Oh - the onions

Just a quick update on the foolproof baked onions that I embarked upon in my last post.

I'd love to tell you that they were incredible.

That they melted in the mouth and that I'd 'never cook onions any other way again'.

The lack of any other ingredient made their flavour stronger and more pronounced.

Truth is that after an hour in the oven they were soft and indeed a bit squidgy.

But sadly they didn't taste of much at all.

Apart from singed baking parchment.

Maybe it was the type of onion.

Or my lack of onion cooking knowledge.

So the only thing to do was to put them in some pretty pots.

And there they remain.

Until I need a recipe that calls for a slightly singed onion.

Onward and upward.

Jane

xxx

Move Over Mary ...

Long before the marquees were erected, Paul and Mary were dusted off and 'soggy bottom' became a household term our family have gamely been competing with others in an annual tradition known as the 'cake off'. Around about October each year cookbooks are consulted and ingredients are mingled in an effort to produce a prize winning Christmas cake. Lots of winks, nods and nose tapping ensue and nobody is willing to share their personal recipe until the day. This year it was our turn to host and as well as the traditional Christmas cake the children had their own category - the Yule log.  After much food, fun and frivolity the cakes are dissected and  each take their turn to taste and anonymously vote for their favourite. 

The voting log

Straightforward yes? Aha but there would be no fun in that! Often this is the most corrupt part of the process whereby outrageous voting can occur on all sides. But this year - WE WON! So obviously no cheating occurred at all as I am quite willing to accept the mantle of best Christmas cake maker EVER (well at least in our house...for this year...!) 

The 'log off' was of a particularly high standard so we added artistic merit on top of flavour as a bonus section.

Yum.

Other years have seen the addition of 'chutney off's', 'jam off's and 'wine off's' - and there is always the excited prediction of what we could do next year but will probably never get around to.  

 There were carols and games.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly owing to our own Kirstie 'I can craft everything or at least get other people to craft it for me' Allsop, pom poms.

All in all the best time is had  - lots of friends, too much food and a significant amount of festive (ahem) spirit. Our very own family tradition - and without a soggy bottom in sight!

Hope you are all managing to enjoy what is important to you this year.

Jane 

x

Alchemy!

Come gather all countrymen

From far and near 

I'll tell ye (!) a story ye might want to hear

There once was a lady 

Whose ears had been told

That magic could turn certain things in to gold

Now said lady had apples 

In bags, bowls and sink

So to find her some magic she followed this link

She picked and she washed

And she covered in water

To the sighs of her ever despairing daughter

Next she boiled all the apples and hung from a spoon

And slowly let drip by the light of the moon.

Well the next day came round

But the spell not yet done

She added some sugar and juice of this one

And well she was waiting for sugar to melt

She made up some reindeer

And hearts with some felt 

The pan boiled away

Wafting smells up their noses

But still not complete

She crocheted some roses

After some time

Some boiling and skimming

And jars at the ready to welcome their filling 

The magic complete

As in centuries old

The apples and sugar

Turned into GOLD!

So tootle me garters 

And riddle me ree

That was the tale of my AL - CHE -MYYYYYYYYY!

Jane

x

Great Stuff and Stuffing

Hello October!

Detail from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Herbert Laupin

The annual food and drink festival is in full swing here in our sleepy town. This afternoon Mr K and I wandered through the vibrant farmers market, chatted with chums, ate salt fish croquettes (didn't even know they existed before now but really very nice!) and ooohed and aaahed at various delectables - all the while accompanied by a man on a kettle drum (not us personally you understand - that would be odd). On the way home we chatted about how lucky we were - not in any huge way but we're happy (most of the time), healthy (as far as we know) and are able to appreciate what we have rather than yearning after that which we don't. But just in case you were thinking I was going to hand over all my worldly goods and run to the nearby convent let me furnish you with some of the very definite material things that have delighted me this week.

First up I was really lucky to win a giveaway over at Handmade Jane (go over and take a look at her blog, she's just written a fascinating piece about 1950's couture but her own makes are an inspiration in themselves).

 It was this

Just the end pieces make me drool

 But the projects - my heads a buzzin'!

Thanks so much Jane!

Mr K surprised me with these

and this

a screen print from his old colleague Lauren Van Helmond - all of my favourite things!

Mum and dad returned from a trip with these tasty Canadian biscuits

 filled with the most delicious maple flavoured cream

And whilst we're on the subject this week we made a gorgeous vegetable and lentil broth with dumplings (definitely THAT time of year) but, try as I might, it was difficult to take a decent photo of it. To be honest what ever angle and what ever light I had it still ended up looking totally the opposite of  mouthwatering so, in order not to put you off your next meal here's a picture of some apple crumble instead

Yum!

Now for the stuffing. A little while ago a dear friend asked if I could make a few things for a local Christmas Fayre. Instantly my mind was whirling. That evening saw me dancing around the house looking for our old funnel, a bag of lavender I 'bought some time ago in order to do something with but never quite got around to and put somewhere safe', and cutting up a perfectly nice Laura Ashley skirt that had been on it's way back to the charity shop. The result?

Hearty hand warmers!

Spurred on by this I decided some felt flowers would be a good idea

but I quickly tired of the fiddly stitching so my mind turned to bunnies (as it often does). Another rummage in the charity bag yielded a skirt in a lovely fine needlecord. Sadly once this was stitched up it proved the 'devil itself' to stuff neatly - who'd have thought stuffing a bunny would be so stressful (feel free not to respond to this question)? After several viewings of tutorials and a grapple with a crochet hook I managed these

Not ideal and - hmmm - just a little naked?

That's better!

So - my little workshop is buzzing. My aim is to make just enough to buy the turkey but it's clear I've still got a long way to go. I've seen patterns for dachshund bookmarks, miniature teddies and Peter Pan collars. I want to make some tote bags and Christmas stockings. Candle holders? Maybe - oh and definitely some crochet snowflakes. So many ideas - so little time!

So far there's this 

I don't think I'll be ordering the home reared organic bronze just yet!

Hope you are all having good weeks - smiles if you are and hugs if you need one.

Jane 

x

P.S. Hello to those of you who have just joined me - lovely to have you here!

For the Love of a Pan

It's happened. The inevitable. I'm a grown woman with a career. I have raised two wonderful daughters and instilled in them the importance of kindness, respect and checking your clothes are the right way around. I should know better. And yet when I came across this little beauty on my Friday afternoon trawl my heart melted. It took me right back to playing kitchens when I was a gal with my little blue plastic tea set and a table full of hungry teddies (strangely the highlight of playing kitchens in those days was washing up with a miniature dish mop and a pudding basin - this enthusiasm has dwindled in latter years!) 

Let us proceed one step at a time.

Firstly this.

 A fine handle if ever there was one, and fortunately matched by another on the opposite side.

Next up is the lid. Oh what a lid.

Enamelled flowers on a sky blue base.

Inside?

Clean as a whistle (assuming you are a fastidiously clean whistle keeper).

Ready for the whole thing? Complete kit and caboodle?

Aaaaaah. Just - aaaaah.

I must admit when I first saw the pan of delight I thought it might be an ornament - perhaps something to be found on top of an old barge or, failing that, Snow White's kitchen. However I had a clue to it's origin. On the reverse side of the pan was a sticker with the manufacturers name.

'Twas a Kockums!

A quick trawl on the internet told me it was an old hand painted crock from Sweden (either that or the name of a rather large military shipyard but I prefer to stick with the former).

I have become slightly overprotective. Want to heat up some beans - not in this pan. Boil up some potatoes - I don't think so. Scrambled eggs - how dare you! This pan is only to be used for delicate and beautiful cuisine so if any of you out there can direct me as to what sort of food this might be I would be extremely grateful. Until then, if you happen to be in the area, just beware that if Mr K is making lunch you may here this echoing across the vicinity

'Get yer 'ands off me kockums!'

Jane

x

P.S. £4!