Simple things......are making me happy at the moment.
The bright jewel colour of the Damson Gin with the autumn sun shining through the bottle, now safely stored in a dark cupboard to mature nicely to be our Christmas tipple. The lovely pale pink flowers on the Christmas Cacti getting more prolific every day.
Knowing we have four bottles of the wonderful stuff.
Last weeks mini harvest of potatoes, I had no choice ..... Rosy (the Jack Russell) decided these 'balls' were for playing with and dug up all the ones she could see peeping through the soil, still it saved me quite a bit of hard work, and that makes me very happy! I will have to dig up all the rest this weekend before they rot in the soil.
Of course I had to sample one for lunch, I now cook my jacket potatoes the 'Jamie Oliver way'. I saw him do it on '30 Minute Meals' and I've done it this way ever since.
Simply prick your potatoes a couple of times place them in a bowl, cover it with cling film and then pierce this in a few places, pop in the microwave for approx 5 mins per potato. When they are feeling almost soft place them in an oven proof dish, glug over some olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Just 10 minutes or so in a moderately hot oven makes them absolutely delicious.
I had mine with a bit of salad and mayo.....yummy!!
Simple things = happy me.
Sue xx
Re JO's method - BEFORE you microwave the spuds [ie whilst still cold] - prick them, and get bowl ready. Now put 2tsp oil and tsp salt in your left hand. pick up each spud in turn wuith right hand, rub spud all over[with both hands] and then put into the bowl. Wash your hands, and clingflim, microwave then oven cook. The bonus to all this is that the oil and salt exfoliates your hands - and so you get lovely potatoes AND lovely soft skin!
ReplyDeleteDiscovered this entirely by accident!
blessings x
In reply to Angela's comment, it's not a good idea to put the oil on before you microwave them as prolonged heating of any oil makes it not as healthy for you. The oil and salt should be put on the hot potatoes just before they go for a quick blast in the oven.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do love the thought of the exfoliation side of it, you could still get the oil on the potatoes this way if you can stand the heat!!
Sue xx
hope you have a lovely, simple weekend!
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We don't have a microwave, dishwasher or tumble dryer...it's like 'Edwardian Farm' in our kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Sue.
Sft x
I might try that option for potatoes. I wonder if you have heard of a rowanberry and ginger drink, don't think it is alcoholic, which I read about in Katherine Stewart's book A Croft in the HIlls. I have lots of yellow ones on the tree and I want to get it pruned, so could do with a recipe before doing so.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add here, I'm very jealous of your damson gin. I usually pick sloes and was going to do so but when I went to get them, the lovely highway authority had decided to re-route the footpath along which the blackthorn were growing. Result .... no more sloes. I suppose I could buy some frozen raspberries and make raspberry ratafia.
ReplyDeleteSFT - we don't have a tumble dryer or dish washer either, so almost Edwardian, but I weighed the pros and cons of a microwave and discovered that for an initial purchase price of £49.50 (in the sale) I could get a reasonable one which would pay for itself in the first couple of months.
ReplyDeleteI can start things off in it, make some things completely in it (my porridge every morning for one) and not have to pay expensive fuel for the cooker to be on for long lengths of time (I was on gas at the time). We have now been using it for over 3 years and it must have saved me a fortune on fuel bills. So as a frugal purchase it was a wise one.
Campfire - I don't have a recipe for Rowanberry and Ginger Cordial, but my instinct tells me you should simply steep the berries in either alcohol or syrup solution, add some stem ginger for the last few days and then strain and boil up before bottling. Try Google for some recipe ideas in case I am completely off the mark.
Boo - Hiss, to the highway folks for re-routing the footpath, I think I would have played dumb and brazenly walked along the old route to get to the sloes! But then I'm a cheeky so and so!! :-)
Sue xx
Damson Gin - such a beautiful colour. Jessie's Cactus is looking lovely x
ReplyDeleteGot to try the jacket potato tomorrow. Sounds gorgeous!
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