Cooking again today

We have had rain here again today in Peterborough for most of the afternoon and it looks as though it is not going to let up this evening either.  The nights are certainly drawing in as Autumn spreads her fingers little by little taking away the last of the summer and the warmth.  I have succumbed and am wearing a top again, but it feels so restrictive after the freedom of the heat and summer.  The damp does not do any good and I am a little fed up with the darker nights in any event.  You can cocoon yourself in the winter months, hide away and bury yourself in projects. I am hoping to get back to my crafting soon as I have so much that I want to achieve and get finished.

I have cooked again today.  This time we have had Toad in the Hole, (Sausages cooked in Yorkshire Pudding).  I have made a big tray full so that we can have a repeat dinner tomorrow night, when it will be a ping job.  This time round I have popped mixed herbs into the batter mix but also thinly sliced an onion to go in the bottom of the tray with the sausages.  When they have warmed through a bit, I then add the batter mix.  Comfort food of the highest order.  I served it with shredded steamed cabbage, mashed potato, carrots, peas, broccoli and lots of gravy.  It has gone down very nicely.  

I shall cook an apple or a blackberry and apple sponge for tomorrow night's tea and serve it with custard for a change.  It will just be a matter of mixing up the sponge mix, then draining the syrup from the fruit, and then adding the fruit to a big pie dish and then cover it with homemade sponge.  One of the advantages of preparing your own pie/pudding mixes for the winter months.  

I have plenty of onions as well at the moment, (I bought a large net recently for £2) and I will therefore make a batch of French Onion soup up, keep it in the fridge ready for when we are hungry.  Might also make some carrot and coriander soup as well.  Will see how things go.  Both make filling starters or indeed snacks during the day with the added benefit that they are nice and warming. Anything to keep the old internal boiler working.

I like all the seasons, each of them are markedly different but I do have a definite predilection for Spring, and for Autumn. Spring when everything opens up and Autumn as things start to close down.

Winter I love for Christmas, and proper fires (if you have one) and a little nip of Sloe Gin, Mulled wine or Cider and deeply warming foods.  Summer I love for being able to get out in the fresh air with it being warm and lots of ice cream.  They all have something pretty special to offer.

Still an awful lot of preserving to do, time to get on again I think.  Must dig out that dried fruit from the Pantry to start prepping for Christmas puddings and Christmas cakes as well as some other specialities.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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