It has been a bit busy

..... Here over the past few days where a few things have gone wrong and have had to stop what was dealing with and sort out which has created a further muddle.  Tiz just the depth.

Today started off with me going to Home Bargains to refill on Soap Powder, Toilet rolls, cleaning materials.  I have been having trouble obtaining Brillo pads for cleaning the saucepans.  Despite having tried three other stores I managed to find them here no problems.  Also there are some metal scourers which in effect are a ball of metal scrim and for three of these at Waitrose they want £1.70.  For three of these at Home Bargains they charged I think 45p!  So some of those came home with me as well. I aim to go back there shortly as there were one or two things I spotted that would be quite useful.  They were just starting to put the Christmas stock in when I went today. I would like another good look around as it was a straight in and straight out today.

I tend to have a system in place or have had in the past, wherein I keep enough stock in for at least six weeks on most items.  This does involve a big stock up initially, but after that it is relatively easy to maintain. This is partially down to the fact that if you have basics in at all times especially stuff you work with day in day out, if there are any unexpected events everything is catered for and we can get by relatively stress free on this side of things. Once I am stocked up I then just top up a nominal amount on the next month's shopping.  This has worked remarkably well in the past when we have been without employment.  We have been food secure and have been able to concentrate on immediate priorities that need dealing with.  It lessens the weight at the end of the day.

We should have had a piece of roast pork (a nice piece of pork loin) for tea on Sunday that did not materialise, instead we have managed to have it tonight.  I also used some of my home made Crab Apple Jelly which was a bonus preserve out of some Crab Apples I had forgotten about, so very apt it should have been opened to go with the Pork.  Very tasty it was too and I also managed to get a couple of jars of pork dripping fat for roast potatoes during the next few weeks.  Once it is cooled, it will go into the fridge.  I add one or two packs of lard to the meat tray and it takes on the flavour of the pork and you get the meat juices (jelly too). After the meat is more or less cooked I strain off the bulk of the fat and decant into jars.  The remnants of the meat juices are then used to make the gravy.  

At the beginning of December I shall buy another piece of pork and do the same again so that we have pork dripping available for the Christmas roasties. I do not mind Goose fat, but my preference is for pork dripping as I think it gives the roasties a lot more flavour.  You could also do the same if you wanted goose or duck fat.  I always when I cook look for the little extra I can squeeze out of what I am cooking and today it was the pork dripping.

Because of real life interventions, my preserving has come to a bit of a halt I am hoping to get back into the swing of things tomorrow evening doing a couple of preserves that need doing, and work during the day on other things with the evenings reserved for the preserving.  Saying that I have started off some Spiced Apple Butter in the slow cooker.  I may also have to go and get a few more lids on Friday as well just to be on the safe side.

However, the washing machine, the dryer and the ironing board are in full meltdown operations.

How are everyone else's Christmas preparations going?

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

xx