What preps are you doing this week? part 2.

[Decaff]

Glad to hear it Terry T! Well done you.

[Deeps]

While getting a couple of Her Maj's Xmas pressies from Amazon I tagged a few odds and sods on the order including a couple of the Rolson pen knives recommended by Dangerman and a true utility nano light to try. I've convinced myself its what Santa would want.

Diced up the leeks I was dehydrating and after the game of foozbaal I'm watching I'll crack on with a load of carrots. Veg going out of date is great.

[Arzosah]

I slipped in a few preps at the end of John Lewis shopping, to round it up so I could get free standard delivery - it would be rude not to! Got some wax discs for jam making etc, 4 x 0.25litre Kilner jars, and a replacement gadget to help with rubbing in pastry - sort of a multiple blade lunette shape. My old one literally fell apart.

[preppingsu]

... and a replacement gadget to help with rubbing in pastry - sort of a multiple blade lunette shape. My old one literally fell apart.

Oh my goodness, my nan had one of those. I didn't know you could still get them...I'm off to have a look.

[preppingsu]

Ooo, found it

Might need to get one.
And while I was mooching I found this too...

[Decaff]

While getting a couple of Her Maj's Xmas pressies from Amazon I tagged a few odds and sods on the order including a couple of the Rolson pen knives recommended by Dangerman and a true utility nano light to try. I've convinced myself its what Santa would want.

Diced up the leeks I was dehydrating and after the game of foozbaal I'm watching I'll crack on with a load of carrots. Veg going out of date is great.

Did you Blanche the veggies first? I've found they rehydrate 100% better if blanched first.

Agree veggies are cheap when approaching their dates I've chopped up the months veggies and frozen them. I've loaded the slow cooker with the peelings of carrots, onions and celery top and leaves, added in a couple of bayleaves and a big spoon of peppercorns, thyme and rosemary, topped up to 2" from the top with water. Vegetable stock, cooking overnight on slow and will strain and can this tomorrow whilst the chicken stock is errm stocking and will can that on Tuesday.

[Deeps]

While getting a couple of Her Maj's Xmas pressies from Amazon I tagged a few odds and sods on the order including a couple of the Rolson pen knives recommended by Dangerman and a true utility nano light to try. I've convinced myself its what Santa would want.

Diced up the leeks I was dehydrating and after the game of foozbaal I'm watching I'll crack on with a load of carrots. Veg going out of date is great.

Did you Blanche the veggies first? I've found they rehydrate 100% better if blanched first.

Agree veggies are cheap when approaching their dates I've chopped up the months veggies and frozen them. I've loaded the slow cooker with the peelings of carrots, onions and celery top and leaves, added in a couple of bayleaves and a big spoon of peppercorns, thyme and rosemary, topped up to 2" from the top with water. Vegetable stock, cooking overnight on slow and will strain and can this tomorrow whilst the chicken stock is errm stocking and will can that on Tuesday.

I blanche onions and carrots but I've found I don't need to with leeks and most other veg. 3 mins for carrots (3 boiling/3 cooling) and 1 minute for the ingin's (1 and 1 again) seems to do the trick. I got distracted and haven't put the next lot on yet, probably carrots, I've got galloons although onions are running them close.

[Deeps]

Ooo, found it

image.jpg

Might need to get one.
And while I was mooching I found this too...

We got one of those butter churns, they're good fun and its handy to have/know how to do it but we've found its not particularly economic. Mucking around with the churned butter in the ice water is a pain but on the bright side the buttermilk can be used to make soda bread. You have to use whipping cream because our milk is treated so doesn't churn I believe.

[sanctuary]

Today's plans include re-stocking the cylumes in the kitchen and checking the stock of batteries and gas canisters after yesterday's power cut. I'm pleased to say that it barely affected us at all, tea was brewed on the camping stove, everyone had torches so games could carry on.

The only problem was the kids arguing over who had which colour cylume! I guess I need to get (many) more of each colour.

[Arzosah]

Glad you found it, Su! And oh my, that churner looks *amazing*!

I got the lunette-shaped thing years ago, I learned how to rub in in cookery classes at school, and I always absolutely hated getting everything under my fingernails so that thing was a godsend.

Deeps, I suppose its not economic *now* but if things went to pot, and you had your own goats or sheep or something, it might be a really handy way to keep the milk available for longer. Sounds like it takes time, but I *love* the look of it.