No blogging for a while

Me and Mr Milly are off on a little holiday! Woop Woop!!

The lovely Portuguese Housekeeper has moved in and will look after the house, the dog, the 2 parrots and the 6 chickens.   No doubt she will do a brilliant job as she has all the other times she has house and animal sat for us.

So today has been a mad scramble to get everything sorted,  work is a nightmare and at 23.23 tonight I still have a few things left to do before I can finally switch off.

Dog food, chicken food, parrot food and house sitter food is all stocked up, bags are packed, Mr Milly is chilling and I'm still trying to compute all the things still left to be done!   I remembered about 9.00pm tonight that I have forgotten to buy our holiday money.....  that will be a very early, very speedy trip into the town in the morning to grab the cash and then we will be off.

Normal blogging to resume shortly, hopefully with some lovely photos to bore you with!!

Waste Not Want Not

A new countdown is beginning for me and Mr Milly,  I will tell tomorrow!

Today I have been rummaging around in the fridge to see what needs to be using up,  I found;-

Beefsteak tomatoes
Garlic
Round courgettes
Onions
Garlics
Basil

Everything was chopped into pieces, the last of the cherry tomatoes from the garden picked and thrown in for good measure.  A good glug of olive oil and into the oven it all went,  slow roasted  at the bottom of the oven on a very very low heat for a couple of hours, then blitzed in the food processor which our friend Chris very kindly gave to us and 4 jars of lovely sauce are now sitting in the larder.   Pasta sauce to be,   4 meals from the bits and pieces sitting in the fridge.

I took advantage of the oven being on and sterilised the jars for the pasta sauce and a couple of others  and using some of the apples from the lottie chilli jam was made tonight.   This jam is definately not for me - I don't like anything hot or spicy,  but I am sure Mr Milly will enjoy the chilli concoction with some cold meat or cheese.

The chilli jam has passed the taste test!  Mr Milly wanted to try some with  bread - a very big spoonful it was too!!  After getting a bit red in the face and wiping his eyes - Mr Milly tells me it is HOT  but good!  Maybe a smaller spoonful next time LOL!

Lottie Competition

Tonight was the night,  me and Mr Milly went to the council offices,  drinks and nibbles from 6.30 and the award ceremony from 7.00.   We were surprised how many people were there and a complete range of ages.  A bit of a chat with our site reps and then into the council chambers.  One by one the prizes were awarded for each Allotment Site in our area - and then it was my turn,   2nd prize to Mrs Milly of plot 95!    Presented by the Deputy Major,  certificate and little envelope presented and then a photo moment with the Deputy Major and the Council Chief Executive.  It was all very civilised,  and fairly short - thankfully!

And my darling Mr Milly is so excited and pleased for me.. he was trying to decide all the way home the best place for the certificate to be hung up and what would be the best frame for it.  He is really chuffed to pieces for me that I won this prize, so to satisfy my hubby a picture for you!

Late Collection

My endeavours to update the Blog every day this week - fell at the first hurdle!  But I do have good reason..... 

I left the east after work and had arranged to collect the Portuguese Housekeeper from the airport on my way home - the airport is about 1/3 of the way to home.    Originally she had siad her flight would be arriving at 7.30pm, which would work well.  I would finish work at 5.30ish,  grab something to eat and then 45 mins to the airport to collect her, then the rest of the hour and a half drive home.

I checked the flight mid afternoon and she had got the times wrong...  the flight wasn't leaving Portugal until 7.00pm due to arrive at 11.00pm!!!!!!!!!!   I had 5 hours to fill from finishing work and then collecting her!   Finally after waiting around for AGES, driving back, dropping her home I arrived home in the early hours of the morning...  far too late to be blogging!

Today is the day for the prize/award evening for the Lottie!!!!  It will be a late blog update this evening  and I can tell you all about it!!

Miserable

That is me a the moment - miserable!  No blogging for a little while as I just felt that I had nothing to say. -

This doesn't help my mood;-

Boring............................lonely!

Another boring soul less hotel room for the night - I'm in the east of the country for the next 2 days

A quick update on the week - Buddy has now gone home!   I love Buddy and he was such fun to have around, I really didn't want him to go home....  he became my shadow for the week and kept me company when I was working in my little office at the front on the house on my lonesome.   Buddy would curl up under the desk or to the side of me for most of the day - if I moved Buddy moved!  At night - well he did sneak into the bedroom a couple of times - I really do mean sneak......   The first time it happened I thought I had lost him.  My Milly had already gone to bed and I was locking up the house, a quick glance in the living room as the light went off and where was Buddy!?   I called him - no answer,  I looked in the living room, in the bathroom, in the kitchen and even checked the garden in case I had locked him out.......   then the bedroom....  a little black nose poked out from the side of the bed,  he had sneaked in when we weren't looking and curled up on my side of the bed.   Well I couldn't kick him out could I?!  So there he stayed . for about 1/2 an hour and then onto the bed, curled up and went to sleep,  I don;t think he moved for the entire night!   So the pattern was set and Buddy ended up with us most nights!

Star is just not able to do this - she is toooooo big,  it is like having another adult in the bed with her there and she wriggles around until she has half the bed with me and Mr Milly in the other half - not good and definitely makes and a very uncomfortable sleepless night!

For me - this year has been the very hardest year of my life and I know it is going to take me a very long time to be myself again.   And right at this time I am feeling sad, tired and miserable.   I am glad I have written my blog today as I was struggling even with this.....  a real effort will be made this week to update every day with complete nonsense I expect!

And to end today's blog on a slightly happier note - what does a girl do when she is feeling down and blue????????????

Shop.......................... (Actually shopping is really not my favourite thing to do - I don't really like shopping!)  but there is one shop I love and always lifts my mood.  Cath Kidston..... a real feast for the eyes.......  and definitely a very dangerous shop when retail therapy is needed;-  Look what came home with me.......

Breakfast Table for 2 - can you see now why it cheers me up??????  
Isn't it pretty!

Buddy is staying

Buddy is my friends little Cocker-poo!  A poodle, cocker spaniel cross and he is adorable!   He stayed with us a little while ago from this post Cakes and Visitors this time he is staying with us for a week!

It is very strange having 2 dogs in the house and especially when one is big and the other is very small.  We are just not used to little dogs and it is very entertaining.  And best of all,  Buddy has decided he likes me and loves a cuddle!   I have therfore gained a shadow for the week and wherever I am, Buddy is too!  Star has a short soft and smooth coat,  Buddy has a short soft curly coat - just like a little teddy bear!

Buddy in Teddy Bear mode - he almost blends in with the sofa!

Unfortunately Buddy has taken a liking to wool!  As I am currently crocheting a blanket with lots of colours - there is lots of wool around me as I working on the blanket - this is proving to be challenging LOL!   He first of all found a small ball of wool - this when we knew we might have a problem!   Later on  he decided one of my lovely new big balls of wool was some sort of dog toy and decided to kill it!  He grabbed it in his mouth and was shaking it, putting his paws on it trying to seperate each strand and he did not want to let it go!   Eventually the distraction of a doggie biscuit proved to much for Buddy and we were able to rescue the mangled ball of wool.  


The tug of war for the wool begins.........

 

Buddy tightens his grip



Star is watching with interest - I'm not sure who is winning the war.......

 

Looks like Mr Milly is losing!!!!!!

Blight

I've been away for a couple of days this week,  it was only supposed to be one night away from home, but ended up being 2.  The hotel Wi-Fi was not working,  I have given my mobile dongle to My Girl when she left home, so no Internet or blogging for me for a couple of days.

Today I managed to visit the Lottie and it is starting to look a little neglected and definitely needs some TLC!  I think this is not helped as we are approaching the end of the season, the sweetcorn are nearly finished (mice have been at a couple of them AGAIN!) and that  bed is emptying,  the runner and french beans are beginning to look a little worse for wear and blight has set in!  

Mouse shredded sweetcorn!

 My tomatoes were really effected and I have been seeing the other plot holders taking out their tomatoes as they were blighted - I was hoping it wouldn't reach me,  but it has!  All of the tomatoe plants have now been taken out and will be burnt.  Blight spreads and my potatoes were beginning to show signs too.  Today I have lifted one of the lines of potatoes,  I was really hoping that they would be our Christmas Tatties,  but this is not to be.  I have a reasonable harvest from the lifted tatties - all shapes and sizes and definitely enough for me and Mr Milly for a couple of weeks.   I will lift the rest of the tatties over the weekend.

Apples, turnips (the first ones), courgette, beans and potatoes

2 bright yellow faces greeted me at the Lottie today - the sunflowers are flowering!   My Girl and I were in a competition for the tallest one and to be honest I can't now remember whose is whose!  I have no doubt that My Girl will know........   but I do think that mine is the tallest   LOL!!!

Onions

A little while ago I started a new bed at the lottie,  it started as just the next bit to be cleared and dug over I then covered it in landscape fabric to stop the weeds growing, from yesterday it has now become an onion and garlic bed.    I ordered the onion sets  and garlic bulbs online,  this is a really good way to purchase them as its cheaper and also the online shops don't send out the items until it is the right time of the year for them to be planted.  I've ordered raspberry and gooseberry bushes,  both of these will be sent out from late October.  I like this - it helps to plan what needs to be planted when and also I know I am planting at the right time.

The onion bed has lovely straight lines,  2 lines of red onions,  2 lines of white onions and 2 lines of garlic.  Fingers crossed everything comes up nicely!

A lovely little harvest from the lottie today and a gift left by one of my allotment neighbours - cucumbers!  They are supposed to be difficult to grow, but Clive seems to have done really well with his and 7 of them came home with me.  Now I knew they were cucumbers, but Mr Milly wasn't convinced - they look so different from shop bought ones - the taste is much better too!

I tried the pears in red wine again today - took a deep breath and was much more gentle and patient with the cooking.  The result is 5 lovely little jars of fruit and wine  - each jar the perfect size for 2 people.  The kitchen smelt lovely all afternoon - mulled wine!  I realised with the first batch that I ended up jam as I boiled too hard and too long - Mr Milly wasn't impressed with pears in jam for dessert!

Writers Block

I think that is what happened to me this week,  just had nothing to say! 

This week I've been preparing for winter,  thinking about Christmas,  trying to save money here and there and generally trying to re-evaluate life!

The preparations for winter are underway.   Our hallway is always very cold during the winter months which of course affects all rooms in the house and the result is the heating thermostat is turning up a degree or two to compensate.   A new curtain rail has been installed over the front door and kitchen door,  curtain fabric and thermal linings purchased and tonight hemming  of the hall curtain to be completed and then it can be hung - no more drafts whistling through the letterbox,  through the keyhole or around the door.   Hopefully this will help to keep the heating bills down this winter.   The kitchen is the same - cold in the winter with an ill fitting door,  that curtain is the next on the list.

My next door neighbour has a lovely conference pear tree in the front garden and no-one in their house likes pears - so they are mine for the picking,   So far I have used them in mixed fruit jam,  mixed fruit chutney,  a few have been frozen and a few more are now in jars - pears in brandy syrup - a decadent dessert for us during the cold winter months.   I've now found a recipe for pears in spiced red wine, I tried it yesterday but boiled the pears for too long and too hard and it was more like pears in jam syrup!  I'll try again and be more patient and more gentle this time and hopefully it will be good and will join the brandy filled jars in the cupboard.

Have to leave them for a couple of weeks to soak in the brandy -
that's is going to be tough to do!

We have been thinking of getting a second small freezer for the shed as ours is now rapidly filling up - once again my favorite Freecycle came up trumps with a little table top freezer being offered.  I was lucky enough to get it and collected it from a lovely couple.  It is just what we wanted!  It's a little battered on the outside as it has been in their garage as a spare - but it works and as a spare for us it is just perfect!  

Not a very exciting picture - but I am really pleased with my little find!

I've now finished the 2nd Blooming Flower cushion, - this one is a gift and its huge!  It has taken a while to complete,  I'm really happy with it and I think the recipient will be too!

Round and round and round and round..........

A couple of days

Do you remember the pumpkin just a couple of days ago?  It was just starting to turn orange,  a couple of days later it is now much more orange,  not a lot bigger - but going in the right direction.

Mr Milly and I had a good look at the sweetcorn a few days ago, but decided they weren't quite ready to be picked.  A couple of days later and I think the mice decided they were definately ready for eating...  aaargh!!  Several of the sweetcorn have now been nicely munched and not by me!

I picked 4 ears of corn today - they are not massive, but I would rather have then smaller than leave them for the mice - corn on the cob for tea tonight!

And finally today on this very short post - the ironing board has a smart new cover and new wadding I re-used the cord and the toggle from the original cover....  it took all of about 1/2 an hour to finish,    Mr Milly and I had fun tying it on the board!

Bargains

Wyevale Garden Center has a sale on their seeds.  All seeds are 50p a packet - so I stocked up!  Total saving was about £10.00 just on the seeds and quite a variety I have too.  Sitting and taking stock of my little seed store now, it looks like I have enough seeds for the Lottie and also the Flower baskets for next year.  I now have some over wintering cabbages and lettuce seeds to be sown, so the local freebie newspaper has been put to good use with my little Paper Potter and little pots are now waiting for the seeds.

Paper Pots

Some of the seeds for next years planting.

This morning I decided to visit a Car Boot sale,  it is one not particularly close to home, so I often forget about it, but this morning I made an effort and off I went.  Mr Milly decided to stay home - not the best things to visit when you are in a wheelchair!  This car boot is huge,  but rain was threatening this morning and being on my own I did a very quick sweep of the sale,   I am really pleased with my purchases!

A lovely wicker basket for bringing my wares home from the Lottie - I have wanted one of these or a trug for ages,  they are both very expensive to buy - this one cost the grand sum of 50p and its a perfect size exactly what I have been looking for!

A little folding iron board - I'm using My Girl's bedroom as my sewing room now that she is not at home.   Mr Milly has suffered enough with me using my very old and noisy sewing machine right behind him in the living room!  An iron board is essential when sewing - so I'm delighted with  my little £2.00 bargain it will sit perfectly inside the wardrobe when not being used and take up minimal space.    It could benefit from a new cover, but I have wadding and fabric so a little project to make a new one is in hand.

As the days are now getting shorter and cooler it would be good to have some herbs now growing in doors,  I have been looking for a window box affair for a little while - to sit on the kitchen windowsill and have fresh herbs throughout the winter.   These also can be costly to buy or the ones I have seen have not exactly been what I wanted.   Today I found a wooden box at the boot sale, the perfect size - it was  £1 so I snapped it up.  We have some paint left over from when My Girl was making the Lottie signs,  so a little paint to brighten it up and a herb window box will be made!

Finished.

It is a wet and miserable day today - no visits to the Lottie for me,  today will be a day for jobs in the house and time in the kitchen.

Naughty Dog!

She ate my cake!  

It was a sponge cake - two sponges sitting on a wire rake cooling down and waiting to become a Victoria Sponge - one sponge cake never made it..........  I turned my back for a nano second,  well actually I went out of the kitchen without shutting the door.  I heard Mr Milly shout at the dog and there is was,  one sponge cake with a dog size bite!  How annoying,  I wasn't happy!!!   So out with the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, mixer, pans etc and another sponge made.   The chickens enjoyed the ruined cake though!

Star on pidgeon patrol.   She will chase them away if they land in the garden!

Star is a weimaraner and she is tall,  so it's very easy for her to reach the kitchen worktops.   This is not the first time she has eaten a cake.  Last year I was making a giant cupcake birthday cake for my Sisiter-in-Law,  it was disatrous - the first cake was overcooked and went in the bin and in the chickens,  the second cake the dog ate,  the third cake was OK,  but these cakes take an age to cool down and with all the messing about it was iced when very slightly warm - this doesn't work well with butter icing.  It tasted OK - but the look wasn't upto standard!

It was hot yesterday - too hot to be digging,  so a quick visit to the Lottie a little foraging around the site, some picking on my Lottie plot and a little more clearing.  And look at all the goodies;-

The apples from behind my Lottie,  the pears and plums from a neighbour, runner beans, french beans and courgettes from the lottie,  eggs from my chicks, tomatoes from home and my latest loaf of bread.  It kept me busy for a while, all nicely arranged for a photo moment and then the eggs for the cake  -eaten by the dog,  all the beans blanched and frozen,  apples, pears and plums are now mixed fruit jam.  The rest in the fridge until needed. 

I had fun trying to photograph the jam on a rolling boiling - the camera kept steaming up everytime it was over the pan,  I think I took about 10 pictures before I had one decent one!  That's blogging for you - everything has to be photographed!

Rolling boil

Steamed up camera!

Rolling boil after the magic knob of butter had been added.  
The jam becomes clear  and the fruit scum on the top vanishes!

All done!