Things Doing Around My Home

Simmering Apple and Onion Chutney.

Beetroot Chutney, made with beets from my garden.  For this chutney you add a little flour to thicken it.

Apple and onion chutney after cooking for a while, you have prunes in here and this dark rich colour comes out.

I am going to have a go at my very favourite British chutney, Branston Pickle.  I've come across some recipes on line for it, so I'm going to give it a go.  Branston Pickle is lovely in a cheese sandwich or with cheese and crackers.

A little bouquet of flowers from Jean, which I rearranged took out the dead flowers and added a couple more from the garden, it's amazing how long you can make a posy last.  I just love a little bunch of flowers around it gives you such joy.

Some dried flowers from my garden in a thrifted vase from the UK.  No I'm not going to paint my windows, I love that it shows the sanded down generations of paint.  That pale green colour was very popular when this house was built in the twenties.

A door friend took this photo while we were out kayaking a few weeks ago and presented it framed to us, what a lovely surprise.  I love the reflection in the water and the bridge in the background.

A tomato from my garden named Ox Heart and isn't the shape very heart like?

Mr B. made this pie tonight, Shrimp Creole Casserole.  It's delicious, he substituted couscous for rice and fresh tomatoes for tinned.  Just right on a windy, rainy night.

Shrimp Creole Casserole

Short crust pastry for top
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup green pepper
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 can (16 oz) tomatoes cut up (we used fresh tomatoes from the garden)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme crushed
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 ounces shrimp shelled and deveined (we used the whole bag of 1 lb)
1 cup rice (we used couscous)

Make pie crust (or use a pie crust shell)
Cook onion, pepper, celery and garlic in butter until tender, not brown
Add undrained tomatoes and tomato sauce, Worcestershire, salt and thyme
Cover and simmer ten minutes
Blend water and cornstarch
Add to tomato mixture, stir until mixture thickens and bubbles
Stir in shrimp and rice (couscous, in fact I think it's preferable)
Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole
Cover with pie crust on top of filling, crimp edge to lip of dish
Cut vents slits in top for steam to escape
Cook at 425 f oven, 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is brown

 This is a nice pie style casserole and tasty.

Christy

P.S. Did I say it was our anniversary today, 32 years.  I don't know where it's gone. Mr B. surprised me with a lovely bracelet.  Will have to post pics.  In beautiful shades of green.  I am thinking I have just the right Victorian curtain weight beads to make a necklace to compliment it.  Will rummage around for those.