A Love of Leftovers

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions – I love leftovers and have carefully noted your ideas for future leftovers – I should have pointed out that this was the third meal from the leg of lamb – roast, followed by fritters, some used on sandwiches, so last night it was:

I sweated some leeks, garlic and mushrooms in a little butter, then added chopped leftover lamb, stock and white wine, mixed herbs, pepper, worcestershire sauce and nutmeg, and 10 mins out from serving some fresh local Brussels sprout (or fairy cabbages as they are known in this house), stabilised some leftover sour cream with a little cornflour and stirred that in – served with a jacket potato. Easy and fairly quick, while also cleaning out the crisper drawer, providing some veggies and it was great!

Today. a warning.

Crocs eat handknit pure wool socks.

Yes, I’m afraid I’ve ditched my comfy crocs, for winter at least – they have eaten 3 socks recently – which will force me to reknit 3 heels. They destroyed the heels in my Spidey rainbow socks, my Spidey Watermelon socks (after only 3 wearings) and my gorgeous merino/cashmere jojoland quartette socks after only 2 wears.

These gorgeous socks are sitting forlornly in my mending basket waiting for me to either darn, or to re-knit their lovely heels. I’m so distressed – not least because I am crap at darning – and I refuse to take the Yarn Harlot darning strategy (where you say ‘Darn!’ and bin them).

These were socks I really, really loved wearing. Knitting them was fun too. But I don’t want to knit disposable socks – I want my lovely socks to last for years and years.

When I’m feeling richer I will buy some Birkenstocks.

I love socks – I love knitting them and I love wearing them – generally 100gr of sock wool provides me with enough yarn to knit myself a pair and a child a pair. Luckily, the socks that were eaten hadn’t had the leftover yarn used on child socks – so I should have enough to make new heels (or to learn to darn)

So it’s boots for me (and ugg boots round the house – not so attractive, but I haven’t got around to making my own Fibertrends knit then felt clog slippers, only the ones for the munchkins at present – one of which has been swallowed by the mobile black hole which roams the house eating socks and coathangers, biros and the only CD you feel like listening to.

Off to cook dinner – chicken thighs roasted with bacon and quince jelly- and something or other with it – spuds probably and red cabbage cooked with white wine vinegar, balsamic, olive oil and raisons.

Cheerio!