Today has been busy
It has been another bitterly cold day here today in Peterborough - according to the forecast temperatures are likely to fall to -5 degrees C. Therefore likely to be more than a bit nippy!
Today several pieces of electrical equipment have needed some much needed maintenance and a bit of a spruce up. Time consuming more than anything else, but a job well done in any event. I started with my Bread machines, went onto the Ninja and then the Magimix food processor. Everything gets wiped as I go along however every so often, like the kitchen I end up giving the equipment a little more TLC and a deeper clean and that way it lasts me longer.
Not much achieved in the greater scheme of things overall although I am also slowly collating all my baking tins together. They all got took out of the kitchen and have not been put back apart from the few pieces I use on a regular basis. Still have another couple of bags to get sorted, washed and dried in the oven and then packed into an easily accessible box. They are not going back into the kitchen for now but will be in the dining room on top of the freezer. All part and parcel of the preparation for me starting to bake on a regular basis again and so that I can access the baking pans easily. Lots of little surrounding jobs being done which will all link up when it comes to finishing off a particular project.
We have had Burgers for tea this evening as we were not that hungry. The Burgers did not come from where we get them normally and we were not too fussed. Trying to do more stuff ourselves rather than get Take-aways and would rather the money went into the housekeeping than on Take-aways. Himself likes them occasionally. I am not too fussed in any event. I have spent some time researching some recipes that I would like to make and have written the recipes down so that I have the recipes easily to hand when it comes to me playing which will commence in the next few days. I intend to carry on with the practice when I find interesting recipes for the simple reason I want the recipes easily to hand if I make a spur of the moment decision to make something. In the past it has involved me dragging out my books or searching on my computer for the recipes I did have in a safe place. I have therefore opted for a notebook with the handwritten recipes inside.
We are fast coming to Marmalade Season as well. We use a lot of Marmalade, but I also make some to gift as well. Some of the recipes therefore are Marmalade recipes to make.
Well I hope everyone has had a lovely evening.
Keep safe, and keep warm wherever you are. It is very slippy out there as there has been no defrost again today and everything has been frozen solid.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
Marmalade is something I don't care for though as a child we had lime marmalade, with the peel very finely cut. Don't know if that is even in the shops any more. I have a nice pine sideboard in my kitchen for all my baking things. Tam and I drove all the way to Dolgellau to buy it from Marketplace when we first moved here. It has spare flours at one end, all the baking tins and trays, and pre-formed liners, and baking soda, bicarb, golden syrup, treacle etc in there. I can put my hand straight on anything.
ReplyDeleteI have a special book with hand-made paper in, where I write the special much-used favourite recipes (all baking ones). Main meals, now I am on my own, tend to be the repetition of ones I don't have to think about making as I know them off by heart. Rarely do I try anything new.
Hi Jennie, the Roses Lime Marmalade is still available. I have found it in B & M and Home Bargains if you have either of these shops near you. I only have the teeniest of kitchens. I would one day love a freestanding kitchen so much more organic and I think organised. A lot of what should be in my kitchen is in my dining room. I have a folder where I write all my recipes. Have been using a pad of late as it is easy to move about and work from in the kitchen. On the preserves front I have found a few preserves over the years which are repeats year by year. However always try a new couple of preserve recipes every year. You take it steady in this cold weather. Absolutely bitter here hugs Tricia xx
DeleteIt is very cold here too. I would like to do an audit of my food stores, which I usually do every couple of months, but my kitchen is so cold that I really don't want to spend much time in there at the moment!
ReplyDeleteHi Tracy, my kitchen is normally the coldest room in the house unless I have the cooker on.Even the small radiator really is not sufficient for this room. Part of the problem is due to the direction the house is facing but we also have a brick ventilation in the wall and that makes it really brghh especially first thing of a mornning. Hopefully will get the Pantry done soon so I know what I need to buy in! Take care and keep safexx
DeleteJust wanted to pop in and say "Happy New year" as I have been taking a break from blogs lately as just so busy. But I see that you are as busy as ever with lots of new plans that I will be interested in reading about in 2026.
ReplyDeleteI have had a few days off and while I've done a lot of relaxing, I have also managed a few jobs that I hope will keep me on the straight and narrow over the next few weeks!
I have inventoried the pantry and freezer and moved a few items into the kitchen that need to be used up first. I have also cooked ahead - today I did a tray of root veg along with a small turkey breast and I have just put a large meatloaf into the oven. Some will be used over the next few days and some will go into the freezer. I am trying to stay out of the grocery stores for most of January aside from some dairy and fresh fruit & veg. There is stacks of food in here and as I need to save some money staying out of the shops will help.
I have my Moleskin Planner as I too prefer to write things down and see all the appointments, occasions and plans actually written down. I also keep a small notebook in my handbag at all times so that I can keep lists and notes as needed.
Good luck with all your plans.
Hi Margie, lovely to hear from you and Happy New Year to you too. I did not quite achieve everything for the last year so am hoping to pick up the reins and carry on where I left off, plus a few other projects. I am going to be concentrating on the house and on preserving for the first part of the year in an effort to get a lot of basics established. Unfortunately last year I did not get to the preserving I needed to do for one reason or another. I am therefore going to be prioritising the food situation and the preserving this year to try and get back on track a bit. I am still cooking. We did well on the food front over Christmas to the extent that we could not really fancy much to eat tonight for tea. Have therefore gone for making some French Onion Soup with French Bread and grated cheese on the top. It was delicious and went down very nicely as well. Glad you are okay and I understand where you are coming from for keeping out of the shops. Hopefully catch up soon. Take care Tricia x
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