Saturday night roundup

Since I got up late today I have not managed to achieve as much as I had hoped, but I have been off colour anyway and really not up to things.  I did however cook stew my way and also the Eve's pudding.  

I served the stew with mashed potato.  The stew was very tasty but after one helping I was full and could not manage anymore and OH had two bowlfuls.  The trick to making a good stew is to layer the flavours which I think I managed to achieve this evening.  I made the stew my way and will post a separate recipe up as to what I did and did not do.  However I personally think that a stew is fine first time around but is better for a day or so cooling and then being warmed through again.  The flavours seem to seep out more.  There is still plenty left and if we do not get to it I may well freeze it so that we have something quick for a cold winter's night.  Knowing OH though it will get eaten. 

So we passed on the Eve's pudding for this evening.  However it will not go to waste as we can have it tomorrow evening or it will get used up during the week.  We have roast pork for tomorrow.   Its not a very big piece of pork.  I spent about £5 on it from the Co-Op but is enough for us for a meal and probably for Monday night tea with bubble and squeak with. I am going to serve it with courgettes roasted underneath the pork.  The pork juices make the courgettes caramelise and they taste wonderful.  We also have home made sausage sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potato, shredded steamed cabbage, carrots, peas and home made apple sauce with lots of gravy.

All is quiet at the moment and this is the result of a couple of bowls of stew.  Even Missy has had a small bowl full.

I did pay a visit to the veg shop and got stocked up with fresh veggies I  prefer the freshness and taste of fresh veggies to frozen unless I freeze them  myself. The carrots tasted wonderful.  I ate some raw when I was preparing them for the stew.  With cooking it is about flavour with me.

I popped some frozen peas into the stew as well and have plans to make a pea and ham soup also for use during the week for my lunch with some crusty bread.  I have a Hotpoint steam cooker/liquidiser which is ideal for making soups as well as for cooking vegetables.  I also intend to make some carrot and coriander soup which is another favourite.

I have also bought plums, peaches, apricots, lemons, more greengages, cooking apples, cauliflower, courgettes, red and yellow peppers, more runner beans so plenty to go at.  It works out cheaper to go to the veg shop or the market rather than to go to the supermarket although I do buy a few veggies from the supermarket.  

So a lot to do.

I am also hoping in due course to make a couple of chicken pies and a couple of beef steak pies, but we will see how we get on.  

I did say I would make a Treacle sponge for pudding after dinner for tomorrow but that will have to happen during the week.

Right am off to watch a little TV.

Hope you have had a good day in your neck of the woods.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x