Alexiabeille

Medlars

2007-11-25T02:42:00.000-08:00

I love medlars, they look ever so cute...that one measures about 3.5 cm...I found some on the market, two weeks ago...now they are ripe I can make jelly...Here are a few details found on the web if you don't know them...

"Medlar fruits are unusual both in appearance and in their ripening habits. They are very hard and inedible until they start to decay. They will rarely reach this stage by themselves on the tree and need to be harvested as late as possible in November . They should be left in a box in a cool dry place until they turn a dark reddish brown and become soft and juicy. This ripening process is known as "bletting" the medlars. "

Medlar Jelly
- 1lb medlars- ¼ pint water- sugar- juice ½ lemon
Simmer fruit and water until soft. Strain through a jelly bag.Measure juice, allow 1lb sugar to 1pint juice. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Boil rapidly until set.With such a small quantity you won't waste much if you don't like it.

tomatoes, tomatoes...

2007-09-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

I've made so many dried tomatoes, i was a bit fed up, and nobody likes ketchup at home...so just a few jars of tomato sauce with basil in the deep-freezer. Know what I do, when we eat yoghurt I keep the small jars and feel them with sauce, you get enough for pasta or rice...
But last week-end I wanted to try something different. I found a gorgeous and yummy recipe...
TOMATO AND BASIL JELLY

you need:
-1.7kg tomatoes, quartered
-2 large handfuls of basil leaves
-3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
-400ml cider vinegar
-about 700g sugar with pectin
You place the tomatoes, basil, garlic and vinegar in a large saucepan, bring to boil, then cover and cook over a low heat for about 1 hr, stirring half way through.
Strain in a jelly bag during the night, you'll get about 800ml of juice, and cook with with the sugar. It will take about 70 mn to becoma a jelly. Put in jars immediately.
You may have this with many savoury dishes...

nectarines...nectar...hummmmm...

2007-09-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

as you're fed up with courgettes !!!I offer you a nice dessert, easy to cook and so yummy...
take six nectarines and peel them...easy to do if you put them in boiling water for one minute...put them in a dish and pour on it 4 glasses of hydromel...if you don't have any you may use sweet white wine but it tastes so much better with hydromel, add 4 table spoons of sugar...bake at 180° in the oven for about an hour...they get all golden, shiny...I forgot ! I add a little ginger minced very thinly...
I served with vanilla ice-cream...Ladies, it's gorgeous !

courgette again!!!

2007-09-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

courgettes...courgettes...I rather have tomatoes hubby said...yes, but no more tomatoes...what can I do with all these courgettes, can't eat them all at once...so had an idea...sometimes i can be really clever (hum....)...
why not dry them like tomatoes, not really dry but drier...Ok...don't worry I am allright...
so i cut them in slices (0.5cm) and put them on a dish...next to each other...don't make layers...
I put drops of olive oil, some coarse salt, thyme...and put it in the oven at a very low temperature 90°...for 4 hours...turn the slices after 2 hours...then you put them in jars with some olive oil and keep them in the fridge...yesterday I had some pasta left, and didn't feel like cooking...I opened a jar took a few slices and warm them up in a frying pan, just like that until they get a bit crusty...it'a very nice and so easy...

2007-08-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Magical chair, once more...sure you would love to have one...
So back to courgettes, soup, ratatouille, gratin...and ...of course...jam...
yes jam...My god-mother did it so I do it...
you need :
1kg courgettes
800g sugar
100g sultanas
100g dried apricots
1 vanilla bean
zest of a lime
cut courgettes in thin slices, and apricots in small pieces. In a big bowl put all the ingredients and let them macerate over night...
Then cook gently for about 1hr30, and pour into jars...Close when it's warm...
You may eat it as ordinary jam, but if you add only 600g of sugar you may use it as chutney, delicious with goat cheese...

Zucchini flower fritters, for dreamers...

2007-08-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Ingrédients for 6 persons:
About 40 zucchini flowers
A bunch of parsley
150grs of flour
2 eggs
25cls of cold milk
salt, pepper, tomato sauce for the accompaniment

Recipe
Clean the flowers, store the stalks and pistils. In a pot mix the whole flour, the 2 egg yolks, a bit of salt and a small spoonful of olive oil. Gradually add the milk. Whip the egg white and add it to the preparation with the chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper. Dip the flowers one by one in the paste, then sink them in boiling oil. When gold coloured, put them on a plate on a paper napkin. You can serve zucchini fritters with tomato sauce.
Eat very warm...

What could I say...I'm very happy I tried...I had so many flowers ...I always dreamt of cooking them...Just like eating a dream...Remember their beauty when eating them, the souvenir is more beautiful than the taste...

Magical chair at dawn...

2007-07-30T01:02:00.000-07:00

What did I tell you on Saturday ? sure you would love to have such a magical chair...

Courgette fairy...

2007-07-30T00:59:00.000-07:00

I told you there were fairies in my small yard...See that one hiding in the heart of a courgette flower ?...She 's watching us with huge eyes, and is blowing a flower bubble, maybe to hide...
Too late !!!we've seen you...

Tagged by Karen

2007-07-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Karen...that's very nice of her...I've been wandering through her blog lately and loved it...

"Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 random facts as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 other garden blogs and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog." and then you tag 7 persons...
My problem is, who am I going to tag...so I leave it to tomorrow...

A small garden well hidden in Plumpiemousie...
~~*~~*~~

1°-To get to know my small planet, watch the outsides ...We rent a house , not very beautiful but with plenty of space inside and a little yard at the back where we can eat and rest...
I'm not very good at gardening, may be I'm not patient enough, may be the earth over here is so difficult to dig, and may be I'm lazy because of my landlady...(read beneath...)

2°-I have a problem with small animals this year...slugs, snails...they have eaten so many of my herbs...so I have a question for you...
suppose slugs have eaten all the basil, if you cook the slugs, do they taste basil? I would like to find a volunteer to test who could do it?

In front of the house, along the road...

2007-07-28T13:23:00.001-07:00

2007-07-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

2007-07-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

3° I should take off all the wild herbs along the road but I can't, I can't...always find them too nice, too cute...so in front of the house I have a tiny garden, a bit wild...some of my flowers are having problems with snails this year...
The pink one was along the edge, and it got a bit crushed by a car, so I rescued it and planted it nearer the house, but now it was eaten by a snail...
But I do love snails as well, they're so funny ...

The raspberry hegde...

2007-07-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

4° I have raspberries but I don't grow them...how is that ?

But before I tell you

have the last fruit...the birds eat them...we had plenty this year...they actually belong to the landlady, but we both pick them, we each have our side of the hedge...

so I share the hedge with a nice woman...

I love serving them with whipped cream and a few mint leaves...

Herbs and herbal teas

2007-07-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

5° I grow herbs in the small yard...I haven't much left now...the weather has been so

bad...on another side of the house I also have red fennel, very tasty with fish...

no more coriander...that's the one I prefer...

with rice and all Asian recipes it's great...

I also make herbal teas with mint or thyme and lemon...

that's the medicine I prefer...

after I had put them on the scan to make the above picture

the fragrances were so strong ...

delicious...

a strange apricot...

2007-07-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

6°Surprise, when I opened this apricot, the stone was broken...

Never seen that before, and the fruit was quite allright from the outside,

and quite tasty inside...

a magic chair...

2007-07-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

7°And now, to finish the story of my garden let me show you my magic chair...

quite allright when I open the shutters in the morning...just a bit old and rusty ...like my knees and shoulders...(except the left one partly made of plastic now...)

2007-07-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

I just had my shower and came down to have breakfast with Hubby... surprise...

My landlady is the nicest woman I've ever met...

She knows we love vegetables...

Now, Gentle Ladies and Gentlemen don't you think my garden is a beautiful and magic place???

~~*~~*~~*~~

And if you have been brave enough to read this long post I have another story to tell you

see the labels on the left side-bar, click on hedgehog...

the week-end jam

2007-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

I bought a new basin to make jam, isn't it nice...that's not the photo, my camera isn't working, but quite similar...

so here's the recipe:

1 kg apricots
500g oranges
1kg white sugar, 500gr brown sugar
spices: 2 tea-spoons of cinnamon, 1 of ginger, 1 clove, 5 cm of liquorice stick...
you add the powdered spices at the end the liquorice and the clove at the beginning (put the clove in a small orange)

cut the apricots in halves, slice the oranges very thinly and take off the seeds.
put the sugar in the basin and add a large glass of strong chinese tea...
let it start boiling
put the fruits, let boil gently for about an hour, put in jars
you can add a few raisins...

Cooking wild herbs...

2007-06-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

I've got two sorts of oxalis in my yard, green one with pink flowers and the small brownish one with tiny yellow flowers...It's also called wood sorrel. It tastes nice, very fresh, not as sharp as sorrel. you may use it in salads, with fresh cream and fish or cook it...try the following recipe, it's easy and quite nice...

2007-06-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Oeufs à la coque (soft boiled eggs)

with oxalis

from Marc Veyrat (French chef)

~~*~~*~~
(serve four )
4 eggs
100 g oxalis leaves
10 cl vegetable stock
5 cl milk
2 slices of bread
salt and pepper
sea-salt (fleur de sel)
vinegar
Heat the stock in a small pan. Add 50gr of oxalis leaves and let reduce for 3 minutes.
Add salt, pepper and the milk. Allow to reduce until you get about 4 tea-spoon of puree.
Strain it carefully and put apart,
Cook the eggs in gently boiling-water (add two drops of vinegar and don't use cold eggs, that way they won't crack). Boil for 3 minutes. The white will be firm and the yolk runny.
Place egg in a cup, small end down and slice off the large end with a knife. Take off a little of the white, add a tea-spoon of oxalis puree and four grains of sea-salt.
Toast the bread and cut it in fingers. Decorate the plates with the remaining leaves. Dip the bread fingers in the egg and enjoy...

Mint from my yard...

2007-06-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have much mint in my small yard...Peppermint one and orange one...this last one is a tiny plant now but smells so nice...

I picked up big bunches and let them dry in the kitchen, the bathroom, the toilets...natural perfume...I use leaves when I prepare fruit salad, especially strawberries and raspberries, or herbal tea...but yesterday Itried syrup...It tastes quite nicely and so refreshing with water and ice-cubes...

MINT SYRUP
Ingredients needed:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves Place the sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. While the syrup heats, rinse the mint leaves to eliminate any dirt. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat, and dump the mint leaves into the saucepan. Allow the syrup to cool for at least 1 hour before straining out the mint. Store the syrup in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.Yield: about 2 cups

2007-03-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

Here she is, looking a bit shy, isn't she?

She's so beautiful...what can I say?

Hello, Good morning, Nice to meet you...

Help...Docabeille, Cortobeille...

Imbolc...la Chandeleur...

2007-02-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

Rejoice everybody...C'est la Chandeleur...Imbolc's coming...click on the word to get plenty informations about it...let's prepare crêpes flambées, let's light candles and have a nice part to illuminate winter...It's a very traditional event in Briton families...

-Ingredients for the crêpes suzette:1 medium orange, grated zest only and 1 tbsp caster sugar mixed into the batter

-For the sauce:150ml/5fl oz orange juice (from 3-4 medium oranges)1 medium orange, grated zest only1 small lemon, grated rind and juice1 ,tbsp caster sugar,3 tbsp Grand Marnier, Cointreau or brandy,50g/2oz unsalted butter,a little extra Grand Marnier, for flaming
MethodThese little crêpes should be thinner than the basic pancakes, so when you're making them, use only 1½ tbsp of batter at a time in a 18cm/7in pan. Use the batter recipe from Basic pancakes recipe. If the pancakes look a little bit ragged in the pan, no matter because they are going to be folded anyway. You should end up with 15-16 crêpes.For the sauce, mix all the ingredients - with the exception of the butter - in a bowl. At the same time warm the plates on which the crêpes are going to be served. Now melt the butter in the frying pan, pour in the sauce and allow it to heat very gently. Then place the first crêpes in the pan and give it time to warm through before folding it in half and then in half again to make a triangular shape. Slide this onto the very edge of the pan, tilt the pan slightly so the sauce runs back into the centre, then add the next crêpe. Continue like this until they're all re-heated, folded and well soaked with the sauce.You can flame them at this point if you like. Heat a ladle by holding it over a gas flame or by resting it on the edge of a hotplate, then, away from the heat, pour a little liqueur or brandy into it, return it to the heat to warm the spirit, then set light to it. Carry the flaming ladle to the table over the pan and pour the flames over the crêpes before serving on the warmed plates.

When you prepare the pancakes at first...don't forget...hold a coin in your hand, take the pan and throw the pancake in the air to turn it...if you catch it back you'll be rich !!!!!!!and if it doesn't work, well...there's always the pancakes to eat...

Rosemary and Vinegar Hair Rinse

2007-01-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

just cut out the rosemary plants in the garden, I used some to make a nice pot of herbal tea and found my recipe for beauty vinegar...here it is, just for you...
"Rosemary and Vinegar Hair Rinse "
Use this rinse on your hair instead of conditioner after you shampoo if you are tired of experiencing the buildup some conditioners leave on your hair. This rinse is also great for a clarifying treatment when you enjoy the extra moisture conditioners leave in your hair, but know that your hair can use a breath from daily shower conditioning, leave-in conditioning, and hair products used to keep the hair in place. A vinegar rinse is also great for incredibly shiny hair. The rosemary stimulates the scalp to promote hair growth, and is great for thinning or brittle hair.
Chop 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary and place it in a jar. Fill the jar with apple cider vinegar, and store it in a cool dark place for about a week. Shake the jar vigorously once a day for the entire week to fully disperse the rosemary. After a week, strain the liquid and discard of the rosemary. Return the liquid to the jar. This is your rosemary and vinegar rinse solution.
When ready to use this rinse, take 1/3 cup of solution and dilute it with 3 cups of warm water. Rub into freshly shampooed, damp hair and scalp (keep this mixture out of your eyes). Rinse thoroughly, dry, and style as usual.
and I can tell you it's great...

feeling a bit tired...

2007-01-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

That's how I feel those days...don't know about you...sure I need some herbal tea...or hot milk with honey and cinnamon...a delight...wish I was a poet myself...thank you Anjela...
Hiraezh, a poem from Anjela Duval...
LONGING

Ah! how I long for blue Skies
After these weeks full of grey!

Gone (it seems) half of January
And I've still seen no other color this year
Than that bit of grey sky
In the rectangle of my window.

Occasionally a Bird passes with the speed of lightning.
A curved and needled branch of the blue fir,
Sweeping indefatiguably the grey roof of the shed when there's the least breath of wind.

And over there further on the horizon
A bare chestnut, and her color as grey as anything,
Straight, however, and stiff as a proud and
serious peasant in front of a photographer.

Ah! how I long for blue and dappled Skies, for joyous Sun and a fresh wind,
For silvery streams, and for green meadows with dawn's dew on every new blade of grass.

Ah! how I long...

April 1964.Read this poem in breton
Translated by Lenora Timm

Thirteen desserts...

2006-12-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Children love moving, playing, running, and don't really feel like sitting at a table for hours...On Christmas or whatever day you feast, give them the traditionnal thirteen desserts from Provence, nuts, almonds, fougasse, dried fruits...with the underneath sandwiches and fruit juices they'll be happy and healthy...

The tradition said in the south of France, 13 desserts, for the Christ and the 12 apostles...

2006-12-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

Children aren't so fond of complicated Christmas food...But sure they will love these funny and tasty sandwiches...

the little things which are useful

2006-12-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't spoken for a long time, haven't I ? I was having a rest....
So today I come back with a very important subject: Tea-bags...LOL...
Yes, I'm serious...they are handy and not to expensive when you make tea...
They are nice as a compress to rest your eyes...
They are useful to dye a small mat or a few laces...
They may clean saucepans, especially when you cook outside and don't want to use detergents...
But I discovered I could use them everymorning to clean my face...I'm not saying my face looks like a saucepan mind you, but they are refreshing and a bit astringent, so they are good for your complexion...
Can I prove it? I could, but I'm not going to spoil that blog by putting my photos, you know how they do it in magazines: Before and After...
and...
and...
fancy a cup'a ???????

Wars...

2006-11-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

That was the very beginning of the first world war...
My parents had been married for a week...
My Dad had to go...
He never came back...
Nine months later I was born...

Quince jam

2006-10-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

take about 1500gr of quinces...you'll get about 1000gr of prepared fruits...

peel the fruits, cut them into pieces and put them in water with lemon juice...not to get brown...

weigh them and prepare 750 gr of sugar for 1000gr of fruits...

put them in a basin with water and cook them until they get soft...

strain and keep the liquid...

mashed the fruits in a nice purée...

in a basin put the sugar , one and a half pint of the previous liquid, a spoonfull of lemon-juice, i teaspoonfull of cinnamon, a dozen of crushed seeds of cardamon...

cook gently for about fourty five minutes, put in the jars and close immediately...

then take the remaining liquid, warm it, add a bunch of thyme, a lemon cut in slices, and let it infuse for ten minutes...add some honey if you like...it makes a delicious drink and very good to fight colds and bronchistis...

if you have a quince tree in your garden you're lucky, the flowers are so beautiful...

Rescue: Part 1

2006-10-09T06:14:00.005-07:00

The hedgehog came to visit my yard last night, but when he wanted to leave he got caught in the wire netting...God! the dog was getting mad...so first thing put the dog away...

Rescue: Part 2

2006-10-09T06:14:00.003-07:00

I got a pair of big scissors in my hubby's toolbag, and cut the wire...I was afraid the little one was hurt, but no, he fell on his back and staid there for a minute, like a baby...

Rescue: Part 3

2006-10-09T06:14:00.001-07:00

I put on gloves, took him carefully, put him in a bowl and went to the nearest field, near the hedge, found a nice place for him...

Rescue: Happy end

2006-10-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

After a few minutes I could see a small head coming out, so I went...a bit sad...I already miss him...but things are better this way aren't they ?

Walnuts wines

2006-10-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Walnut wines

First recipe, with the green walnuts

Ingredients - Step One
40 green walnuts2.5 grams (0.1 oz) of cinnamon shells1 vanilla bean2 gentian pods1 liter (1.8 pints) of brandy (nearly 65° alcohol)

Ingredients - Step Two
5 liters (9 pints) of Algerian wine at 13° (i.e. Mascarat)1 kg (2.20 pounds) of sugar2.5 grams (0.1 oz) cloves

Step One: Cut the nuts in little bits. Put them in a glass demijohn. Add the cinnamon shells, the vanilla and gentian pods. Add one liter of brandy and leave tosoak for 40 days.

Step Two: Then, filter the mixture (not on new moon period), add 5 liters of red wine at 13°, 1kg of sugar and 2.5gr of cloves (to taste). Let it mature for 40 days.

Second recipe, with the leaves

Ingredients
400 grams (14 oz) of walnut leaves½ liter (0.9 pint) of brandy2 liters (3.52 pints) of red wine200 grams (7 oz) of caster sugar
Gather the leaves at the end on June (take only sound leaves, without black marks) and let them dry some days. Squash them with the hands, put them in a 3 liters glass demijohn and add all the ingredients. Cork the bottle and let rest it for at least 2 months. Stir it from time to time. Filter the mixture and put it in bottles.

It's so nice to have a glass of these wines, when the clouds are grey, the wind blowing outside.

Nice music or a good book to match...A perfect evening...

Message for Bob

2006-10-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

I have some very nice honey for you Little bear, I add some rosemary in the jar, crushed it a little bit before...after a few weeks it tastes delicious...

sweet Alexiabeille

2006-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

isn't she gorgeous ?

during her funeral, the priest said: I don't know if there's a paradise, but if there's one, she 'll cultivate the nicest pumpkins God has ever seen...

Jam and Boston Marrow

2006-09-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 kg.pumpkin or Boston Marrow the photo is here, click!(it's Lucie's garden!!! she doesn't know...shhhhhhhhhhhh)

750 gr sugar

2 glasses of water
1 lemon

1 teaspoon cinnamon

candied oranges peels

Preparation

Put the sliced pumpkin in a glass bassin and cover with the sugar leave it in the refrigerator for 24 hrs.
next day cook the ingredients for 2 hrs at low flame.
Some minutes before the end of this time add some scraped lemon skin the candied orange peels and the cinnamon

Put the hot marmelade in jars and close immediately...

you may also mix apples and pumpkin...

Pumpkins

2006-09-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

there're so many varieties...Alexiabeille had many in her garden...In her hand you see a "Turban squash"...She also likes "Red Hubbard" also called "Boston Marrow"...they are rather small.

It's my favorite...If you want to see nice pictures of vegetables go and visit my friend Lucie Marguerite, her garden is beautiful.

She 'll show you a Boston Marrow...It cooks and tastes excellent, a bit like chestnut, that's why in French we call them "Potimarron".Today I give you two recipes, there're plenty but I most often do these two.

First the soup:

you need:
3 tablespoons olive

2 leeks chopped
8 cups bullion
2 1/2 lbs cooked, mashed Marrow or pumpkin

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
salt to taste
ground black pepper

Preparation Directions:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med-low heat.
Add the leeks or onions and saute until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 min.
Combine the buillion, pumpkin, sugar, spices, salt and pepper.
Heat until boiling point.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer.
Check for seasonings.

you may add a little cream and roasted sesame seeds

if you wake up very early in the morning, maybe you'll meet that one...

2006-09-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Consider the snail, by R.Wayne Edwards

Where he goes he leaves a trail

When he goes where he shouldn't be,

His trail is there for all to see.

Our life is like the little snail,

Where we go, we leave a trail.

The things we do and the things we say,

Are the trail we leave from day to day.

The jam, adapted from Georges Duhamel

2006-09-15T03:02:00.000-07:00

The day the economist paid us a visit, we were making jam, from our blackcurrants, redcurrants and raspberries.
Using WORDS, NUMBERS and long FORMULAS, he told us we were completely crazy to make our own jam. It was allright in the middle-ages
but now, considering the PRICE of SUGAR, FIRE, JARS not talking about all the WASTED TIME, we had better eat the good ones from groceries...Sure, now on, nobody ever makes such an economical mistake.
-But wait, Sir! I shouted...Will the grocer sell me the best part of it?
-What do you mean?
-But the SCENT Sir, the FRAGRANCE...Smell, the whole house is as sweet-smelling as a summer day...How would the world exist, without the fragrance of jam...
The economist, hearing such strange words, opened huge herbivorous eyes.
My voice blazed:
-In this house, Sir, we make Jam ONLY FOR THE FRAGRANCE. Jam itself, is nothing. When it's cooked Sir, we throw it away...
*****************************************************
I told such lyrical words to impress the economist, but now, I must confess the truth: When jam is ready we eat it for her fragrance's sake.

jam

2006-09-15T01:48:00.000-07:00

Buying jam and making jam...important subject...In the French village, my twin sister Fleur de blé noir has a nice story to tell you...I'll ask Docabeille, maybe he could translate it for us...

readers'corner: special post

2006-09-14T03:19:00.000-07:00

Very dear Mrs Gattina
We were very happy this morning to receive your mail, and thank you for being so interested in our work. As this blog is also a very educative one we must give our readers some more explanations.
In the previous posts we forgot to say in what place the apples were peeled, you asked if we did it in the tree, very important question...
In fact, not exactly , our apples don't need peeling they peel themselves when falling from the tree, they are very well educated...You notice the apple tree is a very special one, with flowers, fruits and leaves all year round...It's called "Alexiabeille-apple-tree" and you only find them in our country...If you wish to get one may be we could send a small tree through our special mail...I took the underneath photo yesterday , I understand why there's a beautiful cat visiting...But would you be kind enough to tell your cat , next time he could give us a hand? He was not the last one to lick the bassin...
Yours faithfully
Mousie

Plumpiemousians making apple jam

2006-09-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

apples and spices jam

2006-09-12T00:28:00.000-07:00

Autumn is coming...Apples are beautiful ...I love making jam.Want my recipe?
you need:
3kg apples
the juice of 2 lemons
2 vanilla beans
2 teaspoons of powdered cinnamon
6 cloves
850gr sugar per kg of fruit

peel the apples, cut them in quarters, take off the seeds, cut in slices, stir in lemon juice and weight.
measure the sugar, 850gr per kg of apples
put the sugar in a bassin with 250gr water per kg of fruit, allow to warm on a low temperature, until the syrup gets sligthly gold.
put the apples in that syrup, add vanilla, cinnamon and cloves.
cook gently for about 75 minutes until you can see through the slices of apples
put in jars and cover immediately.
*********************************
you may use it as an ordinary jam on bread, buns, pancakes, with yoghurt...or cover the pastry of your tart before putting the other apples on top.
it's also delicious with vanilla ice cream
last year I added pieces of candied orange skin...and a glass of whisky, for adults only but so nice.
It may be a beautiful Christmas present.

little ones...

2006-09-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

In 1876, an Englishman brought back some grey squirrels from America.
The result has been devastating. They competeted with the red squirrels for food and as some believe, carried a disease that decimated the reds.There are 2.5 millions grey squirrels in the UK and just 161,000 reds. In France the proportion is similar. In the same way, crayfish was brought from foreign countries (America, Asia) to supply English or french restaurants. Most of the native crayfishes have now disappeared.
no comment...!

2006-09-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

all the following posts were made in July and August, but as the blog had disappeared!!!! here they are again...
I suppose Alexiabeille was gone somewhere else for a little trip, but she came back this morning, tired, but very happy...what did she do????

my animals

2006-09-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

my tortoise, sisabeille's dog under the table
and queer little ones..

leeks

2006-09-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

You know leeks... Those green veg so tasty, so nice for figure and complexion. When they get old and tall, they are hard...Take the hems , cut them in pieces of 15cm long and peel them. Steam these tender green things grandma calls : Asparagus for poor people...Poor but gourmet, because they're delicious simply served with a little butter and fish or rice...Enjoy your meal!

beetroot chutney

2006-09-04T07:06:00.001-07:00

My landlady gave me a full basket of beetroots.I'll make some chutney this afternoon, here's the recipe.
3 pounds steamed beetroots
1,5 pounds green apples
2 large onions
1 teaspoon salt
0,5 pound of brown sugar
0,5 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 pint of red wine vinegar
the zets of 2 oranges
In a saucepan put the vinegar, the apples, the zests , the chopped onions, the brown sugar...Allow to boil gently for 30 minutes. Add the beetroots in small pieces, the ginger and let boil for 15 minutes. Put in jars and cover immediately.
You may keep it for at least 6 months...It's nice with cold meat, salad, cheese...

labels

2006-09-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

labels for the jars of chutney

yoghurt

2006-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Make your yogurt. It's so easy and nicer...Heat 1 litre of whole milk in a saucepan to just below boiling point. Cool to 40/43 °c. Add 4 tablespoons of powder milk and 2 of natural yogurt. Whisk to mix perfectly. Put in very clean jars . Put them in a thick saucepan. Wrap it in a thick piece of blanket and let it incubate for 8h at least. I usually leave it all night.Then put it in the fridgein a plastic box well closed. You may use cow or goat milk. The powder milk makes it thicker.Now the rasperry jam is ready, come in, let's taste..

summertime

2006-09-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

"Oh Summertime..."
It's snowing all over the place under the tall poplars.
The airy flakes are flying everywhere...
High above Thomas Jefferson's house???
met these beautiful trees on:
http://www.poplarforest.org/hist.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poplar

the Little Prince

2006-09-04T04:10:00.000-07:00

very dear little boy,

I heard you didn't know the name of your flower?

You'll find it here...

witch honey...

2006-09-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients for the "crameillote" or "witch honey"
1 Liter dandelion petals
1 Liter water
3 slices lemon -
1 vanilla bean, cut in half
1 kg sugar
Instructions
Pick the dandelions in full sunshine. Pull off all the dandelion petals and put them in a pot with the water, lemon slices and vanilla bean. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Let the mixture sit by the side of the stove for 5 to 6 hours.
Strain to separate the petals from the juice. Return the juice to the pot and bring to a simmer. Slowly add the sugar and simmer until desired thickness (takes about 4 hours).
Serve on toast, muffins or danish

buckwheat

2006-09-04T04:03:00.000-07:00

When I went to weddings or family's meals I used to sing my famous song: "Non nulle bretonne n'est plus mignonne à voir que la belle que l'appelle, Fleur de blé noir" "Buckwheat flower"was the girl's name... Buckwheat is an interesting plant you can learn many things about it on the following site ...

It's not a cereal although it has many grain-like characteristics.Those who are allergic to Wheat generally tolerate it very well. You may use "the grains" for kasha dishes, tabbouli...or the flour for bread, crêpes bretonnes... Some pasta are made with it and it's very tasty...

hello

2006-09-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! so funny to be here...But nothing's to bother me, I feel at ease everywhere...Sisabeille asked me to share all my secrets with you, things I knew about plants, herbs, wild fruits, animals... Let's start by a recipe, an old French one... where's my recipe of "crameillotte' nevermind I'll find it.