TARRAGON & THYME

Good Evening everyone Hope it has been a good day for you although it was blowing a hoolie first thing and I had the wind against me as I walked into work and it was bitter. despite being well wrapped up I still managed to get a little chilled. In my infinite wisdom for some strange reason I decided to go into town after work as it is late night shopping on a Thursday but in the run up to Christmas a lot of the shops are open until 9:00pm.   I had a reason for going in as I needed a present for a Secret Santa gift and I had no idea what I was looking for - I eventually found something which I think will suit the recipient nicely but it took me an age. In any event OH normally picks me up from work for about 5:30pm but as I was going shopping we left it that I would give him a ring when I had finished.  However I had not counted on my mobile phone dying on me!  I then tried to locate a telephone box (they are becoming a rare breed these days) I tried two both go...

Its a bit hit and miss but sometimes I manage to get a real bargain or two on the meat front from my local Co-Op.  Last night I found a pack of three pork steaks/chops for £1.50 together with a bag of pre-prepared mixed veg for 50 pence.  So that is what we have had for tea tonight. I cook the pork chops in a medium sized baking tray and add a little water to the pan and put a lid of foil onto the baking tray as much as to keep the Pork chops moist although they will go golden brown under the foil I always given them a few minutes extra without the foil as well and the chops cook in their own fat.  I use gas mark 5 and cook for about 45 minutes.  I then use the juices from the meat and from the steamed veggies (I always steam my veggies) to make the gravy and served the veggies  (carrot, broccoli and cauliflower ) together with steamed curly Kale and mashed potatoes and home made apple sauce.  It was scrummy. A very tasty and warming meal on what h...

It is Sunday 7 December 2014 and it is 4 degrees outside - warmer than last night! Its been a busy old week with one thing and another and am back to work this week.  Today has been a pottering sort of day getting stuck into outstanding jobs of which there is a whopping pile still to work through - never mind tiz just the depth that varies! We have had simple plain tasty fare to eat today.  I cooked a large pan full of potatoes, the idea being that we would have them as mash  and then as a topping for a cottage pie, but best laid plans of mice and men and all that - I am going to have to make new mash for the cottage pie. We had simple tasty stew tonight, softening onions until translucent then adding stewing steak (2 packs of) then carrot and redcurrant jelly, stock, pepper a dash of Lee and Perrins a couple of stock cubes and water  and then adding a pre-prepared casserole stew pack, bringing to a simmer then putting the pressure cooker lid on and cook...

Sorry I have not been around for the last couple of days I have been engaged elsewhere shopping - not present shopping but useful item shopping.  To tell the truth I had gone into town for a delivery from Lakeland but ended up doing the rounds and buying a few more bits and bobs for the Christmas hoard including some large jam jars and some chocolate moulds. In November Lakeland had an offer on with their small mini pie makers and their individual medium pie makers at £15 each(originally £30).   When the offer initially came up I did not have the funds to hand and when I did go back in they had sold out.  So I decided to try online to see if I could get it that way - unfortunately not - they had sold out and were not adding a new order and the machine was therefore discontinued.  I was disappointed as I already had the medium pie maker but had quite fancied the mince pie sized pie maker - but it obviously was not meant to be. However on colle...

Its been a busy day washing and ironing and  I still have more to do.   I nipped to the charity shop this morning and managed to acquire two fir cone garlands for less than £5 as well as three mixing bowls, one nice and deep which will be ideal  for making bread by hand, the second is a nice large deep being mixing bowl similar to the Mason Cash ones and then a Creamy coloured T G Green Bowl which I am rather chuffed with.  So I am pleased with my finds.  I have also started scrubbing the bathroom out including washing and scrubbing the walls down.  Unfortunately we get mould on the lower wall in the bathroom which needs scrubbing out with white vinegar so it is a little time consuming.  We have told the landlord but he does not seem keen to do anything about it.So I have to keep scrubbing it out every so often. Part of the problem is that one of the walls is a North facing wall and it gets bitterly cold.  It really needs a little ra...

In recent years the English Teapot has become redundant and people just "dunk" their tea bags in their mugs.  How wasteful can that be.  I have reinstated the Teapot at home, because as a tea drinker I prefer the leaf tea rather than just the tea bags.  OH cannot abide the tea leaves so out of necessity we use the bags although I keep the leaf version for when he is out of the way.  Not only by doing a tea bag for each and one for the pot do we get a lovely cup of tea but we get at least two mugs each and Missy does too. Our Jack Russell is kind of partial to a cup of tea when there is one on the go and if we do not make one she soon lets us know what she is after.  Needless to say she has her own dish. (she just loves tea and does not mind whether it is a tea bag or loose leaf). There was always a charm and ceremony to English Tea time especially high tea, when at My Nan's there would always be a big pot of tea centre table to enjoy whilst eating but a fur...

I have always dabbled with preserves in one form or another making lots of different preserves primarily for Christmas but also for use throughout the year making chutneys, pickles, fridge preserves like pickled peppers and goats cheese in oil.  Every year I primarily cook up to and including Christmas lunch but then it is mainly cold cuts for a few days after and that's when the pickles and preserves really come into their own.    When I make preserves of any kind I often make a few extra jars of a particular preserve then give them as a pressie for a friend.   Surprisingly I  had never really thought about mustard, until I came across this article on the Jam Jar Shop website.  There have been other articles, but I have forgotten where they are or they have been removed from the web. Wholegrain Mustard With Beer – “How To Make” Recipe From The Jam Jar S – Jam Jar Shop And yet I always cook a gammon joint and give the joint a glaze,...