Another day

Good morning and welcome to the last day of 2019.  It has been a year of ups and downs just like every other year.  Some things have gone right and some have gone wrong but we muddle through anyway.  The weather has been a mixed bag with a little of everything but the garden has survived.  I'm so grateful we don't have extreme weather events though flooding has been a problem for some and for them I feel really sorry it must be very miserable to be flooded as the water is filthy with sewage I wonder if you ever get rid of the smell. Tonight we will be celebrating at home as I know there will be fireworks and Dan will try to dig a hole and hide.  He has suddenly developed a fear of fireworks and goes into complete meltdown.  I'm wondering if he would feel more comfortable in his crate as that is his special place of safety and where all his precious things are kept.  Tubby is not so affected but is still unhappy.  I must say I would be delight...

Good morning all sorry to be so late but I slept like a log last night.  I think I was feeling rough because of two things lack of sleep and dehydration.  Yesterday I made sure I got plenty to drink as I tend to forget when I am busy. The steak and kidney was a really nice change from all the festive food and with a big pile of mashed swede with lots of butter and pepper, it was a lovely meal.  I had a few of my mushrooms left so I threw them into the stew and much to my surprise they stood up really well and didn't disintegrate. Len and Margret are on the mend and one dose of night nurse ensured a good nights sleep for Len which does make a big difference.  I find the older I get the less able I am to do without sleep.  Gone are the days of being up all night on call and then working the following day as if nothing had happened.  What I really used to hate was being called out twice you get home and just settle down to sleep and the phone rings again ...

Good morning all.  First I must tell you about the mushrooms they were delicious and had much more texture than shop-bought.  When I have bought oysters before they have been rather flabby and limp but the homegrown were really meaty and very nice. The bag is back in soak and I will see if I can get a second and maybe even a third crop.  The good thing is when it is finally finished it will go straight into the compost with only one polythene bag to throw away pretty eco-friendly. I shot to Tesco and bought a few things for Len and Margaret and quickly ran up a jar of ginger and honey which fortunately they both enjoyed and let down with some lemon juice and boiling water it makes a really very comforting drink.  Poor Len had a nose like Rudolf and is going through tissues at a rate of knots.  He now 85 and has had multiple mini-strokes so is not a well man at the best of times.  Fortunately, Margaret is an ex "madwife" so she was a nurse first and she...

Good morning all and today it is harvest day As luck would have it I have a little cream left so I think some nice creamy mushrooms on toast will be on the menu.  According to the instructions you then soak the bag again and try for a second and maybe even a third crop so once I have harvested that is what I will do.   Denzil is back at work today so I am sure he will return with stuff that didn't sell for Christmas and is now heavily reduced.  He wanted a Christmas pudding which is still untouched but as I recall from the days when I used to make them they last forever and this one is in no danger from either James or I as neither of us like it. I feel a little more like a human being this morning after a better nights sleep and a day of fasting which has allowed everything to settle down. I have just had a desperation call from Margaret whose 85-year-old husband has a stinking cold and she has a dose of the runs and they are out of bread and potat...

Good morning all.  Yes, yet another mushroom photo. They are living on my kitchen window out of direct sunlight and I think they are almost ready to crop and that has taken exactly seven days.  They get a spray of water morning and night and lots of admiring glances!!!  As you can imagine I am thrilled skinny and I can see them ending up fried in butter and dolloped onto a piece of toast. I notice Joy has been having some rough nights, I know the feeling, I too have been having miserable nights and feel pretty shattered.  I think I also overdid the food yesterday, not in quantity but so much more sugar than I am used to.  I think it will do me no harm to stay on the fluids today and let the system settle down.  Fortunately, the carcass has been boiled and we have some nice soup for lunch.  There is just a small amount of chicken left, it really was a whopper, but a least it has gone in three days.   There is a box of vegetables in...

Good morning all I must say I feel a little anticlimactic this morning.  The house is bursting at the seams with food so there will be no need to cook apart from to switch on the instapot which is full of the bird carcass and waiting to make stock/soup/broth.  Personally, I like a clear broth with some small pasta and lashings of parmesan, but it is equally good with lots of chunky vegetables and meat.   Every morning when I get up my first port of call is to look at the mushrooms while the machine fills my coffee mug and the computer works out that it's not a kettle.  I don't know if I am just getting more impatient or if the computer is just getting slower or maybe a bit of both. As you can see the mushrooms are really going well and it will not be long before we are picking them to eat. Such a clever way to recycle old coffee grounds.  The mushrooms are all shiny because they need to be sprayed with water morning and evening not exactly hea...

A very Happy Christmas to you all I am getting stuck into a piece of panettone with my coffee which is my own personal tradition.  The mushrooms are growing before my very eyes not quite time-lapse photography but isn't nature amazing?

Good morning all, yesterday I did a bit of phoning around just to wish all my friends happy Christmas as I know today is going to be busy and I would be bound to forget.  Poor Margery is in for a miserable time on Christmas day as she has to be in a different part of France to sign some legal documents on boxing day so they will be driving and having a packed lunch.  However, her daughter arrives later in the week and they will have their postponed festivities then.  I made the rouille sauce yesterday and the wretched thing split but my good chef friend told me long ago to just try adding a tablespoon of boiling water and hey presto problem solved.   On a whim, I decided to buy an oyster mushroom kit which I have been tending for a few days and this morning a miracle just look at this. As you can imagine I am absolutely thrilled it isn't going to be long before we are going to have a lovely crop of oyster mushrooms. James has just returned f...

Good morning all.  Success at last. They turned out fine and are screaming out for some nice filling otherwise it is like eating cheese flavoured ping pong balls.  The gruyere made a big difference to the flavour and though you can't see it they have a sprinkle of parmesan on the top.  I'm glad I had a second attempt as I do hate being thwarted by a recipe.  Needless to say, they have all gone. Today I have a navarin of lamb for lunch which I will serve with the other half of a cabbage.  I need to get my ham out of the freezer this morning so that it is ready to cook tomorrow and I need to make a rouille sauce to go with our fish and shellfish extravaganza tomorrow. However, first on the agenda is a trip to the bank and see if I can get the counterfeit money problem sorted.  I am hoping it was just an overzealous shop keeper and that the note is ok only old and crumpled.    Anyway, the bank should be able to sort it out and we no...

This worked brilliantly.  I used a metal ladle but if your ladle will stand boiling water it should work. Method: Bring a pan of water to the boil with enough water to sink your ladle. Crack an egg into a ramekin Put a small knob of butter in the ladle and offer it to the water to melt. Tip in the egg and wait while the white sets a bit then gradually allow some of the water to flood the ladle to cook the top finally you can dump the ladle in the water while you butter your toast.

Good morning all.  Well here we are at last at the winter solstice from now on the day will be longer and eventually, we will get the spring.  Oh, the joy it's depressing with all the darkness and rain at least snow or frost is a bit brighter. I had a bit of a drama yesterday I was going to make the gougeres but decided if I was to have a second attempt I would make sure I had all the correct ingredients so off I went to get some gruyere cheese.  I went to Tesco as they have a cash machine and my wallet needed a refill. I got home and made the lunch by which time my enthusiasm for choux pastry had waned.  Later in the afternoon, the boys were out of milk so I sent James up the road with one or the £20 notes I had got from the ATM only to have it refused as counterfeit. On closer inspection, it did look dodgy so I rang the bank who noted the transaction from the machine but said that it was Tesco's machine so their problem.  I rang the store who offered to f...

Good morning all it is a little colder this morning but still very mild.  It has been raining but is currently dry. Yesterday's kitchen work was a real mess with two people involved and miss communication I managed to make cheese flavoured Jaffa cake bases.  It really does help if you read the recipe properly and are not so cocky thinking you know what you are doing.  I have made choux pastry many times and never had a failure.  James was my assistant and he read out the list of ingredients which called for 5 eggs which is rather a lot but I followed it only to later read that the fifth egg was for an egg wash prior to sprinkling the cheese on the top.  Fortunately, it was only for us family and they tasted just fine but what a mess and no one to blame but myself.  Note to self RFR [read the flipping recipe].  I'm now angry with myself and may well have another go I hate being thwarted by a recipe. If I am to have another go I will need to buy s...

Good morning all.  Just as well the forecasters got it wrong because if the rain had been snow it would be up to the windows by now.  The rain has not been heavy but it has been constant so flooding I think will be the problem but not for us as we are at the top of the hill. James was in a cooking mood so he made us a very tasty macaroni cheese for lunch and then for supper we had the individual turkey pies and some braised cabbage which was just right.  The dogs are going crazy for the dried out ox liver which actually looks like dark chocolate I think you will agree.  It's a good job we don't have any pilfering little fingers or there would be some very surprised faces. Denzil was on a late shift last night and as he arrived at work there were ambulances and police cars all over the place as one of the drivers had returned from his round and crashed his lorry into the building as he had died of a heart attack.  Efforts were made to revive him but we...

Good morning all.  I despair with the weather forecast now we are due a heatwave apparently so forget the -10ºC and the feet of snow and all the dire warnings.  Actually, it is just raining and +10ºC I think I am going to just stick my head out of the window and make my own decision. Yesterday I got my meat and vegetable deliveries all put-away in the freezer or cupboards. In my order I bought some ox liver which I don't like as it is very strong in flavour but guess who loves it - yes my four-footed friends love it to bits so I have cut it into small pieces and dried it in a low oven so I can now store it without freezing and it makes wonderful training treats.  We decided to have some sausages for lunch, they were award-winning venison and red wine and to go with them we had a few slices of black pudding and some hogs pudding too so it really was a sort of sausage fest.  The hogs pudding was a treat for me as it is quite difficult to find but as my meat comes ...

Good morning all, at last, a better night  Yesterday was a bit of a washout as I was not up to much so, fortunately, James made the lasagne for lunch and I hasten to add all made from scratch including the pasta sheets.  He had some pasta left over so cut it into noodles which went really well with our supper which was really expensive.  I spent £1.26 on a box of wings which I then tried to stuff but sadly the very tips of the wings were missing which made the job really difficult.  However, I was not going to be beaten and deboned them anyway but stuffing something open at both ends is not easy. This is what they are supposed to look like but with no tips, mine looked like this:- They were very tasty even though they didn't look very pretty.  The drumstick end of the wings I also deboned and they were stirfried with the noodles to make a sort of chow mein.  And next week we will be doing stuffed grapes!!!!!  Don't laugh I have actually done...

Good morning all, what a rude awakening this morning I was sound asleep when Dennie arrived after yet another broken night.  I hate being woken from a deep sleep and having to rush about it throws me for the whole day.  Gone are the days of leaping out of bed and dashing off to work in about 5 minutes flat. I keep reading that we are going to be blasted with freezing weather and heaps of snow but as yet it is still too warm and raining.  Today I am going to play with some chicken wings I believe James has made lasagne for lunch so I can play silly games I have all the ingredients now I need to see if I have the skills required. I have just spent half an hour trying to get the photo of the wings to show you but failed miserably so you will have to wait until I can either work out how to get the photo onto the blog or if mine turn out ok a photo will be required. Well, that's about it for this morning I am in Dennie's way now so time to go and get myself organi...

Good morning all another rough night I wish I could say it is because I am excited about Christmas but that would not be true.  I think I gave up being excited when the children were no longer at home and it became a trudge around the country visiting relatives or having the hoard at mine for lunch which was stressful. Yesterday went according to plan and I did the stuffed pork fillet which we had for supper however as I was doing that James inquired what was for lunch - I hadn't given it a thought but I said actually I fancied just plain pasta with butter and cheese.  Fine said he and promptly set to making the pasta! It was the perfect quantity for two of us one egg and 100g of flour and a bit of elbow grease.  We have a  cupboard full of dry pasta but no he wanted fresh so fresh it was.  Isn't it wonderful when you teach someone something and they take it and fly?  One day when he is in the mood I must teach him how to make pastry. Denzil came h...

Good morning all so sorry to be so late but I didn't get to sleep until 5am so I feel like a dishcloth this morning.  Dan is howling the walls down because James has taken Tubby for a lead walk which is really to wear his claws down with running on concrete.  I'm sure they can hear Dan three streets away he has a very good singing voice.  I have no idea why I couldn't sleep I just couldn't.  Anyway, that said I have to start thinking about what we are going to eat today.  As I have a pork fillet defrosted I am going to open it out and stuff it with some prunes and then cook it in a cream sauce and serve it with some glazed carrots and mashed potatoes.  I did have plans to make some sweet pastry but I'm not sure if I will get round to doing that today. The weather here is dry sunny and blustery and not too cold so actually a nice day for a walk with the dog.  Maybe later Dan will get a good run if he doesn't wear himself out singing. Oh, thank good...

Good morning all it is cold and blustery here but at least it isn't raining.  Yesterday's mega shop went according to plan and many hands made light work of putting it all away.  Only one problem I don't necessarily know where stuff got put so I find myself searching for things but that is not really a problem as there are a limited number of places to put things. I had made the filling for the pie before we went out so James finished it off and added the pastry top so once we had got everything away lunch was ready 'perfect'.  There was some pastry left over so I made half a dozen mince pies.  They are edible but puff pastry is really not the right thing for mince pies.  In the end with all the discounts, the bill was reduced from £120 to £85 so a considerable saving.  All my stock levels are now up to full so the only things I might have to go out for are milk and bread.  I have put an order in with the fishmonger for one of his beautiful platte...

Good morning all, well it's over, thank goodness, now hopefully we can get on with Christmas celebrations instead.  Enough said. Today I am off to do my major shop for the festive season and between all the vouchers and Denzil's discounts, I think Tesco will owe us money!!!  Anyway as I will be saving lots on my shop it means I can put some more towards the good causes for those who are not as lucky as I am.  This year I haven't bought an expensive turkey primarily because I don't really like turkey as meat but the huge chicken I have was quite cheap by comparison.  I haven't forked out for a tree as I am into planting trees not cutting them down.  I will, however, be bringing in some greenery, probably in the form of holly.  In the woods where we walk the dogs, there are hundreds of holly trees so I go with my secateurs and pick a bunch for the house.  We have no children visiting so we can cut back on lots of stuff.  Now I have a dilemma do I...

Good morning all, yes I know I am very late but it was not my fault the computer has had an update which took hours to download and install so I have been sitting here waiting for ages. Yesterday I made a jar of garlic and ginger which is now tucked in the fridge ready for a whole range of dishes.  The dogs thought they had died a gone to heaven as they had stew for breakfast and supper.  Somehow it doesn't feel so wasteful to give it to the dogs rather than just put it in the bin. Well, today is the day for electing new idiots - our idiot has a 10,000 majority so I don't anticipate any change there.  I had the misfortune to have a meeting with him and though I am not normally given to violence I had to leave before I was arrested for punching the supercilious, arrogant, lying, slimeball.  You will gather that I don't like him!!!!  anyway, I am a bit of a fatalist and what will be will be.  I watched all three episodes of Vienna with Hugh Montefior...

Good morning all - what a successful day yesterday was Denzil accompanied me to the freezer and we turned out both of them and got rid of loads of stuff that was lurking in the dark.  The dogs are doing well as they don't mind a bit of freezer burn on their food so a couple of stews have been saved for them.  The best bit is that now there is some semblance of order and all the stuff for Christmas is tucked in one draw.  It was perishingly cold so really an ideal day for that job and in the end, there was not too much to throw away.  Somehow a bag of blueberries had been spilt and managed to scatter itself far and wide but nothing a dustpan and brush couldn't deal with.  I found a tub of sweetcorn chowder so that went on the lunch menu and James made a very nice toad in the hole.  He also did some fried chicken with saute potatoes for supper.   After lunch, Tak brought me a letter that needed a little correction so for my homework I retyped i...

Good morning all. Yesterday I thought I might be coming down with a cold as my nose had been running for two days then suddenly it stopped and I seem fine.  No sore throat or any other symptoms so maybe the nose has flushed itself so to speak. The sausage rolls turned out well and with some of the leftover meat, I added a finely diced onion and made patties which we had for lunch tucked into a bun with a good dollop of English mustard.  The sausage rolls disappeared for supper.  I also made a batch of chicken soup which has also evaporated.  The soup was to use up a single chicken leg and thigh which was lurking in the freezer so with the mushrooms that were on the blink and a packet of diced vegetables that Denzil had brought home and a couple of stock cubes and the wonderful instapot the soup was a doddle.  Everything put in frozen solid and by the magic of pressure all cooked in no time. Today Denzil is off duty and wants to take me shopping to do a ...

Good morning all what a busy day I had in the kitchen.  I shot out to Aldi to get some parsley as soon as they opened only to discover that their entire chill cabinet [the one with all the meat] was clear of produce as it had broken down.  There were a load of bemused shoppers looking longingly at the empty shelves.  Fortunately, there was no problem with my parsley purchase and I also got some jumbo prawns and some queen scallops.  In the end, I made one large fish pie which did us for supper and 5 individual pies which are now in the freezer.  It doesn't sound like much but believe me I managed to dirty almost everything in the kitchen.  I took the trouble to make a really nice bechamel sauce in which I included the prawn shells for flavour.  The end result was a really lovely fish pie which was demolished in milliseconds.  I don't think there is anything that pleases a cook like a family who demolishes the food with gusto, it makes it all wort...

Good morning all well what a busy day I had yesterday.  It was all in the kitchen and I managed to make the stuffing for the bird not that I ever put it inside as it takes forever to cook.  Then the pigs in blankets have been done and both are now in the freezer and will only need warming up on the day.  I also made a pot of duck liver pate which we had with some nice crusty bread and some cornichons for supper last night having had a good lunch of mince and onions with crispy spring onion dumplings and Brussel sprouts for lunch. Today I have more cooking to do as I have lots of mixed fish ready to make plenty of fish pies which are so useful to have in the freezer.  I will keep one out for supper tonight, the hard-boiled eggs are already done but I am short of parsley as my garden plants are looking a little the worse for wear.  I think I may take a quick run to Aldi and get some parsley its a shame to ruin the pies for a halfpennyworth of tar so to speak....

Good morning all, a warmer morning and no rain so about right for this time of year.  I was out bright and early and got my hair done, what a relief!  My fringe had been driving me insane flopping in my eyes I was almost at the stage of tying it up in a ribbon like a Yorkshire terrier.  Anyway all done now so it is on with the preparations and today I am making my stuffing which will have some sausage meat, chestnuts and duck liver.  In days gone by when giblets came with birds, I made the gravy with the neck and gizzard and the stuffing with the liver.  So that is what I am trying to replicate.  For supper last night I used some leftover shortcrust pastry which was just enough to make three individual quiches which we had with some salad.   For lunch today we will be having some mince and onions with crispy dumplings so I need to get myself organised as I will have every piece of kitchen equipment in use and it could end up being a real mess...

Good morning all, well it is much warmer this morning and it is raining a bit who told the weather fairy I was going to the hairdresser?  I had my nails done yesterday and they are red and sparkly for the holidays.  Hopefully, after the hairdresser I will be done until the new year. I got the bread sauce done and into the freezer now all I have left to do is to make the pigs in blankets and the stuffing and I will be all but done.  It does make life so much easier to have all the accompaniments done in advance so that they can be nuked on the day.  I usually peel the veg and get that ready on Christmas eve so I can go to bed with a clear conscience. Len and Margret popped in and as luck would have it the shop they were looking for was actually about 100yrds from my front door not in the high street as they thought.  Margaret walked to the shop and they have offered to order the shoes she likes.  So all in all a successful morning.   A...

Good morning all at long last the day to have the nails done is here and I will be very happy to have them somewhat shorter.  Yesterday I made a corned beef pie and pastry work with long nails is a disaster.  However, the pie was well received and there is enough left for lunch today with a nice mixed salad.  It has to be one of the simplest pies ever with only three ingredients corned beef, potato and spring onions.  I used the new processor to make the pastry so that too was a doddle.   Denzil came home with a white loaf from work so today I can get the bread sauce made and into the freezer and I think I will dry the remaining crumbs for use at a later date.  By way of a treat, the crusts will end up feeding the birds who are beginning to feel the cold.  There is little in the gardens for them to eat at this time of year. Len and Margeret are going to drop by as Margaret has found a shoe shop in Gillingham who are prepared to order some...

Good morning all it is another really cold one this morning.  Yesterday went more or less according to plan we ended up having some ham and cheese slices from the baker along with a massive salad which much to my surprise was totally consumed.  In my veg box, I had a squash which I really didn't fancy so it got put in the oven and roasted and then made into soup for supper.  Pumpkin is, in my opinion, a pretty tasteless vegetable and needs something to brighten it up.   The dogs were in close attendance as their noses told them I was making a liver cake which has to be one of their favourite things.  Dan went through all the things he can do, stand up, lie down, sit, offers his paws etc. hoping that something would be good enough to warrant a piece of the cake.  I believe in dog training circles it is called "offering behaviour".  Of course, being the big softy I am he didn't leave disappointed.  Some of the liver cake has been packed up...

Good morning all another cold one here.  Yesterday's macaroni cheese turned into carbonara as I had no macaroni. We had the stuffed tomatoes for supper along with some potato pancakes and a salad.  Just generally using up bits and pieces from the fridge.  Today I have some pigs liver which is destined for a liver cake for the dogs but there is nothing out of the freezer for our lunch so I will have to go and have a look and see what I can find.  Denny has arrived half an hour early so she is here now and I am in her way so I had better keep this short and go and make some headway with the food situation. Have a great day all and stay warm it's freezing outside.

Good morning all another really cold morning we are down to 1ºC so maybe the snow forecast might be right.  I am always pleased when it is cold for Christmas as it allows me to use my garage a huge walk-in fridge.  Not that I am going to have a turkey carcass hanging around for days this year. I was interested in the different takes on bread sauce I think we all use Delia's recipe but each unto their own regarding the bread.   I am pleased to report that my knee seems to be fine now after a couple of day of careful use and mostly rest which leads me to believe it was an injury rather than the start of arthritis.  Fingers crossed I am right. This is a picture of some ginger I put in a pot which seems to be doing quite well it is not the nicest of plants but I do believe it has nice flowers if I ever get it to bloom.  Anyway, my chef friend has told me that the leaves are very nice used as a bed for a piece of fish which just imparts a subtle...

Good morning all it is another cold one here but as it is still dark I can't see outside.  As we are on the top of the north downs we seldom get heavy frost.  So here we go, the first of December and Advent.  I behaved myself and kept off my knee yesterday afternoon and this morning it feels fine so I guess that proves it needs rest.  Today should be nice and easy as we have lots of leftover mash and some cabbage so I intend to just do sausage, mash and onion gravy for our supper and as for lunch as it is just James and I we may well have kippers and bread and butter.  I was going to make bread sauce yesterday but I only have a wholemeal loaf and having tried to make it with that before I will not do it again it really wasn't very nice and looked pretty dire.  What I really need is some nasty cheap white sliced.  If I use some for the bread sauce the rest can be made into tartlet cases or bread crumbs and the birds will love the crusts. As it is t...

Good morning all it is very cold this morning and with my door open my bedroom was down to 4.5ºC.  I know that sounds crazy but I sleep well in the cold snug under my duvet its not much fun when I have to do a bathroom run but I soon get warm again. Sometimes I despair for my sanity having rested my knee for 24 hours I decided to go shopping yesterday so ended up giving it a workout and now I am paying the price for my stupidity.  While shopping I bought some turkey drumsticks which are in the instapot making soup having first been given a good roasting in the halogen.  I intend to make a turkey and mushroom pie with the meat and no doubt the dogs will do well out of the soup mix as they don't mind their vegetables boiled to death.  In the freezer, I keep a bag of each of the following vegetables diced so all I need do is grab a handful of each which saves lots of time.  I have diced onion, carrot and celery as well as diced spring onions and the green tops...

Good morning all yesterday was a bit of a write off as I had managed to twist my knee in my fall and it was really quite sore so I had a day off my feet.  I am a firm believer in giving the body every opportunity to heal itself and I must say the knee is much less painful this morning. James made his first curry with some chicken thighs and although he was disappointed with the results all the plates came back empty so it was fine.  He had been a little heavy-handed with some mango chutney which rendered the whole dish sweeter than he would like and as it was also underseasoned the addition of some salt soon rectified the problem. I was revving up to get miffed that Kim had not been in contact to let me know how Carol was fairing but to my surprise, I got an email from Carol herself to say that she was amazed to be alive and thanking me for my support of Kim.  She is indeed very lucky to be alive however it is going to be a slow recovery and I hope that she gets ...

Good morning all another rather wet day yesterday not heavy rain but constant.  I had some fun with the new toy and made some coleslaw.  When I looked at the quantity I thought we would be eating it for a month but it seems to have disappeared overnight by the time we all had a reasonable portion with our poached salmon it was all but gone. Just for information the machine is very easy to use and having the lid hinged is a big plus.  The feed tube is a little narrow for things like cabbage but once cut to size it makes short work of it.  I was interested to read in the blurb that came with it that you can do mash by first boiling the spuds and then grating them then putting the blade in and adding butter and milk.  I must admit that I usually put the potatoes through a ricer to get rid of any lumps but his sounds like a good idea. Now you might think I am a bit ahead of schedule but I am making the base for the gravy for Christmas. Once completed it will go...

Good morning all only minutes after I said it was dry it started to piddle with rain and so it continued for the rest of the day.  No real downpours just constant drizzle.   So once the boys were up it was decided that the minced pork would be made into Swedish meatballs but we needed some dill for the sauce and James volunteered to go and get some.  He back in one minute because the car was dead.  The battery was flat as a pancake so first thoughts were to start it with jump leads but our neighbour who has our leads was out so what to do next? I suggested that as I have RAC membership lets try using it. Absolutely wonderful the guy came took away the old battery and replaced it with a new one - apparently, I had battery cover who knew!!! by which time I had abandoned the meatballs in favour of burgers with some sweet potato wedges.  As it turned out the burgers were sufficient for supper as well with a portion of chips from our kebab shop and some bak...

Good morning all it is a mild and dry morning so far and very, fortunately, we have not suffered the deluge that seems to have hit elsewhere. First I must eat a large slice of humble pie as last night I watched a program about intensive meat farming in the USA - it was horrific.  It is no wonder they are leading the push for veganism frankly they need to.  It is a bit of an extreme reaction and all they really need to do is eat less meat and more vegetables and they could deal with their obesity crisis but in the typical American style, they do nothing by halves.  I had no idea of the extent of the meat industry over the pond and their reaction is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  That said I think things are somewhat different here and I know I am fortunate that I can buy my meat from reputable sources.  And I must say that my vegetable box delivery has made us eat more veg just because I don't want to waste food I have even eaten beetroot. ...