TARRAGON & THYME

I have a Kenwood Chef and attachments which is something I have had about 36 years as the machine was bought when I first got married.  I have since inherited my mum's one that was bought second hand from a friend who has since passed  - I am not sure how old that is but I think its over 40 years old. I do love my Kenwood though and use it for making cakes, soups, squashes, pastry and bread as well as meringues, baked Alaska  - I make the sponge base then layer with jam and fruit, raspberry is especially good then layer with ice cream and then pile it high with meringue also made in the Kenwood.  I have had other bits of equipment but I still go back to my old faithful nearly every time.  Its very much a family machine. Once upon a time it was given that if there were veggies or meat left over from the Sunday dinner it would be served up as cold cuts in one way or another.  I am not saying that I agreed with some of the creations but a lot of them were...

Its been a busy day I have had the washing machine on as it has been a good drying day and I have had what I laundered out in the garden in the lovely fresh air; I am now busy doing some ironing and getting the clothes hung and aired before packing them back into the wardrobes and drawers.  All the food I bought yesterday is all nice and frozen in the freezer. Big sigh of relief.  I had doubts but I think that is only natural especially with everything that has happened with the freezer so far. On Friday morning I woke up with  sore throat.  This morning I have woken up with a streaming cold; I am nursing it; but this is too early in the season to be getting a cold.  I must contact the Doctors and get the flu jab organised as I have been told that I should be having these on a yearly basis. We have had a very delicious tea, the stuffed pork belly with roast potatoes. roast parsnips, peas, shredded cabbage, carrots, and some of the runner beans I froze the ...

I appreciate that this post should have been posted yesterday but real life got in the way a bit and I ended up being otherwise engaged. We went shopping first for a new chip fryer.  Our other one had done sterling service but eventually started leaking and making a mess whether it was stood in the cupboard or on the worktop.  Once the decision had been made to replace it we then looked around to see what was currently on the market.  Primary requirements were that it had to be easily cleanable and offer some flexibility i.e whether cooking for two or the whole family. I have therefore opted for the new Cookworks double panned fryer. Mine came from Argos.  I shall let you know how I get on with it in due course. We quite like spicy food and we had thought that it would be good to have one pan for spicy foods and the other for general unspiced cooking. We then started the monthly shop.  This varies where I go on a month by month basis and upon what we a...

Sandie welcome to my blog I am ever so sorry about this I read your comment and was about to respond to you but the gremlins have got into the works and accidentally deleted your message. For the sake of completeness would you mind re-posting it?   However I did see the bit about the recipe for Beetroot and Apple Chutney Here is the recipe. Ingredients 4lb beetroot cooked skinned and diced 2lb cooking apples peeled cored and diced 1lb onions peeled and chopped Grated rind and juice of 2 large lemons 2 tablespoons grated root ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon of ground pepper 1 3/4 pints of vinegar 1lb sugar Put all the ingredients into a large maslin pan or large stock pot stirring the contents over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Bring up to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the chutney is thick and leaves a trail when you draw a spoon through the mixture.  Spoon into hot ...

I have had problems with my upright freezer for a little while only part of it freezing properly.  A while back it was defrosted for a couple of days and a it seemed better but still not right so I have not been able to freeze very much stuff in it.  However the other day it would appear that I accidentally pulled the plug out of the socket and defrosted the freezer - accidental yes but sometimes things happen for a reason, because when we plugged it back in again every compartment has frozen; so it would seem I have my upright freezer back again.   So it needs feeding I need to stock it up.   My big freezer has also packed up and my mum has kindly indicated that she would be happy to help out with a new one - which has yet to be purchased yet I think that will happen shortly I am very lucky in that one of my friends has a couple of neighbours who sell home grown produce at realistic prices at this time of year and she brings in veggies for me ...

Its still chucking it down with rain its depressing I know we need it but! I have been a bit fed up forever the eternal child who used to stare out of the leaded light windows nose squashed up to the cold glass that steamed up as soon as you breathed on it and watching it pelting down with rain resenting the fact that it combines you to barracks! And to boot its that time of the month again not quite pay day but the stocks are depleted somewhat to what they normally are and a hot warm meal is required to warm us up. Especially after the constant rain we have had today- which has made the house cold and I have ended up putting the heating on for a short while as my back has stiffened up again and moving about is not so easy - a case of mind willing body not cooperating! Where do I start - I checked  the upright freezer first and discovered some chicken portions that I had squirrelled away and forgotten about. I prepare a lot of things myself for the freezer mostly for econo...

Well I have started earlier than usual on starting to acquire items for the Christmas Food stock partly due to items being on offer and partly due to the long stop dates on the items in question in any event.  This list is just for the bought items - The Put Down 2014 covers the items I have made myself like home made liqueurs and  Chutneys I have not produced anything so far this year (mostly due to the hiccup earlier in the year) but that is about to change.  I shall update as and when I add further items to the list. Items thus far 1 x Bottle of Chocolate Sauce 1 x Bottle of Butterscotch Sauce 3 x Bottles of Raspberry Coulis 3 x Bottles of Passionfruit Coulis 3 x Bottles of Crabbies 3 x Lemon Mousse Mix 3 x Strawberry Mousse Mix 10 August 2014