since i blogged last i have been busy

i have now built myself a business website for the jams i make

 

 

and i must confess i took the jams on the road this last weekend aswell .. but i didnt think i wouldn't have enough jam

 

just goes to show ..even the skinflint under estimated this one, i am nearly sold out .. and making more this week 

as i have my big sale comming up at the end of october  i think i really need to make jam for the next 3 weeks in order to have enough

the jams on the website are all limited stock now . ie ... 1 jar of each left  so if your going to order any ..

 hurry before they are all gone .. there might not be the same flavours available on the next batch

so watch the web site and find a new favourite

 

OK I KNOW I HAVE BEEN A BAD BLOGGER AND I HAVE VANISHED FOR A WHILE .. SHAME ON ME I KNOW

BUT WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MY JAM SALES SHEET YOU WILL KNOW WHERE I HAVE BEEN

YOU GOT IT .. IVE BEEN CHAINED TO THE COOKER  LOL

 

IF ANYBODY WISHES TO ORDER HOMEMADE JAM FROM ME PLEASE BE ADVISED I ONLY ACCEPT CHQ'S OR POSTAL ORDERS .. PAY PAL RIPS ME OFF

PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WISH TO PLACE ANY ORDERS WITH THE FLAVOUR AND THE AMOUNT YOU WISH TO PURCHASE   .   I CAN WORK OUT POSTAGE FOR YOU .

I WILL THEN CONFIRM YOUR ORDER BY EMAIL WITH THE POSTAGE AND HOW TO PAY DETAILS . .. ANY QUESTIONS .. EMAIL ME ;)

 

FLAVOUR	SIZES	QUANTITY
PEAR /BLACKBERRY	MED - £1:50	2
BLACKBERRY / ELDERBERRY	LARGE - £2:00	2
	MED - £1:50	5
	SMALL - £1.00	1
	FAMILY - £3.00	1
ELDERBERRY	LARGE - £2:00	2
	MED - £1:50	7
	SMALL - £1:00	3
BLACKBERRY	MED - £1.50	5
MIXED FRIUT (RUNNY)	MED - £1.50	2
MIXED FRUIT (NORMAL SET)	LARGE - £2.00	2
	MED - £1.50	1
PLUM	LARGE - £2.00	1
	MED - £1.50	1
GOOSEBERRY	LARGE - £2.00	1
	MED - £1.50	1
PEACH AND APPLE	LARGE - £2.00	1
	MED - £1.50	1
STRAWBERRY	FAMILY - £3.00	1
	LARGE - £2.00	2
	MED - £1.50	3
	SMALL - £1.00	1
RHUBARB	MED - £1.50	2
BLACKCURRANT AND TAYBERRY	MED - £1.50	1
LEMON MARMALADE	LARGE - £2.00	1
	MED - £1.50	7
ORANGE MARMALADE	FAMILY  - £2.50	2
	LARGE - £2.00	2
	MED - £1.50	3
ONION AND RED WINE CHUTNEY	LARGE - £3.50	1
	MED - £2.50	4
	SMALL - £2.00	2
PEACH SPICED CHUTNEY	MED - £2.50	4

 

THANKS FOR LOOKING AT THIS BLOG .. HOPE YOU ALL LIKE HOMEMADE JAMS  ;)

 

 as many people will know already ..i had a cake sale 2 weekends ago ...small affair not much to shout about .. but a very nice day out

today we were supposed to be doing a carboot to get rid of the junk and add cash to the wedding fund ..... instead we bought a breadmaker lol

hubby was so excited about the machine .. he's an engineer .. need i say more ...that it is already in full use and the first of the bread is cooking as i type!

hopefullty he will now voulenteer to help in the kitchen .. if he only bakes bread on a sunday morning .. he will still be very welcome to use my kitchen lmao

 

ok .. someone call my ambulance now cos if his bread dont kill me .. he will when he reads this ..lmao

 

hope everybodys weekend was filled with as much joy as mine was xx

this week also see's the start of the skinflints wines, we have started off the elderflower wine, later in the year we shall be doing elderberry , damson and sloe gin

in a few weeks skinflints kitchen will be starting on this years jams ready for the christmas jam hampers that we take to market they will be available for sale online too this year for the first time .... maybe thru myspace as my silly pc doesnt like the company website im trying to build ... damned machinery lol

if anyone would be interested in hedgerow jam hampers please would you let me know  they will be medium sized baskets with at least 4 different flavour jams and a pack of hand made fruit and plain scones to use the jam with the cost will be £6 per hamper . postage costs will be added later . ... pictures will be available in a few months

this week see's the start of the elderflowers crop, i already have a few in the freezer ready for next weekends picking and brewing

i have planted out my italin yard long beans and thats the veggie patch full for this year, i just hope i get something from it and not just provide a soup kitchen for the local slug patrol !

and finaly

an update on the mog v squirrel match .. mog 1 .. squirrel 0, i was presented with 1 lifeless squirrel last sunday

 now the mog knows he can win  i will be inundated with the bloody things <sigh>

foresters pie ..

for all those of you who gather your own game

 

1 pheasant

1 pigeon

1 quail

 

marinade

 

1/2 pint red wine

1/4 pint olive oil

2 dessertspoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped sage

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

pinch of salt

2 cloves of garlic

a few juniper berries

8oz mushrooms

8oz streaky bacon

1oz butter

 

hot water crust pastry

 

6floz water

4oz butter

4oz lard

1lb flour

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon salt

 

begin by boning out the birds, and place the meat in separate bowls (roast the bones to make a stock for the gravy)

make the marinade by putting all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and mix well together. share the marinade between the 3 bowls of meat and leave to marinade for as long as you have ( preferably over night)

fry the birds in 1oz of butter keeping the meat separate as before for 3-5 mins.in another pan fry the mushrooms and streaky bacon in 1oz of lard for 1-2 mins,do not over cook at this stage as the filling will be cooked further once the pastry has been applied.

 

to make the pastry

this quantity covers an 8inch pie dish or 21/2 pint pie mould

warm a mixing bowl ans seive the flour and salt into it.make a well in the centre and hide the egg in the flour.

heat the butter,lard and water gently in a pan until melted before boiling point is reached, pour into the flour and egg mixture and mix well, when the dough has cooled slightly turn out onto a floured surface and kneed until smooth,at this stage it is a good idea to wrap pastry in cling wrap and rest it for 20 mins.

 

to assemble the pie

then roll out 2/3 of the pastry to line the pie dish keeping back 1/3 to top the pie.

pack the pastry lined pie dish with the cooked meats in layers with mushrooms and chopped herbs inbetween each layer. pour over gravey made from the roasted bones ( thickend gravy is best for a moist pie, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon)water the egde of the pastry (this helps the top stick) and place the pie top onto the dish.

brush with beaten egg or milk . crimp the edge of the pie crust using fingers .dont forget a small air hole in the middle of the pie to let the steam out or the top will "pop". also decorate with pastry leaf shapes if required.

bake  at  190 oC or gas mark 5  for 30-35 mins

honey and lavender ice cream

what is better than a bowl of home made ice cream on a summers eve sat in the fading sunshine on the patio... fab!

 

any old flavours will do .. but this version is just what the chancellor would tax as a luxury item .

 

2-3 tablespoons boiling water

2 tablespoons fresh or dried lavender flowers or leaves

3 tablespoons runny honey

4 egg yolks

1 pint milk

1oz caster sugar

1 drop vanilla essence

1 pint double cream lightly whipped

 

start by making the light egg custard. beat the eggs and sugar together without making them frothy.

heat the milk until just nearly boiling and pour it gently over the eggs stirring with a whisk at the same time so not to scramble the eggs.flavour the custard with vanilla.

return custard back to pan and heat gently stiring all the time until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, (thick as pouring double cream).

leave to cool

make an infussion of lavender in 2 tablespoons of boiling water, allow it to infuse for 15 mins.remove lavender.

in a small bowl add the honey and the lavender water and gently mix together,then add this mixture to the cooled custard,add the whipped cream and transfer to a freezer box with a lid and freeze, stir every 30 mins,this stops large ice crystals forming, or if you have one .. use an ice cream machine

 

decorate with a chunk of honeycomb YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ELDERFLOWER WINE .. GO ON HAVE A GO !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I shall soon be off to pillage the hedgerows again to help stock the old larder, at this time of year it's elderflour i am after, for my elderflour wine store.

if any of you lot out there in blog land would like to join in this year and make your own i shall post the recipe in another blog, well worth a try if you like white wine.

also good to give as prezzies.

later on in the summer i shall be foraging for elderberries to make the red wine version which i am informed is like a nice port. also the berries can be used in jams and pies. yes i shall blog the recipe dont worry;)

 

if anybody would like to request a recipe before it is blogged please do ask me ..

ok enough for now

blog ya all later