5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

Broomstick

Evening all - was feeling pretty poorly yesterday and wasn't up to posting (or anything else) but am much better today.

Elisamoose, thank you very much for the brownie recipe. Have copied it and added it to the courgette collection. Looks like a good one for lunchboxes.
Marmite, 'cos of not being well yesterday I've only started the marrow and ginger jam off today (2kg of de-seeded marrow sits in 500g of sugar overnight) and it's a recipe that I've never used before - the one from Jane Grigson's 'Vegetable Book'. If you need it urgently I'm happy to send it you, if not, maybe I should wait to see how it turns out first!!!
CCP, re the kitchen waste collection, I was on the verge of advertising locally for someone with a hungry rabbit or chicken or two

My five for Sunday:

1. Clean and tidy house.

2. Sunshine again (and I have the washing on ready to peg out first thing since more sun is forecast here tomorrow).

3. Floated a draft of something I'm writing in front of a potentially critical audience and got some lovely feedback. I think I'm on the right track.

4. Made two huge meals of veg soup ready to go into the freezer, got the jam underway and made a double-sized soya chunk stew for tonight's and tomorrow's supper. I've discovered that if you marinade soya chunks in a large quantity of red grape juice, tamari (soy sauce) and loads of herbs left to simmer for a bit, it works really well. The resulting stew is quite sweet and fruity but very yummy.

5. Caught the last of the Amish programmes. Don't go along with some of their beliefs but really enjoyed the series.

I have a kitchen to tidy and wash up rather late tonight. The light has blown and I don't have a spare so I'm going to be washing up by candle-light Very OS!

B x

Patchwork_Quilt

This one's for Marmite

Marrow and Apricot Jam (but I used plums)

2lb prepared weight marrow or courgette
1lb fresh apricots or 1/2 lb dried
3 lb sugar
juice of 2 lemons

If the apricots are dried, soak overnight in 1 pt water, then simmer until tender. If they are fresh, just simmer in a little water until soft, removing the stones as they rise to the surface.

In another pan, simmer the prepared marrow in a little water until tender. Then mash to a pulp.

Add the apricots (I used the plum juice as well as it was a nice colour),lemon and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil fast for 15 minutes or until the jam has thickened. Pot into sterilised jars whilst hot.

From the indispensable Food From Your Garden by The Readers Digest

Patchwork_Quilt

Today's pleasures/blessings

1) Got to hold my friend's granddaughter in church today. What a little sweetie! She's only seven months old and very chewy. She nearly had my necklace in her mouth several times.
2) Blackberry picking. I took DS's gf on her first forage in the school field and then we had a jam lesson - five jars of jam and they set beautifully. She was impressed with how much we got for so little effort and cost.
3) DS and gf then entertained themselves by making a tent in the garden. I just supplied drinks and some lollies that were already in the freezer.
4) Coffee date with DH.
5) Home grown veg for tea and some rhubarb from the garden for a crumble. I made a coleslaw with swede instead of carrot and it seemed to work. It also contained an apple from the tree (not entirely ripe but good enough) and a home-grown cabbage from the local show yesterday.

Frith

5 for today (Sunday).

1) Made 2 demi-johns of blackberry wine.

2) Had some homemade lentil and tomato soup for dinner.

3) Cleaned the porch out.

4) Walked to mum and dad's and back - well over 6 miles. They were out! Also, it has been raining a lot recently and I walk down the footpaths (through crops) so I wore my wellies. Got about half a mile in and the sun came out and it was BAKING hot! My feet are still a bit sore. Good exercise though.

5) My best friend from school came round for tea and has just gone home.

6) Neighbour invited me for a walk to the pub but I didn't really fancy if after my 6 mile walk and my friend was coming round anyway. So I invited him here for tea as well.

villagelife

Heres the recipe for blackberry and apple loaf.
Grease a 2lb loaf tin.
Rub together 250g SR flour, 175g butter, and 175g muscovado sugar together to make crumbs. Keep 5 tablespoons of this for topping, and mix in 2 tbsp demerara sugar and 1/2 tsp cinammon.
Mix 1 unpeeled grated eating apple with 2 large beaten eggs and zest of an orange (which I don't always add)
Stir 1 tsp baking powder in with rubbed in mixture and thenlightly stir in egg mixture. don't overmix.
Gently fold in 3/4 of 225g blackberries. Spoon into tin and level.
Put remaining blackberries on top and then sprinkle over topping .
Bake in oven 180C gas 4 for 1hr 20mins. leave in tin for 30 mins then cool on wire rack.

My five for yesterday
1. Free rhurbarb from my MIL.

2. Finding 30p.

3. DS1 arriving home safely after a weekend away and telling us about it.

4. DH relaxing for once.

5. Managing to get washing dry.

funkymonkey849

It's first thing on Monday morning so not many pleasures going on at the moment! I shall give you my 5 for yesterday

1. Forraging some blackberries, not many were ripe but got a small tubs worth

2. Finished my plan for the garden for next year, hopefully with enough room to grow all the veggies we want! :T

3. Being handed a bag of freshly picked tomatoes over the fence by my neighbour

4. Promising to return the favour with some giant pumpkins if they ever grow!

5. Sunday baking

Tealady_2

Hi

Sorry not posted for a while been a rubbish couple of weeks but have been reading which helps keep me sane.

I was supposed to go to my step-nephews wedding on Thursday but not have my uncle's funeral to go to instead. Feel very selfish for being peeved that it is on the same day when I know other people are very upset but I can't help how i feel.

Anyway enough moaning and time to start thinking of the good things in life.

Pleasures for the last couple of days:
1. Receiving a voucher for a free waitrose dessert plus getting a free resuable bag and some free teabags in the post (this one could make 3)

2. Taking lunch round to a friends who can't move about as has sprained her ankle badly. Really good chat and nice lunch washed down with a bottle of champagne that was left from my birthday

3. Hotel where supposed to be staying giving me a refund on one of the two rooms booked. As they were non-refundable I am quite pleased with this, Nephew and his wife are going to use the other room which again is a pleasure as they wouldn't have been able to afford to stay there and they are having a night away without the kids

4. Managing to get a train ticket for £15 :money:when another company wanted to charge me £108. Just changed stations to one about 2 miles away

5. Buying some lovely red shoes in the sales for £5. I have a thing about red shoes but can never find ones I like.

Can make 5 when I try

hugs to all who need them

CCP

Evening all.

Tealady - hugs to you - it sounds like you're having a pretty rough time at the moment.

villagelife - thanks for the cake recipe - that sounds lovely. It's gone into my recipe file, and will get used as soon as I get time to go blackberrying.

Ladyhawk - re the pumpkins - I kept thinking of an edible version of Night of the Triffids, actually!

I've had a pretty lousy day today even my Monday standards, but I'll try and find some pleasures:

1) The sun shone nearly all day so my washing's dry.

2) My manager agreed to let me have a day off at the end of the month, despite saying no-one else from our team could go on leave at the same time. I think she can see how stressed I am at the moment and feels sorry for me.

3) Got a voucher for a free Waitrose dessert in the post. (Tealady - SNAP! :laugh:)

4) Picked another tomato when I got home, and there's a few more that will be ready in the next day or so.

5) HM chicken and sweetcorn... thing for dinner. (It was meant to be a pie, but the pastry's gone a bit wrong - it will probably be more like pastry dumplings on the top of the filling. )

Have a pleasant evening, all.

Patchwork_Quilt

Thanks for the recipe Villagelife. It's gone down in my little book!

1) Had a few minutes on the green and gold quilt. Have finished the penultimate row.
2) Went to the allotment and found even more green beans. Unfortunately, the rabbit has started nibbling again but there's still plenty to come.
3) Was given three huge courgettes by some friends (and invited for a coffee) so that I could make some experimental chutney.
4) The chutney took hours, but it's tasty. Made 8 jars overall, and some jam. I just love blackberry jam.
5) Rang DD, as she is away, and it sounds as if they've been very lucky with the accommodation.

Have a pleasant evening, MSEers!

marmiterulesok

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

This one's for Marmite

Marrow and Apricot Jam (but I used plums)

2lb prepared weight marrow or courgette
1lb fresh apricots or 1/2 lb dried
3 lb sugar
juice of 2 lemons

If the apricots are dried, soak overnight in 1 pt water, then simmer until tender. If they are fresh, just simmer in a little water until soft, removing the stones as they rise to the surface.

In another pan, simmer the prepared marrow in a little water until tender. Then mash to a pulp.

Add the apricots (I used the plum juice as well as it was a nice colour),lemon and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil fast for 15 minutes or until the jam has thickened. Pot into sterilised jars whilst hot.

From the indispensable Food From Your Garden by The Readers Digest

Why thank you! :A:A:A

It sounds very nice.Funnily enough,I have a friend with an allotment ,who has promised me a 'massive' marrow that she doesn't know what to do with!
I'll get it tomorrow or the next day,and hopefully manage some jam and chutney.I'm chuffed to bits.Been looking at a few marrow and ginger jam recipes,but this recipe sounds good.Have you ever tried it with apricots,or have you always used plums?

My OS 5 are

I worked to work,always makes me feel good/virtuous.Forty minutes at a brisk pace.Well sometimes just walk halfway and get the tube if in a rush.

I got off work on time,doesn't happen that often.

Made rice pudding for the first time,delicious apart from letting the milk boil over.

Marrow acquisition!

Cloudy and overcast-great.

I'll have to leave off here,I'm really tired.It's taken me 30 minutes to write this.

Have a nice evening everyone x