Blog On The Move.

Due to the fact I have not been able to get my blog to work for weeks I have decided to move the Cookie Jar. I am hopping all the nice bloggers who have been following my blog will drop over and follow me again.  You will be more than welcome.

If you click on the link you will find The Cookie Jar   http://cookiecooke8.blogspot.ie/

Looking forward to seen you all again soon

Sweet Treats,

I have been playing around with a few gift ideas.

Coconut Ice

125g Icing sugar.
75g desiccated coconut.
5 tbsp condensed milk.
Red food colouring,

Put the icing sugar, coconut and condensed milk into a bowl. Bring everything together to form a stiff paste. Divide in half and a a few drops of the red food colouring to 1 half.  You are going for a pale pink colour. Knead until evenly coloured. sprinkle icing sugar onto the worktop and shape the white piece into a sausage and flatten. Do the same with the pink piece. Put 1 on top of the other and gently press together.
Leave on a sheet of parchment sprinkled with icing sugar to dry out for a 2-3 hours.
Cut into 16 pieces and store in a airtight box.

Peppermint Bark.

This is very easy.

200g of chocolate of your choice. I used dark 60 percent cocoa solid.
6 candy canes.
 peppermint extract.

line a baking tray with parchment. Put the cany canes into a plastic bag and smash up.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second blasts stirring between blast.
Add a few drops of peppermint extract depending how minty you like it,
Stir in 1/3 of the candy canes.
Pour the chocolate onto the baking sheet and spread. sprinkle on the rest of the candy canes. leave to set. Then break up into pieces. Store in a airtight box.
If it is left out the candy canes will absorb moisture and be tacky.

Both of these will keep for 2-3 weeks and be packaged up for gifts,

Vegetable Stew with Herb Dumplings

 The Stew

1 onion,
1clove of garlic.
2 parsnip.
2 carrots.
5 sticks of celery.
1 carton of mushrooms.
2 tins tomatoes.
1 tin kidney beans.
300ml vegetable stock.
2 tbsp tomato puree.
1tbsp mixed herbs.
salt and pepper.

The Dumplings.

100g self-raising flour..
50g butter.
2 tbsp mixed herbs.
salt and pepper.

start the dumplings first. Rub the butter into the flour. stir in the mixed herbs and the seasoning.
Put the bowl into the fridge until needed.

Prepare all the vegetables Cut the mushrooms in half.. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pot and soften the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and soften for 2 to 3 minutes Add the rest of the veg and gently soften. Add the tins of tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes.
Drain the kidney beans and stir in. Add the mixed herbs.

Take the dumpling mix from the fridge and bring it together to a soft dough with a couple of tablespoons of water.  Roll into 6 balls and place on top of the stew. Put a lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 20 minutes..

Enjoy.

Winding Down the Garden.

We have had descent weather for the last few days, so I have been getting a couple of jobs done in the garden.

Dahlias have been lifted and left to over winter in the plastic green house.

All the pots have been gathered into a corner near the house. Hopefully there is safety in numbers and it is easier to cover a group of plants with fleece if I have to rather than one pot at a time.

I went a bit mad with the bulbs. I start off buying 1 or 2 packs and then every time I go to get the budgie supplies I end up with more. It's not my fault the pet shop is in the garden centre.They have all been planted out.

There was meant to be ornamental cabbage to plant out but the slugs got to them.

I found a foxglove hiding at the bottom of the garden. The poor plant doesn't know it is November.

The last of the tomatoes. They finally ripened on the window still

October..........In Pictures

A great night out.

Some baking.

A new cookery book.

Some reading.


October Flower Club: Tiptoe through the garden with me by Helen Battigan.

Belfast...... For the Weekend.