TARRAGON & THYME

 Which has been wet, damp and nippy.  Certainly, a dismal day. I have wrapped myself up in a fleece track suit and top to try and keep myself warm. Sadly, it looks as though it is going to be a wet and windy weekend here in Peterborough. I have been pottering starting to sort things out in the study, a job long overdue.  This by its very nature means that I am ending up sorting out a load of paperwork, books, magazines and crafting stuff which seems to have accumulated in a heap. I may be here sometime.  I did start the actual tidying yesterday, which is why I was able to show off some of my resource books in a post earlier today.  I have since found a lot more books which have been stacked on top of the ones sorted yesterday.  Temporarily.  My Embroidery machine is to be moved, but the desk it is going on is not ready for it to be moved.  So many of the stacked books will be going alongside the ones shown yesterday.  Two steps forward one st...

Are a very important part of my life, always have been and always will be.  For me books on the computer are not the same as having a book in your hand, to feel the turn of the page and the paper between your fingertips.  It is so much more a tactile experience than getting screen blurry reading from the computer -screen. Although the computer does play its part, what if we were not able to access them.  There is then a wealth of information on it that we cannot access.  We therefore do still need books and there is always room for them in my home. Here are some  (I emphasise that this is only a tiny portion of the books I do have) of the books that I have been using recently in planning some of my recent projects.  Some have been bought from charity shops, some brand new.  Each one is an integral item in my book collection.  Each of them offers something different and very special.  Recipes, crafts and inspiration are all contained with...

I am lucky in that I have access at the moment to eating apples on the bargain trolley at the veg shop at £1 a bowl. I bought six bowls the other day, and some of those are intended to go into apple sauce. Whether they will or not is anyone's guess but at the moment that is what is intended. I have therefore sliced a few eating apples up and popped them into citric acid water to keep their colour. They have then been drained and popped into the Dehydrator.  These are initially for decorations I think as I have kept the skin on them for the colour. Now need to do some green ones the same so that you get a touch of colour on whatever items the slices go to decorate.  These initial trays are for Christmas decorating. I want those decorations to be as natural as possible.  I also intend dehydrating a scuttle full for the Pantry shelf as well as they can be used in cereals and in home baking.  I also have ideas for a pickle, and a liqueur style drink, but that will have t...

I recently bought four baskets of Lemons from the Veg shop at £1 per basket.  There are approximately 12 Lemons in each basket, and so what to do to make these individually expensive fruits more helpful in my Pantry. I will need more Lemons, but at least I have a few projects to go at. Fermented Lemon and Honey x 2 jars Basically, take a clean sterilised jar and layer up Lemon slices within the jar.  Partially fill and then add runny honey, then add more slices continuing to the top of the jar.  This is a Ferment that does not go wild, but good for colds, drinks etc.  I have recycled a couple of large old Pickle jars and intend on using this in cooking, for teas, colds, with cider vinegar in the morning and hot water (a traditional daily intake that is meant to help with any kind of arthritis and helps to keep you moving).  It helped me when I was younger, it is though, something I have not used in a while.  On a recent sorting out session I discovered that...

 With my food, there are some things that I have to be in the mood to eat, otherwise I just cannot face them. I am like that with bog standard mushrooms as well. With us having been a bit off colour for the past few days, I thought that it was essential that we got some good food into us that would not be complicated to make, but which would be substantial and tasty. When I was at home with my birth family, Mum used to regularly make Liver and Onions served with mash and sometimes other vegetables.  A good warming meal on a cold day.  Many people go yuck at the thought of Liver, but it can be a cheap meal that goes a long way. Mum used to make Liver and Onions in a casserole dish with stock or water, some Thyme and sliced onions and a little white pepper.  That is the way she always used to make it. When I was married, I used to make it the same way. Current OH, kind of put a spanner in the works as he prefers his liver "Blue", and I mean "Blue".  Him eating Liv...

Just a quick pop in. Am a lot better today.   At least I can move now without hurting like I did yesterday. My saviour was my hot water bottle as I had gone extremely cold on the inside and my hands had gone white as on top of everything else, I ended up having a particularly bad Raynaud's attack.  Unfortunately, I tend to feel the slightest change in temperature even in the middle of summer. Everyone else can be blisteringly hot, me frozen to the bone.  I have a broken thermometer! Today has been a lot more comfortable. I still was not up to cooking a full roast, that will happen later in the week as I have some items to use up before the roast. They will therefore be getting dealt with tomorrow. I still sadly have not been able to get to any preserving, but a few jobs have been dealt with today by OH, which hopefully make my life a little easier with some things. Still a lot more to do, but a successful start. We had a few bits of equipment that were not behaving t...

Today has been a bit of a washout in that, I have not been hundred per cent today after the Covid Booster and the Flu Booster injections of yesterday.  Boy, have I hurt, in nearly every joint and have been very stiff moving about today as a result. I also feel as though I have a bad chill. Sleeping was a little difficult as could not lay on either side, because of both arms kicking off.  Oh well, it is what it is.  Just taking it very steady and not doing very much.  Not even up for doing Sunday dinner either. Therefore,  just resting up today.  I had planned on doing several preserving bits and bobs.  That will now have to wait until tomorrow.   I have however received the gifted home-grown runner beans from my stepson's father-in-law; grown down in the Forest of Dean.  Must say that they look very good.  Enough for doing some Piccalilli for OH.  Will be off for some veggies tomorrow to do this (hopefully).  I a...

Today has been a mixed bag of things to do and things going on.  I was up early and pottering around whilst OH was out for the count. It was also Covid-Booster day, and we were given the option of having the Flu jab as well.  For medical reasons we have to have the Flu one every year in any event.  We therefore tootled off and got that all sorted.  I felt this one today; we received the Moderna version in our left arms and the flu jab in the other arm.  My left arm is slightly heavy at the moment, but otherwise appear to be okay.  So that is done and dusted until the next one is required. We also nipped off to the Butcher's again after being dealt with at the Covid vaccine centre.  Have come away with some Torpedo Prawns (Tempura covered prawns (crevettes) which are to die for).  I usually have these with some sweet Chilli sauce.  They are a favourite and a huge treat when we do source them. Also purchased a small Rib joint for dinner tomorro...