Monday, 25 January 2010

No 21 - Make Carrot Chutney!


Marks and Spencers make the most delicious sandwich – Wensleydale and Carrot Chutney. It’s amazing – if you are passing through you should get one. But the annoying thing is you can’t buy the carrot chutney. And, when you look online, all you get are people asking where you can buy it, or for the recipe. No answers, only questions!

So, I thought I might try and make my own. Please bear in mind here, I have never made a chutney before, let alone one I don’t actually have a recipe for. Jim and I found a bit of a recipe that we thought might work – so with a few changes we went ahead!

I wouldn’t say it tastes just like the m&s one – I think I might make it again and leave out the apple – it kind of overtakes the carrot flavours! But, it’s not awful – so, a small triumph!

(Here is the recipe!)

Ingredients

tbsp olive oil
1 lb grated carrots
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup vinegar
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp caraway seed
¼ tsp pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrots to the pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned and much reduced. Remove carrots from pan. Add ¼ cup of the sugar to the pan and heat until caramelised. Turn down the heat, add the carrots and stir. Pour in the vinegar and the remaining ½ cup of sugar, bring the pan gently to the boil stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the remaining ingredients, replace lid and simmer for 5-10 minutes let everything cook through. Remove the lid and gently boil uncovered until the chutney has thickened. Put into clean jars and seal.

Leave for a month for flavours to mingle before opening.

Sunday, 24 January 2010

Getting started!

No. 20. Pt. 1 -


So, I got started on the list this weekend!
No time like the present hey.

First off, Cooking for Jim more. Once a month. He says that's 12 meals - I say if he lasts that long! Hehe.

I started easy and made us noodles and veg and salmon - in a hoy sin dressing. Nothing too spectacular, but it was delicious!
And why this combo? Because this was all the food I had in the house!

And a massive plus - no-one died of food poisoning!
So I think it stared ok.......And that's my meal for January out of the way!

Thursday, 21 January 2010

And so it begins


I am 29, today.
Not overly happy about the fact - I feel about 23. I should be about 23! I even got I.D'd the other day!

And this whole approaching 30 thing makes me think I ought to be grown up! Another thing i don't like so much.

But it does mean the list begins today.
I am looking forwards to seeing how I get on, and if I can manage to get all the way through in the next 365 days!

Monday, 18 January 2010

The big three oh


I am going to be getting some help in my challenge from Sam - our birthdays are a week apart and we lived some crazy sort of parallel lives during our teenage years. She is now a fantastic drinking partner, and friend!

She is forming her own list and will be doing it during the year.

And, her blog 'The Big Three-Oh' has just gone live.
You really should take a look!

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

The List



In no particular order;
  1. Complete my shuttercal 365 for 2010.
  2. Own a grown-up handbag.
  3. Bake a rainbow cake.
  4. Ride a bike. Regularly. And remember what it was like as a kid to ride as fast as you can. Down a hill.
  5. Live on my own. {Kind of, well – I am moving out of the house of death……}
  6. Snowboard. Regularly. Or More at the very least.
  7. Shape up {for Glastonbury}.
  8. Get another tattoo.
  9. Practise my penmanship.
  10. Create a font.
  11. Write more letters (with said, perfect, penmanship!)
  12. Finish the Spanish Civil War book I started in 2007!
  13. Sail. At least once. More if I can.
  14. Make a Blurb book of my pictures.
  15. Make proper use of the Farmers market - the first Sunday in the month one. We all know the other one isn't as good!
  16. Develop more pictures.
  17. Give surfing a go.
  18. Fully understand f-stops and aperture and all of that stuff that happens to make my pictures look nice.
  19. See Katie and Liz more.
  20. Try and cook one meal a month for Jim. He cooks all the time for me (when i say all the time - I mean every time) I need to try and do more!
  21. Make a Carrot Chutney.
  22. Go to a roller disco! Again.
  23. Become more bendy - Get back to regular Yoga classes!
  24. See 10 bands I have never seen before at Glasto (sorry Sam, i stole this from you!)
  25. Keep a plant alive for over 6 months - its the start of being a grown up Sarah tells me.
  26. Take a road trip with Jim!
  27. Buy and old camera and do some real TTV photography - not just using a photoshop frame. {Liz bought me the camera – I just have to do the taking now……}
  28. Wear some killer heels on at least one night out! This one is for you Sarah!
  29. Plan an amazing 30th birthday party.