TARRAGON & THYME

Today has been a shopping day.  OH, went and obtained more potatoes for me this morning whilst walking the dog.  He came back with 1/2 a sack of Red Potatoes and 1/2 a sack of whites.  The red ones (sorry do not know the names are a good all-rounder and the whites are apparently good for chips and roasties).  I make homemade chips and we had a session where the potatoes were not quite up to the job of making proper chips.  Hopefully these will pass muster.  He also came back with some parsnips, two bunches of carrots with their tops and some Leeks. We had also planned on going to the Butcher as it has been a while since we went.  We have come away, with two packs of Beef Skirt, a large Chicken, 1lb of mince, 1lb of bacon, 1lb of chipolatas, 1lb of Old English Sausages. OH, had decided that perhaps we would take up the offer in respect of Christmas dinner that the Butchers have on at the moment.  However, it would appear that th...

With a very good friend to Peterborough Cathedral Light and Sound Event using the exterior and interior of Peterborough Cathedral as its backdrop.  This year's version was entitled "In the Beginning". Like last year's Angel version, it was fantastic, and takes you out of yourself for a little while with such a beautiful display. Very calming, and very peaceful despite the music and readings and people milling around.  We just stood and took in all the beautiful visual imagery and time passed very quickly.  It seemed as if we were only in there for 10 minutes when in fact it was more like half an hour. More details on the event are in the link below. Peterborough Cathedral Light Show in the Beginning I do have a couple of videos to share, but they are taking forever to download so will post those as soon as I can. In other events, I have been busy trying to get the house sorted in time for Christmas, failing miserably at the moment due to events beyond my control, but...

 Sorry have not posted for a day or so.  Everything is okay.  Just have a lot on my plate at the moment as I am busy sorting my dining room out.  Taking far longer than expected, but I no longer have the speed of my youth and I am still battling a very sore arm.  Being right-handed and the side that is playing up is not good but have to deal with what we have. Also, other household tasks going on as per usual; the ones that go on in the background and which everyone takes for granted.  The Elf housekeeper has been in again and quietly got on with the job whilst the histrionics of everyday life go on elsewhere. It does mean at times ping-ponging between tasks and rooms am working on. I must say that I am going to  be using the dishwashing tablets from now on in for cleaning.  Cleans the grime away very quickly.  Hope it works on the front room carpet when I get to it.  Dining room first. During the clear up in the dining room am finding i...

Just a quick post today, as I amvery tired. It has rained and rained and rained all day here in Peterborough and don't I know it.  I am as stiff as a board.  Needless to say, I have been trundling on, even though some of what I have been doing has been painful and uncomfortable.  I have sorted out my microwave, and my small electric rotisserie oven (it is multi-function) and bought as an overflow oven when I have other bits and bobs on the go.  Both have been stripped out and cleaned; and both have come up lovely and clean because I used something different. I had been doing some research on cleaning on the Internet where I came upon a couple of articles on using dishwasher tablets to clean grubby items and even carpets.   Here  Dishwasher Tablets Uses for Cleaning And Cleaning Carpets etc Dishwasher Tabs The purpose was initially because when I tidy the front room, I will have the carpet to clean and I do not believe in paying out for someth...

 As I overslept and did not feel too clever earlier on.  We have had rain again and I am pretty sure that this affects me, as I stiffen up considerably and it is like I am dealing with an alien in my own body.  What passes for a brain gives instructions and it is like watching things in slow motion (that is what the fatigue does) very frustrating.  Copious amounts of the Bio Freeze spray have also been used today, and I have had some Paracetamol. This is despite the fact that I do a series of stretches first thing in the morning, as I find it helps me start the day off well. Now I do not consider myself particularly ancient and I certainly still have a lot of living to do, so it is grit the teeth and try and keep busy.  Have had a few breaks in-between though.   I have also bottomed the cooker out and given that a major cleaning, not that it was horrific it just needed doing so I am well chuffed that part of the clean-up is finished...

  In the kitchen has gone on today.  Not what I had in mind when I went down earlier today, but nevertheless I decided to have a play with the Ninja Food Max 7.5 litre version as there are a couple of functions I have not used yet. I do use the Pressure-cooking function an awful lot, that is perhaps down to the fact that my Mum always used one and I was taught how to use it from about the age of 14 years of age. I also had one when I married and since have been with himself, I have always had a couple as I have used them extensively. And they do not phase me at all.  In fact, the newer electronic models are very easy and safe to use. I started off making some Swede and Carrot mash, which I prepped by peeling and then cubing both carrot and swede and then popping it in a little water and cooking on the Pressure cooker function for about 20 minutes.  It came out perfectly cooked and then was finished off with a little butter, and then mashed with a standard vegetable m...

 After a busy day yesterday, pottering sorting different items out, and safe in the knowledge that tea was already cooked from yesterday i.e., a repeat of the Beef stew, I then set too and made a traditional old fashioned apple crumble with the Howgate Wonder apples. You need no sugar in the apple mixture with these apples at all.  The crumble mix itself has a little sugar in it, but not the sauce bit. It has been a long while since I made a proper apple crumble, have made other versions but not an apple one.  I was therefore very much looking forward to this aspect of my tea. Pudding came up very nicely in the end and was absolutely delicious.   Pudding could be putting in more of an appearance round here during these winter months we are both enjoying them. Yet again, we have pudding for tonight's tea, although we are having roast chicken for tea tonight in any event with veggies.  Very much looking forward to that. There is still at least another th...

It has been another cold day today and so a little cooking has been going on. First off have made a stew, something filling, and tasty and which will keep body and soul lovely and warm. Today I cooked the stew earlier in the pressure cooker. I added Leek, Onion, Carrot, Swede, Parsnip, Peas, some Romanesco, dried powdered Spinach, dried Kale, some home dried Chives, Cranberry sauce, Lea & Perrins, stock, herbs, white pepper I then switched everything off.  After it had cooled somewhat (stew is always better when it has been left for a while), I then made the dumplings from one of my homemade packet mixes and popped them into the pan and turned the Ninja onto slow cooker setting and then left the dumplings to cook.  They came up very well. It was as usual being served with mashed potato. Then we have pudding, an Orange Surprise pudding which basically is a batter pudding which separates into a sponge and a syrup. I just swapped the Orange for the Lemon in this recipe I had ...

Is very important first thing, as that is when our blood sugar is at its lowest.  Therefore, it is very important to have something to eat first thing to kick-start your system for the day. That is why it is called "Breakfast" because you are literally breaking the fast! It is especially important now colder days are starting to increase as we slide ever further into the season. I am very mindful of the fact that we need nice warm breakfasts that do not necessarily involve a fry up.   I have many memories of going to my Grandparents' home and eating breakfast around a small two stool kitchen table with steaming bowls of porridge being served up hot off the Rayburn followed by thick slices of Nan's homemade bread turned into slices of thick golden buttered toast.  This was served with my Granddad's honey or one of my Nan's many jars of home-produced jam.  Always a substantial breakfast and washed down with lots of hot cups of tea.   From what I understa...

 We woke up to fog here in Peterborough this morning, thickish fog, which has hung around for the best part of the day.  It has been chilly and damp as well which has not helped.  Therefore, I had determined that we were going to have Toad in the Hole for tea this evening.  Duly accomplished and served with mashed potato, Brussel Sprouts, Romanesco, carrots and peas and lots of gravy. Due to a medical condition, I have a dry mouth for the best part.  I tried the sprays the Doctor prescribed but I do not get on with them, so I drink a lot and I also like plenty of gravy to make sure my food goes down properly.  I know that it is not to everyone's taste, but it would not do if we were all the same. Thoroughly enjoyed and it has done the job of having a reasonably substantial meal for the day. This is what I aim for. and as long as we are warm and fed, we are indeed rich.  We also have a duplicate meal for tomorrow night as well.  However, we are goi...

Friday evening, I did a little more tidying up in the back bedroom.  I have a lot to do, and it is very gradually being sorted but decided to concentrate during the day on other projects and just chunk away on this room of an evening. Needless to say, have more to do tonight. Saturday however, started when we went out first thing to try a new veg stall in a layby that we had been told about.  The veggies we came away with as I did not need many after the main stock up during the week, are as follows: 10kg bag of red potatoes £7 1 large stalk of Brussel Sprouts £1.50 1 Celeriac £1.50 4 Parsnips Freebie Without the parsnips this came to £10.  He gave me the Parsnips for free.  Apparently, the chap who owns the stall, grows the majority of the veg himself.  Shall go back here again and will perhaps dip between the two veg shops as I could see that both have advantages and minuses, but they seemed to accommodate between them everything I will need on the veggie...

  It has been a windy and cold day here today one where you want to hibernate away from the world and live in your own bubble. For part of today I have been in the kitchen starting to give it, its once a month bottoming out, and to re-arrange my cooking bits and bobs back in their right places.  This all needs to be done, as I have the Pantry also to bottom out (which will upset the kitchen floor for a day or two), empty it out, wash it out and then paint it.  Then once dry pop it all back sorted out properly and get the items lurking in the dining room in there as well. Will free up more space in the dining room.  After that it will be the dining room cupboard which although bottomed out has not been decorated yet.  That needs to be done, so that I can put some of my preserves in there as I have run out of room in the understairs cupboard. I am planning on putting my vases on the top shelf, preserves next down and then the alcohol shelf stored out of the way....

 Rumours about there being no Turkeys and now no eggs  Well, we have decided (or himself has at the moment) that we are not having Turkey this year but something else.  Turkey is his favourite and as it is once a year, we normally pay for a free-range bird.  Not this year though with a quote of £80.  Apparently, the Government have also sanctioned that Farmers can freeze the birds in advance this year as well.   And now we hear that there may not be enough eggs to go around on top of that. Avian Flu and other factors means that many Farmers are not earning a living from the egg industry, and I believe are giving up as a result. What a mess this country is in on the food front. I think it is about time that the Government got its finger out and started to implement a sustainable food supply for this country, where we grow as much as we can.  In the interim it is clear to me that we cannot rely on the Government - not that I had much hope in that re...

.... Not to waste any food.  None of us can afford to waste a thing. Not with the prices of food at the moment.  I very much think that for most households this coming Christmas.   Once your meal leftovers have cooled make sure that they are packaged into a container and packed into the fridge.  Over a couple of days any leftover veg can accumulate and can always be turned into a "Bubble and Squeak" cakes or potato cakes.   This is what is happening for us tonight for tea. I have cooked vegetables leftover from Sunday, and I am not wasting anything. The vegetables consist of the last of the roasties, some broccoli, carrots, peas, celeriac, Brussel sprouts and a little left over mashed potato.  I am going to mash all the veggies together, and then either pop in portions in the frying pan after frying some bacon or shaped into cakes/patties.  This will be served with the fry up we are having for tea tonight. These patties are also good to ...