TARRAGON & THYME

We are on the verge of another year - today has been another quiet day I am still not up to snuff.  No energy  and an awful lot of sleeping and as usual there are loads of things to do.  As I have not cooked properly for the past couple of days I decided to cook but it has taken it out of me.  We are waiting on a late simple supper of Lincolnshire chipolata sausages in an onion and thyme Yorkshire Pudding with mashed potato and lashings of onion gravy.  I must say I am looking forward to it.  I have always found that when I am below par that a good simple  meal often helps in the recovery process. Update :  Tea was delicious and has gone down a treat; however I did not  manage to eat it all. For me it is always bitter sweet saying goodbye to one year in which I have had my trials and tribulations certainly on the health front.  But wishing in turn to welcome the new opportunities that are coming in although apprehensive about so...

Please note this is not an article promoting products for any kind of reward but my own humble opinion even though a company/companies are named. I have received no enticement or reward for these comments. I have always had so far Sabatier blades for my cooks knives which OH res-sharpens every so often for me.  They have always been perfectly more than adequate and when sharp quite lethal.  I was always brought up with the motto that a blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.  I tend to agree on this point.  I have been hurt more by blunt knives over the years than sharp ones and my personal preference has always been for very sharp knives. OH and I watch Jamie Oliver a lot and watched his Italian Christmas special but we always watch repeats anyway as we find him to be an energetic, lively and sensible cook who really knows his ingredients.  OH realised that he had some pretty special knives but we had never seen them anywhere loc...

It rained for most of the night; as a result I did not sleep too well - normally the rain soothes me and helps me get off to sleep but not last night.  As a result I ended up sleeping a lot later than I had anticipated and not really done an awful lot as I don't feel too clever again with the cold.  Just do not seem able to shift it at all - all stuffed up again and can hardly breathe. The only thing I have really done is sort the ham out So its been a lazy kind of day with me not doing much.  Trouble is days like this make me feel really guilty - don't know why but I do. So I am keeping warm hardly doing anything and it is driving me absolutely crazy.  All this inactivity when there is so much to do.  To make things worse all I want to do is sleep - I feel so drained.  I think my body is trying to tell me something. Catch you soon. Pattypan x

I used a preserving pan to cook the gammon last night together with dried bay leaves, white pepper, some dried thyme, a sprinkling of clove, a red onion chopped in half, and some mixed herbs.  Once cooked I left the gammon in the pan overnight covered in foil so that it could cool down in the stock.  I have found in the past by doing this that it manages to keep the meat nice and moist. Sometimes I carry on with the glazing straight away but last night I did not. OH was hungry when I got up so the ham was trimmed of all the fat and the top cut into diamonds.  I then sprinkled and pushed in dark brown sugar, dried ginger powder and a little apricot jam to form the glaze.  It was then put into the oven to cook on gas mark 5. Its bubbling away all sticky and unctuous but it will definitely be good eating.  You can use various sticky things including brown sugar to create your own toppings.  This time I have used Apricot jam as I had a part jar left from d...

.........and once more into the breach dear friends......I have not sat idle despite not being up at the  moment to play with the new embroidery machine although hopefully will get to play prior going back to work next week (cold allowing). In the coming year I intend to really get to grips with the following: Crochet I have ordered wool to make myself a blanket throw for my bed worked piecemeal in squares. The wool has been ordered via the Patchwork Heart (Derramores) and there is what is called a Black Forest Collection which is   pinks, brown, heathers very pretty.  The colourway should blend very well with the hexie patchwork I have on the go.  I am a big sucker for comfort and so to have this blanket finished before winter next year will be very gratifying and something cosy to snuggle under.  It is for a Super King sized bed.  I must get back into doing the hexie patchwork a little bit at a time also.  This is ideal for working ...

I am sat here drinking a glass of mulled wine - the first I have managed to have this Christmas also hoping that it will soothe this troublesome infection.  I am off the antibacs now. Last night was supposed to have been the coldest night so far of the year.  I know it was very cold and I left the heating on overnight to keep the house warm as this house does get so cold.  Its not just me and OH it is the animals as well that need to be kept snug. Although they all have fluffy fleece lined beds they do not always manage to make use of them.  Depends what mood they are in.  The coldness and degree of coldness in the house also depends which way the wind is blowing and which direction the weather is coming from as to which part of the house is coldest! crazy but that is the reality. It was thick frost before 10:00pm last night. Demetri decided to play silly devils and would not come in due to another cat in the vicinity.  I am not sure whether they are...

For those of  you who want to get ahead here is the recipe for the Spiced Apricot and Orange Chutney from Delia's Christmas. Ingredients: 400g/14oz no soak apricots 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds 225g/8oz soft light brown sugar 425,l/15 fl oz cider vinegar 1 medium onion chopped 50g/2 oz sultanas 2 tablespoons finely grated root ginger 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped 1 level tablespoon of salt grated zest and juice of 1 small orange Fills 1 3/4 pint (1 litre) preserving jar Method Begin by chopped the dried no soak apricots into smallish chunks.  Then place them in a sieve and wash under cold water shake off any excess water and then put them into a large saucepan. Now in a separate small saucepan add the coriander seeds and heat the pan to roast the seeds as soon as the seeds begin to spit and splutter transfer them to a pestle and mortar and crush them lightly before sprinkling them over the dried chopped apricots.  Add all the remaining in...

After a few days rest - Yes I know we have only just got this Christmas out of the way, but as things went a little awry this year for Christmas (having the flu/viral cold etc. certainly threw everything out of cinque and I had no energy to do some of the stuff I needed or planned to do). Not a happy bunny about this but there is nothing I could do but to let it go and just concentrate on the main bits. Still Christmas happened, not quite as I had planned but hey we had a Christmas and not a bad one at that.  We are truly blessed despite the blooming cold! Whilst typing this I am actually getting to listen to my Christmas CDs so I am still very much in the festive mood. Nevertheless it has made me even more determined to start Christmas 2018 from scratch.  I have much to do on the present front and I intend to be more organised on the preserving front as well.  I am intending to organise things to the nth degree and getting stuff out of the way with early and when ...

.... they have to for all of us.  I am not the sort to give in at a mere hiccup.  Not in my nature and I don't take the word no sitting down.  I just go about things in a different way.  A battle may not be won but that doesn't mean I am not going to win the war.  This New Year is a new page in our own individual books and it is up to us to make it count to make it work for us individually by hook or by crook.  Trouble is when you do a detour you have to work things out a bit at a time.  There are some things that I am after for my future life the main one of which is my own solid home, with a bit of land, a Rayburn and a couple of open fires or log burners as well as some form of alternative heating - my own base upon which I can build upon anything.  At this present time nothing is too clear on that front but something will turn up I feel it in my bones.  I know what I need but seeing the way there is not always open to us although I f...

At Christmas these are a must have in our home.  I first came across them as a little one when they used to be popped into our Christmas stockings; but one memory I do have relates to me having my tonsils and adenoids out in hospital.  The shop where my mum used to do the bulk of her shopping found out and sent a little present home for me to help in my recovery.  It was a little tiny wooden chest packed with Clementines wrapped in blue tissue.  They were full of vitamin c and they helped in my recovery. E very Christmas since then they have made a big appearance.  This particular box as it is cheaper to buy them in a box was bought from Johnsons the Butchers last Saturday.  They have been stored in our shed since then where it is nice and cold.  It has been very cold here today and OH fancied some so I trekked out and got a few.  We came in, the Clementines scented the air and smelt divine.  They were also nice and cold to eat the only wa...

Christmas Dinner and all the components of therein went remarkably to plan and pretty smoothly.  Somewhere along the line there is usually an accident or something that happens but yesterday in the greater scheme of things it was a smooth run.  The bird came out succulent and moist, stuffing was tasty as were the accompaniments.  OH said it more than made up for me not being able to cook last year.  I am not sure whether that is flattery or relief a not having to cook it!  I enjoyed as well.  We are having cold meats and pie with stuffing and pigs in blankets with pickles and chutneys later.  There is plenty of meat which is not going to go to waste.  I am going to package some up in the freezer with some gravy so that we have a Turkey meal now and then and some for eating over the next couple of days as part of the pick n mix.  There is of course the gammon as well.  When most of the Turkey is eaten I will then probably cook a very sma...

We overslept this morning (naughty but nice) and as a result the dinner is going to be far later than usual.  Never mind it is as broad as it is long and dinner is happily cooking away in the ovens at the moment.  Thus far we have had a very pleasant time of it.  Neither of us has eaten a thing as we want to savour the Turkey and the accompaniments as it is only once a year we have the opportunity of this and I doubt we will want much by the time we have finished but simplest at its best. I grew up in a home where one was respectful of the cook's efforts.  Mum used to do all the hard work and when I was able to I helped.  We were never allowed to eat anything  no nibbles, no this and that before eating Christmas dinner.  Afterwards the nibbles used to be put out for later on if we wanted them and then we had tea to get through as well.  I remember how big those meals were when I was a youngster and how the heck we got through the amount of food t...

Well its that time of year again - loads of people out and buying - I only stayed a little while in town today as I was in there for two cat beds - no pressies and some salad leaves and to start with I was with OH to choose my Christmas pressie. I already know obviously what it is and am well chuffed with but will tell you all later on.  I also bought a couple of DVDs and a couple of Christmas CDs as well.  As I mentioned the other day after hearing the impromptu choir singing carols really sort of bought out the Christmas spirit a little for me so that really did help.  I love listening to music of any genre apart from the fact that I am not highly chuffed with Jazz.  I like Classical to really relax to but OH is not into it..Classical music was a passion I shared with my Dad and the pair of us could listen to a piece and be totally blown with it and enjoy every nuance - possibly because we had the same appreciation for the piece.  Geoff though spoils it for m...

This blinking cold is a bad one. It is really getting me down.  I am so glad went to the Doctors.   Despite the antibiotics I have been a bit rough; but have still been trying to do a bit here and there despite not having much energy.  It did not help this morning that when I went out to add more seed to the bird feeders I ended up slipping and fell flat on my back in the mud landing on a blackberry.  So my nice clean jeans ended up being covered in mud and kind of bruised the rest of me.  At the time I did not appreciate that I had a thorn in my hand but I found it later.I have the wreath for my mum and dad's grave all sorted as despite not having them with us physically they are still in the centre of our hearts.  A tradition in our family (and perhaps for so many others) is to raise a toast to the absent loved ones just for a few minutes as they always were and always will be at the centre of family celebrations. I also have some mistletoe (three ...