Wednesday 28 August 2013

Lancashire Tart

Hello friends

I wanted to share with you my version of Lancashire Tart.  When I looked up the recipe for the tart it said layer the black pudding, bacon sausage and leeks. I thought it was too much meat and far too expensive. so this is what I did.


1/2 packet of  ready made short crust pastry
1/4 - 1/2 of black pudding skinned and cut into small pieces.
2 - 3 left over sausages cooked and cut into small pieces.
3 - 4 slices of bacon cooked and cut into small pieces (could use bacon bits/scraps)
Leeks, sautéed or onion (any variety and as much or little as you like)
Lancashire cheese, grated (or any cheese of your choice - I used Lacto free cheese)
Milk  (any - I used soya)
3 - 4 eggs depending on the size
Sliced tomatoes - optional

Pre heat the oven 140c for an electric fan oven or 160c for a non fan electric oven (sorry don't know the other temperatures for gas)

Roll out the pastry and line a Victoria sandwich tin (tip from Frugal Queen, don't need to bake blind first, also deeper). My tins are not loose bottom so I mad some strips of foil to go in the tin and over the sides so that I could lift out the quiche after cooking so that I didn't scratch them.

Next sprinkle the black pudding evenly in the bottom of the pastry case. Then do the same with the bacon, leeks, sausages and lastly sprinkle the cheese all over.

whisk the eggs with a fork then add the milk to make up to 1pint. (If you have used more filling you may need less milk. Likewise if you have used less filling you may need more milk)

Arrange the sliced tomatoes as you wish, either around the edge or maybe around the middle.

I carefully lifted it onto a baking tray and put in the over, middle shelf, for approximately 30-45 minutes or until cooked (no longer wobbles when gently shaken)

Can be served hot or cold. I preferred it hot with salad, but you can have it any way you like. How about with baked beans, it would be like having an alternative breakfast.

This quiche is a great way of using leftovers when there's not enough individual bits to go around. Could even add mushrooms.

Carolx

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Flower show

Hello friends

Did you all have a good Bank Holiday Weekend? We did. We went to stay with some friends at Alston, in Cumbria. We did some shopping in Carlisle and L came away with 3 new dresses and a pair of funk jeans. Me? a lighter purse. M went down a lead mine with J to do some photography; something they have been doing for a long time. We all went for a walk to the biggest waterfall in England, High Force. pictures are not downloaded yet.

I also wanted to tell you about last weeks Flower and Arts and Crafts show. It was a great success with lots of visitors which included the Mayor of Wyre and the Gala Queen and Prince Charming.
L had twenty four entries I had only two. I got 1st prize for my crochet blanket
 
 
L got quite a few prizes and came away with two trophies. Some pictures of her entries




 
 
 
 
The dignitaries with the Chairman of the Horticultural Society, on the right. 

The hall looking calm with the exhibits being judged before the public arrive. The hall smell wonderful with all the different blooms and foliage.                                                                  It wasn't long before I was very busy sorting out the winnings and handing them out. A very busy day for me. Now the next big job for me is to get the accounts ready for our next meeting in October.
It has taken me all day to write this post in between washing, unpacking, pegging out, more washing. Time for a home made slushy. Left over party ice crushed in the blender and poured over some orange cordial. Refreshing but watch out for brain freeze.  
Thank you for dropping by it was lovely to see you. Now for some catch up reading of your blogs. See you soon.
 
Carolx


Tuesday 13 August 2013

Party Night

Hello Friends

On Saturday we had a party. It was a late celebrations for my birthday back in June. I was 50.
We all had a great time with family and friends.  I decorated the fairy, part of the, garden with some painted bottle flowers as I was too late for any bedding plants and the seeds I planted didn't grow.

 
Made a fairy village with L's painted pebbles.

 
I got some hanging lantern tea light holders, cheap, and made some fairies to go inside (sorry there're a bit small to see I will see if I can up load an individual picture at the end) The flower garland I made for the gala float. This will have to come down and be stored for next years two galas we have to do.

 
 and then I hung up the bunting  that I knitted earlier in the year. We got the chimnea going early as there was a cool breeze.

 
 
On the other side of the garden we put up the gazebo that I made for the gala float. Again though it will have to be dismantled and stored for next year. This was put up before we had tided up this part of the garden.
 
 
 
The opening you can see in the hedge M made. It's like a secret entry to the park (no equipment, just grass) at the back of our house and we set up a couple of games for the visiting children to play with and there was space for them to run around. Later this gap will be made bigger and made into a wood store for our fire wood.
 
There are no pictures of food, sorry. However I made a beef hotpot (reduced mince) beef curry (reduced beef chunks like shin beef) with reduced sachets of curry cook in type sauce mix (spicy) they were also padded out with vegetables, sweet and sour vegetables for the vegetarians, homemade garlic bread, rice and nann bread and I'm pleased to say that there were no left overs and everyone had plenty to eat. I bought the meat over a period of time and then cooked it up and put it in the freezer to be assembled on Saturday along with the garlic bread. It made things so much easier on the day.
 
I got some lovely gifts although I did say I didn't want any because I just wanted to celebrate and spend time in their company 
 
 
The fairy in a lantern
 
 
 
 
Next Saturday is the Thornton Cleveleys Horticultural Societies annual flower and craft show where I will busy all day (I'm the treasurer) I am also entering two baby blankets and L has many entries. I will let you know how we get on next week.
 
It was lovely to see you, drop by again soon
 
Carolx

 




Wednesday 7 August 2013

Almost a Free Day Out

Hello friends

Nice to see you again.

Yesterday we decided that we would have a day out. It was almost free because we had to drive  there.

L had an appointment at Chorley Hospital to have an x-ray on her back and to see the specialist. She'd already had an MRI scan. The results were that she has a 43.1 degree curvature of her spine (the conditions is called, Scoliosis) and is now being referred to Manchester's children's hospital to see another specialist to decide on either a back brace or an operation. She is scared and apprehensive but is talking to me and asking questions and says it helps. I've been looking on the internet to see if I can find a local support group, but no luck so far.

Anyway, we decided that after driving so far (about 38-40 miles) and M taking the day off we would make the most of it, and it was a fine day. We went to Astley Hall. The gardens are open to the public so no charge and parking was free and to go around the hall was also free, donations most welcome.

We had a picnic in the walled flower and kitchen garden and decided that we would look round the Hall first then the rest of the grounds.

Wow! The Hall was amazing inside, in the entrance if you looked up to the ceiling they had the most wonderful plasterwork. It was created to impress and oh boy did it impress.. Sorry they're not very clear. 

There was a quiz for the kids. Questions about some of the rooms and they had to look out for a tulip in that room, they had to look out for objects in other rooms and right down which room it was in.


The rooms that were furnished you couldn't go beyond the doorway. Below are some more pictures. Later we went round the grounds. Lots of grassed areas and then we decided that we would walk along the river/stream (sorry no pictures was having too much fun) the water snaked this way and that way with bridges passing over the top (we played pooh sticks). It took us an hour to walk through the woods with the river. It was then time for an ice cream before making our way back to the car. We had a really great day.
view of the pond from the dining room window



Kitchen court yard
 
I would love a kitchen this big but with modern appliances


 I think it might be aperitif o'clock then time to make tea. Something with sausages and pasta I think.

It was lovely to see you again. Why not join me in a little aperitif?

Carolx


  



Farewell

I've taken some time to think this through and decided to stop blogging. I'm not getting out of it as much as I did when I first sta...