Saturday Musings . . .

An acquaintance of mine recently twisted her ankle and was forced to spend several days with her feet up so that it could heal properly. She was delighted by the number of friends who dropped by to cheer her up and to see if she needed anything. She discovered that when she was on her lonesome, the pain in her ankle was much worse than it was when she had visitors. When she had visitors she thought only about her friends and the pain was forgotten.

I think the monk Aeired of Rievaulx summed it up quite well some nine hundred years ago when he said the following:

"No medicine is more valuable, none more suited to the cure of all our ills than a friend we may turn to in time of trouble and with whom we might share our happiness in time of joy."

Yes indeed, life is so much better when shared, and, when you have found the right person to share it with . . . . well . . . . that's just the icing on the cake!



Speaking of cake, it's Todd's birthday on Monday and I am having a few close friends over tonight to help me celebrate it. Nothing fancy, just a few bits and bobs, and cake of course. I got us all party hats and noise makers and balloons! It should be fun. A dear friend of ours is going through a really bad patch right now. Her husband is in hospice and it will be a bit of a break for her to come over and spend a few hours with us. I thought the party hats and noise makers would be a bit of a distraction and give her a laugh for a short. I could be wrong, but I am really hoping I am right!

I'm off to Orpington by train this morning for some Seminary Training as well. I have to be at the train station not too long after 8 am, which means a really early start for me! I love the train. Back home we used to have a dayliner which could take us very quickly into Halifax daily and back again, but they cut it out years ago now. I expect people didn't use it enough, but it sure came in handy. The trains over here are so fast and convenient, although they can be a bit of an expense. I don't know how people who have to use it to get in to London to work each day manage the expense! That must take a huge chunk out of their pay! I have also tried to ride the train during rush hour and what a nuisance, all cramped like sardines and we had to stand most of the way. Not to mention the crush at the turnstiles to access the trains. I'd much rather ride them in the off hours.



We have garden tomatoes coming out our ears just now, a most lovely and tasty complaint. Did you know that you can freeze them just whole like that? Just pop them into freezer bags and stick them in the freezer. When the time comes to use them, the skins just slip right off and they are ready for whatever you need them for, sauces, soups, stews . . . very convenient.

I made a lovely fresh roasted tomato soup for Todd for his lunch the other day and some tasty ham and cheese biscuits to go along with it. It managed to use up quite a few of them and it went down a real treat, it did!



*Roasted Tomato Soup*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

This is the perfect soup in late summer when you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with. We just love it. The roasted tomatoes get really sweet. The garlic and basil are the perfect seasonings.

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1 TBS sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (divided)
2 TBS butter
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2-225g tins of chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup of dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 litre of well seasoned chicken stock
1 TBS balsamic vinegar



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet with an edge and toss with the olive oil, sea salt, pepper and 3 of the garlic cloves. Place into the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until they are soft and beginning to slightly caramelize. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and remaining garlic, and saute over medium low heat, for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil leaves, thyme, balsamic vinegar and all of the roasted tomatoes, including all the juices from the pan. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced somewhat and beginning to thicken, about 35 to 40 minutes. Puree using a stick blender. If you feel it is too thick you may add some boiling water, but I always find the consistency just right. You may also put it through a food mill, but I find it's not really necessary. I like the extra texture of the seeds and to be honest my stick blender always makes a great job of making it pretty smooth.



*Tasty Ham and Cheese Drop Scones*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

These are lovely and so easy to make. They are nice and cheesy, and crisp on the outsides with a meltingly tender inside. Just perfect with soup!

3/4 pound of chopped boiled ham
9 ounces flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
1/2 tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
250ml milk



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Place the ham into a nonstick skillet and cook, stirring for several minutes until it begins to brown slightly. Set aside to cool a bit before proceeding.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne together in a bowl. Stir in the cheese and the ham. Add the milk all at once. The mixture should be somewhat sticky. If it isn't, add a bit more milk until it is.

Butter a large baking sheet with a knob of butter. Drop the scone mixture by heaped tablespoons onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between each for spreading. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned on the bottoms and set. Serve warm.



If you like Roast Potatoes and want a really tasty recipe to use to make them for with your Sunday Roast tomorrow, pop on over to The English Kitchen and take a gander at mine. It's lovely if I don't say so myself! (Not that I am bragging or anything, just so you know, they are pretty wonderful!)