Our Front Plot

A Beautiful Start

2012-01-17T00:40:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share with you the beautiful show mother nature put on for us this morning, frosty roofs and a golden sky...............................stunning!

Storecupboard Roulette.

2012-01-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of people swear by menu planning but strangely enough it doesn't appeal to me, this is even stranger when you consider I am a total unashamed control freak. When it comes to meals I like variety and spontaneity, I don't mean that twenty minutes before mealtimes I dash around organising a meal but that I decide the night before what we will have for dinner the following night. This decision is made after careful consideration of the fridge, freezer and storecupboard contents, meat if needed is then taken out of the freezer and allowed to defrost overnight in the fridge. I freeze all my meat on the day I buy it unless I plan to use it that day, that way I won't miss any use by dates and my meat will always be as fresh as the day I bought it. Instead of shopping to a list for a menu I have planned I try to buy a few key seasonal ingredients and lots of vegetables, I then try to be as creative as possible with them and adapt recipes to suit what I have rather than go out and buy more. Having a good storecupboard helps, I bulk buy spices as well as growing and drying my own herbs and it is these items which can turn a boring meal into a special one. I also believe good presentation can help mealtimes feel more special , the dish in the photo is only potato salad and mackerel fillets garnished with red peppers from a jar and some homegrown lettuce but it looks special (well at least I think it does!).

Last night after a trawl through the freezer inventory (I told you I was a control freak) I found a big free range chicken, this was taken out and defrosted and has gone in the slowcooker this morning. A survey of the fridge found a white cabbage bought Christmas week which I had planned to turn into coleslaw, the outer leaves were a bit sad but inside its fine. There's carrots growing in the garden that will add a bit of colour to the plate and there's bacon wrapped sausages which were surplus to requirements from Christmas dinner. Add to this mashed potatoes and homemade Yorkshires and we have a meal fit for a king, I might even mange a pud with all the homegrown and frozen fruit. Tomorrow we will probably have an Indian inspired vegetarian rice dish, to break the monotony of potatoes and meat(we had roast beef yesterday).

Then of course there's the leftovers some of these will make it into the meals later in the week but some will be frozen either in their natural state or after being tuned into another dish such as a pie or curry. I like to have some dishes in the freezer that just need heating as it helps resist the lure of convenience food on a busy day. Sometimes I cook extra quantities of things like bolognese sauce and freeze that ready for another day, but I have to take protective measures(ie hide it) to prevent my greedy family from demolishing the lot in one sitting! So as you can see my version of storecupboard roulette can offer an alternative to meal planning, whilst still offering money saving potential .

Do you plan your meals ? or go freestyle ?

Staying Out of The Supermarket : Progress Report

2012-01-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

Things are going well in our bid to stay out of the supermarket......apart from our little village COOP we have not been in a supermarket this year. I see Tesco announced a drop in profits yesterday but I don't think we were entirely responsible :) .

I am enjoying seeking out new shops and suppliers, as I mentioned the other day flour is being bought at the local windmill. Veg is being bought in the village veg shop or at a local farm shop if we are passing, the farm shop is on the way to the residential home my mother in law lives in so we can pop in on the way to visit. Yesterday big bags(25kg) of potatoes were £3 and small sacks of onions(10kg) £2.20 , hubby picked some up after seeing his mum.

Meat is bought from the local market and from a friend who raises meat for the freezer, I still haven't got around to cooking the goat joint we were given as a gift recently by a fellow smallholding group member. Pulses and spices are bought at one of the Asian grocery stores in the nearby town, this week they even had pasta.

Today was the first farmers market of the year and it would appear we are spoiled for choice this year, this one is closest http://www.marshallsyard.co.uk/farmersMarket.php but there's another one near our favourite nature reserves so could be combined with a day out! Then in 2 weeks time we have another one much closer to home which we regularly frequent.

Today's buys included :1 pork pie, 2 partridges, wild boar sausages,4 ostrich burgers, a pack of Lincolnshire sausagemeat (for homemade sausage rolls), a large homemade Lincolnshire Haslet, three different types of cheese, some goat butter and a Mediterranean veg stuffed Fougasse(posh bread) total spent was about £25 . The best buy of the day was a tray of free range double yolker eggs for £1.50, these were nearing their use by date(10 days to go!) we have eaten half of them already scrambled and served with the stuffed bread..........................now we are stuffed.

So far avoiding supermarkets has not been an issue and shopping has become an altogether more pleasurable (and for the most part cheaper) experience.

Artisan Update

2012-01-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

I managed to find a copy of the 'Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a day' recipe online before the book arrived and made up a batch on Tuesday evening. I baked the first batch this morning , this one was done in a loaf tin and used approx 1.5lbs of dough, it tastes amazing and definitely has that sourdough flavour and a lovely chewy crust. I think next time I will use a bigger piece of dough as this wasn't really big enough to make sandwiches with , but thats all part of the experimentation process I guess. The book arrived yesterday , so lots of bedtime reading done last night,I am going to end up the size of a bus at this rate! Will try a bigger loaf tomorrow and I am going to attempt an olive fougasse too.

An Award

2012-01-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have been given my very first award! Thank you so much to Phillipa Jayne over at Self Sufficient Dreams. I am always amazed that people identify with my mutterings, and am truly grateful for every comment.

Acceptance of the award is conditional on the following:

Copy and paste the award on your blog
Thank the giver and link back to them
Choose five blogs (with less than 200 followers) that you'd like to pass the award on to and leave a comment for them on their blog.

So, my 5 chosen blogs to pass this award on to are:

Frugaldom

Frugal in Norfolk

Slate House Farm

The Garden Smallholder

The Quince Tree

Choosing was so hard and a lot of my favourite blogs have over 100 followers, I hope you enjoys my nominations as much as I do.

Better Bread

2012-01-10T02:07:00.000-08:00

I have for some time wanted to improve my breadmaking skills, so spurred by the new TV show The Fabulous Baker Brothers I have made attempts to up my game. I can make a decent everyday loaf but what I like to eat is proper Artisan bread, I have come to rely on the bread maker for convenience but prefer the look of a hand made loaf. I have a really good book called simply 'Bread' by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno.

I have had this book for some time and only so far used it as bedtime reading................until today. I have made the above loaf , it's called a 'Broa' which is a Portuguese cornmeal bread. As part of my buy local challenge I have been buying my flour at a local windmill, I have been known to buy bread here too! I believe they offer courses in bread making too, using a traditional wood fired oven which appeals to me. These baguettes are a french rye bread called 'Pain de Seigle', my first (and rather long winded) attempt at bread requiring a starter.

I do kind of feel like I have been cooking all day, but the oven was only actually on for 45minutes, and all the jobs were spread out across the day and other things done in between. Both lots have been tasted and are lovely, we will have the baguettes (one was half eaten before its photo opportunity) with pasta tomorrow. I have also as a result of today's experiments ordered another book on bread making, this has excellent reviews and is something I have known about for a while but never tried. Will report back with the results when it arrives.

A Bracing Seaside Walk.

2012-01-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

After weeks of inactivity and over indulgence we headed to the coast for a cobweb blowing walk. Cleethorpes is the nearest bit of beach to us , I suppose technically it's the mouth of the Humber Estuary rather than the coast but it's just a 30 minute drive away.

We parked on the seafront hand a had a wander along the small pier, the tide was way out, but the sun was shining and there was no wind! Cleethorpes has quite a long promenade which changes to a nice coastal path. Behind the leisure centre the beach is covered in some long grass and its always a good spot for a bit of birdwatching. There were dozens of oyster catchers but what caught our eye was the four white blobs in this picture. It's not very clear but these were some beautiful Curlew, shame they weren't a bit closer.

A bit further up the coastal path there's an outdoor children's paddling pool and sand play area, a little further along is the boating lake. We had a wander around the lake and headed back toward the town centre.

We stuck to the road, this runs parallel to the seafront but before we got there we had to pass the miniature steam railway that runs along this section.

Further along we admired the park bedding in the Kingsway Gardens, this is in a slightly elevated position overlooking the sea. It also has some great old fashioned shelters to sit and admire the view.

This picture is a sculpture made by a local blacksmith, it's a huge deckchair taller than me! At this point we headed to the Leaking Boot Chip shop for a belly busting fish and chips. After lunch we headed back over to the gardens where there is an old look out post, not sure of the history of this one perhaps an old wartime relic?

We then headed down the steps towards the car through one of the poshest crazy golf courses I have ever seen, it would appear to be a miniature version of the town. At this point the tide was coming in so we sat on one of the benches and watched the beach disappear under the waves.

We really enjoyed our day out and I for one feel a little tired out (in a good way) by the experience and I shall certainly sleep well tonight.

(Almost) Free Heating

2012-01-04T00:31:00.001-08:00

Since we had the woodburner fitted, my lovely hubby has been honing his hunter gatherer skills, collecting free wood has become an exciting frugal hobby ! We currently have a huge quantity of firewood seasoning for next year our 12' x 20' wooden garage is filled to the rafters with wood (stacked off the floor on pallets to help airflow). So where did it all come from? well the first lot came from freegle, I put a "wanted" ad on and offered a man with a chainsaw in return. We had 4 responses from people who had trees which were either fallen or that they wanted cutting down. This filled our trailer about 10 times over , and he spent lots of time chopping and sawing the smaller pieces. Some of the smaller piece dried quite quickly and we have been using them.

The larger pieces were stacked under the eaves of the workshop canopy to be chopped at a later date. Next our landshare owner approached us for help pruning and removing some apple trees in the orchard, in return we got to keep the wood from 3 apple trees, this has mostly been processed now but we won't burn this until next year. In addition to "tree" wood hubby has perfected the art of "pallet hunting" and if we have to go into town for anything the trailer comes too and we scour the industrial estates for unwanted pallets , anything too good for burning is kept for future construction projects. some of the pallet wood is chopped into short planks and the rest is cut into kindling, pallets dry out much quicker than trees and can be burned within days/weeks. pallet wood also burns hot so is ideal for when the fire is first lit , then chunkier logs are used to maintain the heat .

We have one of these , a handy moisture testing device that tells you if wood is safe to burn , you split a log and insert the probe if the reading is 20% or less it is safe to use(it was about a fiver of Ebay) . Burning unseasoned wood produces poisonous gases and can cause chimney fires, however just to confuse matters Ash can be burned green! We have not had to buy any wood so far and have been favouring the woodburner over the central heating as its free, and if we open all the upstairs doors and close the kitchen one , it heats the whole house. We go through about a trug full of wood in 5 hours (the flexible garden type ) although windy days use more ! We only have two rules when it comes to free wood........................always ask permission when taking pallets, and never burn anything that has been treated as this is bad for you and the environment.

We have been surprised how easy it has been to source free wood although it is time consuming, it is good for the purse. We only turned down one offer of wood and that was a 60ft tree which blew over in a pub car park.....................it was just too big for us to cope with as the landlord wanted rid of it quick !

Mastered.........................the Granny!

2012-01-03T02:35:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned yesterday I have never managed to crack crocheting in the round. I found some really useful instructions here and decided to have a bit of a play , once I got the hang of joining each round there was no stopping me. My lovely hubby was at work last night, so I rummaged around in the wool stash and picked out my yarns and set to making the beginnings of a throw. It has a vintage 70's vibe but I love it, getting the wool out of its home wasn't easy and I must set aside some time today to tidy it up. At the moment all my wool is stored in a huge drawstring bag , unfortunately this means I can never find anything and that all the ends are loose and have become entwined! After all the pre-move decluttering we have been doing I have a few empty plastic under bed boxes with lids and one (or perhaps two......) of these will make the pefect home for my wool stash.

More pictures as it progresses!

Crafty Cushion

2012-01-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Not the greatest picture as the daylight had gone !

I had a 100g ball of chunky wool in berry shades in my stash which needed using, so after a bit of experimentation I devised a pattern for a cushion. It is 50sts wide worked on 6.5mm needles, single rib for 12 rows then garter stitch 160 rows then another 12 rows rib ( I worked 3 buttonholes on row 7). I finished it yesterday and my mum sewed it up for me this afternoon . I really should learn how to do this myself! It matches quite well with the current colour scheme of my lounge which is chocolate and deep red. Now this is finished I am planning a granny square experiment to do a bit more stashbusting, I have never manged to master crocheting in the round(square) so wish me luck!

Hummus

2012-01-01T02:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New year to you all!

The new year entered here rather quietly as usual, but a celebration dinner is planned for this evening, a very grown up mediterraneam influenced affair. The meal cosists of marinated vegetables , olives, cured meats(inluding a chorizo made by a friend), sunblush tomatoes(made by me from our own tomatoes ). I am making a huge soda bread , and will have a selection of continental cheeses including a grilled halloumi.

I wil also be making some fresh hummus it's so easy I can never understand why people buy it.

Hummus

1 can of chick peas drained but reserve the juice
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic (I use the easy stuff)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
whizz all these ingredients in blender you may need to add some of the reserved juice to get the right consistency . Taste and season to taste I like mine extra lemony with lots of black pepper! I know technically it should also contain tahini , but I have tried it both ways and don't find it lacking in any way.

Great as a dip or as a frugal sandwich filling...............enjoy

A Sunny Interlude

2011-12-23T01:11:00.000-08:00

(The garden at the Wesley house in Epworth)

I am unfortunately laid low with a flu like bug , Is it just me that ALWAYS ends up poorly at this time of year? I can't even say that it's stress as everything is well under control here, and has been for some time! There's lots of posts around Blogland at the moment about snow and Christmas so I decided to do a post to remind us all of the Summer.

A lovely rose

Beautiful Crocosmia in a friends garden

Chesil Beach in Dorset
An avenue of trees at Newby Hall , in North Yorkshire.

I hope this sunny post has provided a welcome antidote to the damp and cold which seems to have gripped the country, take care.

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-20T03:33:00.000-08:00

(Nativity scene in Brussels 2009)

For us Christmas is about tradition,we are not a religious household but we always go to the village carol service it was a very busy event this year and the local WI supply the drinks and mince pies so very yummy too. Christmas day starts with hot drinks and present opening, followed by a breakfast of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and bucks fizz.

Around 2pm we have our lunch, a 3 or 4 course affair usually. This year we are having a prawn cocktail(served in Martini glasses) starter, followed by a roast bird with all the trimmings. We always have Turkey although one year we had a small goose too, only myself and my husband liked it so we never bothered again. I love bacon wrapped sausages and stuffing balls and have made and frozen these some time ago along with the braised red cabbage .

On the day we will have sprouts and carrots as well as roast potatoes cooked in goose fat, I will make bread sauce but I never serve yorkshire puddings (popovers) on Christmas day. The cranberry sauce is homemade but this year the Christmas pudding is bought, this will be drizzled with brandy and set aflame then eaten with cream or custard(no brandy butter here). Next comes real coffee with homemade chocolate peppermint creams.

Sometimes we have a cheeseboard too but have decide to save this for our evening gathering this year, I have 10-12 people coming over around 6pm. Later in the evening we will have the cheeseboard along with cold cuts and homemade pickles with fresh baked bread and homemade coleslaw no doubt a few drinks will be drunk too!

So that's our day what do you have planned?

Shop Local .................Save Money.

2011-12-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

In the last few months I have done my best to shop in independent shops and I have to say its a total pleasure compared to Supermarket shopping. I do still venture into one the supermarkets occasionally , but mainly for loss leaders and things I just cannot get elsewhere. I also have been scheduling such trips for a Monday morning around 9am.......................much quieter, especially at this time of year.

I called at the butchers at our local market today and spent £20 on my meat, for that I got 2lb of pork and leek(£3) sausages, 2 gammon joints(£4), 2 free range chickens(£5) , 2lb of braising steak(£4) and 2lb of minced beef (£3) . I know that that's a good deal but, I was interested to see how that compared with the supermarket .........................cue a trip to mysupermarket!

Tesco Free range chicken was £4.58 per kg my birds are 1.1kg each, that means these would have cost me £5.03 each instead of the £2.50 each I paid. Shockingly, Tesco braising steak was £18.42 per kg my steak works out at £4.40 per kg! My smoked Gammon joints equate to £2 a kg the Tesco Value joints are £3.98,so yet another saving . My sausages work out at £3.30 a kg, Tesco's finest Pork and leek sausages are on offer at the moment making them £4.96 per kg. Lastly my minced beef was the same price as my sausages so £3.30 kg and value beef mince at Tesco is £2.88 per kg if you buy the 800g pack , so on this occasion the supermarket won. After a few sums and a bit of head scratching I calculated that the full cost of my items if bought at Tesco would have been:

Chickens £10.08
Steak £16.74
Gammon joints £7.96
Sausages £4.50
Mince £2.62
-----------------
Total £ 41.90
-----------------

So by shopping local I saved a staggering £21.90, add to this the savings made by shopping at my local greengrocer and those made by shopping at the various foreign food stores I regularly frequent and you can see how shopping local really adds up to a great deal!

Christmas Craft

2011-12-01T05:24:00.001-08:00

It was the monthly meeting of our smallholders group this weekend and the lovely Louise from Fins Farm showed us how to make Christmas wreaths. The one pictured above is mine and it is now hanging proudly on my front door! I usually but a wreath but I won't buy another, I wouldn't say it was easy but it was so satisfying.

I brought away enough materials to make a couple more so watch this space!

edited in , so far I have made another wreath(no picture yet) and this table decoration:

Charity Shop Bargain

2011-11-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

I picked up this delightful set of books in my local charity shop today...................first editions no less, they cost me 60p!!. I also bought a couple of OS maps for 10p each, I almost felt guilty.............almost.

The books are a mine of information, some of it a little outdated, but then they were published in 1963! Which as I think about it is 6 years before I was born. I will spend many happy an hour dipping in and out of these. The books themselves have beautiful pages embossed with ferns, illustrated with detailed pencil drawings.

Inside book three I found the receipt for the books themselves, 5 guineas was a lot of money in 1963. I love finding personal bits inside books, we once found a receipt in a book we bought second hand miles away from home. I was for a camping holiday fees, at a campsite we ourselves had stayed at years before. We also found a valid debit card in a book once at a boot fair but luckily we noticed before we left the stall.......the vendor let us have the book for free by way as a thank you.

What interesting things have you found in second hand books or furniture?

Demi - Veggie !

2011-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's meat free summer, and my own frugal meal challenge, we have taken the conscious decision to eat vegetarian 5 nights a week. This is the end of week one and it's gone quite well, my son aged 10 hadn't even noticed!

In my search for frugal family friendly veggie based meals I came across a couple of really good websites, Fat Free Vegan , Parsley soup and Allotment 2 Kitchen. Great sites which have given me a huge amount of inspiration. the Lentil and Bulgar soup pictured is from here and it was delicious (despite only using one of the recommended 2 tins of tomatoes).

This weeks menus were

Monday - Braised steak
Tuesday - Jewelled Dhaal with rice(recipe here)
Wednesday - root veggie stew with dumplings
Thursday - Pasta with leek and blue cheese sauce
Friday - Veetable and chick pea curry
Saturday - veggie fajitas
Sunday - Roast turkey with all the trimmings

This weeks shopping bill was almost non existent(I only bought milk, onions, eggs and some cabbage), so I used some of my £20 to stock up on a few non-perishable xmas food items. I did treat myself to a students veggie cookbook for 99p in the charity shop though, and a little birdie tells me Hugh's book may well make it in time for my birthday in a few weeks :)

Lest We Forget................

2011-11-12T01:55:00.000-08:00

Aftermath

Have you forgotten yet?...
For the world’s events have rumbled on since those gagged days,
Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:
And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow
Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you’re a man reprieved to go,
Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare.

But the past is just the same-and War’s a bloody game...
Have you forgotten yet?...
Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you’ll never forget.

Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz–
The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets?
Do you remember the rats; and the stench
Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench-
And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain?
Do you ever stop and ask, ‘Is it all going to happen again?’

Do you remember that hour of din before the attack–
And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then
As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back
With dying eyes and lolling heads—those ashen-grey
Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay?

Have you forgotten yet?...
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ll never forget.

(Siegfied Sassoon 1919)

Yorkshire Pudding

2011-11-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to make yorkshires which were better than my mum's :) ................according to my Dad who is a bona fide Yorkshireman! I meant to put an object in for scale, these puds were about 5inches tall.

Recipe

½ a pint milk
5 ounces strong plain flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs

Mix the batter ingredients together with a hand blender , cook for 25-30 minutes in patty tins which have had a little oil added and are pre-heated to smoking hot at gas mark 9.

Christmas is Coming

2011-11-08T00:43:00.000-08:00

Its only six weeks on Sunday to Christmas...............how scary is that! My period of confinement has been very productive though and I am well on track to being ready for the big day.

So far I have made 2 of these quilted stockings with the Moda remnants, thats one for my son and one for my nephew. I have also made a start on a quilted throw in Christmas fabics. it just needs backing and binding. I would like to have this finished in time but having never done this before I am not sure if I am being realistic, I would like to do a couple of cushions to match the stockings too!

Foodwise I have written a shopping list for food things needed, these are mostly fresh things as sweets and non perishables are already squirreled away so feel this is pretty much under control. Wine will be bought this week courtesy of Tescos Clubcard exchange scheme....................and then hidden at my mums out of temptations way ;)

I don't seem to have bought much present wise but this is mainly because of the fact the family has started a only buy for the kids agreement to save us all buying gifts for the sake of it. Thanks to a few impressive Ebay sales my Christmas kitty is full but my boys are causing me headaches. The youngest is 10 and just at that age of not wanting toys anymore and the eldest is 20 and has more disposable income than me and has already bought himself everything he wants! The youngest one JUST wants games, cd's, dvd's and clothes! Hubby and I don't normally do presents but this year we are both going on a course each, he on a green woodworking one and me on a dairying one.

What preparations have you made?

Peanut Brittle

2011-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

I made some peanut brittle for our bonfire party, dead easy and only 2 ingredients needed :)

Put 200g of granulated sugar in a pan and heat over a gentle heat shaking the pan occasionally, the sugar will melt but don't stir or you will get gritty bits. Once all the sugar has melted bring to the boil until it turns a dark mahogany colour / 150 degrees/ reaches the hard crack stage.

Then stir in 200g of natural peanuts(from my Approved Food order), and pour the mixture onto a lightly oiled baking tray. Once completely cool use a sharp knife and a rolling pin to chop into mouth sized pieces. The toffee does not have a great shelf life as it starts to get a bit sticky as the days go by, luckily that wasn't a problem around here!

Bonfire night 2011

2011-11-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

There were fireworks galore

And a bonfire of sorts

................. and lots of name writing in sparkly writing

Flip and Sew

2011-11-06T01:38:00.001-07:00

I have been laid low for about ten days now with a cold which has developed into a chest infection, instructed to stay indoors in the warmth I decided to play with some fabric. I have never done any patchwork before but had bought a Moda scrap bag some time ago with the intention of learning. The strips of fabric are the waste bits (sold by weight) which are left after cutting the charm packs and jelly rolls, my strips were about 4 inches wide and about 3 ft long(although some were wider and longer ).

The strips seem to lend themselves to a striped pattern, so after watching a few 'flip and sew' videos on youtube I decided on a stripey cushion cover. I haven't backed it yet as I need some fabric to match but I am quite pleased (although if you look really close you will see my stripes are not completely perfect). Quite a simple technique and I like the quilt as you go nature as 'proper' quilting intimidates me slightly. I already have my next project lined up, a Christmas stocking using anther Moda scrap bag, but this time in Christmassy fabrics.

I Approve!

2011-11-02T01:34:00.000-07:00

For a while now I have made regular online orders to a company called Approved foods, they sell items that are past there use by dates but still fit for human consumption. I have been trying to use up some of my stockpile ingredients, and have been avoiding making any purchases. but when I saw the amount of organic luxury goods on offer last week I caved. My order pictured consists mainly of seeds, nuts, dried fruit and cereals. The cereal bars(for my sons breaktime snack) cost £3.84 for a box of 48, considering their retail value is £23.52 I think I got a bargain . I used some of the natural peanuts, coconut chips, sunflower seeds and raisins to make my husband a snack box of fruity trail mix and used the oats, sultanas, apricots, seeds and nuts along with some of the natural sweetener and yet more coconut flake to make this granola.

The recipe is here and it was so easy and tastes great, I am not a cereal lover but am now converted! The total cost of my order including delivery was £23.80 and the granola and trail mix are just the start, there will be lots more fruity, nutty treats in the months to come. look out for future recipes to see where all those goodies went!

Minestrone Soup Recipe

2011-11-01T02:05:00.000-07:00

Soup is a popular food in this house especially at the end of the financial week, what better way to turn limp unappetising vegetables into tasty meals. This week my eldest had been home and kindly left us half a pack of smoked bacon so it had to be minestrone ! No picture I am afraid as dinner came and went in a flurry of activity and so did all the soup............before I got a shot!

Minestrone Soup
4 rashers of smoked bacon cut into small pieces
2 large onions chopped fine
2 sticks celery sliced thinly
2 carrots sliced finely
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
chopped peppers(mixed colours if possible)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried italian herbs
1/2 litre stock (ham or veg)
1 carton passata
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 can of beans of your choice (I use black eye beans which I cook from dry in the pressure cooker)
mugful of frozen peas(defrosted)
handful of spaghetti

The bacon gets chopped and fried with the onion and garlic then it goes into the slow cooker with everything except the peas and spaghetti. The whole lot is cooked on low for a good 5 hrs at which point the peas are added and the spaghetti is broken into small pieces and added, let it cook for another hour until the pasta is cooked.

Great served with a herby bread on a cold autumn night, and hearty enough for a main meal. Great budget recipe too this will feed 4-6 people and cost approximately £2 including the bacon

An Autumnal Walk

2011-10-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

We went for a walk around our local nature reserve today , it was great to be out in the fresh air hearing the wind rustling in all the reeds. A peaceful couple of hours in a turbulent week! Lots of beautiful vistas to enjoy.

Unknown plants to be admired, any ideas what it might be? there are little pea sized yellow berries hiding within the pink flowers.

Lots of funky funghi to be admired............................and researched later!

And a bit of wildlife too, just what the doctor ordered!

Physalis

2011-10-23T09:16:00.001-07:00

The latest harvest from the garden, a huge bowl of Physalis or Cape Gooseberry. If you have never tried them its perhaps an acquired taste , we like them and I think its a pineapple/coconut taste but my son thinks they are sour. Actually a member of the tomato family, and perennial too apparently.

Its our first time growing it and we hope they overwinter well (cut right back covered in mulch and fleece) as they really were prolific but a bit more sun would have helped with the ripening process. We had twice as much fruit again which never really ripened. I have taken some cuttings for insurance purposes , but I know many people treat it as an annual. There's one plant in a pot in the greenhouse which I may bring indoors too along with the chilli plants, might be a better way to get a head start so we can make the most of the sun next year.

Hidden Treasure

2011-10-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

This box has been languishing in the corner of my mother in laws conservatory for the last 5 years, I had always assumed that beneath the cover was a rusty , unusable relic....................how wrong was I?.

The machine is pristine and after a little belt tightening it's in good working order. It is much more solid than my modern machine and has many more feet and functions, reversing is a bit strange but I think I can live with it. I am really looking forward to putting it to good use . The funny thing is that Harris is my surname.....as is my mother in laws, it feels like my inheriting this beauty was meant to be.

Buzy as a Bee

2011-10-15T07:18:00.001-07:00

This was taken earlier today, it's a bee feeding on an artichoke flower. It reminds me that life has been a little hectic lately and sometimes we should stop and take the time to smell the flowers.

In the past month I have started a new job, a new course and my mother in law has gone into a care home due to her declining mental condition. My hubby is overcome with emotions at this difficult time swinging between feeling guilty for not being able to care for his mum, and being glad that she is settled in her new safer environment. The move has meant her house has to be emptied, and that has been a job in itself but we are getting there. It just needs a good clean now ready for the handover, lots of heirlooms have been passed on to family members and some furniture has gone into storage.

Sat watching this bee has made me realise that there is beauty all around if only we take the time to look for it, from now on I promise to keep a beady eye on whats going on out there!

Challenge Menus

2011-10-08T02:47:00.000-07:00

As a way of monitoring my challenge I will be keeping a record of all meals and spends, I will just edit this post rather than creating lots of new ones.

Friday 7th October, Spends £0 :

Breakfast - H/M yogurt and stewed plums(from our trees)

Lunch- Prawn sandwich (bread and prawns from freezer, sauce from pantry, cucumber from garden)

Dinner - H/M minestrone (made from bottom of fridge vegetables and a pack of streaky bacon from the depths of the iced up freezer).

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Saturday 8th October , spends £0

Breakfast - Kippers and wholemeal bread(both freezer)

Lunch - Broccoli and courgette soup

Dinner - Minced lamb and chickpea curry , vegetable rice (leftovers)

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Sunday October 9th, Spends £0

Breakfast - Stewed plums from freezer and H/M yogurt

Lunch -menfolk- Mini pasties made from curry leftovers , me- leftover pasta bolognese

Dinner- Pasta with roasted tomato sauce from our homegrown tomatoes

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Monday 10th October, Spends £8.68 on 1 large bag of spuds , 2 big jars garlic puree, 3 bags of salted peanuts, 4 cans tuna and 5 chocolate bars.

Breakast - pancakes with stewed apple and H/M yogurt

Lunch - homemade soup and pitta bread

Dinner - steak pie , chips and peas

I also baked Hobnobs as per picture at the top of page for snacks !

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Tuesday 11th October

Breakfast - Toast/cereal
Lunch - jacket potatoes and beans
Dinner - roast chicken dinner

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Wednesday 12th Spends £2.73 for :1 bag carrots, 1 bag sprouts (50p each at Morrisons) a blockof cheese and 4pts milk

Breakfast - Toast/cereal
Lunch - jacket potatoes and coleslaw(H/M)
Dinner - leftover chicken with mash, carrots and sprouts

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Thursday 13th , Spends £0

Breakfast - tinned fruit and yoghurt
Lunch - Jacket potato with Tuna
Dinner - fishfingers, saute potatoes and beans

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End of Week one Total spend: £11.41

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Friday 14th , Spends £0

Breakfast - Toast and jam
Lunch - Jacket potato with cottage cheese
Dinner - Spinach and potato curry , with mushroom rice

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Saturday 15th , Spends £1 on 2Litres milk

Breakfast - I had museli bars , others had cereals
Lunch - cooked breakfast
Dinner - Cheese on toast with homemade chutney, followed by pancakes and golden syrup

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Sunday 16th, Spends £0

Breakfast - I had museli bars , others had cereals

Lunch- we wre treated to a roast dinner out :)

Dinner - none for adults , boiled eggs and toast for youngest son.

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Monday 17th, Spends £0

Breakfast - Toast all round

Lunch- ham sandwiches

Dinner - pizza hut for a family birthday party

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Tuesday 18th, Spends £8 on a weeks fresh fruit and veg.(carrots, cauli, broccoli,romanesco,leeks satsumas, bananas, apples and a box of mushrooms)

Breakfast - cereals

Lunch - bacon buttys :)

Dinner - Turkey steak, roast potatoes and 3veg

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Wednesday 19th , Spends 52p on 4 parsnips

breakfast - toast and jam

Lunch- sandwiches

Dinner - roast beef brisket, mashed potatoes, roasted root veg (parsnip, carrot and sweet potato)cabbage

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Thursday 2oth, £0 spends

Breakfast - Toast
Lunch - Jacket potato with coleslaw
Dinner- fishfingers and chips

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End of Week Two Total spend: £9.52

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Friday 21st , Spends £6.80 on pasta , rice and milk

Breakfast - Cereals

Lunch - Jackets with prawns

Dinner - ravioli on toast

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Saturday 22nd , Spends £0

Breakfast - Mueseli

Lunch - Jacket and Tuna

Dinner - Savoury mince, roast potatoes, cabbage and yorkshire puds

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Sunday 23rd , Spends £1 on Milk

Breakfast - jam sandwiches

Lunch vegetable and rice broth

Dinner mackerel and mushroom curry with rice

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hmm seem to have missed a weeks worth of menus, I promise though I have stuck to my challenge :)

Frugal Challenge

2011-10-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Sue over at Our New Life in the Country (and with an overwhelming NEED to defrost at least one of the freezers) we are embarking on a new use it up challenge. Today has involved a freezer and pantry audit , and I believe we can manage until the end of November with the food in there. The big surprise is how much of the food in the freezer is actually leftovers in one form or another, we must get in the habit of eating these up.

The plan is to spend £20 or less on fresh produce and other necessities and everything else will come from stores , we are a family of 2 adults and a 10yr old that eats like an adult, numbers are however increased to 5 at weekends when son and his girlfriend stay over.

I have for some time been trying to avoid the supermarkets and shop in independent shops, I have a good relationship with the greengrocer and their prices are so good (39p for a huge savoy, £4 for a sack of spuds) and we have a good selection of other shops too, including some great global food stores.

The biggest problem I foresee is hubby's cheese, wine and peanut addiction! He is so supportive in other areas(like being semi vegetarian) I feel I can't be too strict with him , but he can munch his way through 800g cheese a week which usually costs me around £4 a week. I am confident it is possible to achieve this challenge, I will keep you informed of progress.

Decisions Decisions..............?

2011-08-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Forgive my absence but we are having a bit of a crisis , nothing life threatening in the literal sense, but a life changing decision to be agonised over. We have been offered a rented property with lots of land , great but we really don't want to rent. We are compiling for and against lists and trying to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of such a move. I have a feeling it won't happen but for the time being we are seriously considering it.

Hopefully normall 'ish' service will resume soon

Urban Sustainability

2011-08-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

This week we have moved a step closer to being "sustainable", at least in terms of energy, we have had a woodburner fitted in our lounge. The HETAS engineer that fitted it assures us that it will heat all of our house bar the kitchen . We will still be reliant on the gas board for hot water but at least we have an A rated condensing combi boiler. As I have previously blogged we have solar panels, so usually only pay for night time electricity or on really dull days. Hubby has been sourcing and chopping free wood for a while now and we now have a 10 by 8 shed full of the stuff, most of this will be for next year but we have invested in a moisture meter to check if any can be used this year.

I have been making about 30 newspaper briquettes a week from scrounged papers, these are now drying on the shelves of the potting shed we are told if made properly these can burn for up to an hour each , but I find this hard to believe. We have to wait for the cement in the chimney to dry so our first fire will be tomorrow its already stacked ready to be lit! Its nice to know in these uncertain times that we have taken a step away from oil reliance although not completely off grid we feel its a step in the right direction.

Landshare

2011-08-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Frustrated with our lack of space we signed up for Landshare, an initiative started by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Channel 4 in response to allotment waiting lists. We were lucky to find 2 plots in nearby villages that were looking for growers, the first was huge and needed a lot of work but the other is the one we have agreed on. Within the grounds of a large house lies a purpose built kitchen garden with raised beds and an established orchard. The plot has water on site and a 10' by12' greenhouse, it is set in a clearing in a wood the garden is well fenced to protect it from deer and rabbits. All the owner wants in return for this dream plot is a box of veg now and again and an occasional apple pie ! We are over the moon and look forward to getting stuck in as soon as the agreement is signed .

I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of others ..............................Thanks Hugh!

Blackberry and Apple Streusel Kuchen.

2011-08-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is a really simple recipe for using odd bits of fruit up, it is based on a German cake or 'Kuchen'. The bottom layer is just a sponge mix the next layer is the diced fruit with a sprinkle of sugar , the final layer is a sweet crumble mix. Once cooked the cake has a cakey bottom with a crumbly, slightly crunchy fruity topping. The type of fruit could be varied according to seasonal availability, I just happened to have an apple that needed using up and a small punnet of homegrown blackberries to hand

Streusel Cake

preheat oven to gas 4 or equivalent

180g self raising flour
125g margarine/butter
125g sugar
2eggs
a little milk

beat all of these ingredients together until you have a mixture of 'dropping consistency' , spoon the mix into a prelined 8" cake tin , then spoon over 6oz of sliced peeled apple and 6oz of blackberries, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the fruit . Finally top with the crumble mixture made from the following ingredients rubbed together

75g self raising flour
50g margarine or butter
50g sugar

Pop the cake in the oven for an hour or until the crumble topping is golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Coming Home

2011-07-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

A few of you will already know that my Aunt had a fall in March in which she broke two vertebrae. This left her paralysed from the waist down and with limited arm and hand function. When I was a teenager my aunt was my hero , there's only 8 years between us(she's my mums youngest sister) and she had a carefree spirit and it was her who showed me how to put make up on , how to dance ................and gave me my first drink! As adults we were still close , I babysat for both her boys and supported her after her husband left after having a long affair. We hadn't seen each other for a while before her accident but I was one of the first to visit and have made the two hour round journey to visit her every week since.

I have been amazed by her positive outlook and determination to improve, she has had a few setbacks mainly down to being confined to bed when she got MRSA and having to stop going to physiotherapy. Yesterday she was discharged and came home a momentous day but far from being the end of the journey , we (and she) are all aware this is only the beginning . Adjusting to life in a wheelchair will be hard, but she has a great support network in place. She has a husband,three sisters and a brother (all with grown up children and grandchildren), two sons and their wives and a nurse and carer will call everyday to help too. Hopefully this transition between institution and home will go well but there are bound to be a few teething problems.

My research for my dissertation shows that people with physical disabilities are often marginalised by society but anyone who has met my aunt will know that will never happen , she won't be ignored! I wish her the best and look forward to visiting more often and staying longer (it's only a five minute journey) , we already have plans for knit and natter sessions. knitting is part of her therapy to retrain her hands to function normally. She has always been a keen knitter , and whilst in hospital became a granny for the first time. Sadly she has been unable to hold her grandson but is enjoying every minute she spends with him, and is hoping to knit him some jumpers soon.

Welcome home Pam , good luck ...............................as if you need it!

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

2011-07-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to visit YSP for some time and what with an oversea visitor staying and a relative in a nearby hospital Monday was as good a day as any. Entry was free although there was a £5 parking fee, the visitors centre itself was lovely we picked up a free map and headed off , we only had 4 hours to kill so worked out a circular path covering about a third of the estate. YSP is set in the parkland of an old country estate theres a lake a river lots of woodland and a formal garden area. Despite not being art conossieurs we had a great time , many of the exhibits are tactile and you are actively encouraged too touch. The scupluture is dispalyed in several galleries within the park as well as dotted around the parkland and woodland, some are purely decorative and others are functional like the "Ha Ha" bridge pictured below.

This horse scupture in the formal garden reminded me of the Trojan horse story, although my ten year old thought the ball was droppings lol !

Just a few feet away were these amazing tree huggers, a big hit with all the little kids .....so much so i had to wait ages to get a clear shot!

And a close up version, can you see the words wrtten all over the people?

In the walled garden Gallery was an exhibition of art made from recycled materials we loved this carboard box ark built atop a coracle.

Everyone agreed that this chap must have been one of hubbys relatives :)

And I can assure you that these chaps are no relation!

Finally this rather strange pair of rabbits, one is made of wire wool and obviously has a spilt personality. The other looks particularly ................erm frisky?! Cast in bronze, but the original mould has a variety of materiels inset into it , springs, old typewriters etc it was fun trying to figure out what made the various impressions.

YSP is well worth a visit , we will be heading back to see the rest as soon as possible.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam

2011-07-12T02:27:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the Ball Canning Book that came with my pressure canner but have adapted it slightly. 1 kilo of rhubarb and 500g of strawberries go into a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and are cooked until the fruit turns to mush, at this point I used my stick blender to puree the fruit. Then 2kilos of sugar was added along with about 100ml of lemon juice, it was brought steadily to the boil and boiled hard until setting point was reached. I am astounded my the taste........it tastes like strawberry jam, its almost like the rhubarb has acted as a carrier for the berry flavour. As we still have rhubarb mountain I am going to try this with other fruits , maybe even a citrus version.

Wildlife Corner

2011-07-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

We have been making some small changes in a neglected corner where a couple of dead Eucalyptus trees have been languishing since last Winter. Hubby removed the trees apart from the straightest which was cut of at the six foot point and some dowels were inserted to hang birdfeeders to. The rest of the wood will be chopped and seasoned ready for the woodburner, meanwhile I weeded the area ready for some naturalistic planting

A few logs were piled up at the foot of the tree. As were a pile of rocks and a broken terracotta pot.

Some plants we have raised from cuttings and divisions were used to soften the planting there's Lupins, Sedum, some Lilac a couple of native Foxgloves and some Red Campion as well as a Hosta, the Viburnum was already there but has had a good haircut . The Idea is to create lots of nooks and crannies to encourage wildlife into the garden, the bird bath was a gift a few Christmases ago. The birds are loving the cover and we have had lots of goldfinches on the feeder already. Hopefully come spring some mini bulbs and some cowslips will be added. This is also the view from my kitchen sink so hopefully the improved view will lead to offers of help from the rest of the family.......some hope!

The Results are In ................

2011-07-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

After a long and painful wait my results were posted this morning, I am pleased to announce I got a First Class Honours Degree in Social Science. I knew I was close but not quite sure. The wait has been agonising, its a relief to finally find out the results but not quite sure what happens next.

Just going to enjoy the moment for now and crack open the bubbly :)

Dexter Cattle

2011-06-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the 1^st of May our smallholders meeting took place at Debra and Dean Wiltshire’s place, just over the border in Leicestershire. Debra and Dean keep many animals but the topic of the day was keeping cattle.

Dean introduced us to Draco, their prizewinning Dexter bull; he went on to explain the different types of Dexter (short and non-short) and the colour variations within the breed. Much discussion took place over “bulling” the term used for a cow coming into season, there was much giggling too at the discussion about what makes the perfect set of udders! We were introduced to one of the cows with a calf a lovely sight to see

Dean went on to point out all the things to look for when buying cattle and Debra then gave us a whistle-stop guide to all the paperwork and regulation involved in keeping cattle, it seemed long winded and complicated but Debra assured us that now it can all be done online it is less complicated and becomes second nature after a while. Many questions were asked and Debra and Dean answered them all with an air of expertise, testament to all the hard work they have put into building up their herd since that first cow bought for Dean’s 40^th birthday (and kept in their then back garden). Debra and Dean slaughter and butcher their beef for sale as part of their smallholding business and I for one can speak for its quality, the steak was the best I have ever tasted. We then moved around to a field area, passing the pigs, to meet some more of the herd and learn about feeding and about various medical /veterinary issues, most of which seemed quite straight forward but the ever present risk of disease such as blue tongue and TB is obviously a worry.

We returned to the farmyard where fellow member (and Debra and Deans neighbour) Kim Gough gave us a talk on the benefits of keeping Dexters as house cows for milk. She follows many of the principles that our hosts do but she milks her cow for milk for the use of herself and family, taking only what they need and leaving the rest for the calf. Kim outlined the process needed to be followed to train a cow to be a house cow, and explained that it requires a great deal of dedication and commitment to enter into such an arrangement. Kim currently has two house cows but is considering replacing one with a goat, again for milk in the hope that she will have fresh milk for twelve months of the year instead of the current nine. For those that don’t know goats produce milk for much longer after having their kids, this can be up to two years. We then moved into the house and out of the wind to enjoy a lovely lunch from the communal table. I would like to thank Debra, Dean and Kim for a very informative afternoon out.

Chard

2011-06-20T02:36:00.000-07:00

Chard is lovely leafy green that you wont find in any supermarket, it is said to be "like spinach" but offers so much more. The greenery can be used in place of spinach and the mid ribs can be added to soups and stews its reminiscent of celery to my tastebuds .

The leaves picured are almost 2 feet long (60cm), this is a white ribbed variety I got free on a magazine, I generally use the " Bright Lights" variety which has coloured stems or reds oranges and yellow and would make a great addition to any flower border .

When picking any leafy plant such as Kale, spinach or lettuce I always take a few of the outer leaves from each plant, although not technically cut and come again varieties this method does extend the life of the plant. By the way if your greens run to seed pick out the flower spike and carry on harvesting :)

This batch is destined for a light Portugese soup known as Caldo Verde a great storecupboard standby.

Cheese Making

2011-06-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

As part of my ongoing plan to arm myself with enough knowledge for my dream of self sufficiency I recently went on a cheese making course at Bridge Farm Organics. Farm owner Patty Philips showed us how to make a curd cheese and provided lots of information for further experimentation. Patty keeps goats so the cheese was a goats cheese and despite seeming quite complicated on paper the process was quite simple.

Firstly the raw(unpasteurised) milk is heated in a cheese vat and a cheese culture is added and left to work for a while, the culture is what gives the cheese its flavour. You can use vinegar or lemon juice but the culture guarantees a consistent product which is important when selling to the public. the culture is essentially bacteria, or as Patty called it "cheese bugs". After a while rennet is added to make the milk separate into curds and whey, we used a vegetarian rennet and it took the time it took to have a coffee and a natter to do its stuff. At this point we used a slotted spoon to remove the curds and place into moulds.....ours went into a muslin bag and was hung to drain we brought our partially drained cheese home where they hung overnight until all the whey had run out. At this point the cheese ball was rubbed with a little salt which stops the cheese from continuing to develop, the cheese is then left in the fridge to mature for 4 days.........simple.

The resulting whey is also put to good use, lucky as there's lots of it 10litres of milk makes 1 kilo of cheese so there's a lot of whey. Some of my whey was used as the liquid for a batch of bread but it can be added to soups and stews and Patty feeds any spare to her pigs. Whey cannot be poured down the drain as it affects the delicate microbial balance of the sewage system .My cheese and bread taste fab and I am looking forward to going back to Bridge Farm soon to have a go at making a hard cheese.

Before and After

2011-04-24T02:26:00.000-07:00

Remember.........

........... the"stick" hedge? Well look at it now. This is its third growing season and I had rosehips off it last Autumn.

...... the completely new border at the side of the house and front garden ?

This was it yesterday ....after a day of weeding...ouch my back!

.........................or the herbery created on the site of the old compost bins?

Bit mixed here some things have flourished the Lovage and the Lemon Balm , others need replacing .

It's nice to look back once in a while and see all the progress that's been made, hope you enjoyed looking along with me.

A Happy Fridge :)

2011-04-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

I gave my fridge a well deserved clean today, best done whilst its not too full. This is my fridge and matching freezer. Both quite big by normal standards, a remnant from my catering days and well used!

Home to lots of treasures for livening up basic foodstuffs,and containing the odd treat!

Sauces and ingredients galore

Homemade beer and daily essentials.

Not much in here!

Homemade pickles and sauces.

Dairy products ...........chocolate is dairy right? ;)

So that's my tidy fridge what does yours look like ?

Apologies......

2011-04-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

....for the lack of posts recently, as most of you will know I am coming to the end of my Degree studies....finally. I have an exam on the afternoon of the 16th May then I am free woman , on track for a first if I don't fluff the exam ......fingers crossed!

I am managing to potter a bit in the garden and it is all looking tidy out there so far , here's some photos of the current highlights.

Violas that were bought from the dead plant trolley at a big DIY store, planted in Autumn and spent 8 weeks under 3ft of snow.

Lovely early tulip , not sure of the name but it makes me smile each time I pass it

Daffodil Minnow a multi headed late variety , 3 tiny delicate heads to each stem, bought at £land but a fave amongst the famous gardeners on TV .

The Kindness of Strangers

2011-02-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

This beautiful quilt arrived on Tuesday, It's a gift from a fellow blogger who I have never met. Now I say we are strangers but we have been online friends for a while now. I saw a photo of the partially finished quilt of her blog and gushed about it's beauty , to my surprise she offered to send me it . It's very humbling to think that she sent it too me , especially when I think of all the hours of work that have gone into it. The card that came with it brought a tear to my eyes:

"I hope you get as much enjoyment from using it, as i did from making it "

I am under strict instructions to use it and I have been its lovely and snuggly, although I must admit I feel a strong desire to hang it somewhere highly visible in my home so that all my visitors can admire it too. The lady in question knows I have been feeling a bit down about my health and this act of kindness was just what the doctor ordered.

Thank you Anne xx

Ten Things You Never Wanted to Know About Me

2011-01-29T11:05:00.001-08:00

Inspired by Faye over at The Wind in The Wellies

I am a redhead, with wavy hair , until the age of about 18 i wanted to be a poker straight haired brunette, I now have come to terms with my hair and often get compliments about the colour . Unfortunately I now have natural "highlights "
I was born in Germany , back in the days when it was still east and west , my dad was in the army so I travelled about a lot , changed schools frequently , but have great memories of that time.
I don't eat Pork ......but will eat sausages , ham and bacon . There's something about the smell of pork chops or roast pork that turns my stomach
I am a chocoholic ..........enough said , although milk not plain is my preference and caramel/coconut /nutty filling are my faves.
My favourite colour ......I cant choose between , teal and purple , I once had a modern style kitchen that was painted an Aubergine purple colour with silver and beech accessories it was so cool.
My favourite style of cooking/eating has to be Indian , so diverse colourful and exciting to the palate.
I am a Saggitarian....and I have absolutely no idea what that means with regards to my personality but would love to find out if the theory is anything like the practical.
I am a control freak .........how my hubby puts up with me is a mystery .
I love the beach, especially in winter . Have fond memories of walking along the beach at Embleton Bay in Northumbria in October, Sunny but bracing. Also love watching the waves crash over the headland at Scarborough.
When I die I want to have a wicker basket instead of a coffin and I want to be buried in a green burial site. I want hubby to plant a Gleditsia Sunburst tree in my memory and I want the song Amazing Grace played at my funeral ceremony ....a gospel style version. It's something we have talked about , he wants cremating and scattering in the woods at our local nature reserve, his fathers ashes were sprinkled there too.

Not quite brave enough to put a proper picture of me up , that is us on our wedding day almost 4 years ago.

Capital Growth

2011-01-26T02:17:00.000-08:00

I have to admit my garlic is looking good, after watching Carol Klein plant her garlic in modules I figured if it's good enough for Carol........

Each clove was planted into a cell about 3 weeks ago and as you can see they are galloping away , I will be planting these out when the weather gets better , probably at the end of March . Hopefully each plant will have a healthy root system by then and be off to a head start . Apparently the traditional time for planting garlic is the winter solstice, not sure about where you are but the ground here was frozen solid then!

Also looking good is my fig tree, this plant is 3 years old now and any figs that have grown before have got to the size of a large pea then fell off , these are looking well attached and about the size of an egg. I understand that the figs appear over winter/spring and then are ripened during the summer , I brought the bush indoors at the end of summer and I am reluctant to take it back out now it seems to be flourishing . I need to do some research about pruning and feeding , I love figs and improving the plant means more fruit for me .

Not much else going on gardening wise apart from some trays of seed potatoes chitting in the kitchen, although a session in the veg beds is planned for the weekend we have some soil improver to dig in to the raised beds to improve its fertility. We bought it from our local council for a bargain price , we really ought to make our own but we got rid of the compost bins to give us more space for growing . I also need to tidy the potting shed , it was emptied a few weeks back and cleaned and disinfected , just need to sort through the stuff that will be going back in . There will probably be some plant pots to be recycled, I prefer modules and I also want to experiment with jiffy plugs this year.

Quail Keeping

2011-01-24T01:47:00.001-08:00

This Quail hen is a "Range" colour

Since I began my foray into keeping Quail the most common question I have been asked is , Why? For me it was all about breeding, I live in a residential area and had I started incubating chickens my neighbours would soon be complaining about all the early morning cock-a-doodling. Keeping Quail makes it possible for me to raise my own birds without upsetting the neighbours.

The last lot of chicks

Added to this that the birds and chicks themselves are so cute , the desire to "grow my own" proved irresistible. My first eggs came from Frugaldom, and were hatched in a borrowed incubator . I kept ten birds from this batch (1 male and 9 female ), I then purchased a small incubator of my own and hatched another 9 birds from eggs purchased on EBay . I kept 1 male and 5 females from this batch and sold a couple of spare males as aviary hoovers to a local pet store. Both sets of girls live happily together in my shed cum aviary, but the boys are housed separately to avoid fighting .

My eggs packaged for sale

All of the hens are laying and I am doing alright selling the eggs , it more than covers the cost of their feed and treats . My Quail eat a mixture of chick crumbs and finch seed , they get mealworms too, as a treat (and increase their protein intake), and lettuce as a boredom buster . The lettuce is hung in an old fatball feeder and they love pecking it out . I also hang sprays of millet for them to peck at , which they seem to like . The bedding i use is a product called easi-bed , its actually a type of horse bedding , its a dust free chipped wood product . Smooth particles about the size of a matchstick, they love digging and dust bathing in it .....and burying eggs :)

My Brinsea Mini Advance Incubator

The next stage of the experiment is underway , I have paired up the males with a couple of unrelated females and collected some eggs which are hopefully fertile.These went into my incubator last week and will hopefully hatch in 14 days time, back then hopefully with an update

Curtains!

2011-01-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post and a photo of my latest project , the curtains been completed some time but have been waiting for hubby to drill a hole for the hook for the tieback :)

My Lounge gets quite cold as its on the north side of the house and there's no door , or room for one, so all the heat gets sucked upstairs . Great if your upstairs but no fun if you are watching TV downstairs.

Its a self lined curtain , I picked the roll of fabric up for less than a pound a metre so all in all including the cost of the tieback it has cost be just under £20 , and will hopefully save a few pennies on the gas bill too .

Here's a close up of the fabric

Just Because.........

2011-01-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

.........I needed cheering up, my lovely hubby bought me these :) then took great joy in telling me they were only £1.50 at Morrisons lol . It's called a sunshine bouquet and they are just what I needed.

And so to bed........

2011-01-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

Picture courtesy of Microsoft

I have just been folding laundry and doing the ironing and I found myself wondering about my pyjamas, slightly odd I know but hopefully all will become clear. I say pyjamas but what I wear to bed can only be termed pyjamas in the loosest terms. Old t-shirts , leggings, strappy vests, thermal vests and old shorts are the order of the day here . I do have some pyjama sets too but they never seem to be worn with the other half of their pair ?, usually teamed with something completely mismatched. Last night for example I wore to bed , a pair of black cycling shorts a shoestring vest in fuchsia pink and a flannel pyjama top in red tartan...fetching I hear you say :)

For me night wear is about comfort and soft well worn fabrics , my hubby once bought me a set of silk pyjamas but I could not get to sleep properly in them , they made me itch and I felt uncomfortable. Luckily he loves me for whats on the inside , and not for what I wear which is just as well as often these mismatched coordinates appear in my daytime attire too :) Usually first thing when I go to see to the Quails and collect eggs etc. The worst part about my bedtime garb is when a much loved piece has to be discarded, I hate the fact I will never feel its comfort again, I have this strange attachment to socks too , always wearing the old ones and ignoring the many new pairs in the drawer . So I will leave you with thatWurzel Gummige like mental image of me and you will understand why this post is photo free !!! But rest assured that when the occasion requires it, I don't scrub up bad :)

EEK !

2011-01-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

No need to panic , there's no furry critturs invading my blog. Today I want to talk about my EEK or Everything Else Kitty, we have embarked upon a challenge to reduce our cost of living inspired by Nykmedia over at Frugaldom (Blog and Forum links in sidebar). I have worked out a hopefully achievable budget for all our essential outgoings but this left little room for any extras ......again inspired by Frugaldom I have set myself a cash neutral challenge to run alongside. It works by allocating all non earned income into a central kitty , this income can be cash gifts, interest on savings and investments and winnings from things like lottery or free competitions. In my case it also includes sales from eggs , Ebay and Amazon sales as well as cashback from cashback sites , I use Topcashback, its simple to use , every time I buy something online I check if the sales website is registered there. If it is you just click through and shop as normal and your Topcashback account gets credited with what is effectively a commission.

My EEK will be spent on everything that is over and above my household budget , I expect this to fall in to 4 categories poultry keeping costs: feed, bedding etc. Garden costs : plants, compost and seeds etc . Next eating out , not that we do much of this any more but this will include the odd coffee here and there and the occasional takeaway. lastly Hobbies: my hubby builds small scale radio control model aeroplanes and some of the component parts are quite costly. I on the other hand have enough craft materials to keep me going for a long time , I knit , sew, crochet and make cards but tend to recycle things rather than buy supplies .

It is my target to raise £1000 for my EEK and I am off to a good start, a cash present from my mother in law some, cashback claimed and some online sales have kick started the challenge and as yet our spends have been quite small .

Wish me luck :)

Plotting

2011-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

I have spent a while this afternoon planning my garden for 2011 and writing a shopping list .....aaargh so much for the frugal gardening project. My biggest outlay is for a pair of apple trees , these will be 3 year old well established trees with a track record of actually producing fruit, I have had a less than good experience with the £5 trees in all the budget shops at this time of year and come to the conclusion you get what you pay for. The trees will be going in the middle of the 2 long beds at the front of the garden (pictured above), and will be under planted with veg , probably butternut squash and courgettes.

We went to the local garden centre this morning and I picked up 2 bags of seed potatoes , an early called Maris Bard and a maincrop called Pink Fir Apple ...strange I have always thought of it as a salad potato? Eitherway it's a very tasty spud and I have grown it before I love its un-uniform knobbly bits :), the 2 bags cost me a fiver and I hope they will provide me with the majority of our summer potatoes. Next I bought some shallot sets but not at the garden centre fellow blogger Orkneyflowers from the Wind and the Wellies(see sidebar) mention discount store LIDL was selling banana shallots for 49p , these shallots are in high demand by chefs and the price in seed catalogues reflects their luxury status , here's hoping they grow OK and are productive. We don't bother with regular onions any more, they take up too much space and I can get them by the sack cheaply at the local asian grocers so there's no point but shallots are a different story.

I have some garlic to plant too I bought in the pound shop before Christmas I think I have left it a bit late but I am sure it won't matter too much, we eat a lot of garlic but strangely I have never grown it before. A quick look through the seed box shows that the only thing I need to buy is mixed leaves seeds I have a couple of packs but we use a lot of these through the year , I tend to buy all my veg seeds in Netto as they are only 19p but they don't do a mixed leaves one so a trip to Wilkinson will be in order once things warm up a bit .

Inspired by all my plotting and planning I have been out and dug over the large bed in the back garden and removed the dead spinach that had been growing well before the snow came, I did manage to rescue some baby leeks though although not sure where they came from as I hadn't planted any ?? I also managed to empty the contents of the potting shed into the garage so I could give it a good clean and disinfect it , no point growing new things in their without protecting them from any possible disease. I will sort through the contents another day and put back only what is needed , now we have the new shed we have more storage space so some of it can go in there instead. Feeling a bit more positive about what we can achieve this year, which will be busy as its my final year at University and my times not really my own until June but looking forward to the new growing season ahead.

Chicken Liver Pate

2011-01-05T07:04:00.001-08:00

800g chicken livers

2 cloves fresh garlic or 1 tsp of ready chopped

1 onion sliced

salt

black pepper

200g butter

50ml brandy

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Fry the onions, liver, and garlic in the butter until browned, add the brandy, cook for a couple more minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour everything into food processor and blitz until completely smooth. I pour mine into a cling film lined loaf tin and chill until solid but any dish will do. Use within a week or freeze until needed

Waffly Good !

2011-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

I must apologise for the increased amount of recipe posts, there's nothing going on in the garden right now :) although I did sow a tray of mixed lettuce leaves yesterday ....indoors I hasten to add.

I bought an electric waffle maker last year from Lidl and spent a good few months perfecting a recipe .......what a drag :)

The recipe I settled on is not overly sweet and rises slightly like a Belgian style waffle , I am more of a weigh everything kind of baker but this recipe is in cups , in part due to it being based on an American recipe, to which it now bears no resemblance!

Here it is :

2 cups of Plain flour
8 Tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 and a half cups of milk
half a cup of melted butter
1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat everything together to form a lump free batter then cook according to your waffle makers instructions, I love mine with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup......delicious .

Thai Turkey

2011-01-03T05:17:00.001-08:00

I didn't actually have a turkey this year as my Mum cooked Christmas lunch but she gave me some leftovers :). I used some for the obligatory sandwiches but made a curry with a difference with the rest. It's a Thai red curry, easy to make and very tasty and a nice spice level too.

Thai Turkey Curry Recipe

500g cooked Turkey
1 Onion chopped
half a red pepper
2 tablespoons Thai curry paste (I used 2 x sachets of Sharwoods Red Curry Paste)
1 can coconut milk
handful frozen peas
oil for frying

Begin by frying the onion in a Little oil until softened, then add the red pepper and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a minute before adding the coconut milk, stir thoroughly then add the peas and the cooked turkey . Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes before serving on a bed of cooked rice I allow 125g of dry rice per person. ......enjoy

Happy Hooker

2011-01-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

This is my new project, its a stashbusting throw for my car. Its a bit more manly looking after the pink and white granny throw , but more suited for the outdoor lifestyle. Many of the yarns are really old and all are either leftovers from my own previous projects or passed on to my by others. Knitting with my mums leftover wool is so evocative , I can remember the school jumper she knitted me from the grey wool and the one she made for my dad too. Amongst the wool is oddments left from baby clothes I knitted for my own children as well as bits passed on to me by my mother in law , I am having fun imagining the garments she made for my husband from the yarn......I know she knitted him swimming trunks when he was younger as he has never forgotten the experience , I don't think the wool has survived as long as the embarassment though :)

I am really enjoying the free flow nature of crochet , it is very rhythmic and much easier to stop and start than knitting, and much easier to unpick :) . The pattern however is annoying me , in that there is no pattern . Who knew random stripes could be so complicated, perhaps it the OCD side of me that is struggling with the spontaneity of it all but I think it looks good so far.

Simple Womans Christmas Daybook -Week 3

2010-12-21T00:56:00.000-08:00

Well week two's post never happened, I have had the winter sickness bug and laid up for almost a week :( . Had lots of time to contemplate life whilst laying in bed feeling sorry for myself though.

Outside my window...Thick frost .....but the roads are clear, well the main ones at least.

I am thinking......I hope that our trip to the panto goes well tomorrow and that i regain the energy to cope. I am taking my Mum(63), my Nanna(84), my Mother in law(82) my son aged 9 and nephew aged 6 .....I will need all the energy I can get. The theatre we are going to is a little old one which seats only 120 people its a fabulous atmosphere, very intimate and you feel like your part of the show. So tomorrow "We are of to see the Wizard......"

I am thankful for...having my whole family under one roof , my Son is in the forces, and this time next year will in all likelihood be in Afghanistan, not something I want to dwell on but it's there in the back of my mind .

From the kitchen... nothing , I am not allowed to cook anything for a few days after my illness. I have lots planned for Thursday though , mince pies , Stollen , Kedgeree, lamb sheek kebabs and a trifle

I am wearing... Jeans , a pink polo shirt and a cream fleecy jacket....and a scarf

I am creating... I am almost finished that throw after buying one more ball of wool , need to do a few more rows to balance the pattern then I am adding a fringe . it's not as big as i wwanted but i was given the wool and its years old so when its gone its gone. I added some white to stretch it a bit though.

I am going...Nowhere again ! Hubbys car is in the garage so I am stranded in the village, i am quite happy at the prospect though i am still feeling weary and need to rest.

I am reading... My new Country Living magazine which arrived yesterday

I am hoping... my son will cook my lunch ....and his brothers!

I am hearing... the dishwasher , washing the dishes using the free electric

Around the house... there are jobs to do everywhere....they can wait

One of my favorite things... At this time of year I love listening to christmas carols , proper carols though, not supermarket musak ones.

A few plans for the rest of the week...... Having fun and spending quality time with my family.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing..... This was taken a few years ago now but it reminds me of a wonderful action packed family holiday.Heres hoping the holidays to come leave us with such warm memories.

Making the most of it

2010-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me is aware that my hubby and I have a long term goal to move to a rural location and try our best at living a self sufficient lifestyle. It's a terrible thing to say but our dreams will only become possible when he comes into his inheritance following the death of my mother in law. I hasten to add she is 82 years young and in good physical shape but is suffering the ravages of Dementia.

In recent months however we have both had a bit of an epiphany, realising that it's not where you are that matters but what you do. We have until now considered ourselves to be practising for our dream life and at times it felt like we had put our lives on hold until we could achieve our dream. we have both realised that its best to make the most of now instead of waiting for tomorrow after all who knows what life has in store for us both, I have already experienced a setback to my physical health after having to give up work due to Cervical Spondylosis( a form of Osteoarthritis) almost three years ago.

So far now no more dreams of what if? or perusing property websites , instead we are getting on with living our lives to the full in the here and now. So much so that hubby has decided to take early retirement in February and I will finish my degree studies shortly after . This marks a whole new chapter for us both and i for one am looking forward to the journey.

The Simple Womans Daybook

2010-12-07T01:52:00.000-08:00

I have Decided to Participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook , a weekly journal entry in the run up to Christmas , a way of giving thanks for the simple things in life .

Outside my window... Snow and lots of it icicles are dripping from the guttering on my kitchen some up to 3 feet long.

I am thinking......I hope that when the thaw comes it comes slowly, so that people do not suffer flooding or other damage to their homes.

I am thankful for...my wonderful husband who has taken my son to school so i don't have to go out in the cold.

From the kitchen... Quail eggs boiling for pickling , to be curried for dinner and some to be turned into scotch eggs.

I am wearing... Jeans , thermal long johns :) a long sleeved tee shirt and a fleece gilet.

I am creating... My crochet throw has come to a halt until i can get to the craft shop for more yarn. Going to attempt a beanie hat later.

I am going...Nowhere!

I am reading... Books for University ......Some about youth.....some about disability ......and some about feminism

I am hoping... my son makes it home safely for Christmas

I am hearing... the 3 week old quail chicks cheeping in the kitchen

Around the house... the Christmas decorations are up and the tree is twinkling

One of my favorite things... been snuggled up in the warm

A few plans for the rest of the week: More reading and essays to complete

Here is picture for thought I am sharing..... Even in difficult weather there is beauty

If you want to join in pop over here and register

Happy Campers

2010-12-06T04:25:00.001-08:00

Inspired By Orkney Flowers over at The wind and the wellies post about her campervan , I thought I would share our home away from home. We bought a brand new Bailey Pageant Burgundy in March 2007 , we traded in our little 2 berth Elddis sprite, it was just too small the boys slept in a bedroom compartment in the awning but even so it was just too small. We went to look at second hand vans and realised we could buy a new one for just a little more. Its a beast of a van at 24 feet long and the interior is luxuriant to say the least . It has a fixed double bed at the back which can be screened off indoor loo and shower , a full size oven , central heating and until recently it had a microwave.....as you can see we were hardly roughing it .

We love caravanning despite what Jeremy Clarkson says , we try to be courteous when driving. I often do the driving I get some funny looks by wardens sometimes, it seems very few women dare tow a caravan. It's easy enough as long as you allow plenty of space for turning, and to reverse just remember that whichever way you want the van to turn steer the wheel the opposite way. We have stayed on some lovely sites and been to some lovely places The UK has so many lovely places to visit . we may not have the weather but you can't fault the scenery....on a good day at least, one thing I love about caravanning in this country is laying in bed at dawn listening to the rain beating on the caravan roof. its a good job really as it happens often. here's some pictures of places we have visited in Bailey the caravan.

Derwentwater , Keswick, Cumbria

Talybont Reservoir ,Wales

Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland.

Mallyan Spout, Goathland ,North Yorkshire

Mill Dale , Castleton, Derbyshire
Church of St Mary and All saints, Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire.

I hope you agree there are beautiful places to visit but ....shh don't tell anyone.

Free Solar Panels

2010-12-05T01:38:00.001-08:00

We recently were accepted by A Shade Greener to receive free solar panels , sounds too good to be true doesn't it? The government recently introduced something called "feed in tariffs" for small energy generators the payments are guaranteed for 25 years and are payable whether the energy is used or not. Technically if we had paid for the panels we would have recouped our money after about 10 years and then we would be into profit, trouble is we don't plan to stay here forever and we would like to be able to access our savings, which we couldn't if they were sitting on our roof.

This scheme is simple , the company rent our roof for 25 years (for a peppercorn rent) and they get the feed in tariff......we get the electricity to use for free . They do all the legal and installation work and they do the maintenance and insure our property (and cover our neighbours and visitors too). After the 25 years the panels become ours or they will take them down if we prefer. Its a win win situation for us and we feel that any prospective buyers will see it as a plus point too. We are expecting to make a 40% saving on our energy bill , we are trying to coordinate usage whilst the sun is out where possible. the dishwasher , slowcooker washing machine and breadmaker are being put on during the daytime to capitalise on the free power.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-12-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday and these are my lovely presents.....there are more to come as my parents and sister could not deliver theirs due to the snow. yay double birthday celebrations.

The egg skelter is from my youngest son its perfect for stock rotation . The flowers were from my eldest son who lives away and Had them delivered via the local florist how they got through the snow is beyond me but I am grateful they did. The picture is a Georgian print of an Indian runner duck, ducks are next on my list for our menagerie but will have to wait until we get a bigger place . The cake stand is from my mother in law and I couldn't resist filling it straight away there's chocolate muffins, peanut butter cookies and white chocolate and cranberry cookies too.

I am a very lucky lady that my family know me so well........thanks everyonexxx

Bad Weather?

2010-12-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

This is the view from my living room window, the sign is almost covered by snow and I haven't left the house since Friday last week. But you wont hear me moaning about "the bad weather" there's no such thing as bad weather just bad clothes and unpreparedness. we have full store cupboard and freezer and plenty of chicken and quail feed , we don't need any bread as can make all we need. I was quite saddened to hear that a fight broke out in our village shop earlier and that two people were almost arrested the reason.......the last loaf of bread.

I don't approve of panic buying and avoid it by buying in bulk the rest of the year, the one thing we may run out of is fresh vegetables but we have plenty of homegrown ones which have been canned or frozen and we will make do with hat we have , you won't see me disturbing the peace for a few carrots.

Eggstravaganza

2010-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie.......these are just some of the eggs I have had from my quails this week in the last 10 days we have had over 80 eggs :) . Hoping to sell some on to cover their keep (and that of the chickens) and any future investment in "Project Quail".

Quail eggs taste just like hens eggs but are much cuter, they make lovely mini scotch eggs too.

Bread Pudding

2010-11-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with bread and butter pudding! This is one of my hubbys fave's and the recipe is his mum's. To anyone who has never tasted it its like a cross between frut cake and Christmas pudding. Not made any for ages , taking advantage of the snow day and filling the cake tins up as well as earning a few domestic brownie points;)

Recipe :
225g stale Bread
150g mixed fruit
50g brown sugar
50g suet
1 tsp mixed spice
1 egg

Soak the bread in about half a pint of water for a couple of minutes then place in a sieve over a bowl and press gently to remove as much water as possible then place in a bowl and beat all the other ingredients in

Bake at gas 5 until set and golden serve hot with custard or cold as a cake

Mastered! ........finally

2010-11-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

I am an accomplished knitter I can do lacy patterns , cables and follow complicated instructions. Crochet on the other hand is my nemesis , I can do the stitches but struggle to follow a pattern and never quite know where I am supposed to put the hook next, and lets not even talk about turning chains.

Inspired by the vast quantity of crochet craft projects on the net I resolved to face my demons, Saturday afternoon was spent practicing with wool oddments sat at the laptop watching videos. Later that evening I started a throw, inspired by this over at Attic 24 I tentatively began. A couple of hours later I had a narrow strip that gave me a great deal of satisfaction, and over the next day and night (and 3 balls of wool )it grew , I am really pleased with progress so far and so far it has cost me nothing as I was given carrier bags of wool by my mother in law when she moved .

My pattern is done over 180 sts with worked in dark pink, paler pink and white acrylic yarn and is currently about 30cm long. I might give it to my sons girlfriend for Christmas if it is finished in time or I may just frame it in recognition of my now won battle with crochet :).

The Grape Harvest and Quail Progress

2010-09-18T06:06:00.001-07:00

Well yesterday was the day we brought in the grape harvest.......so what if there was only 369 grammes. :) > Nothing beats the sweet taste of success!

The Quails are growing fast this little chap is a Range Tuxedo

This is a group photo of the keepers.........unless they all turn out to be boys . There's a Fawn, a Fawn tuxedo , 3 dark tuxedos a few normal browns and a golden one.

Rice Pudding

2010-09-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

I love rice pudding but it has to be stove top cooked, none of that oven cooked stuff with skin on ...yeuch :)

My recipe is really simple , pop the following ingredients except the cream,in a pan cook over a low heat until the rice has softened , then add the cream. You may need to add a little more milk as you go dependant on the absorbency of your rice. My rice above was topped with some wild cherries cooked down with a little sugar and homemade damson gin...lush

100g short grain pudding rice

50g sugar

500ml milk

10g butter

50ml cream

Quail Update!

2010-09-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

At 12:15 yesterday something amazing happened, a few hours later this was the result:

Altogether so far 28 eggs have hatched , this is a picture of the lighter coloured birds 2 fawn , 2 golden and 5 whites I think :

About half of the rest are the normal brown colour:

I love my new little babies and I think there will be many more to follow as it has been a wonderful experience :)

Lemon Cake Recipe

2010-09-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

My mum has passed this lemon sponge recipe on to me, but no-one really knows where it came from . She thinks it may have been a school recipe book from when my sister was at primary school , she is 36 now!

The cake above is 10" and made by doubling the quantities , topped with lemon glace icing and bought decorations .

Ingredients

100g margarine

75g caster sugar

2 eggs

175g self-raising flour

½ jar lemon curd

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Grease a 2lb loaf tin

Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix together for about 5 minutes

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin level the top.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean .

Summers End ?

2010-09-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of the garden , coming to the end of a lot of things but still a few to come yet!

Project Quail

2010-08-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the quail eggs I have received in the post from a friend and breeder. I have for some time wanted to keep quail but sourcing local birds has been a nightmare. I have decided to have a go at rearing my own and hopefully then breed some more! The eggs are resting and will go into the incubator late tomorrow or early on Thursday morning, back with updates along the way.

Every little helps!

2010-08-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just back from a trip to Cambridgeshire I used my Tesco days out vouchers to pay for entry to The Raptor Foundation and Pensthorpe Gardens .

Both had some beautiful birds , unfortunately captive birds don't count for real twitchers .....

A Black Tailed Godwit

A Little Owl

A Curlew

A Bald Headed Ibis

A gorgeous Barn Owl which I got to fly!

A European Eagle Owl

Space ....................the final frontier!

2010-07-22T01:02:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest reasons for not gardening are lack of space . The reality is you don't need a lot of space if you really want to you can find space somewhere. Now we do have rather a big garden so this may sound a bit hypocritical , but this post is about making the best use of space . Above is the space under my kitchen window, the wall pots have salad leaves and cherry tomatoes in. The troughs have french and broad beans in as well as peas and strawberry's . The grow bag has 2 courgette plants in . I even squeezed some flowers in!

This space was a paved area, we have a separate patio and a decked area so it wasn't used for seating so we dug up some of the slabs leaving some as paths, improved the soil and voila our first growing area was born. This is one of the small beds later that year . Notice the potatoes in the background? they are all in buckets lined up along the fence.

Lastly we made raised beds to go in our low maintenance gravel garden and filled with soil they are so productive this is last years courgette plants and to the right there are onions inter planted with Californian poppies . There are down sides to gardening in a small space , pots take a lot of watering and dry out quickly in hot weather and it is heartbreaking to go away for a few days and your hard work is ruined . If you can afford an drip watering system (they start at £6 for a basic one) I would highly recommend it . I hope this post has made you look at your garden, patio, balcony or windowsill in a different way.

Squashed

2010-07-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

These little beauty's are Patty Pan Squashes , the variety is "Sunburst" I bought the seed in the Wilkinson sale last year for 29p. I started picking these a week ago and these are number 5 and 6 weighing in at 150g and 200g each :). They appear to be beginning to live up to their prolific description. I have 3 plants in one of the front beds , and there are many more little ones waiting to ripen. these ones are destined to be baked with tomatoes and cheese for dinner, or perhaps a chocolate courgette cake for dessert.