Text 1162, 87 rader
Skriven 2006-05-06 10:23:20 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Ruth Hanschka
Ärende: AUNT RUTH!  60506
=========================
 -=> Quoting Ruth Hanschka to Glen Jamieson <=-

 -> 1087. His son, William II (Rufus) then lasted until 1100.  I think
 -> Rufus was supposedly accidentally shot on a deer hunt.  Perhaps if
 -> they had only been hunting quail that day he might have survived...

 RH> That's the guy Carol was thinking of.  If he'd been quail hunting, Sir
 RH> Richard De Chaney might have hit something a little nearer and dearer
 RH> than his heart... quail fly rather low.  Most guys would rather be
 RH> dead. 

Being a ruler and leader in those days was quite a risky business; not
much safer now.

 -> King Arthur is alleged to have been a Celtic king in the Cornwall
 -> area, some time between 500 and 1000 AD.

 RH> That's what I heard.  Some people theorize he might have inherited
 RH> some Roman leftovers, armywise, but I'm not sure I believe it.   

I think the Romans left well before Arthur's time.
 
 -> Alfred the Great was the great unifier, and made a treaty with the
 -> Danish rulers of the north and east.  He ruled from 871 to 899.  He
 -> was the one famous for burning the cakes.

 RH> He was?  Must have had lousy bakers on the royal staff!  Or did the
 RH> King do it on purpose?  One problem with living in the US is that we
 RH> didn't get Alfred in grade school.  Richard I either, for that matter. 
 RH> History started in 1492....  

You missed a lot of violent history - of imprisonment of children,
poisoning, beheading of rival queens and many gory battle deaths.

Alfred was a favourite of mine.  The story goes that after a battle
defeat he was left all alone, wandering in the forest and feeling
sorry for himself, when he came upon a peasant's hut.  The lady of the
house took him in without knowing who he was, gave him shelter, etc,
then went off to work in the fields, leaving him to look after the
cakes (no recipe given, but probably just flour and water) which were
baking - probably on a hot hearthstone in front of the fire.   Alfred
became pre-occupied with deep thoughts about the future of England and
the futility of war, and completely forgot about the cakes, which
burnt to charcoal.  When the goodwife returned, she was most upset,
and gave him the rounds of the kitchen for his neglect of the
important things in life.

As result of this, King Alfred learnt humility, re-assessed his
personal values, and went on to make peace by treaty with his Danish
neighbours, and to introduce a code of laws to protect all his
subjects.  He also started schools to encourage literacy among the
common people.   Alfred was known as a Good King.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: DAMPER      [AUSTRALIAN BUSH BREAD]
 Categories: Australian, Breads, Colonial
      Yield: 1 Loaf
 
      2 lb Flour
      2 ts Bicarbonate of soda [level]
      2 ts Cream of tartar     [level]
 
  Mix all these ingredients together, then slowly add enough cold water
  to make a firm, yet soft dough. Knead to get some air into it, then
  shape into a circular loaf 2 inches thick.
  
  Rake the ashes of the fire flat. Place the dough in it and cook for 10
  minutes, then rake some hot ashes entirely over the top of the
  damper. It should be ready [or almost so] after about 30 minutes.
  
  Knock it out with a spoon or something blunt; if it sounds hollow, it
  is cooked. Alternatively, test by sticking a skewer into the bread.
  If this comes out dry, the damper is done. Rake of the ashes.
  
  For the lightest of dampers, grease the camp oven and let the dough
  stand in it for 10 to 15 minutes before placing your oven on the
  fire. Push it gently into the coals and cover the lid with hot ashes.
  Cook for 35 minutes, then test to see if done.
 
MMMMM
 

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 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)