recipes

by

Vegan Smokey Bacon (a whole pack of bacon made from 1 carrot for only 1p per slice)

I saw a video pop-up on Facebook today of a lady with a carrot. She made vegan bacon from it. YES REALLY!

I’m always curious when people do strange things with vegetables so immediately went to see if I had any of the ingredients to make my own. I didn’t really so not to be defeated I used ingredients from my pantry that I thought would work and they did so I had to share!

FIRST, if you want to use the exact spices I used (smokey bacon powder and hickory smoke powder), you can get them via my 1940s Experiment recommended list on Amazon. CLICK HERE.

The ‘carrot bacon’ is really easy to make and one large carrot makes a whole pack of vegan bacon! I cooked mine in the oven at around 170C for 20-30 minutes turning once about 15 minutes in. The ends crisped up in the oven and at that stage I removed them, placed them on some kitchen paper on top of a wire rack and left them to cool for about 15 minutes and they crisped up some more. I think I was lucky to get it right the first time so it might involve some trial and error to get it how you want it. Although I cooked it in a conventional oven an air fryer would work I’m sure!

These strips of vegan smokey bacon would be wonderful in a bun with a homemade vegan burger, vegan mayo, salad, pickles and onion! Alas I didn’t have a burger BUT I did have some avocado and salad and lot’s of Hellman’s Vegan Mayo and the carrot bacon topped it off perfectly!

Afterwards I, of course, nibbled on all the rest until they were gone. I WILL be making these again!

Assuming you already have the ingredients in your pantry, the vegan bacon, not including the cost of electric, is about 1p per slice.

Stay calm, stay safe, stay home,

C xxxxx

PS: I’ve had a very busy week in the garden trying to dig beds before the ground gets too hard. I am now back working on the ‘Pandemic Pantry’ FREE community cookbook and I hope to have this online and ready to download this weekend. THANK YOU for all the e-mails and submissions. They are much appreciated.

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 teaspoon smokey bacon powder
  • 1 teaspoon of hickory smoke powder (or smoked paprika or liquid smoke)
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder (or onion granules or onion salt)
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar (any)
  • 1 teaspoon of maple syrup or golden syrup, any type of mild sweet syrup.
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • Sprinkle of garlic powder or garlic salt.

 

Method

 

  • Peel the carrot
  • Using the julienne peeler press down firmly and slowly along the shaft of the carrot from thick to thin end to create a long bacon shaped slice
  • Place slices in a dish
  • Next mix all the other ingredients above to make a marinade (mix all ingredients adding water in last)
  • Pour over the carrot slices in the dish and mix so all slices are coated.
  • Heat oven to 170 C, leave carrot slices to marinade while oven heats up.
  • When oven has reached the correct temperature place the carrot slices onto baking paper on a large baking sheet.
  • Place in middle of oven for 20-30 minutes (turning over half-way through) until browning and the ends look crispy
  • Remove and place on kitchen roll on a wire rack. The vegan bacon should crisp up further after about 15 minutes.

 

 

by

Hot Cross Buns – Recipe No. 187

A chilled Easter this year. It has seemed so quiet not having my family around me so I didn’t do much baking but I did make some ‘Hot Cross Buns’ which tasted delicious. I really should have renamed them ‘Rock Cross Buns’ as I had run out of strong white bread flour so resorted to self-raising to make them. This, of course, gave them a scone-like consistency. BUT I am finding myself running out of a few ingredients, our local shop has mostly sparse shelves, so it’s a case of ‘doing-your-best-with-what-you’ve-got’ and today that even involved serving tinned peas at Sunday dinner! But hey if these are the worst of my problems then I am a very lucky woman.

I’ve used the recipe below several times using strong white bread flour so I can really recommend it. Warm water and caster sugar can be mixed together for the final glaze but warmed golden syrup is a lovely alternative.

There are many stories about the origins of ‘Hot Cross Buns’ that go back several hundred years. Infact, possible origins as far back as the Anglo-Saxons where bread loaves were decorated with dried fruit in honour of Eastre, goddess of spring. As Christianity developed it is said that the small fruit loaves/buns were marked with a cross by 12th-century monks to commemorate Good Friday. We know that ‘Hot Cross Buns’ and the recipe we see variations of today was first noted in the 18th century

QUOTE: The first definite record of hot cross buns comes from a London street cry: “Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross buns”, which appeared in Poor Robin’s Almanac for 1733.[9] Food historian Ivan Day states, “The buns were made in London during the 18th century. But when you start looking for records or recipes earlier than that, you hit nothing.”[3]

Happy Easter,

C xxx

“This post is part of Twinkl’s VE Day Campaign, and is featured in their Best Wartime Recipes to Celebrate VE Day from Home post”

Ingredients

  • 500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour
  • 85g/3oz caster sugar
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Finely grated zest of an orange or lemon (if available)
  • 2 large pinches of salt
  • 2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
  • 40g/1½oz butter or margarine
  • 300ml/10fl oz milk (warmed)
  • 1 free-range egg, beaten
  • 225g/8oz mixed dried fruit (that has peel in it or add extra candied peel)

For the top

  • 85g/3oz plain flour
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup for glazing

Method

  1. Put the flour, sugar, spices and zest into a large bowl and mix together. Then add the salt and yeast.

  2. Melt the butter and warm the milk separately. Add the melted butter and half the warm milk to the dry ingredients. Add the egg and use your hands to bring the mixture together, incorporating the flour from the edges of the bowl as you go. Gradually add the remaining milk, to form a soft pliable dough (you may not need all of the milk).

  3. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand incorporating the dried fruit/mixed peel into the dough. Lightly knead for 5 minutes until silky and elastic and forming a smooth ball.

  4. Divide into 12 balls. Line 1-2 baking or roasting trays with paper and place the balls on the tray, placing them fairly close together and flattening them very slightly.

  5. Cover roasting trays with oiled cling film (or put in a poly-bag if a flat baking tray) until the buns have doubled in size.

  6. Preheat the oven to 200C.

  7. For the topping, add the flour to a bowl with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Mix together to make a paste and spoon into an icing bag or just a polythene bag and cut the corner.

  8. When the buns have risen remove the polythene bags and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake for 20 minutes until pale golden-brown, turning the baking trays round halfway through if necessary.

  9. Melt the golden syrup (ping in microwave for 10 seconds) and while the buns are still warm, brush the buns with a little syrup to give a nice shine, before setting aside to cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 large buns

by

Virus Fighting, Vitamin C and Antioxidant Loaded, Zingy Blackcurrant Smoothie Bowl

Blackcurrants are a powerhouse of Vitamin C, polyphenols and antioxidants. Per 100g of fruit, blackcurrants have almost 4x the amount of Vitamin C than an orange and 30x the Vitamin C content of an apple!  Did you also know that Blackcurrant has the 29th highest antioxidant content (and even higher for polyphenols ref: this paper) per 100g of any wholefood on the planet! (Cloves are the highest).

We’ve all been worryingly reading about the Coronavirus. I’ve been reading that one of the complementary treatments in addition to pharmaceutical and oxygen therapy has been large doses of Vitamin C. (Ref: New York Post Article) 

Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) especially in its natural form, is necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It’s involved in many body functions, including the formation of collagen, absorption of iron, the immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth. (Ref: NHS)

I figured if there was any time to ensure a daily boost of natural vitamin C and antioxidants it was probably now. Quite frankly anything to hypothetically lessen the chance of being stricken severely with COVID-19 (at the very least a help psychologically) in addition to all the physical safety measures individual citizens should be taking. In all likelihood, ramping up the vitamin C in its natural form has to be a good thing…

On a pure and utter whim, and about 30 seconds of thinking time later, I created a delicious smoothie bowl containing over 200mg of vitamin C, bursting with antioxidants and polyphenols and an absolute joy to devour on a bright sunny day. I topped the smoothie with shavings of toasted coconut and a sprinkling of an omega seed mix and put my coconut bowls to good use (I knew the perfect day would come).

Enjoy!

Stay calm, stay safe, stay home,

C xxxx

Ingredients

  • 100g frozen blackcurrants
  • 100g of fresh ripe banana
  • 100 ml of fruit juice orange/mango juice/pineapple juice (whatever is your favourite- I used orange juice)
  • Toasted coconut and omega seed mix to top (you could use granola or a topping of your choice but the toasted coconut is amazing! Hell why not swirl in some vanilla yogurt too!)

Method

  1. Put the 100g of frozen berries and chopped banana and 100mls of fruit juice into your blender.
  2. Pulse until the fruit is mixed and then for longer until smooth.
  3. Serve immediately into a bowl and top with whatever you like.

Cost to make per serving: Around 50 to 60p (not including toppings)

I purchased my Coconut Bowls here (affiliate link with Amazon)

by

WW1 Ration Scones – Recipe No. 186

I can tell you now, follow this recipe EXACTLY, and you will want to do nothing but feed these scones to ALL your floods of visitors once the UK lockdown has been abolished!

I used the basic WW1 Ration Scone recipe from 1918,  adding wild garlic leaves and 1 oz of hard grated cheese to create a delightfully aromatic and delicious savoury scone.

Behind my old house up North, there was a small wooded area that grew an abundance of wild garlic which I regularly used in salads or wilted in stews. So you can imagine how delighted I was when my Riverford Organic Vegetable Box arrived this week with a bag of wild garlic leaves perched on the top, waiting for me to scream in delight! (I actually squeaked). I have yet to find a source of free wild garlic down South where I now live so this really was a treat to receive this.

I found the original WW1 Ration Scone recipe from 1918 in an article in ‘People’s Friend Magazine’ and I immediately thought I bet that would taste AMAZING with a little chopped wild garlic leaf and some of the hard vegetarian cheese (Parmesan type) I had waiting to be used up. Seemed silly not to try.

I adapted the recipe slightly as I fancied savoury not sweet, you MUST give my version a try!

Hope you enjoy, and your floods of visitors too!

Stay calm, stay safe, stay home

C xxxx

PS: On your daily walk you may be able to source wild garlic for free. It’s typically found in woodland, quite near the edges and abundant in April/May. Watch this video HERE

Wild Garlic & Cheese Scones (based on WW1 Ration Scones from 1918 above)

  • 5 oz of white self-raising flour
  • 2 oz of butter or hard margarine
  • 1 egg and a little milk
  • 1 oz grated hard cheese (cheddar would be fine if you have no Parmesan)
  • Several wild garlic leaves chopped very finely
  • Large pinch of salt.

Method

  1. Sift flour and large pinch of salt into a bowl
  2. Dot in the butter and then rub into the flour
  3. Add the grated cheese
  4. Add the chopped wild garlic leaves
  5. Add the eggs and milk mixture leaving a spoonful to brush tops of scones before baking
  6. Form a dough that is not too sticky and can be handled.
  7. On a floured surface roll out to about 1/2 inch thick and use cutter or end of glass to create 6 scones (you may get more if you are lucky)
  8. Place on baking tray, brush with egg mixture and sprinkle a little more salt on the top of each scone
  9. Place in pre-heated (200 C) oven for about 20 minutes until a nice mid golden colour.
  10. Remove and place on wire rack.
  11. Enjoy while still slightly warm with butter. Would also be lovely served in a bowl with stew!

Makes 6 or 7

 


 

by

Piccalilli – Recipe No. 185

Would you believe me if I told you I’ve never tasted Piccalilli before? I truly believe, at 54 years young I am a ‘Piccalilli Virgin’ so it was with great excitement I prepared these jars of pickle, knowing that after waiting for half-a-century, I was going to experience for the very first time a mainstay of the ‘Women’s Institute’ our Grandmother’s larders and the quintessential food item for sale at English Summer Fete’s. I wasn’t disappointed…

Piccalilli is an 18th century “British” Indian style pickle that always contains cauliflower mixed with other available garden vegetables such as onion, green beans. carrots, marrow/courgette mixed with a thickened vinegar/mustard sauce spiced and coloured with Turmeric. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to bread, cheese, fresh salad vegetables, pies, cold cut meats and I will surely enjoy this as a regular dollop on my plate!

C xxx

Piccalilli Ingredients

  • 2 kg of fresh mixed vegetables (Cauliflower + carrot, cucumber/gherkin, marrow/courgettes, green beans, onions, celery)
  • 200g of sugar
  • 150g of salt (overnight prep)
  • 30g plain flour or cornflour
  • 20g ground ginger
  • 20g mustard powder
  • 2-4 teaspoon of ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
  • 1 litre of white vinegar (although I’m sure malt would be fine too)

You will also need 9 or 10 1lb preserve jars with lids which need to be sterilised. I wash them and rinse, place opened jars on a tray in oven at 160C for about 20 minutes so piping hot. The lids are placed in very hot water (previously boiled) in a bowl.

Method

  1. Wash, peel where needed and dice all veg into small pieces.
  2. Put veg into a large bowl and mix well with the 150g of salt making sure to finally sprinkle some over the top before placing the bowl in the fridge overnight. The salt draws out the water from within the vegetables.
  3. When ready to start making the Piccalilli, wash the veg several times in cold water to remove as much salt as possible and drain thoroughly.
  4. Add the vinegar and the sugar to a large saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves, add the prepared vegetables.
  5. Stir veg, vinegar and sugar well, add in ginger, mustard and mustard seeds, bring to boil and simmer for several minutes until the veg is still slightly crunchy. Stir when needed.
  6. While the veg is cooking mix the flour and turmeric together with a little vinegar to make a smooth, runny paste.
  7. Add the mixture, while continuously stirring, to the veg in the pan and continue to stir until the mixture thickens.
  8. After a few further minutes of cooking remove from heat.
  9. Ladle mixture into hot jars and screw on hot lids immediately. Leave 1/2 to 1-inch headroom under the lid.
  10. For extra safety to ensure the best seal, process jars in a hot water bath where the jars are submerged in simmering water for about 15 minutes, remove
  11. Leave jars to cool overnight.
  12. Label the next day.

The Piccalilli is best left for 2-4 weeks to mature but I ate some the next day and thoroughly enjoyed it!

 


People have asked me where I have been getting my cute jars and labels. The links are below:

JARS: 24 jam/chutney jars with gingham printed lids

>>CLICK HERE<<

LABELS: Re-usable and removable labels for jars and containers with chalk pen.

>>CLICK HERE<<

CANNING FUNNELS: 2 sizes, stainless steel for all jam/chutney/relish making.

>>CLICK HERE<<

by

10 Wartime Stale Bread Recipes to Save Food from the Bin and Feed Your Family!

Don’t you dare throw that stale bread ( or breadcrumbs ) away and join the CoronaVirus panic buying throngs who are now discarding all their rotting ‘fresh’ produce. Bread is one of the foods I’m seeing a lot of photos of in dustbins. SAVE IT NOW from the mouth of the hungry metal monster due to take it away on ‘bin-day’ by cooking some of these delicious wartime recipes (mostly puddings). They’ll keep in the fridge for days once baked, and in the freezer for months!

I’d like to apologise in advance for the ‘amazing photography’ from 10 years ago (British sarcasm) in several of the recipes below, it was in the early days of the blog which started in 2009, when I was flat broke and REALLY struggling. I think most of my photos were taken on an old flip video camera but I like to keep them to remember my journey and it’s various challenges.

Stay calm, stay safe, stay home,

C xxxx

Padded Pudding with Mock Cream: Watch the video above. The stale bread mixed with milk and cooked with jam looks like poo. I felt like Letita Cropley carrying out one of her great culinary experiments with strange ingredients. It actually tasted great! A good life lesson, don’t judge something or someone on how it/they look, chances are they will taste surprisingly delicious… just sayin’! Click here for recipe.

Plum Charlotte: Here’s a super-frugal wartime recipe made out of stale bread and fruit that’s going a little soft. As I had two of these things in my kitchen and I’m always finding ways to make ends meet, when I saw this recipe I knew it was just what I needed.
Click here for recipe.

Bread and Butter Pudding: In Marguerite Patten’s “Victory Cookbook” there is always one pudding recipe that is an absolute ‘go-to’ when one needs comforting and one has spare eggs. All becomes good in the world when you take that first spoonful of sugary topped, eggy, bready, sultana sprinkled, nutmeggy deliciousness, especially if served with a little hot custard if you can overlook the fact that it looks like cockroaches are climbing all over my food in the photograph… Click here for recipe.

Duke Pudding: How can stale bread and grated old carrots possibly be decadent? Trust me they are when you make them into a wartime “Duke Pudding”… Seeing the rapidly drying bread on my countertop and the carrots beginning to get spotty in the fridge, it was time once again to turn nothing into something in true 1940s home-front style and create a truly delicious alternative comfort food, much needed today of all days. Excuse the photography, it was 8 years ago and I hadn’t a clue! Click here for recipe.

Danish Apple pudding: Possibly one of the WORST food photos I have taken in my life from 10 years ago. It’s blurred and I’m not sure what I took the photo with. It could have something other than a camera because I probably didn’t have one.. Don’t let the brown blurry blob put you off. I remember this pudding was fab! I need to re-create and re-photograph! Click here for recipe.

Bread and Apple Pudding:For pudding the request was for ‘bread pudding’ yet again. To avoid this wartime pudding permanently being referred to as “bread-pudding-yet-again” I turned to a large bowl of sorry looking apples for divine inspiration- after-all Sir Isaac Newton stared at apples for an awfully long time before being rewarded with an answer… Click here for recipe.

Bread and Prune Pudding: You know that can of stewed prunes that has been languishing in your larder for several years, that you don’t want to throw away because you have inherited your grandmother’s and possibly mother’s innate ability to have everything stored away for a ‘rainy day’, WELL, you are about to use it and it’s gonna taste pretty damn good! Click here for recipe.

Brown Betty: It was unusual to make bread pudding without raisins in, Brown Betty has none, no eggs or milk either which makes me think all bread puddings could indeed be made eggless. Instead, it has water, the juice, and zest of a lemon and a generous quantity of golden syrup, spices, two grated apples, a little sugar and of course LOTS of stale bread! Click here for recipe.

Bread Pudding: I re-created this recipe about 12 years ago. This wartime recipe is easy-peasy and tasty. And of course it all in the custard too. Click here for recipe.

Bread Stuffing: And finally a recipe made from stale bread that isn’t a pudding and doesn’t look like a formless brown blob. Bread stuffing is so easy to make! This photo is from about 12 years ago, my pre-vegetarian days! Click here for recipe.

by

Blackcurrant Jam – Recipe No. 184

This is such a simple wartime recipe for a small quantity of delicious, velvety, deep-purple, mouthwatering blackcurrant jam. You HAVE to try it and so crazy-easy to attempt for your first go at making jam!

Fresh blackcurrants are preferable but to make it even easier I made this small-batch from frozen fruit perfectly! (In fact DON’T WAIT for fresh berries to come into the shops. It might be wise to buy some bags of frozen berries. Our British fruit pickers (over 90%) come from Eastern Europe each year performing vital services to our fruit harvesting industry. With our current ‘Coronavirus Pandemic’ situation, our normal guaranteed and reliable agricultural workers from overseas may be restricted from their normal annual travel to the UK which could be devastating for UK farmers if they cannot recruit enough British workers.)

Next time I go shopping (trying to restrict it to a maximum of once or twice a week for fresh produce), I’ll certainly be buying myself a bag or two of more frozen berries while they are available.

I enjoyed two slices of bread I made yesterday slathered in this ‘juicy assed jam’ with a nice cuppa tea and I recommend you do exactly the same.

It will make you smile.

Take care, stay safe, stay home

C xxxx

Blackcurrant Jam (makes 3 x 1 lb pots)

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of frozen berries
  • 3 cups of sugar
  • 1/2 lemon squeezed (not vital)
  • 1 teaspoon of pectin (not vital but I always add to all jams I make)
  • Clean jam jars (rinse, heat in oven at 140C for 15 minutes)
  • Clean lids (rinse, place in a small bowl, cover with hot pre-boiled water until ready to seal jars)

Method

  1. Put the 4 cups of frozen berries in a large thick-bottomed saucepan and put onto a medium heat.
  2. Stir until berries are defrosted and simmering gently (about 5 mins). Remove from heat.
  3. Mash with a potato masher a little so some of the berries burst to the consistency you like.
  4. Mix the sugar and pectin and add to the berry mix and stir until all mixed together.
  5. Add in the 1/2 squeezed lemon.
  6. Return to medium heat and keep stirring slowly adjusting the heat so as not to burn.
  7. You need to bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring all the time and maintain this for about 10 minutes until the setting point has been reached (105 C or 220 F). If you don’t have a thermometer drop 1/2 teaspoon onto a cold plate and if after a minute it thickens and becomes fairly firm instead of liquid then it has reached the setting point.
  8. Once the correct temperature has been reached, keep stirring and give the mixture another minute.
  9. Remove from heat and stir again.
  10. Remove hot jars from oven (see above)
  11. Using a ladle and funnel, add the hot jam mixture to the hot jars and twist on the clean hot lids.
  12. Set aside, the jar will be hot and will take at least a few hours to cool.
  13. Jam is ready to use once it has totally cooled down and unopened will keep for a year or two.


People have asked me where I have been getting my cute jars and labels. The links are below:

JARS: 24 jam/chutney jars with gingham printed lids

>>CLICK HERE<<

LABELS: Re-usable and removable labels for jars and containers with chalk pen.

>>CLICK HERE<<

CANNING FUNNELS: 2 sizes, stainless steel for all jam/chutney/relish making.

>>CLICK HERE<<






by

7 Ration Book Recipes to Beat the Coronavirus Pandemic Panic Buying!

As easy, quick, convenience foods are rapidly flying off our supermarket shelves at an extraordinary speed in recent days during the ‘Coronavirus Global Pandemic’, NOW is a good time to perhaps turn to simple foods from yesteryear to create nourishing meals for ourselves and loved ones with ingredients that still appear to be more readily available.

I’ve selected several of my re-created authentic wartime recipes below that fill tummies, are surprisingly delicious, and simple to make. Many of them use porridge oats, dried lentils, root vegetables, butter/margarine, basic fruit and flour. Add herbs, salt and spices to your own personal taste!

And if we at some stage, can’t get bananas, for a bit of fun I’ve included a video recipe to make yourself some ‘mock banana’ sandwiches out of parsnips.

Keep calm, keep your spirits up and let’s keep carrying on!

Much love,

C xxxx

PS: Check out my links to some prepping and self-sufficiency websites and YouTube channels at the bottom of the page!

Apple and Rhubarb Crumble
It’s been forever since I’ve baked a proper British pudding and every spoonful that entered my mouth was accompanied by sounds of wanton desire that were slightly obscene. There is something wrong with a pudding if it’s consumer doesn’t groan a little…

Here is the authentic WW2 recipe. Enjoy and groan a little yourself… Click here!

Marrow and Lentil Stew
Just to clarify a question that has been popping up on Facebook and Instagram… a marrow in the UK is pretty much an overgrown courgette (zucchini) and not bone marrow (but I can understand the confusion there for sure!). You can use courgettes for this recipe too!

So far out of 1 marrow I have created 3 large portions of ‘Marrow Masala’ (not a 1940’s recipe), a ‘Courgette Cake’ (not a 1940’s recipe), 3 large jars of ‘Marrow Chutney’ and today a ‘Marrow and Lentil Stew’. The stew today was delicious!

Here is the stovetop recipe. Click here!

Potato Salad with Dutch Sauce
Curious as to what (during rationing in WW2) people slathered their spuds in, I delved into ‘Feeding the Nation’ by Marguerite Patten OBE. Heinz Salad Cream became a wartime favourite like any convenience food was often in limited supply so many of the ration book recipes called for making homemade dressings which tried to replicate salad cream or mayonnaise. Click here for the recipe..

Oaty Biscuits
I’m in love with this wartime cookie recipe. These oaty, sweet, buttery, wartime biscuits really make you appreciate a 15-minute break with a hot cuppa tea in some old vintage china.

This recipe is super simple and quick. Click here!

Hunt Pie
So I have yet to find out why this pie is called ‘Hunt Pie’. The closest I have come is finding a business called ‘John Hunts’ which established itself in 1860 manufacturing pie-making equipment. Could this possibly be linked? Click here!

The Original Lord Woolton Pie
I’ve made a couple of versions of ‘Woolton Pie’ which you will find in my list of re-created recipes here BUT after much research I think now I’ve found the original recipe.

I love Lord Woolton Pie. Thing is I go bonkers for pastry and a generous serving of this comforting vegetable pie with a thick brown Bisto gravy made with the vegetable water, was exactly what I needed today. Click here!

Homity ‘Land Girl’ Pie
Here it is… the promised Homity Pie recipe! Let me tell you, it’s totally delicious, TOTALLY!

Homity Pie is an open-topped pie said to have first been made by Land-Girls during WW2 and supposed to have originated in the West Country.

It’s REALLY difficult finding the original recipe as there are so many bastardised versions hanging around on the internet, so after having researched for hours (yes I am a food nerd) and comparing recipes with rationing, the below recipe is likely the closest version to it’s origins taking into account the scarcity of eggs and onions. Click here!

Mock Banana
Here it is… why not try it for fun. You have to laugh, hopefully we will still have our bananas and there will be no need to resort to parsnips!

Click here for recipe and video!

SOME GREAT YOUTUBE CHANNELS & BLOGS BELOW!

Prepper Princess – Love this gal! She lives in the USA, an independent strong woman with lots of self-sufficiency skills working towards financial independence. Click here!

Homestead Tessie – She loves being as frugal and self-sufficient as possible with what she’s got and she loves creating daily videos! Click here!

Compost and Custard – I’ve known Naomi online for over 20 years. She has a passion for self-sufficiency and home schooling, nature, permaculture and wildlife. Click here!

Riverford Organic Farmers – loads of online recipes as well as supplying organic fresh veg via box. Click here!

Alaska Granny – The AlaskaGranny channel teaches how to become more resilient and resourceful. I like to use what I have to make what I need, and enjoy sharing tips and tricks to help others do the same. Click here!

by

National Trust Vegetable Tagine Recipe

I nearly got my feet off the ground as a National Trust volunteer. I did all my training, my induction, got my ID and even my much coveted National Trust fleece, everything was in place to work as a Creative Interpreter at Hardwick Hall and then I got that big damn gallbladder flare up.

That hit me so hard and it was so painful for many months there wasn’t any way I’d be able to stand for several hours. Before I knew it I was then on the surgery waiting list and couldn’t commit to going forward dates. To be honest I was also just EXHAUSTED… Although my full-time day job as a ‘Digital Media Coordinator’ is a desk job it’s often catch-up and chores on a Saturday and Sunday is probably the only day in the week where I have the opportunity to rest. But oh the excitement of potentially working in the glorious home of ‘Bess of Hardwick’ and getting involved in the National Trust work drew me to want to give over some of that time too….

In the end of course it hasn’t happened (apart from one day in Easter, shortly before my gallbladder attack where I worked as a ‘Visitor Experience’ volunteer with the Easter Egg hunt and also spent some hours in the National Trust restaurant clearing tables! Had a fantastic time!!). I loved so much too….

But I digress…

National Trust Vegetable Tagine Recipe

I still love to keep up to date with all things National Trust and today I saw this simple but seemingly delicious recipe on their ‘YouTube Channel’. I have a couple of squash in my pantry so this will definitely be in my tummy this weekend!

I had to share it!

As for getting back into volunteering for the National Trust? Absolutely. When I’m fit and well again, just try and stop me!

C xxxx

Useful links: Please click

National Trust – I have a membership that costs me £6 a month and with that I have free access to all 500 National Trust properties, free parking and discounts. As I don’t take holidays (being frugal) taking myself off to these beautiful places is my bit of rest and relaxation and I can go as many times as I want! https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/join-us

Volunteering at the National Trust – Even if it is just one day a month they NEED YOU! Honestly you get to meet some AMAZING people with passion! oh and you get to be up close and personal with history and heritage, so close infact you can sniff it! https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteer

Visit Hardwick Hall – You NEED to find out more about ‘Bess of Hardwick’. She was one strong and amazing woman thriving among the patriarchal society of the times. She built Hardwick Hall (more glass than wall) and was confidante to Elizabeth I oh and was custodian of ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ for 15 years after her forced abdication. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick-hall

by

Marrow & Lentil Stew – Recipe No. 181

Today I have managed to use another 1/4 of my marrow by making a delicious ‘marrow and lentil stew’.

Just to clarify a question that has been popping up on Facebook and Instagram… a marrow in the UK is pretty much an overgrown courgette (zucchini) and not bone marrow (but I can understand the confusion there for sure!).

So far out of 1 marrow I have created 3 large portions of ‘Marrow Masala’ (not a 1940’s recipe), a ‘Courgette Cake’ (not a 1940’s recipe), 3 large jars of ‘Marrow Chutney’ and today a ‘Marrow and Lentil Stew’. The stew today was delicious!

Here is the stove top recipe.

Marrow and Lentil Stew

  • 1 lb of marrow, deseeded, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 heaped dessertspoon of chutney (I added the marrow chutney I made yesterday)
  • Salt & Pepper to your own preferred taste
  • Rosemary and other dried herbs to your own preferred taste.
  • Bisto powder to thicken (or gravy granules)

Method

  1. Place the onion is a saucepan with a teaspoon of margarine and fry lightly until starting to brown
  2. Add in the marrow, chopped tomatoes, red lentils, chutney, herbs and mix.
  3. Add in some boiling water to cover veggies and ad salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add in Bisto powder (mixed into a smooth runny paste with a little water) to thicken after the stew has been cooking for 20 minutes. Continue to cook until veggies and lentils are cooked.

Serves 2