Chilli jam on the cheap

Evening all.

Hope you are all safe and well big hugs to all of you affected by the storm today.

We have just had sunshine and heavy showers up on the hill.
 

As it's now half term -yay! I have lots of making and doing planned (in fact we have been at it already) anyhoo the boys are off at Twiglet's swimming lesson so I thought I'd make some thrifty chilli jam for Chritmas pressies to go with the  beetroot chutney.

So eyes down, look in, this is Sarah Raven's fab recipe, but I've Twiggyfied it in a very lazy way.

The recipe I've listed for you is to make roughly 3 jars of chilli jam but I multiplied everything by 3 for my batch.

Here goes - take 500 g of tomatoes (I went to Huddersfield market on Saturday and got two 1kg bags for a £1 each - bargainous and not a yucky one)

4 garlic cloves (mine were dished out of bottom of veg drawer)

4 large  red chillies (market lady didn't have any so bought a bag of 4 for 50p from Morrisons - also fished some dried ones out of back of cupboard but upon tasting, didn't need them.

6cm - 7cm fresh ginger (got a huge lump of it from lovely market lady for 20p!!) or could have used some of this lazy ginger that I bought form Morrisons reduced from £1.99 to 28p !!!

300g golden caster sugar - I rummaged in baking cupboard and used a bit of ordinary caster sugar I had left and made it up with granulated sugar.

2 tablespoons fish sauce (see below bottle from Morrisons for 59p)

100ml red wine vinegar - see below, 59p from Morrisons (bottle is 250ml)

 

Blitz tomatoes, garlic, chillies and ginger in your old Kenwood Chefette - or whatever you have!! I realise photo is sideways:)

 

Slap it in your old jam pan you got off Freecycle years ago - or whatever you may have -

add fish sauce, sugar and vinegar, bring to boil slowly.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 - 40 minutes until it looks like this, much darker and stickier, decant into sterilised jars and  there you have it!!

 Not only is it delish, cooking it also cleared my blocked sinuses like it did last time :)

I also bought this 1 kg bag of sweet pointed peppers for a quid from Huddersfield Market - I am definitely going there again soon - I pay 89p for 2 of these from Aldi - Twiglet loves them.

I've now got a huge bag of apples to get through, peeling and cooking but they can wait until tomorrow !!

Hope you enjoy the recipe

love

Twiggy x

Is it too early for Christmas doings? and a giveaway

As you can see I'm not at work today, still itchy and unable to wear a bra which I'm sure would count as a safeguarding issue in school, the children would be traumatised :)

It seems the Headteacher has also caught shingles, however, he doesn't wear a bra so should be ok, poor chap!!

Anyhoo I've had to do a fair bit of real life stuff this week, we put the house back on the market yesterday.

I've  spent most of today on the sofa looking at the crafting loveliness that is Foksy & Etsy , adding to my favourite lists and nicking ideas, I mean taking inspiration.

My thoughts have turned to Christmas crafting and here are some of my favourite books.

This first Kirsty one is so pretty that I bought one for me and one for my pal's birthday, a snip at £6.99 from the Book People.  

There are some very pretty projects in it.

I really do like Kirstie Allsop, her relentless optimism and jolly outlook is very like able, yes I know she's posh and worth a mint but I do love her enthusiam.  To be honest I wouldn't have paid the RRP of £20 but it's certainly worth the price I paid.

I  just look at the photos in this one, but it is very pretty.

Same goes for this one if I'm completely honest.

However, this one has a couple of projects I aim to try this year, they involve paper and old food tins!!

Watch this space.

My perusal of Folksy inspired me to decide to make Twiglet's teachers Chrimbo gifts this year, so have a look at this pile of fabric and let me know your favourite two  patterns.

I'm not telling you what I'm making but if Twiglet chooses your name, I'll send you one and a little parcel of unidentified  loveliness (that's right, no idea what yet)

Have a jolly weekend.

Twiggy x

Urgh! Shingles !!

Hello on this dreary and wet Wednesday.

Here are some jolly photos from when we went to Clumber Park the first weekend in October - see it was lovely and sunny then (we really have had some lovely weather).

Well as the title says, I've felt grotty for a week or so, so dragged my old carcass to the doctors, thinking I had a bad cold and an allergic rash, but have in fact got shingles !!

Urgh!!  unsurprising, I suppose, a child at school came in a few weeks ago after having them, with assurances from his parents he wasn't infectious, we've since had 8 cases of chickenpox, numerous unidentified rashes, general lurgy and my diagnosis of shingles - super !!

Anyhoo, on to more entertaining subjects, did you watch the Bake  Off last night?  Ooo I will miss it, after next week, I hope Frances wins, I really do like her style.

We hibernated last weekend as the weather was grim and I felt pants, look at this gorgeous fish pie Mr Twigs made, it was lush - clever boy !!

In other news, we have been doing a lot of digging, chopping, freezing during the grim weather.

We have a HUGE sack of tasty spuds in the porch and have been bartering with the neighbours.  

They gave me a bag of apples , so I used up our wrinkly beetroot, got the trusty jam pan out and made a load of beetroot chutney. 

 It is soooooo tasty, if you want the recipe, let me know and I'll blog it.

 Yum, some for us and some for Christmas  gifts.

 I'll leave you with a photo of a very cute boy and a crazy lady, who appears to be stalking him.

Keep warm and shingle free.

Love

Twiggy x

It's the most wonderful time of the year............

As you know this  is my favourite time of the year.

 Yes Summer was fun but I love dark,early nights when we can shut the curtains and get cosy under a blanket, after a day of Autumn walks and baking and doing, nesting for Winter.

Strictly and Downton are back on telly and I've dusted off my cross stitch - what's not to like.

We have been very busy recently hence the break in transmission, I've been working over time at school and we have been getting the house ship shape as it's going back on the market in the next few weeks.

So in between work, Cubs (can you believe Twiglet is now a grown up Cub), after school clubs, decorating, fixing cars - don't ask and lots of other stuff, we've been harvesting LOTS of stuff from the lottie.

Honestly compared to the horrors of our old lottie, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

We had a trip to sunny Bridlington last weekend - you can't beat September sun and although I went in the sea, even I thought it too cold to swim, so Winter must be coming - you know me, paddling in February !!

 I'm a great believer in all things come to those who wait and I've been after a cake stand for 2 years.

 It had to be sturdy and not £30 - it's only a cake stand for goodness sake.

Anyhoo, I popped into Sainsburys last week for some medicine for Twiglet and saw this beauty, A red Mason Cash cake stand reduced by 70% to £4.80 !!  Hooray!!

As you can see, I then had to get my Mary Berry book out and make a HUGE cake, which was very tasty indeed - though not elegant, admittedly.

I am thoroughly enjoying The Great British Bake Off this year, are you watching?

Like Mother, like Son, I have passed my drawing faces on vegetables baton to Twiglet, it's a home grown one too - fab!!

Right the breadmaker is on, I have 2 carrier bags of cooking apples to peel and bake, our tiny freezer is stocked up with frozen blackberries, apples and beans!!

Have a lovely weekend

Twiggy xx

PS don't forget Strictly today - I howled with laughter last week watching Dave Myers what a bobby dazzler!!

Happy holidays

Well we're back at school/work now and the Summer hols have been fab, wasn't the weather just great?

We spent the last week of our Summer break in Anglesey and had the best times. 

We spent every single day in the sea, body boarding,kayaking and swimming, just as we intended.  

We made lots of lovely memories to see us through the Winter.

We also popped round to see Vicky from Anglesey Allsorts which was lovely.

Enjoy the pics, we have many stunners, especially of our fearless Twiglet who sees a HUGE wave as a challenge!! 

Action Boy!

Enjoy the pics.

Love Twiggy x

Finally as promised...........

Some photos of our lottie.

HUGE pumpkins !!

 The soil is fantastic and as you can see things have gone a bit barmy !!

Brassicas

Carrots

Beans

Peas & beans

Barmy son standing next to the sweetcorn !!

LOTS of potatoes.

Beetroot

And here's a bit of charity shop gold for you. 

We currently go through plates at an alarming rate - I put it down to not having a dishwasher and stacking them up!!

Anyhoo, we had a little jaunt to Pontefract market on Wednesday and had a look around the fab charity shops there.

On the way we saw a canoe for sale by the roadside for £20!! Mr Twigs had been after one for ages, so we stopped and bought it!!

I've been after aforementioned plates for ages, went in the Prince Of Wales Hospice Shop and got this lovely lot of flippin Denby crockery for £4.25!!

And some sundae dishes for our Angel Delight, 3 for a £1 just like my Mum's - they remind me of Sunday tea time.

  However, I forgot to take a photo of them, so will post one next time.

 Here's the bread and butter pud I've made for tonight, we are having it after our chicken with beetroot, potatoes and peas from the lottie - scrummy !!

Good things come to those who wait.

love

Twiggy xx