Benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs …are now available for collection by any shepherds planning or required to watch their flocks at night. While provision has also been made for remote monitoring of flocks by CCTV cameras from a centrally heated shepherd observation hut, all users of this facility are reminded that an emergency response plan must be submitted to account for known risks to the flocks.

The angel of the Lord is additionally reminded that, prior to shining his/her glory all around, s/he must confirm that all shepherds are wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment to account for the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and the overwhelming effects of Glory.

Following last year’s well-publicised case, everyone is advised that Equal Opportunities legislation prohibits any comment with regard to the redness of any part of Mr R Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from reindeer games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence.

Whilst it is acknowledged that gift bearing is a common practice in various parts of the world, particularly the Orient, everyone is reminded that the bearing of gifts is subject to Hospitality Guidelines and all gifts must be registered with Management, regardless of value. This applies regardless of the individual, even royal personages. It is particularly noted that direct gifts of precious materials (e.g. gold) are specifically prohibited and must immediately be handed over to Management, while caution is advised regarding other common gifts such as aromatic resins and special ointments that may provoke allergic reactions.

Finally, in the recent instance of the infant found tucked up in a manger without any crib for a bed, Social Services have been advised and will be arriving shortly.

Merry Christmas From Jonathan, Martina, Oliver, Luke, Charlotte, Alex, Steven, Manon, Saul I, Seb & Saul II At The Red Pump Inn xxxx

We had the central heating on very regularly, we were inundated for comfort food and had the winter quilts out for the guest rooms!

The topsy turvy upside down madness of August!

So after a swift week in the sun to bring the internal temperatures back to normal for the time of year we are mid way through September and the air has turned decidedly autumnal with blankets of dew under the low mist across the fells and chilly morning air lasting until around 1pm when the sun can summon enough energy to warm it away!

The weather has played havoc with our menu this year!

But one thing is for sure…..we are entering the time of year that The Red Pump Inn comes into its happier-more at-home mode…… it’s a time of year when we can’t decide which goodies to put on the menu because we have that much to choose from…..our ideas for sumptuous suppers are brimming over and we change the menu, therefore, rather regularly!

From October…..I’m talking pheasants, partridge, teal, rabbit, venison, mallard…..all delicious locally reared and shot game which will feature on our menu up until around about early February! We love this time of year!

It’s everything we are…. cosy snugs with a roaring fire…. potted venison followed by pot roasted pheasant with root vegetables and a delicious slab of sticky toffee pudding to follow…..dark, cosy, warm, comforting in the twinkling candle-light…….with the dark nights peeking through the huge windows….

Bring it on…….

Summer….pah!

TTFN

ROASTED CHICKEN, GARLIC ROASTED POTATOES, VEGETABLES AND PROPER CHICKEN GRAVY…… I’M SORRY BUT THIS IS THE BEST COMFORT FOOD IN THE WORLD! …….DISAGREE?….

You don’t normally correlate July and August with being a time of year particularly associated with comfort food….. but we are noticing a significant increase in the amount of our “comfort food” dishes selling out!

We commented on it recently…..and then the debate began.

We tend to have rather lengthy debates here at The Red Pump Inn (given that there are only usually 8-10 of us here all week long) to pass the time and generate conversations which usually tend to focus around food in one way or another!

The latest debate and information gathering was around comfort food, when Mr Innkeeper and I were commenting on the fact that the comfort food dishes haven’t slowed down in their sales as they usually do by this time of year…. indicative of the inherent need during economic woe to turn to comfort food as a pacifier of some kind!

Fish and chips, pies, casseroles, cheesy-topped things, dishes with mash….. in fact if we don’t have them on the menu at the moment, people will actually ask for them…even if it is scrorching outside!

Usually it’s delicious salads which make the taste buds explode and the eyes widen with their colour and flavours….. but this year it’s the dishes that give us that cozy comforted feeling of being hugged that are selling out faster than any other year we can remember!

I’d love to know if there is a direct link between economic squeezing and the types of food we choose to eat! Some professor of psychological profiling somewhere in the civilised world will no doubt have studied the behaviours of diners….. they should really just ask the people that see them day in and day out!….. it’s the same with the different dates in a month too!……spend more at the beginning of a month….less in the middle….. more risky, impulse spending just before payday!…..

It is endlessly fascinating to us to note the behaviours of dining folk……. we see so many people passing through our doors that it’s a priviledge to behold the many facets of personalities, which then conform in their own way with specific similarities such as spending habits or dining habits!

However the absolutely unanimous choice for our own comfort dish is roasted chicken! Hands down, each and every time……..you agree surely don’t you?

Basically, we invite all and sundry to forward their suggestions for the additions to the ice cream list through the summer.

We do usually get some crackers…… such as banana & custard flavour…. dandilion & burdock…. gin & tonic….. and to be honest we do actually try most of them out to see if they work before we cast them aside or in the “crazy flavours” bin!.

I’m a bit of a purist though and enjoy only a really good vanilla ice cream; it feels so decadent to me and to be fair it is still the ice cream that is mostly purchased from us during the summer months (except for the fantastic licorice ice cream which is powerfully addictive!).

I’ve taken to making a load of frozen yoghurts this summer too…. I make fresh yoghurt every day anyway for the resident guests’ breakfast so making a little extra and churning it for a frozen scoopable variant seems appropriate

I’ve excelled at the Greek yoghurt with honey and fresh mint which is so delicious frozen and dolloped over some fresh strawberries, also some mixed berry ripple frozen yoghurt has proven rather popular in the cornet department with weight-watching adults whilst the children tuck into full fat ice cream!

The first ice cream I ever made was vanilla flavour and I didn’t have an ice cream maker or churner and was lucky enough to be handed the recipe by a retauranteur in a beautiful little restaurant in Pollensa old town, who had moved there some 15 years before and was still wowwing the locals and visitors with his delicious simple vanilla ice cream (and I’m going back 20 years now…. so a long time ago!…. not sure he’s still there….but worth a trip to the old town nevertheless).

I still use this recipe today and it is really easy……

Try it yourself, but please note; 2 good quality fresh vanilla pods will give the excellent flavour we need for a good vanilla ice cream; extract just isn’t good enough in my opinion!

No need even for a churner or ice cream maker with this recipe as it doesn’t use milk which crystallises in the freezing process and demands churning to make it smooth….. but the odd stir will help this version through so don’t be selfish….

500ml/16fl oz double cream

70g/3oz sugar

3 egg yolks

1. Halve the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the pods to the cream and bring to the boil, then add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.
3. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl and whisk in the vanilla seeds. Pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until set.
4. Slice into bricks and place between old fashioned sandwich wafers……everyone will love this!

Slice some strawberries into this slices and place on top of the ice cream bricks before you put into wafers for a gorgeous ice cream sandwich!

We’re just waiting for the sun to pop back out now!

TTFN

M.

It is enough to make this grown woman cry……the desire to achieve the perfect macaroon…… I know that dedicated French pastry chefs train for decades in this elusive art of creating colourful little amuse bouche of almondy deliciousness and so why should I, a good-for-nothing restaurant owner demand that I should be unfailing in this difficult culinary quest? I actually have sleepless nights over my failure……

I set James, our Head Chef, onto the task of creating these little macaroons for me….. (which incidentally isn’t a bad thing to do when you are drip fed macaroons on a regular basis whilst he tries out various methods to achieve the perfect mouthful)…..he’s still trying…. even though his attempts are actually very good, I still crave those lovely smooth pastel Laduree biscuits…..

However, there is always a silver lining when it comes to good food…..

What we have stumbled upon is a lovely dessert for our new menu….. a macaroon mille feuille with creme patissiere and berries…..

……. I think I am about to start another addiction during this summer…..

TTFN,

M

x

Neither myself or Mr Innkeeper are accomplished gardeners by the way! But we do know how to cultivate edibles……and have a wonderful array of herbs which go in great bunches in our lovely food at theInn….

However, on heading out to the “rosemary quarter” (a section of the herb gardens which is designated only to a dozen or so rosemary plants) we noticed all of the plants were completely stripped of the fleshy elongated rosemary leaves…. Every single one of them…stripped bare! 6 years of loving care and nurturing of these magestic plants gobbled up!

It’s safe to say that we are devasted and are now buying up lots of rosemary plants to replace the scraggily stalks we currently have……

….and so on to a little quick and simple recipe for rosemary-scented rabbit casserole!…..

(I kid you not…. If only we could get our hands on the little blighters this is what we’d cook!….already beautifully flavoured with rosemary is an option not a necessity for this delicious taste of old!)

One whole rabbit; joint it and season it before putting it into a casserole dish

Add a couple cloves of garlic, some carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf, lots of rosemary and other garden herbs.

Add a litre of cider, some chicken stock to cover the meat & veg, salt, pepper & dash of Lea&Perrins, cover it up and put in the oven on a low heat (gas 4-5) for 2 hours until the delicate rabbity meat falls off the bones!

 Serve with some potato wedges roasted in the oven at the same time to save energy!

 TTFN,

M.

Best wishes,

From the Innkeeper!

We look like we have a bad dose of chicken pox and are currently covered in calamine lotion!

PLEASE IGNORE THIS PRE-OP LOOK!

POST-OP FULLY BOTOXED EXTERIOR WILL RESUME BY THE END OF JUNE!

I thank you…

x

Ladies Charity Do

 Wednesday 20^th July

11.30am-3.30pm then 6pm-8.30pm

£35.00 per ticket

In aid of the lovely and worthwhile charity COPPAFEEL

Teaching young women about the need to be breast aware from a very young age.

The incidence of breast cancer in young women (under 30 years) is sadly on the increase as was demonstrated when the lovely Kris, a normal 21 year old woman found to her dismay a couple of years ago on diagnosis of stage 4 breast cancer.

Kris and her sister Maren founded Coppafeel charity to raise awareness of breast cancer in young women and encourages everyone to Cop-A-Feel and be breast aware earlier on in our lives.

 COPPAFEEL CHARITY DAY

Lunch, lingerie, nail art, zumba, jewelry, hand made candles and gorgeous gifts, goody bags, magic, auctions, raffles, Lancashire Life magazine taking a full active part in the day, featuring the event in September’s edition!

A delicious 3 course boob-orientated menu and a fun afternoon for women of all ages!

 £35 per person….

Come and help us support this fantastic charity and spread the word about

COPPAFEEL

 Tickets only

Please contact Martina @ The Red Pump Inn

 A limited number of places for the day.

I woke really really early….you know the type….stupid-o’clock….with a gazzillion ideas running around the grey matter…. so I did what any normal self-employed business owner would do….got up, made a brew and put it all down on paper.

The reason for the insomniacal moment was because a few days ago, a very close member of my family was diagnosed with breast cancer. Bit of a shock, not very pleasant for anyone involved and the first thing you think of is how many people this affects; not just her.

I mentioned it to a girlfriend of mine and she mentioned her niece had just been for a mastectomy; her niece is 29. Wow!

I was a bit shaken from my coccoon on Innkeeper-ness and went for a walk with the puppy to clear my head.

Things are tough in the world today; people losing jobs, losing homes…. recession is miserable and I am a genuine believer in proactivity….. and I have done what any self-respecting Innkepper would do in times of crisis…. bring everyone together for a “reet good do”.

All for charity mind!

I’ve chosen Coppafeel….. a wonderful young charity; a young woman, with her whole exciting life ahead of her, struck down at age 21 with stage 4 breast cancer. You can learn all about the beautiful & brave Cris and her twin Maren on their Coppafeel.org website…. but my aim is to raise a lot of money for their simple message…. Cop-a-feel….. you know…. breast examination…. get it?

So on the 20th July we put on a boobylicious show at the Red Pump Inn to raise lots of money for this very very special charity…. watch my progress here! I don’t for one minute think it’s going to be easy!… and no doubt I’ll shed a few tears along the way!

But to be honest, decent pubs and inns really do know how to put on a darn good “do”… and usually combine this with a fund raising slant too!

Charities are really suffering in this recession…we see it in the news all the time…. but follow my progress during the Life and Times of an Innkeeper….and see exactly how we come up trumps in Lancashire when it comes to a good cause!

TTFN.

M.