The Old Curiosity Club discussion

I prefer anything that has anything at all to do with chocolate unfortunately. All the exercising I've been doing and I haven't lost a single pound. If I could only stay away from chocolate....

Tristram wrote: "
I am sure I won't let her read this. ."

Just proving that you don't really want to be a wonderful person!

Kim wrote: "I prefer anything that has anything at all to do with chocolate unfortunately. All the exercising I've been doing and I haven't lost a single pound. If I could only stay away from chocolate...."

My wife just made safe-to-eat-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough for the grandkids. It's a recipe without eggs, which aren't safe to eat raw, though I eat the real thing when she makes cccs. But this is just to eat raw. I snitched a bowl -- yoummy! At least a thousand calories, I'm sure, but who's counting?

Everyman wrote: "My wife just made safe-to-eat-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough for the grandkids. I snitched a bowl -- yummy! ."

Well, don't hold back, for heaven's sake -- get your wife to share the recipe with us!

Mary Lou wrote: "Everyman wrote: "My wife just made safe-to-eat-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough for the grandkids. I snitched a bowl -- yummy! ."

Well, don't hold back, for heaven's sake -- get your wife to share the ..."

I'll ask.

Mary Lou wrote: "Everyman wrote: "My wife just made safe-to-eat-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough for the grandkids. I snitched a bowl -- yummy! ."

Well, don't hold back, for heaven's sake -- get your wife to share the ..."

1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 tblsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream margarine. Add sugars, beat until light and fluffy (she uses a Kitchenaid mixer)

Mix in milk and vanilla

Stir in flour and salt

Add chips

Enjoy!

Everyman wrote: "Tristram wrote: "
I am sure I won't let her read this. ."

Just proving that you don't really want to be a wonderful person!"

It would be unfair to all the other wonderful people because if I tried being wonderful, I'd surely drive them out of competetion in no time.

Everyman wrote: "1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar..."

Thank Mrs. Everyman for me. Sounds deliciously decadent, and like the last thing in the world I should be eating. Perhaps I'll make some this weekend. ;-)

Mary Lou wrote: "Everyman wrote: "1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar..."

Thank Mrs. Everyman for me. Sounds deliciously decadent, and like the last thing in the world I should be eating. Perhaps I'll make some this..."

If you do make some, let us know how it turns out.

Oh, it does sound wonderful doesn't it? I didn't know there was such a thing. My sister eats cookie dough all the time, she loves it and doesn't seem to care what it could do to her.

Kim wrote: "Oh, it does sound wonderful doesn't it? I didn't know there was such a thing. My sister eats cookie dough all the time, she loves it and doesn't seem to care what it could do to her."

I find that if it's been refrigerated, about 6 seconds in the microwave helps to soften it so you're eating softer chocolate rather than hard chips.

Those US sweets are phoney! They look like "Refreshers".

Smarties are very bright colours, a three dimensional ellipse, with a hard sugar case, which goes white if you suck them (as a child you keep taking it out of your mouth to check LOL) ... but the point is that if you wait, and get to the middle it is gloriously smooth milk chocolate. And I think they recently reformulated them so there are no additives - but I may be wrong, so will have to buy a tube to check :)

They come in a cardboard tube, which people used to collect pennies in, as the diameter just fits, and now Pound coins. Various charities encourage this! The top of the tube snaps in, and is of bright coloured plastic, and has one capital letter of the alphabet on the reverse. You don't know which you'll get.

OK, beat that US "Smarties" !! ;)

Hilary - big hugs. I know your condition is chronic, and I'm so sorry it's flared up to be so unbearable for you recently. Hang in there, and divert yourself with Dickens and our silliness, or the erudite comments which occasionally pop out. Or should this be the other way round ... ?

You're in my thoughts :)

I must admit that I found chapter 47, in which Dickens indulges his love of all things theatrical, a little tiresome. I don't think I find Mr Wopsle as entertaining as Dickens intended me to. But it was important of course, to further the plot, in what Mr Wopsle tells Pip, and we and Pip can deduce, about his ghost-like "shadow" - that is so Dickens!! I love the analogy you make, Peter, about all the ideas and wraiths floating around in the Boss illustration.

Chapter 48 too, at Mr Jaggers's house, is great for furthering the plot. Lots of intrigue here! And it's confirmed with Wemmick later.

It was thrilling to see how Pip works out who it is that Molly reminds him of. And knitting! Webs of deceit, much like the knitting Madame Defarge. Lovely powerful writing. By the end of these chapters I was back to being hooked on Dickens again :)

Jean wrote: "Those US sweets are phoney! They look like "Refreshers".

Smarties are very bright colours, a three dimensional ellipse, with a hard sugar case, which goes white if you suck them (as a child you ke..."

I remember my childhood Smarties more jazzily colourful than modern ones, which look a bit more faded. This, of course, makes me wonder what kind of additives we unsuspectingly "enjoyed" in our tender years.

Kim wrote: "Hello Friends,

This installment begins with Chapter 47 and Pip is still waiting for a sign from Wemmick, but so far there has been none. Pip is now in need of money, but he refuses to use any from..."

I find it odd that Pip doesn't like taking money from a convict who has turned his life around and saved every cent he made for Pip, but he has no problem with it when he thought it came from Miss Havisham.
I think it's a question of respect for Pip, originally...Magwitch has lived the life of a constant prisoner while Miss Havisham lived a life as genteel lady. Magwitch is low and kind, and Miss Havisham well-bred and cruel; Pip refuses to see and accept the obvious in his flawed assessment.

He decides to not accept any more money from Magwitch, what would you want him to do with his jewelry? I believe he sold it to hide his association with Magwitch, starting off on a new slate.

These two chapters still show Pip as having very mixed emotions regarding Magwitch, however, he is now putting his life and Herbert's life on the line in keeping Magwitch safe and sound...What does this mean?

In chapter 48, it also came to light the story behind the scars on Molly's wrists. When Jaggers insists Molly show her wrists at a dinner gathering, I was under the impression they were from a suicide attempt...I was "so" wrong!"

However, even now, I'm still a little confused...Did she receive them running from authorities through bramble shrubs, or did she try "destroying the child;" thus, the scars are left behind from a child scratching her mother's wrists/arms in a struggle?

I too did wonder what is the reasoning behind her submissiveness with Mr. Jaggers, and why she continues to be in his employ after all of these years.

Maybe Molly still works for Mr. Jaggers because she knows that she might not find any other work, or if she did and her employers would learn about her criminal antecedents - and there is always a chance of that kind of thing happening, esp. in a Victorian novel -, she would lose her job.

So, all in all, it's safer to work for somebody who knows her full story and employed her because of it.