TARRAGON & THYME

Thank goodness.  It is still a little chilly but milder than it has been and in the sun its warm.  There is only so much rain you can stand.  We have had the pigeon and pork sausages for breakfast together with bacon.  Really they are far too rich for breakfast and are heavy with sage but would be ideal in a winter casserole or cooked and then a nice gravy made and served with simple mashed potatoes and some carrot or swede.  They are very rich but we shall have them again.  I think this is the best way to cook them as otherwise the flavour will just get lost or be overpowering. We are not having a joint for dinner today but are having the pork belly strips just cooked until caramelised and nice and crunchy in the oven and then served simply with some veggies.  Sometimes you have to have something different just to pep the taste buds up a little.  To me simple food is the best as it gives the body good fuel and keeps us on the straight and na...

Its a grey dull cold and wet Fenland day it would appear to be in for the day and we have not seen the sun at all.  The mist is hanging heavy and makes the Wind Turbines look ghostly and ethereal. We have been to the Butchers this morning and an 8kg Turkey has been ordered and is to be collected Christmas Eve.  So that is another thing of the very long list of to dos. I have also bought two boxes of 3 different speciality flavoured instant coffees to have in milky coffee over the Christmas period and probably before as well.  We have taken of late the pair of us to regularly have milky coffee to warm us up on these winter days.  Occasionally I have a splash of dark rum in mine  = Masawatti coffee. We bought a few more things from the butchers and no doubt will buy a few more beforehand but I am starting to feel on the food front at least that everything is starting to come together and there will be plenty to eat for months to come. I...

I have been into TK Maxx today - indeed I have spent most of my dinner time in there.  I have picked up one or two things a new Christmas tablecloth, two packs of four Quattro Stagioni jars, a Red Reindeer metal nutcracker, two wreaths one of them plain and woven in and the other decorated, some lemon oil polish, some syrups to add to coffee and not forgetting the angel cookie cutters a set of three and a fancy funnel cake tin. So I am well chuffed with my bargains.  Although I may pop back during the week as there were one or two other pieces that I was quite taken with on the ornament side especially an angel. I have also had some tea light candle holders arrive in three different sizes all quite small but graduated made out of a natural branch which are quite charming. With tea lights in they will look lovely I love Christmas and I love everything looking nice, candlelight log fires beautiful china and glass ware.  I ...

Tonight after tea I will be making the Pear and Fig Mincemeat and then straight after that I will be attempting a spiced apple chutney.   It is a new recipe to me and comes from the Landscape Magazine September/October 2016 edition.  I must say I love spices and this recipe is talking to me.  Be lovely with cold pork pie, haslet, over the Christmas break. Chutney is very useful for the pantry shelf not just for use over Christmas but also for use throughout the year.  Chutney keeps for well over a year as well.  The recipe below makes approximately 1.5kg SPICED APPLE CHUTNEY Ingredients: 2.5 kg Bramley Apples 1.2 litres cider vinegar 1 lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 1.2kg light soft brown sugar 5 star anise 1 red chilli (optional) 40g fresh root ginger Cracked peppercorns ½ tablespoon sea salt METHOD: 1.      ...

Sorry I did not get back last night did not get in until 11:45am and was completely shattered. As you may have gathered I am in overdrive preparing for Christmas  - my Christmas having escalated five weeks earlier than it normally would. One of the traditions that my mum and dad always had with us when we were little was that we would always have new pjs to go to bed with on Christmas Eve.  Now I know I am an adult but every so often you have to let the inner child escape and this is something I have carried on over the years the buying of new pjs to wear on Christmas Eve. This year I have my new pjs already popped up  ready to wear on Christmas Eve.  I have gone for a jolly red tartan set which are proper pj jacket and trews in a lovely brushed cotton which should be lovely and warm £9 for the set from Primark.  I must say that they are very good value on jumpers and pjs and I am not too proud when it comes to labels it does not have to be ...

I have some pears to use up and so as not to waste them I came across this recipe which I intend to make on Thursday night.  Sounds delicious.  Different take on an old classic however the proof of the pudding is always in the eating. Here is the link in case you want to have a go too.   Still plenty of time to make for Christmas. http://frugalfeeding.com/2014/11/27/pear-fig-mincemeat/ Be something else for the pantry shelf. I have printed the recipe off and it is in my recipe binder.   Still have the Amaretto one to make. Would have liked to have made tonight but tomorrow will do.   I am off for a meeting tonight.   I thought was for tomorrow night  so a bit of a change around.  Never mind these things are sent to try us. I am tucking into a Chinese as we speak.   Tomorrow night I cook the chicken thingy we got at the weekend with veggies. Been an awfully wet day here today....

Recent weeks have proved to me that I am never happier than when I am making something whether that be from materials from scratch on the crafting front or whether it be cooking, preserving making wine, gardening, doing general housework, decorating etc. etc. However in reality I don't really get that much time to actually play unless I down tools and don't do something else and then I end up playing catch up.  It seems to be a theme that runs continually through my life. I really need a balance and also need to manage my time more carefully.  I have thought about this and it has come down to the fact that I need to block off periods of time for doing different things that way I should be able to get more things done, i.e. block out kitchen time and also sewing time and computer time.  If I want to get one particular piece finished and out the way then I will just follow through and use my next free slot until it is finished.  I think this is the onl...