Today has been a Kitchen Day - Not for cooking

 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.  The bottom cupboard needs sorting out as it has all sorts of odds and ends in, so it will be a repeat performance with this cupboard. So, a lot to do and little time to do it. However, it will be a job well done in the longer-term.

I will then wash the floor in the kitchen and that will be two rooms potentially dealt with and a cupboard.  I have managed to keep the understairs cupboard very tidy.  There will then be the ironing to tackle then I can sort the bathroom out and get that painted out as well. Currently, these are the outline plans although as usual they will be subject to change.

Then I can get to the preserving stash.  I still have more stuff to do before Christmas. Some of it can be set in motion once the kitchen is tidy and everything cookery wise put away. I have more apple sauce to make, pickled onions, apple butter and mincemeat.  Also, some jam. I will be using my jam machine for this if it still works, my slow cooker and my bread machine. There are a few recipes I want to play with. The wines are also ready for popping into fresh Demijohns and then into bottles.  I have a full windowsill to deal with, so that will probably be broken down into a project for a couple of evenings.  It gets messy and sticky.

Despite my plans I have also not got to my baking this week, but once the kitchen is tidy, I can start doing bits and bobs. With the Pantry sorted, I can then put everything away in the tins where it belongs.  Will then see how I get on with the Honest Value margarine that I am trialling.  I do like Vitalite, but where I go shopping you do not see it.  You used to be able to buy large tubs of margarine for baking, but I have not seen that for ages.  Does anyone know of any possible sources?

Fortunately, we have had a repeat tea this evening of that we had yesterday i.e., the roast chicken and all the accompaniments.  It has gone down very well again.  I have used up the second breast of the chicken today although there is a tiny bit left.  I now have the option of making a chicken stew, doing a stir fry or a curry with the leftovers.  Then it will be into the slow cooker for the chicken to make chicken stock.  That will then when cooled be popped into the fridge for soup and stew making and general cooking next week.  If you have a good stock, you make good gravy.

I do have some plans for using up some veg I already have in the fridge and prepping up so can use it easily and everything is ready to go.  More on that on another post.

Right am off to get stuck in.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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