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..........