@Meg , thanks Meg, I do like to be organised and yes, the soup is lovely. 
Today I made chicken tagine with diced chicken thighs, onion, carrot, red peppers, chopped dried apricots, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken stock and Ras el hanout spice mix…
Here’s the prep…
In the pot on the hob before going into the oven for a couple of hours…
And here’s the finished product served with couscous… it was delicious… 
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Ooh that looks good and it’s just my taste too.
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I adore fruit and grow quite a lot in my garden which I store in the freezer. The fruit is used for all sorts of pies and puddings over the following months, but one of my favourite things is just simply stewed fruit which I tend to make weekly and which sits in the fridge quite happily until I use it. I always serve it cold, often I use it for a first course at breakfast but more than often it is served as a simple dessert after lunch, and which I often serve with plain or coconut yoghurt which is quite sublime.
I don’t really have a recipe as such, I just put a random assortment of fruits into the stew pan and boil it up with a little sugar and that’s it!
My concoction today consists of Bramley apple, rhubarb, gooseberry, raspberry and blackberry, which will probably last a week to ten days.
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that pie would not last ten minutes with me looks delicious
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I have a good recipe with almonds and rasberries/cherries in a cake type base.
Line a cake tin with grease proof and the Oven set it at 160 degrees Electric Fan Oven, for around 45 minutes.
Equal amounts of say 140 grams for a mid size Cake/Pud
Sugar, Butter/Olive Spread or your fat choice…
Flour and Baking Powder or SF Flour
Powdered Almonds and 1 teaspoon of almond essence.
Beat sugar and fats together preferably in a mixer…
same weight in eggs so 2 + approx
beat in eggs one at a time with a little flour
then stir in flour.
half in tin add lots of the fruit until it is coverd and then on top the other half of the mix…
Halves of Almonds on top to finish…
Cook until just cake brown, checking with a skewer that it is cooked inside…
Can serve with cream…
.
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Shortbread is simple and tasty.
I made this yesterday so I could take a few slices to some friends for coffee &…
the one I used was as follows:-
soften butter 226 grams…can be unsalted
140 grams of sugar can use half of white and half of brown
I large egg yoke
three quarters of a teaspoon of vanilla extract
half a teaspoon if salt
260 grams of Flour I used plain
mix in together sugar and butter
sieved the flour and salt and add to the mix
add the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
Sticky mess …
flour board and if too sticky give that up and put on grease proof in a small size tin can be 12 inches by say 8 inches and spread out with the palm of your hand or a flat spatula…easing into the corners and flatten as best you can…
Cook medium heat and takes about 20 minutes.until brown colour and will firm up after it cools…
prick a fork along each length to get that authentic look sprinkle with some fine sugar, sharp knife to cut into oblongs…
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You’re so talented Di! Yummy!
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Hey whos been telling you about Clif Richard? Be careful I know secrets 
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Very nice @DianneWoollie , I love proper shortbread.
My young son makes great shortbread & he’s good at scones too, I think because his hands aren’t as warm as mine.
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Absolutely nobody told me anything! Just thought I’d reach out to you and see if you’re interested in inviting Cliffy for Tea… why? Is there something I should know…
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No absolutely nothing to see here
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We often buy a large chicken although there are only two of us, so that we can have a roast meal and then do other things with the rest of the cooked bird.
This time I made chicken, leek and mushroom pies, two plate pies making 16 portions and two individual pot pies which I will take over for my Mum.
The ingredients in total came to around £7.20, and they say people eat junk food because they can’t afford to eat properly, I despair…
Prepared ingredients…
After sweating down the leeks and mushrooms add all the ingredients into a white sauce…
After the ingredients have been allowed to cool for half an hour, form the pies and bake for 45 minutes…
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Allow to cool and cut into portions for the freezer…
Here’s a portion just needing the addition of some mash and veg, bon appetit…
Almost forgot the two pot pies which I leave uncooked for Mum to bake herself…
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Kudos to you @Barry and they look really good too.
As somebody who tends to do similar things, I wonder if you make your own pastry too because it looks like good, short pastry?
I used to make my own pastry but most of the time nowadays it’s quicker & cheaper to use ready-made.
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I’ve just found this subject thread, so I’ll share something that I find indispensable as a guitar player’s finger saver … its a ring-pull can opener and at £1.99 delivered, it’s one I can recommend:-
Ring Pull Tin Can Opener Aid Assisted for Elderly Disability Arthritis | eBay
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Yes Robbie, I always make my own pastry, 1lb self raising flour, 4oz Stork, 4oz Trex, 6 tablespoons cold water. Never fails me…
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It certainly looks good, I must say.
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We have one of those. The wife has arthritic fingers so finds it difficult to pull ring pulls. That does the job perfectly.
My wife too unfortunately suffers with that infliction, so I tend to undertake all the kitchen duties, but I use the puller to conserve my fingers for my music 
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