Saturday morning

No snow (yet) but it's exceedingly cold:  I am highly grateful for working central heating that turns on at night when it's really cold.  I don't think I am planning to go anywhere much today, thank goodness.Stay calm and keep warm is the name of the game.

After the success of cooking the vacuum wrapped (bought like that, not done by me) ham in the slow cooker last week, I decided to do it again.  Morrison's have comparatively small gammon pieces at half price right now.  Morrison's hams are good.  My parents, who are fussy about their hams, go into their local Morrison's to buy them.  It simmered away in the slow cooker all day and by the evening it was done.  It sat in its juices in the bag until cooled and then I drained off the stock into a pan which I left on the hob overnight (forgot to put it in the fridge but it was cold so no problems).  This morning it had set to a lovely thick jelly so I guess it's a good stock!  So that's ham and lentil soup for lunch, probably with croutons (I have bread that needs eating up) and maybe ham, eggs and oven chips (home made) for tea tonight.  That's lovely cold weather food.  And I have some bags of fruit in the freezer that ought to be used up - cherries and the like, so I guess I will make a fruit pie and if the snow holds off and DD and DG come for dinner tomorrow we can have a slice each and if they don't, no problems, it will keep (or freeze).  I have a recipe for pastry (if I can find where I put it) that doesn't involve cold hands and rubbing in.
As it's a day in, I might actually prepare lots of the fruit and vacupack it as stewed fruit.  Always useful to have.  or even do a Diane and vacupack it first before cooking in a slow simmering pan of water.

If DD and DG don't come, I am still going to do the chicken a la Heston.  It wont go to waste, whatever happens.  I am so intrigued by the recipe.  Everything I have read indicates that it's the best ever and turns what could be a bland experience into a taste sensation - or something to that effect!  Now I like chicken anyway so it should be interesting.  I'm planning to have it with roasties and assorted veg.

It might be a lazy weekend, it might be cold, it might snow (note to self - get the spade into the house), but there's plenty to do inside.  Better go and start by putting a loaf on!  I love Saturdays.