Wednesday 13th November - Potions and Concoctions

I had the last of a series of hospital appointments today; a routine echocardiogram. Phew! Hopefully that's that for a while!

We had thought of going somewhere for coffee afterwards as we were done by 10am. But it was so cold and grey we decided to just come home. As we drove into our road the sun came out and the leaves on the trees were golden yellow and red-brown... too late! Home and coffee won over nature!

In the afternoon I made good on a promise to myself; to make the dried fruit drinks at the beginning of Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles. 

There are two jars of dried apricots in brandy, sweet wine, sugar and orange zest, and one of prunes and golden raisins with dessert wine.

They should be ready before Christmas. You can drink the liquid in tiny glasses as a liqueur, and eat the fruit with ice cream, or yogurt, or on your porridge or muesli or any way you like. I'm looking forward to trying them. 

I made plum shrub in August 2022, and went back to find the blog entry. It was delicious, again sipped from a little tiny glass (it is nearly neat rum!) The boozy fruit was good too.

https://a-letter-from-home.blogspot.com/2022/08/tuesday-30th-august-2022-too-much-for.html

My mother used to call liqueurs 'stickies'. My parents would have formal  dinner parties for maybe 16 people a couple of times a year;  four courses, rows of glasses, knives and forks beside each place setting, candles and flowers on the table, drinks beforehand and coffees, brandy and 'stickies' afterwards. 

My brother and I would answer the door, greet the guests, take their coats, hand round the peanuts and any canapés. Once they had all gone through to the dining room we used to go upstairs and watch 'Take Your Pick' and the Val Doonican show on the old TV set. 

How she managed all this without help I'll never know!