An early Saturday evening post

After all the rain this morning it has slowly dried up but it is absolutely freezing out there - really bitter - and no doubt will get colder yet.  I am slowly warming up drinking a mug of Mazawatti coffee.  But it is nice and warm in the house thank goodness.  I am doing quite a lot of pottering -  a further post will follow in relation to this but at the minute things are busy.  I have too much to do and so little time in doing it as per usual but at least it keeps me out of mischief! (or does it).  I can always get into mischief tis but the depth that varies!

The other day on a visit to Waitrose I stocked up on some more Chestnut Puree that is 8 packs I have to date and I intend to get a few more yet.  It is best to buy things like this well before Christmas as they are quite happy on a Pantry shelf until the big day.  However there is always a run on things before Christmas so if you can buy it and put it up as soon as you can - together with any of those unusual bits that you quite fancy then do so as you can bet that if you go back for them later they will not be there.  That's another reason for me starting so early with the Christmas stockpile.  I intend to make a couple of the chocolate mousse/terrines but I also have some other recipes for using Chestnuts as well.  I am also going to see if I can source some Chestnut flour from Holland and Barrett as a couple of the recipes I am going to try have this in them.  It is also an ingredient I am unfamiliar with.

I bought a small net of Chestnuts tonight.  I have  fancy to have some roasted I have a large brazier like frying pan with holes in it which I have had for quite a few years and it cooks the chestnuts beautifully.  However the jury is out as I may well make some Marrons Glace and pop them up in the pantry.  They cost an arm and a leg to buy in the shops.  I do like them though.  the jury is still out.  I thought I would buy a few at a time and slowly work down the different recipes that I came up with on my link about Chestnuts.

I also bought some fresh figs; these are to eat straightaway as I love them fresh.  I have also bought some more plums and also tomatoes, apples, cooking apples a melon.  So quite a bit to do as usual.

As we have eaten so well for the past two meals I thought that we may well have beans on toast for tea tonight.  A quick scratch meal that is full of goodness and which will let me get on with my pootling.  I am determined to make some headway before I break up for my holiday at the end of next week.  Thank goodness although it seems to have come around a lot quicker than I had anticipated.

I have also just man-handled Demetri into the house.  He was playing hard to get and I started to hear fireworks going off so quick action was needed.  He is now tucked up in the house with the others in safety.  I had forgotten it was firework night.  I am afraid I am a bit of a party pooper. I have never really been that keen on fireworks.  Too much noise and too cold.  Although when we had the children at home we used to have bonfire and firework parties for them.

Right off to get my tea; will probably be tomorrow now before I post again.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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