Kitchen Capers - Sunday 7 January 2024

 A quiet and colder start to the day, which commenced with me getting the Chef's Hat on and cooking Bacon and Eggs for a good warming breakfast.  A slower day was planned after Saturday's efforts in the kitchen.

I had left the kitchen in a bit of a state yesterday and so today really started off with me washing everything, getting it dried and then packing stuff away where it belonged. A lot of stuff I have is old and is not dish washer safe and so it was a necessary evil as it were.  All done and dusted therefore.

I also started on some of the leftover bread from the other day and spent some time tearing it into small pieces before putting into two trays and getting the crumbs dried in the oven.  I was doing nicely and then got distracted and ended up doing something else.  By the time I got back the bread was golden which was not the colour I was looking for, I had wanted creamy white.  Never mind overdone - yes - to be chucked no - just will put them in the small processor I have and make breaded crumb for homemade Scotch Eggs or mini Scotch Eggs.  These have been bagged up for the time being as they are. Will keep checking on them during the week but think they are done.  Sometimes they do catch you out though. I did get one small bag of white breadcrumbs and have some more to prep up during the week so this little project will in effect grow as I continue to save the pennies and make something useful from them.  I even put a few crumbs out for the birds.

Overdone going to be blitzed for golden breadcrumbs.

Small pieces of the prepared crumbed bread ready to go into the oven for use in stuffing mixes and bread sauce.

All dried out.

All packaged up ready for the Pantry shelf.  Hopefully the stock of this will build up pretty quickly.

This basket will soon be full of the basics for my different little projects.  It is so rewarding getting something from very little - a bonus.  I just cannot abide waste though and £1.80 odd for a packet of stuffing mix (not even a known brand one!) is money that can be spent elsewhere.

Also planned are homemade stuffing mixes (I am not paying £1.80 odd for a box of stuffing from the shop), so might as well have the elements to hand to make my own, with some already being made up into little bags in due course.  Also plan on doing some plain croutons in due course as well.  I prepare them plain because oil is volatile and goes off very quickly.  Therefore if I want herbed croutons I will prepare them as I need them in a pan with some oil and herbs so they will in effect be made "fresh" (with dried bread) for the meal.  I also intend to make up some small bags of Bread sauce mix as well.  Might as well make what I need with what I have and ensure a good stock of items that I do use on a regular basis.

Have also bought two chickens.  Have cooked them both together and we have had some lovely tender chicken for tea this evening, just served simply with bread and butter and some homemade chutney.  Gone down very nicely.

                                                                                                               

                                                                                 

Cooking them both together has ensured that I only have the one lot of cooking to do in the oven.  I found that one chicken on its own was not quite enough to achieve what I wanted to, and perhaps two is slightly too much, but it does give me more scope for good evening meals.  I am thinking Chicken Pot pie here, a roast dinner, a homemade curry/stir fry, maybe some Chicken noodle soup and of course Chicken stock.  Two chickens gives more flavour to the stock and more goodness.  They will be stripped down tomorrow in readiness for their final incarnations!

Yes we might get fed up with Chicken by the end of the week, but it is a good way to make sure that we have meals for the best part of the week.  Might get some Mince later on in the week and do a Cottage Pie and a Chilli.  Will see how things pan out.

                                                      

                                                                         

I also treated myself to a Cherry Brandy Coffee made with a good slosh of the Brandy into the coffee and then a layer of cream on the top (bit like an Irish coffee).  Was rather nice.  Might make that again.

Hopefully, I will get back on track a little bit tomorrow with the chores and projects have given to myself.  I am not sure the Pantry will be ready for G on Tuesday, will see how I get on tomorrow.

This week I also intend to gather as many veggie peelings together as I can, and then set too later in the week and make some veggie stock for the Pantry shelf as well.  Hopefully by the end of the week will not only have Ham, Beef, Turkey and Chicken stock but veggie as well.  Now that is what I call a good start to the Pantry shelf.

I will in due course be addressing other preserves that I use in my gravy making once I stock up on Onions again.  I do use a lot of them and the net I bought a couple of weeks ago has nearly gone.  Onions tend to be a base for everything but there are lots of other preserves I use as well in gravies and sauces.  All form an integral part of my cooking arsenal.

There are lots of other little projects to be done as well.  More on that later on in the week though.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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