TARRAGON & THYME

My Mum, brother, sister in law, nephews one and two and OH and I went out for a family meal.  Its becoming a bit of a tradition for us all to go out for a Sunday lunch when my eldest nephew is home from University a few days before he goes back.It was lovely to catch up with everyone and I think mum just likes us all to be together.  We had a carvery lunch spent about 4 hours socialising and then all went our separate ways again. Its good to catch up with the boys as well and it does my mum good to get out and about a little bit.  Nephew number one is at Warwick University doing a Physics Degree  - Am not sure whether he is doing the Masters on top but I know that he is doing four years - he is nearly at the end of year three. Nephew number two is swotting hard for his A levels he also intends to go on to university we have yet to see what course he chooses. Both lovely lads very well behaved and easy to talk to very engaging I am very proud of them both. The be...

This is not the post I intended to post, but as I have been missing long enough to get back into the groove of doing things I have chosen a slightly different subject to that which was intended.  Partly because I have loads of photos to load but cannot access my cable at this precise moment in time (how inconvenient) as soon as said lead is located will add the relevant photos to the post - which is already written and ready to go. It all started with a book (well it usually does in my case) a book called "Homemade" from the Readers Digest Family ISBN 978-192156968-5 which is a book containing recipes for over 700 hundred Everyday items that are easy to make and will save you money. Mine was sourced from Better World Books (second hand cheaper price but a clean copy) via Amazon.   I was browsing through having a good look when something simple caught my eye.  A simple "receipt for whitening yellowed whites". Sometimes the whites get tinged yellowy sometimes...

Sorry for the abrupt departure but real life suddenly got in the way and there was no choice but to  roll my sleeves up, buckle down and get on with things!  Such is life. When I thought it was safe to come out of the kitchen I then had other demands on my time - crafty things.  I ran out of yarn for one project so to keep the fingers going I used some wool I had to start another now just need to finish first project off  - hopefully by Wednesday of this week and then there will be a reveal on Thursday when I will play catch up . Catch up shortly  I hope you all have a lovely Easter Pattypan

Well tonights roast dinner turned out pretty well and the meat was definitely tasty.  I shall definitely do belly pork joints this way again.  This type of cut would also be good for Rilletes. Anyway here are the photos - I think they speak for themselves. I have also cooked the ham for pack ups  this is now cooling down in the pan; the beauty of this is I have more stock for gravies and soups with lots of flavour which is heading into the freezer this time in individual ice cube trays which will when they are frozen then be bagged up with labels. Tea was late as I had not started it until later  - I fell asleep again this afternoon on the settee and have lost another couple of hours.  Watched Poldark and then started pottering in getting things ready for tomorrow. I was going to pop up a post this evening about what we were experimenting with but this will have to wait until tomorrow when I will pop up a post tomorrow evening. ...

Its been quite busy here today and I have been really full of energy - must be the sunshine it so glorious to have the benefit at long last. I have spent the best part of the day engaged in housewifely duties, washing, dishwasher on, cleaning the kitchen. So quite an industrious day.  Really I want to be in the garden but that will be next week weather permitting as before I can start on the herb garden there is some junk that needs sorting and then taking to the tip. I have been shopping in the freezer and we have a piece of plain belly pork for tea this evening  not a rolled piece a flat piece which is going to be simply roasted (hopefully with lots of crackling) and I have also got out a gammon joint for pack ups during the week.  I am going to serve some roasted veggies with the Pork and whatever veg I can find in the fridge I think there is a cauliflower, carrots and some peas in the freezer so enough to make a meal and some  fresh home made apple sauce...

After  the sun being conspicuous by its absence yesterday I have woken today to bright sunshine shining through the window; a sight to warm the cockles of your heart.  I have been sat just enjoying the moment and the quietness of the house whilst OH walked Missy.  Sometimes we need the quietness to help restore energy levels. Just to be able to sit and simply be. A lot of the time I do not get the opportunity and I relish it all the more when I do.  Sometimes we just need peace quiet and solitude to simply grow and to unravel information and experiences that come our way.   It is on mornings like this that I want to be down in Cornwall in the countryside not far from the coast.  A chance to chill in beautiful surroundings and the chance to go to the beach and feel the sand between my toes and a quick paddle - there always has to be a paddle.  There is something oh so wonderful about the light in Cornwall even on the greyest day. But it ...

I use a lot for fresh mint as both other half and I enjoy a mild curry every so often with which we serve home made mint Raita which cools the taste buds down after the onslaught of the heat from the spices. However there is always mint left over which gets wasted which I absolutely hate at the best of times.. Therefore jut recently  I have taken to drying the leaves.  I simply use a tea tray and man sized tissues starting with a layer of tissue I then strip the leaves off the stems and lay then flat on the tissue.  Pop a layer of tissue on top and carry on in this fashion and leave to dry.  After a week the leaves should be dry but  still retain their mint smell at which point I decant into jars. I have been using it to make mint tea.  Will carry on doing this a it comes up very well. Catch you soon Pattypan x