Sunday Round Up and Stew

It is Sunday 7 December 2014 and it is 4 degrees outside - warmer than last night!

Its been a busy old week with one thing and another and am back to work this week.  Today has been a pottering sort of day getting stuck into outstanding jobs of which there is a whopping pile still to work through - never mind tiz just the depth that varies!

We have had simple plain tasty fare to eat today.  I cooked a large pan full of potatoes, the idea being that we would have them as mash  and then as a topping for a cottage pie, but best laid plans of mice and men and all that - I am going to have to make new mash for the cottage pie.

We had simple tasty stew tonight, softening onions until translucent then adding stewing steak (2 packs of) then carrot and redcurrant jelly, stock, pepper a dash of Lee and Perrins a couple of stock cubes and water  and then adding a pre-prepared casserole stew pack, bringing to a simmer then putting the pressure cooker lid on and cooking for 50 minutes; letting the steam out after reducing pressure and then adding some cornflour to thicken.  Served with thick hunks of bread it went down well it was tasty, filling and warming.Something that is needed with this cold weather to warm you from the inside out.  There is plenty  of stew left for tomorrow evening hence me having to cook further potatoes for the mash for Cottage pie which is destined for Tuesday nights tea.  

I also have veggie soup to make tomorrow night to take for pack up and to go with the pumpkin seed bread I have made in the bread maker - it was a bread kit from the Co-Op to which I added just water and then an extra large knob of butter (which was a Pattypan addition).  It has risen really well. 

 

I need to get the bread maker on a bit more often and intend to make up some bread kits of my own up to keep in the pantry so that I can get a loaf (or buns on) when I get in of an evening and to try and wean OH off "sliced bread".  I prefer a more artisan style bread loaf - proper bread.  I am very lucky in that I have some lovely equipment so I might as well get the best out of it.

My washing machine has packed up - I have another one which needs a new concrete block in it so hopefully I will not be without a machine for too long.  I have run out of tea towels so I have a large pan of water on washing them in soap powder the old fashioned way.  As long as it gets them clean so that I can get them tumbled that is all that matters.  Old ways still work!

 

 

I have had a cave in under the stairs which needs sorting out if I am to get the rest of the bits put up and away for Christmas.

 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend

 

Catch you soon

 

Pattypan

 

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