Healthy Crops At The Allotment

Today has been beautifully sunny for most of the day so we got our jobs done in the morning then set off to the allotment to give everything a good watering.

The eating apples (unknown variety) are small and lots have been nibbled by something but I think quite a few will be OK.  We have no idea how soon we can pick them so will just have to play it by ear....

The cooking apples, Bramley's we think, are doing well but, each time we go, there are windfalls on the ground all blighted.  At this rate there will be none left to pick.  Does anyone have a clue why they are dropping please?

The bed below contains healthy leeks, lettuce and chard.....

These are the potatoes.  We are digging up a plant every few days, working our way from left to right.....

We have grown these sunflowers to feed the birds and insects and will leave them in place until the seeds have all been eaten.....

Below is a mixed bed of peas and celery and behind that a bed of green manure which G intends to dig in around the end of October to enrich the soil....

Our pride and joy are the runner beans. They are so healthy looking and already producing mature pods.  We took a bag of them to my brother as well as some freshly dug new potatoes, a lettuce and some chard.  Its exciting feeding others!

Changing the subject....I can't get along with this new blogger either.  It won't let me do certain things 😕 which I did perfectly well before.  I HATE change, do you?

A warm welcome to Debby and Anna, my new followers, hello!

Anyway thats all  my news for now.

Stay safe wherever in  the world you happen to be x

No Food In The House???

Somehow this week I have taken my eye off the ball regarding food planning so this morning, when I examined the contents of fridge and freezer for our Sunday lunch, I  found very little.   No meat for G, no ready meals, no vegetarian alternative protein either.  After speaking to my daughter, she came up with a cunning plan (remember Black Adder? ......lol )  A rummage in the bottom of the fridge produced 3 small carrots and a red onion so G was despatched to the allotment pronto to pick the first runner beans and dig up a few potatoes.  I parboiled the sliced potatoes and sliced carrots until almost tender then piled everything into a dish (except potatoes) threw in a handful of our homegrown frozen broadbeans, then topped it all with the spuds and about 3/4 pint of cheese sauce. Some grated cheese on top, then into a hot oven for 30 mins......not only delicious but we have enough left for tomorrow too.

Whilst that was cooking, I made some crumble topping to put on top of homegrown stewed rhubarb mixed with some frozen homegrown blackcurrants i found in the freezer.  30 mins in the oven produced two crumbles, big enough to share with the last scrapings of ice cream from the tub.  That's tomorrow's meal, sorted as well then ;)  It will have to be packet custard with the crumble though.....

The food delivery isn't coming until Wednesday afternoon so Tuesday will have to be baked beans and chips for tea. Another easy meal.

Earlier in the week we decided to treat ourselves to a bench for the back garden.  Sometimes its just too hot to sit on the patio in the full sun and there is a lovely shady spot next to the shed. So...a new bench was collected from Ashwood Nurseries.  It was a flat pack but G assembled it in no time and gave it a coat of varnish to protect it.  Its got a lovely curved back right by the bit of the spine in the lower back where we need it most.  I have been taking my early morning mug of tea outside to drink sitting on the new bench.  The lights along the shed are battery powered and cost the princely sum of £5.

Thats all my news right now....

Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x

Relaxing Times For Once

Crikey, the last week has simply flown by, nothing exciting, just life in general.  Apart from yesterday that is.  We are now in a 'bubble' with DD and the GC and as GS will be 13 next Wednesday we were invited to tea yesterday.  He chose pizzas for tea with salad; yummy vegetable ones at that, and then he had a surprise chocolate birthday cake which we all had a slice of.  It was wonderful spending lots of time  with them just talking, laughing, eating together and then playing card games and dominoes until it was time to come home.  It's the most relaxed we have all been for months :)

Its been a lovely sunny day today.  G has washed the car and done a bit of gardening while I spent a happy couple of hours crafting quietly and listening to the radio (although I turned it down when the news came on so as not to spoil the ambience with news of you-know-what)  Lunch was a sandwich and tea will be a ready meal each so not much effort involved other than to stick them in the oven!  It's now just after 4pm and we are relaxing together with the breeze wafting through the open French doors. Bliss....

How was your weekend?

Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x

A New Me!

 I had my hair washed, cut and blow dried this morning.  It's the best £19 I have spent in a long time 👍😊 I feel half a stone lighter😁

I am so pleased to see that we have some more tomatoes ripening on the plants in the garden.  These ones are called Sungold and are sweet with tender skins......

At the allotment we have a glut of broad beans at the moment.  Because of the failure of the ones last year, G over compensated by sowing far too many so I have been delivering bags of them to family, friends and neighbours alike .  The freezer is also stuffed to the gills with them!  Any suggestions for broad bean inclusive recipes anyone? ;)

Stat safe everyone.  Have a great weekend x