In exactly five days time Anthony and I will be on our holiday in a beautiful Peak District and I can't wait. Today has consisted of lazing around and an attempt to pack my things as I'm at work all week, doing shifts that don't really fit around what I want to do. So far I have two bags which are full to the brim! I am aware of the fact I'm not a light packer, backpacking would be impossible for me, although I don't know what I can leave behind to save some room, as far as I am concerned I need everything!
Once the boring chore of packing bags is done and I'm on my way it won't matter, it'll be to late then and I'll have to have everything! This holiday has been booked for what seems forever, we're going to be staying in the most adorable little cottage, it just looks so cosy and a great place to relax.
Lovely living room.
It's in a charming little village with some caves down the road within walking distance and pubs and restaurants which are also in walking distance the cottage and location seem perfect! A whole week of chilling out and seeing some of the lovely sights.
Anthony has promised me that we will take me to Matlock Farm Park so that I can feed the goats, they have other animals but I do have a weird obsession with goats. When I was being a cheap-skate last week I came across a 2-4-1 voucher to the farm park, admission is only £6 per an adult and I'm not going to lie I feel really cheap taking this voucher with me, although this does mean we can buy more animal feed.
They are so cute I can't wait to see them!
Our little adventure is going to be amazing, so I'll leave you with some cheesy car music and some pictures of the Peaks. Jackson Browne-Somebody's Baby
On Friday night I decided to try a new recipe which was simple, easy and cheap to make. I have a subscription to a cooking magazine called good to know recipes and has many simple yet easy recipes in along with the more time consuming show off dishes. I had chosen to make a sausage and mushroom crumble. I know what you're thinking. It seemed a bit odd to me as well at first but I tell you what it was lovely, a quick simple mid-week meal.
As it was so lovely I thought I would share this recipe with you, so you too can enjoy this yummy dish!
Might not be the best looking dish ever but it tasted yummy
Ingredients
8 thick sausages, e.g. Cumberland 4tbsp sunflower oil 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped 250g (8oz) button mushrooms, quartered 2 x 295g can of condensed cream of mushroom soup 200ml (7fl oz) milk For the topping: 150g (5oz) self-raising flour Salt and freshly ground black pepper 100g (3½ oz) butter, cubed
Method
Set the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6).
Skin the sausages and cut each one into 3-4 pieces, and shape the portions into small balls.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Add the balls of sausage meat to the pan and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, turning them occasionally until they start to brown. Add the quartered mushrooms to the pan and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Pour in the soup and milk, and stir to break down the soup as it may be very thick. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then cook for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the topping: Tip the flour into a bowl and season it well. Rub in the butter until the mixture starts to bind together and forms a crumble texture.
Divide the sausage and mushroom mixture between the ovenproof dishes. Scatter crumble topping over it. Put the dishes on a baking tray and place in the centre of the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is a light golden colour. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. (Not suitable for freezing).
I added some extra ingredients to my crumble, mixed herbs and garlic and I also used whole meal flour instead just generally because I think it tastes better. I think this is a recipe which you could easily add ingredients to the mix or generally just make a bit of a mash up. If you're not over keen on sausages I feel that cooked chicken would work really well instead. Give it a go and I hope you enjoyed it as much as Anthony and I did.
This recipe and many others can be found on the Good to know recipes website. Good to know recipes
