CHATTING TO MR CROW (includes recipe for 'Fakeaway')

Working last night, so no chance to get blog done.

I've now used my slow cooker every day this week so far and will be using it again tomorrow as I'm back at work in the evening.

Surprising what you can do in it, haha

Yesterday was pumpkin chilli using another one of the pumpkins I picked in October at the pumpkin farm; yes, they are still ok!  I have one huge one left and it's still really firm.  Actually the one I used yesterday was a smaller version of the big one and the skin was so hard on it, I nearly sliced off my thumb; whoops!

http://pumpkinmoon.uk/ - Pumpkin Farm where we picked our own pumpkins for Halloween 2016

Ended up finding that the quickest and easiest way to do it was to wedge it into manageable bits, then cut into cubes using a very sharp knife and a tea towel so I could whack it and then cutting the skin off.  Bit laborious, but it worked.  Then I just shoved it all in the slow cooker with a wedged onion, some garlic, coriander, cumin, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and a tin of tomatoes and a tin of butter beans as I didn't have any kidney beans!!  Very unusual for me I have to admit.  Must get back into buying the dried, soaking and cooking and then freezing in batches.  Works out a lot cheaper. The chilli was then cooked for 4 hours on high.  They had it with rice and I had it with some pickle and yogurt when I got home.

Pumpkin Chilli before cooking

Today was another beautiful day; yesterday was overcast and I had another headache (convinced they are to do with air pressure), so quick trip for supplies in Aldi, quick visit to Wilkinsons for toiletries and home to put washing out on the line and have a general peruse around the garden.  Obviously I got distracted by Mr Crow and his constant cawing; it would appear there maybe a rival crow about as he wasn't very happy when another appeared.  Also saw the first bumble bee of the year and happily watched him buzzing about for another 10mins.

Mr (or Mrs) Crow

Decided that as I was out there I'd tidy around the 1st pond area and cut back the dead stalks from the tansy and the foxgloves, dug up some weeds and grass clumps and then watched the water snails and whirlygigs busying themselves in the water.  I can spend rather a lot of time just watching wildlife in my garden, haha.

Tonight's dinner was a first for me.  I'm on a slow cooker page on Facebook and they are always going on about a 'fakeaway'; basically a kebab type thing made with mince, onion, garlic and herbs which you moosh together until smooth (I did it in the food processor) and then cook, wrapped in foil, in the slow cooker.  I cooked mine for 4 hours on medium along with several sweet potatoes which had just been scrubbed and put in whole.

I would have taken a photograph, but they descended like vultures before I got the chance, so maybe next time.  It was alright, I wouldn't rave about it, but it was simple and served in pitta breads alongside some homemade coleslaw and a green salad it made a good meal.

'FAKEAWAY'
500g of lamb mince
1 onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1tsp of dried oregano (although I used fresh as didn't have any dried)
1tsp of dried mixed herbs
1/2tsp paprika
salt and pepper

Blitz the onion, garlic cloves, oregano, mixed herbs, paprika in a food processor until very finely chopped.  Add the mince and blitz again until smooth (it looks a bit like sausage meat).
Turn out onto some tin foil and squish together into a cylinder/sausage shape.
Wrap in foil and place direct into slow cooker and cook on high for 3hrs or low for 6, or, if like me you have a medium setting, 4hrs on med.
Unwrap and thinly slice.