Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Not Enough Hours in the Day

Just a quick blog this morning as I'm finding the hours fly by, and if I don't take a break now and then will get very tired and probably stressed.  I can do without either.  The rest of the week I'll be entertaining (if that is the word) visitors each day so won't have time to blog.  Haven't even made any biscuits, they'll have to make do with goodness knows what.

Thanks Amber for the link to the heart foundation.  Will take a look when I have a spare minute.  Also interesting to hear from Sairy that she has to avoid spinach as she is on warfarin.  I take a similar med (different name) so perhaps better I don't eat spinach (good excuse).  My stock of this veg is frozen anyway, so no need to use it up until I know I can.
Another pill I take means I'm not allowed grapefruit, a pity as I love it.  Ah well, plenty of other things to eat. 

Think that salt is added to the mixture Hazel when making bread as helps make the other ingredients work properly.  Too much and I think it prevents the yeast working.  Will have to look it up.
As to your mention of devilled kidneys, this is the dish I used to make for my Beloved, he loved them piled on toast.  Certainly smelled good, still not sure I would fancy the flavour of the offal itself.

Thanks also to Juhli (and welcome) for her comment on salt.

Yesterday cooked those pork steaks I'd thawed, firstly removing all the visible fat.   Roughly chopped up several onions and cooking apples and laid the steaks on top, covered with foil then slow-roasted them for several hours.  Turned out beautifully tender and moist.  I ate two with my supper, and have frozen the other six (in pairs) to use later.

Also made a big pan of soup using root veg (carrots, sweet potato, ordinary potato, parsnip, plus celery and onion).  Added some home-made chicken stock, and when ready, instead of mashing/pureeing the veg with the stock, decided to eat some of the veg with the (above) pork, and pour the liquid into a big mug to drink as soup.

The rest of the veg and liquid have today been put into a larger pan with about a dozen plump chicken wings I'd thawed, plus extra veg, and these are now very slowly simmering on the hob to make more stock, give more edible veg, and plenty of chicken flesh.

Tesco's delivery came yesterday and I'd order some 'counter' lamb's liver as it was on offer and then  divided it up into six bags, each containing a large portion then put in the freezer.  Total cost of the liver was £1.91 but with the 80p offer price off this meant it came to only £1.11p (to make six portions). Good thing about liver is there is no waste.

Really intended to buy canned tuna, but decided to buy six cans of sardines as they are so much cheaper than tuna, and one of the 'oily' fish that I'm supposed to eat several times a week.  Although fresh tuna is classed as oily fish, it isn't when canned. I do like sardines, so not really depriving myself.

Bought four packs of Tesco's 20p chicken-flavoured noodles.  I will only need half a pack for my meal, and I never use the chicken sachet anyway when cooking the noodles.  In the past used to add it to water when cooking pasta or making soup for extra flavour, but probably the chicken flavouring is full of salt anyway, so must first check before use.

Must go, still have loads to do before I settle in my chair to nod off (still not sleeping at night).  Then do a few more hours work before I put my feet up for the evening.   Time seems to move too fast the older I get.  But what needs to be done is getting done, and that's all that matters.

As I'll be busy for the rest of the week, I'll be taking a few days off blogging and it will be at least Monday before I return.  By then it will be December.  Doesn't time fly?  TTFN.