TARRAGON & THYME

Well that is the dining room nearly done and dusted and it has been washed out within an inch of its life.  I still have the dressers to wash and polish and to rearrange the contents on the shelves but I am pleased to report we are slowly getting there.  I love it when everywhere is lovely and clean and it smells "clean".  I have been using a Dettol cleaner (blue in colour) but it smells lovely and fresh and none too harsh like bleach can. OH has also started to deco rate and paint out the computer/craft room and I am chuffed with the colour scheme which is called "Putting Green" by Dulux and I like it.  It suits the room in question together with white paintwork it should look lovely and fresh.   It is only small so we wanted nothing too light or too dark.  Also seriously impressed with the paint - no pong and no chemical pong either.  Once he has finished in there it will be time to wash everything down including the floor and arranging thi...

On Blogger that is - I think its down to them changing the rules to suit themselves which involves everyone having to have a google account to access blogs that you follow easily and readily in order that the posts slip into your inbox seamlessly.  Why do they have to mess with things. At first I thought it was something I said or did not say but after reading this it sort of explains quite a lot! "Dear bloggers,  As we mentioned some weeks ago, starting this week, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other Open ID providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. To follow a blog via Google Friend Connect now, readers will need a Google Account (the same they use for Gmail or YouTube). There will be no need for readers to be signed in, or to have a Google+ profile.  What does this mean for you and your blog? We’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count. ...

That is getting my serious attention in the cleaning department but needs must and all that.  Or perhaps it should be called the dumping room where everyone pops something down and then forgets to put it away. Guess who gets to clear it up!   Its the middle room between front room/lounge and the small galley kitchen the main thoroughfare through the house.  Everything is getting washed down the walls and the furniture and it if stands still it will get washed too. Quick evacuation of the premises by OH and the cats! Mind you its starting to smell lovely and clean.  Guess you could say I have started my spring cleaning early but needs must.  Cleaning is an important task in any home.  My house may be a tad untidy to most people's eyes but I live in it, and for the best part it is always clean.  With working full time I tend to worry that things are building up and so that's when the intensive deep cleaning starts....

Well that's the kitchen and Pantry well and truly bottomed out  and scrubbed within an inch of its life - and its official my Pantry just is not big enough;  I have a very large plastic box full of stuff as well and I suspect that is not the end of it but at least I am well and truly stocked up only buying of essentials over the next few months to save up so that I can then do a big meat shop for the freezer.  It will be mainly the veggies and the fresh fruit that I will have to buy.  The tinned and dry store goods are certainly full.  I have some jam to do and also some marmalade - I have not checked to see if they have the Sevilles over at the veg shop yet but as soon as I see them I shall buy as I have the Vin de Orange to make as well.  So far four bottles of Cotes de Rhone purchased with plans for a white and a rose version also. I must do something about the fridge situation though but it is going to be a game of tactics and shuffle to ...

Trust me to be a little behind - truth is I have toothache which is not assisting matters in the slightest.  So I have a Doctors appointment to try and squeeze in somewhere this week and also a Dentist Appointment as well as trying to sort the house out in readiness for the Gas Service Engineer next Saturday morning at 10:00am.  He is quite something else we suspect he has undiagnosed Tourette's syndrome and he can be quite appalling but the truth of the matter is I don't think he has any inkling just how bad he is.  We or should I say I tolerate him just about (OH is not quite so tolerant ) but he can be quite obnoxious.  We have to let him in for the service once a year.  He has a date to come in by and yet despite coming to the house ever since we have lived in it he still manages to call a few days before the appointment and expect to be let in there and then.  He reckons has phoned to make appointments (we have no voicemail messages) bu...

...This is something I have wanted to do for a long time but I am hindered as I do not have room for the fridge I would like or everyday use let alone a cave fridge or two - for cheese making and charcuterie which are about the same size. But never mind.  I do so oh want to play with the bigger things and somewehere along the line something will present itself so I can and will be able to.  Having said that in a previous post its about making the most of what you do have and celebrating and using that fact to its full potential.  After all doing a little bit is better than doing none of it and I have a dream - may not get there maybe will but at least I am having a go.  Sometimes you are certain and sure what you are aiming for but have no idea how to get there apart from following the road to see where it takes you to.  I am one of those people but somehow I am sure I will find my way eventually.  It is not the destination that is the li...

I mean a Pantry of course. Sorry Dawn I could not resist! I am lucky in that I have a walk in Pantry small more like a cupboard (more what I would call a dry Pantry or Larder) and before I put the fridge in there I was able to walk in there too.  Fridge in the Pantry - well its logical really after all the Meat Safe used to be in the Pantry so why not the fridge.  My Aunty always did.  My Nan had a Meat Safe cited right at the back of her long narrow Pantry but then they did used to produce their own meat on their "smallholding" always keeping their own pigs - we always used to look forward to the arrival of the new ones and make friends with them.  They also used to keep chickens plenty of them but they had a big enclosed run with apple trees in. Anyway I diverse we want a big one Dawn and I - I reiterate a big walk in Pantry.  Dawn are you going to have one built or is there room to extend your current arrangement? On talking to my ...

...of the kitchen and turfing out the cupboards and washing everything in sight.  Its a long laborious job but someone has to do it; its a slow process but I am little by little gaining ground.  I am not as quick as I used to be either which adds to my frustration a little bit.  Once the kitchen is done it is the turn of the pantry.  I am hoping that OH will take the old fridge to the dump tomorrow so that when I go to get the flooring (also hopefully tomorrow) we can pick up some shelving to put where the fridge once was. fingers crossed toes plauted.  catch u tomorrow pattypan x

The kitchen is destined to be bottomed out tomorrow.  I started this evening and have given the breadmaker and my Kenwood a going over  they are out on the worktop full time just have the soup maker and the chip fryer and my Masterchef to go.  This is the big degreasey clean where the steam cleaner comes out as well and the top of the units also get sorted and the walls all washed down.  The door handles are starting to go a bit naff on the kitchen cupboards and so I have been having a recce on line to see if I can find some little ceramic ones that will tart the units up a bit and make them look loved again.  I have pine kitchen units  - me I am a farmhouse traditional kind of girl.   I have seen a couple of designs I like we are just at the mooching stage.  I am also looking at gingham an apple green to do curtains and a sink washing machine skirt.  New flooring has been chosen and I am hoping to go and get that this Sunday....

Well since OH bought me the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine I have been busy squirrelling away dies and embossing folders purchased from various sources.  At the moment they are predominantly Christmas orientated although I have been going for flower patterned items and consumables as well and I am slowly building up my stash.  It is not just for paper I am also acquiring the patchwork dies too and knowing me it will go on to all sorts of other things as well.  I am particularly cross with myself as when I went to Colemans I had the chance of buying two cupcake collar dies but decided to leave them at that time. (I had already spent quite a bit of money by then and was feeling more than a little guilty) so I erred on the side of caution. I am hoping that when I go again they will have some more; I don't think that they would still be there.  I shall have to have a good old nosey.  Cup cake collars usually cost quite a bit to buy so it would be nic...

As you are all aware this year I am determined to make as much as I can by way of Christmas presents and I have already started collating lots of links and patterns together in order that when I do settle down to play and it is not that long off I will have a place or places where the links and patterns are easily accessible and I can start to motor.  It will not be long before OH goes fishing again when the lighter nights really come back which means if I get myself organised with the housework I should be able to play and really start to plough through the things I really want to do.  I have most of the materials collated together - I am a planner that is what I do whenever I have a go at anything and get everything together piecemeal and then start - I am the same with the decorating. Many of you may have heard of the Craftsy site the link is here if you want to have a look around http://www.craftsy.com/classes?ext=SEM_B_General_Brand&utm_source=Bing&utm_med...

Its been a long cold day today at work we have been perished.  Unusually for me there seems to be a method to my madness when it comes to meals this week.  I am a simple plain cook but for me the food has to be all about the flavour and you can make a meal very tasty with just a few bits and bobs. Monday After the lovely bit of brisket yesterday there was no meat left and I had some stir fry beef strips and some veggies that needed using up.  I had a sweet and sour sauce and did some rice in the microwave and then added some stem ginger in syrup with some extra veggies plus some spiral butternut squash and I must say it went down really well.  There was only a little bit of meat  but the veggies made it go that much further.  It was very tasty and a healthy filling meal and light.  I also added some sesame seeds to the mix. I had some more strudel and custard to finish off and it all went down very well Tuesday night ...

here although it has been a cold one.  On speaking with a friend apparently we did have a sprinkling of snow at midnight but when I got up this morning there was not very much of it to be seen.  Fortunately I managed to get the house nice and warm so we have been snug.  Its been a pottering sort of day not really doing anything in particular.  Demetri wanted out earlier on so I obliged.  Left him about an hour he was on the fence but no way was he coming in.  Then when I went upstairs all you could hear was him screaming to come in.  It think it was a tad cold for him because he did not hang around like he had done earlier on. A lot of washing has been done today, I still have some more to do.  I wear a lot of jumpers and tend to either hand wash them or pop them in the machine then dry them on a coat hanger in the warmth of the house but that is time consuming but it does save my jumpers so I get a reasonable amount of wear out of them. ...

It was our works Christmas/New Year Party last night a chance for all the girls to dress up (and the fellas of course) and party on down.  We have a lot of younger girls who have all joined the company in the past year or so and there was a definite sense of competition amongst them.  They all looked fantastic and they are on the whole quite a jolly bunch.  However I have been going to these parties for 19 odd years or so - I am now one of the oldies (although I am not if you get what I mean), but the best part of these parties is meeting up with your friends who although we often work together on a daily basis some of us do not so it is nice to play catch up.  Being spread between three Offices Peterborough, Stamford and Nottingham its just one of those  logistical things and the luck of the draw. The venue was the William Cecil in Stamford (Years ago used to be the Lady Anne Hotel I believe).  Very lovely surroundings and the room we were in was big ...

Its absolutely freezing here this morning as no doubt it is elsewhere across the country so it looks like winter has arrived.  It was chucking it down with rain when I went to bed last night and OH when he walked Missy this morning said it was absolutely freezing.  Fortunately I have prepared myself.  I have a lovely quilted gilet that I have taken to wearing at work as the room where I work although not cold because we are sat typing most of the day we get cold and if I get cold on the inside I end up being unwell.  I also have a pair of fur lined boots which I purchased yesterday.  I always wear jumpers and thermals so I am hoping that I am going to be wrapped up enough for the elements.  Fortunately I popped the heating on when OH went out with Missy so it is nice and snug in here at the moment.  Now upwards and onwards I have to walk to work,  I hope you are all warm and snug and that your day is a good one.  Please take care. Catch ...

Its been a long day today not helped by the fact that I twisted my ankle on the way to work this morning and managed to split my shoe.  I therefore had to make an emergency stop to buy a new pair of flat shoes as I cannot go around scruffy at work.  I also bought myself a pair of fur lined ankle boots.  With the threat of all the weather to come and temperatures being quite cold I thought I would not take any chances as my tootsies get cold as it is.  They are quite a nice size as my trousers will cover the ankle part of the boot but my feet will keep nice and warm.  I had a lovely pair of thermal gloves bright purple and I managed to lose one of them yesterday which I was quite annoyed about as they kept my hands nice and snug.  So I ended up having to buy some cheapies in town to slip on my hands as I was perished. I then went up to Wilkinsons and got myself a plastic box which I think is ideal to be turned into my bread prover.  If I am not sat...

This evening has flown past quickly partly due to the fact that we went to the Vets from work to get Missy some replacement medication and also some cat food for the monsters  So by the time we got in and had some tea steak  (the steak was from Lidl and very nice) and chips the early part of the evening was well and truly over.  I have not even watched any TV this evening. I have also had to try and cobble OH a new CV together - just in case he ever needs it his last one is on one of the computers that does not work and so I have typed him a new one all nicely sorted out from the scribbled information he has provided me with.  I have then emailed it to him so that he has a copy on his computer as well.  He will lose it so if I keep the master copy it will not take much sorting if required. It has also meant an opportunity for me to get used to the software on the machine Word 2016.  It is not too bad from what little bit I have used this evening. ...

I am full of cold again but then it is blooming cold outside.  It is snug in here fortunately its not been long since I put the heating on.  It had got a tad chilly. And we have had supper so simple things cannot be bad just some crumpets but they went down well. I have had a busy day although I have not got into the pantry yet, I ended up doing a detour with something else.  We have also been out to B & Q as well as a couple of door handles have gone naff and we needed new innards and I also need some new kitchen flooring.  Its been down about 20+ years so its due for a change  The kitchen needs a good sorting out so that is what I intend to do during the course of the week.  Then OH was looking for his CV and being a male and being very impatient could not wait and could not find it and caused bedlam in the process.  I ended up turning everything out looking for it and then it was so out of date that it needs retyping....

Pantry overhaul being undertaken hopefully will be back later this evening. Pattypan x

Although sadly I will not be crafting.  I have to re-arrange the pantry.  Its my own fault I should not have bought the tins that jumped into my shopping trolley or the large bottles of passata (49p a bottle) some chickpeas at 29p per can,and umpteen other things but when you see things at very cheap prices and the long stop date on them is still viable for another six months or so a girl just does what a girl has to do.  We paid a visit to a store in March called B&M and certainly on the food front I have picked up some bargains - on items that are not the run of the mill sort of stuff even. I picked up the following: 2 jars Napolina Tomato and Basil sauce at 0.79 per jar = £1.58 2 stacks of 5 tins of Ocean Tuna in brine £2.59 per 5 = £5.18 6 bottles of Passata £0.49 per bottle = £2.94 2 tubs potted beef @ £0.79 per pot = £1.58 1 x 1.5 Heinz tomato ketchup £2.99 Ye Old Oak American style hotdogs 2 £0.99 = £1.98 Chick peas £029 per can = £1.16 4...

I have been busy in the kitchen and I have had a visit to the local shops as well.  We are having homemade Toad in the Hole with roasted onion and herbs mixed into the Yorkie pudding mix just to make a little change, roasties, mashed potato carrot and swede crush, fresh sprouting broccoli and a few peas and some gravy and I think that will do us for tonight's tea.  Oh and there is an Apple strudel (bought) for pudding which will last us a couple of nights served with home made custard.  With this cold weather you need insulation on the inside.  I use the small cooker on the oven and stuff it as full as I can to keep costs down a little and I do the veggies in a three tier steamer basket.  I managed to get some reduced goodies of cauliflower cheese for 50p a pot and some prepared potatoes in goose fat for 28p a tray so I snaffled a couple of those each.  A couple of melons at 30p each and couple of trays of carrot and swede crush.  I...

(this is not my photo it is taken from the article I read and the link is here for the full story) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/12088536/Flying-Scotsman-returns-to-the-track-after-decade-hiatus.html Isn't it lovely to see the Flying Scotsman all restored and on the tracks again and what a beautiful train. My Great Granddad was on the Railway and had one of the muckiest but most important jobs on the Railway.  He was a boiler maker by trade and he used to clear out the engine pipes and make the engine safe for travel.  He worked on the Flying Scotsman and we have a photo of him somewhere with colleagues in front of the train.  I as a little girl also used to live on the Railway line.  The Flying Scotsman travelled down that line a few times as well.  The cottage where we lived was on the side of the track and its not every kid that has a railway at the bottom of the garden.  I remember my mother's di...