Month: October 2020

Hunkerdown Halloween

Hunkering down in town today. With gale force winds on the forecast it’s not a weekend to be exploring the hills. We’ve walked in with a few messages in mind.

For me it’s the ingredients that we don’t have readily available, the butchers and the whole foods store. We’ve recently subscribed to the guardian and so on waking I’m able to hit my favourite Saturday food section. This in order to broaden my skills and thinking in the kitchen. I use it as inspiration and a way to just say this is it, the choice whittled down to a few pages, what you going to make.

My favourite writers that brought me to the paper have long since moved, now it’s Rachel Roddy that brings me back. An ex pat living in Italy sharing homely recipes. Translating traditional Italian recipes, making them accessible with a writing style that inspires. A gnocchi made from semolina is on the menu tonight with a beef stew. Followed by an Almond based carrot cake.

Halloween this year is going to see me transition to a daily blogger, I’ve signed up to NanoPoblano2020.  Possibly failing at the first hurdle of day -1 as it’s supposed to be about the goal, a plan so to speak.  I have one in my head and the plan is to tackle this ……..you guessed it tomorrow.  My son is waiting for me patiently to watch the Mandalorian.

 

The #WeekendCoffeeShare is an informal weekly link-up hosted by Eclectic Alli that serves as weekly heart beat and sort of of a mind-dump. Helps me reflect on my week, with a list of achievements, thoughts and rambles normally whilst drinking a beverage probably listening to music.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It’s the weekend, I’m up early and know we haven’t much free time this morning, so in order to get lunch ready for when we get back from the messages I bang this in the oven before coffee and my ablutions. This recipe is perfect for minimal effort, rough and ready chopping, bang in the oven, tip into a pan with stock made from bouillon. Then using a hand blender, puree within an inch of it’s life and you are good to go for when you need it.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (400°F/Gas 6), whilst you prepare the veg.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 tbsp bouillon
  • butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped 2 inch chunks
  • 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped to similar size as the squash
  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered

Method:

  1. In batches place the veg in a large bowl and drizzle some of the oil over. Just looking to coat the surfaces so use a spoon to turn the veg over. I find this a good way to use less oil before tipping into a large roasting tin
  2. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes (these are hot to the uninitiated so if you are making this for kids, go sparingly or none at all)
  3. Place the roasting tin in oven and roast 35-45 minutes or until the veg is nice and soft
  4. Transfer the roasted veg to a liquidiser or a large stock/soup pan if using a hand blender and then add the stock and process until smooth

Tier 0 – Nearly Normal

Coffee and Notebook

It’s 6.15am, pitch black outside and that’s before the clocks change tomorrow. Saturday morning and I could be lying in, instead I’m keeping the bread machine company as it whirs and wobbles. I’ve gone for a peppermint tea when really I wanted a coffee, which means I can get one a little later!

The wind has got up, which will be stripping the trees of their amazing colours and I’m pondering how to face into the last 9 weeks of the year as the half term holiday comes to an end and the days become shorter and shorter.

To add into the pondering we are still in a strange kind of loch down here in the UK where it’s hard to know what is coming next instruction wise. I’m trying to stay away from the news as a way of controlling my mental state but it’s hard. There’s mention of a 5 tier system in Scotland, cited to come into place from the 2nd November and I’ve no idea what that will mean travel wise.

I can thoroughly recommend taking up podcasts or audio books and walking as solace. Getting out into the day light when you can. Movement is key and I can thoroughly recommend this podcast from Rangan Chatterjee : How to Keep Your Immune System Healthy with Dr Jenna Macciochi and The Surprising Truth About Exercise with Professor Daniel Lieberman

I hope where you are you are safe, thanks for joining me at the weekend coffee share.

How to Keep Your Immune System Healthy with Dr Jenna Macciochi

The Surprising Truth About Exercise with Professor Daniel Lieberman

 

The #WeekendCoffeeShare is an informal weekly link-up hosted by Eclectic Alli that serves as weekly heart beat and sort of of a mind-dump. Helps me reflect on my week, with a list of achievements, thoughts and rambles normally whilst drinking a beverage probably listening to music.