Well past my bedtime. Half way through the night for me, in fact. I've usually been in bed for a good two hours or so by now. However, my friends have gone home after a very pleasant evening and my brain is a-buzzin'. It was a big success food wise, with both recipes winging their way across the ether via Facebook so that they can make them again. However, be warned - the Delia recipe for chicken basque that says it is for four - well, we three had a good portion each, my guests had seconds, and they have taken two portions home for tomorrow. And there's still some rice left over for me for my evening meal (I'm out for lunch). Those portions are VERY generous!
It was very, very easy to make and tasted absolutely wonderful - packed full of flavour and great texture. One I will definitely be making again. I meant to take a photo but forgot. Sorry.
And now I am starting to yawn so may as well try my luck with sleep time. Sleep well, gentle readers.
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Tuesday
Today will be a day of little things, just like yesterday, ending up with a not so little having-friends-around-for-a-meal!
I got a fair bit yesterday in between watching the Olympics. The car is now booked in for its service and MOT. Not today, unfortunately: they couldn't take it until Thursday, but not to worry, I just won't drive it tomorrow and I believe it is legal to drive it to the garage on Thursday. I picked up my parcel (which was the perfume) but had a mildly embarrassing experience as I did so. It's ages since I went to the main parcel office in town and I didn't realise that it has changed. You used to be able to drive right in, find a parking slot and then pick up your parcel. Not now, oh dear me, no. They've created a little car park (without any large notice to say what it is) just before you get to the entrance. Of course, I didn't see it, drove merrily up to the entrance to find that there was a barrier. Couldn't reverse because there were five or six post vans behind me, all glaring at me (the drivers, I mean, not the vans) so I buzzed and was let in. After giving me my parcel, a very polite post chap gave me a gentle ticking off so I explained that it had all changed, I hadn't known, there are no large signs to warn until you're committed to going in and I couldn't reverse out again. All very amicable with a line of people behind me chuckling and one said 'I did that too, the first time', which was very nice of him.
Back home I made the dessert for tonight and then started doing a bit of tidying up which will continue today. I also need to remove the protective dust cover from the furniture and scrape the mould off the carpet! My desk could do with a tidy up as well. And I have a chicken basque to make. I think I will cook it in advance and then warm it up before we need to eat. I also think I will create a spicy tomato sauce to go with it, as it is a one pot and is rice based, so might possibly be a bit on the dry side.
Better get started then . . .
I got a fair bit yesterday in between watching the Olympics. The car is now booked in for its service and MOT. Not today, unfortunately: they couldn't take it until Thursday, but not to worry, I just won't drive it tomorrow and I believe it is legal to drive it to the garage on Thursday. I picked up my parcel (which was the perfume) but had a mildly embarrassing experience as I did so. It's ages since I went to the main parcel office in town and I didn't realise that it has changed. You used to be able to drive right in, find a parking slot and then pick up your parcel. Not now, oh dear me, no. They've created a little car park (without any large notice to say what it is) just before you get to the entrance. Of course, I didn't see it, drove merrily up to the entrance to find that there was a barrier. Couldn't reverse because there were five or six post vans behind me, all glaring at me (the drivers, I mean, not the vans) so I buzzed and was let in. After giving me my parcel, a very polite post chap gave me a gentle ticking off so I explained that it had all changed, I hadn't known, there are no large signs to warn until you're committed to going in and I couldn't reverse out again. All very amicable with a line of people behind me chuckling and one said 'I did that too, the first time', which was very nice of him.
Back home I made the dessert for tonight and then started doing a bit of tidying up which will continue today. I also need to remove the protective dust cover from the furniture and scrape the mould off the carpet! My desk could do with a tidy up as well. And I have a chicken basque to make. I think I will cook it in advance and then warm it up before we need to eat. I also think I will create a spicy tomato sauce to go with it, as it is a one pot and is rice based, so might possibly be a bit on the dry side.
Better get started then . . .
Monday, 30 July 2012
Monday morning
After a good old whinge to DD about the cottage cheese that wasn't, she went home and found that mascarpone is dead easy to make at home. I dug out a few links and a you tube clip and yes, it looks a doddle (is this famous last words) so it's something DG can make when we go on holiday!
Apart from that, yesterday was as ordinary as usual. I went shopping in the morning and bought the stuff I need for Tuesday's meal plus other stuff, then came home and cooked jacket potatoes for lunch with DD and DG. We all love jacket potatoes and thing there's nothing better as a topping that butter and good flavoured grated cheddar. We watched a bit of Homes Under the Hammer (love that programme) and chatted about all sorts of stuff.
That was it really. Gentle and ordinary!
Today I have to book the car in for a service and MOT. HAVE to. I meant to do it last week and totally forgot. So the rest of the day depends on whether they can take the car straight away or whether I have to take it back another day. I feel quite cross with myself for forgetting last week! I also have to pick up a parcel which has to be the perfume I ordered as I'm not expecting anything else, so I'd better do that first, in case they can take the car straight away.
Better get ready then. An early start would seem to be the best bet for today!
Apart from that, yesterday was as ordinary as usual. I went shopping in the morning and bought the stuff I need for Tuesday's meal plus other stuff, then came home and cooked jacket potatoes for lunch with DD and DG. We all love jacket potatoes and thing there's nothing better as a topping that butter and good flavoured grated cheddar. We watched a bit of Homes Under the Hammer (love that programme) and chatted about all sorts of stuff.
That was it really. Gentle and ordinary!
Today I have to book the car in for a service and MOT. HAVE to. I meant to do it last week and totally forgot. So the rest of the day depends on whether they can take the car straight away or whether I have to take it back another day. I feel quite cross with myself for forgetting last week! I also have to pick up a parcel which has to be the perfume I ordered as I'm not expecting anything else, so I'd better do that first, in case they can take the car straight away.
Better get ready then. An early start would seem to be the best bet for today!
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Menu planning
I'm hoping to have some friends around on Tuesday evening so needed inspiration for what to cook. I fancied something with chicken, olives and chorizo, so Googled these three ingredients and up popped a load of ideas, including a Delia recipe called Chicken Basque which appears to be a one pot (always a good idea) and, while the instructions and list of ingredients look long, basically it eems to be pretty straightforward. It is a compete meal so I need to do nothing else, although I might knock together some garlic bread or perhaps a simple side salad to accompany it.
For dessert, I remembered a really super and easy cheesecake recipe that I found on a recipe card in Sainsbury's when the children were young. I couldn't find the card anywhere (which is hardly surprising, seeing how long ago it was when I last made it) so I Googled for mascarpone lime and cheesecake and up it came. A real blast from the past.
How would we manage without Google?
For dessert, I remembered a really super and easy cheesecake recipe that I found on a recipe card in Sainsbury's when the children were young. I couldn't find the card anywhere (which is hardly surprising, seeing how long ago it was when I last made it) so I Googled for mascarpone lime and cheesecake and up it came. A real blast from the past.
How would we manage without Google?
Sunday
I'm losing count of the days: I've just had to check that today is Sunday before remember that George was round yesterday so that must have been Saturday! George has now left school and is studying car mechanics at a local college - or he will be come September. He answered my tentative query as to whether he would want to continue here with a resounding yes, so that's good. And give him a few years and I may also have a mechanic to help me out with minor car problems, you never know!
I enlivened the ironing yesterday by watching the Olympic opening ceremony which I enjoyed more or less from beginning to end. The children's singing brought tears to my eyes, there were a lot of nostalgic chuckles and some of the dancing was wonderful. As for the staging - wow! A good start! The most boring bit was when all the athletes walked in - it always is - but the lighting of the couldren was truly an inspiration from the hand over of the torch to the teenagers all the way through to the firework display as the cauldon was formed and blazed into the night sky. Truly a creative way of doing it.
And it all made light of the ironing!
Today the sun shines. iGoogle suggests that we are going to have storms today. If they're as accurate as they were about this on Friday, it should be a glorious day. The temperatures are predicted to be just at a comfortable level, thank goodness. We will see.
I enlivened the ironing yesterday by watching the Olympic opening ceremony which I enjoyed more or less from beginning to end. The children's singing brought tears to my eyes, there were a lot of nostalgic chuckles and some of the dancing was wonderful. As for the staging - wow! A good start! The most boring bit was when all the athletes walked in - it always is - but the lighting of the couldren was truly an inspiration from the hand over of the torch to the teenagers all the way through to the firework display as the cauldon was formed and blazed into the night sky. Truly a creative way of doing it.
And it all made light of the ironing!
Today the sun shines. iGoogle suggests that we are going to have storms today. If they're as accurate as they were about this on Friday, it should be a glorious day. The temperatures are predicted to be just at a comfortable level, thank goodness. We will see.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Cottage cheese
Well that was a dismal failure, wasn't it!! It all ended up getting poured down the sink and I have no idea what went wrong except that it ended up a cloudy mess of slightly separated mush rather than a clear split into curds and whey.
Huh!!!
Huh!!!
Saturday morning
Still dull. No rain apart from those few drops I mentioned yesterday. Maybe we will get some today. It still feels quite humid although, as I wasn't particularly active yesterday, it didn't feel as hot and uncomfortable as the previous few days.
I really got stuck into the washing and ironing. There's still a bit more but not a lot and it will feel wonderful when everything is done and dusted. I also started the cottage cheese which takes a darn sight longer to make than the recipe I posed a short while ago. The first bit was easy enough - heating up the milk to 25C (which took no time at all), adding the rennet and the yogurt and leaving overnight for 'flavours to develop'. Today, however, it is a gentle heat to 45C (I think, I must check), then rather a long time of stirring gently. There's no way I will be stirring for half an hour so I will use that time to get the kitchen properly sorted while stirring now and again. That will have to do. Then it's straining, etc and it's done. And yes, I remembered how to use the digital thermometer!
Apart from that, it's just a bit of shopping and that's the day done! Have a good one, everybody.
I really got stuck into the washing and ironing. There's still a bit more but not a lot and it will feel wonderful when everything is done and dusted. I also started the cottage cheese which takes a darn sight longer to make than the recipe I posed a short while ago. The first bit was easy enough - heating up the milk to 25C (which took no time at all), adding the rennet and the yogurt and leaving overnight for 'flavours to develop'. Today, however, it is a gentle heat to 45C (I think, I must check), then rather a long time of stirring gently. There's no way I will be stirring for half an hour so I will use that time to get the kitchen properly sorted while stirring now and again. That will have to do. Then it's straining, etc and it's done. And yes, I remembered how to use the digital thermometer!
Apart from that, it's just a bit of shopping and that's the day done! Have a good one, everybody.
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