How to save money in 2008: August review. Challenging expectations
I noticed fallen leaves on the grass this morning and realised that it’s Autumn. It seems to have crept out of the shadows of a summer that never really came alive. I planted a fragrant border beside the outdoor table. There was a week when we ate outside every evening. Just the one. I also remembered that I haven’t written the August update on our save money 2008 challenge. We are still beavering away with the challenge and saved about 60% in August. We are eating well, can have people round for supper occasionally and are now...
read moreFragrant lemon butter poussin, baked with saffron and turmeric recipe
A few weeks ago I noticed a new ceramic pepper shaker standing in my mother’s kitchen table. The powder around the holes wasn’t pepper coloured. Intrigued I tapped a little onto the back of my hand, it smelt spicy and tasted strange. “It’s turmeric. It’s supposed to have all sort of health giving properties. I sprinkle it on my food if I remember.” My mum wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of buying a new pepper shaker and filling it with turmeric on a whim. So I cruised I few internet sites and...
read moreUpdate on Mrs Boss and the bantam eggs: Just two chicks
Mrs Boss has hatched just the two chicks. Three out of six eggs three were duff. Hoping for a miracle, I left the third egg in the nest and after a few days Mrs Boss moved it out into the castle grounds. Our ideal clutch was three as they could be accommodated easily in the chicken house when they grow up and there’s no overcrowding in the Emerald Castle. The two chicks are delightful and so very welcome. We won’t know whether they are male or female for quite some time. The ring test on the unhatched eggs indicated that these two...
read moreQuick Gratin Dauphinoise recipe
Danny is off to India on business tomorrow. We have had a week bursting with meat and treats to salve the probability of spicy meals in Bangalore. Danny hates hot spicy food. “Apparently there are branches of Domino Pizza everywhere.” Sounds like a week of Super Size Me. Tonight we had rack of lamb with runner beans fresh from the garden and gratin dauphinoise, cooked in my favourite way – with Gruyere cheese. Danny cooks a mean gratin dauphinoise without cheese (it was years before I twigged that gratin referred to the dish...
read moreComputer problems stop play
When a computer runs well it is sweet. I’ve discovered that my beautiful laptop is infected with a nasty germ. Don’t worry, it is contained and as you read this message horrible little grommets are not travelling down the wires to infect you too. I have been working all evening to remove the intruders from my laptop. So no post this evening....
read moreThe good Samaritans
This morning I rose early to start a new decorating contract in Cambridge. Danny had wondered why I was cooking rice last night. “It’s for rice and cottage cheese salads. You can bung in all sorts of delicious things. Perfect when I’m away for the day.” “Can I have some too?” So I’d made him lunch, filled a thermos, sorted out the batteries for my radio and dealt with the dogs and poultry. With seconds to spare, I fastened my seatbelt and turned Jalopy’s ignition key. There was a feint gasp and...
read moreTangy blackberry and apple tart recipe
The success of Orangette’s Apricot Tart fired up my baking enthusiasm and I planned to make the same again when my mum came to lunch on Sunday. I decided to follow Orangette’s pastry recipe exactly – using all butter this time. Fresh apricots were on the shopping list until I spotted some plump juicy blackberries in the garden. Why buy fruit when we have free fruit hanging on our fence? In twenty minutes I had picked enough to cover the base of the pie, plucked a cooking apple from our tree. I devised an alternative filling...
read moreGuest spot: how to build a home cold smoke room and a smoke generator by Smoking Methusala
Here is the second part of Smoking Methusala’s post. Here he gets down to the nitty gritty. Smoking Methusala’s cold smoker journey. Part two. Here are the instructions for creating both the home built smoke room and the smoke generator. Making the smoke room: The fridge part is easy. Assuming you have a larder fridge with no freezer box in it and the cooling element is a panel at the back of the fridge. Remove any internal bits like the on off switch, light and leave the gas parts in place as they will cause no problem left in...
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