Baked Beans

I would not eat a tin of baked beans if you paid me. I know a lot of people love them but they are just not for me. I found this recipe to make them myself and I have to say they are fantastic. They do take a bit of planning ahead so I double the recipe and freeze them. If you forget to take them out of the freezer in time for dinner you can thaw them in the microwave but do it slowly or you could end up spending the evening cleaning the microwave as I found out the hard way.

250g dried haricot beans.
2 onions, chopped.
2 tbsp olive oil.
2 tbsp cornflour.
300ml stock.
400g can of chopped tomatoes.
1 tbsp grainy mustard.
2 tbsp black treacle.
2 tbsp tomato puree.

Preheat the oven 150C (fan)

Soak the beans in plenty of cold water over night. Drain, put in a large pot with fresh water and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the beans are tender. Drain and put into a casserole dish.

Blend the cornflour with 4 tbsp of cold water, add to the stock and pour over the beans. Then add the oil, onion, tin tomatoes, grainy mustard, treacle and tomato puree.
Give everything a good stir. Cover with a lid and put into the oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Things Beginning with the Letter C

1 new Cookbook.




Plus 1 packet of cola bottles.

Equals Cola Cupcakes.

2 containers
Equals Christmas potatoes.

July catch Up

Spent some time on the allotment. making the most of the sunshine. If I do say so myself it is not looking bad. I don't think I will ever get rid of all the weeds, but it's not too over grown at the moment. That will change when I go on holidays.



If I find out who or what keeps pulling up my asparagus I will land them one. I have replanted them 4 times. It can't be good for the plants. 2 of them are doing well. It is their 1st year so it will be interesting to see how they get on. If they are left alone.

Pumpkins are coming on.

Sweetcorn is doing well. I started them in pots at home. I tried planting the seeds directly into the ground last year but they didn't get a chance to ripen. Hopefully I will do better this year.

Carrots are doing great.

Blueberry and almond pie made from home grown blueberries. The 2 bushes I have in pots in the back garden are doing brillant. We have being having berries on our cereal every morning for the last 2-3 weeks. And I managed to get the 250g I needed for the tart and there is still more to come.

Crispy Chicken from Nigella book " Kitchen". Defiantly be making that again.


I Grew Dinner.Home made vanilla extract. Smell great, much better than the one I normally buy in the super market.

Happy 17th Birthday

Customised Watering Can

One of the disadvantages of having an allotment where sheds are not allowed is having to bring everything with you when you head there. I have a hose in a Create up the back of the plot which stops the car boot being flooded . Some times the hose is to big for the job so I bought a watering can to leave there. My son decided to customise it so it will make it way back if another plot holder borrows it. I am told it is a duck eating a cookie. Who am I to say what is art.