Reading to banish the nasties
When I’m under pressure I dive into books. Mostly novels and mainly thrillers as I want to be totally immersed in another’s world. Reading about people under far more stress than I am is an addictive diversion. A good book is the potential killer of a decent day’s work. So I tend to keep them on the front seat of Jalopy to be indulged during breaks. Once when I was reading Donna Tart’s The Little Friend, I was forced to make a deal with my wanton reading gene. For each hour of decorating I earned five minutes with the book....
read moreA Hamper of Happiness
The Chicken Lady rang me a few weeks ago to discuss gelatine for making jelly in a jar rather than wobbly on the plate version. I hadn’t a clue. “What are you making?” I asked. “If I told you it would spoil the surprise.” I was intrigued. What on earth was she creating? TCL and S reversed into the drive in their small bright red cabriolet on my birthday. A generous hamper was sitting comfortably on the back seat swathed in a very smart woven tea towel. Danny was extricated from The Rat Room. After several glasses of bubbly the...
read moreToo much on my plate
I’m working this weekend and out to play in the evenings so there will be a short intermission of service for a couple of days whilst the blog takes a mini holiday.
read moreBest recipes for leftovers: Low fat stir fried coriander lamb with mange tout, baby corn and lime infused noodles
We cooked Spanish lamb last weekend and still had lashings of lamb and sauce left over. Sometimes we are well intentioned, making a Shepherd’s pie with the remains. More often the remnants are jettisoned into the freezer and six months later the dogs polish off the bounty. Cold lamb doesn’t look wildly appealing. This week I was determined to use up the remains of lamb (500g) and the wine sauce in a stir fry. So this recipe is designed to follow on from our slow cooked Spanish lamb recipe. I’d bought a book on stir fries from Homebase....
read moreCutting our fuel bills
Somehow the first chilly nights of Autumn feel colder than the hard frosts of January. By midnight I’m freezing and in need of a plump hot water bottle and all three Min Pins to heat up the far side of the bed. Yesterday, I woke hoping for rain. This would mean a much needed day off and the chance to repair the wood burning stove in the kitchen. It has lounged in the kitchen for four years unused. Our central heating is efficient. But now the cost of the two winter oil tank fill ups (£1,200) has made us think again. Four years of happy...
read moreThe slow cooker chef: Low fat Spanish Lamb braised in thyme, garlic and white wine recipe
“Let’s try making the Spanish Lamb in the slow cooker. It will be cheaper than using the oven and it might enhance the flavours even more.” It was better than the oven baked version, with more depth of flavour and the joint remained plump and succulent. This is a great, easy dish for lazy entertaining. Just a few minutes preparation and then you can sit back as it turns into a delicious melt in the mouth lamb. The tantalising sauce tastes as if you have been slaving away for hours. Cooked a day in advance the dish sang. The fat was...
read moreCharity shop bargains
Although my mum gave me a superb giant Le Creuset casserole a few months ago we have no medium sized casseroles for the oven. So when I spotted this wonderful old stoneware crock pot gleaming out from the Cancer Research shop window this morning, I was drawn across the road. The diminutive price tag had me standing beside the till within seconds with the coins in my hand. “Now what have we got here.” The lady counted out the change and glanced quickly up at me. “Is it only £3.50?” “Well yes.” She gave me a long look, perhaps...
read moreOrnamental quince, Chaenomeles or Japonica quince recipes
Every one loves the look of a quince from a tree. The large size, the slight fuzziness on the skin. The smell of a bowl of quinces can scent a room if they are allowed to ripen. A quince plucked from a tree can keep for months properly stored but windfalls need to be used pretty quickly. We were given a quince tree a few years ago. This summer it hasn’t been happy – losing a lot of leaves during July and generally looking peaky. I gave it lots of extra water and it rallied a bit but the quinces are scant and undersized. So the prospect...
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