Well, she's not really in isolation because I'm here but we are not allowed visitors and if she goes out, she has to wear a scarf a la Hepburn, dark glasses and have every inch of herself covered up!
One day when she had to go to see her doctor, her own mother would not have recognised her! It was a bitterly cold day, so she put on a wig, they keep your head warm, added a scarf and dark glasses and went out.
The receptionist recognised her voice, squealed with laughter and said "what a disguise, I'd love to see Dr. William's face when you go into his room" and buzzed her through to the staircase. Well, he loved it and chuckled.
Today there's doom and gloom about a weather front that is, apparently hitting the UK. I write 'apparently' because there are photos of rain soaked streets in London, besides other places, but it is all most curious..
For, on our steps, there is not a drop of rain water to be seen. They're as dry as baked bone and bones are what I want to tell you about..
For she received a gift yesterday which make her cry.. she works as a volunteer for a charity shop in Fulham.. where she'll go back when she is given the 'all clear' by Moorfields.
One of the volunteers and she were talking about food, stews in particular, as you do when you have a great butcher and a brilliant fruit and vegetable market right outside the shop door!
They said that they bought trays of bones from Dickinsons, the butcher and she remarked that she roasted bones before using them in a stew.
"Wow.. I have never thought of doing that and it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" said her colleague.
The night before last, we were tucked up and watching a lovely dvd when we heard someone shutting the top gate but thought nothing of it until she received a text from that colleague saying that they were all sad to have heard about her not being well and that there was a 'little' something on her doorstep.
Hmm, she thought, how nice and pottered off to investigate what it could be.
'WHAT!! NO.. I can't believe it!' But yes, she had better believe it, her sweet colleague had been to their butcher and bought her a bag of lamb bones!
A wonderful mix of end of neck (her favourite cut for lamb stew), chops bones and ribs.
If you have a PROPER butcher, who doesn't just buy his meat in already cut, they should have bones that are wonderful for: stews, soups and stock.
Our butcher sells a well laden tray for £1.00 and you had better get there early if you want any for the good folk of Fulham are not stupid!
So, yesterday afternoon, she divided the bones into two, turned on the oven and slid a large roasting tray into the oven to cook for 90 minutes at a medium heat.
She had seasoned the bones with a mix of herbs, salt and pepper, (one of her favourite from The Spice Maker) but added no oil, for the fat from the lamb would render down in the heat and stop the meat drying out.
Her eyesight might be dodgy, her hearing certainly is certainly but there is nothing the matter with her (or my) sense of smell!
After 90 minutes, the fat had melted, the meat was cooked and the bones had started to break down.
The same was done with the remaining bones, then the trays were put aside and when we went to bed, the bones had cooled and the fat hardened.
Today she'll take a huge casserole and will fry, until they are soft but not browned, onions, garlic and tiny amounts of ginger and turmeric root.
She'll add and fry a mix of herbs, spices and brown and yellow lentils. Add a good amount of water, bring the pan to the boil and then drop the heat down to a simmer.
After a good hour and having kept a careful eye on the liquid level, she'll add the bones, carrots and top up the water so they're covered and it will sit on a back burner for a long time.
You cannot rush a good stew and as you cannot put a pan of this size into the chilly white larder, aka fridge, it will live on the stove and be brought to the boil once a day.
It will be delicious, you can use barley but she cannot as barley contains gluten to which she is highly allergic, her right hand finger joints swell, both knees become painful and vicious hives break out all over her body.
When she showed a particularly bad attack to her doctor, his mouth opened, he gulped and then called in the senior partner of the practice to see them.
Who grimaced and said "And ignorant people poo-hoo food allergies and the devastating effects of those horrifying chemicals they use on non-organic farms, I know you use homeopathic medicine, which remedy are you using to counteract these hives?"
So, dear reader, you are now up to date.. she has to get some yumyum organised for our lunch and then she'll 'do the stew'.
We hope that you're happy and healthy wherever you are and if you're not, then if you can do something about it pretty quickly, do so, for life is too short to be wasted.
GeeGee Parrot.
November 7th, 2018.
PostScript: The Spice Maker. (44) 01689 897677
They sell brilliant herbs and spices in grinders, 2 sizes and everything that you could possibly want for decorating cakes! We have posted about them before and will, undoubtedly, do again.. She loves their products and their prices!
Tell them you read about them on GeeGee's blog.
One day when she had to go to see her doctor, her own mother would not have recognised her! It was a bitterly cold day, so she put on a wig, they keep your head warm, added a scarf and dark glasses and went out.
The receptionist recognised her voice, squealed with laughter and said "what a disguise, I'd love to see Dr. William's face when you go into his room" and buzzed her through to the staircase. Well, he loved it and chuckled.
Today there's doom and gloom about a weather front that is, apparently hitting the UK. I write 'apparently' because there are photos of rain soaked streets in London, besides other places, but it is all most curious..
For, on our steps, there is not a drop of rain water to be seen. They're as dry as baked bone and bones are what I want to tell you about..
For she received a gift yesterday which make her cry.. she works as a volunteer for a charity shop in Fulham.. where she'll go back when she is given the 'all clear' by Moorfields.
One of the volunteers and she were talking about food, stews in particular, as you do when you have a great butcher and a brilliant fruit and vegetable market right outside the shop door!
They said that they bought trays of bones from Dickinsons, the butcher and she remarked that she roasted bones before using them in a stew.
"Wow.. I have never thought of doing that and it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" said her colleague.
The night before last, we were tucked up and watching a lovely dvd when we heard someone shutting the top gate but thought nothing of it until she received a text from that colleague saying that they were all sad to have heard about her not being well and that there was a 'little' something on her doorstep.
Hmm, she thought, how nice and pottered off to investigate what it could be.
'WHAT!! NO.. I can't believe it!' But yes, she had better believe it, her sweet colleague had been to their butcher and bought her a bag of lamb bones!
A wonderful mix of end of neck (her favourite cut for lamb stew), chops bones and ribs.
If you have a PROPER butcher, who doesn't just buy his meat in already cut, they should have bones that are wonderful for: stews, soups and stock.
Our butcher sells a well laden tray for £1.00 and you had better get there early if you want any for the good folk of Fulham are not stupid!
So, yesterday afternoon, she divided the bones into two, turned on the oven and slid a large roasting tray into the oven to cook for 90 minutes at a medium heat.
She had seasoned the bones with a mix of herbs, salt and pepper, (one of her favourite from The Spice Maker) but added no oil, for the fat from the lamb would render down in the heat and stop the meat drying out.
Her eyesight might be dodgy, her hearing certainly is certainly but there is nothing the matter with her (or my) sense of smell!
After 90 minutes, the fat had melted, the meat was cooked and the bones had started to break down.
The same was done with the remaining bones, then the trays were put aside and when we went to bed, the bones had cooled and the fat hardened.
Today she'll take a huge casserole and will fry, until they are soft but not browned, onions, garlic and tiny amounts of ginger and turmeric root.
She'll add and fry a mix of herbs, spices and brown and yellow lentils. Add a good amount of water, bring the pan to the boil and then drop the heat down to a simmer.
After a good hour and having kept a careful eye on the liquid level, she'll add the bones, carrots and top up the water so they're covered and it will sit on a back burner for a long time.
You cannot rush a good stew and as you cannot put a pan of this size into the chilly white larder, aka fridge, it will live on the stove and be brought to the boil once a day.
It will be delicious, you can use barley but she cannot as barley contains gluten to which she is highly allergic, her right hand finger joints swell, both knees become painful and vicious hives break out all over her body.
When she showed a particularly bad attack to her doctor, his mouth opened, he gulped and then called in the senior partner of the practice to see them.
Who grimaced and said "And ignorant people poo-hoo food allergies and the devastating effects of those horrifying chemicals they use on non-organic farms, I know you use homeopathic medicine, which remedy are you using to counteract these hives?"
So, dear reader, you are now up to date.. she has to get some yumyum organised for our lunch and then she'll 'do the stew'.
We hope that you're happy and healthy wherever you are and if you're not, then if you can do something about it pretty quickly, do so, for life is too short to be wasted.
GeeGee Parrot.
November 7th, 2018.
PostScript: The Spice Maker. (44) 01689 897677
They sell brilliant herbs and spices in grinders, 2 sizes and everything that you could possibly want for decorating cakes! We have posted about them before and will, undoubtedly, do again.. She loves their products and their prices!
Tell them you read about them on GeeGee's blog.
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