Morning all. Roofers still up top but should finish in a couple of days. All tiles back on and woodwork being painted before scaffolding comes down and new gutters go on. Then I can get my greenhouse back as they have been using it as a tool store, I want to get some broad beans started.
Harvested my cider apples on Sunday and they are now washed, scratted and pressed and the juice is fermenting away in the kitchen. Sugar levels are pretty good, should produce about 8% ABV cider. I will add some cookers to the mix next week.
Very pleased to hear you and OH are doing ok Pat E. Glad Mr C’s op went well. Still scares me how quickly people can come home from hospital these days. I remember being in for a week when I just had my tonsils out! Still snuffling but not feeling too bad. Pulse oximeter arrived and seems to work, 99% oxygen, so that’s good. OH seems to be ok so far, coping valiantly with cooking my meals. Made enough spaghetti yesterday to feed a family of four, the badgers ate well last night. Can you send me over some Bakewell tart, Dordogne Damsel? That would go down a treat!
Did you see Monty's apple press a couple of weeks ago @steephill? I should imagine your operation is a bit more professional but that looked fun. Nice to see you @PatE, hope you both feel better soon. Enjoy your day off @D0rdogne_Damsel Hope you and Wonky have a productive and enjoyable day @Dovefromabove. Right, now to round up a couple of errant chefs to find out what they'll be cooking as part of our cookery demo theatre on Sunday!
Lovely to see you @Pat E, get better soon. Lovely day here, but too achy to do anything, so just sitting out, catching some rays. Very good for the Serotonin levels, to ward off the winter blues.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
My cider kit is a little big bigger but very similar in style to Monty's. The press is largely made of cast iron which is hard work to move around. I just checked the supplier's website and they have sold out of my model and the next size up - lots of home cider makers out there now! Cider making the traditional way is definitely a labour intensive slow food experience but the end result is worth it.
I'm with you catching those rays @punkdoc, have a coffee in hand, but now wondering if a glass of cider might be more appropriate. 😅 Looks very tempting @steephill.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
Its a lovely afternoon, really quite mild, with blue sky and sunshine, so it’s tempted me outside to re-pot the two pots that were attacked by a rat and mice- they helped themselves to all the crocus bulbs I’d planted into a pot and also (or so I thought) the dwarf tulips and dwarf Iris I’d put in another pot, but when I emptied that pot I discovered that all the Iris bulbs were still there and 8 of the 10 tulip bulbs, so I put them back and covered both pots with wire net and have placed them into the greenhouse until spring. Fingers crossed the little critters won’t get in there.
It was my own fault that I was caught out the first time as I’d left the pots under a bench, uncovered with the intention of putting them in the greenhouse the next day once I’d cleared enough space. Lesson learnt.
I now have another pack of dwarf tulips and dwarf Iris to put into another pot (I bought them thinking the rat & mice had taken all my others in the pot). Oh well, it will be a nice display for the spring, fingers crossed.
Ive also made the tomato chutney today, which is still bubbling on the stove. I collected quite a lot of tomatoes off the vines last week, put them on the windowsill to ripen and then set too this morning prepping them for the chutney.
There are a lot of white fly type insects out in the garden today - hundreds really. I suppose this extra mild weather is bringing them out. The birds don’t seem interested though. Perhaps the spiders will catch some of them in their webs. I don’t know if it’s them responsible, or some other insect, but I’ve got 5 very itchy bites on my leg from yesterday when I was pottering in the garden. Seems odd getting them at this time of year, but it’s mild enough for them to be about I suppose.
Afties. Steep hill,I'll bring the cheese!! I got up at 4am,(health problem too personal to put on here) ended up in a tepid bath,I PUT THE HEATING ON people!! It was 7c out,16c in, would have been ok if I had had hot water! Only for an hour, thought I ought to confess. It IS my birthday this week.
Afternoon all, beautiful day again, how long will it last? Decided to take OH for coffee and cake at a local GC and look at obelisks. Had a gorgeous apple and spiced cake which we shared, very yummy. Was very pleased to find just what I wanted, an obelisk my height matching my other obelisks in the front garden. One of legs had become unattached to the bottom ring so I got £17 knocked off the price - bargain! It was the only one of that type left. Once home, I glued the join and used an electrical tie as insurance. Once the clematis has grown on it, it won't show.
Pleased to see @Pat E and her OH are on the mend and able to get out and about. It's just been announced here that covid cases have peaked already and started to drop which is good news.
More good news is that Mr Chicky has had his hip op and is expected home soon. Hope you've got lots of stamina @chicky, you're going to need it! Make sure he takes his meds and does the exercises regularly. I've just dashed out in the car to rescue my OH from an over-long walk, he took a wrong turning down an unfamiliar track.
Enjoy your day with your daughter @Dovefromabove. Your pots will look good in the spring @Red maple.
Good evening all, been AWOL as busy with work and usual life chaos! Good to hear your on the mend @Pat E... Speedy recovery to Mr @chicky also! Hello @Red maple lovely to hear about spring planting and chutney, I've not got round to the planting bit yet but have made some quince jelly I'm rather pleased with 😀
I've had a lovely time seeing @Dovefromabove.... Taxes all in hand.... Quince jelly sent back with Dove as well as a weaving loom that I came across.... Nearly 50 years old, never used so that's an alternative to knitting for her!!! Just full of fantastic tandoori chicken from Doves farm shop... Made a saag aloo side and now welded to sofa!
Posts
Glad Mr C’s op went well. Still scares me how quickly people can come home from hospital these days. I remember being in for a week when I just had my tonsils out!
Still snuffling but not feeling too bad. Pulse oximeter arrived and seems to work, 99% oxygen, so that’s good. OH seems to be ok so far, coping valiantly with cooking my meals. Made enough spaghetti yesterday to feed a family of four, the badgers ate well last night. Can you send me over some Bakewell tart, Dordogne Damsel? That would go down a treat!
Nice to see you @PatE, hope you both feel better soon.
Enjoy your day off @D0rdogne_Damsel
Hope you and Wonky have a productive and enjoyable day @Dovefromabove.
Right, now to round up a couple of errant chefs to find out what they'll be cooking as part of our cookery demo theatre on Sunday!
Lovely to see you @Pat E, get better soon.
Lovely day here, but too achy to do anything, so just sitting out, catching some rays. Very good for the Serotonin levels, to ward off the winter blues.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Its a lovely afternoon, really quite mild, with blue sky and sunshine, so it’s tempted me outside to re-pot the two pots that were attacked by a rat and mice- they helped themselves to all the crocus bulbs I’d planted into a pot and also (or so I thought) the dwarf tulips and dwarf Iris I’d put in another pot, but when I emptied that pot I discovered that all the Iris bulbs were still there and 8 of the 10 tulip bulbs, so I put them back and covered both pots with wire net and have placed them into the greenhouse until spring. Fingers crossed the little critters won’t get in there.
I now have another pack of dwarf tulips and dwarf Iris to put into another pot (I bought them thinking the rat & mice had taken all my others in the pot). Oh well, it will be a nice display for the spring, fingers crossed.
Ive also made the tomato chutney today, which is still bubbling on the stove. I collected quite a lot of tomatoes off the vines last week, put them on the windowsill to ripen and then set too this morning prepping them for the chutney.
There are a lot of white fly type insects out in the garden today - hundreds really. I suppose this extra mild weather is bringing them out. The birds don’t seem interested though. Perhaps the spiders will catch some of them in their webs. I don’t know if it’s them responsible, or some other insect, but I’ve got 5 very itchy bites on my leg from yesterday when I was pottering in the garden. Seems odd getting them at this time of year, but it’s mild enough for them to be about I suppose.
A good amount of cider there, @steephill
Pleased to see @Pat E and her OH are on the mend and able to get out and about. It's just been announced here that covid cases have peaked already and started to drop which is good news.
More good news is that Mr Chicky has had his hip op and is expected home soon. Hope you've got lots of stamina @chicky, you're going to need it! Make sure he takes his meds and does the exercises regularly. I've just dashed out in the car to rescue my OH from an over-long walk, he took a wrong turning down an unfamiliar track.
Enjoy your day with your daughter @Dovefromabove.
Your pots will look good in the spring @Red maple.
Good to hear your on the mend @Pat E... Speedy recovery to Mr @chicky also!
Hello @Red maple lovely to hear about spring planting and chutney, I've not got round to the planting bit yet but have made some quince jelly I'm rather pleased with 😀
I've had a lovely time seeing @Dovefromabove.... Taxes all in hand.... Quince jelly sent back with Dove as well as a weaving loom that I came across.... Nearly 50 years old, never used so that's an alternative to knitting for her!!!
Just full of fantastic tandoori chicken from Doves farm shop... Made a saag aloo side and now welded to sofa!
Sending best wishes to @Hostafan1.....aka Sunshine 🌞 and to @punkdoc 🤗