TARRAGON & THYME

Sorry about yesterday I was just completely drained of energy, my eyes were playing up and extremely dry and I had to pop some drops in before I went to bed.  I was nodding asleep as I was sat down.  I managed to get to bed early and have had a good night's sleep.  Still feel drained so think another early night might be in order.  Still was not up as early as I wanted to be, but I am determined to get there.   So am going to concentrate on getting myself back to feeling a bit more "normal" to what I have done. Yesterday I was working in the kitchen. I have been back in there again today doing some more tidying and restoring cupboards back to how they should be.  Not easy when you have a plethora of kitchen equipment! I have felt the cold here today, although the temperature has not been much different to yesterday.  I think the blustery wind is making a difference. I have bought in some veg today.  I like to have a good supply as it is the b...

 Sorry folks no post tonight.  Am feeling slightly under the weather.  Think I have a cold coming and I am absolutely shattered, no energy. Therefore opting for an early night to see if I can get this under control.  I will not be beaten!  Better to take the time out now before it progresses any. Hopefully will feel a lot better tomorrow. Hope everyone else is keeping safe and warm. Catch up soon. Pattypan x

Went down to do some sorting in the kitchen.  Ended up cooking an Old Faithful here, Cottage Pie.  Couple of hours later after doing some washing up and then prepping tea, ended up with another pile of washing up which I will tackle shortly. I am not a keen fan of washing up but there is a need for it! It has been a cold and dreary day here in Peterborough.  I like playing in the kitchen, and I had planned on a fancy topping for the Cottage Pie, but I could not locate the specific bit of equipment I was looking for and I therefore ended up just doing it in my normal fashion.  With my cooking I go for taste more than anything else.  My presentation skills could do with a little refining,  but it is an honest try each time. This is a quarter serving each.  All made out of 1lb of mince, 2 carrots, 1/2 a leek and two small onions. I always make a gravy with the mince and veggies, but not that much that it drenches it.  Also mashed potatoes have a litt...

Nothing much happening really, just plodding along doing a few things here and there.   I managed to fall down the other day and I am now sporting a 3 x 2 inch bruise on the top of my thigh. Not a pretty sight! Trouble is when I fall I fall heavy, and because I do not have much upper arm strength tend to fall a second time as well despite putting my hands out.  It does not help that my arm is not playing ball either.  Am waiting for an Ultrasound for that. In retrospect age seems to be no barrier as I was always a tumble tot with plasters always over my knees and when I fell my front teeth used to go through my bottom lip! Something that was remedied by a brace when I was a teenager.  All I can say is beware of low flying "Pattypan"! Tea tonight was supposed to be Cottage Pie. The something with mince. In truth I got absorbed pottering and did not realise what the time was and so we ended up still having a good tea,  This time a fry up with eggs, chipo...

Into the big wild world.  These days I tend to stay at home in my own little world!  Today we went to the Butcher, it has been about three weeks since we last went.  Have not done as big of a top up as normally do, but we have to eat for the next week or so. The offer was still on for the Beef mince, so we bought one kilo and received one kilo free.  A good buy if you have a freezer.  Quite a few meals planned out of this.  Might do stuffed Cannelloni this time round rather than Lasagna, certainly a Cottage Pie.  I quite like the Cottage Pie mix served without its lid of mashed potato as a mains for a meal and served with sides of veggies and also Minced Beef pie.  OH though is not a fan. Might make homemade meatballs and serve with either spaghetti or one of the other shaped pastas as I have quite a stock of these. Am therefore going to have a look around to see if can come up with something a little different. Have come back with plenty of Beef ...

 Basically my mojo got up and left the building.  It has been a warmer day here, but it is still cold and I am still wrapped up in thick clothing even in the house. I went for a walk earlier with a friend and we ended up putting the world to rights between us.  The exercise is good though and I sometimes think that getting out into the fresh air, actually helps you appreciate the warmth more in the house. We nipped to the local shop unfortunately they did not have much choice and we came back with Youngs Battered Cod fillets which we have not had in an awful long while.  They are not too bad and make a cheap meal as you get four fillets in the box.  I served them with homemade chunky chips and baked beans.  Has gone down very nicely. Whilst in the local shop as well came across this Bay Seasoning which was on offer.  I have therefore come home with a tin to see whether we like it or not.  Must say that the mixture smells flavourful.  Will pro...

Based on buying in a few ingredients from the shop. OH fancied Fish Fingers for his tea and so this was prepared for him together with a couple of fried eggs and some baked beans.  Unfortunately, he could not get the Cod fish fingers.  I do not like the Omega 3 ones as a large part of what is in them is Coley.  I do not have fond memories from my past about this as Mum used to serve it and although I like fish I don't like Coley.  I think he now knows why I only buy the Cod ones!  He went to the shop and came back with them. As himself was having something that he purportedly liked, I asked him to pick me up a pack of Chicken Dippers.  I do not mind these occasionally.  However I had it in mind to prepare them differently to what I normally do.   Very loosely based on a local pub meal that I used to have regularly when out and about meeting friends.  Which was a sweet and sour chicken served with sweet and sour sauce, rice and crisp litt...

 Saw this article from Martin Lewis on the proposed risk of power shortages this winter.   Martin Lewis Power Outages Indicates that most electricity usage takes place between 4pm and 7pm daily and the content of the article is that we should wherever possible limit our use of electricity during this time.  When I have the tumble dryer on - yes I still do for health reasons - ie damp clothing around the house makes me worse with my arthritis, I tend to have it on between 8pm and 11pm. That is a choice I have made and it is worked into our usage although I am where I can getting stuff out on the line.  However, the washing machine (when it is on) and the Tumbler are full and they are not on as they used to be.  I am fortunate that my Tumbler is an energy efficient model. I remember the power shortages, miners strikes and lack of light and heating in the early seventies when I was a teenager.  The more time goes on with present difficulties the more it r...

 Here in Peterborough where I have mostly kept to the house as it is too cold for me.  The sun has been out and it has been nice to see it through the window.  Trouble is I keep going really cold with Raynaud's attacks which keeps turning my fingers white, and then they go blue and I cannot feel anything.  If you zoom in on the pictures below you will  see the tops of my fingers gone blue.  This was not a particularly sustained attack either.  Caused by going down into the kitchen, which is the coldest room in the house.  That is all I did and the heating is on.  They were white, but this is them getting warmed up! Today for tea, we have had home made chunky chips, fried onions, fried King Oyster mushrooms (sliced) together with medium rare Rump steak.  Has gone down very nicely.  We find that Rump steak if it is not over-cooked can be just as good as a Rib Eye steak and it has a lot of flavour.  No need for a pudding this even...

Today, I have been in the kitchen cooking.  I made up the Lasagna which I had planned on making yesterday using the Ragu made last evening, layering up in a square dish starting with a Lasagna sheet, then cream sauce, then grated cheese I just use a strong Cheddar,and then the Ragu.  Finishing off the top with a layer of Lasgna, cream sauce and then grated cheese. I had stored the cooled Ragu in the fridge last night in readiness for today. All cooked up.   A quarter portion for each of us. The leftovers for a repeat meal tomorrow evening. I then set too and made a Rice pudding.  It was supposed to be a Tapioca  pudding (Frogspawn) which I absolutely hate with a vengeance.  OH has a soft spot for it though.  I could  not locate the Tapioca though and so just grabbed what was left of the pudding rice. This time round though I did have a small tin of Evaporated milk to pop into it.  It helps give it a creamer flavour.  I  sometim...