I went early-morning food shopping, and Mr RoS came up to meet me afterwards to help carry the bags, which were heavy with fresh veg & fruit - plus two tins of sweetcorn and two of chickpeas, which have been conspicuous by their absence in recent weeks.
Then I went through the fridge to check on the contents - Two red peppers getting wrinkly, as I have been rationing them, and three fat leeks, which I bought the day before I rescued a surprising amount of skinny but useable ones from the remnants of the veg plot.
Both have been cooked and put in the freezer.
A bowl each of left-over carrot and swede, and of celeriac mash. Both of these will be part of this evening's dinner.
In the jam cupboard, half a large jar of mincemeat. As I didn't make even one mince pie last Christmas, this must have been in there for 16 months. That will be used for a mincemeat cake (Mary Berry recipe). I suspect that there may be enough left for another one next week!
Here the major pains apart from the joggers are the cyclists on pavements and the people who can't look up from their phones for even a second. In normal times I ignore the cyclists so they have to either get off their bikes or move to the road (being deaf I genuinely didn't hear one trying to get past me once and knocked him off), but in these times I just move out of their way and give them my killer death stare. Phone users I think are a lost cause.
The no exercise thing doesn't mean taking your children for a walk. It means no going running ...
Ah - that makes more sense.
I'm having a slightly goddessish day: as S. has reluctantly asked her cleaner not to come in, I've cleaned "my" bathroom; and I'm shortly going to attempt a jackfruit, cauliflower and carrot curry, for which I may need your thoughts and prayers!
My niece, who's mostly a vegan, sent a film to my sister about the mass-production of meat, and S. has said she might never eat meat* again after watching it. She says that doesn't mean I have to stop eating it, but what's the point of making two different meals? I'm not a natural vegetarian, but I am curious, so it'll be interesting to see how I get on with it.
* She's OK with fish, which I think may be featuring a lot more in my diet in the next wee while. I'll be interested to see what happens when All This Is Over and she's faced with steak, duck or venison on a restaurant menu ...
I'm trying to get the energy and motivation up to mow the front lawn. Its getting longer by the minute and my little hand mower will be defeated soon. Can't use a hover or any heavy mower as need one hand firmly on my stick! The back lawns are turning into very pleasant wild life havens, but the front does look awful. Doesn't help that I had the huge privet hedge cut back about two feet, and I fear it is going to take a considerable time for it to turn back into a green hedge again! Don't like leaving the front garden looking unkempt, I'm always afraid it will shout 'a little old lady lives here alone' to any passing thief!!
Buy a large dog bowl with Rex or Butch written on it. Put some water in it and put it in your front garden. Beg borrow or steal a poo bag and put a large quantity of something non-perishable but poo-like in shape in it on the front step as if it were on its way to the bin. Get hold of one of those heavy duty leads that people use for big dogs and leave it somewhere visible. People will draw a completely different conclusion about your apparently unkempt garden.
I'm feeling like I'm catching up with new technology. After the family HouseParty quiz on Saturday, I used Zoom to discover what my MP and council leader are doing to help us all during this crisis. Interesting.
My writing group are also exploring different ways of getting together.
It is very warm here. I went to my favourite wine and cheese shop hoping to support it during the crisis. I don't think I needed to have worried about their viability. Not only was there a queue, people were spending a lot of money. I intended to buy a couple of bottles of wine, but after being given a free cheese had to buy some of her nice bread too. It did make for very good lunch. @Piglet, we've been vegetarian for years, and would include fish in that too. We lean towards the vegan end, though as you can see from the above a nice cheese or a slice of cake can make us fall off the wagon. We certainly find plenty of interesting things to eat. Enjoy exploring new recipes.
Buy a large dog bowl with Rex or Butch written on it. Put some water in it and put it in your front garden. Beg borrow or steal a poo bag and put a large quantity of something non-perishable but poo-like in shape in it on the front step as if it were on its way to the bin. Get hold of one of those heavy duty leads that people use for big dogs and leave it somewhere visible. People will draw a completely different conclusion about your apparently unkempt garden.
A police officer speaking to a neighborhood association recommended a pair of worn, muddy men's boots left outside the door. (But I guess if the imaginary many can get his boots muddy doing yard work he'd also be mowing the lawn. So maybe not in this situation, but as a general suggestion for single women living alone.)
I'm happy to report that the curry was a success. I don't think I'd push you out of the way to get to the jackfruit, but it did absorb the curry spices nicely, and the cauliflower, carrots and mushrooms worked really well.
A keeper, I think; when it becomes easier to get little potatoes in decent quantities, I'll do it with them instead.
Passed the time of day again with the neighbours as we applauded the Health Service staff and people like bus-drivers, binmen and others who are making life worth living for the rest of us. I confess I wasn't clapping for Boris ...
Interesting to hear of your experience with the jack fruit, Piglet. It was being recommended at Slimming World so I bought a couple of tins just before all this Other Stuff kicked off, but I have yet to try it.
I gather the local Tesco's has been awful for the past couple for days - hour-long queues just to get in - so I've been feeling pleased about the Very Large Shop I did first thing on Tuesday morning which will see us well into next week.
We've done some work in the garden and Mr Nen's been power washing the patio and steps. We sat on said patio for a pre-evening meal G&T and it was most civilised.
... Nickel allergy sucks. But it makes a fine excuse for telling one's husband that you simply must wear 18 carat gold (nothing less for me) or sterling silver!
It does indeed - and made all the worse when you're a flute player.
Oh, a good excuse for a gorgeous silver headjoint, though ...
Many years later, D. bought me a silver-plated flute, which I still have (well, it's in transit), but it needs fairly major TLC - replacement pads on most of the keys. As I haven't played it for years, I'm not sure I could justify the expense, but part of me would still like to have a flute, and maybe tickle it occasionally.
I have ambled, and in a fairly robust exoneration of Murphy's Law, it started to rain as soon as I put my snout and one trotter over the threshold ...
I hope that you do get your flute refurbished and play it again, for old times sake if nothing else! (I can recommend a good instrument technician - he has serviced all of mine) - doing something different in these odd times is a bit of a sanity-saver.
The farmers who usually sell their produce on the markets have created a delivery service. This afternoon we got a crate with potatoes, carrots, leeks, radishes, celeriac, a giant lettuce and some sort of root vegetable that we don't recognise. Also a couple of apples and pears.
We're moderately chuffed. Everything is local and organic although quite pricey. We've also done our bit to keep the farmers in business and stop the food from rotting in the fields.
Treated my wife by cooking Easter lunch today. Lamb shanks, roast potatoes, roast carrots with cinnamon, cauliflower cheese, washed down with a bottle of Saint-Émilion. Cheddar strawberries and cream to follow up, rounded off by coffee and 10 year old Armagnac. May need a snooze before continuing to consume Easter eggs!
That sounds like heaven on a plate, Darda (apart from the cauliflower cheese, which I can do without).
It looks like a nice day here, so I think an Amble will be in order, before cobbling together some ratatouille and pasta for supper.
Roast chicken here for lunch. I braved the supermarket for the last Easter/Dragonlet 2 birthday cake essentials yesterday, but only queued for 20 minutes, although the yeast had all sold out by the time I got to that aisle. (They did have pizza bases though, so that's the big reason for it sorted for now.) Lots of reductions in the bakery aisle, so I stocked up on breakfast treats. Today was fancy hot cross buns.
I had to do the Easter Bunny run yesterday as the Dragonlets are masters at finding and scoffing chocolate, but one egg did meet its demise within an hour of getting home. They are in the garden, and moaning I'm rationing the chocolate.
Our dinner is being prepared/cooking at the moment:
- blinis with sour cream and lumpfish caviar;
- chicken with garlic, lovage, lime and parsley under the skin, served with new potatoes boiled in their skins then quickly sauteed with fresh thyme and butter, plus a green salad;
- a beautiful soft Brie plus some farmhouse Shropshire Blue;
- strawberries with lemon juice and black pepper served with raspberry sorbet and/or salted caramel ice cream.
I'm drinking a Pimms at the moment; bottle of Listrac to go with the meal, bottle of champagne with pudding. I don't drink much but it is Easter ...
Pot roast leg of lamb here, for the meat eaters, buttered carrots and parsnips and roast potatoes with a very acceptable Côtes du Rhône. And, a family tradition, a well matured Christmas pudding to follow. Weather now grey and blustery, but the north-easterly wind is the right direction for my wife to have a bonfire consuming the products of several days labour in the garden.
Mmm ... Christmas pudding for Easter. And why not?
Ratatouille made and consumed with spelt pasta (something I've never tried before, but it was the pasta in the larder with the earliest sell-by date), along with a glass or two of a rather decent NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
Spaghetti with vegetarian ‘meatballs’ here accompanied by a very nice chianti followed by home made simnel cake.
Slight domestic disagreement when husband took over the cooking of said ‘meatballs’ but all was resolved in the end.
I had a pub lunch today - meals-on-wheels style, delivered from the pub in the next village. It was most definitely not up to their usual high standard and when I opened up one box I thought “oo, chocolate brownie, nice” but it was a very burned Yorkshire pudding. The dinner I had from them yesterday wasn’t so good either, so my next pub grub will be from the pub down the hill.
I’ve been on shore leave making scrubs for the local GP surgerythat is the local “hot hub” - the best so far has been a set made from a tot’s duvet set, covered in cartoon elephants and giraffes - the recipient sent me a photo today, and they look great on him!
With getting the allotment ready for the season I feel I’m working full time, but had time off today for a virtual family lunch.
Mmm ... Christmas pudding for Easter. And why not?
Because, when seeking "reduced" Christmas puds in late December (as I often do), there were none to be had in our local shops!
We had a very nice piece of Welsh spring lamb from our local butcher, situated in the midst of a somewhat unpromising housing estate so very reasonable in price! His wares aren't fancy but his home-made PIES are excellent!
We had a roulade of pork, chicken and ham, stuffed with flat-leaf parsley, garlic and anchovies, and smashed roasted new potatoes with peas, feta and mint. Followed by posset, and all served to the accompaniment to 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' by the National Theatre of Brent.
Two recipes new to me, but the roulade is an old favourite from Jocelyn Dimbleby, and the sauvignon blanc helped it down a treat.
Our dinner is being prepared/cooking at the moment:
- blinis with sour cream and lumpfish caviar;
- chicken with garlic, lovage, lime and parsley under the skin, served with new potatoes boiled in their skins then quickly sauteed with fresh thyme and butter, plus a green salad;
- a beautiful soft Brie plus some farmhouse Shropshire Blue;
- strawberries with lemon juice and black pepper served with raspberry sorbet and/or salted caramel ice cream.
I'm drinking a Pimms at the moment; bottle of Listrac to go with the meal, bottle of champagne with pudding. I don't drink much but it is Easter ...
Rib of beef, carrots, parsnips, onions and cabbage, roast potatoes and yorkshire pud. Started with pisco sours, then went on to a nice Argentinian Malbec (we got to like both drinks when we were in South America last year).
Cabbage because it means we can have cold meat with bubble and squeak this evening.
The wind direction has changed and the temperature dropped a bit so the washing is on the line with another basketful ready to go.
@TheOrganist, you're a Domestic God! <notworthy>
It still looks quite nice here (although at 6° it's a good deal cooler than it was on Saturday - not sitting in the garden weather!) so I'll probably amble later.
My culinary education continues apace: S. says she's ordered an aubergine (!) from the neighbourhood Sainsburys run, and as we've also got fresh ginger, jackfruit and a couple of fresh coriander plants, a Thai curry seems to be beckoning.
I've never cooked either Thai food or aubergines before (I don't really like aubergines, but I've maybe just never had them nicely cooked), but I'm willing to give it a go.
Once I've finished my hostly duties here, I shall consult Mr. Google on the subject and see what comes up.
Following on from the prayer thread, I’ve had an exciting long weekend where I’ve managed to visit casualty and an emergency admissions unit, have 3 ECGs, 3 lots of blood, an x-ray and, today, a CT scan of my lungs. Basically, I’ve been having intermittent tachycardia (fast pulse) since recovering from suspected covid and it got worse on Friday.
Nothing wrong discovered in my heart and lungs so it is assumed that this is some sort of post-viral stress reaction and I need to rest and manage my stress levels. There may be more tests at a later date.
Wasn't a Small Aubergine the staple culinary item for characters in a certain Indian-British comedy sketch series?
The horrid north-easterly wind which sprang up overnight (it was forecast by the Met Office) has had the effect of pushing the Ark against the river bank, causing the gangplank to ride up onto the deck, and making it slightly hazardous to embark/disembark.
Fortunately, a kind friend some months ago fitted a second handrail to the gangplank, so there is plenty to hang on to! It may be some days before the wind drops sufficiently (or changes direction), and nothing can be done about re-arranging the gangplank until then.
O well - at least the gale has kept people in lockdown, and meant that there was No Queue at the Co-Op earlier today...
Moussaka would be my first thought, and Imam Biyaldi my second.
Having turned the remains of yesterday's chicken into 'Thai Soup' (which in this house means almost anything boiled up with a Tom Yum stock cube and a tin of coconut milk), tonight will be the Almost Vegetarian Tortilla (egg, potato, cheese and bacon).
Bloody hell, @Heavenlyannie, that sounds scary! Hope that's all it is, and you can stay clear of stress.
For a single aubergine I'd just chop it up and sling it in the Thai, if you are doing anything more complex I'd salt them in a bowl for half an hour first - it draws the water out and they take up much less oil as they cook. There's a lovely recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's original book, there's baba ganoush, and there's a fabulous marinated Egyptian dish called siny'et bedingal, but I'm damned if I can find a recipe online - so helps you not at all.
Given Piglet's nothern-climes-liness, I suspect that deep fried in batter would be rigfht up her street.... ah, bugger, just drooled into my keyboard!
Well, I don't know about the Baba Ganoush, but you're in the right country for the deep-fried Mars Bar!
Meanwhile, down here in the Sad Southlands, it's a most unnaturally quiet 'Bank Holiday'. The only sound is the howling of the gale , but the sky remains unclouded, and blue.
We really will find it hard, I think, to go back to the filthy air of the (very) recent past. Reports from Foreign Cities which once suffered incredible levels of pollution show just how much 'we' (I include myself) have been damaging the Earth...
I’m afraid we do a much simpler ratatouille - chunked aubergine, onion, courgette, peppers, lightly fried together with garlic, then add a can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for about 30 mins. Proportions are all very “ish”.
I have had aubergines in my veg boxes the past couple of weeks. Not my vegetable of choice usually, but I’ve cooked in in a tagine-inspired dish with onions, butternut squash, chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, dried apricots and mild spices and it’s mushed down to a nice texture, gone softer than the squash.
I have very much enjoyed not having to juggle working adults and clingy children this weekend, but back to “work” of some sort tomorrow. We have been productive and Painted The Shed, and I attacked a bathroom with the steam mop handheld attachment earlier and prised off all sorts of built up line scale.
I usually start cooking the aubergines before all the other veg for ratatouille, otherwise they can be a bit too chewy.
Must try cooking baba ghanoush some time - I haven’t bothered up till now as a nearby Mediterranean restaurant does it so well!
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Then I went through the fridge to check on the contents - Two red peppers getting wrinkly, as I have been rationing them, and three fat leeks, which I bought the day before I rescued a surprising amount of skinny but useable ones from the remnants of the veg plot.
Both have been cooked and put in the freezer.
A bowl each of left-over carrot and swede, and of celeriac mash. Both of these will be part of this evening's dinner.
In the jam cupboard, half a large jar of mincemeat. As I didn't make even one mince pie last Christmas, this must have been in there for 16 months. That will be used for a mincemeat cake (Mary Berry recipe). I suspect that there may be enough left for another one next week!
TBH I agree with Anne Hidalgo on this one. Many of the joggers were being an inconsiderate Pain In The Arse™.
Ah - that makes more sense.
I'm having a slightly goddessish day: as S. has reluctantly asked her cleaner not to come in, I've cleaned "my" bathroom; and I'm shortly going to attempt a jackfruit, cauliflower and carrot curry, for which I may need your thoughts and prayers!
My niece, who's mostly a vegan, sent a film to my sister about the mass-production of meat, and S. has said she might never eat meat* again after watching it. She says that doesn't mean I have to stop eating it, but what's the point of making two different meals? I'm not a natural vegetarian, but I am curious, so it'll be interesting to see how I get on with it.
* She's OK with fish, which I think may be featuring a lot more in my diet in the next wee while. I'll be interested to see what happens when All This Is Over and she's faced with steak, duck or venison on a restaurant menu ...
The dogs are behaving well. 🙂🐾
My writing group are also exploring different ways of getting together.
It is very warm here. I went to my favourite wine and cheese shop hoping to support it during the crisis. I don't think I needed to have worried about their viability. Not only was there a queue, people were spending a lot of money. I intended to buy a couple of bottles of wine, but after being given a free cheese had to buy some of her nice bread too. It did make for very good lunch.
@Piglet, we've been vegetarian for years, and would include fish in that too. We lean towards the vegan end, though as you can see from the above a nice cheese or a slice of cake can make us fall off the wagon. We certainly find plenty of interesting things to eat. Enjoy exploring new recipes.
A police officer speaking to a neighborhood association recommended a pair of worn, muddy men's boots left outside the door. (But I guess if the imaginary many can get his boots muddy doing yard work he'd also be mowing the lawn. So maybe not in this situation, but as a general suggestion for single women living alone.)
A keeper, I think; when it becomes easier to get little potatoes in decent quantities, I'll do it with them instead.
Passed the time of day again with the neighbours as we applauded the Health Service staff and people like bus-drivers, binmen and others who are making life worth living for the rest of us. I confess I wasn't clapping for Boris ...
I gather the local Tesco's has been awful for the past couple for days - hour-long queues just to get in - so I've been feeling pleased about the Very Large Shop I did first thing on Tuesday morning which will see us well into next week.
We've done some work in the garden and Mr Nen's been power washing the patio and steps. We sat on said patio for a pre-evening meal G&T and it was most civilised.
I hope that you do get your flute refurbished and play it again, for old times sake if nothing else! (I can recommend a good instrument technician - he has serviced all of mine) - doing something different in these odd times is a bit of a sanity-saver.
We're moderately chuffed. Everything is local and organic although quite pricey. We've also done our bit to keep the farmers in business and stop the food from rotting in the fields.
Something to look forward to, then.
It looks like a nice day here, so I think an Amble will be in order, before cobbling together some ratatouille and pasta for supper.
And a glass of WINE, because Easter.
I had to do the Easter Bunny run yesterday as the Dragonlets are masters at finding and scoffing chocolate, but one egg did meet its demise within an hour of getting home.
I did my regulation hour or so in the garden, marvelling at how little even a heavy mulch has done to discourage the weeds.
I am about to go put half a chicken (it's a large bird) in the oven where it will repose on slices of lemon, cloves of garlic and a puddle of butter.
- blinis with sour cream and lumpfish caviar;
- chicken with garlic, lovage, lime and parsley under the skin, served with new potatoes boiled in their skins then quickly sauteed with fresh thyme and butter, plus a green salad;
- a beautiful soft Brie plus some farmhouse Shropshire Blue;
- strawberries with lemon juice and black pepper served with raspberry sorbet and/or salted caramel ice cream.
I'm drinking a Pimms at the moment; bottle of Listrac to go with the meal, bottle of champagne with pudding. I don't drink much but it is Easter ...
Ratatouille made and consumed with spelt pasta (something I've never tried before, but it was the pasta in the larder with the earliest sell-by date), along with a glass or two of a rather decent NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
Slight domestic disagreement when husband took over the cooking of said ‘meatballs’ but all was resolved in the end.
I’ve been on shore leave making scrubs for the local GP surgerythat is the local “hot hub” - the best so far has been a set made from a tot’s duvet set, covered in cartoon elephants and giraffes - the recipient sent me a photo today, and they look great on him!
With getting the allotment ready for the season I feel I’m working full time, but had time off today for a virtual family lunch.
A belated Happy Easter wish to everyone!
We had a very nice piece of Welsh spring lamb from our local butcher, situated in the midst of a somewhat unpromising housing estate so very reasonable in price! His wares aren't fancy but his home-made PIES are excellent!
Two recipes new to me, but the roulade is an old favourite from Jocelyn Dimbleby, and the sauvignon blanc helped it down a treat.
Mrs. S, still full next morning
That menu makes me go slightly mad with envy.
Cabbage because it means we can have cold meat with bubble and squeak this evening.
MMM
@TheOrganist, you're a Domestic God! <notworthy>
It still looks quite nice here (although at 6° it's a good deal cooler than it was on Saturday - not sitting in the garden weather!) so I'll probably amble later.
My culinary education continues apace: S. says she's ordered an aubergine (!) from the neighbourhood Sainsburys run, and as we've also got fresh ginger, jackfruit and a couple of fresh coriander plants, a Thai curry seems to be beckoning.
I've never cooked either Thai food or aubergines before (I don't really like aubergines, but I've maybe just never had them nicely cooked), but I'm willing to give it a go.
Once I've finished my hostly duties here, I shall consult Mr. Google on the subject and see what comes up.
Nothing wrong discovered in my heart and lungs so it is assumed that this is some sort of post-viral stress reaction and I need to rest and manage my stress levels. There may be more tests at a later date.
The horrid north-easterly wind which sprang up overnight (it was forecast by the Met Office) has had the effect of pushing the Ark against the river bank, causing the gangplank to ride up onto the deck, and making it slightly hazardous to embark/disembark.
Fortunately, a kind friend some months ago fitted a second handrail to the gangplank, so there is plenty to hang on to! It may be some days before the wind drops sufficiently (or changes direction), and nothing can be done about re-arranging the gangplank until then.
O well - at least the gale has kept people in lockdown, and meant that there was No Queue at the Co-Op earlier today...
My favourite way to cook aubergine is to slice them thinly, dip them in batter and fry them.
It was the same at Waitrose, which was obviously excepting an Inundation of customers, so I did tomorrow's shopping.
Having turned the remains of yesterday's chicken into 'Thai Soup' (which in this house means almost anything boiled up with a Tom Yum stock cube and a tin of coconut milk), tonight will be the Almost Vegetarian Tortilla (egg, potato, cheese and bacon).
For a single aubergine I'd just chop it up and sling it in the Thai, if you are doing anything more complex I'd salt them in a bowl for half an hour first - it draws the water out and they take up much less oil as they cook. There's a lovely recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's original book, there's baba ganoush, and there's a fabulous marinated Egyptian dish called siny'et bedingal, but I'm damned if I can find a recipe online - so helps you not at all.
Given Piglet's nothern-climes-liness, I suspect that deep fried in batter would be rigfht up her street.... ah, bugger, just drooled into my keyboard!
But why do I suddenly crave a Ma*s Bar, deep fried in batter? Could it be my Scottish ancestry calling out to me?
Meanwhile, down here in the Sad Southlands, it's a most unnaturally quiet 'Bank Holiday'. The only sound is the howling of the gale
We really will find it hard, I think, to go back to the filthy air of the (very) recent past. Reports from Foreign Cities which once suffered incredible levels of pollution show just how much 'we' (I include myself) have been damaging the Earth...
I have very much enjoyed not having to juggle working adults and clingy children this weekend, but back to “work” of some sort tomorrow. We have been productive and Painted The Shed, and I attacked a bathroom with the steam mop handheld attachment earlier and prised off all sorts of built up line scale.
Must try cooking baba ghanoush some time - I haven’t bothered up till now as a nearby Mediterranean restaurant does it so well!