Post Haste

I'm so sorry, I seem to have gone AWOL without even realising it. I have been a little busy on the domestic front. I hardly know where to start.
The observant among you may have noticed that I issue myself a set of challenges each month, which are displayed on my sidebar. The eagle-eyed may have noticed that I have challenged myself to 'make chutney' for the last three months in a row. This means, obviously that I have failed the challenge repeatedly. Slapped wrist for me.
So now, I am pleased to tell you, that I have finally managed to make some, and it was a doddle.
I decided to make Tangy Onion Chutney, as I absolutely love it and could eat it by the lorry load. The recipe is really easy (on the BBC Good Food website). The hardest part was the torture of peeling and slicing all the onions, and finding that eight onions only makes one jar! That's no good for a hearty girl, such as myself, who could easily eat a jar a week.
So I shed all the tears required to peel and slice the onions. Now I have to confess that I borrowed Missis blending machine, that also chops. I couldn't undertand why the onions looked so peculiar until I emptied the container and realised I'd left the plastic protective covers on the chopping blades and managed to shred them in with the onions - oops!

Second attempt, slice the onions and put them in a pan with sugar, like so:

Stir them up and let them cook in their own juices until really soft. Then add the red wine and the red wine vinegar (100ml of each) and leave to reduce for another 10 minutes, by which time you will have sterilized your jar, and hey presto! a jar of delicious onion chutney awaits you.
I have to say, I didn't cook the first lot for long enough so it has ended up still slightly crunchy, but the second batch is absolutely gorgeous. This was all so easy I was tempted to add some extra ingredients, but I resisted, and the end result was well worth it. Try it with some home made bread and warm brie, and I guarantee your taste buds will be happy for days afterwards.

And now I have to show you this:


Yes, it's my very first blog award. It's from Sue at Dollytub Cottage. Thankyou, Sue, I am absolutely delighted to receive this. I am, as a result, supposed to think of seven things you don't (want to) know about me, but I'll have to take a little time to ponder that, so watch this space. I also have to pass it on to others, which I will do tomorrow, I promise.
That's all I have time for at the moment. My number 2 son is here for a flying visit and as I haven't seen him for months, I am going to make the most of it.
Plenty more where this came from, though.
Mrs O.