A New Day!

Well, yesterday is over, and it took me a while to go through the mails that were sent overnight. And my stat counter appears to be broken too ;) I hope it's just down for maintenence!

Last night we had an early night - yesterday really took it out of us - and I vaguely remember sitting up in bed watching Tam play around when the next thing I realise, I've got cramp in my shoulders and am all slumped over - and it's 1am! Even this morning I still feel fairly tired, but then Tam is asleep on my chest as I write this, and that always makes me feel warm and sleepy!

The Great British Weather is currently diabolical. I could have done with NOT going out at 8.30 this morning, but it's either that or keep Jaysen off school. It's pouring with rain, and the wind is coming from the north so it feels extra chilly. I hate this time of year, it's too gloomy and makes me moody. Still, I have various things to keep me perked up...

A couple of people have asked about the soup we made yesterday... As some of you know, I started out on my slippery slope of careers as a chef, and spent a year in a resturant in Hullbridge, Essex learning. While I picked up some skill, I also learned it's a long, hard, thankless and underpaid job - but meh :)

Anyways, the soup is actually something Jo's mum makes every now and then, and is the reason I don't consider her a typical mother-in-law. You need:

• A large gammon joint
• A large pot/pan
• A crap-load of water

Start with the gammon. Bring the water to the boil, put the entire lump of meat into the boiling water, and turn it down to simmer for a good couple of hours. Add more water if it starts to uncover the meat when it evaporates. Once the meat is cooked through - keep the water - take it out and add some more. Bring the water level up to about three-quarters of the way to the top. Then you need to add:

• 4 large Carrots (grated)
  
• 2 medium Onions (finely chopped)
• 2 large Leeks (sliced)
• 1 large Swede (grated)

We cheated and used the food processor to grate everything. You also need to either cut the meat into really small pieces, or grate that too. Chuck it all in the pot and leave it for an hour on a low heat. After an hour, you should add:

• 8 Potatoes (cut into bit-sized bits, just under an inch square)

And guess what - chuck them in too. You should probably stir it every now and then too. The spuds need about 45 minutes to cook in there, but just before they are done, you can cheat a little bit by adding:

• 1 packet of Vegetable Soup mix

This is actually to thicken it up slightly, but if you just leave it to simmer, you get the same effect - it just takes longer.

The end result is just amazing, it's low in fat, warming (ideal for this bloody weather) and really filling. I suspect it'd be a good thing to diet on. Just not in the amount I ate last night ;) Oh, and get some really crusty bread to go with it, and slap loads of proper butter on it. Again, unless you're dieting ;)

Anyways, that's enough of me being a woman. Time to do something manly... Not sure what, but I will figure something out! hehe