Woken to better temperatures, no wind, clear blue skies! Cycled to village for once in a blue-moon treat of a broad sheet newspaper before breakfast.
I will take my camera out and about today and see what growing, nesting and blooming!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring day!
Saturday 30 April 2016
Friday 29 April 2016
Cold Nights
Night before last it went down to -1.5C, last night to -0.5C and tonight it is predicted to 0C. does that mean its getting warmer?
We have had a few visitors caught on our nature cam at the bottom of the field. Here is one!
Hope this works - it is my second only video up load.
And now its back to Cauli cheese making; along with carrot soup for lunch! this will be our 9th Cauli from the spring crop and we have 10 more to go. I can recommend this very vege diet as I have lost a couple more pounds!
12 stone is in sight!
We have had a few visitors caught on our nature cam at the bottom of the field. Here is one!
And now its back to Cauli cheese making; along with carrot soup for lunch! this will be our 9th Cauli from the spring crop and we have 10 more to go. I can recommend this very vege diet as I have lost a couple more pounds!
12 stone is in sight!
Wednesday 27 April 2016
Cold winds eased
Quick blog today.
The wind has dropped but the temperatures are not rising much. In fact today we watched a thick dark cloud drop a covering of snow on to Kings Lynn in the distance! Missed us!
We have taken to covering the tender plants in the poly tunnel with fleece by 6 pm each evening. It has dropped down to 2C which has stopped things growing but nothing has been damaged so far.
Had to revert to having a small fire in the lounge last evening and the last quarter tank of oil we had hoped would last into the summer is rapidly disappearing. I hope it warms up soon.
Gardening is on hold so have been looking for odd jobs in that long list that is headed "when we have time, one day". I started to rub down an old lattice pergola in the garden between showers. This will take ages. Retreating back indoors I used up the last of the giant white emulsion tub on the new conservatory ceiling (and listen to Coldharbour Farm on Radio 4 extra). We need some masonry paint to cover the two brick walls but funds are a little low at present. There was an inch left in the emulsion tub and though it was not "off" it had a bit of a smell so I used it up on the kitchen ceiling. Only covered about a third so will have to get more of that later too. My husband moaned I had made the other bit look really dirty. Well, it was really dirty/yellow!! Also it is spiky artex which neither of us wanted to tackle really. All our ceilings downstairs are artex and we detest it - but it is way down on the list of things you may need to spend money on one day!
I'm off to watch a fascinating series on BBC4 about remote British island territories. Fascinating. And to light the fire for an hour or so -brrrrr.
The wind has dropped but the temperatures are not rising much. In fact today we watched a thick dark cloud drop a covering of snow on to Kings Lynn in the distance! Missed us!
We have taken to covering the tender plants in the poly tunnel with fleece by 6 pm each evening. It has dropped down to 2C which has stopped things growing but nothing has been damaged so far.
Had to revert to having a small fire in the lounge last evening and the last quarter tank of oil we had hoped would last into the summer is rapidly disappearing. I hope it warms up soon.
Gardening is on hold so have been looking for odd jobs in that long list that is headed "when we have time, one day". I started to rub down an old lattice pergola in the garden between showers. This will take ages. Retreating back indoors I used up the last of the giant white emulsion tub on the new conservatory ceiling (and listen to Coldharbour Farm on Radio 4 extra). We need some masonry paint to cover the two brick walls but funds are a little low at present. There was an inch left in the emulsion tub and though it was not "off" it had a bit of a smell so I used it up on the kitchen ceiling. Only covered about a third so will have to get more of that later too. My husband moaned I had made the other bit look really dirty. Well, it was really dirty/yellow!! Also it is spiky artex which neither of us wanted to tackle really. All our ceilings downstairs are artex and we detest it - but it is way down on the list of things you may need to spend money on one day!
I'm off to watch a fascinating series on BBC4 about remote British island territories. Fascinating. And to light the fire for an hour or so -brrrrr.
Sunday 24 April 2016
Adopted a blog cooking tip!
I saw a tip on another blog that I thought I would try out. I often buy the cheap cooking bacon packs at £1.72 kg it is a great bargain but you don't know what you will get - thick, thin, smoked, etc. Although the supermarket I use generally includes bits of bacon of good quality (other supermarkets are available!)
A blogger suggested taking it apart on buying and re-packing into smaller parcels ready for use. It has proved a great idea - my last lot on spreading out contained four nice rasher pieces for breakfasts which I flattened out and put aside. I made 6 diced/minced portions of 3 or 4 oz each which are ideal for making quiche, bacon and potato bakes, adding to cauli cheese, or a base for a minestrone soup. Previously the pack would lurk in the fridge getting used up as and when - sometimes a bit generously and sometimes a bit got wasted. Now I think I am getting full value!
Great tip - one I am adopting into my kitchen routine.
Great tip - one I am adopting into my kitchen routine.
Saturday 23 April 2016
Asparagus harvest
Heard on Radio Norfolk this morning that the commercial Asparagus harvests are 1 to 2 weeks behind schedule due to the cold weather. Ours has also stopped too; it looks cold and twisted. So sad.
This spiraea smells wonderful.
And the pansies have lovely big "faces" in the planter with the cheerfulness daffs looking good too.
I have lost a bit of weight recently, half a stone, but having caught a few episodes of the Hairy Bikers diet programme (repeated on Food channel) I have been thinking about trying to get another half stone off. They were talking about weight round the middle and being apple shaped. I have never understood this term so Googled it and found out the definition.
You take your waist measurement and divide it by your hip measurement. Example 34" waist divided by 37" hips (not my measurements!) gives you 0.9. Anything above 0.8 is "apple" for women (and 0.95 for men) and dangerous for all those potential medical reasons you hear about. Mine is definitely 0.9. So I am going to do more exercise as recommended on the Hairy Bikers - more cycling apparently is the best thing. That is when the wind dies down - round here it is flat coastal, so you often struggle to keep straight if its windy! I went out and repainted a wooden farm gate at the side of our field, instead of gardening today (too cold out in the open fields) so at least not sitting round. Also stuck to salad for lunch and cut down the roast potatoes at tea time.
Meanwhile flowering things nearer the house are doing well.
And the pansies have lovely big "faces" in the planter with the cheerfulness daffs looking good too.
I have lost a bit of weight recently, half a stone, but having caught a few episodes of the Hairy Bikers diet programme (repeated on Food channel) I have been thinking about trying to get another half stone off. They were talking about weight round the middle and being apple shaped. I have never understood this term so Googled it and found out the definition.
You take your waist measurement and divide it by your hip measurement. Example 34" waist divided by 37" hips (not my measurements!) gives you 0.9. Anything above 0.8 is "apple" for women (and 0.95 for men) and dangerous for all those potential medical reasons you hear about. Mine is definitely 0.9. So I am going to do more exercise as recommended on the Hairy Bikers - more cycling apparently is the best thing. That is when the wind dies down - round here it is flat coastal, so you often struggle to keep straight if its windy! I went out and repainted a wooden farm gate at the side of our field, instead of gardening today (too cold out in the open fields) so at least not sitting round. Also stuck to salad for lunch and cut down the roast potatoes at tea time.
Thursday 21 April 2016
No spend on housekeeping week
What with many other expenses this last 6 weeks I decided not to spend on food for a week. We ran out of potatoes last Thursday - so what? We have plenty of pasta and rice (and cauliflowers!) and have managed just fine.
So now its Thursday again and I am preparing a shopping list carefully. I am noting all the things we have not got, rather than the things we "normally" buy and have discovered all ready I have not even started on some regular purchases. But the freezer and fridge are now utterly devoid of meat or fish or eggs.
The biggest purchase this month was the car insurance. We have been with the same company for at least one of our various vehicles (the non commercial ones) for about 23 years and for the last 5 or 6 when we were not changing cars around so often any more went through the same boring routine of challenging the renewal notice and "negotiating" a better price. This years arrived with yet another large increase. My eldest son with a sportier car, loads more miles per annum and a "bad" inner city post code was here and told us he paid less, and did we know that company got really bad reviews for settling claims? My husband who takes care of all that stuff just gave up. He went to the house insurance company got a quote of £100+ pounds less and took it. Want to know the punch line for this mundane story? The same company own both insurance "names"!!! Go figure why one arm is expensive and the other arm cheap given the same data?
Beautiful day time weather, although we have had some cold snaps in the mornings. Completed digging over the veg garden and have 8 rows of potatoes in. We try at least one new thing each year and we have just ordered our unusual veg grow for this year - Sweet potatoes. Looking forward to these as I have brought them in the past as a luxury item.
So now its Thursday again and I am preparing a shopping list carefully. I am noting all the things we have not got, rather than the things we "normally" buy and have discovered all ready I have not even started on some regular purchases. But the freezer and fridge are now utterly devoid of meat or fish or eggs.
The biggest purchase this month was the car insurance. We have been with the same company for at least one of our various vehicles (the non commercial ones) for about 23 years and for the last 5 or 6 when we were not changing cars around so often any more went through the same boring routine of challenging the renewal notice and "negotiating" a better price. This years arrived with yet another large increase. My eldest son with a sportier car, loads more miles per annum and a "bad" inner city post code was here and told us he paid less, and did we know that company got really bad reviews for settling claims? My husband who takes care of all that stuff just gave up. He went to the house insurance company got a quote of £100+ pounds less and took it. Want to know the punch line for this mundane story? The same company own both insurance "names"!!! Go figure why one arm is expensive and the other arm cheap given the same data?
Beautiful day time weather, although we have had some cold snaps in the mornings. Completed digging over the veg garden and have 8 rows of potatoes in. We try at least one new thing each year and we have just ordered our unusual veg grow for this year - Sweet potatoes. Looking forward to these as I have brought them in the past as a luxury item.
Monday 18 April 2016
Cauliflower with buttered crumbs
I found this recipe in a 1980s Readers Digest coffee table book called "Food from your garden". It combines planting and growing advice with seasonal recipes. It was definitely written in the 1980s as the amount of butter in use puts this in the treat recipe box!
Lightly simmer the cauli florets for 5 mins in boiling salted water. Drain well.
Melt 3 oz of butter in a large pan and saute the florets on a fairly high heat until lightly coloured. Lift cauli out on to serving dish and keep warm.
Stir in breadcrumbs into the remaining butter, and some parsley (optional?), until crisp an brown, Spoon over the cauli florets and sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
I served with baked salmon fillet topped with chilli jam. It was very delicious and the cauli tasted completely different.
No picture - I was interrupted at dishing up time and did not have time to find the camera. I will let you imagine and try for yourselves.
The interruption was my husband unpacking his new toaster delivered by Amazon. The last one brought for about £8 in the supermarket about 8 years ago finally gave up the good fight. Instead of a nice tea smell he replaced that with elements pre heating and burning off that packaging smell. Yuk. He swears he has only spent the April state pension increase money on this shiny thing - personally I prefer to turn on the grill. Old fashioned.
Welcome to new follower - Dawn.
Somehow I have become my one of my own followers - how did I do that?
Lightly simmer the cauli florets for 5 mins in boiling salted water. Drain well.
Melt 3 oz of butter in a large pan and saute the florets on a fairly high heat until lightly coloured. Lift cauli out on to serving dish and keep warm.
Stir in breadcrumbs into the remaining butter, and some parsley (optional?), until crisp an brown, Spoon over the cauli florets and sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
I served with baked salmon fillet topped with chilli jam. It was very delicious and the cauli tasted completely different.
No picture - I was interrupted at dishing up time and did not have time to find the camera. I will let you imagine and try for yourselves.
The interruption was my husband unpacking his new toaster delivered by Amazon. The last one brought for about £8 in the supermarket about 8 years ago finally gave up the good fight. Instead of a nice tea smell he replaced that with elements pre heating and burning off that packaging smell. Yuk. He swears he has only spent the April state pension increase money on this shiny thing - personally I prefer to turn on the grill. Old fashioned.
Welcome to new follower - Dawn.
Somehow I have become my one of my own followers - how did I do that?
Sunday 17 April 2016
20mm plus of rain
Rather a lot of rain in last 24 hours (over 20 mm in rain gauge) but it did give us the opportunity to try the linked water butts behind the new shed. The first one finally got filled to the top and we discovered the down pipe diverter and the linking pipe to butt 2 was not lined up properly! A lot of fiddling about, lowering the second butt's base and moving the pipes before the next shower successfully put some water into the second butt. What should have been a simple job has taken up a lot of time.
Seedlings coming along well in greenhouse and poly tunnel but with very low temperatures forecast we covered the some with fleece and checked the green house heater was on stand by.
Hopefully we will get some more consistent temperatures soon.
I love these new tulips and some of the wall flowers have matched them beautifully, We may try to do all this colour next year rather than have a mixed collection of wall flowers and odd tulips. It would be very striking.
Cowslips beginning to appear in the grass around the fruit trees. Some good early blossom especially on the damsons we planted last year.
Today has been sunny and dry all day and we wandered around enjoying the day doing this and that. But it is Sunday and inevitably the neighbour lit a bonfire. He did wait till after 3 pm for once and the black smoke is going towards his own house this time - some improvement for us! As he does not have new windows nor has a building firm camped on his doorstep doing a large kitchen conversion;we are yet again suspicious of where the wood frames have come from. My revenge is taking a lot of old OSB up to our bonfire - but we will wait till the wind comes from the south and the smoke will go out over the cereal fields. I hope this is my last whine on this subject!
Like other Frugal bloggers I am amazed by the media suggestion people have Dolmino branded goods more than once a week. I think I have said it before the British public seems to have lost the idea of a "treat". That kind of meal should be something special - its is expensive and full of additives, colouring and sugar etc. So I personally would treat it as something special you have on a holiday or in an emergency - about once every 6 months in this house! I am putting on my list of things to do in 2016 to make more sauces during the tomato glut in the summer. Last year I diced a lot up and froze them but still had to cook a dish, so this year I am going to make big batches of sauce when I harvest instead - ready for those emergencies! To that end I found some Basil seeds and sowed them this afternoon to add to my sauces later. My husband decided to risk some early tomatoes in the poly tunnel and planted a half dozen out protected by some fleece. there are plenty more plants safe in the greenhouse for later in the season.
Seedlings coming along well in greenhouse and poly tunnel but with very low temperatures forecast we covered the some with fleece and checked the green house heater was on stand by.
Hopefully we will get some more consistent temperatures soon.
I love these new tulips and some of the wall flowers have matched them beautifully, We may try to do all this colour next year rather than have a mixed collection of wall flowers and odd tulips. It would be very striking.
Cowslips beginning to appear in the grass around the fruit trees. Some good early blossom especially on the damsons we planted last year.
Today has been sunny and dry all day and we wandered around enjoying the day doing this and that. But it is Sunday and inevitably the neighbour lit a bonfire. He did wait till after 3 pm for once and the black smoke is going towards his own house this time - some improvement for us! As he does not have new windows nor has a building firm camped on his doorstep doing a large kitchen conversion;we are yet again suspicious of where the wood frames have come from. My revenge is taking a lot of old OSB up to our bonfire - but we will wait till the wind comes from the south and the smoke will go out over the cereal fields. I hope this is my last whine on this subject!
Like other Frugal bloggers I am amazed by the media suggestion people have Dolmino branded goods more than once a week. I think I have said it before the British public seems to have lost the idea of a "treat". That kind of meal should be something special - its is expensive and full of additives, colouring and sugar etc. So I personally would treat it as something special you have on a holiday or in an emergency - about once every 6 months in this house! I am putting on my list of things to do in 2016 to make more sauces during the tomato glut in the summer. Last year I diced a lot up and froze them but still had to cook a dish, so this year I am going to make big batches of sauce when I harvest instead - ready for those emergencies! To that end I found some Basil seeds and sowed them this afternoon to add to my sauces later. My husband decided to risk some early tomatoes in the poly tunnel and planted a half dozen out protected by some fleece. there are plenty more plants safe in the greenhouse for later in the season.
Thursday 14 April 2016
Spicy Cauliflower
It was one of my intentions in 2016 to develop some new meals and with this glut of cauliflower came the ideal opportunity to try out the spicy recipes I looked up yesterday. Lunch needed to inventive as we are at the tail end of our bag of spuds and the only bread in is a very expensive artisan loaf from the local bakers - so beans on toast and baked spuds were off the list of likely lunches!
Of the 3 recipes I noted on line yesterday I choose this one to have between two of us with some sausage meat patties lurking in the freezer and a tomato to decorate.
I didn't have exact ingredients in, but enough to adapt!
4 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep large saucepan (with lid) warmed gently.
Add some ginger, 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, 1 teaspoons of turmeric and a tablespoon of cumin seeds.
Heat to infuse oil and get the aromatic spices going.
Add florets of cauli to cover base of pan; stir to coat, put on lid and cook for 10 mins. Stir occasionally.
You are supposed to decorate with coriander leaf.
I added a couple of small chunks of potatoes as I found two rather soft ones as I was sorting the veg box out. I threw in a few hard mushrooms left in the veg drawer. Then towards the end some small kale leaves plucked from the Nero plants that were going over. I added some salt at the table.
Made a nice plate for lunch and was very tasty. voted as something to repeat in our lunch meal time menu.
Disadvantages - well, as you know turmeric can be a little staining so be quick to rinse off utensils and plates. The saucepan was a bit crusty on the base at the end of the cooking time but I was quick to add some water to soak it as we ate and actually it rinsed off well.
This was half of cauli Number 4 and the first of the ones grown outside over the winter. I gave the other half to the recently widowed neighbour as I like to make sure he is having fresh veg when I have some to share.
Of the 3 recipes I noted on line yesterday I choose this one to have between two of us with some sausage meat patties lurking in the freezer and a tomato to decorate.
I didn't have exact ingredients in, but enough to adapt!
4 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep large saucepan (with lid) warmed gently.
Add some ginger, 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, 1 teaspoons of turmeric and a tablespoon of cumin seeds.
Heat to infuse oil and get the aromatic spices going.
Add florets of cauli to cover base of pan; stir to coat, put on lid and cook for 10 mins. Stir occasionally.
You are supposed to decorate with coriander leaf.
I added a couple of small chunks of potatoes as I found two rather soft ones as I was sorting the veg box out. I threw in a few hard mushrooms left in the veg drawer. Then towards the end some small kale leaves plucked from the Nero plants that were going over. I added some salt at the table.
Made a nice plate for lunch and was very tasty. voted as something to repeat in our lunch meal time menu.
Disadvantages - well, as you know turmeric can be a little staining so be quick to rinse off utensils and plates. The saucepan was a bit crusty on the base at the end of the cooking time but I was quick to add some water to soak it as we ate and actually it rinsed off well.
This was half of cauli Number 4 and the first of the ones grown outside over the winter. I gave the other half to the recently widowed neighbour as I like to make sure he is having fresh veg when I have some to share.
Wednesday 13 April 2016
First swallows
Spotted first pair of swallows today dipping into the muddy puddle at the edge of the field opposite the house!
Pictures? No chance of moving that fast. Managed to twist my back getting out of bed this morning and can hardly move. So stupid!!! Waiting for pain killers and rub in stuff to kick in then will gently supervise husband planting more early potatoes! Frustrated as the floors need a good vacuum and mopping. The sun is shining, after a very wet day yesterday, and its definitely Spring.
Spent time this morning doing grocery shop on line and looking up recipes for doing spicy stuff with next two cauliflowers. At least I don't have to do an antagonising 12 mile drive and load and unload the shopping - well worth the £1 charge to deliver to the door tomorrow lunch time!
See there is a programme following a diversifying farm on Norfolk coast (near Blakeney) on TV tonight so will watch that with interest as it is quite local. They have a cafe that does seasonal local food apparently so will note for next visit that way. Not sure why they called the programme "Normal for Norfolk"? Sounds very enviable lifestyle to me!
May try to finishing checking the fit of my new summer dress later but the zip I put in yesterday is not looking too hot. Thank goodness Great Britain Sewing Bee is back on 5th May - I need the inspiration!
Pictures? No chance of moving that fast. Managed to twist my back getting out of bed this morning and can hardly move. So stupid!!! Waiting for pain killers and rub in stuff to kick in then will gently supervise husband planting more early potatoes! Frustrated as the floors need a good vacuum and mopping. The sun is shining, after a very wet day yesterday, and its definitely Spring.
Spent time this morning doing grocery shop on line and looking up recipes for doing spicy stuff with next two cauliflowers. At least I don't have to do an antagonising 12 mile drive and load and unload the shopping - well worth the £1 charge to deliver to the door tomorrow lunch time!
See there is a programme following a diversifying farm on Norfolk coast (near Blakeney) on TV tonight so will watch that with interest as it is quite local. They have a cafe that does seasonal local food apparently so will note for next visit that way. Not sure why they called the programme "Normal for Norfolk"? Sounds very enviable lifestyle to me!
May try to finishing checking the fit of my new summer dress later but the zip I put in yesterday is not looking too hot. Thank goodness Great Britain Sewing Bee is back on 5th May - I need the inspiration!
Tuesday 12 April 2016
Flea beetle?
Like every one else life is getting busier as the Spring arrives! And yet again something is out there is trying to eat the veg. We think it was Flea beetles but all 6 rows of carrots in the polytunnel have disappeared as soon as the seedlings emerged. No snail or slug trail just empty ground! We are thinking flea beetles are attacking the seeds. We are going to try French bean plants instead now! They have come on nicely in the greenhouse and are quite sturdy - should give us some early beans before the glut of runner beans outside. We have put some carrots in outside instead next to the garlic which should help.
Our budget has been well supplemented by other garden produce this last 2 weeks. 3 big cauliflower harvested; lots of spinach; enough for two rhubarb crumbles; some salad leaves; last bits of kale; a couple of small cabbages and as many leeks as we can manage. I calculate a value of £12 saved. My little tin dish makes a lovely crumble dish which usually last 2 days for us.
Had a terrible fright yesterday when we were out in the back field planting our early potatoes. Suddenly a landrover towing a trailer and a large van appeared behind us, shooting at speed in convoy through a gap in the neighbours fence line, and tore up the field past our fruit beds heading for our bonfire site. He did not stop when we rushed forwards shouting and waving. When one of the blokes got out he was rude and aggressive and shouted a man three doors down said he could drive on here, dump the 15 ft high stack of conifer cuttings on his trailer from clearing trees somewhere in the village and burn them on our land!!!!! When we protested he was on our garden and did not have our permission he stormed off to another house to "get the bloke to tell us to let him carry on". After 10 minutes of outrage on our part and aggressive threats to do "us over" on his, he left tearing up the grass we have been carefully nurturing back from being a damaged pony paddock for the last two years!
We told the neighbours later if they burnt that stuff and the smoke came over our way we would report them for unauthorised waste disposal and being a smoke nuisance. I am fed up with the neighbours inconsiderate bonfires any way, practically ever Sunday! Generally I like the open countryside here and it is usually peaceful, but yesterday I longed for suburbia, fences and hedges to hide safely behind and a police force less than 12 miles away!
Our budget has been well supplemented by other garden produce this last 2 weeks. 3 big cauliflower harvested; lots of spinach; enough for two rhubarb crumbles; some salad leaves; last bits of kale; a couple of small cabbages and as many leeks as we can manage. I calculate a value of £12 saved. My little tin dish makes a lovely crumble dish which usually last 2 days for us.
We told the neighbours later if they burnt that stuff and the smoke came over our way we would report them for unauthorised waste disposal and being a smoke nuisance. I am fed up with the neighbours inconsiderate bonfires any way, practically ever Sunday! Generally I like the open countryside here and it is usually peaceful, but yesterday I longed for suburbia, fences and hedges to hide safely behind and a police force less than 12 miles away!
Saturday 9 April 2016
Feed the animals and family
Visiting Granddaughter loves animals so we went off to the Farm Park at Snettisham to feed lambs and deer.
The long hair lop giant rabbit is put out for petting. Not sure if it wanted that much hair brushing and loving but it got loads!
Grand daughter (small) went home and was replaced with the two big ones for the day! I need a rest!
Exhausted now, still finding it difficult to have a really active full day without collapse by 5pm after the Plague (flu). Meals are a bit scratch and a lot are round these cauliflowers which are coming on quickly in the veg beds. Chopping our way through number 2 now, with cheese tonight to go with some gammon.
Just had an email from Sainsbury's saying they are ending their Brand match scheme. Mostly they have always told me they are cheaper than Asda on brands. Hardly surprising since I rarely buy top branded goods for them to compare and I usually check expensive branded stuff for offers first! If anything, I get 50p or 60p back except this week when its all ending and it was actually £2.58 because we had some posher stuff to impress the visitors!
Rubbish Saturday night TV on the cards so I will charge up the laptop and settle down to catch up with everyone.
The long hair lop giant rabbit is put out for petting. Not sure if it wanted that much hair brushing and loving but it got loads!
Grand daughter (small) went home and was replaced with the two big ones for the day! I need a rest!
Exhausted now, still finding it difficult to have a really active full day without collapse by 5pm after the Plague (flu). Meals are a bit scratch and a lot are round these cauliflowers which are coming on quickly in the veg beds. Chopping our way through number 2 now, with cheese tonight to go with some gammon.
Just had an email from Sainsbury's saying they are ending their Brand match scheme. Mostly they have always told me they are cheaper than Asda on brands. Hardly surprising since I rarely buy top branded goods for them to compare and I usually check expensive branded stuff for offers first! If anything, I get 50p or 60p back except this week when its all ending and it was actually £2.58 because we had some posher stuff to impress the visitors!
Rubbish Saturday night TV on the cards so I will charge up the laptop and settle down to catch up with everyone.
Thursday 7 April 2016
Steam trains
Bright at times but occasional vicious showers especially on the beach front.
Lots of fun places to eat like this tiny cottage but the more interesting places don't take cards - we emptied our pockets and had a super lunch of Moroccan soup and sandwiches for four for £20 from the combined change!
Sunday 3 April 2016
One of my "to do iin 2016" things
One of the things on my to do list this year was to complete more painting. I have been inspired by several good art books from the library to be more dynamic with water colours. I am quite happy with my attempts at flowers following one book's step by step instructions.
I have used some old cardboard frames which set them off nicely.
The next book on landscapes was not so successful but I got some ideas (no pics, they really were not good). My latest book is about mixed media ideas and I am looking forward to having a little play with those ideas when I am fully fit. At present it is hard to organise the brain still, let alone feel creative!
What have you done lately to address the inner creative?
I am jealous of one blogger's patient organisation of hexagon patchwork shapes by colour.
The next book on landscapes was not so successful but I got some ideas (no pics, they really were not good). My latest book is about mixed media ideas and I am looking forward to having a little play with those ideas when I am fully fit. At present it is hard to organise the brain still, let alone feel creative!
What have you done lately to address the inner creative?
I am jealous of one blogger's patient organisation of hexagon patchwork shapes by colour.
Saturday 2 April 2016
Cauliflowers
Welcome to new followers and thanks to all the get well wishes. Just about back to normal but taking things a little easy. My husband has the cough now, but luckily not the full blown flu.
Spring is just about here and things are starting to stir! There is a lovely purply head peeping out of the asparagus bed.
All winter we have had a dozen cauliflower in one of the beds in the poly tunnel and another dozen under nets in the veg garden. In the tunnel they got big, floppy, had lots of caterpillars and generally looked unhappy. We cursed them, watered them, spoke badly about them - until today when we found two lovely white heads nestled in there! A quick feel of all the others and there are probably half a dozen heads forming!
My husband swears the last time he grew cauliflower successfully was in 1976. So there was a lot of cheering and running round with our hands in the air. You'd have thought our team had won the FA cup. Mind you, in was 1976 when our home team of Southampton did win the Cup!
While I have been laid up my husband has been preparing his gardening watering systems. He installed two water butts, linked together, behind the big workshop. These have been bedded on a square of yet more re-cycled bricks. They are nice and high on their stands so we should be able to get hoses and cans on to the taps easily.
Over the fence in the poly tunnel he extended the seep hose in middle bed in the tunnel this will be good for the tomatoes later, and re installed the ground hose with its spurs of sprays in the two side beds. Taking days off in the summer will mean we can leave the watering on a solar pump and a timer and it should look after itself.
One side has the cauliflower. Other side has some early lettuce, strawberries which are doing well and spinach which is having a spring flush. So every meal has handfuls of spinach included. Omelettes, with smoky bacon, and spinach stirred in are very nice.
Hopefully spinach will help build up my strength - Popeye style.
Spring is just about here and things are starting to stir! There is a lovely purply head peeping out of the asparagus bed.
All winter we have had a dozen cauliflower in one of the beds in the poly tunnel and another dozen under nets in the veg garden. In the tunnel they got big, floppy, had lots of caterpillars and generally looked unhappy. We cursed them, watered them, spoke badly about them - until today when we found two lovely white heads nestled in there! A quick feel of all the others and there are probably half a dozen heads forming!
My husband swears the last time he grew cauliflower successfully was in 1976. So there was a lot of cheering and running round with our hands in the air. You'd have thought our team had won the FA cup. Mind you, in was 1976 when our home team of Southampton did win the Cup!
While I have been laid up my husband has been preparing his gardening watering systems. He installed two water butts, linked together, behind the big workshop. These have been bedded on a square of yet more re-cycled bricks. They are nice and high on their stands so we should be able to get hoses and cans on to the taps easily.
Over the fence in the poly tunnel he extended the seep hose in middle bed in the tunnel this will be good for the tomatoes later, and re installed the ground hose with its spurs of sprays in the two side beds. Taking days off in the summer will mean we can leave the watering on a solar pump and a timer and it should look after itself.
One side has the cauliflower. Other side has some early lettuce, strawberries which are doing well and spinach which is having a spring flush. So every meal has handfuls of spinach included. Omelettes, with smoky bacon, and spinach stirred in are very nice.
Hopefully spinach will help build up my strength - Popeye style.
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