TARRAGON & THYME

….. I am so grateful at the moment.  We have lovely weather - the stress factor of work is not present and I am very much pleasing myself although the past four weeks have been more of a holiday than doing anything, being a lady that lunches predominantly.  I am going to have to settle down soon and get strict I have a ton and a half of jobs to do and wouldn't you know it they are all time consuming and I am starting to feel a tad guilty about not doing anything. As I am typing this I have a glass of pink gin, lemonade, sliced strawberries and lots of ice on the go.  It is very pleasant.  However, it will be the only one for this evening but I am enjoying it nonetheless.  We have retired to the house as it is still far too hot outside.  The garden is all watered up though.   I think I am going to have to rearrange my day and get up earlier whilst this heat wave is on in order to get some jobs done.  We have the big fan on and I have decided...

It turned nippy here last night and went really cold.  It went that chilly and the wind got a bit blustery that I ended up having to put a cardigan on.  After breakfast at Ferraris our local café  this morning (this is becoming a regular jaunt on a Saturday morning when OH is home) we then went out for the day leaving Missy indoors in the cool. OH and I decided yesterday that we were going to go to Spalding today to the Springfield Retail Centre.  A couple of weeks ago I bought the OH some new shoes some Sketchers to be precise.  Lovely shoes, but this particular pair had a fault the stitching came undone.  We therefore took them back this morning and got them replaced and also got him some new trainers as well. From thereon in we headed for Lynn (King's Lynn) on the premise of going to the Fish Shop (wet fish shop) that he used to get all our fish from a few years ago.  We went not knowing if the shop was still there, but we also had the opti...

We have been out for a meal this evening and ended up at a Mexican Restaurant called Chiquitos.  I was a bit dubious about it being Mexican in the first place, as a couple of things I have tried before have not been to my taste.   Should listen to my instinct.  Although the food was freshly cooked and we were in nice surroundings for four of us it cost £100 and to tell you the truth its just not my style of food.  A good £22 was on drinks a Woo Woo, two Lime, Mint, ice and salt Moquitos, OH had a Becks.  The men both had steaks, I had a Jambalaya (not strictly Mexican)daughter in law had some what was called street food. Although we have enjoyed the youngsters company I don't think OH and I will be making a return visit in the near future.  I would rather go to my favourite pub The Fitzwilliam Arms (also known as the Green Man) pay a little more there and enjoy my food - and we would not spend as much. Well we have been but I don't think a return v...

This is not an advert for a particular company just my thoughts on their very good service and very good products. I have used them several times.  Their prices have always been competitive. This is purely a recommendation from myself and totally independent of the company concerned.  I first came across this company via Ebay. Unfortunately the drinks dispensers I bought the other day are not right for the fridge so it is to Pantry use they will be going. However, I have found a solution.  Every so often I go trawling round ebay and buy a few more bottling/canning jars and one of the most regular firms I use is a company called Silver Mushroom. https://www.silvermushroom.com/ I have been taken most recently with the new larger mouthed Kilner jars and have picked up a few here and there and have just submitted an order for 12 more. Whilst lurking I discovered just what I was after on the drinks dispenser front and to make matters even better th...

….. comes in many forms and guises and most unexpectedly.  Thus it happened to me whilst in Asda having a nose around at some tops, checking out their bargain rail and I fell in love with a handbag made of denim.  Price £10.  I took a photo and then thought - why not.  After closer inspection it was made up of embroidered pieces, sequins, seed beads and beadwork.  Aha I thought I can do this.  I have boxes of beads, hand embroidery threads and also my soluble fusing and my embroidery machine as well as my sewing machine.  I also have pieces of denim from the scrap bag.  I only took one photo of this but it is supposed to be butterflies in a flower garden.  There was also a matching wallet.  It was only a zip top bag but I had thought that maybe it could be a fold-over version.  Creative juices are starting to run.  I think in the next few weeks and possibly when OH goes fishing that I will be getting out the embroidery machine...

I ended up buying these the other day from B & Q two types of Oregano in one pot a plain and a variegated but they smell divine and will be very handy to dry and put up for use in my cooking both fresh for now and also dried for the winter months.  Yummy. I have also been to the Charity shop this morning and come across three Vintage Kilner jars which were quickly snaffled up and added to the stash.  So they will be put into use pretty quickly. I broke my previous pestle and mortar which I was quite aggrieved about but this morning I have found its replacement for £3.  The exact bowl I had initially cost me £18 so I think that was a bit of a bargain. I have already been and had breakfast at my friend's café this morning and I am shortly off to meet another friend for a good old natter and catch up.  The heat though is preventing me to some extent for getting on although I need to be in the sun on Doctors orders I don't really tolerat...

I unexpectedly went to a friends yesterday and spent the afternoon and early evening with her and another friend and it was really lovely.  Lots of laughter, chatting and the wine was flowing.  This morning I was a little hung over!  Lets say that I am very much ready for my bed tonight.  I met another friend for lunch today and we had a chicken tikka salad for our dinner.  Which was rather tasty and a good catch up. After meeting my friend for lunch I nipped into Wilkinsons and picked up some more glasses whisky sized and tumbler sized and a couple of water infuser bottles to add fruit too for the fridge.  I also bought two fruit juice jugs both glass,  It has been viciously hot today and I have had the fans on for the cats and the dog with plenty of water for them as well.  We have to take Missy in the van to where we walk her down by the river.  We have a doggy bottle with a  foldable bit on it which means she can have ...

Sorry this should have been posted last night, but I got de-railed just ever so slightly, so apologies for the delay in posting and then I overslept first thing this morning. It has been a glorious day today.  As per my earlier post it was a super start to the day, full of nature, full of peace and I was able to breathe.  What a difference this not working lark is having on me I hope a positive one as I do want to get my health a little more robust before we go into winter again.  Last winter was not a good one for me, and so I am trying to get out into the sun as much as I can to soak up the vitamin D as per my Doctor's instructions. First off this morning, I was having a bit of aggravation from my middle finger on my left hand.  The joint appeared to be swollen (my hands often are) but it was hurting quite badly and there was a pricking sensation every time I moved my hand.  I could not see anything in there and ended up putting my hand under my mag...

As a little girl one of the memories I have is of my mum bottling lots of fruit from my Nan and Pop's garden during the summer months.  Mum used to bottle the goosegogs in Kilner jars for puddings during the winter months and to add something to the Pantry to help keep the cold of winter at bay and to help fight off any winter colds or infections. In those days we would eat a lot more than now, often starting with a soup, then a main meal and often a pudding,  All to help keep us warm and keep us well. I was always mesmerised when she began a bottling session and once all the fruit had been processed and stored mum placing the jars on the top shelf so that little hands could go no where near.  Such a long time ago now; but it is something that she and my Nan did year in year out marking the seasons by the different fruits that were available, eating seasonally in the summer months with a plethora of fruit and vegetables but always ensuring that there was food in hand and...

I was watering up tonight and I unexpectedly found these hiding behind some of the trailing Strawberries which had formed but are not yet ripe. I  just had to show you this, the first of my Strawberries from my hanging baskets:  they were delicious.  There is always something very satisfying about growing your own.  It was like the lettuce the other night.  It was delicious.  Only baby steps so far, but I am determined to get there again.  I have a whole load of cherry tomatoes which have formed now have just got to wait for them to ripen.  They will not last long either.  But I have to be patient and wait! Catch you soon. Pattypan

I have been up and about since about 6:00am up and about before OH who came wandering in bleary eyed a bit confused as I was actually up and around.  Not something that normally happens but whilst I am at home, I want to try and get myself sorted out a bit and I really do love being up first thing usually on my own appreciating what is going on in nature around me.  When we go down to Cornwall at the place that we usually stay I usually after a few days get rested and sorted out and go and sit on the verandah of the Cottage and just sit and be there with a mug of coffee in my hand, enjoying the sun just sitting peaceably, listening to the bird song and just simply being and breathing.  It is a place so full of nature and reminds me of my Nan's Bungalow and the peace and quiet we used to enjoy there.  I am a person that needs to come too gradually in any event.  I could just do with being down in Cornwall at the moment but that is not going to happen yet unless ...

Its been a lovely hot day and I have had a lovely afternoon out lunching with the girls that I used to work with.  It has been a complete and utter hoot.  We have been outside in the Beer Garden  - we had our meal out there as well and it is been lovely and relaxing and I have really enjoyed myself and I think that they did too. We are all going to get together in the not too distant future as well. It has been lovely. Back home I organised home made milk shakes for OH and I  and then have had a peaceful evening watching TV and this weeks offering of Poldark.  I have always loved this series and remember watching it the first time round.  Both of them very different - I think that although I liked the first version my favourite is the current.  I still have not read the books but they are on my list of to do's. I hope you have all had a lovely week too. Catch you all later. Pattypan x

We were both hungry for tea this evening but could not really  make up our minds as to exactly what we wanted.  I had suggested several things but OH could not really fancy them so in the end I took unilateral action.  I went and bought a chicken, roasted it and served it with proper baked potatoes, served with butter and with the option of adding dips or coleslaw to the potato both of which are favourites of mine.  I had mooted whether or not it should be sweet potato but thought that I might have that for dinner one day during the week.  Fortunately this week I do not have so many dinner dates so that is a real possibility for me.  I love baked sweet potato or sweet potato anything at the best of times.  I also like my food simply served as often that is the way that you get the best flavour out of your food.  The chicken I only ever use butter on in any event and maybe a little touch of herb, some lemon and an onion to keep it nice and moist....

Kathy, You asked how I made my Lasagna and for the recipe.  W ell I really do not follow any particular recipe for Lasagna and it is a very much for me making the individual items like the cheese, sauce, tomato and mince (Ragu) base, and fresh pasta if you are making or either the prebought Lasagna Sheets, and then grating loads of tasty cheese.   Not strictly the way the Italians do it but it does work for me.  In all honesty I prefer preparing everything from scratch but sometimes for whatever reason that is not possible so I use whatever I can (whether pre-bought items i.e. little cheats) but it still ends up a very tasty dish whichever way you deal with it.  As I tend with a lot of my recipes to do things by memory and experience i.e. gauging how much ingredient to use rather than measuring it out and also just doing things I have had to think about the process I use when making Lasagna, but I am not infallible so if you have any queries lease ask and ...