Sue’s World

Well, this morning we woke up to a dearth of bread. I had forgotten to put the bread maker on.

I have to admit that my week hasn’t gone exactly to plan, we had sausages and chips one night much to the family’s delight. We didn’t therefore have sausages for breakfast.

I made ice cream that was not great. The flavour was good but it was a bit watery. Back to the drawing board for that one.

As for the cat food. Well, the cats can either go vegetarian – no not a joke, you can actually buy veggie cat food - I could buy a proprietary brand from Costco or I could make it myself. I found a recipe for a nutritionally balanced cat food so I suppose this is what I should do. This ethical business makes an awful lot of washing up!

Cat Food

Cats need more protein in their diet than dogs. However, it is still possible to cook for them at home. John Burns, a vet and nutritionist who linked pet food with various animal ailments, began to recommend 30 years ago that pet owners cook their own food for cats. He recommends a stew composed of 50 per cent chicken or beef, with 25 per cent boiled brown rice, and 25 per cent green vegetables including dried seaweed for essential minerals

You can read the whole article which includes advice about dogs and other pets here: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article305921.ece

Today I did everything in my plan.

I went to a local town (Lay-it-on-berzooms) which boasts a good butcher, a health food store and an ethical shopping store, all within a few yards of each other. I parked in a free space with a time limit of 30 minutes and purchased all my meat and groceries within that time. I need a shopping trolley though, or my arms will be down to my ankles by this time next year!

I then cooked for most of the afternoon and had time to do homework and play with Mavis after school. I even had a long chat with a friend on the telephone although I made the pate at the same time. There was a bit of a mess after I tried to tip a pan full of chicken livers, garlic, brandy etc into the bowl of the food processor with my head holding the telephone to my shoulder. Nothing too disastrous though and the pate is fab.

Chicken Liver Pate

1kg chicken livers (use good ones, it makes so much difference)

large knob of organic butter

several cloves of garlic

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a few gratings of nutmeg

2 tbsp brandy

Melt the butter and fry the crushed garlic, gently, for a few minutes, until golden brown. Tip in the chicken livers and seasonings and continue to cook, stirring to ensure they are cooked through and browned all over.

Pour over the brandy and cook for a couple more minutes.

Tip the lot into a food processor and blend until extremely smooth.

Spoon into pots and smooth the tops before covering in clarified butter.

Clarified butter – the quick method

Invest in a “fat separator” jug. You know, one of those jugs with a spout that comes from the very bottom like this one http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!5034.

Put half a pack of butter into it and microwave it, keeping a close eye on it so the butter doesn’t boil or catch fire! To be on the safe side you can stop neuking before the butter is completely liquid and leave it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to finish off.

The butter solids should be on the top of the clarified fat so you can pour off the clarified butter from the bottom, straight onto your pots of pate.

I have a pyrex jug that is slightly more slender in the spout than the one illustrated which works really well.

This made 5 pots, one for tomorrow and four for the freezer. (more…)