Having a madcap morning.
Already made some sausagemeat bolognaise and a seeded cheese scone for today's munchies. And as I'm hoping for a visit from my mate Ken tomorrow I will make a raspberry jam and whipped cream Victoria Sponge.
It's all go in the bungalow.
Been looking through my cook books and have found a recipe for a cider cake.
I'm imagining a slice with a small wedge of Cheddar cheese. Oh yum. Oh yes.
I made a sausage in cider casserole yesterday and it went down quickly and well, heaped the Lincolnshire sausages, chestnut mushrooms and cider sauce onto mounds of buttery mash. Served with a spoonful of redcurrant jelly on the side. Too good...

Already thinking about foodie Christmas gifts. I was toying with the idea of creating something in the needlework area but I prefer getting creative in the kitchen. So food gifts it will be.
Probably chutneys.

When it's chilly...

Not much beats a steamed pudding.

4 oz self raising flour
2oz suet
water to bind

2 skinless boned chicken thighs, chopped
2 flat mushrooms, sliced
about four inches of sliced leek
a little thyme, fresh is best but dried will do
5fl oz dry cider
pepper and salt
flour for dusting the chicken

Make the pastry.
Line a 1pt greased pudding basin with three quarters of the pastry.

Toss chicken in flour.
Then place alternate layers of meat and veg in pastry lined basin.
Add thyme and seasoning.
Pour over cider.

Roll out remaining dough.
Wet the rim of the pudding then place pastry lid on top.
Cover very well with foil.

Place in large pan with enough boiling water to come three quarters of way up basin.
Cover.
Cook for a couple of hours or more. Wont harm if you leave it for a long time. But don't forget to top up with more boiling water.

Serve with plain boiled buttered potatoes and peas.

Honest simple heartwarming food.
I love it.

Tomorrow I will use the rest of the cider in a sausage casserole.

I'm hoping for a better day in the kitchen.
Yesterday was ok, but a collapsing cake was not on my to-do list. However after lifting my head from my sloping bosoms I sliced the disappointing bake and had it with a big jug of custard.

Rob and me are entertaining tonight.
Lovely Jeannie and er...lively Mark...
Jeannie has an average appetite, Mark though doesn't have a stomach, he just has a Mighty Cavity.
Apparently having a nice big appetite is common amongst boys and girls with Down's, and Mark certainly doesn't let the side down on that one.

I'm making a beef cobbler for tonight served with baked beans and potatoes. Dessert can sometimes be problematical, Mark has ideas of his own. He doesn't do jelly or anything else that looks weird, so to make sure he gets his sugar I usually make a crumble and custard or unwrap a choc ice. Tonight it's the latter for the young man, for the adults I've made Creme Caramel.

So all looking ok on the domestic front. Now I must get my apron on......

Updated. Again

Trying to be a bit more organized...so before whizzing out for an hour I've put a smashing paprikad pork and veggie casserole in the slow-cooker.

Two shoulder steaks, some frozen veggies (carrot, swede, turnip, leek) a tin of chopped tomatoes, a big sliced onion, some boiling stock, lots of black pepper, some salt, and a generous amount of smoked paprika. I also dropped in half a red pepper, chopped of course.


Recipe from Mary Berry's Book of Meat Cookery. I have though tweaked it.


............................Just taken four Creme Caramels out of the oven.And they smell goood. And as I write a Coffee and Vanilla ring cake is baking.
Later on I'll ice it with a coffee and white chocolate icing as I listen to the news at five.


I am human.
My cake collapsed a bit.
There is no way it will hold an icing so rather than waste it I'll serve it in odd shaped blobs alongside a few of yesterday's remaining prunes.

However, the creme caramels are perfect.

Fish (cod) Fingers, potato wedges, garden peas and baked tomatoes.

Prunes and custard.

I was going to make a Pork casserole but left it too late. I was going to make a jam pudding but all of a sudden, just after the news, I felt the urge for prunes.

A Sunday Roast on a Monday

Went swimming yesterday so didn't have time to cook, so today a nice shoulder of pork is roasting. Lemony carrots and simple steamed cabbage to go with it. Roasted tatties of course. No stuffing, because I forgot.
For sweet; lemon curd sponge and custard.

I made an 8in square Gingercake this morning whilst keeping an eye on the Athletics being shown on BBC2.
'Great fit men and women' I thought, as I also thought about icing.
A cream cheese icing flavoured with honey and lemon will top the dark brown cake.

Carrot and Coriander soup the other day. With garlic croutons. Fabulous. I'm using a lot of carrots lately on account of buying a 10kg sack from the farm shop.

I'm checking my skin for signs of orangeness.

We are entertaining tonight

Jeannie, young Mark, Viola and Trevor will be seated around the table and fed Sausage, Apple and Chutney Plait with Bubble and Squeak and barbeque beans. Good homely fare for good homely folk. I've taken the precaution of making two plaits on account of young Marks phenomenal appetite.
The bubble was a crazed idea I had when I was wondering what to do with a lot of cabbage. I added some boiled onions and a scoop of butter to the tattie/cabbage mix, it now waits in a large Pyrex dish ready to be heated.

For pud I'm opting for a super fruit cocktail.
Kiwi, banana, apple, orange, peaches and sultanas are marinating in apple juice. To serve with it lots of strawberry yoghurt and some Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel biscuits on the side. For dipping.

The table is laid out nicely in the front room (not enough space in the kitchen) and incense sticks are at the ready waiting to be lit. Probably opt for Sandalwood.

I love cooking for a crowd.