My sister has a whole whack of haddock in her freezer and we all like fish cakes, so we thought this would go down a treat at some future date!
We left there and ended up at the Independent Grocery store here in town. That is where I do most of my shopping. They carry a lot of the same things that the Atlantic Super Store carries.
After we got home and I unpacked everything I used one of the pretzel buns to make myself a simple sandwich of ham, lettuce and cheese. I used some of that delicious mustard (YUMMY!) and finished off the cherry tomatoes my sister had given me as a treat on the side.
And now I am going to have a nap. Here's hoping that tomorrow I will feel even better that I do today! I really hope that none of you get what I have had. Its pretty nasty stuff. I do seem to feel a better with each day that passes however, so that is good.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
- 1/3 cup (75g) cold butter
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 TBS (225g) self-raising plain all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1/2 cup (75g) sultana raisins
- 1/3 cup (73g) glace cherries, halved
- 6 TBS (125g) sweetened condensed milk (add water to make up to 1/4 pint (1/2 cup/150ml)
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
Notes
You can easily make your own self rising flour. For every cup needed add 1 cup flour (140g) and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. I make my self rising flour up 4 cups at a time. It always gets used. I never have a problem using it up.
If you are a fan of the Teatime Treat, you might also enjoy the following bakes:
BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CAKE - This is probably one of the best homemade muffin cakes that you would ever want to bake and eat. Not only does it have a beautiful tender crumb, but it is filled with ripe plump sweet berries. It has a very moreish buttery crumble topping and a sweet vanilla glaze.
STRAWBERRY MACAROON SLICES - These moreish bars have a rich buttery vanilla shortbread base, topped with sweet strawberry jam with a coconut macaroon layer being baked on top. Altogether they make for a most delightful teatime treat that everyone loves. Perfect for Elevenses, for wrapping up and sticking into lunch boxes, enjoying during your afternoon break, or for afterschool with a nice cold glass of milk.
RECIPE HERE
Vintage Condensed Milk Fruited Scone Loaf
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (75g) cold butter
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 TBS (225g) self-raising plain all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1/2 cup (75g) sultana raisins
- 1/3 cup (73g) glace cherries, halved
- 6 TBS (125g) sweetened condensed milk (add water to make up to 1/4 pint (1/2 cup/150ml)
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 X 4 inch loaf tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the long edges for ease in lifting out.
- Measure the flour into a bowl and drop in the butter. Rub the butter in using your fingertips until the mixture has the consistency of sand.
- Stir in the sultanas and halved cherries.
- Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, water and eggs together in a beaker. Add to the dry mixture and stir in to give you a soft, slightly sticky, dough. It will be stiff.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, leveling off the top.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave to cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then lift out and allow to cool completely. Serve cut into slices with some soft butter for spreading.
Notes
You can easily make your own self rising flour. For every cup needed add 1 cup flour (140g) and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. I make my self rising flour up 4 cups at a time. It always gets used.
Another Sunday, another Meals of the Week post. The day of the week where I share with you, my readers, all that I have enjoyed over the past week as my main meals of the day!
Doing this each week helps to keep me motivated and helps to keep me eating properly most of the time. I could be tempted to just eat ready meals, takeaways etc. as a single person living on their own. I am determined not to be that person.
This week was a bit unconventional. I have had the worse cold/flu that I have had in a very long time. I have not felt so poorly, not even when I had Covid back in April. Numerous tests have been taken and it is just a nasty flu. I don't have a part of me that isn't congested and craving relief of some sort.
I don't have a family Doctor. I am one of the 150,000 people here in this little province of Nova Scotia who are in the same boat, and it is a number which grows every year. Seriously. My sister and I now think that we never will have Doctors. It is what it is. My brother lives in the Nation's capital (Ottawa) and he doesn't have a family Doctor either.
Anyways, we need to rely on emergency room care and drop in clinics to get treated. There is one here in the town I live in tomorrow and I will be there as soon as it opens wanting some antibiotics. I can't live in this much discomfort much longer. I obviously need extra help. Fishermen's Friend are good, but they are not cutting the mustard!
In any case this is a very unconventional Meals of the Week. My week started out fairly decent, but got progressively worse, with these last two days being packaged cup a soup. Sorry about that, but I can't pretend that it is what it isn't! You can trust that you always get the real me "warts and all!"
SUNDAY, August 20th - Chicken Nuggets and Roasted Veggies
This was really the first day I was feeling under the weather. I was still quite able to cook for myself, and whilst I didn't want to go regular Sunday Dinner at my sisters, I still had an appetite. Cue in frozen chicken nuggets and some homemade roasted veggies. I have given you a link to some homemade chicken nuggets that look really good. I think these would be great to make up ahead and stick in the freezer for times like this.
For my homemade roasted veggies I cleaned and halved brussels sprouts, a baking potato and a carrot, tossed them with a smidgen of oil and some seasoning and then roasted them in a hot oven (400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6 for about 25 minutes, flipping them half way through the bake time and adding the frozen nuggets. I enjoyed with some cheeky plum sauce for dipping.
MONDAY August 21st. - Pan Fried Pizza Amalfitan
I was starting to feel pretty poorly by this time and my sister came over to help me clean out my refrigerator for garbage day and help me get my garbage out. I had some things I needed to use up pronto, like olives, pancetta, pizza sauce, and cheese. I remembered this frying pan pizza recipe I had from the late Elizabeth David. I knew I would be able to use up all of these things in that.
It is quick and easy and doesn't require tons of work, so that is what I made. You can use any toppings you enjoy on it. I managed to eat one slice along with some salad and was done. This flu was really settling in.
TUESDAY, August 22nd - Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Still feeling very poorly. My sides are aching from coughing and I am so filled up it isn't funny. One thing we always had when we were feeling sick with flu when I was growing up was good old Chicken Noodle Soup. Jewish Penicillin.
This recipe I am sharing is a delicious substitute to use during those times when we have neither the time nor the inclination to make a soup from scratch. Tastes just as good as the real thing and its like a warm hug.
WEDNESDAY, August 23rd - Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Chives, and toast
Still feeling very poorly. Decided I was not going out for my usual Wednesday night supper with my dad and Hazel. Instead I scrambled myself an egg and had it with some toast and a glass of juice. I know, breakfast for supper, and the heart wants what the heart wants.
It was filling and comforting. I did not want anything else and couldn't really finish more than a few bites of this.
THURSDAY, August 24th - Extra Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and garlic toast
Rich creamy and delicious, what was I thinkin?. There was no way I could eat much of this. Between the coughing and spewing up I just did not have the appetite. I ended up freezing it for another time. It was a darn shame actually because this was and is really good. I know it won't be quite the same after freezing, but one has to do what one has to do.
This is where I started to drop the ball . . .
FRIDAY, August 25th - Broccoli and Cauliflower cup of soup
I woke up very poorly. Even my eyes are infected at this point. One bad thing about not having a family Doctor is that I just can't call up a Doctor and get an appointment. I either have to go to Emergency (1 hour away) or wait for a free clinic (which is on Sunday this week.) First come first serve. There was no way I could drive to Kentville with my eyes all blurry and stuck shut.
I caved and gave in. There was no cooking for me on this day. Not even heating up. I had a sachet of Batchelor's Broccoli & Cauliflower Cup of Soup, Batchelors brand. Every now and then I put an order into an online British grocery shop here in Canada, called Blighty's. I find them to be the most reasonable of all the British shops and they have a good variety of things on offer much of the time. Everything has always arrived in good time and great condition.
Last order I had bought myself some packs of Cup of Soup. Four different varieties. I love the British Cup of Soup. There really isn't anything like it here in Canada. Was I ever glad that I had some of these in my cupboard. I enjoyed a mug of the Broccoli and Cauliflower whilst I sat in my chair and felt very sorry for myself.
SATURDAY, August 26th - Tomato Cup a Soup
Yes, I am that person. Cup a Soup two days in a row. But I just have no energy for cooking anything. I am hungry though so that is a good sign. Today I added some crackers.
I am going to the free clinic tomorrow (Sunday as I write this). I really hope that I am able to get some antibiotics. I had called the pharmacy in town here to see if there was anything over the counter I could take, but the Pharmacist said that it really sounded like an anti-biotic job. So I wait. Here is hoping that once I get some anti-biotics I soon start to feel more like myself again within a few days.
I really hope that none of you gets this. It is just awful. You just start to think you are feeling better and it slaps you down again. Its not Covid, I've tested numerous times. Now I am just wasting tests. It has been a very long time since I have gotten a flu bug like this one. Congested chest, nose, eyes, etc. Here's hoping that come Sunday I will be on the road upwards from this nasty bug!
And that is it for my very unconventional Meals of the Week this the second last week in August, 2023.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
The other day when my sister was here helping me clean my refrigerator, (yes I have been that ill) we noted that I had some sharp cheddar that would need using up soon. I hate waste so I had made a mental note of that.
I had seen a recipe for what looked like a really delicious macaroni and cheese on Spend with Pennies. There are lots of nice recipes on that page, many of them simple and thrifty as well.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EXTRA CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE
With the exception of the tinned soup (and that is optional), you only need some very simple ingredients.
- 6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) dry macaroni noodles
- 1/8 cup (30g) butter
- 1/8 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (180ml) full fat milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) light cream (10 - 12% milk fat, in the UK single cream)
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- `/2 tsp onion powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- splash of hot sauce
- 1/2 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (completely optional)
- 2 cups (241g) sharp (strong)
- cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- 1/4 cup (45g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- a handful of buttery crackers, crushed (such as Ritz, Town House, Tuc, etc.)
- 1 TBS butter, melted
I have never really met a dish of macaroni and cheese that I didn't love. Here are a few other options I have cooked in the English Kitchen that you might also enjoy!
MACARONI & CHEESE MEATLOAF CASSEROLE - This is a hearty and delicious favorite. A fabulous combination of two old favorites. A tasty glazed meatloaf is at the bottom of the dish and is prebaked prior to adding a rich macaroni and cheese topping to finish off in the oven to a comfort food supper sensation! Everyone love LOVES this!
SHEETPAN MACARONI AND CHEESE - If the crispy bits are your favorite then this is the macaroni and cheese recipe for you! It is important that you use the right sized sheet pan for this. You want one where you can spread everything out in a nice thinnish layer so that you can get optimum surface crunch, with more of the macaroni and cheese being exposed to both the hot sheet pan and the hot oven. This is quite simply fabulous!!
Extra Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) dry macaroni noodles
- 1/8 cup (30g) butter
- 1/8 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (180ml) full fat milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) light cream (10 - 12% milk fat, in the UK single cream)
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- `/2 tsp onion powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- splash of hot sauce
- 1/2 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (completely optional)
- 2 cups (241g) sharp (strong)
- cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- 1/4 cup (45g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- a handful of buttery crackers, crushed (such as Ritz, Town House, Tuc, etc.)
- 1 TBS butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. gas mark 7. Butter an 8 by 11 inch shallow baking dish well (or baking dish large enough to hold all of the macaroni). Set aside.
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions to al dente. Drain well, rinse in cold water. Drain again. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, mustard powder, onion powder, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. (remember cheese is very salty)
- Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, Remove from the heat. Whisk in 2/3 of the cheeses until melted into the sauce. If you are using the soup, whisk it in now.
- Toss the cooked macaroni together with the sauce to combine well together. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Crumble the crackers and mix together with the melted butter. Sprinkle this over top of the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and just beginning to brown. Do not over cook. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving.
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