Production Line

The sun was shining on the crunchy white frosty lawn this morning. I decided to cook up a pot of soup for lunch. It was a difficult moment when I pulled up the first leeks from this year's crop. They were slender juveniles, with tender torsos that cut like butter. I had to add an extra fat shallot to make up for the lack of leek. 

 My recipe is very simple. For today's batch I used:

• Two rashers of bacon, chopped up into wee pieces and browned.
• Two fat shallots chopped (two medium onions would have given the same quantity)
• Three adolescent leeks chopped.
• Two medium potatoes cubed. 
• Water to halfway in my big pot. 
• One teaspoon of salt (and a little more to taste). 

I could have browned the onions but the bacon was already caramelising in the bottom of the pan, so I just added everything and gave it a good stir, brought it to the boil, then simmered until everything was tender. Johnny made some scones, so once those were cooked, I whizzed up the soup with my stick blender. 

 The scones are a fabulous recipe off the Chelsea Sugar website. They have chili sauce in them and no butter!!!! Well, no butter in the mixture, but plenty on top. John has made them twice and they have been crunchy on the edges and fluffy in the middle. Yum. The soup was delicious, and I've got more for lunch tomorrow. How domestic of me!

Today I have been sewing rather a lot because when I went outside to garden my hands froze, so I scurried back in. I have been constructing my new Portrait Blouses from Gertie's book, in a production line. Of course there have been the usual minor muck-ups, but I should have three new blouses before too long.

 Mr Mouse supervised from his pink tent.

 Miss Dog got all embarrassed when I tried to take her photo.

 She doesn't usually look anything like this. Her ears are usually forward and she has a hopeful look in her eye. After all, who knows when food might appear?

I thought you might like to see the latest sweet cup and saucer in my primrose collection. I had never seen this design before. It has soft mauve violets at the base of the primrose, and has hand painting on it. I need a side plate to complete the trio.

I really need to figure out how do display all of my pretty china safely. Any ideas?