Baking / Roast Chicken Pie.

Yesterday whilst most places continued to bask in the spring sunshine we were under low cloud and a chilly easterly wind. Originally I was considering a trip to Dungeness (for our D week) but with all the panic buying at the petrol station I thought better of it.  So instead we decided to do some baking, this is fast becoming one of Mimi's favourite activities.  Often one of the first things she asks me when she wakes up is "are we baking today".  Whilst this is great for Mimi it is not such good news for my waist line!!!  Yesterday was not a good Weight Watchers day!

First up we made a Chicken Pie with some left over roast chicken we had earlier in the week.  I meant to take a photo after I had cooked it but I forgot.  Mimi had fun helping make it but by tea time she was fast asleep on the sofa in front of Toy Story!!  

Shortcrust Pastry:

The ratio for making shortcrust pastry is half fat to flour.   I had some left over pastry which Mimi played with.

12oz plain flour
3oz margarine (I used Stork)
3oz lard (I used Cookeen) Previously I have used Trex but I think that Cookeen gave a much better end result.

If you wanted to you could use all margarine but your pastry will be stiffer and more yellow.

You need to rub in the fat to the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs then slowly add 2-3 tablespoons of really cold water.  Bring it together into a dough and then wrap in cling flim.  I then placed mine in the freezer for about 45mins or so whilst I then made my pie filling.


Pie Filling:

Left over roast chicken
I small onion finely chopped
1 stick of celery finely chopped
A good shake of freeze dried tarragon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 glass of white wine
250ml of water & 1 chicken stock cube
A splash of whole milk for glazing and a good splash to make your pie filling creamy
1 table spoon of plain flour.

Melt one table spoon of butter in a saucepan add your chopped onion and celery, fry lightly until translucent, then add your tarragon and continue heating for about a min.  Remove from the heat and place neatly on the base of your pie case.  Then cover with your left over roast chicken.

Melt remaining butter in your original saucepan, add your flour and make a roux sauce.  First add your wine and let it bubble for a few seconds then gradually add your chicken stock and a splash of whole milk until you get the desired consistency.  Pour your sauce over your chicken and finally cover with a pie lid.  Glaze with a splash of milk and pop in a pre-heated oven for 45-mins.

Then we made some cheese straws for Mimi's play-school packed lunch.  I used a recipe I found on the internet from all recipes.  I have used it before and it always produces good results.  However I thought that 450g of cheese was a bit much so I only added about 300g and to bind it together I added a splash of cold water.

Rain Rain Go Away!

With the end of the summer holidays nearing the end there is a definite chill to the air.  I would prefer not to have been woken up this early but when I got up at 6.30 this morning it was only 12 degrees outside.

There are lots of positives about being a teacher but I am starting to come to the conclusion that the holidays are too long as I have almost managed to convince myself that I no longer work.  However unfortunately this is not the case and it is now dawning on me that on Tuesday I will have to walk back through the school gates!

The weather has been pretty shocking over the last couple of days.  One minute it is raining cats and dogs and freezing and the next its brilliant sunshine and you are sweltering under your fleece.

This is exactly what happened on Thursday when I took Mimi to Dover.  We went to see if there were any baby joules clothes on sale at De Bradelei Wharf.  Mike had gone the day before and said that there were loads.  However I am not sure what he was looking at because we couldn't find much.  It was all for children about 3 years older than Mimi.

By the time we came out of De Bradelei Wharf it was seriously warm and the sun was shining.  So we decided to go for a walk along the promenade.  Mimi insisted on pushing Mr Doggy in the buggy.  She was really cute, we had to stop every few mins to check that he was ok.

If you look carefully in the photos you can just about see Dover Castle on top of the hill.

It was so bright I could hardly see anything.  When we set off from home it was dull so I hadn't bothered with my sunglasses.

Mimi made a horrible mess with her ice cream and we were chased by a swarm of wasps that were in her hair and sitting on her hands.  A swarm might be a slight exaggeration but there were at least 5 or more.  In the end I had to literally throw her in the buggy and run with her to get away from them.

Then Friday evening my mum came to babysit for Mimi and we went down to see some friends for the most amazing supper.  Slow roasted belly pork.  It was seriously delicious.  When people talk about Belly Pork it always brings back horrid memories of the pork my mum use to do.  But this has made me a convert and I am off to try a belly pork recipe I found in this months Women & Home Feel Good Food.

On Friday I came across pininterest.  I have heard people talking about it on other blogs but I finally got the gist of it on Friday and I have to say I have become quite addicted with it ever since.  I have come across some great people, new blogs and great ideas for both, home and school.   One of the best ideas I have come across in ages is this organisation system.  So simple yet so effective.  I am definitely going to be using this from now on.

Check it out on Jen & Jakes Blog.

After a lovely evening and not too much alcohol we set off early for a trip to Canterbury as I had my hair cut at 8.30am.  I go to this really cute hairdressers called the Chair.  As I have really curly hair in the past I have really struggled to find someone who can cut my hair well and this is the first place I have been where they know how to deal with it.  Then I had my eyes tested at Vision Express (they had sent me a free voucher plus £50 off).  I have really noticed that when I am tiered I struggle with my vision and have to squint lots.  I find it difficult to read in bed and after a while on the computer I notice it.  Anyway the upshot is that my eyes are ok, but they are just on the edge.  So  I decided that I would get a pair.  However they first pointed me towards these great glasses but at £395 a pair not including the lenses, I thought that they were having a laugh.  Eventually I did find a pair that were considerably cheaper and with my free eye test voucher and £50 off they seemed much more reasonable.

Final choice.  Very similar to the Tiffany ones but at a third of the price!

After a few other errands we were home by 11.30 which in Mikes book is a good shopping trip!  Mike was supposed to go on a sailing expedition with the sailing club but just as he left to go to the club a huge thunderstorm came through with squalling winds.  Hence he didn't go and was then under my feet for the afternoon.  Had I known I would have gone to Canterbury on my own.

In the afternoon I made a jacket for my note book.  I have been struggling to find a good note book for the start of the new year.  

Then last night in an effort to be more economical and waste less (we had some left over Gammon in the fridge) I made a Ham, Peas and Cream Pasta for dinner.  It was a slight adaptation on the recipe I found in The Geometry of Pasta book.

Now on a very different note I have just been to the toilet to find a "WHOLE" toilet roll stuck down there!  I wonder who did that?