TARRAGON & THYME

Well the early night certainly helped my head was not as bad this morning and by early afternoon the remnants were just hanging.  I think a lot of it was caused by tension as it was  different type of headache to what I normally get.  Still a migraine but not where I normally get it. I have not done much this evening - tomorrow night will be different but I have rested up and I intend to have another early night tonight.  I have managed to do a little crochet on one of the rugs (Auntys rug.  Nearly at the end of that.  Once that is out the way will start on the baby blanket and then when that is done finish off Uncle's rug). I have also been to Waitrose today to pick up a few bits tomorrow night I will get busy again but when I am not 100% it tends to come out in my cooking and I end up ruining things in any event. Today I found some red cabbage so I snaffled some to do some pickled cabbage as well. On my way to the tills I bumped into one of the P...

Not our Mums, Mums meaning Chrysanthemums and the like I spotted them last week on the flower stall so I am hoping they will still have them left when I pop by later in the week.  Could do with a shot of colour in the tubs in the back garden. They had them in gold, lemon and white  They are very easy on the eye and look good in tubs.   Mum always used to buy Chrysanthemums and take them to my Dad's grave but she always managed to get them to shoot and her plants in the garden are all self sown.  As it is autumn and I want to start to get some plants together so that I have a display come next autumn I would quite like some of these for the tubs in the garden.  I would quite like to get some Michaelmas Daisies too.   I particularly would like to find some Chinese Lanterns  (although I suspect I will have to source some seed) and Honesty as both give a good display and can be used in dried flower arrangements.  My Nan always had both ...

This seems to have crept up on me since I got home I therefore anticipate being in bed shortly to see if an early night will help shift the problem.  I suspect its because have been extremely busy at work and we have had a bit of a headache with obtaining a new mobile phone which has not assisted. OH placed an order the other evening for two new phones told us that a contract would be sent through to sign it and get it back.  We subsequently did this.  One phone arrived the other did not.  Long phone calls later and research by me on my emails and it would appear that the company involved had only sent the one contract for signature.  Have subsequently had email resent and hopefully the phone will be with me in a couple of days.  I will be on the phone again if anything else goes wrong. We had a nice supper that went down well (a bit naughty as it was takeaway) really good fish and chips.  Because of the splitting headache I have sat tonight a...

So far I have tried twice with the Sourdough.  The first starter I did something wrong with and the second starter I had just got going nicely when mum was taken back into hospital and it denied of neglect.  So I having another go.  This time I  have made two starters and this time round hopefully I will get to make my loaf(loaves). I have given them names Bessie (of Bessie Bunter Fame) and Busty Bertha.  I hope both live up to their rather exotic names.  I am planning on getting the starters well under way before I use them but at the moment am planning a week on Saturday to make my first batch of bread. As the saying goes third time lucky but at least I am learning what not to do with the Sourdough by doing exactly what I shouldn't through no fault of my own. I have a  round Banneton basket in readiness together with a couple of dough scrapers.  I will probably get some more in due course if everything goes well.  The Dehydrator ap...

I paid another visit to TK Maxx again today ostensibly to get the Kilner jars I spoke about last week.  However I came across a cheaper option Quattro Stagionni jars for £1.49 each.  I bought 11 (thats all they had) - I need them for the Pasta sauce and also some bottled cherry tomatoes. Why did I buy them instead of the Kilner jars.  I have a  load of these jars  that I purchased a few years ago.  I did think that I would not buy anymore as I did not find it easy to buy the proper lids but I have since found out that the standard sized jar  (50 cl/17oz)the replacement rings and seals from the new Kilner seals and rings fit them perfectly so you can interchange them.  They do larger sized jars as well but the rings and the seals would have to larger if not using the proper lids. I also bought some 2lb jars from Lakeland.  These are designated to be used for pickling onions and pickled shallots. I bought eight today and no doubt will have...

Welcome to RitanRobinson via Bloglovin.  Make yourself comfortable there are lots of posts going back years so I think a cup of tea might help as well. Well I have10 Jars of bottled strawberries not bad and everyone has sealed.  Yippee..  There is a lot of juice with them but don't waste it use it with some champagne or thickened up with some cornflour.  Make a home made flan sponge and drain the strawberries, place the strawberries in the flan base and then use some of the juice to make a sauce.  Using arrowroot (its gentler on the stomach as well) as a thickener is better with something like this if possible as it remains nice and clear whereas the cornflour makes the ingredient cloudy like blancmange The cucumber is prepped ready for the vinegar to be added.  Will give the tally tomorrow evening. Tomorrow night is Picalilli night  - I was going to do it yesterday but I had not got two of my ingredients - I always add some pepper and some...

It has been a glorious beautiful bright day here in Peterborough  despite starting off foggy  - but then September is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.  I have been busy most of the day predominantly in the kitchen.   I also upgraded my computer programme to Windows 10 yesterday and I seem to have a bit of the speed back with my computer as a result  I had been putting it off but basically ended up having to do it as Windows 7 just was not cooperating.Phew.  One less problem to think about. OH was supposed to go fishing this weekend and decided against it at the last moment.  So unfortunately I did not get my play time with the sewing machine.  The computer room where he tends to hang out is also my sewing room when I decide to sew.  Hopefully he will go next week so that I can schedule some me time into the Agenda for the week. My phone has also given up the ghost so I am waiting for a new phone to be delivered a...