TARRAGON & THYME

I have been browsing through my preserving books for something different.  I have found it and I am going to try this although have never made this before. The recipe comes from the Preserves book by Dick and James Strawbridge. 1 litre of cider vinegar 4 tablespoons of sugar 50g/2 oz of rosehips peel from 1 orange Put the vinegar and sugar into a pan and heat until dissolved.  Allow to cool then set aside.  Meanwhile thread the rosehips and pieces of orange peel onto a wooden skewer.  Place the skewer in a sterilised bottle and pour in the vinegar.  Seal and leave for 2 to 3 weeks before using. Apparently it is very good  with chicken and fish and can be drizzled over melon and prosciutto and salad for some added zing.  Guess where I am going this week to get Rosehips for this, rosehip and crab apple jelly and also rosehips for the shells and to dehydrate for my vitamin c quota during the winter months. I also want to get some rosehips f...

We love going on a little jaunt to Johnsons the Butchers at Old Hurst which is nearer to Huntingdon than to Peterborough. It was a good peaceful drive out in the sunshine although there was a bit of a wind and the wind farms were in full swing as we travelled to our destination.  Johnsons of Old Hurst is a working farm with a very lovely farm shop, a Café/Tea Room called the Eccentric Englishman which serves up a super coffee (Arabica fresh ground) or tea and a rib sticker of a breakfast which we indulged in this morning so more of a brunch than a breakfast.  They also have crocodiles, Ostrich, and lots of other wild animals not native to this country including Deer, Capabari, Wallabys, parrots, unusual breed chickens, ducks, loads of including mandarin ducks, and there is a small walk around the farm.  The farm also sells a lot of Game, and at different times of the year you get seasonal specialities on the meat front as well. The Butchers is superb.  I have bo...

OH is a chilli freak no question.  He quite happily munches his way through lots of chilli products and does not bat an eyelid.  Me only a very little now and again apart from sweet chilli sauce and  sweet chilli jam and jelly.  Otherwise I tend to stay clear and if I have a curry it is very mild.  Bit of a wimp me. I dry chillies and use them whole in my pickled onions.  I string them up and then hang them from my dresser.  Just recently I have been able to buy fresh chillies from the Co-Op but they are in mixed packs of about four or five some red and some green.  It is the red ones I used for the pickled onions.  Using a pair of gloves,  (very important when handling any chilli as it can burn you and it  is not very pleasant.  I speak from experience), with a bodkin and string I thread the chillies onto what is in effect a long string and then hang them off my dressers to dry.  Then they are used in the pickled oni...

I use Waitrose a lot but I do not buy everything from there. I certainly look at the offers but I am also looking for things to put up in the pantry for Christmas essentially but also other occasions like a special birthday treat, a family dinner etc. etc. First of all, many of you will realise that I am in Christmas mode, plotting, planning and buying bits for Christmas already.  I have already bought some bits and bobs for the Christmas celebration.  However at our local Co-Op they have had quite a few bits and bobs on the sweetie line instore and available for a couple of weeks or so.  I had spotted some Ferrero Rocher chocolates and as these are a favourite in this household, I went to buy some but stopped and put them back.  I was not paying £8 for a large tray of them.  I am so glad I put them back because tonight in Waitrose I have managed to find them at £6.50.  So I am quite chuffed about that.  £1.50 a tray is a lot of money to lose and ...

Speaking literally that is but I really like to push the boat out in all areas when it comes to Christmas. (Told you I was a bit of a Christmas nut). I like to set the scene with all the lovely things that I have collected together out on display or being in use.  A lot bought from the Charity shops at reasonable prices but all in all mixing and matching and blending in with everything else I do have.  To achieve this I like to keep things as simple as I can and most things fall into a couple of themes. I sort of go for traditional  Victorian style decorations, red, gold, green and white although there are other colours added in too but these are the base colours. I buy glassware in green, gold, red and clear.  They might be different shapes, different colours, but because of the base line colours they all blend in well.  There may not be a full set of some but it all goes towards creating interest and a "set" of usable items especially for celebrations...

As in the words from the song by Boney M!  Now I am showing my age. Phew I am now on holiday for the week.  I intend to do nothing this evening apart from flop for a change.  OH has gone fishing so am on my todd.  It is more or less dark here.  I want to do some more research on a couple of things but apart from that I do not intend to do much.  I will have a busy day tomorrow so I think I have earned the chill out time.  Its nice just to potter and do one's own thing. I have had a few more Kilner jars and Mason jars arrive. I buy these periodically off of Ebay or Amazon.  If you are careful you can pick them up a lot cheaper this way including the carriage charges.   On average in the shops the standard Kilner jar costs £3 apiece with the larger jars going from £3.50 or more for a jar. The standard Kilner jar screw lids and seals will fit Mason jars of the same size which is very handy.  I am stocking up in preparation for using ...

My embroidery machine is now home with me.  I have yet to unpack it, which will be sometime over the weekend as I had not realised how big it was (well the box is terribly large).  It is to be based in the computer/craft room, but I need to sort that out from top to bottom and get organised a bit.  I have my other new Janome sewing machine as well to get to grips with.  So I am very much looking forward to some serious play time and hopefully it will start next week.  There are so many lovely patterns on many different sites, but that is half the fun finding something that will look lovely and pretty.  So I am very relieved that it has arrived.  OH will have to bring it upstairs once the room has been bottomed and cleaned.  To tell you the truth I am ever so excited as I did not in my wildest dreams ever really think I would be the proud owner of such a good machine.  Thank you Anne. So I am now on holiday from tomorrow for a week and I ...