I’m back from the kitchen and the farmers markets

This is a leaflet T-W-O has written for our dried liver dog treats. We display this on the market stall attached to the basket filled with bags of the treats.

 

Glanbrydan

Treats your dog will be behaving for

Lickeylicious Liver

 

As approved by Bertie who when asked whether he liked it was heard to say “I’d bite your hand off for some Lickeylicious Liver”

Best fresh liver washed, sliced and dried for over six hours. Utterly irresistible to dogs and a great aid to training.

Minimum weight 70gms

Friday was a blur, work and cooking, then more cooking. We finished baking in the kitchen about 1.00am, very tired with lots of aching feet and backs between us all, then we had to get back up at 5.15 am the next morning.

At this early and very cold hour we packed everything into 2 cars. T-W-O left for Llandovery using trays instead of baskets and packing the cool boxes with less than we usually take having run out of baking time the night before. He disappeared off into the frosty sunshine ready to do his market solo with pasties and sweet tarts.

I left with my mum about 20 minutes later and we drove down the A40 into frozen fog taking it easy so the pasties arrived safely. In Brecon we found the George Hotel our location for the day and set up our pitch. We were a bit stuck in a corner almost hidden by the marquee next to us and waited for some customers.

After a slow start and a freezing day the pasties, pork pies and dog treats gradually disappeared into peoples bags. We were set up next to a meat and poultry counter which is normally at the other end of the Brecon market hall to us and we enjoyed his company. Another meat stall whom we have had the pleasure of being next to on our first ever market, which is run by a very nice lady called Sue, sat in the marquee in front of us.

The market had set us along a passage way that had a couple of twists in and ended in a coutyard used by the George in the summer as their outside space. This strange arrangement left the visiter thinking they had reached the end of the stalls before they had, with little in the way of signs and advertising our usual market attendees became confused that we weren’t in the market hall and some had to take great trouble to locate the event.

I have promised a man who purchased a pork pie that I will post the recipe as he has commited to his wife that he will cook them himself. Our pork pies have so far been without jelly but I do use only good meat cuts, shoulder of pork. The recipe will be posted this week.

Overall we had a good weekend, the markets were successful for us and as usual we didn’t take enough stock. All the dog treats sold out at Brecon and only a couple came home from Llandovery. The Christmas puddings are moving steadily as we get closer to Christmas and the only disappointment were the ricotta and spring onion tarts.

I have decided we will be adding sausage rolls and a few family pies to our next farmers market as well as the usual suspects while replacing the ricotta tarts with mini quiches. We have about 2 shopping days left in our world before Christmas what with the markets and work. We will be seeing most of the children next weekend along with the grandchildren so we must speak to Santa about wrapping our gifts up nice and early for us.

I intend to spend this evening in front of a TV with my feet up!

a good evening

The market has been good to us. We were delighted to sell out of everything but 1 veggie pasty and the cheese tarts. People coming to Llandovery this evening were looking for some dinner so pasties sold hot to eat now or cold to warm up later.

We are still amazed by the amount of people who visit us! We were gratified to get some referrals tonight from early pasty eaters. maybe the poor old pasty has for too long suffered from being the poor relation and given a bit of care can be a good dinner dish. Maybe it’d just a more convenient way to eat a pie.

Beside us this evening were a small group of local producers. Our neighbour who very kindly shared a light with us sold hot soup, preserves and photo covered items (note books, cards.). We also had the craft team selling hand knits, the cakes stall and more crafts.

We lined one side of the market while Santa took control of the other side. Children queued to make their Christmas wish and the pretty lights were turned on for the town.

More cooking tomorrow……..will we make Saturday

Pastry making

T-W-O had a small accident making the pastry this evening and managed to bleed over the 2 lots he had made so it had to go in the bin. He sounded very sorry for himself on the phone and decided to quit while he still had all his digits in tact.

I did ask ‘does it need a stitch’ but he assured me plasters were just about stemming the flow. I came home to make the pastry quite late assisted by my kitchen maid (he’s gone to bed and won’t be editing so I can get away with this!).

The pastry making is getting quicker and it needs to as Friday we have to prepare for the 2 Saturday markets. 2 markets seemed a good idea at the time! Lets hope we get a reasonable turn out at tomorrows event as the light switch on mid week has not been over publicised.

I must warn my Mum to bring many layers for her stint on Saturday, they have forcast more cold

a night in the kitchen

what is this bird? Maybe a coal tit?

 

I lied, another bird shot but with a purpose. I have been trying to photograph this tiny little bird for months now and have not managed one decent shot, this is the best I can do. Can someone tell me what he is?

How lucky I am, another night tied to the kitchen stove. I did manage a bit of light dusting earlier. Oh the high life we live here.

Just finished making the meats up for Thursdays market. Tomorrow is the long trip up and down the M4 and T-W-O has been tasked with the pastry making. He has (bless his socks)been ironing in front of the football tonight.

All we need to do is put fresh covers on the bed (very soon) and we can flop into it!

Housekeeping notes. The eco wash balls have been relegated to the weekly towel wash we do as our clothes are getting smelly. We both noticed it last week, the balls have been in use for over a month and have not met expectations.

The passing of Lord Dinefwr

View of the Dinefwr estate

Today the last Lord Dinefwr was laid to rest.  With the ending of hereditary peerages so passes the last Lord into history, whatever your political views on the peerage bestowed from generation to generation today an era has ended. I think it could be argued that no harm could have been done in allowing the title at least to remain.

 

The Rhys family has through many centuries held sway over the county of Carmarthenshire and their seat Newton House is set in the Dinefwr estate which also houses castle ruins and an iron age hill fort. The estate is now in the care of the National Trust who have done a magnificent job in bringing it all up to a superb standard making it a must for tourists when they venture this far west. It is sad that our inheritance tax laws mean that so many great estates are no longer affordable and so with their passing so goes so much of our history and heritage. 

The wake was held within Newton House and a stream of cars proceeded and followed the family cortège into the grounds today. The sun made an appearance over a frosty landscape chilled by the north wind. Black mountain was again coated in a snowy top and the day remained dry for the occasion. All in all the weather and surroundings appeared to match the sobriety of the day. We never knew Lord Dinefwr but felt a sadness as his coffin passed us as yet another part of our unique history slipped quietly and sadly away.

Having witnessed the arrival of the coffin we retreated to the comfort of the Angel for lunch and returned home full (and sleepy) to work the afternoon away.

Walking the dogs in the semi light this evening I wondered at a world so taken with the financial crisis that surrounds us and imagined what a government (of any party) could do in the wake of a financial tsunami. They must do something but whatever they offer can only be a gesture and what they give in one hand they swiftly remove with the other.

The semi light offered a wonderful view of the countryside and made me think of our neighbour counting his sheep this morning and making sure they were all safe. Hearing the horse in the field opposite whiney hello, the dogs pulling me back down the hill eager to say their hellos to the visiting black cat that had caught their attention on our way out.

Now tucked up warmly with the fire glowing we can enjoy a quiet evening in with a glass of red and a venison sandwich for tea. Decadence at it’s best. We even have chocolate for afters. I understand chocolate goes well with venison.

Llandeilo market

 

Llandeilo has lived a sleepy existence for some years and yet it must have been a thriving market town in it’s day. Market street was alive with traders under a canopy that kept the days worst around the soggy edges.

Traders in cheese, pasties, preserves chutneys and cakes all jostled for trade. The people came locally and from other towns to see the crafts and foods on offer. I can only say an old fashioned and yet somehow modern market took the stage.

We worked along side a stall selling goats milk fudge, chocolate and cheese. In turn we shared a tent with a cows milk cheese family and a cake stall. Behind us were coffee, sausages and preserves. We all froze together as the sky gave forth every now and then.

Through market street were cheeses (our Dutch neighbour from Brecon), pickles and chutneys (our vegetarian pasty buyer from Brecon), a wonderful oriental food stall, another pasty and pie stall and an ice cream maker.

The thermals helped but I think a vest and gloves may follow!

too tired

We have worked our socks off today and now to bed!

In the cold wind and rain we have (with a bit of canvas over our heads and thermal draws on) sold our home bakes all day. We are now off to bed, more when we wake up, after a sleep in and a nice cupa followed by lunch and the housework, a trip to shops and more rest!

It went well and was our biggest ever takings! We have bits that ache which we didn’t realise existed before and we sold all the pasties, almost all the dog treats and most of the Christmas puds.

Onward to Thursday, the next installment.

a late night cooking

what have you got round there

Last birds shot tonight or it would have been pasties! They look as if they are in conversation.

I think I may see pasties in my sleep. Off to our new adventure tomorrow, a Christmas market.

I am still cooking and up at five so just a quick hello from all (well 2 of us) at Glanbrydan. I am still looking for a decent recipe for apple tarts with toffee sauce on top. OK with the apple bit it’s just the toffee sauce I don’t know how to make.

Must go tart cases and a pizza (making it’s first appearance) in the oven!

Too tired to care anymore and yet….I still enjoy the cooking.

More tomorrow………..

Dinner Out

The nuthatch

The photo (I almost promise it’s the last bird shot for now) was one of a pair of nut hatch or zoro birds (see his bandanna around his eyes) that visited today.

We have been cooking again in preparation for the Llandeilo Christmas fair on Saturday. We dashed out for dinner with friends after . We had bangers and mash, which I love. Our hosts offered 3 varieties of sausages and it would have been rude not to try them all.

Made by a local butcher who is renowned for his sausages they were superb. This along with a great pud and some good company made for a very nice relaxed evening. Erica and Paul, our hosts live in a lovely cottage tucked away in a secluded valley. They have been collecting animals over the years and have 6 tame sheep (one is called Sam!), goats, chickens, guinea fowl, ducks and two dogs. They have ‘retired’ (ha ha, replace that for swapped lifestyle) and now run a smallholding and holiday let.

What is simple living

Yesterdays visitor to the feeding post prior to filling it up with nuts.

I have been asking myself what is the simple life? I listened to Radio 2 on the long journey back up the M4 this evening, one report involved an author who had written about how to save money and talked about a general move in the population towards simpler living and gross consumer consumption. We too talk about our own desire for a simpler life.

There does seem to be a general move from us all to be a bit greener and lose the shackles of gross consumer spending. It feels as if we are all children who want it and want it now! Guess what – with all the credit that’s been flying about for some years we have had it! There’s just the small problem of paying for them be it houses, cars, clothes and toys.

So I want to try and describe what simpler living means to me and try to make it more of my everyday life:

• Buying less of the things we don’t really need, of course that doesn’t include 9 pairs of socks as they are an investment (although they would have been 20% cheaper tomorrow!).
• Getting things repaired and not replacing them – Our tumble dryer is about 10 years old so fingers crossed.
• Appreciate the things we already have  – I think I’m quoting from a song.
• Enjoying time doing the simpler things – why go away on that big expensive holiday when there’s so much in the UK to see and do.
• Grow more food.