Hours

Why is it that Saturday and Sunday has so many fewer hours than work days?  It does seem a little unfair!  OK I know oversleeping on one of those days doesn't help - but I was up early this morning 8.00am - on the new time and I still haven't been able to fit everything in!

The day started with a lovely Sunday breakfast sitting at the table with the pretty Cath Kidston bits and pieces - it has now become a bit of a habit and does eat into the day,  but it is worth it and a little thing to look forward to.   Then a quick trip to the local aviary for chicken food and bedding,  some parrot food and a treat for the dog.   Came home and made my flask of tea for the Lottie, gathered some bits and pieces and off to the lottie for a little while.

This weekend Freecycle has been kind,  an outdoor Terracotta clock was offered and also a spare baking tin and beater for our breadmachine.  I was really happy with both of these - the clock for the Lottie and a spare tin is always very  handy and they do need to be replaced occasionaly.  These were both collected today.


The collected clock now housed on the Lottie Shed

Then off to the Lottie for a couple of hours,  there is still so much to be done,  the front third of the plot is still to be cleared and continues to grow - I am finding this very frustrating and a little disheartening.  The plan today was to make a start cutting down and clearing along the side.  And like most best laid plans - it didn't happen!  I planted the gooseberry bushes,  planted the winter lettaces and covered them with a tunnel cloche for protection - it looks a bit like a giant white slug in the middle of the lottie, but if it does the job I'm not complaining!  After a quick cup of tea I decided to dig over the courgette bed - now this bed has been dug twice already and still it is full of bramble roots,  looks like that is going to be an ongoing battle FOREVER!

Lettuce cloche

New neat and tidy cabbage bed

After battling my way though the digging and another welcome cup of tea, Barney from across the way came for a visit and as always he came bearing gifts - spring cabbages and pumpkins!   He has an abundance of cabbage plants and said I could help myself.    The Courgette bed is now the new cabbage bed, all nicely planted, slug pellets are down and covered in netting for bird protection.   That was it for today - doesn't sound much but it was 3 hours work.    I came home bearing gifts of 2 big pumpkins for Mr Milly - both of them are at least double the size of the one we grew!

Now what to do with the pumpkins,  I have to confess that we have always bought them for the children to carve into Jack-O-Lanterns, but we haven't eaten them.  With the new waste not want not going on in our house they are for eating. 

2 firsts for us tonight - I made pastry!  That is a biggie for me as anytime I have tried to make pastry it has not been good  - hot hands I think!  Have you watched the Great British Bake Off - I did  I loved it!   They all make pastry in a food processor, so I thought I would give it a go and it worked!  Woo Hoo!- looks like I've cracked it and I really am delighted!

One of the pumpkins has been cut up,  Mr Milly has saved all the seeds and tomorrow they will be roasted to keep for a healthy FREE snack,  about half of it was cooked and mixed with some other ingrediants and pumpkin pie was made.   Neither of us have ever had pumpkin pie and we were a little nervous of it,  but  to our surprise it was yummy!  Lots more pumpkin still to be used - thank goodness for Google I am sure we can find some good recipes to try.

Our first ever Pumpkin Pie