Best recipes for leftovers: Moroccan style lamb meatballs on a bed of mint and coriander infused couscous
“I thought that it would be too spicy for them but I suppose that Indian dogs eat curry. And dogs in Morocco must wolf down spicy scraps” “You did feed them earlier, didn’t you?” We were watching our pack guzzling the leftovers from supper. They are fed early evening but we always give them the scrapings from our supper. A sort of canine Little Foodies thing (Little Foodies are in Italy at the moment and all the Min Pins would love it. Pasta has them jumping through hoops. This is a blog that is well worth...
read moreSoup: Broccoli and Celeriac recipe
Years ago I met a lady who had married a famous Hungarian film director. They ran away together and rented a flat somewhere in Europe. Neither of them could cook. She had heard about one pot cooking. Apparently this magical pot stood constantly on the stove. Every day you threw in various tasty things. Cooked them slowly through and the leftovers were the base of the next day’s meal. After a week they gave up. The pot had become rancid and vile. In fact, from that day on they never cooked again for the rest of their lives. Sometimes I...
read moreBach remedies
Last year I was working in a friend’s house when her husband suddenly rushed past me, opened a kitchen drawer and grabbed some Bach Remedies. He applied several drops of each under his tongue and as he flashed past my step ladder he explained. “Difficult conference call coming up.” This was a top businessman. A normal guy. I was amazed. Years ago I spotted Bach remedies in Health Food shops. I loved the complete set of them, sitting in rows in a pretty mahogany case. I wanted to believe that they were effective. Occasionally...
read moreEasy squid, sweet Romano pepper and Basmati rice salad recipe
Supermarkets are clever. They mark down their soon to be out of date produce. Someone might buy it before it is swept off the shelf and banished (hopefully to a homeless shelter). Danny haunts these shelves when he does the final post run down to Newmarket in the evening. I often return home to find a few bargains on the kitchen table. Last week he had found a fat bag of previously frozen squid, “They were such a bargain that I grabbed them.” There is always a posse around the Tesco shelves. The next evening I returned to find him...
read moreChristmas presents
Danny and I have never been ones for lavishing the credit card on each other when it comes to Christmas. We decide the ceiling in November and work around that. “Does this ceiling include our stockings?” “Of course.” The limits are then raised by £10. A good £10 stocking can put the Main Present in the shade. The secret is to start looking early. Nothing beats a good stocking. It is the heart of Christmas for me. Like a secret kiss. An extended moment of indulgence without the formality of opening a present with a...
read moreCottage Smallholder & Farming friends Interblog Guinea Fowl breeding event update, nearly six months of fun
I am growing fonder of my 19 week old Guinea Fowl by the day. They are the progeny from the Farming Friends & Cottage Smallholder Interblog Guinea Fowl Breeding Event. This event was started six months ago when Sara, from Farming Friends, sent us an egg box of six guinea fowl eggs in the post (next day delivery) to put under a unhappy and bullied broody hen. This hen has now become an international superstar and even though she is unaware of her fame, Mrs Boss is finally a happy and contented bantam. Nurtured by Mrs Boss, five out of the...
read moreDogs and poisoned rats
Last night I returned from work and found the dogs squabbling. I suppose our three and Great Aunt Daisy Beatyl make up a pack. A flock of hens can be tricky to manage but a small pack of dogs can be a nightmare if you are tired and just want to chill. If they are not dozing in their baskets they are sorting out their pecking order. Inca, the youngest, challenges each dog in the pack regularly. It is not restful. Yesterday The Contessa growled and snapped for far longer than usual. The key dog beds are two small cat igloos that sit under the...
read morePlanting broad beans in the winter
I was up earlier this morning than usual. To clear a bed in our kitchen garden so that John could dig it over and we could plant the broad bean seeds. This is the second year that we have sown broad beans in November and already it has become something of a ceremony. Discussed and planned for weeks. “Shall I dig over this bed? There’s nothing but weeds.” John had said a couple of weeks ago. “Don’t worry. I’ll do it. Next time that you come the border will be clear.” Unfortunately, I had fallen at the...
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