TARRAGON & THYME

 has been very hectic again to say the least.  I have not stopped at all it has been very full on today.  In any event, I have had to concentrate on the kitchen which is not what I planned and somewhat of a detour.  In reality, and perhaps for the next couple of days (especially with me doing things like washing, ironing and trying to sort the Pantry out and also co-ordinate other things that are going on in the background), the kitchen is going to be where I will be based.  I will therefore be kitchen bound for the next few days at least I suspect if not over the weekend.  This time round I want everything sorting as best as I can, bearing in mind that Christmas is on the horizon and I would like to get some Christmas decorations up as well. I had completed washing yesterday which I hung out on the line today, however, it did not dry. My tea towels were part of this and as I had used them all (I only use a tea-towel once before it is put into a boil wash)....

So sorry for the lack of action and posts this last week which has very much been down to what has been going on around us which I will not go into detail in on here.  However despite the things that are sent to try us, I have managed to get stuck in here and there; it has been a case of having to, to keep my sanity more than anything else. Time has been against me all the way around and I have not had a few minutes to myself as a result. I had originally started to compile this post before everything was thrown up into the air, and I will have by now posted an intervening post as I was not quite ready to put this particular post as "Published".  There is therefore a little bit of cross-over between posts. To recap; I have been in the Pantry again, have turfed out some tubs of stored items, replenished jars, sorted things a bit more in the Pantry for ease of use more than anything else and I still do not have room for everything.  I have turfed out some of the contents of...

 and unfortunately it is not the preserves type of pickle.   The Pantry has become untenable again and is due another clear out.  Those Preserving jars that are full in my main Pantry need to be taken out so that I can get the stuff that does belong in there in.  I haven't even been shopping yet for my major stock up.  The next few days therefore I am going to be seriously tackling the Pantry.  I may then have some room to move in the dining room. A lot of the upper shelves in the Pantry when I re-filled it after decorating in the Pantry earlier in the year, are by their very nature full of home preserved foods which I do use on a regular basis.  However, the main Pantry is more of a dry Pantry and I have ingredients in boxes that need to go into the Pantry. Therefore all the Preserves are coming out and I will re-organise the dry ingredients in boxes into the Pantry.  That in turn should free up other tubs for sorting other items into. ...

 Literally, leaving me with a giant "Cat's Cradle" to try and unravel with the house and various other things which I am not going to go into. Therefore it is time for a re-set and start from scratch again.  Things have not gone well this last week either on the energy, able to do things mode and we have had a very poorly Jack Russell to nurse as well which has led to a severe lack of sleep and a lot of grumpiness on G's part.  He cannot bear anything out of place or routine, and unfortunately Missy takes after him.  Let us just leave last week where it was.   Bright spots are that Missy is starting to get better, although very much a little old lady these days. We seem to have got her back on track, but she is going to take some careful nurturing. G thinks I fuss too much where she is concerned, however I have proved over and over that certain things have to be done for her to keep her warm and to keep her going.  That seems to fall on deaf ears (he i...

 For the past couple of days and I have been seized up.  Could not get comfy overnight, could not settle and ended up over-sleeping this morning, although in retrospect I needed the rest.  Feeling a bit brighter than I was, and getting ready for the week ahead. These are just issues getting in the way as usual.  However I am choosing not to give in to it.  It does not define who I am, just gets in the way. I had planned quite a lot for this week, and have reduced this a bit choosing to concentrate on the first project in hand and totally getting that out of the way before I go on to something else.  There is an awful lot to do.  I will break up what I want to do with perhaps a day here or there for preserving.  I also need to go shopping again for more items to add to the Pantry as well as do some things in readiness for Christmas.  I added a few more items to the food store to the Freezer yesterday and I have also used the freezer for not wa...

 ...... well not the country unfortunately, but our local neighbourhood freezer and food shop that offers some very good bargains generally.  As with anywhere, you do have to watch the prices, but generally on bulk offers, they do what they say. To be honest, one of the reasons I go shopping at Iceland is because of the offers they have long term on most items.  Particularly on tinned items and other consumables which make them a bit more economic to buy and then store on the Pantry shelf.  We end up at some point utilising Iceland for a lot of basics especially bread for G.   Yes, t hey mix things up a little every so often.  They no longer unfortunately have offers on the Starbucks coffee drinks and they are now £2 something per bottle rather than buy three for £3.  Not too much of a problem as I have enough bottles at the moment and although I like the drink, sometimes (more often or not common sense has to prevail) unfortunately, and the penni...

I have been a little under the weather for the past few days.  The cold in particular has been upsetting my equilibrium and today in particular has not been brilliant.  It has therefore been a "duvet" day, where I have not been wrapped up in a duvet, but I have been wrapped up in warm clothing and have just been taking things easy.  However that does not stop the creative process and I am always plotting and planning things as I go along.  Sometimes accumulating items a little at a time in readiness for a final project.  It is the way I tend to work.  I often work several projects at one time, building them up bit by bit. Although I decided overall that I was not going to implement Autumn decorating in the dining room in 2024 it has not stopped me acquiring one or two pieces in readiness for next year 2025 when I do intend to decorate.   I already have a few small pieces and hope to add to these in the next year in preparedness for actually decora...

 When the weather starts to get colder, I crave comfort food and one of the most simplest of these is thick buttery Cinnamon Sugar Toast.  Basically hot buttery toast sprinkled with homemade Cinnamon Sugar, which is one of the simplest things to make.   Also can use on/in Crumpets, Muffins, bread puddings, Cinnamon bread, Cinnamon rolls, Tea breads, Doughnuts, Mulled Pears, Mulled wine,  pancakes benefit from the addition of this simple little shelf "preserve/Pantry mix". It is useful for adding to baked goods as well.  I also sprinkle it on hot creamy coffee and anywhere where you would use Cinnamon.  It works out much cheaper to make at home as well than buying it. How you use it is up to you.  We have a long and interesting often hidden preserving history in this country.  Where in many cases recipes still exist, sometimes the social history surrounding how the preserve was used is missing.  In those circumstances I tend to approach t...

Today has been a slow day as I was not firing on all pistons, but it has been a good one in any event. It has been a gentle day in that nothing has been hurried, the kind of day that I like, and I have been able to get things done under my own speed without being under any kind of pressure.  I am always in my element when I am dealing with food, preserving it or organising and re-stocking.  Ultimately it is the preserving that drives me, however all the different forms of food storage are really encompassed under one umbrella i.e. "The Pantry", even though in the UK it is traditionally where all the food is stored.   G nipped out earlier on to go to the Bakery to get some crusty buns and then he nipped to Morrisons.  Came back with a few essentials some Tickler Cheddar cheese, some fresh Strawberries, a tub of cream, some milk and some bread; all bits that help pad out what we already have in the fridge. Later on we nipped to see my s daughter ostensibly as she ...

Friday A parcel should have arrived yesterday but the delivery driver, did not manage to deliver despite us being in the house.  It was re-arranged for delivery today.  As they let you first thing when they anticipate being with you, I ended up getting up early in order to make sure that we were correct and present and that he could gain access to the property.  As he arrived with a separate delivery the other day at about 7:30am I thought it best to be up early.  In any event it was delivered between 12:30pm and 1:30pm.  The box it arrived in was massive.  Not very sturdy but far too big to re-cycle by using it again.  I therefore stripped the box of its packing of which there was numerous amounts and then stripping the box down and tying it with string to hold card stacks together.  All 94 jars have arrived in readiness for doing some preserving in the not too distant future. I also received my cross stitch kit, the one I mentioned in yesterday'...

 I have hit a busy patch and do not have enough hours in the day at the moment.  Not getting to peruse posts or being on the Internet much.  Driving me nuts, but the focus is needed elsewhere.  I also have to make some room for a delivery tomorrow which consists of 90+ jars for preserving and I have to find a home for them where I am not going to be tripping up or they are in G's way.  More mindful of my leg these days after last week's shenanigans.  Leg is a lot better, still not there and has all sorts of multi-coloured veins showing through. Legs have been quite painful although a lot easier today than they have been.  Will see what it is like once the medication has finished. As I have mentioned before I do have plans for a bit of a concerted effort on the preserving front and will do what little bit I can Today has been full on, as I have cleaned the computer room out, washed the walls down, washed the floor (I do not use a mop, just a heavy old b...

Friday A Blessing arrived this morning that will enable me to get cracking on the Preserves front.  A box full of 100 standard jar lids and a box of 50 bigger diameter lids from Love Jars.  Love Jars website Excellent service, promptly dispatched and excellent quality. I am going to be able to get cracking.  I had more or less run out of standard lug lid jars and had no spares on the larger diameter ones either.  So well chuffed. This time round I have gone for red and white spotted lids for the standard jam jar size and gold lids for the larger sized. Very pleased with my order and this is my independent view of the items paid for by me and received from Love Jars.   A lot of work this week has by necessity revolved around my freezer and freezing items to stock that with.  I think ideally anything to do with the Freezer on this blog should be referred to as "The Freezer Diaries" going forward.  Today's efforts have included: Decanting the frozen...