Still Undecided...
Still not sure yet whether to make 'koftas' with the lamb mince. I've now cooked 3lbs of the mince in the slow cooker, with plenty of onions and a jar of Rogan Josh sauce, and it tastes superb. Having seen a recipe for Lamb Biriyani in my Indian cookbook, am now feeling this might be a better way to serve the lamb mince. Plenty of time yet to decide.
Don't know why, but I'm feeling very tired today, hoped to have a nod off under the hair dryer but my brain was whizzing around. Too much thinking about the Indian feast, and perhaps I need to take a day off.
It's a gorgeous day today so am hoping to get into the garden and sit on the bench to soak up some warm sun this afternoon.
Your mention of your neighbour Shayna, going to throw away two shirts because the collars were frayed, is a sign of our times. Hardly anyone these days bothers to mend anything. The 'throw-away society' we are being called.
At least, with the fashion now for men to wear no ties and leave their top button unfastened, perhaps this will prevent shirt collars from rubbing their necks so hard, and so 'this collars not for turning'.
A good idea buttercup, to remove the lower part of sleeves that have frayed cuffs, and turn them into short sleeves. I sometimes do that anyway with a new(ish) shirt I've bought for myself as I don't like to wear long sleeves during warmer weather, so shorten the sleeves to elbow length (as need to hide my bingo wings).
Didn't realise that eggs could be boiled in the microwave Cheesepare, having always believed they 'explode', but perhaps that's only when cooked 'dry' not in water. Really don't think there are any Foodbank recipes that would interest you as these were mainly descriptions of showing how to put certain foods together to make them more 'interesting', and these needed only by those who have never cooked anything before anyway. An example would be 'Cottage Pie' (open a can of minced beef, heat in a saucepan then put into a heat-proof dish. Using instant potato, make up enough mash to spread thickly over the beef, then pop under the grill until browned. Alternatively use the meat cold from the tin, top with cooled mashed potatoes, then place in the oven (180C/gas4) until heated through and the potatoes are golden and crispy on top (well something like that anyway).
You could make your own fitted sheets Sairy by stitching wide hems along the side of your (now unused) flat sheets, and then threading elastic through, also through the hems at the top and ends.
Although we do have fitted sheets, myself find they easily slip up from the corners, so I have to anchor them to the mattress using nappy pins, and still prefer to use flat sheets as they have a lot more 'tuck in'. In fact often use some old double sheets on single beds for they can have a double tuck-in at the sides which makes them fit even better.
Do you buy fabric covered rope to make your coiled baskets Sairy, or do you cover the rope yourself. The sound of it reminds me a bit of those plaited rope-type mats that are often see in American films, they look like rope that has been wound round and round into a big oval, presumably stitched together. Think these are sold here in the UK for B once bought one for me, and very useful it was too.
Thinner coiled 'rope' would make good place mats, so an idea for anyone who want to start thinking about what to make to give as gifts for next Christmas.
Sometimes I wonder if - with so much food being now imported - we begin to believe that our traditional meals are not worth the eating. In 'my day' (like a million years ago) baby foods were always made at home (other than Farex and 'biccipegs'), and also in those days meals were not much more than the basic 'meat and two veg'. So don't worry too much Mandy if you feel that you are not providing enough variety for Daisy. She sounds as though she enjoys all the foods you prepare for her, so is unlikely to become a 'picky eater' as she grows older. We have enough 'locally grown' foods, and many of these being seasonal there will always be something new for her to try.
There are literally hundreds of different cheeses on sale, although unfortunately not all seem to be sold in supermarkets. Many could be bought on-line or perhaps ordered from farm shops.
Here are some English cheeses that are perhaps more easily obtained.
sheep's cheeses:
Friesla (Devon); Berkswell (Warwicks); Herriot Farmhouse (W.Yorks); Leafield (Oxfordshire).
and a soft sheeps' cheese: Wigmore (England).
Goat's cheese can normally be found in most delis/supermarkets, here are two by name:
Ribblesdale Goat (N.Yorks); Spenwood (Berkshire).
Two 'foreign' cheeses that would be on general sale are 'Manchego (sheep's, from Spain), and Feta, although with Feta you need to be careful as it can be made from either goat's milk, ewe's milk, or cow's milk, and sometimes a combination of all three. Details should be on the packs.
A shorter blog today as a late start due to having my hair done, also B is hovering as he wants to use the comp to read his emails (which he can only do on 'my side' of the comp as he did something wrong with 'his side' and now he can't get onto the Internet).
Should be back at normal time tomorrow, so hope you will be able to find time to join me then. TTFN.
Don't know why, but I'm feeling very tired today, hoped to have a nod off under the hair dryer but my brain was whizzing around. Too much thinking about the Indian feast, and perhaps I need to take a day off.
It's a gorgeous day today so am hoping to get into the garden and sit on the bench to soak up some warm sun this afternoon.
Your mention of your neighbour Shayna, going to throw away two shirts because the collars were frayed, is a sign of our times. Hardly anyone these days bothers to mend anything. The 'throw-away society' we are being called.
At least, with the fashion now for men to wear no ties and leave their top button unfastened, perhaps this will prevent shirt collars from rubbing their necks so hard, and so 'this collars not for turning'.
A good idea buttercup, to remove the lower part of sleeves that have frayed cuffs, and turn them into short sleeves. I sometimes do that anyway with a new(ish) shirt I've bought for myself as I don't like to wear long sleeves during warmer weather, so shorten the sleeves to elbow length (as need to hide my bingo wings).
Didn't realise that eggs could be boiled in the microwave Cheesepare, having always believed they 'explode', but perhaps that's only when cooked 'dry' not in water. Really don't think there are any Foodbank recipes that would interest you as these were mainly descriptions of showing how to put certain foods together to make them more 'interesting', and these needed only by those who have never cooked anything before anyway. An example would be 'Cottage Pie' (open a can of minced beef, heat in a saucepan then put into a heat-proof dish. Using instant potato, make up enough mash to spread thickly over the beef, then pop under the grill until browned. Alternatively use the meat cold from the tin, top with cooled mashed potatoes, then place in the oven (180C/gas4) until heated through and the potatoes are golden and crispy on top (well something like that anyway).
You could make your own fitted sheets Sairy by stitching wide hems along the side of your (now unused) flat sheets, and then threading elastic through, also through the hems at the top and ends.
Although we do have fitted sheets, myself find they easily slip up from the corners, so I have to anchor them to the mattress using nappy pins, and still prefer to use flat sheets as they have a lot more 'tuck in'. In fact often use some old double sheets on single beds for they can have a double tuck-in at the sides which makes them fit even better.
Do you buy fabric covered rope to make your coiled baskets Sairy, or do you cover the rope yourself. The sound of it reminds me a bit of those plaited rope-type mats that are often see in American films, they look like rope that has been wound round and round into a big oval, presumably stitched together. Think these are sold here in the UK for B once bought one for me, and very useful it was too.
Thinner coiled 'rope' would make good place mats, so an idea for anyone who want to start thinking about what to make to give as gifts for next Christmas.
Sometimes I wonder if - with so much food being now imported - we begin to believe that our traditional meals are not worth the eating. In 'my day' (like a million years ago) baby foods were always made at home (other than Farex and 'biccipegs'), and also in those days meals were not much more than the basic 'meat and two veg'. So don't worry too much Mandy if you feel that you are not providing enough variety for Daisy. She sounds as though she enjoys all the foods you prepare for her, so is unlikely to become a 'picky eater' as she grows older. We have enough 'locally grown' foods, and many of these being seasonal there will always be something new for her to try.
There are literally hundreds of different cheeses on sale, although unfortunately not all seem to be sold in supermarkets. Many could be bought on-line or perhaps ordered from farm shops.
Here are some English cheeses that are perhaps more easily obtained.
sheep's cheeses:
Friesla (Devon); Berkswell (Warwicks); Herriot Farmhouse (W.Yorks); Leafield (Oxfordshire).
and a soft sheeps' cheese: Wigmore (England).
Goat's cheese can normally be found in most delis/supermarkets, here are two by name:
Ribblesdale Goat (N.Yorks); Spenwood (Berkshire).
Two 'foreign' cheeses that would be on general sale are 'Manchego (sheep's, from Spain), and Feta, although with Feta you need to be careful as it can be made from either goat's milk, ewe's milk, or cow's milk, and sometimes a combination of all three. Details should be on the packs.
A shorter blog today as a late start due to having my hair done, also B is hovering as he wants to use the comp to read his emails (which he can only do on 'my side' of the comp as he did something wrong with 'his side' and now he can't get onto the Internet).
Should be back at normal time tomorrow, so hope you will be able to find time to join me then. TTFN.
posted by Shirley at 10:30 am
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