Easter Sunday

Just another pottering day here.  Weather has been gorgeous.  Have got my herbs outside in readiness for potting up and sorted out suitable pots.  They just need a good wash down and they will be done later this evening in readiness for planting up tomorrow. It will be a gentle start and I aim to build on this and am going to try and get up to garden early and then come in and deal with the house.  I do not want any more charity shop visits for a day or two.

For the best part I have been in the kitchen carrying on with the tidying and sorting out.  Slow progress.  At the moment I am having a sit down as I am washing the cooker and have left the top to soak for a little while before cleaning it down and then getting tea on.

We have a Prawn Cocktail each for starters this evening and for the mains we have a lovely small piece of Lamb (the saddle) for tea.  I am going to serve with petit pois, cauliflower, carrots, Asparagus, Broccoli and new potatoes with lots of gravy. No roasties today as I am a tad busy. We will then have fresh Strawberries and cream for tea.  A celebration of the new season's produce and the promise of lots of lovely fresh food to come especially if I can get my gardening and growing act together.  That is going to be tackled this week.

And best of all we have a repeat meal for tomorrow night's tea.  Cannot be bad.

There is a cat wandering the neighbourhood yowling at all hours of the day.  Not sure whether he is lost or just been chucked outside.  Cannot get anywhere near him, and so have left a few biscuits out and some water for him.  He is literally out all night and all day.  Calls all night with a dark yowl as well.  Has a collar but soon shoots off when he sees a human.  It strikes me as a male.  I cannot take in especially if  it is a male, but cannot see it without a little food either.  Does not look very well built and seems to be tucking in to what have left.  I am a big daftie but I am not going overboard just enough to keep him going until he becomes less spooked.  Might be a job for the local Cats Protection, will see if he loses his reticence in the next few days.  Otherwise might just post a photo and ask whether anyone owns it on the lost pets site.  Will see what happens.  On this occasion I would not be able to take in.  Missy would not tolerate another cat and I do not think Mischief would either.  If circumstances were different it would be a different story, however we have our hands full with Missy at the moment.  Mischief seems to be hugging the attention she gets as a sole cat as well.

The Piccalilli has been started and is looking good.  The mixture of veggies I have put in is a Butternut Squash, French beans, red onion, pickling onion, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, different coloured sweet peppers and courgette.  In the past I have also used Romanesco, marrow and cucumber. I have made a double batch of the Piccalilli as I know just how quickly it disappears once Geoffrey gets his mitts on it.  I have to hide it. I have not told him I am making it at the moment the less he knows the better.  It needs six weeks curing in any event.  Might get the opportunity to make some more whilst that is curing.  

I will start the Red Cabbage off later on after I have sorted the drawers in the fridge.

I have a lot of food projects on the go potentially and so tomorrow I intend to be based in the kitchen dealing with them. I bought a bag of petit pois yesterday unfortunately I did not get them into the freezer in time (I forgot about them) and so I am going to make some pea soup so that I do not waste anything.  Will see if I can squeeze some into the freezer as well. If not I may heat process. I also have the same to do with some fresh Asparagus. Really I need to do this to get them done and dusted and then I can clear the kitchen and go through like a dose of salts when it has all been done.  Then maybe I can get the floor in the bathroom and the kitchen sorted.  

One thing I do need to do though is to order in some compost and grow bags for the tomatoes that I have ordered.  There is no peace for the wicked!

Catch you soon.

Have a lovely evening.

Pattypan

x