Starting to Potter a bit

Well the fridge got done yesterday and it is absolutely spotless.  That was a big thing off the check list for me and I am glad to have achieved it.  However as soon as one item comes off the proverbial check list, more go on to replace it!

It has been a pottering sort of day.  I have been shopping locally and bought in some more veg and fruit for making things over the next few days including ingredients for making further items.  However, I will comment more on that in my post tomorrow evening, and so by its very nature this post this evening is short and sweet as the saying goes.

I have primarily been concentrating on drying things today.  Last night I popped two bags of Spinach leaves into the Dehydrator, and I now have these dried and jarred up.  Going to be very useful as a green powder for adding to stews, soups, stocks, gravies etc.  I also believe that I will be able to use this to flavour homemade pasta.  That is something on the list of to-dos, as I want to make a load for the pantry shelf. I am hoping to dry more Spinach and Kale during the week as well. I am thinking that Beetroot would be another good ingredient to dry for pasta also.  Just thoughts at the moment, running free as I have been working.

I do have some fresh Beetroot to pickle as well.  This is the first batch.  We use a lot of it in any given year and there will be more done in this way.  However, I also want to try a Beetroot chutney as well so that is something that could be happening sooner than later.

Tomorrow, I have several projects to deal with.

1. Drying breadcrumbs in readiness for homemade Sage and Onion stuffing.  I have three unsliced loaves for this purpose.
2. The Souper Mix needs making.  I am going to make a double batch of this.
3. The Beetroot needs cooking. I am going to pressure can this in the Ninja Foodi as it will be a lot quicker to process this way.  When I had my old-fashioned pressure cooker, this was something that I used to cook regularly in it and so is nothing new to me. It will then need to be added to spiced vinegar.
4. The Dehydrated Kale I have prepared today, will need packaging after it is dry.  I could grind it up as a green powder, however I am choosing to leave this whole as is as I can use it in layer up a Lasagna, as well as in soups, stews and casseroles.
5. The Piccalilli needs to be started in readiness for finishing off on Monday. That means preparing all the vegetables and salting them, leaving overnight before completing them on Monday.  I am a bit late in making this, but at least he will have some.
6. Sunday lunch will need to be cooked. We are having a Loin of Pork with either homemade apple sauce or Crabapple jelly.  I may make a pudding too if I have the time.
7. Need to add some Lard to the roasting pan so that I get a fair bit of "Pork dripping" for cooking roasties in, in the coming weeks.  I usually decant this into jars and keep it in the fridge to use as I need it.
8. Crab apple and Rosehip jelly needs making.
9. Mustard seeds need soaking in readiness for making flavoured Mustards.  You soak overnight and then complete the following day.

There is therefore quite a bit of work to be done tomorrow.  Should keep me out of mischief.  In the coming weeks, there will be quite a lot of items made for the Pantry shelf specifically for Christmas.  I am trying to make the most of the time available to me by making a concerted effort to get stuff made and out of the way with.

Today I made a small purchase towards the Christmas Larder in that I bought some Brazil nuts; two packets.  Will buy some more another week.  Will be varying the nuts as well as I have some ideas for making homemade sweeties for Christmas with various nuts, and I am therefore starting to add in bits that I will need in readiness.  I shall be sourcing a range of different nuts and not all of them are intended for sweeties.  Nuts are good for you in any event.  I also bought two more packets of Roasted salted peanuts for further peanut butter in due course.

I am also hoping to have another forage tomorrow and if not tomorrow, on Monday.  I have plans for other items and I am hopeful to be able to gather these from the wild.

Lots of things therefore on the Agenda.  Fingers crossed and toes plaited that everything goes to plan.  I do have lots of other mundane stuff to deal with as well routine stuff that needs doing day by day.  I have some projects that I want to have a go at on the crafting side so will also see how we get on with that.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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