Day 3 of the lockdown is both warm and sunny. The last of my post-holiday laundry was out on the line before I walked the dog and was taken in when we returned. We have no fire lit again and all of the doors and windows are open to admit the warm air. It is so pleasant to be able to do this with no traffic passing by! I walked through a carpet of yellow
Category: Crooked Kitchen
Full of Beans
My friend, Roz Cawley, hosts a most interesting and well-written blog – and has done so for a very long time. She has a worldwide following from many lovely and interesting readers. Each August, Roz makes daily posts under the heading of A Month in the Country, where you may join her at her wonderful and ancient Autumn Cottage to read about her life there and possibly comment or return to your own little corner
Rapidly moving on…
I said in my last post that (amongst others) one of the things that I needed to add to the house was a living room rug. Tick that one. I gave much consideration to the rug; whether to buy something that I really love or something cheap and cheerful to make-do with. Make-do won. So long as we have a muddy Border Collie coming and going, it makes little sense to buy something precious. She
Another Anniversary
Oh, dear, I do not do well with these resolutions to keep matters up to date, do I? When last I wrote here, it was a year since we first viewed the property – and made the immediate decision to commit to buying. Today presents another 1 year Anniversary, as it is 12 months since we actually took possession of the keys and moved in. Initially we only rented but we do tend to count
A little shopping trip
We had to visit Limoges today to buy a spare part from a motorhome dealer. To make the journey worthwhile we did of course have to visit Grand Frais too but not before we called in at Gamm Vert. We were in search of a cat harness and in France it appears that the easiest way to find pet supplies is to visit a garden centre. Well, what a surprise – Gamm Vert is so
Those sausages
Those Thai sausages that I mentioned earlier? Well, they did not appear promising when unwrapped. However, they smelled fine and we elected to forge ahead. I popped them into the Air Fryer after Googling and establishing a guide of 180C for 15 minutes. No added fat and no pricking. After 5 minutes they were looking far more appealing, plump and juicy. After 10 minutes they had shrunk considerably. I thought perhaps enough was enough. In
It’s a blue one
We have been having a rare day today, cool, cloudy and just a little damp. I have been taking advantage of increased energy levels to rearrange the mess in the house and to clear up some kitchen leftovers. The Crooked Man and the Not-so-crooked-cat have been out to visit the vet. The vet agrees with us that Dusty is probably around 3 months old, perhaps a little less. Old enough anyway to have his injections
Just imagine
Imagine, if you will, a small village in South West France. Scarcely more than a hamlet, just a farm and a few houses. It sits astride a quiet Departmental road.
Yesterday, had you been driving along that D road you might have thought it a ghost village as you passed by. Doors closed, not a soul about. …
Definitely a Thing
I need to report that Beetroot with Raspberry Vinegar is definitely A Thing. Over here it is rare to find raw beetroot. It mostly comes ready boiled, though not pre-packed. This is a bit of a shame as I do enjoy my beetroot roasted. However, it is highly convenient to be able to pick up a ready boiled beet and just skin and chop it for a salad. Tonight I conducted further experiments with the
Burrata
I am exceedingly peeved that the photographs that I took of our beautiful supper are somehow not on my camera card. These wonderful tomatoes from Grand Frais were paired with a Burrata cheese from the same source. It was our first Burrata but it certainly will not be our last. In a simple salad with tomatoes and basil, drizzled with good olive oil and Balsamic vinegar, and served with a crusty bread – it was