Another Blustery day and Foodie things

Mother nature is dusting out the cobwebs and it is grey and overcast.  I did not do very much yesterday and not much is planned for today apart from some pottering in the kitchen which is more than a necessity.  

We did not go shopping in the freezer yesterday.  I bought a couple of fresh chickens instead.  One we had last night and the other I intend to cook for tea with some simple veggies for later on.  If there are any scraps left over then I will probably make some Coronation chicken for OH's pack up and the rest of the scraps will go to the fur babies as a treat. Equally it could also go into a home made curry, or a chicken mould or even into some small pies. Then I will put the slow cooker on for chicken stock from the bones. I have been using it a lot in soups, stews and also in gravies just recently.  Getting the most from what I am buying and all the goodness within it.

I have been enjoying getting back into my cooking just recently.  I have always enjoyed it, its just sometimes it is far more satisfying than at others and I have had time to play a little rather than just shove everything in and run which many of us have to do or have had to do out of necessity. Taking your time often pays dividends.  This seems to be as a result of me planning things a little better than I have done in the past with an outline Menu.  Although at the time of typing this article, that "Menu" plan is undetermined as I have not bought anything apart from a shipping load of baked beans, some packs of noodles and some cup a soup's for OH to take to work with him oh and some stewing steak either for a steak pie or a stew.  The jury is out on this at the moment. There was also an offer on some chillies, which I intend to turn into home made sweet and sour sauce.  A separate post will follow on this.  I also have a selection of veggies which will be used for tea later and then I will take stock and sort out this week's offerings.  I might get OH to go into the freezer a little later on so that I have some outline of what we will be eating this week and so that I can organise things.

I am still looking for Seville Oranges which so far I have not seen any yet although I know that others throughout the country have been able to gain access to them.

During the week I set up the slow cookers to cook a ham hock and also the vegetable stock from all the peelings.  That is now in bottles in the fridge  I have been using an awful lot of home made stocks just lately as well as freezing some up.

When the children were at home I used to prepare a gammon joint or a ham hock on a regular basis and we used it up partially for pack ups but also in soups, and in quiches.  There is a lot you can use this for it does not just have to be for pack ups and it can be a very useful addition to the everyday pantry economically as well.  

The veg peeling stock

OH thoroughly enjoyed it and I enquired whether he would like me to get back into doing one every week or so and he agreed it would be a good idea as it had been very tasty.  Doing it in the slow cooker means that I can leave it and get on with other things and means that it is safe out of the way on the worktop in the process and not on the cooker needing constant attention.  You can also put pieces of any ham hock left over into a gelatine base and make a ham hock mould which can then be cut into slices and served with a side salad to use up and make something of any fiddly little tiny bits.  Its also a way of presenting used ingredients in a different format and often with different flavourings so is a "win-win" on the food front.  

Right I had better get on my kitchen is calling me.

Catch you soon.  

Pattypan xxx