First day in the New Year

When most of us are hopeful that this year will pan out better than last and that we all come through the journey safely.  

Well I was up for the New Year celebrations seeing the New Year in on my own-some as usual.  The natives seem to have had their own firework displays down our street in their back gardens with the last one going off at about 2:00am.  I am not a fan of fireworks at all I am not fond of the loud bangs although they look very pretty and spectacular.

The stew we had for late supper last night was very tasty and the frozen beef from Waitrose a real success.  There is about 1lb of beef for £3.99.  I used a deep old fashioned oval casserole dish filled to the top for this purpose and it seems to cook things very well.  So much so I am going to do some liver and onions next week in this pot which is firmly becoming one of my favourite cooking dishes.  It is the sort of pot that used to be used for making pate years ago.  I had managed to break one of my original two dishes like this and a few years ago the Co-Op had an offer on collecting a selection of blue cookware which I saved up for and now at long last am bringing into use (many years after they were originally bought of course). There is also a medium sized lasagna dish and two segmented dishes all of which will be used after being packed up for years.

OH has been home today and it has been a quiet lazy day for a change just chilling. We have been very disappointed with the offerings on TV over Christmas and the New Year.

However I now seriously need to get focused and start whittling away at things to do at the house and existing obstacles that confront me in real life a little at a time. Obstacles can be overcome but you need to be in the right frame of mind to deal with them in the first place.  As usual I have lots of ideas and plans - whether they will come to fruition is another matter but they are there in the ideas box ready to bring out when  the occasion arises. At the end of the day I am a bit of a dreamer but I usually manage to achieve more than I have done for this past year.  Perhaps I am being a little hard on me but at the end of the day everything comes to fruition in its own time.

I have some bits and bobs to do on the preserving front as I did not get everything done before Christmas although I had ingredients in and so they will be finished off and added to the pantry to use up until they next come into season to try and make again.  It is normally for me a seasonal process.  I have Lemon curd, Lemon cordial, dried celery powder, mincemeat, cranberry jelly, pickled shallots and onions, and onion relish to make as well as a scuttle full of cooking apples to bottle as well as a few other ingredients to make the most of.  I have also found the other dehydrator which I bought for  making jerky and fruit leathers which so far I have not had chance to do and also other smaller bits and bobs.

We were a little disappointed with our meat purchases this year especially with the sausage and sausage-meat buys.  So much so I have decided that I want to explore this a little more in the future and have a go at making my own sausages and chipolatas and sausage-meat. I have been on a pork pie making course already and it is time to play with that to, and then freeze them for use later on. I already have a lot of the relevant equipment to hand.  

I know that like me, my step-daughter is also a little despondent about the quality of meat to be had and I had thought that if I give this a go and make a batch and then let the kids have a taste to see if they like it might be a better way of doing things i.e making a good couple of batches and then splitting the costs between us.  Just thoughts flying around at the moment but it may well be worth exploring a little later on.

I am very lucky in that I come from a strong Lincolnshire background where most of the grandmothers and mothers who have gone before on both sides of the family have been very good cooks and knew how to make a meal out of virtually nothing and keep everyone fed and warm.  I also have a stash of traditional recipes available to me which are also going to be revisited.  I may well make some Savoury Ducks next week as well.  I am going to get liver for the liver and onions so it would be a good time to also get some of those put away in the freezer for dragging out too.

So for me this year is going to be very much about making and doing more and getting back to a more traditional way of doing things to keep my family fed and healthy and warm.

On the job front we shall see what we shall see but hopefully the right thing will turn up and I will feel fulfilled and a lot happier than I have been of late.

Right back to the drawing board.

Catch you shortly.

Pattypan

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