Food Shopping and Memories

 After last night's tea both OH and I fancied a change for this evening only.  There is still plenty of pork in the fridge and some of this will be turned into a stir fry for tea tomorrow as I have a few  more veggies that need using up in the fridge. As I had some mince in the fridge rather than a cottage pie which is a favourite here,  I decided that we would have a cheat's home made Lasagna where I have used bottled tomatoes.  So that is what we are having for our tea this evening.  The mince needed using up in any event.

As I had run out of cheese in particular cheddar cheese, and as the pavements have been so slippy OH went to get me some cheese without me.  He came back with a load of goodies as he had gone to Waitrose.  If I had of known I would have sent him for some other bits I have run out of from there.  However there is always tomorrow.

When he came back I cooked a full English breakfast for him.  The bacon had been sold as Back bacon, which indeed it was more collar.  This kind of spurred a memory from when I was a teenager when my mum used to send me shopping with a list for bits that she needed.  There was a logic to her sending me as it gave me experience of buying food, and it also saved her money by sending me as I would come back as near to the list as possible without adding anything extra in.  Her thoughts were that she would have added a few bits here and there extra which would make her stray off budget.  I was also terribly shy and this way round I also learned to interact with people a bit more than I usually did.

I regularly used to get sent to the Butcher's in our village Twelvetree and Hibbert, which was a tiny little butchers which would hold no more than two to three people at once.  The meat used to be wrapped in white paper and one of the frequent purchases used to be Bacon.  Mum always used to buy what was then called Long Back Bacon, and if I remember correctly this included the collar  and back (Loin and part of the belly) which was cut in one continuous piece.  Nowadays you do not see this as the collar and back are often sold separately and the belly bacon (streaky) are all sold individually, I believe as a response to not many people liking streaky bacon, which our family has always loved.  Sadly, like so many the Butchers has been long gone and has been turned into a private residence, but each time I go by I still remember it as the Butchers.  It is funny how things stick.

I also used to get sent to the VG with a list for my mum.  This was all pre- very large supermarkets in our area.  The VG was akin to a very large corner store which had a bit of everything.  However when Sainsbury's opened in Peterborough we would then go once a month shopping there (Dad used to get paid monthly) and whatever was bought then had to last the month.  Mum had the freezer by then so she also used to buy half a pig, a lamb and half a cow as well as chicken so that we always had a main back up supply of food, which was replaced periodically as it was needed. This is also the way that for many years I have shopped for food for the freezer, especially when the children were home.

OH remembered using a Butchers in Peterborough (also no longer with us) called Stanleys on the Old Lincoln Road where he used to go and buy steaks for himself and his first wife  He said that they were that large they would not fit in the pan.  He also used to buy Pork pie from here on a regular basis and when we first got together we used to use them too especially for the large Pork pies they used to do sold as a Feasting Pork pie for Christmas in particular.  I am determined that this year I am doing my own Pork Pies for Christmas and for the freezer to pull out when we need them.  I need that large chest freezer for that purpose though.

I think I am going to have to have a go at making our own sausages this year.  We do not at present seem to be able to find a sausage that we really like.  Whether our tastes are changing we are not sure, however I would like to have a go at making my own to see if I can come up with something that we actually like. Something for the Project Board I think.

Equally I used to stock my freezer when I was with my first husband by going to the Co-Op Freezer Centre Butcher in Peterborough.  We used to buy a Gammon joint and have it cut into steaks and a couple of joints, as well as other meat and then used to freeze it ourselves.  As long as I have a freezer and it is reasonably well stashed I am content and it lessens unnecessary stress as you have the comfort of knowing that you have a meal of some sort in the freezer for the best part.  I will not settle properly on this front until I get the large chest freezer however we have things to do before that can happen.  We are having to prioritise other matters before that, but he has promised me one.  I do use the freezer a lot to not waste food and do prepared meals for maximising time during the week, which when and if you work is always a priority as you need to be fed well but you also need to maximise your time as well.  Everything will come in its own time and place I am sure of that, it is just that I can see the possibilities of doing oh so much more.

It is funny what actually prompts old long forgotten memories to suddenly take on life again.  They were happy, simpler days.

Right off to make my Lasagna.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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