TARRAGON & THYME

 Continuing on from last night ...... Well that has made a dent in the creased pile (I have a setting that can use for this) and the drying pile (slightly damp as has been hung) needed finishing off.  And a wet load has also been dried.  Now to get on with the rest of the washing and getting the rest of the wet drying achieved.  A little concerted effort last night (Saturday) has made a big difference. Items of clothing have found themselves onto coat hangers and are airing in readiness to go into wardrobes. However there is still a long way to go on a lot of things that are going on here at the moment.  I am endeavouring to tackle everything head on and am determined to get everything sorted eventually. Today though I do have to continue tackling the washing pile.  This is going to take a while between the washing machine and the tumble drier.  With the weather being so wet at the moment I cannot get anything out to dry at all.   Plans for M...

 Today has been one of those days where I have felt totally disconnected, a day of forgetfulness, indeed I was convinced it was Friday and somehow or another it was a day later than I thought.  I think I am totally losing the plot!  Never mind! On top of that, early tomorrow morning we turn the clocks back and loose an hour in bed as it is "fall - back" ("Spring - forward") - that is how I remember which way on the clocks go - I will probably still be up and awake though as I am by nature a bit of an Owl and not so good of a morning. Today has been a pottering day, and I have finally dug out the tumble dryer and got that operational again. Now I should really be able to get a wriggle on with depleting the washing pile.  Then it will be ironing and putting stuff away.  So although things are slow they are starting to be tackled which is a relief. Work is continuing slowly in the cupboard under the stairs, getting there but progress is extremely slow.  Hopefu...

Today I have not been able to get to the preserving more is the pity I am hoping to do so tomorrow. One of the reasons I do so much on the preserving front is to provide different foods that are not necessarily available in a supermarket and to provide interest to some of the foods I am serving.  I also am doing it to ensure that there is a supply of food available to my family when times are tough.  It means the difference between eating properly when there are not many pennies around and those pennies are needed to pay bills.  That is the main reason I pay things forward by preserving what I do.   Another reason is that I believe we all have a responsibility to provide for ourselves where we possibly can.  If we get in the mire for whatever reason, no one is coming to save you but you.  That puts a slightly different complexion on reality.  In other words I got myself into this mess, it is now time for me to work my way out providing for myself ...

I have a load of Bramley apples which need turning into Chunky Apple Sauce ready for the Pantry shelf.  I intend to use this as a sauce but also for pies and pastries.  You get the chunkier sauce by using a combination of Bramley apples (which naturally go into a puree with firmer eating apples.  This batch is just going to be plain and it does not have much sugar in - if it is not enough when I come to use it, I can always add a little more sugar when I come to use the Apple sauce.  Now with Bramleys as with so many other ingredients when you use sugar, use a minimum amount as if you over-sugar the sauce, you loose to some extent that beautifully apple flavour from the Bramleys. However my next batch will have Golden Sultanas in it specifically for use in Strudels.  Both types of Apple sauce can be used to make Apple Turnovers as well, with a touch of cream to serve with, small Apple pies (in Muffin tins or Patty tins), large apple pies etc.  The Apple pur...

Tuesday Did not go to plan.  G went fishing the dog played up.  I felt really off colour and so preserving took place.  I only disappeared for half an hour to go and get tea ready and during that time she decided that she was going to mark her disproval and when I came back there was a right mess to clear up.  Tea therefore did not happen last night - G got a takeaway instead whilst I tried to sort out the Bedlam Missy had left behind her.  Worse than a child throwing a tantrum when things do not go as she wants!  Needless to say I do not normally give in.  What was planned for tea today - well that will happen tomorrow now. Wednesday I have suffered another bad Raynauds episode even though I am wrapped in plenty of layers and I am wearing gloves to go out.  When this happens, I cannot feel my fingers and it feels as if I have lumps of lead for hands as I go so cold on the inside.  Cannot quite explain it, and then my fingers hurt as the circ...

 and it has been raining on and off all day with periods of lovely bright sunshine in between everything else. I have been pottering in the kitchen again and I also cooked tea, a full dinner with Toad in the Hole, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and mashed potato with plenty of gravy.  It went down very nicely indeed. I am also plodding on with the patching of the plaster doing a little at a time.  It is taking sometime, however I am not so bothered how long it will take, just that all the patching does the job and surface of the plaster looks a lot better than it has done.  This is especially in view of the fact that I am going to be painting with Damp proof paint on the walls, and then adding an emulsion coat afterwards to finish off the cupboard before re-organising what is going back in there.   I do have lots of other things in-between to do as well as usual and if I cannot therefore progress with a matter for the time being, then I will switch to do...

There has been quite a bit happening here this week just not much to show for it.  Things are moving very slowly but bits and bobs are being done in the background. Sunday What a cold night, came upon us all of a sudden we were not aware that temperatures were due to nose-dive and we had our first "frost" -4 degrees C last night.  We could not work out why the heating kept coming on overnight but were grateful for it all the same.  It was only when I looked at my phone to check the temperature, that we realised that we were in frost territory.  This morning first thing, w e went to get eggs.  I came back with a tray of 20 XL eggs and a standard tray of 30 eggs for cooking, baking and general eating. I shall get another tray in a week or so and perhaps use them for a bigger batch of pickled eggs as well.   We also came away with a small bag 10kg bag of Mozart Potatoes which are a red skinned variety (which I prefer if I can get them i.e. red skinned pot...

From all over the place and in no particular order.   G went fishing and I went shopping. A few weeks ago I bought in some lovely bright red very Tall pillar candles for Christmas.  I had hoped to get a few more, but where I got them from have stopped stocking them.  I just absolutely love Candlelight over the Christmas period and firelight, but sadly at the moment I cannot do anything about this.  Maybe one day. My first tentative shop really today.  Today I have been to Home Bargains and I must say that they have a few nice pieces available on the Christmas decoration front.   Have seen a few other pieces would quite like but will have to see how the pennies pan out. I quite liked some of their baubles and potentially some bauble bases (not breakable) for making some beadwork baubles using the non-breakable baubles as a base for the beading. Things located thus far (not just necessarily from Home Bargains but elsewhere as well). I bought an Icin...

I like Dried Apricots. I use them in Muesli, Granola, wine making, chutney and there is an ice cream recipe I use too.  Some also go into the Christmas pudding and the Christmas cake, not forgetting the Mincemeat.  At the moment, I have a load of Dried Apricots which are near their use by date and so need using up. Therefore in the interests of "Waste Not Want Not", I have decided to turn some of them into home made Dried Apricot Jam.  Why, well you see there is an ulterior motive here, not one that you might necessarily be aware of straight away however it is needed.  That or sieved Marmalade!  Apricot jam is a staple of my Christmas/Yearly Pantry.  Dried Apricots have a more concentrated flavour than fresh ones, although fresh Apricot jam is nice. Let me explain.  Fruit cakes need Apricot jam or (in the absence thereof if you really cannot stand Apricot jam) sieved Marmalade to adhere/Glue the Marzipan under-layer to the fruit cake. All you need to d...

This is a bit of a roundup post for this week, rather than individual posts as I am trying to make the best of the time that we have especially with the renovation work and decorating work that is going on in the Little Cupboard under the stairs. It has been a very busy week.  Initially though I struggled to get started on the under-stair cupboard.  Even though we had decided to put the flooring down later, we have reversed that decision to free up some space as the flooring is taking up room in the dining room.  It will be good to get it out of the way with and I will put a covering over the floor  G is going to be dealing with that sometime later this week.  I will then tackle the walls. G is not going fishing this week and I am not sure if he is going next week either. Will have to wait and see what happens. Sunday   I was so cold yesterday; cold on the inside so much so I was glad to get into bed last night under a quilt and a blanket and the cat cuddle...