HOUSE AND GARDEN

Some bits and bobs bought, a chilli, ginger mint, lemon balm, cucumber and a squirty thing! Labels for spices – well 36 of them, I will need about another dozen I think. And then Aaron is printing labels for flour and sugar and larger jars. maybe use 2 shelves, one for savoury and one for sweet?

COOKIES

Latest one was nice!

60g each papaya, mango and date (all chopped), 1 lemon juice, 130g brown sugar, 200g each plain flour, oats and butter. 20 mins at 180C. Sorted.

Next up today or tomorrow is a nut loaf – tomorrow probably as I need to consider options. Bread crumbs obviously, onion – cut into strips and caramelised; handful of sage and maybe parsley; garlic crushed; szechen pepper; an egg; 6 small tomatoes; mushrooms; marmite so only a touch of salt; nuts and seeds – not sure what nuts I have. And grated cheese on top?

Then Lemon Bars – argh I have lost the recipe – so I will make up something to use the lemons for – maybe just put lemon icing on cookies above! Maybe a pineapple something?

PIZZA

New pizza stone to try out. Having read Felicity Cloakes ‘Completely Perfect’ I am happy with what I do. OO, water, yeast and salt with a dash of olive oil and some thyme.

Topping – something different – a rage bought sauce for a change with cheeses, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and possibly roasted peppers and some garlic then sprinkled with parsley, greek basil and ground pepper, olives. I know that is probably too much taste, but why not. It was ok, but I think I will cook the baser a couple of minutes before adding the top (as my tops are always tomato heavy.

SALAD DAY

OKit is cold outside and we might even get snow on Monday – although I doubt it. But I am making some spicy chick peas – no recipe followed as such, although I looked at lots.

SMOKED SALMON PATE

Sort of followed the recipe – 150 g smoked salmon, 200g cream cheese, tbsp creme fresh, 1/2 lemon, pepper. I added an avocado, and smoked paprika and a little mustard and some parsley. Nice.

SOGGY BOTTOM

OK so my latest culinary experiment was mixed. Fruit tart. Tasted great. Appearance 5/10, but a soggy bottom. I just got careless (again), I did not prick the pastry before blind baking, and then did not remove the beans and return for another 5 minutes. But filling of some apples and pears and plums which had been stewed with a stick of cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon was nice. Topping was oats, whizzed, plus plain flour, knob of butter and some caster sugar, oh and some whizzed mixed nuts. No amounts as I did not measure anything!