mmmm......Lasagne

PROJECT 5.1

As a continuation of my batch cooking, and my introduction to pasta making, I decided to batch bake lasagne, to make life easier for Holiday Boy, while I am at work.

So I started by cooking my veggies, which were onions, green and red peppers, garlic and sun dried tomatoes, in a little olive oil. To this I added Italian seasoning and allowed it to cook until the onions became clear. When the veggies were ready I fried off my mincemeat, and then returned the veggies. I finished it all off with tomato passata.


I made lasagne sheets and layered the mince and lasagne with a home made white sauce, which was made from butter, flour, warm milk and seasoning. On the final layer I placed extra mature chedder cheese.


I popped it into the oven until golden brown........looks good enough to eat.....In the background is L's veggie pie to be finished later.


When the lasagne cooled I portioned it up into 8 delish portions, ready for the freezer and I look forward to eating this lovely creation for my evening meal, with a lovely side salad mmmmmm....

Project 5 ~ Pasta.....Play Dough for Adults....

RAVIOLI

Today I learnt all about Pasta Making.....Play Dough for Adults.....which is great fun. I always thought pasta came from supermarkets wrapped in unopenable plastic bags, which had to be cooked for 5...11....or 12 minutes depending on the manufacturers. So for todays project I have been initiated (and a myth smashed) to where pasta really comes from.......

My friend L, the expert in all things kitchen related, initiated me in the fine art of pasta making. First the flour was weighed and placed on the table (no bowls for L, she's a real chef!!). The eggs and extra virgin olive oil were beaten together and then added to the flour. The mixture was combined and then came the fun bit...the kneading. It sure gives the old bingo wings a workout.

Once kneaded within an inch of its life, the dough was left to rest for about half an hour to allow the gluton to do its' thing. Then the fun bit....
Not only is the pasta pulled and rubbed to within an inch of its' life, it's also stretched until it becomes paper thin. This is the fun bit because you get to use the machine. We made a brie and red onion filling for the ravioli and placed a second layer of pasta on top. A cake cutter stands in for a ravioli cutter....
And low and behold, gorgeous ravioli which takes only 8 minutes in salted boiling water. Fresh pasta beats the shop bought stuff hands down.......
Just to finish off this batch we made salmon and spinach.........mmmm....gorgeous. I know what I'm having for mothers day.....

Pickling Virgin..............

Project 4

After helping Dreamer last time to make bread and butter pickles, Holiday Boy enjoyed them so much, so I decided to make a batch of my own. This is my first atempt at preserving, but, with help from Dreamer, I had my initiation in the preserving department. We prepared the veggies (hard work but fun) and salted them. They need to stand for at least 2 hours to allow the excess fluid to bleed from the veggies.
After the 2 hours the veggies were washed under running water to remove the salt. Vinegar, spices and sugar were brought to the boil in a large saucepan and the veggies were added and allowed to boil until the onions become slightly transparent. In the meantime............... we washed and steralised jars and lids and then came the messy bit...........filling the jars.
And at last Holiday Boy will have a supply of bread and butter pickles. My masterpiece....shame he wants to eat them all................

Chaos no longer reigns!!!!!

Project 3

I went to see Dreamer at her cottage and this weekend we decided to recycle some old and unloved sweet tins to make valuable storage containers.

We used hammerite white paint to cover the tins as the paint required no priming. They paint covered smoothly and as the paint had been left over from a previous job about the cottage, it cost nothing. The tins were freebies from friends. The paint needed overnight to dry.
This is my tin which will come in very handy to help me sort out the chaos in my cupboards. I have a multitude of ideas to take home from this visit to enable me to make room.
To enable us to know what was in each tin, Dreamer came up with a brilliant idea of painting an area on the tin where we could use chalk to lable the contents. This was achieved by masking off an area with masking tape and painting with blackboard paint. This is very quick drying and after a short while we were able to paint a second coating.
The finished article, ready to accept my items. I like this idea and already have good ideas about what I can do to help with the massive storage problem that I have in my home.

Busy Sunday Afternoon

Project 2

I have a friend who introduced me to this project and I came to the conclusion that I would like to get involved in it.

My friend lives a frugal life and I have been lucky enough to learn quite a lot from her, such as last week we made bread and butter pickles and made a mosaic.

My other half loves the pickles and I now wish to move into preserving, something which I have never done before. So to be frugal, I bought 10 curry sauces from a well known supermarket, at 5p a jar and I have spent today making beef, lamb and chicken curry meals which are now sitting in my freezer, ready to provide an tastey meal for my other half to make, ready for when I get home from work.

The jars will now be stored and used for when I am ready to preserve my vegitables next week and I am looking forward to doing them, that is if he indoors doesn't keep doing a taste test!!

The mosaic was a lovely project which I shall use in my bathroom. It is opening the door to other projects for me to explore.

My newest project has been to start crocheting a bolero which should keep me busy for a good few weeks. Watch this space!!!!

Start of the 52 Projects

Project 1

Went to stay with my friend L at her cottage and we decided to prepare some pickles for her store cupboard. The process is so easy that I have decided to make a batch for my own store cupboard. The process is:)

1 White Onion Sack
1 Red Onion Sack
4 Cucumbers
6 Peppers mixed
2 ltr Pickling Vinegar
1 pct Pickling Spice
350gr Sugar
Salt to cover vegitables

Peel and slice the vegitables thinly. Place into a bowl and cover the top with a thin layer of table salt. Leave for 2 hours

After 2 hours place vinegar, sugar and spices into a large pan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, rinse the vegitables and drain well. When the vinegar is boiling, add the vegitables, bring back to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Wash 12 jars and half fill with water and place into the microwave on high for 5 mins or until the water is boiling. Place on one side and keep the water in the jars until the jars are needed. Place the lids in a bowl of boiling water.

When the vegitables are ready fill the jars with vegitables and make sure they are covered with the pickling mixture. Place the lids on tight and leave on one side to cool. The lids will pop. The pickles should be fine for a year.

Second Sunday Project


We decided to have a go at making a mosaic. I used the large plane framed mirror and stuck the broken tile pieces on the surface in a random pattern, ensuring there wasn't too big a gap between each piece.
Once the tiles were on I left them to dry for a while before covering the mosaic with grout, ensuring it fills the gaps between the pieces. Once finished clean the grout off with a damp cloth and allow to dry.