Kitchen Capers Catch up Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 January 2024

Despite my best endeavours I have got a little out of sequence with the kitchen capers articles as I have been trying to post a day behind. With me having time out with my friend, that has sort of put things off schedule, and hopefully this post will address that to some degree and help things get back on track a little bit.

I had a lovely day out with my friend.  It was much needed by us both.  Whilst out we also nipped to a local antique centre and I noticed a few things would love one day, so when funds provide I may well go back and have a look to see if those items or other alternatives are still available. I am talking vintage "Kitchenalia" in the terms of vintage storage jars and useful implements, particularly orientated towards being useful pantry storage which I am ever on the look out for. Also saw a wonderful pair of scales and also some beautiful vintage blue glass dessert glasses that looked stunning. A lot of my friends have a love of vintage items, embroidery, needlepoint that sort of thing and use them frequently in their homes also. A lot of them are also extremely highly skilled crafters.  Far better than me. After being with my friend, I am being called to dig out my vintage sampler and get on with that.  It has only been about 43 years in the working so I do think this particular sampler needs to be completed.  All depends on whether I can locate the threads.

After having the "smashing time" on Wednesday, I then saved the cracked eggs I could and put them to one side. Some were used for tea last night and the others were cooked for fried egg sarnies for breakfast on Thursday morning. It was bad enough I lost six eggs without losing any more so not as much of a disaster as it could have been.

As a result of my day out I was gifted some fresh beetroot and also a massive pumpkin. Thank you to A and to M. Very grateful to you both. Some preserves and fresh eating to be had from both.

Realistically it is probably going to be Friday or Saturday before I do any more preserving or start to as I have been chugging away with the washing pile. Pleased with the washer and the pile is slowly disappearing in the right direction. Hopefully should have all of that cleared too and will subsequently be able to get back into a routine with the washing again. The past two months have been a little difficult to say the least with having to hand-wash everything, and boil items in an old pan on top of the cooker to get them clean.

Whilst working in the kitchen therefore, I will also be giving the walls a good wash down whilst I have the space to do so. Whilst the cooker was out yesterday, I was able to get good access to the lower wall behind and the tilework and was able to give it a really good scrub down with some of my orange vinegar. The upper wall and the ceiling still needs doing.  It does get cleaned regularly but it does make it easier if access is not as limited by the cooker. In theory the kitchen should then be ready for G to paint after the Pantry has been sorted which is dipping into next week at the moment on the time schedule without allowing time for paint to dry.

Today has been a bitter day again weather-wise and another long grey day. Tea tonight Thursday night is going to be something simple; Baked potatoes with butter, finely grated cheese and some shallot. Cooked in my Ninja Foodi 9 in one machine. Within 40 minutes everything done, nothing added fat wise, just washed potatoes that had been pricked with a fork. Nothing else. Too much going on in the kitchen to do any serious cooking. Rather than cause further problems decided to keep simple and so I can then get on a do a bit more stuff after tea.

I have tentatively poked my nose into the pantry. There is still far more stuff in there than I had realised so I do need the kitchen clear to be able to sort this out. Therefore concentration on regular tasks to clear the space i.e. the washing, the washing up, clearing the work top down. I have a small cart trolley that I have kept in the Pantry for sometime and I liberated it yesterday evening.  I think it is going to be in the kitchen so that I can free up some of the counter space for working on. The trolley top will give an ideal surface on which to pop one of the bread machines. Alternatively can be used as a preparation area if necessary. Looks as though the counter is going to be sorted out yet again.  Still fine tuning it or to be fair tuning it to the present requirements.  I keep faffing with it.

Hopefully will get the bulk of the laundry completed today.  Then when there is space in the kitchen I can then empty the Pantry and start on that.  Might start emptying the Pantry on Friday evening.  Will see how it goes.

Determined to get this house in order as best as I can.  Will be easier all told for me at the end of the day.  Will see how things go.

Will try and get back into the day behind routine again.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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