Soup for Starters and Hot Water Bottles to keep warm

The weather here has been decidedly back-endish proper autumn this week.  We do not have rain forever then get overfilled in three days on the trot. Walking into work on those three days I got absolutely drenched despite being in all weather waterproof gear.  We have had the mists, very eery and the beautiful colours of the leaves on the trees always beautiful and beautiful sunsets (although very little sun during the day) Much as I love this season my body complains and I become a bit like the tin man from the Wizard of Oz!

When its cold you need something warm  something to stick to the ribs from the inside for me it is definitely Soup weather.  A meal in itself and when you haven't got much money to go around its a warming cheap meal in itself and if made from scratch retains so much more goodness and flavour.  I tend to make my own stock from a chicken carcass or decent vegetable peelings and store it in the freezer for soup and for gravy. 

The beauty of making soup is you can make it from leftovers or fresh veggies it is very forgiving and if you get fed up of eating it there is no need to waste any just freeze it.  Then make a fresh batch of something different and build up a little stock pile for yourself and mix and interchange them. I have some leeks left that are a little past their best but which will be ideal in a leek and potato soup or roasted in oil and butter in the oven and then served as a relish with cold meat or cheese for sandwiches for pack up.  That really is delicious and a firm favourite here.

If you start your meal with soup it is very filling.  So if you do a main course (if you serve soup for starters) you don't have to serve as much and then if you have a light pudding such as some plain yogurt served with fruit you will have eaten well for very little. 

It has been an abysmal week weather wise all the rain over a period of three or four days and so damp.    For Soup and also for freezing I always check out the reductions at the local shops.  When I went to my veg shop this morning Brussel sprouts were £1.60 per kg.  I looked but I did not buy and then later on the at the Coop  I have managed to get 2kg for £1.60.  Nothing wrong with them just the date stamp so they are going to be processed in the morning and popped up ready for Christmas/use before then.  They are lovely in Bubble n Squeak which is a favourite here and a good way of using up mash potato and greens which may otherwise get wasted.  There is something very virtuous in not wasting food and making sure everyone is well fed.

I was having a conversation as usual at the Greengrocers today about how people were coping on such low wages especially with keeping warm or older members of our community who are retired and have limited income. It must be extremely difficult especially if the are on their own and because of the energy prices being so expensive they must be going without something essential like decent food.  You feel the cold more as you get older too because you cannot move around as easily.  I quite frequently sit with a hot water bottle under a blanket at home.  I keep one room really warm  and the others warmish - I have to because of the animals.  I keep the doors shut to keep the heat in.  The house has two chimney stacks but I believe if the fireplaces were to be opened up they would need a chimney liner as the house we live in is over 150 years old.  Having fires would make this house really toasty with a multi fuel stove in each room.  I don't think the Landlord would go for it but it would be nice.

Right must get on lots to do as usual.

Pattypan

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