TARRAGON & THYME

For my surgery.  It is to be 13 December 2016.  My grandsons birthday. Not looking forward to it but I need to keep mobile and as such really have no choice in the matter as the pain element has been increasing and therefore I need to see an end to certain problems especially in relation to my back and my feet. Now I have a date that means that things will have to be done a bit quicker than anticipated.  I have in effect six weeks before surgery and to get ready for Christmas.  I will also need to sort the Christmas pressies out as well.  Things are going to be hectic and I also need the house sorting and shed sorting. It is Halloween and our little dog Missy's birthday.  I can hardly believe that we have had her for six precious years.  She has bought a lot of joy and a lot of laughter and needless to say has her humans well trained.  Even though predominantly she is OHs dog there are certain things that she will not let him do as t...

During the process of cleaning out the kitchen I have actually started to paint the skirting and pipework to freshen it up.   It has been sometime since it was last done.  I have also managed to get it all over me.  What a shock.  The paint is currently still drying off will leave it a couple of days as it is only a first coat and needs to be rubbed down a little before the next coat is applied.  Once this has been done I then hope to actually get the walls filled where needed and then to be able to get the paint on the walls.  I have chosen a lemon colour for the walls and the handles to the pine units are green.  I have some of the fabric for the cupboard skirts which is an apple green gingham but still need some more for the kitchen sink and pelmet frill and curtains.  I shall hopefully get the balance this week as the market trader indicated that he was having more in this week.  I also want some extra to make a couple...

We have no choice - we need a shed.  I have far too much gardening stuff, and preserving stuff  - all of  which is used regularly so cannot be downsized.  The dining room currently houses my new fridge, the large chest freezer, the upright freezer which houses OH fishing bait, a large pine dining table, 8 chairs two of which are carvers, two 6 foot pine dressers, a corner pine dresser, a large chest of drawers which houses most of my CD collection, and a pine dresser top.   I have seen a shed I am interested in an 8ft by 12ft one, but before I purchase this we need to get a slab base down in the back garden.  I am hoping to get that sorted soon. This is the shed I am currently looking at. The plan is then to place the chest freezer into the shed with the upright freezer. I will then be able to get my wine chiller and small dehumidifier for experimentation on the Charcuterie front which I am very keen to get started on ...

Whenever I start sorting things out or doing things something always raises its head and today it was the kitchen. Why is it men do not listen properly.  I informed the OH the other night that there was a problem with the sink in that the pipe had come adrift from the sink unit and that it was not the overflow.  I have then waited patiently for him to fix it  - no result  -in the meantime I have not used the sink which has been frustrating.  Anyway he comes into the kitchen this morning and turns the tap on to me shrieking don't do that it will go on all my stuff in the unit.  Needless to say the tap was turned off rather smartly.  After being blamed for breaking it  - which I refuted completely and dug my heels in and gave him what for.  it turned out that the screw that held the plate and the sink together had sheared and that was the reason for the break.  So off to B N Q we went and could we get a replacement  - yes...

There was more work than I bargained for.  The pantry is more or less there. unfortunately before it is completely finished I need some more storage boxes to finish it off.  I had more grub in the pantry than I thought I had.  Which is not a bad thing as the cupboard is not bare and very liveable out of for the next few months so should not need to buy as much just top things up as they run out.   however will still pop the housekeeping up and put it separate in a jar - so that is it budgeted for and if the freezer needs re-stocking then I will have the funds available.  That is the plan anyway.  I am very pleased with the shelving its made a difference as I can find things a lot easier and the rest is stored in tubs by item.  I had hoped to post some pictures but my cats have drowned my phone and killed it.  So I am patiently waiting for a new one to arrive.  An expensive accident.  The new one has insurance; when th...

is coming together nicely.  Still stuff to sort and get in there but I have had one major sort out and got rid of a lot of rubbish.  Sadly I can only do a little of what I want to with this pantry however it is better than it was and I have sorted it so OH can find things easily.    i have also managed to get the bread bin in situ as well.  I was hoping to get my bread crock in there as well - its a terracotta one; I will if I can.  I have lots of lovely things for the dream pantry, picking them up as I come across them.  For the dream pantry I am after a couple of meat safes that can be stripped back and restored and a pie safe Ideally the shelving was for my sweetie jars but I still have to accumulate some more so in the meantime whilst I am waiting for that to happen I am using the shelves for other items and when I get the jars I will try and fathom what to do with any items not used. I do have a cupboard under the stairs which is my ...

and our heating has been on a couple of times this week as I have been perished and I do not want the cats to get cold, particularly my old lady so on it has gone for a little while each night.  I do wish we had a log fire though.  Would make all the difference to heart and soul. I have been struggling with the arthritis this week because everything is so damp It really seizes me up like the tin man from the Wizard of Oz and I am only young I still have a lot of living to do.  Must be grateful for what I have rather than what could be.  Could be far far worse. It depends on which way the wind is blowing as to how warm or cold the rooms are.  generally speaking the front of the house is colder than the back apart from the kitchen and bathroom which gets perishing when it has been frosty or snowing. I will have a look at the weekend to see if I can find some suitable thick cloth off the market to make a door curtain.  might get so...

IN THE DEPTHS OF THE PANTRY WHICH IS NOT THAT BIG. HOPE TO BE BACK IN A LITTLE WHILE TOO MUCH TO DO SO LITTLE TIME TO DO IT. PP

The shelving is up hurrah and I am well pleased with it.  Once it is painted up it will look very practical and neat.  I have also bought some of that non slip matting to pop on the shelves when they are all sorted out.  At the moment I am swerving towards cream shelves with lemon walls which should make it look fresh and tone in with the kitchen.  I have yellow, mint green and white for the kitchen itself. OH has worked his little socks off.  Nearly knocked himself up in the process.  He is diabetic and has high blood sugar and is 61 years of age; however he has done it the shelving that is.  The flooring will have to take place at another point.  it is a grey slate laminate flooring the same as is in the kitchen. At the moment I am washing everything down again and sorting my jars out and the rest of the stuff that I have taken out of the pantry.  Now I have the jigsaw puzzle to put back together again. Fortunately I am on leav...

Well I got some crab apples two different colours yellow and green; I would have liked some red ones as the colour is so suitable for the seasons of autumn into winter especially for Christmas. There is nothing more cheerful than a jar of bright red jelly but the yellowy green is pleasant too However you have to be grateful for what comes your way which is a blessing in itself.  I am however certainly looking forward to some roast pork served with some apple jelly. I have written prolifically about crab apples and what I do with them in posts gone by.  here are the links if you want to check them out including the recipe I use.  I did the jelly in my jam pan but you can use the same quantities in a maslin/preserving pan. I tend to make jellies in small quantities I was always taught where jellies were concerned that you use the equivalent amount of juice to sugar i.e. 1 pint of juice  use 1lb of sugar. http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/...

Well one wall has four sets of shelves up.  another shelf is still required below - did not bring enough from the shop - so will have to get another couple tomorrow.  unfortunately the walls and the plaster are not good in this house as we found out in the front room one day when one set of bookshelves had collapsed onto the floor - fortunately nothing was broken.  So we end up with shelving here but the brackets have to go where they are safest not necessarily in the same place all the way down.  Its a means to an end.  OH has top shelf to screw down in the morning so I can put more of my sweetie jars in situ.  But I am very pleased thus far.  I hope to paint out the pantry at the weekend and once that is done and everything has been sorted I will do a reveal.  Think the shelves are going to be white gloss they are natural pine at the moment with lemon or pale green walls  - not quite decided yet; but work has commenced and it is gettin...

That's the kitchen the dining room the pantry and the hallway.  Why cuz I emptied the pantry out today so oh could commence operation shelving and flooring.  We had some flooring left over from the kitchen so I suggested we might use it in the pantry to make it cleaner and tidier.  So we went and got the shelving for my sweetie jars and I am to get some large boxes to put under the deep shelf tomorrow and then curtain the under section off to hide the boxes which are to store excess items.  once the shelving is done I will paint the pantry out to tidy it up a bit and then I will be able to get my jars altogether and out of the way.  So it really is a major upheaval. We were going to the tip this afternoon but that has been sidelined for tomorrow night once I have finished work. We needed to walk Missy in any event so I went armed with my carrier bags and have managed to get my crab apples.  Two large carriers full.  I will go back for some of ...

After our bacon butties - we had them late about 400pm as muggins had no idea what the time was. Whilst it was still light we took Missy for a walk and I decided to investigate the position with regard to the crab apples.  They have swelled to what they were and some of them have fallen but I can get to them easily enough so am going back tomorrow with my foraging basket and a couple of carriers to collect a load to make crab apple jelly which is divine with roast pork used as an apple sauce. its also lovely used with the cold pork in sandwiches afterwards . I have found some more cones in a different size so I would like to snaffle some of them some are larger than others but I need both sizes.  I need them to decorate some wreaths, to make some cone baubles, to use on the outside of a Christmas present as a decoration with pretty ribbon and possibly for use on some cards.  These little tiny cones cost an arm and a leg if you have to buy them. There ar...

It started with a visit to B n Q to get some door handles for the kitchen dining room doors. I have eyed up some more flooring for the dining room and that will be sorted soon.  On the way back we called into Lidl supposedly for some crispy buns so that we could have a bacon butty each - but it ended up a bit more like a shopping trolley full.  Mostly stuff to put up for Christmas like I have stocked up with nuts etc for baking and bought some Cassis, the proper Christmas mulled wine, some cider.  I shall probably pop back in the week to add some more goodies to the Christmas stockpile as well. Its all pretty flexible really but as I say I do have my Christmas box.  It all helps ease the pennies in the month of December if the majority of what is required is stockpiled down beforehand. Having plenty of food in the pantry always gives me a sense of security and as prices are starting to go up a little here and there it all helps as when things reall...

When I first started preserving I started off with something very simple.  Pickled onions, then pickled beetroot, then pickled shallots then chutney.  year by year I progressed trying new recipes finding ones I would use again and equally not use again.  It has been very much trial and error in equal part the failures being as much of the learning process as the successes.  To start with I used recycled jam jars and then when I could I ended up buying new jars atypically from Lakeland because they did the replacement seals and supplied standardised lids. many of the jars I recycled I found were a perfect fit for those Lakeland lids and even the Sarsons vinegar jars can be reused with the Lakeland seals.  In those days there were not that many providers of jars or lids and seals so you took them where you could get them.  If I gave preserves or jams away as presents or pickled onions I would always ask that the recipients give me ba...

I have found something different on Pinterest by way of Christmas decorations made from silver birch bark.  I had never heard of it being used in crafts before and the article I read told me I could purchase silver birch bark off of Etsy.  And so you can.  I am waiting for a couple of packs to arrive so that I can have a go at making a silver birch garland reminiscent of those paper chains and using glue just the same.  When I started looking I found lots of things using this to me relatively unknown commodity so it may be that I could well be ordering more in due course.  I have also seen a nice idea for making some tea light covers as well.  however since then I have also purchased some tree trunk candle holders in three different sizes.  In case you have not twigged - excuse the pun I do tend to favour au natural decorations/Victoriana style. https://uk.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=silver%20birch%20bark%20christmas%20decorations&rs...

I am ahead of the game so far this year but then I need to be.  I have quite a lot of luxury items stashed as they have been on offer.  I still have more items to obtain and lots of things still to make. including some items I have never made before like salami.  I also want to do my own Gravadlax and make some bagels and pastrami. I will make as much as I can as to me that is where most of the pleasure lays.  It also comes in useful for giving as pressies to friends who don't cook or do not preserve.  They seem however to like the offerings I give over. From the wild larder i need sloes, for sloe gin rosehips for drying and for rosehip syrup, and rosehip jelly and crab apples for crab apple jelly both plain and spiced and also for cheese and pectin. There is already over 60 jars of jams alone prepared and now its time for the pickles and the chutneys.  I also have pickled red cabbage, pickled cucumber to do.  hopefu...

Two of them jumped into my basket when I went to the Co-Op this evening.  They are quite a decent size as well and at 2 pounds each quite good value.   The photo above is one of mine but is not of my current pumpkins.  I have not bought the pumpkins primarily for decoration but to cook with. however I could well end up getting double duty out of them both.  In this household we love roasted pumpkin with Sunday lunch and I always snaffle a load to freeze down so that we can eat this little treat throughout the winter months.   To freeze it I strip the outer skin off the pumpkin and then deseed and remove the fibrous tissue and seeds which should leave you with a  thick segment of flesh.  I then cut this into pieces and blanch it briefly in boiling water then drain and cool in cold water. I then pat dry and package into portions for Sunday dinner and pop into freezer bags and then into the freezer.  To me wh...

I have another crochet blanket on the go made up of individual squares in Christmas colours of red and white.  Its good to play and I wish I could do so much more of it as it when I start to play that the creative streak comes out and spins me off in other directions. I am at my happiest when I am crafting.  The new crochet blanket/throw is specifically for Christmas and is made up of individual squares which are easier for me to handle and build up.  playing with this one blanket has given me ideas for other blankets made up in the same colours but in different stitches and combinations. The wool I have used below looks red but is actually an autumn rusty colour burnt orange. I am also playing with some knitted fingerless gloves for myself and depending on how they come out will depend whether I start knitting a stash in the New Year for next year's Christmas presents.  This is one side just one on its own when knitted on 4mm needles is not big ...

When I was growi ng up nothing was wasted.  Even a little bit of fat from the roast dinner was put to good use.  I am of course speaking of the days before oil was available and most fry ups were done with that little bit of fat left over from the joint or a little bit of lard or beef dripping for frying eggs and chips,  This stemmed from the war years where everybody did what they could to save food and make a meal.  A time far removed from today's wasteful society. Growing up on the heels of my mother and practices she used to use she followed through faithfully with this concept all of her life.  I think also growing up in the war years one of ten children 12 in total counting the adults in a two up two down.  They were relatively comfortable until Granddad did not come home after being demobbed when the youngest child was 10. my grandmother went to get his pay and was turned away as he had been demobbed and there was nothing for...

Sorry its been a while but quite a bit has been going on and I have been juggling too many balls again as usual.  Will try to get back to those who have left me comments over the next few days.  Also looks as if I have some new followers welcome, get yourself a mug of tea and cozy and start to browse there is lots going back over the years of my experiments and play time. NOW I HAVE A NEW LARDER FRIDGE - AND I AM SO EXCITED Please note this is not an advertisement as such just something I am completely thrilled with  I have not received any inducements, and this is totally my opinion.  Anyway I digress  - I am of course talking about my new larder fridge.   This is my new friend which I purchased from ao; http://ao.com/product/siaa12s-indesit-fridge-silver-26112-30.aspx There is also a short video presentation so that you can get a look and a feel for it.  The service as usual has been second to none.  They ke...