First Things First
Sorry no blog yesterday but felt so tired. Although a little improvement in my health, not enough for me to get on top of things. If no improvement after this weekend will have to see the doctor.
Finding I'm getting breathless, gaining weight rapidly (even though hardly eating at all - probably due to water retention), and this could be cause by heart failure or pernicious anaemia or a host of things, so it needs sorting. At my age what else can I expect?
Was so tired yesterday that I nodded off during the final of '....Bake Off', although I did wake to discover the winner. Hoping to keep awake to watch the repeat at the weekend.
Got the days mixed up and it wasn't Tuesday there was a footie match, it is tonight, so as this room will be occupied all evening by B, thought I'd get the blog written this morning. Am going to make a big pot of soup for B's supper, and by the afternoon will then need to have a nap (again!), so with no need to get up and feed the brute, his meal will already have been prepared.
B has asked me to make more bread for him tomorrow, and - perhaps for the first time - I'm going to say no. He'll have to make do with bought bread. Never before have I put myself first, but now I feel if I don't, then I'll go downhill fast.
Until this health problem of mine is sorted, almost certainly won't be doing anything interesting to write about, and the last thing you want to read is a list of my ailments and how I'm feeling each day. I want to write a happy blog. So - if it's OK with you - will maybe take a day or two off now and again, and return when there is something worth writing about, although I will check comments regularly and find time to reply to any that need replying to.
Normally I take Saturday off anyway, and occasionally Sunday. May even take tomorrow (Friday) off and return on Monday. It all depends on how I feel. Do hope you understand. Just please don't switch me off forever, I'd hate to lose you.
However, there are all those seasonal recipes, money-saving hints and tips piled up in the Archives, so if I haven't written a blog for the day, then read what I wrote about one year, two years.....six years ago on the same day (or close to). Myself can read my old blogs (they are far more interesting then they are now) and as I have completely forgotten what I wrote then, it's like reading someone else's. And I enjoy them!!! (modesty is not my strong point).
So - for the moment - expect me when you see me. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later, and if can't write a proper blog, will find time once or twice a week to give you an update and maybe a recipe or two. One or two given today.
With a mention of 'junket' the other day, came across this recipe in an old book. You may wish to try it. My mother didn't sweeten her junket or add flavourings and possibly this was why I didn't enjoy it.
junket:
Warm 1 pint of milk to blood heat, add 1 tblsp of honey or sugar, a few drops of vanilla essence or rum or other flavouring and 1 tsp of rennet. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool and set. Serve with fresh fruit and cream.
From the same book comes an easy 'farmhouse supper'. Perhaps too easy for 21st century palates (that have become used to more complicated and tastier dishes) but this is still comfort eating and makes use of any foods we might have that need using up. Portions seem smaller than we would expect, but in those days people ate to live, not lived to eat. So make as much as you need.
I write the recipe as printed in the book. In those days ingredients were not listed, just mentioned in order of use. I include metric equiv. where I can.
Farmhouse Supper: serves 4
Soften 8 oz (225g) of chopped streaky bacon in a frying pan until the fat runs, then remove bacon an pu in 1 lb (450g) of chopped cooked potatoes and a finely chopped onion in the pan to brown lightly. Season, add the bacon, and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Put 4 lightly fried eggs on top, sprinkle with 4 oz (100g) grated cheese, and place under the grill for 1 minute before serving.
My last order from Tesco included a couple of substitutes. They sent me 11x150g cans of Heinz Beanz instead of a few larger cans of their 'Five Beanz'. Working out the difference in price I would have paid a lot more for the small tins that I was charged (think this saved me over £2 due to their 'price-match).
In a way the small tins were more than useful. Just enough for one (saved me opening a larger tin and then finding a use for the remainder when serving them to B). Best of all - these tins were the type where they could be opened from either end using my tin-opener that removes lids without leaving rough metal round the edge. Not many tins/cans these days can be opened from the base as well as the top. So now, as I use the contents of each of these small beans tins, I also remove their base, and - after a good wash - these are now ready for me to use as containers (like the 'cook's rings' where they pile food inside to serve as 'towers'). I can use these tins to make individual cheesecakes, and also hold individual servings of home-made ice-cream. So - instead of returning substitutes that I didn't really want - am very glad I kept the small cans.
Have to say that writing recipes has cheered me up a lot (even though still feel exhausted when I think of the chores in front of me). Before I finish, must thank Margie for her comment - the only one that came in over the past couple of days. Don't forget you can all read comments sent by each other - all make interesting reading. So please keep the comments coming. Remember to use the comment blog on THIS (today's) page, as using any other the comments won't be shown except on the blog-page they were written, and few people bother to look back a day or two.
After a day of gales and rain, and despite the chill in the air (we have now put the central heating on), the sun still shines most of the day. Leaves turning a lovely colour and if we can keep away from too much wind we should have a lovely autumnal display. Probably down south they have already got theirs. It takes about six weeks for the season to work its way up the country from the tip of Cornwall to (let's say) Hadrian's Wall, so depending where you live, your leaves may have already fallen from the trees. Ours are still clinging.
As I said, it could be a day or two before I blog again. But keep checking. I'll be back. God willing. TTFN.
Finding I'm getting breathless, gaining weight rapidly (even though hardly eating at all - probably due to water retention), and this could be cause by heart failure or pernicious anaemia or a host of things, so it needs sorting. At my age what else can I expect?
Was so tired yesterday that I nodded off during the final of '....Bake Off', although I did wake to discover the winner. Hoping to keep awake to watch the repeat at the weekend.
Got the days mixed up and it wasn't Tuesday there was a footie match, it is tonight, so as this room will be occupied all evening by B, thought I'd get the blog written this morning. Am going to make a big pot of soup for B's supper, and by the afternoon will then need to have a nap (again!), so with no need to get up and feed the brute, his meal will already have been prepared.
B has asked me to make more bread for him tomorrow, and - perhaps for the first time - I'm going to say no. He'll have to make do with bought bread. Never before have I put myself first, but now I feel if I don't, then I'll go downhill fast.
Until this health problem of mine is sorted, almost certainly won't be doing anything interesting to write about, and the last thing you want to read is a list of my ailments and how I'm feeling each day. I want to write a happy blog. So - if it's OK with you - will maybe take a day or two off now and again, and return when there is something worth writing about, although I will check comments regularly and find time to reply to any that need replying to.
Normally I take Saturday off anyway, and occasionally Sunday. May even take tomorrow (Friday) off and return on Monday. It all depends on how I feel. Do hope you understand. Just please don't switch me off forever, I'd hate to lose you.
However, there are all those seasonal recipes, money-saving hints and tips piled up in the Archives, so if I haven't written a blog for the day, then read what I wrote about one year, two years.....six years ago on the same day (or close to). Myself can read my old blogs (they are far more interesting then they are now) and as I have completely forgotten what I wrote then, it's like reading someone else's. And I enjoy them!!! (modesty is not my strong point).
So - for the moment - expect me when you see me. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later, and if can't write a proper blog, will find time once or twice a week to give you an update and maybe a recipe or two. One or two given today.
With a mention of 'junket' the other day, came across this recipe in an old book. You may wish to try it. My mother didn't sweeten her junket or add flavourings and possibly this was why I didn't enjoy it.
junket:
Warm 1 pint of milk to blood heat, add 1 tblsp of honey or sugar, a few drops of vanilla essence or rum or other flavouring and 1 tsp of rennet. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool and set. Serve with fresh fruit and cream.
From the same book comes an easy 'farmhouse supper'. Perhaps too easy for 21st century palates (that have become used to more complicated and tastier dishes) but this is still comfort eating and makes use of any foods we might have that need using up. Portions seem smaller than we would expect, but in those days people ate to live, not lived to eat. So make as much as you need.
I write the recipe as printed in the book. In those days ingredients were not listed, just mentioned in order of use. I include metric equiv. where I can.
Farmhouse Supper: serves 4
Soften 8 oz (225g) of chopped streaky bacon in a frying pan until the fat runs, then remove bacon an pu in 1 lb (450g) of chopped cooked potatoes and a finely chopped onion in the pan to brown lightly. Season, add the bacon, and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Put 4 lightly fried eggs on top, sprinkle with 4 oz (100g) grated cheese, and place under the grill for 1 minute before serving.
My last order from Tesco included a couple of substitutes. They sent me 11x150g cans of Heinz Beanz instead of a few larger cans of their 'Five Beanz'. Working out the difference in price I would have paid a lot more for the small tins that I was charged (think this saved me over £2 due to their 'price-match).
In a way the small tins were more than useful. Just enough for one (saved me opening a larger tin and then finding a use for the remainder when serving them to B). Best of all - these tins were the type where they could be opened from either end using my tin-opener that removes lids without leaving rough metal round the edge. Not many tins/cans these days can be opened from the base as well as the top. So now, as I use the contents of each of these small beans tins, I also remove their base, and - after a good wash - these are now ready for me to use as containers (like the 'cook's rings' where they pile food inside to serve as 'towers'). I can use these tins to make individual cheesecakes, and also hold individual servings of home-made ice-cream. So - instead of returning substitutes that I didn't really want - am very glad I kept the small cans.
Have to say that writing recipes has cheered me up a lot (even though still feel exhausted when I think of the chores in front of me). Before I finish, must thank Margie for her comment - the only one that came in over the past couple of days. Don't forget you can all read comments sent by each other - all make interesting reading. So please keep the comments coming. Remember to use the comment blog on THIS (today's) page, as using any other the comments won't be shown except on the blog-page they were written, and few people bother to look back a day or two.
After a day of gales and rain, and despite the chill in the air (we have now put the central heating on), the sun still shines most of the day. Leaves turning a lovely colour and if we can keep away from too much wind we should have a lovely autumnal display. Probably down south they have already got theirs. It takes about six weeks for the season to work its way up the country from the tip of Cornwall to (let's say) Hadrian's Wall, so depending where you live, your leaves may have already fallen from the trees. Ours are still clinging.
As I said, it could be a day or two before I blog again. But keep checking. I'll be back. God willing. TTFN.
posted by Shirley at 10:13 am
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