A Little Trip to Moor Farm Farm Shop and Pantry Storage matters

An early start for a change today.  We were awake at 8:00am and decided on an unexpected little trip out to Moor Farm shop at Northborough today.  I do like going there.  G nips there now and again usually without me but today I got to go as well.  

Whilst out we also had a breakfast in their Tea Rooms.  G had the full fledged Moor Farm Breakfast where I went for the Mini.  My appetite is not what it used to be, and this is more than enough for me.  G enjoyed his brekkie and I enjoyed mine. Proper good food for a very tasty breakfast.  Made a very nice change.  I am not a big one for a cooked breakfast myself, although I do not mind cooking for others.  You can also order a big pot of tea for two, which gives you at least a couple of cups of tea each.  If I have a breakfast I have to have copious amounts of tea to wash things down. Mostly down to the Sjrogen's Syndrome (pronounced "Shogrin's") which predominantly means dry eyes and dry mouth most of the time.   It has affected my eyes and my teeth through no fault of my own. I have to use drops at least four to five times a day for my eyes.  My dry mouth I drink plenty throughout the day.  I do not like the sprays that are offered.  It is one of the auto-immune conditions that I have but can cause other issues.

The tea room crockery has lots of vintage china, often mis-matched but totally charming in its own way.  I do like a proper China tea cup.  My Nan always did too and it was only in her later years that she had a few mugs as well usually for Masawati coffee, but tea nine times out of ten used to be served in China tea cups and saucers. I think tea tastes better out of a China cup. Much more civilised.  I did espy some salad plates in a cornflower design China on their dressers which would look very nice on mine as I have a small collection in the same design.

I came away with a couple of thick Chinese style Ribs for G, (he is having these for tea tonight) two different types of Beef Melts, 1kg of Kitty B's sausages (some are destined for the freezer) and two Hunters Chicken meals.  I also bought some more Maud Foster proper milled flour (from the Mill at Boston) a Dark Rye flour and a Spelt flour for the Pantry shelf to go with  my white and wholemeal bread flour. I also bought a large tray of eggs.  Getting geared up and prepared again.  Just a little bit of stuff to get us going again.  We can always nip back during the week.  It was nice to get out in any event.

Since coming back, I have been around to the local Asian shop and topped up with some practical bits and bobs for the Pantry shelf including 2 x 1kg bags of proper Pudding Rice, 2 bags of Garlic powder and 2 of Onion powder. Also 2 small bags of yellow mustard seeds, some Dried whole Mace, some Semolina for puddings and for pasta and a couple of bottles of Coconut oil.  I have found the Asian stores to be a gold mine for all sorts of ingredients over the years and I try and keep a good stock of everything in-house at all times.  I also bought some Caraway seeds.  I may go again another day as there are a couple of other things I would like from there which they did not have in today although they are expecting a delivery.  I also need another couple of nets of onions.  I use a lot of onion in cooking.

I have also been to the Charity shop.  When I was in there the other day I spotted the remains of a China tea service, which showed a cottage garden design.  It has the large sugar bowl/tea dregs/strainer bowl, creamer, five cups, five saucers, and a couple of tea plates.  Hopefully I should be able to add to this.  £5 in total.  I also bought three DVDs that I did not have.  I am a person who uses their DVDs an awful lot, often popping one on my computer whilst I am crafting.  My computer has a disc drive on it (new ones don't seem to have them today) and I do not like the MP3 files.

I am also getting geared up to find a few more storage jars for the Pantry if I can get them in; the Dresser if I can get them on; or for inside the Fireside Cupboard for when it gets sorted.  

A few years back Kilner and Wilkinsons sold some square push glass stoppered storage jars for pantry staples.  I bought quite a few then, then Kilner stopped selling them.  That does annoy me when companies start selling something, get people to buy them and then they do not stock them anymore. I think if they do decide to sell them they should do so for at least a couple of years so that people like me can buy a few at a time. I like to add things in to what I require on a practical basis.  Occasionally I have been able to pick up a few here and there for next to nothing.  I think I have located some more today 20 jars worth, but will only know when they arrive in the next week or so.  Fingers crossed and toes plaited.  If they are what I think they are will be terribly pleased and that will be another tranche of storage finished.  At the moment (I am if they are the right ones) hoping to display them on the Dresser top with the ones that I have like this already.  The other jars I have will then go into the Fireside cupboard, some of which is going to be turned into quasi Pantry and heat processed foods prepared by myself.

I will still add more where I can as I have a firm idea of the Pantry I would very much like. I have been adding in vintage storage where I can over many years.  From the large Roses, Quality Street and other vintage glass Sweetie jars, Ravenhead graduated jars, old Maxwell House coffee jars/storage containers, Maxwell Williams large storage containers which are similar but more expensive, ground glass stoppered storage jars, Douwe Egbert coffee jars and latterly Mason jars.  A lot has been expended on getting as much storage sorted as I can this time around and as cheaply as possible.   Today it came down to a choice of five large sweetie jars or 10 of the square Pantry storage jars (I ordered two lots) and as I was getting more for my money with the Pantry storage square jars those are the ones I have opted for today.  Hopefully will be able to add some more of the large sweetie jars soon.

I am of the firm view that I may not have all the things I would like on the Pantry front certainly not on space, but I am willing to make the most of what I have, work with what I have, still practice new skills and preserving skills and hopefully gardening skills such as they are.  I am learning all the time and also providing items for my household, the Pantry shelf, the Freezer and the Dresser.  I am growing in practical matters and trying to bring in those items that will help the most.

I also need to add in some jars or tins into the Condiments cupboard to hold my stock pots, stock cubes and gravy granules/powders.  However if I go for jars I need 1 litre sized jars to store them in which I think may be a little too large for the shelves.  I may therefore have to resort to tins for this.  That is a later project though.

I have therefore had a very unexpected and very good day. today.  To top it all, although it is cold (well I think it is) the Sun has come out to play, which makes things feel different and holds the promise of Spring. Something to look forward too and now the nights are getting a little lighter makes it even better.

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x