Celtic Cook Goes Home

One thing during this lockdown period is that it has me trying all sorts of things I’d never done before. Some I’d thought of, others I never dreamt of doing. Today for example, with the possibility of mandatory face masks on the horizon I decided to make some using up all my fat squares I had lying around. A friend put the idea into my head so I have Christine to thank for this. I enjoyed putting them together. I will pass them on to family or friends as requested.  Candles was one project I’d always planned to do so what better time than now. I sent off for a starter  kit to begin with.  I was quite happy with the results so then moved on to preparing all the ends of candles I had been saving. Had there been no lockdown I wonder if I’d ever got around to using them up! I chopped it very finely, into flakes, then melted as I had with the purchased wax. Thankfully it was quite successful. I need to practice the pour a bit as they fell in the middle ...

As the lockdown continues it’s amazing how much the simple things become so important to us. A delicious cup of coffee with a blueberry muffin. Served in a nice cup can go a long way to help brighten up my day. It’s a treat on a Costa trip, but just as much of a treat when taken in the comfort of home. Simple to make, can’t go wrong with them, and a real plus is they are so much cheaper than a coffee shop visit! Lunch so often ends up being a sandwich with whatever is lying around in the fridge. Sometimes with soup but that depends on how organised my cooking has been.  One day last week I had some hot and some cold smoked salmon needing to be used. I had been on an M&S trip! I also had some bagels in the bread bin. I usually have these for breakfast but with some cream cheese, the salmons and a few capers made for a very acceptable lunch.  I am trying so hard not to waste anything if I can help it. I’m doing not so badly. Leek and potato soup got the addi...

So here we all are almost three weeks into lockdown. Some people not quite got the hang of it yet!  Or perhaps I should say choose to ignore it for whatever reasons. I cannot for the life of me understand this attitude. Surely not seeing family or friends for a period of time must be better than risking never seeing them again. A small price to pay. During the first two weeks I am sure, like me, you’ve  been inundated with quizzes. Music quizzes, movie quizzes, place name quizzes to name a few. We’ve seen kids, grannies, families and others singing, dancing, juggling and any number of skills people have been saving up for just this occasion. But now it seems people have gone out there too soon, it’s all slowing down. They’ve burned out. Nothing left to entertain us with. In some cases no bad thing. Lol. We should be pacing ourselves for a longer period of isolation not rushing into things as if it will be over tomorrow, it won’t be. I have been guilty of rushing into “proj...

.....except it’s not! One week into isolating and social distancing, phrases that have become part of everyday conversation, even for my 4 year old grandson, Saturday comes around just as it does every week. But the question this week isn’t “where will we go?” But instead it’s “what can we do?”  Everyone has there own way of coping, of dealing with being with the people they live with. It may be a large family household, in which case there will be a lot of fun going on, even in these uncertain times, but there will also be the lows to go with the highs. The home schooling is only a week old, still novel but not easy on the parents. Some of them will be asking difficult questions, they will be afraid and for parents whose job is to protect the children it is a testing time.  Little kids aren’t understanding why they can’t have their play dates, their swimming lessons etc. But thankfully they are unaware of what’s going on and they will bounce back when it’s all over. Then th...

It would be easy to start off this week’s blog moaning about the restrictions that we have had imposed on us and about the food shortages caused by greedy inconsiderate people.  Instead I am going with a more positive note and be thankful for what we do have, and how meals can be made out of very little.  Today I decided to use up all the bits and pieces in the vegetable drawer which in a day or two, under normal circumstances, would be consigned to the bin. Same with some bits lurking in the back of the freezer which were put there with the best of intentions but somehow got overlooked. A walk at the beginning of the week had me picking the wild garlic which is covering the ground at the moment. I was sure I could put it to some use. Never having used wild garlic before my first thought was soup. Soup features high on my list of easy dishes. So with a leek already in the veg rack and of course I always have potatoes, I thought a potato soup, and with the addition o...

With rain pouring down outside and constant news updates on Coronavirus Spring seems like a long way away. I’m sure everyone is confused and a little worried about what the next weeks or months will bring. Will we be self isolating or just keeping away from large gatherings. We all wait to hear what the days ahead will bring. I am naturally optimistic so not getting ahead of it. Of course I am very happy we left China last year as if had been the same time this year it may have been a totally different story. Spring flowers  I am dismayed at how some people seem to think that pasta and toilet rolls plus gallons of hand sanitiser will see them through! Normal buying means there’s enough for everyone, no young mums will be left worrying about how they’ll cope, older people and people without cars wouldn’t need to be left without their usual supplies. It makes no sense whatsoever and makes me despair of human nature. I am very fortunate in that I always have a full larder, no...

One of the positive sides of returning home is being able to spend more time with family and to be around to help out with grandchildren. Sometimes for an hour or so, an overnight or like last week having Daisy and Archie here for a few days over their half term allowing Jill to carry on working. It is very different now we are home. The relationship has changed slightly. No longer do we arrive with suitcases full of gifts and whip the children into a frenzy for a few days before heading off again. I always hated the leaving!  Now we have to have a more balanced relationship and find each other’s boundaries, likes, dislikes and little foibles.😀 Trip to Trampoline Park.  We really are getting to know each other much better. We have to learn where we fit into their lives on a permanent basis. Been ups and downs, but getting there, and we still have a lot of fun together. Daisy loves cooking with me, and I love teaching her, Archie too, but sometimes the draw of iPad...