BLUEBERRY & CHERRY MUFFINS

Very impressed with Wills muffin making - Well done lad!

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LUNCH TODAY......

TOASTED MUSHROOMS WITH CHEESE

What to eat? Some days, you really need something more than just a sandwich!

Fortunately working next to the Aga today so threw in a few large mushrooms with some emmental cheese. 

Handful of salad on the side, lovely. 

A large glass of white would of finished it off nicely had I not been a work!

CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICKEN....

Six lovely little hens with fuffy bwown feaverz!

And a great hen house to protect them from Mr Foxy, hopefully....

First day, first lady on her way down to explore her new home

Looking forward to our first egg!

OXTAIL STEW WITH STILTON DUMPLINGS

Warming and comforting, you just can't beat a meaty stew on a cold winters day and oxtail is a tasty alternative to the regular beef steak.

The great thing about stews and casseroles is that you can make them the night before to warm through the next day or even pop in the slow cooker before work for a welcome return in the evening. 

 Oxtail Stew                                 (Serves 8)

2kg Oxtail

20 small onions or 4 large cut into quarters

3/4 bay leaves

1tbsp flour

1/4 dried red chilli, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bottle of red wine

Season to taste

 

Brown off the oxtail in a large frying pan.  Transfer into a large casserole dish with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven.  Brown off the onions with the bay leaves, garlic and chilli, take off heat and stir in the flour before putting in the pot with the oxtail.

Deglaze the frying pan with the wine (scrape off all the crispy meaty bits with a spoon whilst warming the wine through) and then pour into the pot with the oxtail and onions. Cook for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is still attached but coming away from the bone.  If your having dumplings, place on the top of the stew 35 minutes before the end, ducking under the surface a little. 

Stilton Dumplings

Use the basic dumpling mix of fat to flour but substitute fat for stilton. We used 200g self raising four, 100g stilton, pinch of salt

Crumble the stilton and add to a bowl with the flour in.  Mix together with enough cold water to bind together. Refrigerate until required.  Split into six individual dumplings, rolling into a rough ball and place on top of the stew 35 minutes before it's ready. 

Serve with vegetables of your choice - bon appetit

SATURDAY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT

Saturday nights are a firm favourite in our house for homemade pizza.  Thin and crispy with whatever topping takes our fancy (or what the contents of the fridge allows!) In this case, tomato, ham and mozzarella.

Pizza, sofa,TV, perfect!

A GRAND DAY OUT

I've been rough shooting since I was 13 and every now and again I beat for a local pheasant shoot.  It's just a small affair on a farm nearby with a great bunch of guys and their dogs!  There's a bag limit of 50 birds, so just enough for a brace each and most of the guns do their share of working.  This week was the last in the season and fortunately the the rain held off for the day.

No specially laid on lunch supplied with this one, just our own pack up (extra large!) plus a taster of the homemade wine and cakes Mr G our Italian gun brings from his bakery.

  

I've got my brace hanging and will be cooking them up this weekend.

Hmmm, what to do with them this time? 

CHICKEN RUN

Chuffed with the new hen house, on loan from our kindly neighbour. Just needs the chickens now. Watch this space!