IF -heaven forbid - the boy and I contract swine flu and have to be quarantined in our flat, one thing is for sure. We won't starve.I cleared out our floor-to-ceiling store cupboard yesterday and we have enough food to feed all of the king's horses and all the king's men. And then some.
Along with the cans of chickpeas, kidney beans and coconut milk, and endless bottles of extra virgin olive oil, we also have a lifetime's supply of chutney and jam.
However, this did not perturbe me from buying another jar of jam when I spotted the new Daylesford Organic concession in Birmingham's branch of Harvey Nichols.
The shop assistant said the new line had been instore for about two weeks and along with juicy-looking fruit jams, there are chutneys (which I resisted for fear that my cupboard's groaning shelves might file for divorce), luxury biscuits and chocolates, honeys, salad dressings, oils and fragrant candles.
Somehow, along with the strawberry jam, I was also seduced into buying a postage-stamp sized box of organic dark chocolate-covered raisins for £3,95. I am a sucker for cute packaging. Which is exactly why my store cupboard is, not only jam-packed (no pun intended) with useful staples, but also crammed with beautiful (non essential) luxuries.
So if I do get pig sick, I'll be hoping that the route to recovery involves pigging out.
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12 comments:
What a darling jam jar! I too am a sucker for a cute package! Just had a look at the daylesford website. What an awesome place!! Must get hubby to take me out to graze in their little farm shop. Somehow I am certain that they do cream teas :) :) :)
Look at me, I'm all excite now!
Yes, apparently the Cotswolds shop does lunches and afternoon teas. You just know they are going to be good with jam jars like that, don't you? The site is fabulous. Makes me want to order the lot and be damned!
You should try making your own - I made some lime curd a couple of weeks ago - absolutely heavenly, and dead easy!
Oh wow. I haven't made an kind of curds although I would love to. I have made good jams though, raspberry is probably the best I have made. Everytime I buy a new jar of jam the boy says 'Can't you make your own'. I can, I say, but do you want to clear up the mess?
I find Jam's tricky - all that worrying about a 'set' - don't have that problem with curds.
There's a first time for everything - I started blogging today!
Great stuff. I will have a look at your blog.
I found a recipe for Raymond Blanc's raspberry jam and somehow it turns out just right, even without a sugar thermometer.
Oooh, seeing this curd discussion, I simply had to butt in and recommend this lemon curd recipe from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/lemoncurd_460.shtml. A couple of years ago I made it as Christmas presents. It's spectacularly easy and tastes lovely. I haven't been brave enough to move onto jams, but I reckon a curd is a good start when it comes to preserve making!
Thanks Nora. I always imagine curd to be difficult (don't know why). I will give this a try. Great idea to give it as gifts. I sometimes give jams and biscotti. I think I'll try and add curd to my repertoirs!
Hehe...I love your writing style.
We're the same...I take huge comfort when the cupboards are stocked! The problem I have is not raiding the stash and then having tos tart all over again ;)
You know what they say: starve a cold and feed the swine flu. It gives you unconditinal permission to be a pig :)
Qdoba is fast food done Mexican style, think fatty meats, refried beans and globs of gooey, greasy cheese.
I love jam! My step mum used to make tons when we were kids - strawberry, plum and blackberry - the latter two which we went out and picked from the wild. I too am a sucker for a fancy label esp if that label is French.
Same here. Other than my gran's homemade jam, which sadly isn't available anymore, Bonne Mamman is a good substitute. Tiptree's Little Scarlett is fabulous too... but only if you are feeling flush!
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