Friday Roundup
I have had to wait in for most of the day for a delivery of the new work top for the sink area of the kitchen. They eventually came around 4pm. Think we were last on his list, but everything has arrived safely and is ready for OH to get on in the kitchen, once I have cleared the sink area. So really I have not been able to do much by way of things because we were listening out for the driver to deliver. In this house, we cannot hear if anyone goes to the front door. We do not use the front door in any event and I have had to put a notice up on the front door asking people to call at the back. The work top is massive but now it is up to his highness to sort things out. However, I do not think that will be straightaway as he has ordered some other cabinetry around the sink area. The worktop is quite nice and should go well with the units we are having. It will be lovely and clean which is the main thing. We are having white tiles to go with this, to give a bit of a contrast. The units are Navy Blue and Shaker style.
I did have a look at my magazines and seeds and I have started to prepare a planting schedule - for seeds, month by month with the seeds I received yesterday. I will then add in the other seeds that I have when I can retrieve them from the front bedroom.
The Daffodils that I bought home yesterday and put into a vase and a jam jar have opened up a bit to what they were. Before I put the flowers in I put a tiny drop of sugar in the water. They do look very cheerful though.
Yesterday
I have also prepared some more future posts on the computer or half drafted them at least. I have also had a bit of a scoot about the Internet following up on different topics.
I have quite a lot of preserving to do in the next few days. I have Seville Orange Marmalade to make, Seville Orange Curd and some Vin d'Orange. I also have Orange Curd, Lemon Curd, Lemon Cordial, and some more Souper Mix to make.
When I was in Waitrose yesterday, I also spotted some Blood Oranges. One of the Gin's bought for OH for Christmas is Blood Orange Gin so I may just have to have a go at this one as well. Might also do curd. I did look for some forced Rhubarb yesterday in Waitrose but unfortunately they did not have any. I shall keep my eyes peeled as if I can get a decent quantity I would like to bottle some up. I also want to make some Rhubarb Cordial and some Rhubarb Gin. I would also like to get some Grapefruit and bottle them in syrup. Very useful as a pudding or indeed for breakfast. There is also a marmalade recipe using Grapefruit and Ginger. The peels can be turned into mixed peel or Orange or Grapefruit thins, used as firelighters, or can be used to make household cleaning vinegar. So there is not a lot of waste.
I have also bought the latest edition of Country Living Magazine. There is an article in there on how to make a Rye Bread starter and a loaf. So that is on the Project list to have a go at as well.
As it is Fish Friday (well it was in my childhood in any event), we have this week had a Lemon Sole each, just served simply floured and then fried in butter and oil. Was absolutely delicious and not a bone in sight.
The wet Lemon Sole which has been placed in a bowl with a layer of seasoned flour. Further seasoned flour is then sprinkled on top. Both the Sole were a decent size. I had the white part of the fish which is the underside and OH had the dark which is the top.
Fish which has been floured both sides and then the excess flour shaken off back into the bowl.
It really was delicious and it was served simply with bread and butter and also some Tartare Sauce.
I then had a very naughty cream cake which OH had bought me yesterday and which I was too full up to eat yesterday. Very naughty but very nice.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
I'm awake and up in the middle of the night, and you have just made me hungry!! Your new kitchen sounds lovely. I look forward to seeing photos when it's in. We will have to replace the one here, and also the main bathroom which is not very welcoming to use (cold stained ancient cast iron bath and not the best of showers) and equally ancient loo and sink. Can't wait until lockdown is over and we can get on with it.
ReplyDeleteI would wait for spring to bottle rhubarb I think - the forced rhubarb is SO expensive. I need to get some crowns to plant here, as it's Keith's favourite fruit, cooked up with ginger.
Hi BB, sorry to have made you hungry! We are doing the kitchen a bit at a time. OH is dealing with it. We have not ordered the kitchen all in one swoop, but are buying a bit at a time as we need it as we really have nowhere to store a full kitchen at the moment. The sink needed replacing in any event so that is where we have started. It is the B & Q Artemesia kitchen which has different colourways so I have chosen the blue. If you go on the B & Q website it will show the kitchen options with a virtual kitchen. I went into our local store to see the units and they only had the door panels their kitchen displays are not what they used to do. However they are the large wall cabinets with the capacity for quite a bit of storage and I am going for two extra large and tall larder units to keep a lot of my kitchen equipment. I have the pantry for food storage. We are doing it a bit at a time, as we are slightly altering the lay out of the kitchen to get extra cupboard space where we can. We have found that the B & Q Pick up and collect service is excellent as are the house deliveries. We received our worktop yesterday for the sink. I am sort of feeling the way with the kitchen and getting in as much storage as we can. It may be that the cooker will be re-sited in the longer term as well. Rhubarb in the past I have always managed to find the forced quite cheaply, but so far this year I have not spotted any so may well have to wait for Spring. I think everyone is waiting for Spring! Hopefully the new house will get done bit by bit, but I definitely hear what you are saying about the bathroom. Take care sweetie xx
ReplyDeleteYou've chosen a lovely colour for your kitchen; I'm sure with some clever rearrangement you can make space for more storage. Sounds like you have a huge amount of cooking to do. 20 jars of marmalade? And then a list of other things as well. You really don't make life easy do you?
ReplyDeleteSole is lovely in all its forms, except maybe meagrim sole which I find tasteless. It's so long since I had a proper Dover sole I've forgotten what they taste like. Maybe for my 60th birthday...
Stick a korm or two of rhubarb in your garden and manure it well each year, and you won't need to go looking in the shops. I find rhubarb incredibly expensive considering how much is reduces in cooking, and how easy it is to grow. I used to have 18 plants in my old garden but now have to rely on the generosity of a retired farmer across the road, who still grows a lot of fruit and veg on his allotment.
Don't those daffodils look cheerful? Your sugar method seems to work miracles. I must give it a go the next time I have flowers in the house.
Beautiful daffs, and your sole looks yummy, we are having salmon for dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteI have a question? Hope you don't think of me being to nosey...but. do you own or rent/lease your house?
Your posts indicate you are doing a lot of reno work in your home.
If this is too personal to answer, I understand.
Patricia
Hi Patricia. we rent. We have been here about 35 years. Landlord would put one in but on past performance when they put a new kitchen sink unit in, it fell to pieces within 18 months. Landlord's representative knows what we have done. However, I need a new bathroom as well so they will have to fund that one. This way round I will get the storage I desperately need in the kitchen.
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