plenty to choose from
I was planning to spend this weekend doing crafty things, but Friday morning dawned bright and sunny and I decided that it was an ideal time to take a trip to Newcastle Emlyn to buy cheap fruit and vegetables. I’ve written previously about the stall that appears early every Friday morning, and the bargains to be had. I visited a few weeks ago, but I wanted to take advantage of the summer produce once again… especially now I have those new cupboards to fill. So, I bought boxes of tomatoes, mushrooms, nectarines and pineapples as well as a small sack of onions; I added a couple of bunches of carrots, a cauliflower and some garlic to my haul and this is what the back of my car looked like for the trip home:
no chance of those tomatoes and nectarines escaping!
That was Friday morning and since then I have spent most of my time in the kitchen chopping and peeling, roasting and milling, boiling and bottling. I’ve used most of my purchases, as well as veg from the garden and limery.
And now I have bottles and bottles of passata, pineapple and nectarines, a big pot of vegetable Bolognese sauce and another (almost – it’s actually still cooking as I write this) of courgette and carrot soup. I’m going to freeze the latter two in portions as I need to keep the rest of my bottles for apples later in the season.
And now I need a good long sit down. Have you had a busy weekend too?
The Snail of Happiness 
katechiconi
/ August 20, 2017I should just about think you do need a sit down. I hope there’s a large and now empty glass in your hand too! What did you do with the mushrooms, by the way?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017Some of the mushrooms went into the Bolognese-type sauce, but I have kept some to use later this week…. I really fancy lovely buttery garlic mushrooms and Mr Snail has been muttering about pizza. I have bottled them in the past, but they go a bit rubbery.
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katechiconi
/ August 20, 2017I was thinking maybe mushroom ketchup…
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017oh, now that’s a good idea… I hadn’t thought of that
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katechiconi
/ August 20, 2017😛
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iamsimplyhooked
/ August 20, 2017Wow that is a power of work that you have done. I see the new shelves are filling up nicely too.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017yes… in some of the gaps between cooking, I carried all the books back into the kitchen… I’m pretty sure I’ve missed a few, but at least most of them are in the right place (although in need of rearranging)
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thecontentedcrafter
/ August 20, 2017I’d be having a glass of wine and a wee lie down for a week or two after that! Now those shelves are looking really good! I never preserved pineapples – I am most curious what you do with them……..?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017The pineapples are preserved in a very light syrup and they can be eaten as they are. I thought that they might make my breakfasts a bit more tropical over the winter!!
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Murtagh's Meadow
/ August 20, 2017You have been very busy:-)
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017It really wasn’t how I was going to spend the weekend, but I’m pleased that I did!
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Wild Daffodil
/ August 20, 2017Very impressive!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017So, we had Bolognese for dinner as I just couldn’t face any more cooking! And now there are seven more double portions cooling ready for freezing, along with eight double portions of soup. Fortunately we are going out for lunch tomorrow. so I won’t have to cook until Tuesday!!
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Moke
/ August 20, 2017All looks yummy and satisfying. Mokex
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017I’m very pleased with the results… just worn out!
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Plantsandbeyond
/ August 20, 2017Oh my – that production made me hungry 😉 looks like you had a super weekend
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 20, 2017… although I’m worn out now!
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Plantsandbeyond
/ August 20, 2017I bet ! So much energy is invested . Plus standing on your feet
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peggycooperquilts
/ August 20, 2017You will really enjoy all that work this winter when eating all that lovely canned food. Great job.
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Annie
/ August 20, 2017I’m impressed. I wish I had the same enjoyment of cooking, let alone the skill. 🙂
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MrsCraft
/ August 20, 2017Great bargains! I still need to make that chutney…
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katythenightowl
/ August 21, 2017I’m amazed at the sheer volume of work you achieved over the weekend, and totally agree that you need the treat of lunch out later on today 🙂
Your shelves are looking wonderful with all those books – and filled food jars – on them 🙂
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quietwatercraft
/ August 21, 2017Ohh batch cooking is so satisfying! You must be feeling super productive now 🙂
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Laurie Graves
/ August 21, 2017Lovely, lovely, lovely! I bet you need a sit-down.
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painterwrite
/ August 22, 2017Wow! That’s an impressive amount of cooking. You were probably dead on your feet, but I imagine you are glad to have it finished up. And at least you only had to clean the kitchen once!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 22, 2017Mr Snail does all the washing up, but really dislikes washing the passata mill and so he was delighted when I told him that this might be its only outing this year!
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painterwrite
/ August 25, 2017Mr Husband and I also have an agreement that if I cook, he cleans up. Some nights, he regrets making that agreement!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 26, 2017yes, I think it’s the same here… Mr Snail even clears up if we’ve have take-out!
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painterwrite
/ August 26, 2017What a deal!!
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Born To Organize
/ August 24, 2017What fun to see your new counter and shelves being put to use. Do you wonder how you managed all this time without a cabinet? I’m so impressed with the volume of bottles and jars.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ August 24, 2017I have to say that having lugged the cookery books around the house a couple of times now, I’m amazed the old shelves stayed on the wall as long as they did! I am loving putting all my cheese-making and preserving supplies in the new, capacious cupboards. Next job is to rearrange the other cupboards now there’s a bit more free space.
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Born To Organize
/ August 27, 2017Don’t you just love having extra space? It’s freeing in many ways when you don’t have to cram things in and then pull them all out while searching for what you need. When I work with organizing clients and help people rid themselves of outdated spices, duplicate kitchen tools, and the like, they always feel better. Less is more! I *love* your cabinets.
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