Mortgage free in Forever Home :-)

KajiKita

badmemory said:

Is there a reduction for prompt payment?  There usually is.

Hi @badmemory - honestly, I don't know. There was no mention of it in the letter. 

Cheery_Daff

Is there an option to do a speed awareness course instead? The last time I knew someone who did one it was £80 and no points on licence. Wasn't me though so I don't know what options are

KajiKita

Cheery_Daff said:

Is there an option to do a speed awareness course instead? The last time I knew someone who did one it was £80 and no points on licence. Wasn't me though so I don't know what options are

There might be - depends on whether they offer that option or just go to FPN.  

Incidentally, I think the RAC website was a bit confusing - those very high fines only apply of you contest the conviction, go to court and lose. (I have sent the letter back agreeing.) 
Speeding penalties - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Still cross with myself though - wipes out almost every scrap of Tilly-Tidying and mortgage overpayments I have managed in recent months. 

KK 

KajiKita

Making a dinner with scrag ends tonight - 2/3 cooked some carrots and spuds that have been lingering the fridge for some time, sprinkled the tail end of a packet of pre-cooked lentils over them in a Pyrex dish and then smothered it all with a rich, unctuous, 'not-cheese-sauce' made with lots of nooch and Dijon mustard (I had no lemon so I added a teaspoon of white vinegar to brighten the flavour).

This is now thinking about itself in the oven with a topping of some halved, last week's, cherry tomatoes. This will be served with the end of a frozen pack of peas I was thinking of frying up a vegan burger to go with this but just from the volume alone (I'm never very good at judging quantities when I am ad hoc cooking), I think that this will be enough 

KK  

Suffolk_lass

I just wanted to chip in to suggest you could prep tomatoes a bit like jam without the sugar. After softening them I whizz them in my large liquidiser than reduce them in an open pan before putting the mix (I do add salt) into hot jam (or kilner) jars. Screw the lid on tight and turn the jars upside down with a towel over to cool (better chance of the top popping) then when cooled the popped in lid ones can be stored like tins - no electricity to store these! - My glut of homegrown tomato glut has resulted in 32 and two half jars (2 batches) so far. I use them throughout the year, for stews, soups, sauces and ragu and they taste fantastic

KajiKita

Good morning @Suffolk_lass

I have found a recipe for a red tomato chutney in Delia’s how to cook 3 which sounds good. Can I ask though, how do you heat Kilner jars to make them sterile without damaging the rubber seal thing?

KK 

KajiKita

Oh and my dinner last night was da bomb! Absolutely loved it and I will be making that again. I think the one change I would make is to make the sauce a bit wetter before combining and putting in the oven - I always underestimate how dehydrating the oven process is …. 😉

Suffolk_lass

KajiKita said:

Good morning @Suffolk_lass

I have found a recipe for a red tomato chutney in Delia’s how to cook 3 which sounds good. Can I ask though, how do you heat Kilner jars to make them sterile without damaging the rubber seal thing?

KK 

I use the screw-on lid like these as I find the spring clip jars much more difficult to seal. The discs on the screw tops are like the pop-top jam jar lids and I find if I heat the jars and lids to 120c from cold for 20 minutes (and I use a jam funnel to fill) it is all good. If you were using the spring clips it is more difficult to get them to seal (better for traditional bottling or dry goods storage) but they are fine in the oven until they start to go brittle. I have just bought replacement rubber and silicone seals from big river company

KajiKita

Oooh …. Who knew that kilner jars came with screw tops! 👏😊 (I get so excited by stuff like this as I get older 😂😂).

@Suffolk_lass Do you use the wax paper discs?

KK

Suffolk_lass

No. Not any more. As long as the pop-tops pop they are redundant. I am that generation with celophane disks and rubber bands though (so don't ask me how many discs I have here...). Actually, for something like mincemeat, where it is bottled after cooling, they are probably a good idea but I use the Delia Christmas Book recipe for mincemeat that melts the suet around the fruit to preserve it. It would be a way of using the supply but I know from 30 years of making my own it isn't necessary.

I know what you mean. I keep thinking "That's a nice cardboard box...!"