Whatever the Weather....

One minute it seems like spring, the next it is snowing.  Yes, proper snow, here in Morecambe, for on Sunday afternoon I looked out of the window and saw huge flakes of snow falling slowly down, even settling on roofs, sadly didn't last long, but the next morning it happened again.  Sadly, when the sun came out, it all disappeared.  But at least we had some.


It's still very cold, and has been extremely windy, but by the end of the week we are supposed be having a high pressure area, higher temperatures and a lot more sun, expected to last several days, so maybe by then spring really will have arrived.


I've had an email back from 'Contact the Elderly' to thank me for offering to volunteer.  Not even sure I'm up to doing much (if anything) but will give it my best shot.  Should be contacted by one of their representatives shortly.


Hadn't heard about kidney's being bad for gout Juhli, but as I don't like them anyway, easy enough to avoid. 


It's interesting how some pills that help to prevent gout seem to work for several readers, but not for Les.  Maybe it's a man thing.
Am sure our pharmacist will point me in the direction of what I could take, they are very good at letting me know I can't have certain pills (such as Ibruprofen etc) as they clash with the medication I take regularly.  We are getting quite a few 'flyers' through the door, and see ads on TV re using the pharmacy for general queries instead of cluttering up the waiting room in GP's surgeries.


CTMOM's comment on keeping hens (again) has tempted me to consider doing this.  As readers know I've always wanted to do so, but B wouldn't let me.  Trouble is, could I cope with them on my 'bad days'?  Yet I really do want a pet of some sort.  Perhaps I should keep one or two guinea pigs again, I used to love these little animals, and they do 'talk' to us.  My favourite ones used to toddle across the room and sit on my feet, to be lifted onto my lap for a cuddle.


Am, Granny G,  very impressed with the Big Painting Challenge, am nowhere in their league, as unfortunately my style of painting is very exact/accurate, rather like the Dutch artists.  Give me a photo and I'll give you a picture that resembles it to the last 'pixel'.  Not too bad at still life, and so I might try painting some 'edibles', rather than landscapes, people etc....


Don't forget that cooking and sewing are also skills, and can be very creative.  Suppose you could call 'artistic' being the icing on the cake sort of thing. 


Had heard that cherries are good for gout Eileen.  In fact bought several packs of dried cherries for my once S.I.L, am sure I have a pack in my own larder.   Think I will buy a couple of cherry trees that can be planted either on the patio or in the garden this spring, but keep them netted or the birds will eat the fruit.


The sun is shining, yet I see it is also snowing, or perhaps hailing.  It won't last.


Yesterday spent a happy hour in the larder clearing out all the tins/packs of 'dry goods' that I am unlikely to use.  Most of them still just within 'b/b/date'.   The others slightly past it, but being 'b.b' and not 'use-by' am sure are still OK.  All had been bought to serve to B and of no interest to me, so am hoping my daughter can use some at least.  They do not have enough 'dates' left on them to be given to the FoodBank (they only accept those that have at least 3 month's b/b/ date left on them).


After writing up the recipe yesterday (using left-over sarnies), saw a recipe where cheese sarnies could be dipped in the egg, then laid on top of a savoury filling (in that instance it was baked beans and sausages I think) to be baked in the oven until crisp on top. Even without the bangers and beans, the cheese sarnies alone could be cut into triangles to fill a dish, then egg and milk poured over to make a savoury 'bread and butter pudding'.  It doesn't take much imagination to think of this as a type of 'lasagne', but using tomato sandwiches, the bread taking the place of pasta, with a cheese sauce poured over with a sprinkling of grated cheese, then crisped in the oven (or under the grill).


My thoughts still keep going to Kathryn's forthcoming move (am SO envious), with my imagination putting myself into a similar situation where I would certainly hope to have enough land to have a big greenhouse and some of those plastic 'tunnels' where some produce could be grown throughout the year.  On some TV progs I've seen owners move their chickens into these 'tunnels' for the winter, so they can help fertilise the land within, and also give them room to run around under cover in the colder and wetter weather (protect from foxes).


With me, everything would have to be almost instant, so my small orchard would have been planted, giving enough blooms (pollinated by the bees from the hives beneath) to give loads of perfect fruit. A couple of sheep would keep the grass down beneath the trees so no need to mow.  The sun would shine during the day, rain would fall at night, enough protection from wind, and a good stream running through the land, with maybe a small lake that will also hold fish. My idea of heaven I suppose (that includes enough 'helpers' to do all the hard work while I sit and watch! In retrospect I think I'd have made a good farmer's wife in the old days).


Enough daydreaming, time for me to keep working through my food stores.  I need freezer space as have been asked to make several desserts for the Morecambe Sailing Club Grand Opening at the end of this month.  Much can be prepared in advance, then assembled on the day. 


Think today is Tuesday (all days are the same), so should be blogging again later this week. See you then.