Bits and Bobs and Meat

Well today was D Day for the bacon we have had bacon sarnies for tea and they were tasty and i was well chuffed with the results. I shall see if I can get a couple of loin joints to do next so that we have a house stock of bacon for the best part; i.e the streaky and the loin joint for back bacon; it is so useful having a ready supply of bacon there is always a meal to be made.

So I think we can mark that one down as a success.I like it when a plan comes together its good to experiment it makes you grow.  I am buzzing with all sorts of ideas at the moment.

I hit Holland and Barratt at dinner time. I went in for Caraway seeds which I had been looking for and I remembered that they had them but at £3.00 odd for 150g - I got done - a bit more about that below. I also picked up one or two other bits as well. I shall have to go in again on pay day as they had quite a lot of dried fruit which I was interested in as well as cereals.I did get some dried Apricots which I had been after,some golden linseeds and some Hazlenuts (they had an offer on) and a Peaches and Cream Easyo Yogurt mix.  I mix and match with yogurt sometimes I make it from scratch using milk and a little pot of natural live yogurt as a starter, but I do like the Easyo mixes.  I use the Easyo flask to make my natural yogurt without the mix - all it needs is a kettle of hot water no running costs and it makes a litre.

Then I hit the market. When I was first married I used to walk into town to get my veggies and fruit for the week without fail.  The market went off a bit and I stopped using it, but on my recce today things seem to be picking  up a bit so it might be worth me reintroducing the early Saturday visits.  I am a keen advocate of fresh fruit and veg and there were a lot of options today at what I call silly prices but it is all stuff that I use.  I shall have to get a trolley sorted out though if I start doing that in order I can manage what I need to bring home. I cannot carry much these days.

Whilst I was on the market I paid a visit to the indoor fish and meat market.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of fish stalls and a couple of butchery stalls the main one I headed for was Woodland Butchers.  I picked up two gammon hocks for £2.99 each ideal for pack ups plus I will get the stock from cooking the hocks to make soup.  I also bought a kg of pigs liver for £2.50, a kg of Beef skirt for home made Cornish style pasties £8.50 a kg,  I also enquired about Pork Caul and they are going to put some in the freezer for me next time they get some in.  So was chuffed I asked about that.  They also had  ox tail, lamb neck, hearts, pigs trotters, chicken pieces, chicken wings, - etc. etc. the meat looked really good quality and I am pleased with what I bought home.  I shall definitely be going back come pay day.  I shall also have a look at the fish stalls in more detail; I noticed one of them sold dried salt cod.  I shall be looking for fresh brown shrimps in order to do potted shrimp which is delicious and they also can be kept in the fridge or frozen.

Also whilst on the market I paid a visit to a continental style stall which sells the Indian, Carribean, Italian etc. ingredients - it is very cosmopolitan. I found 100g packs of Caraway seeds for 99p per pack .  They also had a whole host of other goodies so I got done in Holland and Barratt.  May I therefore suggest that if any of you need spices and seeds to hit the Asian shops or market stalls first.  This is the stall that sells the Sorrel fresh just before Christmas (Hibiscus flowers). You can also pick up Pasta shapes and different formats from this stall quite cheaply.  I picked up a very tiny pasta shell pasta and little stars for use in soup etc.  They also sell faggots of fresh thyme and other fresh unusual veggies and also dried fish etc.

I also called into Grasmere Farm shop in the Westgate Arcade on the way back to work and asked for a 4lb pack of Lincolnshire Chipolatas for £11.  It was only when I got in that I realised she has given me sausages.  I prefer the chipolatas but they will not go to waste. So we have the bare essentials now  for breakfast with the home cured bacon and the sausages. Although I use sausages a lot for toad in the hole.

So not a bad little shopping expedition all the items are good solid food items that are now in the freezer apart from the beef skirt which has been chopped finely in readiness for making home made Cornish style pasties. - I have the pastry to prepare for that and then there will be a little production line in the kitchen before having some for tea and popping the rest in the freezer for another day.  I just love pies and pastries.

Right onwards and upwards.

Catch you soon

Pattypan

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