When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing blogs or cooking for the lovely Mr G, this is wha

Baker & Foodie Content Creator

Hi.

My name is Lee, welcome to my pages. I hope we can have fun together?

When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing guest blogs, writing my own blog, or even trying to learn how to paint, I’m usually spending time with the amazing Mr G (my husband) or with my lovely daughter or my lovely son (very proud mum).

What is this all about? Great question. This site is about real cooking and baking, real recipes and real mistakes.

No filters here, (although i’d love to find a filter that can take ten years worth of laugh lines away. Just me, whats happening, and whatever cameras or phone i have to hand .

There are many things that get under my bonnet and wiggle around, one of those is food waste. If i buy ingredients specifically for a recipe, and i only need a small amount of the ingredients, i want to be able to use the rest up and not have to throw them away. My mum used to say , “Waste not Want not” is that still a saying ?

For me, waste is not just about using up all the ingredients. What about leftover food? If i’m able , i hope to give ideas as to how to use up any leftovers too.

Be Brave

Cooking isn’t hard , neither is baking, its all about being brave and being ok with making mistakes

Pumpkin, Lets Pickle It!

Pumpkin, Lets Pickle It!

Lee Majhen-Todd

They’re everywhere! In the fields, in the gardens, in the shops and at the end of October, Halloween, they will be housing little candles and shining out of everyone’s window.

 Yup, you guessed it, pumpkins.

 I love a good pumpkin dish as well as the next middle-aged women sitting at her computer writing about it, but sometimes finding original dishes to make with the glut of pumpkins is a little, well, samey.

 I love pumpkin soup, one of my favourite things to use them up in. A warming bowl of rich, thick pumpkin soup is a dream for a cold winter day, lots of crusty bread and the lovely Mr G is in soup heaven.

 Given the choice, in the winter time, the lovely Mr G would have home-made soup three or four times a week. I’m a little less inclined to go down that soupy road.

 Then there is an American thanksgiving staple, the pumpkin pie. Now I’ve tried and tried to like this, but a sweet dessert dish out of this glorious orb is not for me. One day I’ll post my own version of this state’s side favourite, but not today.

 What about a good old roasting? This is my favourite way of eating pumpkin. I love a sprinkle of good olive oil, lots of fresh ground black pepper, some Maldon salt & a hood sprinkling of paprika. A lovely hot oven, about 200c, for, well, until its fork soft.

Hot or cold, delicious.

 Of course, none of these are what I made this weekend. I chose to go down the pickle route using a, what I think is a Carnival pumpkin bought from one of my favourite shops, Aldi.

 There are so many different types of pumpkin, & I’m not very good at identifying which is which. So, I downloaded this from www.ebfarm.com ,hope they don’t mind me sharing it with you?

I don’t know one pumpkin from the next. This chart downloaded from the internet. Thank you Earthbound Farm

I don’t know one pumpkin from the next. This chart downloaded from the internet. Thank you Earthbound Farm

 So, to the pickled pumpkin.

Why should you make this? Because it’s bloody lovely, that’s why.

 I had to stop myself from making jars & jars of this, not because I wouldn’t eat them, but exactly that, because I would eat & eat them & because of the lock down, can’t get them to my family easily.

This is not to say that I might not make lots more for some Christmas gift hampers. Watch out family…..

 When making this recipe, you will have to adapt the amount of ingredients, the vinegar, spices etc, depending in the size of your pumpkin.

It’s easy to double, triple or even more, the ingredients for the pickling liquid.

And don’t forget, don’t limit yourself the type of pumpkin I used, the recipe is perfect for any pumpkin.

Store in the fridge for a week before you use it, and the longer you wait the more pickily it will be.

For longer term storage, keep it unopened, for up to three months or even longer.

 Go on, give it a go and let me know how you get on. Pictures obviously.

 Enjoy your sweet life

Ready to be stored for a week before diving in

Ready to be stored for a week before diving in

Pickled Pumpkin

 What You Need

  • 1 Medium Pumpkin of choice – Prepared – See Tip Box

  • 2 Cups Cider Vinegar

  • 2 Cups White Wine Vinegar

  • 1 Cup Water

  • 2 Tablespoons Red Peppercorns

  • 1 Tablespoon Maldon Salt

  • 2 Teaspoons Castor Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoons Dried Chilli Flakes

  • 1 Dried Bay Leaf for each jar

Sliced very thinly

Sliced very thinly

How It’s Done

  • Get your sterilised jars and lids ready

  • Prepare your pumpkin keeping the skin on – See Tip Box

  • Pack the prepared pumpkin into the sterilised jars.

  • Place a dried bay leaf in each jar.

  • Place all of the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan

  • Bring the ingredients to a simmer, and simmer until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

  • Pour the vinegar mixture into the jars, make sure the pumpkin is completely covered.

  • Make sure the peppercorns etc are evenly distributed between all of the jars.

  • Seal the jars and let them cool completely before putting them into the fridge for at least a week before using.

  • Store in the fridge for up to three months

  • Once opened use with about a week.

Speckles of red peppercorns and chilli flakes

Speckles of red peppercorns and chilli flakes

Tip Box

  • Pumpkin – a) – Don’t be limited to the type of pumpkin I used, use what you can find or your favourite

    b) – Preparation – Scrub the skin of the pumpkin very well, and keep it on when you slice it very thinly.

Take out the seeds.

Slice the pumpkin into very thin slices or even small cubes.

c)-Don’t throw the seeds away. Clean them up and roast them in the oven with a few spices, and just snack on them.

Bay leaves and red peppercorns , give the jar a shake when they are sealed.

Bay leaves and red peppercorns , give the jar a shake when they are sealed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Scrap Cider Vinegar

Apple Scrap Cider Vinegar
I Made a Pie - Multi-Layer Sausage, Egg & Onion Pie

I Made a Pie - Multi-Layer Sausage, Egg & Onion Pie
0