Simple Supper

OH has gone off bread its official.  So in an attempt to give him a nourishing healthy supper this evening I put the small oven on - not really the weather for it but its been a couple of days since I cooked properly and I have found from previous experience that if he does not eat regularly and healthily it has an affect on his mood.  As he is bipolar in any event the more we do to keep him on an even keel the better.

So we have had mirrepoix of mixed vegetables, carrot, courgette, red onion, yellow pepper, green pepper, garlic,celery and fresh thyme with some nice chipolatas cooking on top of the vegetables.  (so we have had our five a day today) everything has been cooked gently and has not been cooked on too high a heat.  I mixed in a little light cooking oil into the veggies but the idea here has not been to colour the veg but to cook it so that it still retains some crunch and some flavour.  I had meant to put some garlic cloves in but forgot and then I cooked some rooster potato wedges. It was tasty and very filling (the sausages were cooked on top of the mirrepoix in until brown.

For pudding we have had some mixed seasonal fruits strawberries, blueberry and raspberries just put on a low heat and just allowing the fruit to break but not overdone and then combined with some natural yogurt and broken meringue (I always save broken meringue and use it for Eton mess or the like).  That has also gone down a treat.

Unfortunately I forgot to take any photos but it all went down very well.

Tomorrow evening we have home made lamb kebabs for tea and melon and ginger for pudding.

On the hospital front I have had a letter of report from my recent visit to the Rheumatology clinic.  Apparently a lot of the pain I am having is to do with my osteo arthritis and low vitamin D.  I need a top up again and I have to get in touch with the Doctors as they want me on a vitamin D course for a fortnight to top everything up and then want it repeating every six months.  The nasty conditions that I have i.e. the Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, Raynauds Syndrome Schrogens Syndrome and Lupus antibodies apparently I have managed to keep the antibodies down compared to when I was first diagnosed when they were well off the beam.  The medication I am on Hydroxychloroquine sulfate (basically quinine which they use a lot for treating malaria seems to work well with these kind of conditions as it works on the underlying immune system which triggers most of these conditions. They don't know why it works but it does).   I have to take two 200ng tablets twice a day and paracetamol for any pain.  So I class myself as extremely lucky in the greater scheme of things as the Scleroderma in its worst format can and does cause major organ failure.  So I am very grateful for small mercies.  I do not however have to go back to Rheumatology for a year!  Yes a result!

However today has been difficult; humidity has been high and my hips have not been moving as smoothly as they should have been and as a result I have been very stiff.  Hopefully things will settle again shortly.

Last evening I made the Tarragon vinegar but I have also made some Peach Vodka, Candy cane vodka (I found more candy canes that needed using up) and Rhubarb Vodka.  At this rate you lot are going to think I have alcoholic tendencies.

I have also added more fruits to the Rhumptopf.

I also intend to make peach jam, bottled peaches in syrup and peach chutney. The peach vodka was two punnets of satellite peaches chopped up without peeling and then decanted into a large Kilner jar (just remove the stone) and then you just add the vodka.  I will see how sweet it is at the end of the macerating period and then make a sugar syrup if it needs a little sweetning but I do not want to overdose it. Last night I went to Waitrose and came back with two Strawberry hanging baskets and some basil (normal) and the smaller leafed greek basil (I think this really packs a punch though) and some more chives.

I have the watering up to do now.

Catch you later.

Pattypan

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