Pears poached in port..

Posted on March 14, 2021March 20, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cooking, Food, gas mark five, Ingredients, Life, Oven, pastry, Pears, poached pear, Port, shop bought pastry, simmered, TastyLeave a comment

Cooked this tonight…

Ingredients :

3 small or 2 large pears

Shop bought pastry, ready rolled

1/4 bottle of port

Double cream

1 egg yolk

Method:

Core the pears as necessary, slice into small pieces.

Simmer the pears in a pan with the port until the pears have softened and the port has reduced and almost dried up.

Place the pastry on baking parchment or grease proof paper on a baking tray.

Cut the pastry into four squares, place the diced pears in the centre of each square and then fold the pastry up around them. Brush with egg yolk to glaze.

Put in a medium to hot oven (I used gas mark 6) for twenty or twenty five minutes or until they are golden brown. I found mine had a bit of a soggy bottom.

Serve when cooled with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves four (unless you are feeling greedy!).

Rat-a-tat-cat!

Posted on March 1, 2021 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Cat flap, cat milk, Food, Indoor cats, Knocker, Life, Noise, Outdoor cat, rattling door, treats, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

I’m convinced our outdoor cat thinks the cat flap is a door knocker! When he wants to come in he rattles it (it’s locked to keep our indoor cats in and other cats, that roam the garden, out).

Tonight I was washing up and rattle – bang-rattle-tap, tap, tap! I didn’t open the door straight away so the cat flap did another bang and crash…

Then, outdoor cat scoots in, eats two pouches of food, some cat milk, some cat treats, then the emploring look ‘can I go out again?’ no doubt he will be back later….

Cat drawings

Posted on February 23, 2021 Posted in Cat, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Black and white cat, Cat, Drawings, Food, Illustration, Life, Tuxedo cat, what's for tea? Cat teapot3 Comments

Learning to illustrate means playing with different techniques. Both of these are black ink. One is just using a black calligraphy pen and the other a fine liner pen and a calligraphy pen. The top is called ‘what’s for tea?’ and the second is a tiny ‘cat teapot’.

Sandwich

Posted on February 20, 2021 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cats, cupboard top, Food, Frustrated, Life, Life in lockdown, sandwich, Very short storyLeave a comment

She asked him again not to make a sandwich on the cupboard top. The cats jump up there and you don’t know what they are leaving there! Here, use a plate?

The man shouted that she was nagging, he didn’t need a plate. She tried again, there could be viruses or bacteria, you haven’t wiped it down?

But he still wouldn’t listen. So she decided to accidentally sprinkle coffee grains and sweetner on the cupboard. At least then if he went to make a sandwich he might use a plate? But no, he didn’t but at least he wiped the cupboard down!

Strawberries and cream

Posted on February 14, 2021February 14, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cream, Food, Fresh, Fruit, Life, Photo, Plants, Strawberries and cream, Strawberry, Summer1 Comment

Looking for comfort food, I’ve got strawberries in the fridge but no cream. I’m going to get some tomorrow. I want something fresh and summery to remind me summer is going to arrive, that picnics might happen again. That I can visit the park again with friends one day. That life can be restored.. All that in a bowl of strawberries and cream….

Thai takeaway

Posted on February 3, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cash only, collect only, Duck, Food, king prawns, Sawadee Thai taste in Stoke, squid, Takeaway, Thai red, Thai yellowLeave a comment

After a long walk I decided to get a Thai takeaway. Mine was a red curry with duck. I had a small amount of special fried rice and stole a few of the King prawns and squid from my hubby’s yellow curry because he had had most of the rice. It was really tasty!

From Sawadee Thai Taste in Stoke….

Mooching

Posted on January 25, 2021 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Food, Hooman, how it is, Indoor cats, Outdoor cat, Paws, Purring, Relaxed, Sleep, Trust, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

Where do I go? Where do I fit in? I’m twice as big as your other two cats hooman and yet they are my bosses! They sniff me and check me out. But if I sniff back they don’t like it. Sometimes I raise my paw to say no. But you tell me off hooman.

I sleep on your bed now cos I sort of trust you. And sometimes I sneak up on your chair or climb on your chest. Then I tuck my paws under to keep warm. You tickle my chin and I stretch a paw out to touch your hand and reassure myself. Tonight I’m sitting between you and the other hooman. I’m purring but still a bit nervous. Will you be going to bed soon? I’ll sit between you but if the other hooman with the big heavy paws strokes me too hard I will get off and go back outside for an hour. You are gentle and don’t bother me. But if you don’t love me enough I will get up and go out again… Decisions…. But first, a snack…

Food

Posted on January 24, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Apple, Art, Banana, Burleigh, Calico, Food, Life, Pottery, Prompt, SketchingLeave a comment

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was food so I chose to draw some fruit on a calico pattern Burleigh plate. As I’m not feeling like cooking this was the easiest option….

Fish and chips

Posted on January 22, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Chips, Drawing, Fish, Fish and chips, Food, Hot food, Sketching, Takeaway2 Comments

I didn’t feel well so my hubby’s gone out to get a fish supper. Here’s my imagined version. Ignore the splodges that’s from a drawing on the previous page where permanent marker bled through….

Half made trifle

Posted on January 21, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blancmange, Blueberries, Cream, Food, Jelly, Taste, Trifle1 Comment

Made another trifle today, I used sugar free jelly (not jam) which I added blueberries to with a small amount of port. Then topped with strawberry blancmange. Now it needs a topping of whipped cream… Yum!

I think it’s the cold weather and boredom that has drawn me to making my favourite dessert. The trick is to let the jelly cool and set before you add the topping of blancmange, and to let that cool before you add it to the jelly so it doesn’t melt it. Plus I add slightly less liquid to each bit so I know it will thicken properly.

Tasty.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Food