Making chicken feed of my mortgage

gallygirl

muddywhitechicken wrote: »

Hmmm just noticed that I haven't included a walk!!!

Tut tut MWC - you don't want to be stranded that far short of John O'Groats now do you :rotfl:. Superb results :T.

Karmacat

OMG, rhubarb and fig? That sounds just wonderful! You're doing so well, MWC, and congratulations on the blackberries too - I used to go to a little piece of wetland nearby, and the drainage channels leading to the stream used to have gorgeous blackberries sitting there for the taking - only two other people ever seem to pick around here, and I've only seen each of them once. But the bramble have *completely* overgrown the channels, I can't get in there! Lush as they are, they've blocked me from picking the fruit! Might try on a country path today, a farmer has to use that, so it'll be clear, at least.

Hope you sleep well again today, as you're off that early tomorrow.

muddywhitechicken

:wave: KC

It's another recipe from RC Handbook No.2 : Preserves

1.5 kg rhubarb, trimmed and chopped
1 kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
500 g onions, peeled and diced
300 g dried figs, chopped and soaked overnight in the juice of 3 large oranges with the grated zest of 2
100 g crystallised ginger, chopped
500 g light soft brown sugar
600 mL cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
For the spice bag:
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
50 g fresh root ginger, bruised

Make up spice bag by tying up the spices in a square of muslin. Put this into a preserving pan with all the other ingredients and bring slowly to the boil.

Let the mixture simmer, uncovered, for 2.5-3 hours - maybe even a bit more - until thick. Stir regularly.

Pot while warm into sterilised jars. Leave for a couple of months to mature. Use within 2 years.

I made a 1/2 batch and recipe worked well

muddywhitechicken

Eggs IN 5
Eggs OUT 4 (little newbie eggs used for tamago)

The weather has been glorious and I've spent most of the day pottering in the garden

CathT

Hi MWC, just popping in to say hello. Have been reading your diary, planned to read first 10 pages, middle 10 and last 10 but am enjoying the read so currently at the end of 2013!

I should catch up before THIS Christmas.

muddywhitechicken

Hello from Germany :wave:

Slight communication issue at dinner and I ended up with a dish I didn't think I had ordered but the waitress and my host thought I had...!

Mr MWC reports:
Eggs IN 4 (2 big and 2 little)
Eggs OUT 0

muddywhitechicken

CathT wrote: »

Hi MWC, just popping in to say hello. Have been reading your diary, planned to read first 10 pages, middle 10 and last 10 but am enjoying the read so currently at the end of 2013!

I should catch up before THIS Christmas.

Hello CathT

I hope 2014 isn't too boring - I recollect 2013 being better!

MWCx

apple_muncher

muddywhitechicken wrote: »

Hello from Germany :wave:

Slight communication issue at dinner and I ended up with a dish I didn't think I had ordered but the waitress and my host thought I had...!

Mr MWC reports:
Eggs IN 4 (2 big and 2 little)
Eggs OUT 0

But was it edible???

muddywhitechicken

apple_muncher wrote: »

But was it edible???

-ish!

I've finished work for the day and, as there are 2 hours before my taxi back to the airport, I am catching up online.

TCB payout of £24.57 requested
MFiT-T3 updated - we will owe £101,495 on 12 September
2014 MFW thread also updated

I need to start monthly menu planning again. We haven't been very good at this over the summer and grocery spends seem to have been creeping upwards...

I also need to stop the unnecessary spending on my CC. I've not had any big spends but the £10s here and £20s there are adding up...

Obviously, the clip top jars and bottles squeezed into my suitcase were an essential purchase :rotfl:

muddywhitechicken

I'll be adding Denis Cotter's borlotti bean mole with roasted winter squash to our autumn menu

Mr MWC made it for dinner on Sunday (despite there being a heatwave!) as we had fresh borlotti beans in last week's veg box and kale in the garden (he served it with polenta). The recipe is definitely a keeper :T