Using what you have

Now that the autumn months are here I am very much looking forward to cooking again and making use of what I have on the pantry shelf.  Perhaps I am more traditional in my cooking style than modern although occasionally different recipes take my fancy. I am talking good solid cooking here something to feed you and help cope with the colder weather of the cooler months of our seasons.

With the weather as it is today very stormy and windy it will be soon time to have stew on the menu again.  I might actually go and see if they have any stewing steak in the Co-Op as I could quite fancy a simple stew with some dumplings for OH for tea.

I have recently been introduced to a lovely little blog recipe site of traditional Cornish recipes.  So much so I am going to wade through them as I can and probably on a week by week basis as I think the cooking is that good.  Recipes from a Cornish Kitchen.  It is a lovely little site.

The latest recipe is marmalade scones which appeals to me as it is another recipe for me at least of using up marmalade that I have on the pantry shelf and giving something a little different to eat.  I already make apple scone ring on a regular basis and that is a firm favourite here as well.  I thought maybe one or two of you might be interested as well.  There is a lovely recipe for a pudding called lemon surprise.  I have been making this for years but did not realise the recipe originated from Cornwall.  Yet again this is another favourite recipe.

I am getting the itch to get back into baking again and as a little bit of cake is not as cheap as it was and as I nearly always have ingredients in I thought I would get back into the saddle again just doing a bit here and there.  I also managed to pick up a couple of little machines for next to nothing the other week.  One is for baking little squares of cake and the other is for making individual waffle sticks.  Both will come in very useful.  I thought also to bring back onto the menu some of the cakes we used to have as children.

One thing I used to adore as a child was my Nan's chocolate cake it was divine and always a very special treat.  My mum used to make a lovely one but Nan's beat hers hands down.  I used to love chocolate.  However I must say that I am getting a little disenchanted with it at present.  I went to M & S the other day and had a piece of chocolate cake and it tasted too sweet.  I think possibly more sugar is being added to the chocolate  at manufacturing level than used to be but I get this feeling with sweet tubs as well.  The chocolate is too sweet and it ruins the overall flavour.  I might just have to revert to using plain chocolate.

Right its upwards and onwards now.  I managed to get a reasonable nights sleep although ended waking up three or four times and then nodding back. I have  slight plan in my head on how I am to proceed today so after a quick cup of tea I will start and see how I get on.  Hopefully starting with this particular job will help elsewhere.  

Right had better get a wriggle on cup of tea calling.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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