Day 7 - Lockdown

So here we are at day 7.  What a week hey!

This picture was taken one morning in Felixstowe on one of our breakfast walks.  I would love to be there now, but unfortunately we are going to have wait for a little while.  I think Teddy is missing it too! 😢

Hope you all remembered to change your clocks forward last night/this morning.  ⏰

So yesterday I have to be honest it was not a particularly good day.  I just felt deflated and couldn't really be bothered to do anything. You were lucky, or unlucky depending on how you look at it, that you got a blog at all.  I think I was relieved that I had got all the shopping done for our families the day before and then just wanted to flop.  I am feeling a little more upbeat today, which is good as feeling that way it not great for the situation we are in.  Its only been one week and there are going to be many more so we all really need to pull together and help each other through this.  By doing this blog I hope I am helping you all, as well as myself.  Even Teddy didn't seem himself yesterday. 

So todays ingredient is Tinned New Potatoes.  We only have these in the cupboard to use for one particular dish that we all really love.  It is Oven Baked Frittata.  We usually use 8 eggs instead of the 4 and a few extra ingredients that we may have in the store cupboard. We usually serve it with a bit of salad.  This is a usual on the day before we go shopping so we can use up what we have left. I will make this later in the week. I always tend to write a weekly menu so that we only buy what we need.  I am now finding myself deciding in the morning what we are eating that evening, based on what we have in the cupboards. Not sure that is the best way forward, but not a lot of choice at the moment.  

Really looking forward to our traditional homemade curry tonight. Its a Chicken Korma that I have been making since 2008, as that's on the bottom on the printed out recipe.  I went and looked it up so I could let you in on it, but they have changed the recipe so I don't know how it would work compared to what we make. The website is www.curryfrenzy.com and it looks like they do some great curry kits if you are a little nervous of making them yourselves.  If you want my recipe, I will put it at the bottom of this blog.

I have started to learn Spanish.  A friend recommended an app, where you can learn as little or much as you want.  You can use it online or via the app and learn different languages - it free too!  Its called Duolingo.  So I now know how to say 'I am a Women', 'I am a Man', 'I am a Boy' and 'I am a Girl'.  Very proud of myself, but have a very long way to go.

Its been really odd weather here today.  Sun, wind, hail stones, rain and blue skies.  While walking Teddy the wind pulled his ears back and he looked like he was having a very bad hair day.  I noticed his breeder put a really interesting post on Facebook about our furry friends mental health and the situation we are in.   The advice is not to spend 24/7 in the same room with them as when normal life eventually resumes they will find the change more difficult if you've not left them at all for weeks or months.  This does sound sensible and they don't understand what is happening at the moment.  It can cause anxiety separation and behaviour problems.  Allow them to sleep lots, as they are the lucky ones that can.  We work from home all the time, although the boys are not around in the day, so we shall just have to give him space when he wants it and different toys to play with on his own.  He always takes himself off to the windowsill when he is fed up with us anyway.

I have got all my ironing done today, even the bedding.  Now what am I going to do until the next lot of washing is dry.  I do still have a list of jobs to do, which I am sure I will get back to tomorrow.  Today is a day of rest... so best do as the day suggests and 'rest' after writing this blog.

Hope you are all well and making the most of some of the films that have been in TV.

Well until tomorrow.... keep your distance!

Chicken Korma Receipe

Approx 750g Chicken Breasts chopped into small pieces.

1 Tin Evaporated Milk

4oz Grated Coconut (if you don't have this don't worry)

1 tin coconut milk

4oz Single Cream

3 tbsp Mango Chutney

1 small onion finely chopped

2 tsp Curry Powder

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

1 Finely chopped chilli (can just use a sprinkling of chilli flakes)

4 cloves crushed garlic

2 inches of root ginger grated or 1 tsp lazy ginger

5 tbsp vegetable oil

4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp Tumeric

1 tsp Garam Massalla

Make a paste of the curry powder, tumeric and chilli powder with a little water in a small ramekin. Heat up the vegetable oil, then add the onion and fry until translucent.  Then add the garlic, ginger and chilli, stir and fry on a medium heat for a further 5 mins.  Add the curry paste you made and stir in for 30 seconds.  Add the chicken pieces and seal on all sides. Add the cream, coconut, coconut milk, mango and evaporated milk and stir thoroughly.  Simmer for around 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked, stirring constantly.  If needed add a little water or milk to prevent the curry becoming too thick or dry.  Now stir in the garam massalla and chopped coriander leaves.  Serve with whole coriander leaves if you wish.