! I also add cinnamon and nutmeg to mine, which my Mum doesn't do. It just gives it that added flair AND makes the house smell good!

Here is my recipe. It only makes enough for 4, but you can certainly double it up and have leftovers, it's actually even better the next day I think! I just add a little milk to it and stick it in the microwave for a couple of minutes :)

Just me.

Now that I have a few more readers, I figured now would be a good time to tell a little more about myself! Below are a few random facts. If you want to do the same, please do!  I'd love to know more about you guys too!

- I grew up by the ocean in a little town called Newquay. My goal is to one day live by the ocean again!  I'm determined to find a little town similar to Newquay, in the States.  Any ideas? (My Husband is convinced that it looks like Southern California where he is from.  I'm thinking it might be a ruse to get me to move there though!)

Yes!  This really is in England!

- I'm addicted to coffee. Seriously, it's bad. If I don't have at least 2 cups of REALLY strong coffee with motor oil properties, within half an hour of waking up, that's me done for the day.  Shakes, headache, the whole shebang.

It's true.

- It bugs the crap out of me that I smoke and can't quit. I'm a strong willed person who can do anything that I put my mind to, except quit cigarettes!  I can't afford to smoke, yet I panic at the thought of quitting.  I have smoked for 18 years. (Yes, I'm only 30. Disgusting, huh?) They just need to stop selling them.  Then I'd have to quit.  Or you'd see me being dragged out of an illegal smoking den, kicking and screaming. (because I'm SURE there would be!) Who knows.

This will not be me.

- I have a rare split birthmark that spreads the whole way up my right arm, from my wrist to my shoulder. The funny thing about it is, it wasn't actually there when I was born... It appeared when I was 18 months old... When I was a kid, it looked as though I had cigarette burns up my arm. When I was 13, I was contacted by a specialist in some fancy private hospital in England who wanted me to be his guinea pig. He wanted to test out his shiny new laser machine, he was pretty sure he could get rid of it. After 6 sessions of what felt like someone splashing hot oil all up my arm, they did actually fade a bit. Now that I am older and my skin has stretched, they look a lot more like bruises. My Husband is constantly getting evil looks. I have no idea what the medical terminology is for this, I'll have to ask my Mum... She had to get a doctor to write a note to take to school to prove I wasn't being beaten!!

That's all I can think of for right now! I'm going cross eyed at the moment because I am so tired! I am off to the land of nod. :)

Have a great night and thanks for stopping by!


~ Tasha

Missing England

 

Just lately, I am missing England more than usual.  I think it's because I haven't been back there in 4 years and the chance of getting back there within the next 2 are looking very slim :(  I'm trying to get my Mum, Step Dad, Brother and Sister over for Christmas which would be so, so great!  I also think my best friend who I have known since I was 7 is coming over for New Years Eve!  She will be bringing her new Husband and baby Alfie with her who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet!  I'm so excited about that!  It seems soooo far away though!

My ramblings today are going to include some pictures of some of my favorite things from England to give you more of an idea of where I am from.

Below is the town I grew up in, Newquay.  It's on the South West coast of England and has a population of about 22,000 people! (In the summer this goes up to about 100,000)  There are 10 beaches and this is why I miss the beach so much!  When I was growing up, I don't think I took advantage of the beach enough because I saw it every day.  Now I don't, I wish I was there!  I wish I had gone down to the beaches every day!

Newquay Coastline

When you talk about England, you HAVE to include a pub!  This was the place to go in Newquay, whether it be for a quick lunch and a glass of wine with friends, a morning cup of coffee, or a girls night out.  We were here, a lot!

  Next comes food (of course!)  I have a list of things that I am going to eat as soon as I get there.  In fact, if the person who picks me up from the airport could bring all of the below with them, I would be eternally grateful!  I'm thinking they may have to roll me back on the plane though!!

A traditional English breakfast.  Sausage, Bacon, Fried Bread, Fried Egg, Mushrooms, Baked Beans, Tomatoes, Black Pudding. It makes me want to lick the computer screen.

The famous Cornish Pasty.  Shortcrust pastry filled with steak, onions, potatoes and suede, sprinkled with lots of black pepper.  The trick is to eat it before the seagulls steal it from your hands.

PROPER fish and chips!!!  I probably miss this the most!!!  I have tried to recreate it but have failed.  It just doesn't taste the same.  And on a side note, A BIG FAT YUCK to Long John Silvers.

This my friends is quite possibly the best chocolate bar ever known to man, woman, or child.  In fact ANY Cadbury's chocolate makes me salivate.  My Husband will no longer eat American chocolate.  Cadbury's is not the same here...  I don't know why the recipe would be different, but it is :(

That's all I can remember for right now!  If there are any English people reading this who happen to have the perfect fish and chip recipe from back home, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know!  You will seriously make my life complete!