The Cat that licked the cream

This morning I was dragged up at what felt like "the crack of Dawn" but in reality was 7:30am - not really the time I want to get up on a Saturday but there was a specific reason for this.  I had planned on going into town today to have a look around as despite working in town in reality I don't get a chance to look around as I end up meeting friends or have events to go to.  OH had other ideas and decided that we would  this morning pay another visit to Johnsons.  I don't need much persuading in this respect as the food section is really top hat. My step son had been geared up  and brewing all week that he wanted breakfast there so OH decided that we would join them.  We therefore tootled off at about 8:10am to drive on the journey to Old Hurst which is past Ramsey.  We arrived there for about 8:45am having arranged to meet up with them at about 9:00am.

We have subsequently had a very nice breakfast and are now stuffed.  Whilst we were there we had to have a look around the shop. The food is such good quality it would be rude not to indulge, we have come away today with a large venison and beef pie, a large blackberry and apple fruit pie, 4 warm Cornish pasties, some Cornish Blue cheese which is absolutely fantastic and has such a lovely flavour.  They had samples on the counter and I have also come away with some ginger and whisky cheese.  I have also come away with 1kg of Green Back bacon which is absolutely gorgeous.  They had Marmite sausages today but because of what I already have to hand I did not indulge.  I also bought some sausage meat and am going to make some home made sausage rolls later on.  I will have to nip to Waitrose to get the pastry but that is not too far up the road for me to go and get.

In the difference of a fortnight the shop had changed yet again.  They are still not taking Orders for the Turkeys but that will happen.  However they do have a lot more Christmas stock in including different sized Christmas puddings in (the largest of which cost £20 so it very much put into perspective as to how much home made Christmas puddings could sell for.  They also had Christmas cakes and lots of different stuffings.  I am a big believer in trying new items and new things to establish what we do and do not like.  Today I have come across some different stuffings which I intend to test drive and then see if I can work out some recipes for myself rather than buying them in the future.  Especially with having the dehydrator as you can do all sorts of things for yourself like Croutons, bread stuffing mix, stuffing mixes, herb mixes and stock mixes.  So it is well worth trying things. I have a selection of dried herbs which I prepared myself in the pantry. The added advantage of doing this yourself means that you have control of the salt levels as well which is an important factor for my OH as he has high blood pressure.

Here are the mixes I purchased.  The company who sell them are the Shropshire Spice Co.  Thry conssist of

Cranberry Orange and Roast Chestnut

Englush Sage and Roast Onion

Roast Chestnut

And  bread sauce mix

The veggies are always fresh here as well. Today I have come away with a Romanesco, Teardrop cabbage (the sweetest of cabbages).  There was loads more there but I have quite a bit of stuff in stock in any event so did not need.

I have also come away with some milk bottle sweets and a bag of lemonade dipping sherbet which I have not seen for years. (the big kid escaping again). 

I also found and came away with a couple of bottles of plum porter to try.  Something a little different.  If we like it I shall get another couple of bottles to put in the Christmas stockpile (I tend to buy a few bottles here and a few bottles there of different stuff and then when we are at home during the Christmas period we can have a drink in the safety of our own home [not that we drink a lot anyway]).  Johnson's have quite a selection of different drinks however they are at special prices so I go and see what they have flavour wise and then come home and experiment myself.  Works out a lot cheaper.

So today as I have added some more lovely things to the pantry I feel very much like the cat that licked the cream.

The more I experiment the more I am starting to reduce what I actually buy pre-prepared.  I am buying base ingredients but starting to store my own home made dried mixes.  It makes life easier during the week especially as I am labelling the bags and indicating what extra needs to be added for different things.  As I keep saying I need more pantry storage!  I am now hoping to nip into town as they had a mini French market yesterday in town which had honey (a variety of different flavours), pates, soap, charcuterie (dried salami style sausages) so I am hoping it is still on today so that I can pop some stuff up yet again for Christmas.  The pates are bottled and with the charcuterie items being air-dried they should keep well in a nice cool place and will probably get popped into the wine chiller.  One of the other reasons I want to go to the Lincoln Christmas Market this year is that they do have (or in the past have had) lots of foodie stalls selling all sorts of treats and different bits and bobs - It all adds variety to my pantry and also gives me ideas for having a go at other bits and bobs.  Right had better get a wriggle on.

Catch you later on.

Pattypan

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