The Toddster does love himself a pork chop once in a while. I like them too, but whereas I would have a very difficult time giving up steak . . . the Toddster would have a really difficult time giving up his pork chops!!



I always like to buy a good free range chop. (I like happy meat.) I know you do pay a bit more, but I think it works out to a much better tasting piece of meat and I also think that if enough people demanded it, the shops would get the message and free range would become the order of the day, rather than the exception.



I refuse to support an industry which is inhumane, end of story! Every sense of my being tells me that we have a responsability to raise our animals, even the ones which will eventually end up on our plates . . . in a humane and caring manner. I think that is the way that God would have it.



Pork is a lovely rich tasting meat that lends itself well to fruity flavours. My mother used to cook her pork chops until they were as hard as plates . . . I don't think that's really necessary these days. I cook them until they are just done through, but still moist and tender. There is nothing more unpalatable than a pork chop you could use as a boomerang!



The sauce on these is really simple and yet incredibly delicious. It makes good use of preserves . . . apricot, pineapple and ginger . . . and a few add ins like dark soy and rice wine vinegar . . . the end result being something that is so delectable that it will have you licking your fingers and sucking on the bones.



Plain boiled rice and some steamed broccoli are the only side dishes needed. Nom Nom!!



*Sticky Glazed Pork Chops*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

You will love the delicious flavours in these delectably moist sweet and sour glazed pork chops!

3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch ground cloves and ground cinnamon
4 free range meaty bone in pork chops, each about 3/4 inch thick
(I like the ones with the rib bone attached)
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
2 heaped dessert spoons of apricot preserves
2 heaped dessert spoons of pineapple preserves (jam)
2 heaped dessert spoons of ginger preserves
125ml of chicken broth (1/2 cup)
1 TBS dark soy sauce
1 TBS rice wine vinegar

Mix together the salt, garlic and onion powders, coriander, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Rub this mixture into both sides of the pork chops.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the Pork chops and brown them well on each side and on the edges. Reduce the heat to low.

Whisk together the garlic, preserves, chicken broth, soy sauce and vinegar until well mixed. Pour this over the chops in the pan, turning to coat. Bring to a quick simmer. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the pork is cooked through and glazed and the sauce has thickened somewhat.

Serve hot with some of the fruity sauce spooned over top. Rice and broccoli go very well with this!



There's delicious Old Favourites Peanut Butter Cookies baking in the Cottage today!

After making that lovely Orange and Coconut Crisp yesterday, I had a whole stack of orange peels left and I thought it would be a real shame to waste them!

I had always wanted to make candied orange peel, but for one reason or another I'd never done it. My sister used to make it for my father for Christmas. He really loved it.



I know you can pay a real fortune for candied peel when you go to buy it in the shops. I found a recipe for it online and decided to go for it.



My goodness but it made alot . . . and I really mean a LOT! I now have candied orange peel up the kazooey! But that's ok, coz we rather really like it!



You can always dip it in chocolate if you want as well. Dark chocolate is really tasty. Orange and chocolate are such a delicious combination . . . it hasn't done Terry's any harm! (Just whack it!)



You also have the added bonus of having several cups of orange syrup at the end of the process that you can use to make tasty drinks with. I am thinking that it might be rather nice stirred into hot chocolate, or iced drinks.



It might even be nice on french toast . . . hmmm . . . coconut milk french toast with an orange syrup. Now THAT sounds delish!

Mmm . . . makes a nice fat free snack, this does. I am in love.



*Candied Orange Peel*
Makes a lot
Printable Recipe

Bitter and sweet at the same time. Not that hard to make!

6 thick skinned navel oranges
900g of sugar (4 1/2 cups)
375ml of water (1 1/2 cups)
extra sugar for dredging

Cut the tops and bottoms from the oranges and score the oranges into quarters. Cut only into the peel, and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and white pith off of the oranges in large pieces, reserving the actual flesh for something else. Cut the peels into strips about 1/4 inch wide. Place into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then drain. Repeat this twice more, using fresh water each time. This helps to mellow out the bitterness.

Take a clean saucepan and place the sugar and water into it. Bring to a simmer and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the peels and continue to simmer for another 45 minutes until translucent. Do not stir as this will cause crystals to form. If you need to you can gently swirl the pan to move the peels around. Once translucent, drain the peels well, reserving the syrup, which can be used for other things such as flavouring drinks etc. Dredge the orange peels in sugar and place on wire rack to dry overnight. Stire in an airtight container.

If you are looking for a tasty treat to make for the kiddies (both big and small) for a special Valentines tea, or even just because . . . look no further.



These tasty little tarts are quick to make and oh-so-tasty!



Using only three ingredients . . . ready made shortcrust pastry, jam and marshmallows . . . they are very easily made and very impressive. Well, I think they are at any rate!



You can use whatever kind of jam you wish. I used blackberry, apricot and raspberry . . . but you can use whatever you have on hand. Strawberry is really nice, as is blueberry.



They are just perfect for an impromptu Tea party! Or an afterschool treat! Or for that Valentine's Classroom Party Treat!



Don't be tempted to overfill them . . . the jam really bubbles up and you will end up with a bit of a mess on your hands and or in your oven. Just a dab will do you!

Crisp buttery pastry, filled with fruity sweet jam and topped with a light little puff of marshmallow. What a delightful treat!



*Spiffy Jam Tarts*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Quick to make, versatile and oh so scrummy. Everyone loves these!

1/2 package of all butter short crust pastry
12 tsp of jam (any variety, raspberry, apricot, strawberry, etc.)
6 large marshmallows, cut in half with a pair of scissors

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Lightly butter a bun tin.

Pinch off walnut sized pieces of the pastry and press them into the bun tin to line each indentation. Fill with 1 tsp of jam. Do not be temped to overfil as it will bubble over and you'll have a hard time getting them out. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the jam bubbling. Top each tart with one half of a marshmallow and return to the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the marshmallow has begun to soften and lightly brown.

Remove from the oven and from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before eating. Do not be tempted to eat when still warm, as the jam is very hot and will burn.

Do you like cheese like I like cheese?? I am betting you do!

Funny thing is . . . when I was a child I did not like cheese at all . . . not unless it was bright orange and came wrapped in flat celophane squares . . .



Or was bright orange and came in a rectangular box (read Velveeta here). As an adult I have come to question the value of a cheese product that doesn't need refrigeration . . . and that colour, well . . . 'nuff said.



Seriously though, I really did not like cheese very much unless it was artifical cheese. I have come to love and appreciate all sorts of cheeses though, which is a very good thing . . .
Unless of course you are trying to keep your weight down, which I'm not really very good at it seems . . .



I love all kinds of cheese now . . . stinky cheese, sharp cheese, creamy cheese, cheese full of blue bacteria . . . you name it, I love it.



These fabulous quesadillas are a perfect way to get rid of some of the cheese you have hanging around in your fridge after Christmas. You don't have to use the three cheeses I have suggested of course . . . but these three do work incredibly well together. Crisp, buttery and nicely browned on the outside, and scrummy yummy and gooey on the inside. . .



It goes without saying that the garlic butter on the outside may not go with everything. Use your discretion, and enjoy!




*Three Cheese Quesadillas With Cranberry Chutney*
Serves 8 to 12 as an appetizer or 3 to 4 as a light lunch, along with some salad
Printable Recipe

s small cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 TBS butter at room temperature
8 ounced medium cheddar cheese, grated coarsely (2 cups)
1 1/4 ounces Gran Padano Cheese, finely grated (1/2 cup)
4 ounces fresh Goat's Cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
4 (9 to 10 inches in diameter) flour tortillas
Cranberry Chutney to serve (see recipe below)

Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Drop in the garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and allow to cool. Once cool, peel and mash in a bowl, along with the butter, mixing in well. Set aside.

Combine all the cheeses in a bowl. Spread one side of each tortilla with some of the garlic butter. Set on a work surface, buttered side down. Sprinkle one half of each with some of the cheese mixture, dividing it equally amongst the four. Fold the other half over the cheese, creating half moons, and lightly press down.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the tortillas and cook on one side until nicely crisp and lightly browned. Flip over and crisp and brown the other side. Place into a warm oven to keep warm while you cook the other two. You can keep them warm in the oven for about half an hour if need be.

When ready to serve, cut into wedges and place on a heated tray along with a bowl of cranberry chutney. Delicious!



*Cranberry Chutney*
Makes 4 cups
Printable Recipe

This lovely chutney makes a wonderful gift and is such a lovely change from the usual cranberry sauce. It goes beautifully with turkey, ham or chicken. We just love it.

3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup chopped candied peel
1/2 cup chopped peeled onion
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp salt
2 whole cloves
2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried chilies



Place the vinegar, water, both sugars, lemon juice and salt into a heavy non-reactive saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved add the cranberries, sultanas, candied peel, onions, garlic, cloves, celery seed, ginger and chilies. Simmer gently, stirring often, uncovered for 45 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. This will keep for up to a year. You can, of course, just put it into jars for giving away and immediate use, but if you do want to keep it longer, you really must process it in the water bath. Enjoy!



You can play with chutney flavours as well. A good mango chutney would go wonderfully with a mixture of cheddar and blue cheeses! (just a suggestion!) Let your imagination go wild! I do!

It won't be long now before they are all gone . . . beautiful English plums. Those lucious ruby coloured gems that taste so sweet and lovely.

We are fortunate enough to have trees filled with several different varieties here on the Estate actually . . . purple Italian, green gages, mirabels and lovely little ordinary ruby coloured ones, whose name escapes me right now . . . they're all lovely and free from pesticides and other chemicals. I guess you could call them organic, except that the orchards that surround us are not pesticide free so . . .



I have frozen bags and bags of them to use up in the winter months ahead. I've made cakes and pies and tarts til they've come out my ears, and lovely they have been too.

I like to keep a bowl of them on the counter and eat them fresh. I leave them until they are just about to go over . . . so soft, sweet and juicy, you need to eat them over the sink . . . that is when they taste the best and the sweetest in my opinion . . . little ruby coloured bites of heaven.



When we have had our fill of fresh, and pies and crumbles, cakes and tarts . . .

I make chutney. Delicious. Sweet. Spicy. Perfect to go with roasted meats or in a very tasty cheese sandwich. Even better in a toasted cheese sandwich, all buttery and crisp on the outside and meltingly cheese and chutney-ee on the insides. Ohh . . . yum, yum . . . I know what I'm having for lunch today . . . wish you could join me, truly I do . . .



*Spicy Plum Chutney*
Makes about 3 pounds
Printable Recipe

This is the perfect time of year to make this delicious chutney. Better do it quick before the plums are all gone!

1.5kg of ripe plums
2 pounds of bramley apples, peeled and chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
450g cooking onions, peeled and chopped
200g sultana raisins
2 star anise
4 cardamom pods, bruised with knife
200g granulated sugar
400ml white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml port



Stone the plums and chop. Put them into a large saucepan with the garlic cloves, onions, apples, sultanas, star anise, cardamom pods, sugar and 300ml of the white wine vinegar. Season with some salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Simmer for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Add the remaining white wine vinegar and the port. Cook for a further 30 minutes, stirring often, or until thickened. If it still seems a bit runny, simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Place into hot sterilized jars, dividing it equally amongst them. Place a disc of waxed paper directly on top of the hot chutney. (Alternately melt some paraffin wax and pour this immediately over top of the hot chutney. I bring mine over from Canada and it is for the express use of sealing jams and preserves.) Seal with airtight lids and store in a cool dark place for at least one month before using. This will keep up to six months if kept out of sunlight. Refrigerate once opened. Will keep for a further 2 months in the refrigerator.