TARRAGON & THYME

Dimitri seems to be settling in well even coming to the whistle now like Squeak does  - he is learning the ropes and is coming in at night - he no longer is stopping out and seems to be content to snuggle in his blanket, be warm get constant fuss (he is getting this human well trained) and he likes his water fresh and running and when he is thirsty gets up on the bathroom sink and wows at you until you run the tap.  He then drinks his fill and once his thirst is quenched he settles down for some serious snoozing.  Think these photos show that he is getting comfortable. It looks as though Squeak has taught him well. Catch you all tomorrow Sleep tight Pattypan xx

Its been a busy day today.  I popped into town at dinner and John Lewis have the Christmas decorations up!  I was not impressed with what I saw and in fact have been scouring my old Christmas magazines for some ideas for home made Christmas decorations.  After all I have a lot of fabrics upstairs, beads, tapestry wools, ribbons lace, fabric etc.  and I am very much in creative mode at the moment and this way on it won't cost me hardly anything. When I got home I decided to pop on another bread loaf (OH informed me that he had run out and would I please put another loaf on).  I therefore obliged and decided to pop the other machine on as well.  I then decided to make some Tea Cakes. I am very partial to Teacakes by preference having them toasted with a little butter still warm with the butter dripping.  We have also been known to have them for breakfast as well as crumpets and pikelets. The photos will have to follow but the recipe for making the doug...

I have always been brought up where food is concerned to buy the best ingredients that you can afford at the time that you are purchasing, because the better quality ingredient the better the flavour of the finished product. As funds have become tighter ,I have had to do a lot of shopping around and in many cases not buying finished products  like cakes pies etc at all.  Ultimately just buying the core ingredients out of which so much can be made.  For me food is just about much as flavour as anything else.  Food has to be tasty, filling and good for you.  No one should go hungry.  There is no need for this at all. Entrepeneurs/business people  take basic ingredients make something from them thus adding to their value.  There is nearly always a mark up of 50% after all the "producer" has overheads too and is looking to make a living if not a profit on what he or she has done that is the principal of business.  That is the way of the world....

I set the alarm for 7.30 a.m. but slept through until 9.30 a.m.  I then got up, sorted the animals out, grabbed a cup of tea and we then went for a walk down by the river.  The walk was lovely as usual and this time round I got some more elderberries and some rosehips.  For apple and elderberry jelly and rosehip and apple jelly for the pantry store.  We came back and I have done a lot more cleaning, washing up and drying up and I have also washed my patchwork quilt and got it nice and dry again.  I still haven't really started with the pantry as I keep getting waylaid but will get there eventually and the lists etc will be done. Then I put the bread on, which I have reported on separately.  The bread is lovely though and I am well chuffed with it. We have had a late tea tonight, Roast Chicken, cooked in butter and fresh thyme, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, minted peas, colcannon, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and what is left over will be used for bub...

I popped into WH Smith the other day to look at the Craft Magazines and I could not get near; I had to wander off and come back.  I was only browsing, but already so many magazines are preparing us for making things for Christmas.  A good thing I think, but what pleased me most is that people are having a go and actively enjoying it.  I ended up speaking to a young mother who was returning to crafting after having a couple of years off as a result of having young ones and she was saying that she was so pleased that she was now going to get time to do something that she liked doing.  Not that she loved her children any the less.  I didn't buy any of the magazines, but I may indulge in one or two at a later date but I have come home and had a rootle in my craft boxes and have decided that I am going to do some serious card playing this year and make my own.  After all I have the equipment upstairs.I need to get cracking. However, when I do get chance to p...

I have the bread machines on at the moment.  I have a Panasonic which was bought from new and a Hinari large loaf maker that I rescued from a car boot for £10.  Why do I need bread machines.  Well its easier for me when I have a loaf cooking I can make dough for croissants or buns which are then cooked in the oven or make a batch of tea cakes. I offered to make a loaf of bread for my friend and as we needed one as well I have both machines going like billy oh at the moment.  Both machines are different sized loafs with the option of making a small medium or large loaf  although both of them have different sized tins the Hinari is long and narrow the Panasonic Square and deep - on this occasion I have opted for both to do a larger loaf.  So we will see how we get on. I pay about £1.68 for a 3lb bag of 00 Waitrose Canadian bread flour which is also good for pasta and Yorkshire Puds.  I will get approximately three loaves out of that bag using this re...

Its been a busy day and the nights are drawing in.  This was my front room at 7.15 p.m tonight looks cosy but the days are drawing in. Anyway, today started with a walk down to the river with Missy  - I didn't come back with anything today on the foraging front but tomorrow will be a different kettle of fish.  I could not find my usual foraging kit - I have a bag with a pair of scissors, some polythene bags, some carrier bags a pair of marigolds in which I use when foraging.  Sometimes we take a stick with a crook in it as well.  But it was a very pleasant walk and we did not need a coat. I also paid a visit to the Charity shop and have had something put by which I will tell you all about next week.  It was a treat to find such a lovely item and I am well chuffed. I went to the veg shop today and bought a load of goodies to which I have referred in my previous post; I have a lot of scope with these items and the fruit and tomato bargains from the veg s...

Funds have been a bit tight this week - end of month syndrome have run out of a few things and have not been able to replace them.  However, all is not lost just have had to make the money go where it will and not be able to take advantage of any offers - but still managed to get what I needed food wise.  But then I went armed with a list for the real bits I needed which were as follows: Small bottle of Sunflower oil Bread Buns x 4 (for Saturday snack) Bread loaf (only because OH had finished my home made loaf and hadn't told me  -another one on the go) Fish for tea  (4 portions on special offer normally would make two meals but last night we blew the lot) 2 x 6 pint bottles of mil Pot of creme fraiche 3 pots of yogurt for Chicken Box of Weetabix Tea Bags 280 on offer for Tray of Eggs  (unusually we had run right out) This will last me a couple of weeks unless I do a big bake Vegetables and fruit: carrots  x 2, cabbage, califlower, romanesco, p...

Ingredients 1/3 of a 454 g jar of orange marmalade 300ml natural yogurt 250ml carton creme fraiche In a food processor put the marmalade with the yogurt and creme fraiche whizz together.  Pop into dishes and chill until ready to serve. Now how easy is that.  Pattypan x P.S. It tastes nice too

This is scrummy - just think about it served with home prepared whole Mandarins or Clementines in syrup during the winter months or for a pudding over Christmas.  The peel looks like little stained glass segments and it is pretty simple to make alt hough it is prepared in stages.  Go on treat yourself. Ingredients half a  454 g jar or marmalade 75g of raisings 400ml carton of fresh ready made custard (or make your own) 300ml of double cream Method Both Methods In a small saucepan gently heat the marmalade and the raisins stirring until smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly. Tip the custard into a large bowl and stir in the cooled marmalade and raisins.  Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks then fold in the custard.  Don't whip the cream too stiffly as it makes it difficult to fold in. Ice Cream Machine Transfer to an ice cream machine  and churn for about 40 minutes until thick and creamy.   Spoon into a lidded box cover with l...

Some of my earliest memories relate to eating breakfast at my grandparents home where we used to stay a lot at weekends when we were little.  I remember steaming cups of tea,  thick doorstep hot toast off the Rayburn and then either Pop's home produced set honey to spread on top or Nan's home made Marmalade.  So I was introduced to good things from a very early age.   Most households have Marmalade in the cupboard. Its innocuous enough - most of us eat it on toast and that's it.   If you are lucky it is home made which is absolutely scrummy otherwise most people buy off the shelf.  Marmalade just isn't marmalade it can be made of various ingredients.  An all time favourite for me is home made Seville Orange Marmalade as you get the tartness, and sweetness with a touch of caramel thrown in.  All rather exotic but another hot on its heels favourite is Pumpkin Marmalade; this I really adore and love for breakfast or Ginger Marmalade and e...

Its been a busy day again today; first off I had a visit to the hospital to see the chap about some inserts being made for my shoes.   These should be ready in a couple of weeks and I have another appointment to go back to have them fitted properly.  That is two appointments in the same week one with this chappy and then another appointment with my physio.  Apparently it will take me a little time to get used to them and I am more than likely to need them for life, but they should make me walk much more comfortably.  After that I went to work and I was pleased to get home having had a bad headache for the best part of the afternoon, so I don't intend to be too late to bed tonight. The bread machine is currently on and I have a loaf on the go.  I really need to stock up on some basics next week like flour and sugar; I like to have bits in so that if I need anything I can set to and make whatever is needed.  However before going shopping I have things ...

So many memories attached to a box full of vinyl 45's and 78's records that kept a child occupied and which were always dragged out on cold winter days, and I used to jiggle and dance around. My mum was one of ten children who were bought up in a two up two down terrace house. In their youth my uncles and aunties had bought records and as they had then all gone their separate ways they had taken the records they wanted and a pile was left behind which were passed on to me as a youngster. A few weeks ago I went to my friends home and she had a guest who was quite knowledgeable about music and they were trying to outdo each other on song titles i.e. who could come up with names of songs that the other wasn't aware of. (or at least remember them)  In the end I fetched the records and revived a few memories for them as well as for me rediscovering what was actually in the box.  It turned out to be a very pleasant evening and a lot of memories were bought to the fore. Is th...

Light Table Apple Wine Apple Dessert Wine Dry Red Blackberry Table Wine Blackberry Dessert Wine Sweet Social Elderberry Wine Damson Social Wine Mixed Port Style fruit wine Christmas Ale Sweet Rosehip and Fig Wine Rosehip Syrup Blended Fruit Juice Table Wine Ginger Beer

I wish you could smell the freshness of this mint as I have been processing it this evening whilst I have been watching the television; I have been indulging myself in the new series of Doc Martin, one of my all time favourite programmes (on a couple of holidays down in Cornwall we have run into the cast whilst filming the next instalment in the village of Port Wen (Port Isaac).  I have already made one batch and because I am pleased with the flavour of the mint I have set about doing a second batch as well.  This type of home made mint cordial in flavour is nothing like a bought version and the colour is more natural too.  This recipe is taken from the Preserving Book that I recently purchased.  It is a short keeping cordial meant to be kept in the fridge, but I have had some success in hot water processing the bottles for longer keeping.  I am therefore experimenting with this recipe with the purpose of longer keeping. It makes approximately 14 fl oz and wil...

Hello everyone, its been a busy day today was up at 6.00 a.m. to finish the cleaning as my mum came for lunch today, so I wanted everything to be as spick and span  I had cleaned the lounge windows yesterday, but today I have also had the washer on and off all day and have a huge ironing pile to start tackling tomorrow night when I get home.  We don't normally have our dinner until late, but when Mum comes we try and have it early so that it keeps her in routine with her medication etc, Its been a lovely day; we had roast chicken, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrots, honey roast parsnips, sweet potato and it was delicious.  After letting lunch settle we skiddaddled off to a new garden centre in Peterborough called Dobbies and Mum and I had a really good look round and spent a rather amiable 2 hours constantly chatting and having a nose and window shopping.  Its been good to spend quality time together. We then came home and home made milky ...

Well he is still with us - making himself very much at home; he isn't going out very much preferring to be in the house with us humans and pets. He is slowly gravitating through the house room by room.  He started in the bathroom, then the kitchen, dining room and tonight he has come into the lounge.  He has eaten - chicken (this cat has expensive tastes) doesn't want to eat any cat food.  Is no bother and seems to be coming to terms with Missy - he initiated interaction earlier this evening and wsent to sniff Missy and OH had them both feeding on chicken scraps sat side by side.  Early days yet but I am hopeful. He is a big cat, but he needs filling out a bit, although here he is tidier than he was when I took him in.  A Handsome Puss has to look his best at all costs especially when being photographed. Anyway some photographs of the young man in question. He has even stopped to pose Anyway he seems to have settled down for a while - so far no ructio...