Sunday 11 January 2015

Eat local

Last November I bought half a Herdwick sheep from a local farmer (friend of a friend) & we are loving the taste of proper food. Reared only a few miles away. Today's dinner was slow roasted shoulder of hoggett & there's enough left for sandwiches & to put some in what t'other half is calling a cassoulet, with locally made sausages + beans & veg. That'll be tea Tuesday probably.  Not sure about tomorrow's tea, think it was going to be homemade pizza but I doubt himself will make pizza dough & I don't think we've got anything other than cheese to go on top!
I can't wait for himself to get back to work. Hopefully the operated foot will keep improving so he can do so.  I need him out from under my feet, although coming home to a cooked meal instead of having to start making one is pretty good.  It's the rest of the evening I need me time!!
I want to make sausages again now I've got the attachment for my new Kenwood Chef. I plan to buy local pork from down the road at Sillfield Farm to make my own sausage meat. Maybe even try wild boar.
I have realised that less is more for meat.  The better ( & more local) the meat, the more it costs but the better the taste & you really don't need to eat as much.

Thursday 8 January 2015

Well here we are again

I thought I'd try to resurrect the blog.  I seem to have even less time than usual at the moment but I've Dillon managed two posts on the other blog,  Dillon - A Dobermanns tail so I have to try.
My clothes sewing has taken a serious dive but I have bought a couple of courses on Craftsy & hope to do those within the next 6 months!  I gave up the teaching as the paperwork & frankly the attitude of my last teaching observer made me despair.  I don't see how a class of mainly beginner sewists should be expected to help one another with a new task (ie putting in a zip) while I do paperwork.  Surely as the teacher it is my job to teach.  So a difference of opinion was the final straw.  My students backed me all the way.  They were a lovely group of ladies & I hope I have inspired them to continue sewing.
I do knit although that too is on the back burner until the lighter nights as the current pair of socks is a darker yarn that my eyes do not like in artificial light. 
My other half is recovering from an operation on his foot & pardon the pun but he is under my feet while I am in the house.  Not much longer hopefully before he is back at work.  I work full time & getting up earlier to walk the dog combined with taking him out last thing at night is beginning to tell.

I love the photo below of my beloved Dad who died nearly 14 years ago.  That's my daughter with him - she's now coming up 27!
Dear son has left school & started a college course, but has managed to fail his English GCSE a second time & he really needs a C not the D he managed again or next year will be a difficult one for him & therefore us by default!