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Post by brightspark on Mar 20, 2022 18:58:17 GMT
Hi Tina, Regarding the courgettes, I treat them the same - I cut them lengthwise once and then again to create four lengths (i.e. quartered) , and then chop them and freeze them. I can dry-fry them or add them to any cooking medium - I do add them to the minced beef too, or casseroles, it all works !! Re: the garden - OH intends to put in some railway sleepers and then get more topsoil to fill it. But going away to France currently, there's no point as veggies need looking after!! Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will be able to have some veggies of our own.
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Post by irist on Mar 20, 2022 20:09:37 GMT
Evening all. Have just finished our Zoom call with our son and DiL. Been quite busy again today. I cooked a pork roast for us, daughter and SiL. They arrived mid morning to replace the broken panes in our greenhouse. SiL had never cut glass before but made a good job of it. It's still been quite windy today so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can have full use of the greenhouse for the growing season. The weather is set to improve this week so I hope to get outside and plant more seed for my beds. I will also be digging over OH's remaining raised beds (I have already forked over two). Good idea to chop fresh veg and put into the freezer ready for taking out portions when required. Do you blanche them? I had trouble with a swede today, too, Tina. I eventually managed to cut it into cubes which I zapped in the microwave for 5 minutes before putting into my electric steamer with fresh cauli and carrots. Unfortunately it still didn't cook when the other veg were ready so I resorted to the microwave to finish it off. I could buy bread just to use for a pudding, Val but OH has put on weight since he's become less mobile so I'm trying to avoid cake making for the time being. My SiL and my neighbour both love bread pudding so I will make it occasionally. Now I'm using only one freezer I need the space for veg and meat etc rather than filling it with bread. I love Andre Rieu. Recently we binge watched a series of his concerts in his home town. He plays such relaxing and some stirring music - can't help tapping your feet and joining in the singing I had no idea that Anthony Hopkins wrote music. Have fun with your new quilting projects. Sounds as though your OH had a similar bug to the one I suffered a couple of weeks ago, Max. Who knows how we catch them! Hope he's back on form very soon. I'll bid you a good evening.
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 20, 2022 20:47:20 GMT
Feel so pleased about my Veg, four Bags full, should last me a while, only got the Courgette to do, Thanks for coming to the aid of the Party, Val.x Will do that all the time now, save so much Money. I just have to make a small Bread Pudding tomorrow, all this Talk about it, if no One snaffles it, fat chance! I can portian it for Puddings . The Birds will have to rely on Fat Balls, and Seed. Can I ask another Question, about freezing cut Onions, I use a lot of them, and it is such a Chore, I can of course do them in the Food Processer , but it is getting harder for me to lift that in to Position, clean, etc, though I did do Bulk Breadcrumbs, and Cheese last Week. So good I can just take a Handful as needed, from the Freezer. Going to make some Apple Crumbles for the Freezer tomorrow, never happier than when I have Baking Plans. Will say Goodnight to all. love Tina x
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Post by brightspark on Mar 20, 2022 22:00:16 GMT
Hi again, Tina,
Could your cheffie son prep the onions for you - that would be a boon if he could, that would save a lot of time and effort for you? He could chop some into small dice for one bag, and another bag of sliced onions, if that's what you'd like. It would definitely make your life easier, especially as you'd rather be out in your garden more now. Good luck - it sounds like it's all coming together for you. I see you also had some cheese - I presume that was grated? Such a good idea.
Iris, we had our Zoom with son and daughter this evening too - so easy to keep in touch. Our son is off to Dubai tomorrow for work, and coming home on Thursday - his birthday! I don't blanch the veggies - although with sliced potatoes I think you have to otherwise they will blacken, not sure about carrots as I like my carrots to be firm, and freezing them does tend for them to be soft-ish at the point of eating, unless it is something I'm doing wrong! I also tried blanching and freezing green haricot beans, but they were a disaster too, so clearly it is personal preference as to which veggies to freeze. I have also cooked pastry and cut it into portions, then frozen, so with a nice meaty mixture, I can just top it with some cooked pastry for texture.
Sleep well everyone, x
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 21, 2022 8:28:38 GMT
Good Moaning, not so bright today, but a bit Misty, guess that means a good Day. Am on a Roll now, had a Cucumber that had been lurking in the Fridge, as not eaten much over the last Week, and it was not as firm as it used to be, so Today, am going to Slice and salt it to draw out the Moisture, and pickle it, I will use part used Vinegar,and part new, I love sour things. Yes, can ask Cheffie Son Val, but I do put on him so much, don't really like asking him. but I will, when he comes back from England. He is looking after two of his Grandchildren, as both Parents are starting new Jobs on Monday. Definitely making Bread Pud today, taken extra Bread out of the Freezer, who knew that something so lush, was made from stale Bread! What are you growing this year, Iris? This Week's warm Weather, will be just right for sowing. Have a full Day ahead, so better get a Move on, and make a start. Be back later, have a good Day everyone. x
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Post by irist on Mar 21, 2022 15:12:59 GMT
Afternoon all from a cool but sunny SW. I've had to come in from the garden as I've done enough for today. I've dug over another of OH's raised beds and emptied two compost bins and spread the contents on the two I dug the other day. I've covered the beds with the polythene from the new divan and pegged them down well as the wind is less fierce but likely to send them flying otherwise. OH has been outside for an hour after lunch. He's worked some of the compost into the patch where his first sowing of carrots will be made and covered the area with cloches to warm the soil. He also levelled the compost I tipped onto his runner bean bed. He's had to kneel to do all his work so I'm guessing his joints will be hurting later/tomorrow You asked what we will be growing this year, Tina. So far OH has put in 3 different varieties of tomato seed, pumpkin, red cabbage, cauli, broccoli, lettuce and courgette. The likes of radish, carrots, beetroot etc will go straight into the soil when it has warmed up. He has a large biscuit tin full of seed packets so I'm not sure we'll have room for everything! I've got some cornflowers coming up as I shall be drying the petals for granddaughter J's wedding, along with all the rose petals I can collect and dry before September. I gave up blanching veg for the freezer long ago too, Val. I do rely on commercially frozen veg when I can't get out shopping but they aren't a patch on fresh ones with the exception of peas. As you say eg frozen carrots are soft when cooked but needs must on occasion. Tonight I'm using up roast pork from yesterday in a chow mein. We had ham with Waldorf salad and some "garnish" (as our grandson calls salad!) for lunch. Unfortunately I have to get on with some Garden Club admin now. The Chairman has given me yet another task ready for our meeting on Wednesday evening. Enjoy the rest of your day. Bye for now.
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 21, 2022 15:27:05 GMT
Been outside, and planted some Radish, sat for ten Minutes, but that East Coast Wind was cutting, so deemed it better to come back inside. There will be warmer Days, I hope. Made the Bread Pudding, and had far too big a piece with my Lunch.
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maxh
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by maxh on Mar 21, 2022 18:25:30 GMT
Hi all. Well the sun phoned in sick today😂. Hopefully it’ll make an appearance tomorrow as promised by the weatherman on Country File last night. Amanda Owen was on the Today programme R4 this morning and said it’s -6 overnight in her part of Yorkshire!
I love bread pudding Tina so I’m salivating at the thought of the big piece you indulged in today. What a good idea to prep and freeze your veg and love Val’s suggestion of a bag of each chopped and sliced onions. I don’t blanch veg prior to freezing but don’t tend to freeze much veg. Sounds as though you’re going to have a productive veg plot this year as well.
Although we grow some veg, Val we limit it to just a few things for exactly the same reason as you - being in France July to September means the veg plot gets neglected despite d’s best intentions! Plus they’re away for at least 2 weeks then as well. Such a bloomin’ nuisance we can’t be in 2 places at once! What a fabulous trip, Val and thanks for the Anthony Hopkins waltz clip - I had no idea.
Iris, your OH is doing brilliantly! And I’m so envious of all the veg you are growing. Without a doubt, straight out of the ground tastes best. Love the ‘garnish’ - I’ll never be able to eat salad again without thinking of that😀.
Homemade fish cakes for lunch, leek and potato soup for tea and I’ve made golden soup for me for the next few days, and prepped oranges for marmalade which are now marinating till Thursday when I’ll finish making it. I’ll then have about 20 jars of it, OH loves it, so they’ll keep him going for a while. He’s back to normal now and his appetite’s back so he can enjoy it again!
I like Carluccio’s as well, Chris but never got to see the great man himself. What a treat.
Take care all Mx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 22, 2022 10:22:05 GMT
Yes, can ask Cheffie Son Val, but I do put on him so much, don't really like asking him. but I will, when he comes back from England. He is looking after two of his Grandchildren, as both Parents are starting new Jobs on Monday. I understand that you don't like to keep asking for help, but as a chef he can cut up onions that will probably take him minutes only I would think, unlike the rest of us!! Is he the granddad of Lily Rose? How is the little bundle of joy?
I wonder if I had a similar bug, as I had some severe shivering, but extreme tiredness only and for a few days, with no appetite too.
Oh, Iris, you said 'have fun with your new quilting projects' - I'm not too sure the latest mini block is fun, but certainly challenging! It is a strange pattern in that some of the pieces have measurements given, and others are given as templates, but no instructions. Thinking I would be able to work it out, I decided to go for it, BUT some of the templates are clearly wrongly depicted, and are too small to fit into the plan. Doesn't help much. Or at all. As I was using stash pieces, the amount of fabric was limited, so I'm having to be very careful how to cut them out. Just an example - it is called 'Fish', and the tail parts are shown as the same each side of the fish, but the templates have one double the size of the other ?? This morning, sitting in bed with a cuppa, I was sewing around some templates to help keep the shape of the pieces.
Max, I have always loved fish cakes - what fish do you use? What ratio do you use - fish:potato? Do you use home-made breadcrumbs or Panko?
I should get on with sewing the fish block, and get it out of the way ...
Have a good day everyone, x
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Post by paperman on Mar 22, 2022 11:28:40 GMT
Good morning Ladies, I hope this finds you well.
The weather here in Ruritania is lovely, diary note: this was the first morning of 2022 that I had breakfast outside on the terrace, it was perhaps not quite warm enough but close too and I enjoyed it watching the birds coming to the bird feeder. We have a male pheasant who spends a lot of time in the garden and I am just hoping that he keeps his head down low and stays here with us, it’ll be safer than elsewhere I’m thinking.
They have an interesting history, apparently originating from around the Black Sea and Georgia they were introduced all over Europe by the Romans and it seems were brought into this country by the Normans. To me they seem rather exotic and whilst I understand that without shooting they would not be here at all possibly, I am not a fan. I once wrote a short children’s story about a family of pheasants who (or is it whom?) I called the ‘Phas Family’ who lived in safety at RSPB Minsmere but the odd youngster strayed into the adjoining fields and ended up on a plate, a bit like Mr McGregor in Peter Rabbit, except my farmer was called Mr McIntosh.
Yesterday morning we had Tai Chi and interestingly enough our numbers are growing which is encouraging. We missed our lesson last week, being away, and it was good to get back into it. In the afternoon we went shopping and last night we had Ratatouille and threw in some of the chicken from Sundays roast and had a jacket potato and green beans with it. This was instead of our often, on Mondays, bubble & squeak and cold meat meal.
I have my cleaner lady here this morning.
Tonight we are having bangers and mash and I am going to sort out what I need for the Moussaka that I am going to do for Thursday, I probably have most of it, I bought the aubergine yesterday when we went shopping. I also bought some red wine as per an earlier post as I am changing from white to red.
I need to have a practice on my guitar as I haven’t touched it now in over a week.
Hey ho, coffee time.
Please take care xx
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 22, 2022 19:40:11 GMT
Good Evening, late today, Tuesday, always the busiest Day for me. How lovely to have your Brekkie on the Terrace, or Patio, Chris, tomorrow, is supposed tobe a mini Heatwave, so you will definitely be able to do it again. Lily Rose, is my eldest Son's Grandaughter, he has five Children, and between them they have six Offspring. Lily Rose, lives in Wales, and Son, has not seen her, only on Facebook, as he was ill, then they had Covid, so he will be going down in May. She is a bonny Bairn, always smiling. Second Son, Cheffie, has two Girls, with Four Children between them. Third Son, has two Girls, and Daughter, has a Son. Whew! tires me out just writing them all down. Sorry, forgot third Son, has another Girl from his first Marriage, whom I brought up, as her Mother died when she was three. She has two Boys. Have just ordered a Flat Airer, thought I could situate it at the Top of my Ramp, and save Money, by part drying Towels, etc. I do not know how poorer Families are going to manage they are struggling now, and this is only the Tip of the Iceberg. Are Children going Hungry in this Day, and Age, I don't know, but from what I hear, I suspect they are! I might stay up and wattch that new Series, Simpler Living, then I might not. Love to all, Tina x
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Post by paperman on Mar 23, 2022 9:30:03 GMT
Good morning Ladies I hope this finds you well on a very bright and sunny morning and at 13 degrees it is a little warmer than yesterday, even forecast to go up to 15 degrees around lunchtime. This is day 2 of having breakfast outside and this morning it was in company with our resident pheasant who is looking rather grand in his best plumage. I should be going to guitar class later but I am going to give that a rest for a while and continue for pleasure here at home. It is Wednesday morning and there is the usual weekly coffee and chat morning in the village hall but I am also going to give that a miss, with so much Covid now circulating here in our area I think I’ll just be a little more careful than perhaps we have of late. I have uploaded a graph so you can see how the growth in infections is over here. Having said all that, we intend going to a local restaurant this evening for an early evening meal, they have promised me a free bottle of birthday fizz and as they are a very careful establishment regarding distancing and masks etc. it should be OK. Or is it perhaps that I am just feeling somewhat paranoid about things this morning, who knows. So with all plans cancelled it is going to be a nice quiet day and we will probably go for a walk on the beach this afternoon which in this weather with almost no wind should be lovely. Now for my coffee. Please take care xx Attachments:
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Post by brightspark on Mar 23, 2022 10:59:54 GMT
Morning all,
Chris, your morning breakfast sounds delightful. A very brave pheasant seemingly not caring that you are close. Our garden is north facing, so not an option yet until it is a bit warmer - however, we do have a balcony facing south - perhaps we should arrange to have our breakfast there. This morning OH said a little muntjac wandered along the riverbank, and we are inundated currently with very noisy Canada geese in the fields - they wake very early! (noisy so and so's).
OH took his car for an MOT yesterday and it passed. Glad to say. We had a call from the MOT centre to say they'd had a cancellation, so OH quickly took it up there, otherwise it would've meant a couple of weeks, so that's a job out of the way now.
Expecting a shopping delivery today, to stock up again - we had fish pie last night, such comfort food. Always enjoyable, but this time OH told me he had found some frozen cod-in-butter-sauce in the freezer, so I thought it would be a great idea to use it up by making the fish pie. It worked very well. Individually they are a great idea when OH has the mussels, I can have an easy meal having just one of the sachets.
Just a thought - apparently from April 1st, lateral flow tests will not be free, EXCEPT for the over-75's and those over 12 with weakened immune systems. However, logging on to the NHS site is permanently suggesting there are none available. Hey-ho.
Looking at Attic24 this morning, I saw she had made some little fairy cakes, iced with hundred and thousands on top - they looked so ... eatable !! Made me want to get on and make some too. attic24.typepad.com/ scroll down to see the picture.
I must try to finish this current Bible block - I just want it done. Have a good day everyone, x
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Post by brightspark on Mar 23, 2022 18:46:27 GMT
Has anyone else tried to log in to Cottage Smallholder? I look in now'n'again, but it won't open for me - just wondering whether it has been closed??
I can't believe it, but I missed a doctor's appointment today - totally forgot about it! Perhaps it's a sign!
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Post by ambersparkle on Mar 23, 2022 21:04:14 GMT
I have been enjoying the Sun, it was lovely and warm between Two and four o'clock, and just sat out and thought about where I was going to put Things.Friend, cleaned the Pond out, I did not ask her too, and everything got it's first watering of the Year. Today, was supposed to be the hottest Day, so don't know whether it will be warm tomorrow, but if it is, will be Outside earlier, so much to do. Am shattered, so awa to my Bed. Night all. Tina x
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