TARRAGON & THYME

When One Door Closes Another One Always Opens  

Looks innnocent doesn't he!  Let me tell you he is not quite as innocent as he looks. Last evening I was tired and my patience was running thin.  I managed to get Demetri in gone 9.00 p.m. and that was it he was in for the evening as far as I was concerned. We have no cat flap and because I have lost cats who were left out overnight I am very reluctant to let them stay out, during the day they are allowed to roam if they want to but not at night. For some unknown reason after he had fed Demetri was determined he was going out again; I was just as equally determined he wasn't; we had grumbling, he was extremely vocal and wasn't going to pack up. [Demetri when he calls sounds like a monster, deep gutteral and extremely wowy)  Negotiating with a cat is never easy at the best of times, but he was determined he was going to have the last word no matter what.  When I came down at 3.00 a.m. this morning he had  another pop at me. (he had come up the stairs callin...

After my cup of tea earlier on, I sat as I hurt for a little while sorting out my needlecraft magazines into parts and filing them together.  I have spent a lot of money over the past few years on craft magazines and all they really need is some organisation and storage.  I have a plan to have a shelf unit built in the craft room and to store the magazines neatly in magazine stands not the binders so that when I am looking for something particular to make on the craft scene I should be able to locate them.  Well that is the plan but it is going to take me a little while to achieve, but we have to start somewhere and there a lot of lovely patterns in the magazines which although not ready to use at the moment I have plans for in the future.  Its also giving me a chance to sort out some rubbish as well so its kinda killing two birds with one stone.  In case you hadn't quite realised I am starting to have a major sort out.  First the front garden now the stas...

This morning as the sun was out and about I decided to attack the front garden.   It was well past its Spring clean.   Unfortunately we end up with everybody's rubbish in our garden (not by choice) it just seems to blow in and I had decided enough was enough.  The window boxes had also collapsed and so they have been sent to the big rubbish tip as they had completely gone rotten. So it really needed tidying up. I also have a large cotoneaster in the garden which had shedded quite a few leaves and branches as well as the holly bush which had also reset itself another plant which we have taken out.   Ground Elder had also set itself in two large clumps and we have dug that out as best we can, but it is something that we seem to have been fighting in the garden ever since we moved here. It has taken some doing, now it looks nice and tidy after a lot of cutting, digging, clipping  removing rubbish like dead leaves and cellophane wraps from cigarette pr...

The Sun has got his hat on Hip Hip Hip Hooray the Sun has got his hat on and is coming out to play. So the words of the popular song go, but today the Sun has made a return to our grey skies and is bathing everywhere in its brilliance, coaxing life out of its shell, it is indeed a beautiful spring morning this Sunday in Peterborough I have not long come down, Demetri was squawking to go out and play so he has been released from his overnight confinement  Squeak is now fed and the house is now quiet and still, as much as a house in town can be,  Apart from the ticking of the clock on the wall.  Outside is full of gentle goings on the call of  cockerl in my neighbours garden, singing his heart out on this beautiful morning glorying iun the return of the sun ; sounds reminisicent of the countryside but not quite the same.  An enthusiastic bunch of cyclists going out for the Sunday ride by the front of the house and the occasional car go by; it is a gentle d...

This above all: to thine own self be true. William shakespeare1564 - 1616

Everything's a Circle We're each responsible for our own actions. It will come back Betty Laverdure, Ojibway

Its been rainy and wet and went milder here today; so much so I ended up getting very hot at work and took my thick jumper off which is something I don't normally do.  Its colder though here this evening at home and my jumper has stayed well and truly on. Things have been a tad busy around here especially at work, with me leaving work a lot later than I should do and then being all in a rush to do things when I eventually get home.   And then with the blog going different on me last night I had to have a rapid tutorial on what to do and what not to do - I am still not sure whether I have finished re-arranging the furniture.  Thanks to the assistance in some part of Rose of Second Hand Rose I think I have managed to sort out the two word verification for entering comments on the blog.  Mind you I had to go back into the old interface to actually do it as I could not locate it on the new interface, but I hope I now have managed to sort it out.  Go on post me ...

Well to all and sundry we know it as Pancake Day, but to those more respectful it is known as "Shrove Tuesday".  So the question is have you had your pancakes today? I have had four small ones which equate to two large ones, with fresh orange juice squeezed all over sugar dredged pancakes.  Sounds like something off a Marks and Spencers add, but mine were not bought I made them and that is all I have had for tea!  They are quite simple to make, you just have to take your time, and don't panic. Mine were made with two eggs, a cup full of milk, 2oz flour and whisked together with a balloon whisk (hand one) and then put into a very hot pan making sure that any loose mixture is tipped down the sides of the forming pancake to use up the liquidity, then turned, sprinkled with sugar and orange juice, folded and placed on a hot plate.  They went down very well. Actually the making of pancakes brings back a story from my childhood.  We had lived in Peterborough ...

It's the action, Not the fruit of the action, That's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your time, That there will be any fruit. But that doesn't mean You stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results From your action. But if you do nothing There will be no result MAHATMA GHANDI (1869 TO 1948)  

Things have gone slightly haywire on here - It would appear that I am having an enforced change of image down to blooming blogger!  I am not very impressed. However upwards and onwards.  Hopefully me upgrading as well will also sort out a lot of the problems readers have with leaving messages.  I can only hope so.  Please bear with me whilst I rearrange the furniture it may take a little while! Hopefully my sanity and  your resumed normal service will be achieved very quickly [or not] Prayers up to heaven! Catch up soon Pattypan x

Since I was 11 I have on and off collected perfume bottles; at one stage I had quite a collection, then I had a sort out as it were and disposed of quite a few pretty ones which I have regretted ever since. However I have started collecting again and have quite a few.  They are at the moment packed away; maybe one day I will share some photographs, but whilst I have been pottering about (under the bed) in the bedroom I started thinking of a couple of perfumes that I haven't seen for an awful long while, both of them favourites although not terribly expensive.  There used to be a perfume I think it was called "Windsong" by Prince Matchabelli and one called Pure Silk by Yardley; but I haven't seen them for a very long time.  I was particularly fond of the Pure Silk by Yardley as an every day perfume.    I don't suppose anyone knows of a source?  I also like Eternity, Dune and Angel which are more expensive, but I also liked the old favourite "Blue Grass"...

I thought I would post early this evening as I have a lot to do - notably to do with the bedroom it looks as though I am going to be in there for sometime, but I don't care as long as I get it all sorted and tickety boo it might take a night or two.  And the UFO's.  Sadly I have found more. I really am going to have to get myself into gear and get a wriggle on as how they are stored at the moment is taking up useful space which is very much at a premium.  Already this evening I have scrubbed up two large boxes into which to put up some linen under the bed.  Now that the airing cupboard is now a walk in closet, I really could do with a proper linen store.  I have also been trying to sort out my numerous magazines stash of all things craft and needlework.  That is also going to take some doing but I have made a start.  The idea is to sort out and then store in magazine holders in the computer room so that I can find everything which I can't at the moment...

I did get up early this morning honest; its just that I went back for a little while and I fell asleep again. I have a small story to recount from Friday night.  My friend who I have been teaching to cook is starting to have a go at making things without me having to show her.  During the week she made a valentines cake for her sweetheart - a first and apparently it went down well and all fired up and full of enthusiasm on Friday evening she decided she wanted to have a go at butterfly cakes.  She wanted to make some with pink cream in.  Things didn't quite go to plan and she caught the cochineal bottle in the cupboard, which fell into the bowl and spilt half of its contents.  My friend was all ready to sling the mixture and I told her to carry on beating the mixture.  Yes she had bright pink cakes, but instead of putting pink cream in she put white in and sprinkled them with icing sugar they looked quite pretty and tasted lovely.  So happy mistakes ...

I am a foodie, I love my food but I don't like paying through the nose for things that really do not cost a lot to make.  I have been watching Jamie Oliver on his trip around Britain locating all those recipes that make our multi cultured nation stand out when it comes to cooking. Often the influences to dishes that we think are English actually come from another nation in a lot of instances.  It has been quite an interesting series to watch from that perspective alone. As I am always .rather keen to cut the housekeeping amount down as best I can, I have been looking into accompaniments to meals like Tortilla wraps and Naan Bread and Pitta Bread and Chapattis.  Its rather like the Tortilla Chips recipe I posted a while back; to buy they cost a lot and yet the raw ingredients can be bought realtively cheaply.  For Tortilla Wraps for a pack of 8 at my local Coop they cost approximately £1.99 a pack unless they are on offer, as do Poppadums and Naan breads. ...

In all consciousness I have not been able to settle to anything today bearing in mind my appointment at the local Spiratualist Church at Harris Street in Peterborough.  I tried to keep myself occupied and made my first light wholemeal loaf today which finished about 15 minutes before I went out this afternoon and I was busy trying to extricate the pan from the bread machine before I left. In the meantime I was nervous, and very anxious and I had a dicky tummy as a result; call it butterflies, stage fright I was certainly wound up and needed to ground myself and calm me down.  I grabbed some Tchai Green spiced tea from the cupboard and had a couple of mugs full which helped settle down my tummy. I also put my Oms CD on and listened to that; I find that very calming as it reverberates through my system like a highly strung tuning fork.  . My friends, my support team came to collect me at 2.40p.m.   I was introduced to madam chair and I explained that it was my f...

******************************************************* "Everyone has something to bring to the table" ******************************************************

I am sorry this post should have been published yesterday but I lost the message completely and could not locate it and it has now shown up out of the blue, just when I thought I would need to type it all up again. Its been a disjointed day with me going back and forth as I am babysitting Mr Tiddles over the road.  Its also been a blooming cold one to say the least and I have been checking that he and Gizmo the Cockatiel with attitude are okey doke and so far so good.  Their owner returns tomorrow.  Just have one final check to make sure they are okay and that is it for tonight. Pennies have been a bit tight again this week, we have mainly been concentrating on having enough for heating and electric especially with it being so cold which means that there isn't that much around for food, and so have had to dig into the stores again. It will be pay day shortly so I will be able to stock up on all essential items, like butter and bread flour, rice and pulses, meat etc....

This is a recipe I am longing to have a go at as I love passionfruit. It is from a favourite book of mine called Creating Gourmet Gifts by Barbara Beckett ISBN 1-86373-246-2 a book well worth getting hold of if you can.  .The book was one of my reduced buys quite a few years ago but you may be able to pick up a copy either via Abe Books or Amazon.   Ingredients: 3 cups of passionfruit pulp 1 1/2 cups of sugar 6 cups of gin/vodka Method Put the passionfruit pulp into a sterlised kilner/Le Parfait type jar.  Dissolve the sugar in half a cup of water in a saucepan to form a syrup.  Pour it over the passionfruit and then pour in the gin/vodka and leave to mature for a couple of months in a dark cool place. . To quote the author: "I collected this recipe from the South of France.  The aroma of the liqueur is heavenly before you even get to taste it.  Not much of it gets given away at our place.  I put this down a lot at the end of summer...

Hope you are all keeping well.  Well it did snow last night and it was very slippy this morning, but the main roads were clear even if some of the side roads were not.  It has been very cold all day and it is bitter again here tonight although a lot of last night's snow has melted and dissipated. Ealrier on this I was lucky to pick up some passion fruit 8 fruits for 50 pence so I bought 4 packs. I am not totally sure that they are in season but as I explained in an earlier post its about making the most of what comes your way.  I consider this a  bargain, but since I acquired them I have been very busy and not had chance to process them. This evening I got to play not how I wanted to but a small play all the same. I processed the passion fruit (I wish you could smell the exotic aroma my kitchen smells wonderful as do my hands.  All I have done is frozen the passion fruit juice in ice cube trays.  (When I paid a visit to Australia over 26 years ago, I wa...

Just before I left work this evening at 5.35 the snow started again. My friend Tiggy (who I also work with)also gave me some Douwe Egbert coffee jars she had finished with and they will come in very handy as storage jars  for my dresser; they are due to be soaked and then washed a little later on.  We came home in a sleet/snow storm.  After getting in I set to and made tea, a scratch tea just using what we had available to us and we ended up having an old faithful, home made chips, baked beans in tomato sauce (Branston beans) and a couple of fried eggs with bread and butter and a mug of hot tea. It went down very well in the circumstances.  I was supposed to have been out to see a friend this evening, but unfortunately she was unwell  and had to cancel which was a shame.  As a result I ended up phoning a couple of friends as a result of which I did not take much notice of what was going on outside.  When I did go out I was astonished to find that we h...

I was up early this morning as it was planned that mother would come to dinner and spend the day with us.  Demetri insisted on going out and was totally funny - he wasn't keen on the snow but went hopping out over next doors shed leaving a trail of footprints in virgin snow.  He wasn't out long and retreated under the garden table until I called him in. Because of the heavy snow fall last night and the fact that she lives some 15 miles outside of Peterborough in Lincolnshire; and taking into account that they had had more snow than us; mum decided to play safe and stay at home.  I was bitterly disappointed for her as dinner was all prepped and ready to go.  It was done to be sensible, but being sensible sucks at times. I have asked my mum not to go out in this weather but to stay in as we don't want her having a fall; she has to walk with a frame in any event. We subsequently had roast rib of beef,mashed potato, mashed swede and carrot, roast potatoes, roast pars...

A busy Saturday whereby I went to the Charity shop as a first port of call and managed to find three very useful items for under a fiver.  Will post another day on this, but still finds all the same.  Last week I found eight little glass jars which I will also seek your opinion on as I found them by chance 8 jars for 10 pence each.  I would like to know if any of you good people have any idea where they came from as I am eager to acquire more if I can - I have a project lined up for later on in the year and I will require quite a few more.  But more on that when the camera is charged and I am able to show you what I am on about. After that I hit the veg shop; I bought more seville oranges, passion fruit, sweet potatoes, a Savoy Cabbage, parsnip,broccoli, carrots, eggs, onions and swede, and some plums. Milk was obtained from our local Asian Newsagents/cum supermarket as well as 5kg of sugar.  I also noticed that they had 5kg of Basmati Rice on offer for £4.99 ...

Tonight I didn't leave work until 6.00 p.m. and I am absolutely shattered and I intend to have an early night for me and going up to bed early getting some extra rest and cuddle up under the quilt and maybe perhaps I will dream. I have been sat on the settee for a little while, listening to the television and quietly without me knowing Demetri has got up onto the settee (in the spot normally frequented by SqueaK) and is curled up fast asleep.  He seems to like a bit of fuss from me and likes to be near.  Funny little moglet.  He doesn't like to be cold at all.  Squeak is on the other settee glowering because he is so close, but then to be fair she does have my company most of the night. OH had made me tea - Faggots, mashed potato, Kale and carrot and swede crush with lashings of gravy which went down well. Must wend my way finding it difficult to stay awake Take care Pattypan x

We are both rather taken with the Brack recipe I made the other day.  Unfortunately I am unable to post photos at the moment as the battery charger has gone missing.  Hopefully I will locate it soon and be able to remedy this.  Needless to say this will be making a regular appearance on the baking list. I still have not tried the Malt Loaf; the recipe said to let it rest for a couple of days wrapped in tin foil so this is what I have done.  Will probably try it tomorrow evening. Tomorrow nights tea will be faggots, mashed potato, carrots and cabbage.  We need something warm in this very cold spell of weather that we are having at the moment. It has been very cold and very frosty in the mornings with the temperature dropping radically of an evening; and yet here we are into the second month of the New Year already. Yesterday I received a letter from my cousin- which was very pleasing to receive; today I have received another instalment to my Art of Crotchet...

I have found this recipe which looks quite scrummy - you see I have some eating apples to use up and I thought the best thing to do was just look around for some apple recipes make what I can and then if there is too much to freeze it. The ingredients are: 4oz /115g butter 4oz/115g brown sugar 2 eggs beaten 5oz/150g wholemeal flour 1 tsp baking powder apple juice for mixing 2 large eating apples cored 1 teaspoon of demerara sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon Preheat the over to 190 degrees C/375 degrees F/Gas mark 5 Method Cream the butter and the sugar together until they are soft and fluffy then gradually beat in the beaten eggs.  Mix together the flour and baking powder and then add them alternatively with the apple juice until you have made a batter of a dropping consistency.  Spread the mixture into a greased swiss roll tin.  Slice the apples into slices and arrange them in rows on the batter.  Sprinkle liberally with the sugar and cinnamon. Put in ...