Gooseberries....

 We have four gooseberry bushes in the garden and they grow in abundance.  I can't handle the pips and so it is the other half eats them in pies, crumbles or just on their own.  This time I thought I might try and make gooseberry jam.  

I found three recipes - all different quantities of fruit, sugar and water.    Which one to choose?  I have only made jam once and that kind of worked out OK.  So long ago now I can't remember.

Once cooked I decided to push the gooseberries through a sieve - that took some effort getting all the flesh included in the liquid.  I could enjoy the gooseberry jam now. 

Add the sugar and boil til it gets to temperature.  No jam thermometer in this house, so I had to do the old fashioned way and put on a cold plate to see if it sets.  Nope and nope again - well perhaps a little after an hour.  Oh well - gooseberry jam will have to be gooseberry jelly - maybe....we shall see.

All finished, cool and and not as set as I would have liked. Bit like runny honey - so instead of on toast, I will to be poured over ice cream or use under a steam pudding.  

So that is all done and now the task of sorting my table cutlery drawer in the kitchen.  I am so fed up with all sorts.  

I have a canteen with cutlery I got as a wedding present all those years ago and I don't think they have ever left the cupboard until now.

Started to unpack them, and now have them in the kitchen drawer instead.  

That is better - I am not sure if I like them, but oh so nice to have just a few to choose from.  

Here is another drawer full in the sideboard - I don't think I will be having a parties now.  So guess I ought to get stuck into getting rid of these too.

Well that kept me busy all morning, and this afternoon was spent catching up with a friend.  I only met her yesterday for a coffee in the local supermarket, so you would think we had nothing to talk about today.  Of course we did, we are planning days out and days away. 

A handful of lentils....

For over a month I did not eat anything with fat or sugar in it and I lost a stone.  Not a huge amount but I was immobile for that month so I thought this wasn't bad at all. 

And now that I am recovering I have got back to cooking cakes again - I just love those small ones in patty papers.  So so easy and quick.  The trouble is I can't stop nibbling them - just one I say and an hour later I consumed four!  The weight is creeping on again.

Then yesterday, I had a great idea. What if I made savoury cakes in patty papers.  My husband really though I gone bonkers.  Now I hate following recipes, I like to experiment with cooking. 

Whilst I was thinking a packet of dried green lentils came into sight from my cupboard.  Mmmm I wonder.

I took down a big bowl, the scales, a wooden spoon and my electric mixer.  Into the bowl I added 250 grams organic self raising flour, two eggs and about two tablespoons of olive oil, salt (about quarter teaspoon), a squeeze of tomato puree and enough water (can't remember how much).  With the electric mixer I beat the mixture, while in the saucepan I had a tiny bit of olive oil and chopped onions softening.

Into the mixture I stirred in about 200g cooked lentils and about a tablespoon chopped onions and put a little in each patty paper and put in the hot oven to cook for around 15 - 20 mins.  Leave to cool on wire rack.
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Review:  Very tasty.  Lots of air holes and a nice texture.  The size is a bit small though, no sooner has it entered your mouth you are ready for another one - and another - and another.

 

 

I believe this could be an alternative to bread (for those who can't have yeast in their diet).  Next time I intend making a batch in loaf tins....and freezing the "loaves".  I can just imagine eating a slice of this with the summer salads......on the patio........in  the sun???

 

 

If I could make it rise a little more during cooking, that would be an improvement too.  Room for thought on another day.  



2012 is over.....a new year begins....

The rush is over.....now its time to start afresh with a brand new year.  I can't wait to undress the Christmas tree and put it back in its box til the next time.

I decided this year to ask a few friends and neighbours to a bit of a do just before Christmas - I had asked over 30, and at the bottom of the invitation I put "RSVP".  Now I wonder what does this mean. 

Does it mean you reply because you are coming or do you just turn up.  Do you reply if your are not coming or just don't come.  Or do you just turn up.

Two people replied.  Ten turned up!  Luckily I prepared more food - I baked and prepared all day - far too much. 

 

Anyway nothing went to waste.  It meant that I did not have to prepare any more food for the Christmas break.  I could watch TV, I could even read a book or I could just relax.

And now its 2013........Happy New Year to everyone!

Baking day.....

I am trying to stop my husband visiting the cake counter in the supermarkets.  Home made cakes are far healthier, but there are weeks I just don't have the time to bake. 

Today I spent a couple hours doing just that.

Nothing fancy as the older we get we don't want iced or cream cakes, so I made over 50 small cakes.  First there was a batch of sultana cakes, then blueberrie cakes and finally I added part sugar/part ginger preserve to the mix of the final batch. 

I don't think they will last long - maybe a week or so.  Then I will have to think about baking again.

Its morning......

Well today was someones birthday, so I awoke early in order to start the making of his favourite fruit cake.  A boiled fruit cake. Yes I know I have made one before, but that was a long time ago.

I decided today to use an old 1970s enamel stew pot to melt the butter, water, sugar and fruit.

a little stirring....

and a couple minutes boiling, I then take off the stove and leave on the side to cool.

 

 

While that is cooling, my friend across the road and I decide to hit the Jumble sale, see what bargains we come back with this time. 

I am pleased to say I did not look at the books....at 20pence each you cannot really resist them, but I was already laden with goodies, so could not even fit them in the bag. 

What did I get....well you remember I said way back that I was collecting yarns to crochet into my winter blanket.  Well I have still a long way to go and still need more yarn.

I intend to unpick all these garments.  They are not home hand knitted so are a little bit tricky.  On that long scarf they seem to have "locked" each end stitch, which means you have to pull through the whole length of yarn.  Of course this isn't very good yarn, it is all nylon and the fibres get everywhere including up your nose, but hopefully when crocheted into the blanket, the fibres will stay in place.

Then it is lunch time - hubby bought a nice piece of fresh boneless/skinlees salmon from the supermarket.  I grilled this and added a few vegetables and potato.

I certainly won't win any competition for presentation. 

Then after lunch we went for a long drive.......with the dog in the back.  To a nice pub for a glass of cold beer.

We actually sat in the car to drink it and watch the traffic go by.  Why?  Because we don't leave our dog in the car by herself.   I found it very very relaxing, that I almost fell asleep.  Thank goodness I was not the driver.

And so we head for home.....

And I finish off the cake.....

Burnt it as usual......

and now its time for bed........another sleep, another day.....



One, two, three....

pumpkins from the garden.  This is after the one I showed a few weeks ago.  So far I have cut one up and froze it. 

Those are my shoes for comparison, arn't they lovely...(no no not the shoes - the pumpkins).  I just love cutting through the pumpkin and all those lovely seeds all in rows in the middle.  To look at them gives me the shivers, but I pull them all out carefully and lay on a piece of kitchen towel to dry and we use again next year. 

Now what can we make?  Pumpkin pie, that sounds delicious.  Never made it before.  Nor have I made pumpkin soup.

I remember when I was in Australia, a few years ago now.  My friend bought this enormous pumpkin and set out to make the pumpkin soup.  As she was beating the cooked pumpkin in a plastic bowl, the bowl slipped out of her hand and the pumpkin mash flew up in the air, and landed with a plop on the kitchen floor.

She managed to save such a small amount from  the bowl, and we divided it amongst the three of us - I can still taste it - it was delicious.  Now I have my own pumpkins I must try some recipes.....

Long awaited desert.....

I have been promising a home made desert for weeks, but just did not get round to making one - so OH has had to resort to shop made cakes and pies.....which I loathe.

So last night I popped down to the shop and bought some ingredients to make one.  I only use recipe books as a guide so I have no idea what to call my desert.

Perhaps Strawberry chocolate cream gateau would be a good name.  The base is a chocolate sponge, the double cream is whipped with a little icing sugar spread across the cake and sliced delicious big strawberries on top, finished with melted chocolate.

I made two - we have already eaten the first one!  It was delicious, but rich and I now wish I sandwiched together the two chocolate sponges with chocolate sauce, then as you cut into the whole lot with a spoon you would have chocolate oozing out all over the place.....Yum! 

Perhaps I will do that next time. 

My first attempt at baking bread.........

an absolute disaster!!!!

That was meant to be a 2lb loaf of bread 

My OH was complaining this morning at breakfast about the bread he buys from the supermarket.  He said should we buy a bread making machine....to which I replied I would still need to put the ingredients in it, so why not just bake one by hand! 

Worst day I could think of doing such a thing....I had a heap of things to do, but since I said I would make it, I found a simple quick recipe - so I thought.  There was no kneading in this one, which is why I think it came out "heavy", or at least that is one of the reasons.

It said to mix the dry ingredients together and add a beaten egg and 6 tablespoons of oil and stir in and place in an oiled bread tin....which I did.  Then it said to cover with teatowel for an hour til it rose (which it didn't - not much anyway). 

Then it said heat the oven - which I did - and bake for 45 minutes.....which I didn't!!! I baked it for nearly two hours!!!  Why? 

Well I made a quick phone call to a friend - except the "quick" turned into 30 mins, and by the time I pondered over the phone call, I suddenly realised that my bread was still baking!!!

I took it out of the oven, turned it over and tried with all the effort I could muster, to knock it out of the tin, but it wouldn't budge.  With ten minutes or so of huffing and puffing, it came out, minus its bottom - that was left in the tin.

So when lunchtime arrived, I sliced this poor pathetic loaf and placed it on my OH plate, together with his grilled bacon and his boiled eggs (his favourite lunch) and placed it in front of him. 

His comment was "What is this?" 
 "Its home made bread". I said. 
"Well it looks and tastes as if it is not cooked properly"

I doubt if any more will be eaten - so perhaps I should use it as a brick for the new garden wall....or maybe give it to the dog for her tea......or as I hate wasted food - I could turn it into a bread pudding!

An unsual tea on a hot summers day

My OH said "Whats for tea?".  I said "What do you want?".  He says "Something light".

Well I could not be bothered with cheese on toast, or egg on toast and I did not have salad for a sandwich. 

So I decided I would make pancakes - this time I used Gluten Free flour.  We had three big ones each and I placed these on the plate and at the side I added a spoonful of ginger preserve, a spoonful of stewed apple, one sliced kiwi fruit and a handful of blue berries. 

For me I swapped the stewed apple to cooked prunes.  And I squeezed some lime juice over the pancakes and OH added some sugar to his. 

Surprisingly it tasted delicious, and was a nice light tea - so refreshing - and filling.  Perhaps three pancakes was a bit excessive, but I didn't want to waste the already prepared batter.