TARRAGON & THYME

Sorry its so late but I have been out and about  this evening and its perishing.  It was -3 when OH took me to work today and and hasn't got much above 3 degrees today and its freezing like a good un at the moment.  Will be a bit nasty in the morning if it carries on like this as it will be very slippy. OH cooked me a nice chicken curry for tea so I didn't have to fret about finding something to eat. I then disappeared out for the early part of the evening. Since getting back Demetri has disappeared again - what a night to disappear!. Daft blooming cat just when I wanted an early night! I am still not firing on all cylinders decidely wonky again energy levels still not good but I have my check up with the Arthritis Consultant on Wednesday afternoon for my yearly review. My Raynauds has been playing up as well and I feel at a decidedly low ebb.  I am afraid I hate it when I am low or incapacitated  I don't like to whinge too much as it gets other people dow...

Today hasn't gone how I was planning to utilise it and I have had to rest up as I woke up drained and headachey this morning and my get up and go had gone.  Well it happens periodically all I can do is rest up and do as my body tells me and get a few early nights in to give my system time to recover.  It does frustrate me - but it causes me more bother if I fight it.  Things have been very busy at work and I haven't left before 5.30pm most nights (I am supposed to leave at 5.15pm)  I haven't even cooked Sunday lunch today even though I was planning roast chicken and all the accoutrements, but it will not go to waste as we will have it for tea tomorrow night, probably in a curry. But then every dark cloud has a silver lining. I have been tucked up in a warm room, reading through cookery books; listening to the TV, researching recipes and generally having a lazy day its a long time since I had one of them.  We have eaten today we have had traditional fry which wa...

We use the method of stir frying to make use of all those bits and bobs that end up lurking in the fridge.  After all this is the basis for Chinese food making the most of what is available to them, although it does not strictly follow any Chinese recipes We started by experimenting with flavours we knew worked and then just played with whatever we had to hand Getting the Pork started We start off with blisteringly hot pan in which a small drop of cooking oil and then some sesame oil have been added When the pan is really hot  the seasoned meat together with any flavourings spicing five spice ginger syrup etc have been added and cook through until thoroughly cooked and then add a little cornflour to thicken up and create a basting sauce Once cooked tip off any excess oil and put the cooked meat into a bowl Rinse out the wok with some water and swill it out  losing the water - you don't need this to cook with Put wok back on hob and get searingly hot again   ...

After this morning'spost I eventually fell into my usual Saturday routine.  And I fell lucky at the Veg shop this morning.  I bought 4 baskets of lemons £1 each (4.5 kg in weight) and 3kg Seville Oranges at £1.32 kg (yay I have my Seville Oranges - yippee - I shall buy some more next week as well), two savoy cabbages for 50 pence, some sprouting broccoli and two baskets of tomatoes at £1 a basket (2kg in weight)  The veg and fruit is presented in big baskets but you bring them away in bags.  I still have some veg left over from last week ( and I have started keeping things like broccoli in my fridge to give it a longer shelf life) however I also have carrots, swede,  sweet potato, parsnip, broccoli and carrots as well as potatoes and onions and leeks as well as Brussels to use up yet (I bought them on the stem and keep it outside and we just go and pull a few as we want them), and  so we have plenty to eat  but at least this way I get to put down some ...

In my earlier post today I talked about how much on average we spend on heating and electric.  As a result I do have to make short cuts with other things and I shop around for bargains with fruit and veg, butter  meet and cheese- I shop for the basic ingredients and then it is up to me to make something with those ingredients that mean we live well but not frivoulously.  I very rarely buy pre-pared items and I don't go to supermarkets very often.  When I go shopping I have to have work out what I actually need first and then buy those items as they are needed which are often items to complement what I already have.  It is rare for me to go with a shopping trolley and fill it up like I did at Christmas but even then I erred on the side of caution buying items for the whole month and not just for Christmas. I am talking good solid filling food that is not all meat.  Meat has its place in this household but we eat lots of veg, I think more so than meat. ...

This part of the country has woken up to its real major frost of this winter so far.  I have been up for some while, but not it is 11.20 a.m. and the frost as white as white as can be is hugging everything it clinged to the night before. Looks spectacular but ooh its cold although the sun is out. Fortunately the heating had come on so I didn't come down to a freezing house this morning.  Unfortunately being meagre with the heating would literally seize me up so we do tend to have it on if I go cold.  With me having Raynauds Syndrome I feel the changes in temperature before anyone else and I have found if I get too cold then I am poorly.  We cannot be doing with that with me being the only one working so I have to be sensible and do everything on a   On average we are using £15 electric per week and £15 to £20 with the gas, although we do go up to £25.  If it is generally mild like it was earlier in the week the heating hardly goes on so we are pretty sens...

Take advantage of the Citrus fruits i.e. lemons, grapefruits, oranges, clementines tangerines whatever you come across.  I made the lime jelly marmalade the other evening, but I have plans to make lots more goodies with these fruits.  Primarily marmalades but also curds, jams and jellies and there are also a couple of chutney recipes I am keen to have a go at.  You can also juice the fruit and then freeze and bring out to mix with alcohol like clementine juice with champagne makes a lovely Bucks fizz.  Or home made Lemoncello.  Sorbets and Ice cream.  Or how about home made lemon syrup to use as a drink or dribbled over ice cream. I am chiefly interested in Seville Oranges - but unfortunately my Veg shop does not have them in yet, although they are on the cards as quite a few people have enquired when they are having them.  I love the flavour of this wonderful marmalade and slathered over home made bread or toasted for brekkie after a bowl of porridg...