TARRAGON & THYME

When I am working on a project or projects I tend to keep the Work in Progress in a carrier bag however every so often things go to pot and I end up with a carrier bag stuffed to the gunnells this is true of the little stash above but there are a lot of useful goodies therein so I need to make a start in getting things sorted out so that I can find things.  This particular bag has quite a lot of seed beads within it, but I have a large box on top of this somewhere in the back bedroom. It would be nice to get them in one place.It will happen eventually, boxes for different things.  It would be lovely to lay my hands on my craft items and be able to go to them just like that. I was specifically looking to see whether I had beads available to me in order to have a go at these beaded dragonflies.  I have some beads but the fittings within the wings that have a central coloured stone I do not have any of.  I am going to have to look out for some of ...

Well you do in my family and that is the way we have been brought up.  When it was my mum and Dad's anniversary one year when I was at home I think I was about 16 I wanted to treat them both to a meal but could not afford to pay for them to go to a restaurant  (I was still at school and not working) so I did the next best thing . I cooked it myself from scratch, arranged for my Dad to take mum out for the afternoon and early evening and then got stuck in, in the kitchen.  I think I prepared home made prawn cocktail (I made the sauce from scratch), Roast chicken with all the trimmings, and Black Forest Gateau also cooked from scratch .  Dear old Dad was in on the plan but not on what I intended to cook, so he got a surprise as well and my mum certainly did she had not got a clue but they both enjoyed the meal.  It was something simple, something that was not expected, so even more of a surprise, but the point of this little story is that I did not let a simple t...

I don't know about you but over the course of the month we use quite a few sausages whether they be in the shape of chipolatas, chunky sausages or sausage meat.  It is a very useful  versatile ingredient that I keep in the freezer. I use it for making home made sausage rolls, utilising short crust or puff pastry whichever is to hand; home made stuffing; (especially in stuffed chicken or stuffed rolled pork joints) mini pork pies; home made Scotch eggs;(best made fresh as they do not freeze more's the pity) sausage patties and sausage plait.  But sausages in their own right make a comforting warming evening meal of the old favourite Toad in the Hole, We also coil chipolatas into a frying pan with snippets of fresh rosemary and a little red wine fried in the pan  and then served rustically with either some pasta or balsamic tomatoes with herbs and chunky plain bread or served with butter.   Run out of sausagemeat but still have some sausages to ha...

I had a quiet and pleasant day on Monday despite having to go to the Hospital.  I was put on the wrong foot because my taxi was late and managed by the skin of my teeth to get there for 10:18 instead of the nominated 10:15.  They were very understanding though.  We went through the usual palaver of being measured  - instead of being 5 foot 5 inches in my stockinged feet I am now 5 foot 3 inches.  Somewhere along the line I have managed to loose two valuable inches!  We then came to the taking of the old blood pressure.  They strapped me up and then the machine thought and thought and thought in the end I asked if I was still alive of the lovely nurse and then it worked.  Despite rushing around my blood pressure was still well within the bounds of normal  - ahh I am alive then.   Next came the weight.  I have lost another 1 stone and  half - which I am well pleased about as it is less impact on the joints which is what...

Many years ago when I was first married I started my road to preserving with home made Pickled Onions .  I had a large old glass sweet jar that was packed to the gunnels with pickling onions and whole spices and plenty of malt vinegar.  They were a success but over the years I have refined my method and I have actually learned from making my preserves.  To start with I was not cutting the base of the onion properly and so they were either falling apart or looking a bit tattered on the bases and when all said and done if you are preparing something for your Pantry shelf you want as much as you can to eat - you can be over zealous..  However if you feel with the knife there is a natural line between the onion and the root where this can be achieved neatly and quickly.  I then used to spice the spiced vinegar bought from the shop up further by creating my own spicing bag to give it extra oomph and boiled this up in the vinegar.  You then allow this to cool le...

My family even at their poorest have managed to eat well and make the most of whatever has come their way even though the ingredients may not have been the most expensive cut but whatever they have had has always ended up being extremely tasty and going a long way.  Extremely important when there have been children in the house with never-ending appetites. Both my grandmothers' and my mum have always advocated the use of the ham hock, utilising it for the meat, using it hot to make a meal with some mashed potato, onion sauce and a green veg to make a tasty midweek meal (My mum's um had 10 children to feed so at least a couple of the ham hocks were used. Thereafter using the meat in sandwiches for pack up for the family, sometimes plain, sometimes with mustard, and these days sometimes with salad.  If there is still ham left over sometimes this was put into quiche, sometimes as a dressing to go with hot pea soup or you can pot it.  Then of course there is the stock fr...

It has been a very busy week this past week at work where in a normal team of 5 only two of us have been in - so it has been busy to say the least.  So much so I have been shattered this weekend and well for once have done absolutely zilch, nuffin.   I have done some research on some cooking ideas and crafts and some new to me blogs; watched tv spent time with the animals and generally just chilled for a change. Have also written up some recipes I want to try this year.  I have a book quite a thick book where I handwrite recipes that take my fancy Its been cold and miserable here in Peterborough today and I am so glad I have been in the warmth just simply being me.  It has been quite liberating for me not to be charging here and there and everywhere  after everyone else for a chnge - I just needed time out for me for once. Tomorrow (now today) I have an appointment to see the Consultant at the Hospital.  I have booked the day off work...

The measurements are guidelines only sometimes I add a little more liver sometimes a little more bacon depends on what I have 1lb pigs liver 4 1/ oz streaky bacon 1 chopped raw onion and/or roasted onions in butter Beef stock Marigold stock powder teaspoon tomato puree cornflour redcurrant jelly butter oil Water  Stock cube I tend to roast my onions and then add a raw onion on top.  Place both into a casserole dish with  lid. Gently fry the bacon after cutting each rasher into about 5 pieces until golden brown.  Place in casserole.  Flour the pigs liver lightly and then fry until golden brown.  Pop into casserole dish.  Add some water to the frying pan to relase the flavour left in the pan, add stock, redcurrant jelly (2 tsps) stock and thickener bring to the bubble and then add slaked cornflour to thicken the gravy.  Add to casserole dish mix well and pop into the oven gas mark 4 to 5 for 45 minutes. Serve with mashed potato. ...

I a trying to get ahead of myself a little bit by cooking tomorrow's pudding tonight as I a going to have the oven on this evening for cooking liver and bacon casserole (and we have pancakes for afters) I thought I would do a ring of scones but also an Eve's Pudding.  I have some apple puree left over from the other night and it would be a pity to waste it so its going into pudding. For the Eve's pudding 450g/1lb cooking apples peeled cored and sliced 75g/3oz caster sugar Sponge Mix 200g/4oz self raising floiur pinch of salt 100g/4oz butter 100g/4oz caster sugar 2 eggs beaten 30ml (2 tablespoon) fresh milk fresh cream or custard to serve Arrange apples in layers in a 2 1/2 pint greased ovenproof dish sprinkling sugar between layers. To make the sponge Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy Add eggs a little at a tie with a spoonful of flour between each addition to stop curdling beating well after each add...

I have been browsing the internet looking for different ideas on the craft front that I am quite interested in having a bash at, but at the rate I am doing things at the moment it will take me forever to do hence the pit stop here for all the things that interest me so that I can pick up on the tutorials, craft ideas, items to make, suppliers at a later date and so that everything is altogether in one spot and I am not hunting around trying to locate something I knew I had. As I find further things I will update. Catch you soon Pattypan x  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The first is a little bag tutorial which gives a link to suppliers.  What I loved about this bag was that you could make several different versions and just utilise the same frame, although the frames would not seem to be too expensive via the supplier below.  I thought that this might make a nice littl...

 I have test driven the cooker - first starting with some toast for a late breakfast and then this afternoon cooking a full roast dinner, roast pork, chipolatas and bacon, roast potatoes in goose fat, peas, carrots, french beans, Brussels, Yorkshire Puddings and lashings of gravy. Has not come out too badly need to get used to different positioning on the shelves as the burners are the opposite way on to what they were with the old cooker but it has been sheer luxury to get so much more in the oven.  I also made home made apple sauce as well.  Have prepared some onions - roasted them for the base of French Onion soup for tea tomorrow evening followed by the remnants of tonight's tea.  If anything is left over after that then I  will make a mixed soup (a bit of everything that comes to hand) for Tuesday night's tea otherwise it will be something fresh; I quite fancy a liver and bacon casserole with Mashed potato for Tuesday night's tea we will hav...

  Well its arrived and I am chuffed to little bits a proper cooker I am going to enjoy using this its a proper full size cooker with double oven whoopee.  I am a total saddo really getting excited over a cooker, but then I do like to cook. To quote from the ao website "Perfect for the no nonsense chef, the Hotpoint HAG60K gas cooker is presented in a stylish black enamel and will look great in any kitchen. And just to keep an eye on things, the digital display acts as both clock alarm and minute minder to keep your dinner from becoming too well done. But with so much valuable cooking space, the real work goes on inside. In addition to 4 versatile gas burners that are supported by sturdy enamel pan supports, there’s also an invaluable hob flame safety device, just in case. If a flame goes out, the gas will automatically switch off meaning there's no need to worry about gas leaks. The main cavity offers 65 litres of cooking space, whic...

Its been a hectic week this week.  The week did not start well and I ended up having to have further time off work this time because of an upset stomach. Since then things have been none stop both at work and at home and we have also had to have a service on the boiler and a check of the gas appliances in the property (we rent). Last year it was being voiced that perhaps next time round we would need a new cooker and this is the case.  The new cooker was supposed to be delivered today but due to a technical hitch it will now be tomorrow morning before it is delivered and fitted.  The ovens that have been provided thus far have been half sized which means having to be organised and a lot of shuffling about with trying to get tins in - standard sizes just have not fitted but I hope that is all about to change. This time round though we have put a little extra to the purchase of the cooker which is a full sized one and has we think a double oven.  Its a Hotpoint on...

Have any of you ever used Caraway seeds in your cooking.  I have experimented one recipe  which I use  on a particularly regular basis is for baked potatoes with cheese and caraway seeds and it is very tasty.  I have already popped up the recipe for this.  It is relatively quick to use. The Victorians were very fond of Seed Cake a staple of the Victorian tea table.  The seed in question being Caraway. Caraway seeds (Carum carvi) are known as the steadfast herb/spice as supposedly it prevented lovers from straying and it kept a man's pigeons and poultry steadfast too.  It was also meant to ward off witches!  But moreover Caraway is known as a digestive herb/spice to quote: "Chew seeds raw or infuse them to sharpen appetites before a meal as well as to aid digestion, sweeten the breath and relieve flatulence after a meal".  Well that's the nice way of putting it.   The liqueur known as Kummel is also flavoured with Caraway...

This is a pudding that will please both adult and child alike and it is tasty and not as complicated as you think it is I usually make my own flan sponge base using the whisked sponge recipe I posted earlier on but equally you can buy one Here is the link to the sponge recipe: .http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/whisked-sponge-recipe.html    I have a couple of special flan sponge tins which you do not see very often.  It has a groove all the way round it which forms the raised rim on the sponge.  if you do not have this type of tin just use an ordinary sponge cake base. Ingredients: 1 x 18cm (7 inch) sponge flan case or a single layer of sponge cake 30ml/2 tablespoon brandy or sherry (optional) Raspberry jam Fruit (optional) Meringue topping made with 3 egg whites Dairy ice cream made with fresh double cream or bought vanilla or flavoured ice cream Glace fruits to decorate (optional) Put flan or cake on to an ovenproof plate or dish Mo...

I love baked potatoes done the old fashioned way but I also love this different take on baked potatoes using three simple ingredients i.e. Potatoes, Caraway Seed and Gruyere cheese.  It is delicious well I think it is anyway and very simple to do and the recipe is fro Jekka's Complete Herbal.  It serves four Ingredients: 4 large potatoes 100g/4 oz/1 cup grated Gruyere Cheese (I love this as well) 2 teaspoons of Caraway seeds Method Scrub but do not peel the potatoes (tatties).  Cut them in half lengthwise and wrap the halves of potato singly in a boat of foil to catch any drips and sprinkle each half of potato with the grated Gruyere Cheese and a little caraway seed.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/Gas mark 4 and cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Enjoy - even OH likes these  

I am very keen to expand my preserving repertoire with meat and fish products this year and there are several recipes that I am itching to have a go at but before I get too carried away which is often my want I think I need to get myself organised a little more.  There is no harm in planning but we have to be sensible here.  There are a couple of reasons for this the chief one being that I have always had a very good memory both short term and long term but occasionally just recently it has been letting me down and in those circumstances when it comes to shopping in particular I thought it might be safer to write a shopping list if you like.  However this one is not going to be on any old scrap of paper I have decided to write in a hard-back book the ingredients for the recipes so that when I go meat shopping or grocery shopping I have the lists to hand which gives me free choice and quantities.  The second reason for this is that on occasions things are on goo...