Thankless Task

I’m probably no different to most housewives when I say this and I’m sure mothers will say it only gets worse when you have children, but trying to keep your family happy is sometimes a bloody thankless task. That morning: …

Update for Hubby – includes top tip on preserving chillies for future use, as requested.

ahumblehousewife

As the weekly shop cripples more families and fuel bills continue to rise, where possible housewives are having to look for new areas to save a few pennies. Funnily enough, it’s reverting back to grandma’s cook book.

This is how to be leftover savvy (and I’ll keep updating this as I discover more tips . . . so check back when you have a moment)

Leftover: Roast Chicken

The options for this are endless. Firstly. Straight after your roast dinner, don’t be throwing away that carcass. Instead turn it into stock or a filling, wholesome Chicken Broth.

The leftover meat can be a wonderful addition to weekday lunchboxes in sandwiches or salads. Knock up the perfect 10 minute monday night tea: Thai green stir fry with noodles – our favourite is Sainsbury’s stir fry sauce, meaning you can feed 2 for £2.50. Or how about a classic chicken risotto

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Anniversaries

This year is our first wedding anniversary.  So much so, it needs to be a good one.  Luckily it also coincides with May Bank Holiday so we will probably do something nice, plus our wedding venue was also an English Heritage site so we’ll be calling in there on the Sunday before for afternoon tea, a stroll in the grounds and a reminice with the wedding organiser Carol.  But when it comes to gifts.  What is suitable?  In the same month I also have Andy’s birthday so I have double bubble in a period of a couple of weeks . . . I need some ideas.

Being a traditionalist, I’m thinking it will be nice to keep to the “list.”  Year after year, I will therefore try to think of an item which relates to the following. . . first year being – Paper!  Oh dear. 

	British	American	Modern	Gemstones
1st	Paper	Paper	Clocks	Gold
2nd	Cotton	Cotton	China	Garnet
3rd	Leather	Leather	Crystal, Glass	Pearl
4th	Jewellery	Fruit	Appliances	Blue Topaz
5th	Wood	Wood	Silverware	Sapphire
6th	Plate	Iron	Wood	Amethyst
7th	Wool	Wool	Desk sets	Onyx
8th	Bronze	Bronze	Linens, Lace	Tourmaline
9th	Watch	Pottery	Leather goods	Lapis Lazuli
10th	Tin	Tin	Diamond jewellery	Diamond
11th	Scent	Steel	Fashion jewellery	Turquoise
12th	Silk	Silk	Pearls	Jade
13th	Barometer	Lace	Textiles, Furs	Citrine
14th	Clock	Ivory	Gold jewellery	Opal
15th	Crystal	Crystal	Watches	Ruby
16th	Hollowware		Silver Hollowware
17th	Accessories		Furniture
18th	Coloured Gems		Porcelain
19th	Furniture		Bronze
20th	China	China	Platinum	Emerald
21st			Brass, Nickel
22nd			Copper
23rd			Silver plate
24th			Musical instruments
25th	Silver	Silver	Silver	Silver Jubilee
26th			Original pictures
27th			Sculpture
28th			Orchids
29th			Furniture
30th	Pearl	Pearl	Diamond	Pearl Jubilee
31st			Timepieces
32nd
33rd			Amethyst
34th			Opal
35th	Jade	Coral	Emerald
36th			Bone china
37th			Alabaster
38th			Beryl, Tourmaline
39th			Lace
40th	Ruby	Ruby	Ruby	Ruby
41st			Land
42nd
43rd			Travel
44th			Groceries
45th	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire
46th			poetry
47th			Books
48th			Optical
49th			Luxuries
50th	Gold	Gold	Gold	Gold
55th	Emerald	Emerald	Emerald
60th	Diamond		Diamond	Diamond
65th	Star Sapphire
70th	Platinum	Diamond		Diamonds
75th	Gold or Diamond	Diamonds
80th			Diamond, Pearl
85th			Diamond, Sapphire
90th			Diamond, Emerald
95th			Diamond, Ruby
100th			10-carat Diamond

My Bouquet (Photo by Simon Carr Photography)

And, just in case there are any fellas reading, here’s a list of the flowers you should consider buying, although I personally think it would be nice to buy your wife flowers that were featured in her bouquet – just a little hint there for you Andy (Avalanche Roses, Daisies and Lily of the Valley if you’re wondering by Lily and May!)

Year	Flower
1st	Carnation
2nd	Lily of the valley
3rd	Sunflower
4th	Hydrangea
5th	Daisy
6th	Calla
7th	Freesia
8th	Lilac
9th	Bird of paradise
10th	Daffodil
11th	Tulip
12th	Peony
13th	Chrysanthemum
14th	Dahlia
15th	Rose
20th	Aster
25th	Iris
28th	Orchid
30th	Lily
40th	Gladiolus
50th	Yellow rose, violet

The Dairy Book of British Food

Just a quick dedication to a recipe book that is like an institution in the UK. I adore it’s retro photos, it’s warmth, it’s old fashioned charm.  Apparently housewives used to collect vouchers from the milkmen to buy this book.  Old School!

I wouldn’t dream of making some of the dishes in here as they are so old fashioned and we just don’t eat like that anymore – some I’ve never even heard of before – Tea Cream, Damask Cream, Boodles Orange Fool, Teviotdale Pie, Cullen Skink . . . . But some others are simply classic and should be part of every British family’s staple diet.

Quick book description
Introducing cooking from all over the British Isles, this book contains over 400 recipes and concentrates on recipes that make the best use of British produce. The book explains local ingredients and lists annual food fairs and festivals, as well as listing the recipes.

OVER 400 BRITISH RECIPES FOR EVERY OCCASION

Available second hand from Amazon

ahumblehousewife’s favourite recipes:

• Dorset Jugged Steak
• Beef in stout
• Pan Haggerty
• Glazed Shallots (side dish)
• Norfolk turkey breast with asparagus (a hubby fave)

“Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers.”

This is the month I have been looking forward to since the clock struck 12 on December 31st.

We have our first wedding anniversary, hubby’s birthday, hopefully some sunshine in between to do some gardening and then off on holiday which we have waited all year for – we really do need a break!

 

Wedding Photography – Simon Carr

I’m really looking forward to our first anniversary.  As our anniversary falls on the bank holiday, we have booked a small French restaurant in Leigh-on-Sea. We have often walked past and thought we must give it a try but it’s always closed so wrote it off. Alas, as I searched the internet high and low looking for that special place to spend our first anniversary, I found “La Belle Epoque” had a healthy selection of really positive reviews on Trip Advisor. Which answered my question as to why they don’t have a menu displayed in their window – typically french and hinting they must use seasonal fresh produce, they change it every week. So, immediately got on the blower and booked a table for two.

Now, in my old age I don’t get that excited about much anymore, but the thought that we are about to discover a culinary delight on our doorstep makes me tingle. Some people search for that pub they can call their local. I, on the other hand, have searched for that perfect restaurant where I have a “normal table” and the owner/come chef says as I walk in “oh Claire we have a new bottle of … you must try which goes beautifully with such and such dish or cheese”. Oh please let this be the one! It could make my year!  (Oh my god I’m pathetic)

Apart from that I’m going to be cooking lots, practicing my cake decorating skills, going to write an inventory for all our boxes of bits so we can actually find stuff, actually do the garden (which the rain in april seemed intent on stopping) and try to get organised. Yes, still trying!

May . . . Busy, busy, but great.

 

Dates to note in May:

May 7-14 – National Dougnut Week

Technically this is a charity event, however, in memory of the fatty within, I partake in a few – KrispyKreme anyone?

 

May 15-22 – British Sandwich Week

Any excuse to make a club sandwich and I’m there!  I’ll research some immense ones and post a few favourites, plus some photos of my own which I intend to constitute a tower of meat and cheese! 

May 29 – Oak Apple Day

Umm . . . looked it up on Wikipedia.  Not much to say about it, just thought is sounded more intriguing than it actually is!

“Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers.” –   Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557