Giblets - Cheap Chicken Livers

Do you hate liver? I'm not that fond of it, or atleast that's what I thought. The other Sunday Hubs went off to do the shopping, we'd missed the butcher and being sensible they close on a Sunday. Supermarket bound he returned with liver. "Thanks a lot for just thinking about yourself!" I was actually really cross. I really didn't want liver. Anyway he cooked it with bacon, onions and amazing gravy (I do love the gravy you get from cooking with liver and bacon). I also love mashed potato and to make up for the liver he'd made a lot of mash, he even used the daft ricer thing for perfect mash. I can never be bothered, preferring a good old masher. So we ate our liver and bacon and the boys loved it. Little and Small actually kept going back for more...

This last weekend, Hubs wanted to do roast lamb with proper gravy, he wanted liver again too but the butcher said they don't do fresh chicken livers, only frozen ones. Lateral thinking struck and he bought 5 bags of giblets for .20p per bag. This meant the sort of gravy Hubs likes, gravy granules are not for him... (though I'm a guilty user sometimes.) It also gave him chicken livers.

Pan Fried Chicken Livers
He pan fried the chicken livers with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and worcester sauce. Only cooked for a few minutes - think cooking scallops amount of time. We had them as a little tapa. I LOVED THEM, the boys loved them, we literally fought over the bowl. Now what is that all about - as I said I don't even like liver?!

At 37, I'm a liver loving convert!

Remember, remember the 5th of November - Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night

Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.
I can think of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent to blow up the King and Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below to prove old England's overthrow.
By God's providence he was catch'd with a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

I love this time of year, from Halloween onwards, right up until the New Year.

After school we'll be making a Guy. When I was younger it was normal to make a Guy and then hit the streets, shouting 'Penny for the Guy!' We'd use the money to buy sparklers. Children don't seem to do it anymore, I suppose there is the health and safety issue. We'd probably have to do a risk assessment and submit the paperwork to the local council. Even trick or treaters were thin on the ground this year and last. Anyway, we'll be making a Guy and fleece the pockets of anybody who visits between now and Saturday when our village will be overrun with nigh on 20,000 people to watch the spectacular bonfire and fireworks.

We'll be making some cinder toffee, recipe here at the lovely Domestic Goddess in Training. You see, food bloggers are great for trying and testing recipes and telling us what worked and what didn't.

As I type some of our friends are making their annual pilgrimage to Lewes which must have arguably the biggest bonfire night event in England. There are various processions and effigies dragged through the streets which are then burned. It makes our village event seem tiny in comparison.
Typical bonfire night fodder in the Little Foodies household...

Chilli Cheesy Beans
2 tins of baked beans
2 handfuls of grated cheddar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder
Throw it all in a saucepan and warm until the cheese melts, stir well. YUMMY!

Sticky Sausages
Cocktail sausages oven cooked with honey and coarse grain mustard (mix honey and mustard with olive oil, coat the sausages). Medium heat oven for about half an hour. Check they're cooked through.

Bad Beans
2 tins of mixed beans (in water)
2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
4 tablesoons of water
1/2 teaspoon of mild chilli powder
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
Drain the beans, add to a pan with everything else. Cook for about 15-20 mins.

Caramelised Onions with Garlic
Lots and lots of onions, peeled and finely sliced, Drizzle with olive oil and using your hands mix it all up to coat the onions in oil, throw in some cloves of garlic (skin on). Oven cook on a medium heat until sticky and caramelised.

Served with Tasty Tatties
Jacket Potatoes with lots of butter. (For the best crispy skin I like to cook them in the oven from scratch if I've remembered in time).

and for my health freak children who always have to have something raw and fresh as a side on their plates - big bowls of tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and peppers.

Last year we made a huge brownie star. This year I'd like to make another brownie. It could become a bonfire brownie tradition but I think I'll play around with some recipes first as Nigella's needed three times the cooking she suggested. It was very tasty though!

That's it! Have a great bonfire night if you celebrate.

p.s. Big thank you to our lovely friends S & J who gave us a load of dry, seasoned logs - Thank you - we love you! The gift of warmth is a hard one to beat!