I have the sniffles and a fluctuating temperature, between nose blowing and tissue disposal (plus the never ending hand washing) and removal and replacing of my sweater I haven't had a free second this morning. My head is stuffed up and I am having to really concentrate on everything that I do.
I hope that is is a temporary result of my drenching yesterday.
Lots of tea and vitamin C (fresh red grapefruit oh yum) is my treatment of choice.
I did make the "Christmas jelly" this morning, it smells quite spicy but in a couple of weeks I will try it. No matter how it turns out I intend to repeat the operation anyway, this time I will double up the spices.
I want to make another batch of mincemeat and will not want to waste the citrus peel and pulp. We both love mincemeat in various recipes, Mary Berry's mincemeat fruit cake is a firm favourite and I aim to make a few for gifts this year.
I do want to experiment as I feel that an egg free version that is equally lush would be great.
As it is still raining and the forecast is for more of the same I will try some more quilting, sniffling permitting.
Dinner is a vegan chilli that I stashed in the freezer after a big cooking session a while ago. I may pull some flat breads out later to scoop it up with.
No pudding, we have been pudding free this week and will be for another. Our sugar intake had gone up alarmingly, along with fats in cream and custard. Mind you after making all those jellies the sugar container is pretty low and I don't intend to buy any more just yet.
My pantry is fast taking on the appearance of a small shop but there is solid thinking behind this.
I grew up right on the very edge of a village, we were the last house on the way out. There was almost a mile to walk to the nearest shop, not nice in driving rain, frosty or snowy weather, and the walk back with shopping was not good.
This time of year my granny would be stuffing the pantry with all manner of foodstuffs, her aim was to have at the very least 4 weeks supply of non perishables. Milk was from the nearest dairy farm, just 5 minutes walk away, and we could make butter and cheese.
This has become so ingrained that even when I lived a short walk from a Co op I still did it.
My family and friends laughed about it until the year that our village was snowed in and I fed 5 households for a week. 3 of those houses had small children and the cupboards were virtually empty because "tomorrow is shopping day".
I also have memories of a family that lived close to us who were unable to budget and every now and then would get a box of food from us. They would have gone very hungry otherwise.
Now I find it impossible not to have my cupboards full by Autumn.
Wow, I wasn't planning on any of that, it just happened.
The SO has just uttered the magic words "would you like a brew" so I am going to say toodle pip for now.
TTFN Pam
Hope you get over the snuffles very quickly...a hot brew always helps. My aim is also to have a full to bursting store cupboard, now my utility room (with lots of wall cupboards) is in full use.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Pam. Hope you nurse that cold away. It's Yarndle this weekend so I am looking forward to seeing photos. Also Quilting Show in Edinburgh which I have chosen to avoid-stashbusting for charity goes on. I am trying my best to copy the wee bag you sent me to give to a lovely friend for her knitting-fingers crossed! Take care. Catriona
ReplyDeleteHi Pam
ReplyDeleteHope your cold goes as soon as it comes. The grapefruit and the curry should assist. The village way was to put anything and everything up otherwise you did not feed yourselves during the cold winters that we used to have. I am very much of the same ilk - its going to be as bit hectic here this week as well and I am going to have to sort some more room out for the storage as well. At least by putting the preserves down for use and also for presssies you are paying it forward and it ultimately saves money in the longer term just for a bit of time and effort. Your jelly sounds yum. Take care. Pattypanxx
Because of the frequency of storms here I always keep my pantry full.
ReplyDeleteOh Pam....so sorry to hear you have the sniffles. Hope it goes off soon.
ReplyDeleteI can understand you stocking up your cupboards. We live in the middle of two villages which are both a mile away. I could walk to the shops but I would never make it back with a bag of shopping as well so my cupboards are being stocked back up to bursting point just in case the roads get flooded which is a more regular occurrence here than snow.
Hugs-x-
I loved reading your post this morning especially your memories of your childhood. I'm sorry to hear you're under the weather! Do take care and get well soon. I'm firmly in the camp of keeping the larder well stocked. The onset of autumn and chilly mornings has me in the kitchen cooking and baking to tuck into the freezer as well as assessing the cupboards to see what needs reinforcement. I do love this time of year.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon. I like to have a full larder too, I am working on having at least enough food for a month. Not sure how it is going to work here in the Winter as the ferries don't always go in bad weather. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about your food memories. I live on the outskirts of a big City so don't really need to stock up a larder but we can get snowed in very occasionally and as I live on top of the Southdowns buses can't reach and our road doesn't get cleared so I've learnt to listen to the weather reports and take action!!
ReplyDeleteI also must say thank you for posting details about your friend's design of the Dittany socks. I had a go, my first ever 'lacy' socks and they proved to be much easier than I feared. Really pleased with them, also posted them on Ravelry.
Hope you feel better soon!
Hoping you are feeling batter soon,. I lust after a pantry, but without 1 I do try and keep my cupboard and freezer well stocked..
ReplyDeleteI hope you're better soon, stay tucked up and warm. I have a 'cave', it's what they call a storage room in France, and it's already pretty full with food (and wine!).x
ReplyDeleteHere on the prairies of Canada one never knows what winter will bring. I learned after the first big snow storm of our married life that keeping full freezers, and a full pantry is a must.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you feel better very soon.
God bless.