Saturday

Morning!

Jase was up at the crack of dawn and I woke up at 7.30, stumbled out of bed, let the girls out and made a cuppa. Lots to do today.

Day 2 of 3 off and need to get on with some sewing, so a very quick update on the blog was called for.

Cornelia has decided to start moulting and her neck is bare, except for a few tiny quills where the new feathers are starting to grow back. She did decide to start laying at the same time. Most unusual for a hen, but she is quirky like me. 2 huge very dark brown eggs this week and she was sat on the nest when I let them out this morning. Her eggs were getting lighter, so nice to see she has recharged her ink cartridges! The others are fine and laying well.

I managed to get hold of some Bubble jet set 2000 liquid from Quilters dream!! You soak cotton fabric in it and then leave it to dry. You can then print on it with any ink jet printer!! I now need to sort out a logo and can then print out my own labels!! Dead exciting (well for me anyway)!!

I fished out my old mini stencils and made a few tags for the chutney that took an age last week.


Just something a bit different to the usual labels.

Received my first email of the year with an order for 2 medium Christmas puddings from a Lady at work. Must get on with that. Might prepare the fruit today and start it on it's week long soaking in brandy. I have lots of ceramic bowls ready as bought extra last year.

The raspberries are starting to colour up, the sweetcorn looks great and I need to dig up the potatoes soon. Tomatoes are filling the fridge, along with massive supplies of beans. The courgettes are doing ok, but not as well as I'd hoped. Probably for the best. My borlotti beans are actually doing well as it would seem the mice haven't discovered them this year. I think next door's new cat might have something to do with it.

Mum and Dad have gone to their house in Germany today, with my brother, niece and nephew. Don't envy that car journey! Hopefully it will stay nice for them.

Better get my backside in the shower and start sewing. Not long until the fair. :0)

Have a good weekend.

C x x x

What's that smell?

I decided to use up more plums today and attempted pear & plum chutney. Now, as a reasonably competent jam/jelly maker, I thought chutney would be simple. What a faff! Meticulously cutting up pounds of pears, plums and onions (even though I said I wouldn't do onions again)! into equal sized pieces, then simmering away for a few hours. A whole jam pan full of what looked like cat sick, the house stinking of vinegar and me, with the patience of a hungry dog, stirring away for an eternity.

"This chutney should be cooked in around 2.5 - 3 hours" Ermmmm, no! 4 hours later it finally resembled a brown chutneyish mush and I put it into jars. How many jars did I get from a mountain of fruit? 8. And a bit!! We aren't talking large jars either. The small 1/2 pound size. I will be selling it at the fair for around £7 a jar. Hee hee.

Pretty uninspiring brown stuff in a jar, but a fabric topper will transform it! Only 8 weeks until it is ready. It does smell good though.


Whilst watching the chutney with hawk eyes for fear of burning, I cut out some toppers for the onion jam I made the other day.
Only a few at a time, in between stirring.


The weather has been odd today. Kind of will it/won't it, rain thing going on. It didn't rain, well it hasn't so far. Nipped out quickly to get some vinegar for the aforementioned chutney and returned to the Citylink man delivering my paper bags for the fair. 100 should do it! He says anxiously.

I picked our first tomatoes yesterday. Small and juicy with a few hundred still to ripen. Have a recipe for green tomato chutney that I was planning on making, but maybe not now.......



His Lordship will be home soon, so off to start dinner, once I have removed a broody bantam from her nest.

C x x x

No more tears.

I finally have my days off and have very been busy. I got an email from the Weyhill Fairground, offering me a stall in September! Lucky I have been preparing for it for months as 6 weeks isn't enough time.

Managed to get leave at work, so have the weekend of the 25th/26th September off now. Will try and get the week off before it too, to give me time for last minute baking etc.

Jase and I spent 1/2 an hour picking plums.



..and another 1/2 an hour picking the squashed ones off the lawn. Very windy last night and a few more pounds have fallen overnight. The blackbirds and Bluetits seem to like them!

One basket went into the pan.....


.....which resulted in these..... -



......and these! -


I have another 5 pints of plum juice in the fridge and a huge basket of plums on the porch. Plum and pear chutney is the next job to do.

Decided to go for a more savoury jam as well. Rachel Allen's onion jam is delish, so I made one or two jars! After peeling nearly 3kilos of onions, I'd had enough.


I did manage to make 17 jars though. Lovely with cheese on toast or added to gravy! Have labeled them and just need to add a fabric topper.

Have made a list of everything to take with me to the craft fair. Have quite a bit of stuff and will bake oatie biscuits the day before, as they went down well last year. Still not sure if I have enough, but time is now limited so I won't have a chance to make much more. If I can get the week before off, then it will be 'sewing central' at the cottage.

Cornelia is no longer broody *smiles*. Exactly 21 days since she started, she snapped out of it. What a text book chicken! She hasn't laid yet, but insists on keeping Agnes company when she goes into the eglu to lay.

We are looking after next door's bantams again and Marigold is broody (for a change)!.....Lily is laying, but Lavender appears to be moulting. I am turfing Marigold off the nest a few times a day, but she is a determined little fluffy Madame.

The house is back to some sort of normality. I said to J the other day, that it was cluttered, making my mind cluttered. He stared at me blankly. I know what I mean. The office (my dumping ground) is such a mess that I can't see the bed. I have to get it sorted out as it is getting me down. The lounge is reasonably ok and just needs a quick dust and hoover. Kitchen is getting there slowly. It is clean, but the table attracts paperwork that needs filing away. I popped into The Range and picked up some plastic storage crates, so at least my craft fair stuff is neat and tidy.

The shed is full of old layers pellet sacks and general stuff that should have been thrown away a while ago. It will get a spring clean before autumn. He says hopefully!! Am tempted to give it a fresh lick of paint, as it hasn't been done since we put it up 4 years ago. I'm thinking forget-me-not blue as I have a can in the outbuilding.

Enough waffling on, Mum and Dad are on their way over as I haven't seen them for weeks. Better clean the downstairs loo!

C x x

A little white lie somewhere...

Finished my 6 days at work now. I actually finished on Wednesday, but was helping out at the Omlet stall at the New Forest Show yesterday. A very long day, but good fun. At the end of the day, I was given the thrilling task of catching the hens from the run and 'popping them into the box'. Erm, yes, easier said than done. Crawling into the run to the sound of Quin from Omlet giggling!
I do have to say, I have never met such Kamikaze chickens before! They were jumping everywhere to escape my clutches, but I caught them in the end. Only 1 6" scratch for efforts.

The holiday was wonderful, we were both desperate to get away. Stress at work has been awful, so escaping to Portugal was great. We did very little, just sat my the pool (in speedos)!! and went out for dinner in the evening. *Those of you that know me will be relieved to hear, that there were very high walls around the villa, so my gut hanging over the speedos, didn't offend the locals*
**Those of you that don't know me - I am fortunate to have the body of a God. I can eat what i like and never gain weight - I am proud of my 6 pack, 30" waist and broad swimmer's build shoulders**

When we got home, we discovered Cornelia was broody. According to my neighbours, she was clamped to the nest the day after we left. She is still broody 18 days on, with no sign of snapping out of it! She is very unimpressed when grabbed and turfed off the nest and will fluff herself up and sit on the ground.


The courgettes are doing well. I have already picked quite a few of these round ones -


I'm picking blueberries every day. The netting and chicken wire I put up earlier in the year has thwarted the blackbirds attempts at fruit poaching, but as a result, the weeds are bad in that bed and the cranberries are suffering. Will weed next week.


My onions were in a bed, not covered by the watering system and have really suffered. It has been the driest summer since 1957 (according to Gardener's World, I am not that old)!! Do you think they have gone to seed slightly??!!


The milder weather has been a hit with fruit trees though! Our pear tree is full of fruit and I might need to support a few branches.



We have thousands of plums on our tree. This is the first year that it has produced any fruit.





I picked about 6 pounds today, which I cooked and will make Plum and Ginger jam tomorrow. Only another 60+ pounds (minimum) to go! I have some rhubarb in the freezer, so will do a few jars of plum and rhubarb too.
I made 3 jars of raspberry jam (Mum, don't tell Dad, a couple of jars are going in his Christmas hamper) and it is delicious. Looking forward to more raspberries later next month, as the raspberry bed is a jungle of canes.

Sorry to mention Christmas, but now is a good time to think about jams, jellies and chutneys for presents. I have been squirreling the odd jar away every now and again.

I didn't manage to pinch out the growing tips of the runner beans, so might need a recipe for bean chutney. They are too tall now, I can't reach.



My best success this year is my sweetcorn plants. After a slow start with mouse protection in the mini greenhouse, it is doing very well. I have rigged up a mini sprinkler today, which should keep it well watered for the next few weeks.



Also planted out more spinach and chard to see the hens through the winter. I think I will redo the veggie beds this year. Double the height and bury the watering pipes will make it more attractive. I might even paint the wood dark green to blend in better. More jobs to add to my list.

Only a couple of months until the Michaelmas Fair (scroll down a bit, I am not doing junior cupcakes, hee hee). They usually expect 6,000 visitors over the weekend, so I need to get a wiggle on with my fabric things.

Need to go to bed now, so speak soon!

C x x

The Wanderer returns

Hello Everyone! I'm back from Portugal. Just a quick hello as back at work now, but will update again soon.

5 more days at work and then off, so will find the time to blog then.

Hope you are all well?

C x x

Herbs a go go

Evening!

Had Mum and Dad over for dinner tonight. They have just left with 18 eggs and a jar of jam. Mum is angling after a quilt as was quite rightly stated by SusanK!

I have one more day off and then back to work for 5 days. Then we are off to Portugal! Can't wait. Speedos were ordered on the t'interweb and arrived safely. Let me explain. Speedos are awful things and I would never wear them in public. However, when it comes to sun bathing by a private pool, with a very tall white wall around the house and gardens, I am prepared to give them a go. They set my 6 pack off nicely. Well they would if I had a 6 pack.

My rings arrived from ebay, so have finished off my little birdhouse keyrings -





Thanks for the suggestions, I am still working my way through a few more ideas. Think I will have enough bits and bobs for the stall. Still haven't got the day off yet, but working on it.

We had a 4 egg day today!! Cornelia was making a racket and spent much of yesterday on the nest. Well, she came through and gave us a full house!

The garden is doing so well, which is great as I have been away for 6 days. My sweetcorn is actually growing properly!! Albeit stumpy little plants, but thickening up nicely and keeping everything crossed that I will get a few cobs. The herb planter outside the kitchen window has gone nuts.



Feeling ever so slightly rough again, but nothing that Jason's Beechams powders won't cure. He swears by them. Just a head cold, but haven't felt normal since the beginning of May and getting hacked off with it now.
Getting my iphone has cheered me up though. I spent yesterday downloading 'apps' for it, including a word search, sodoku, grow your own veg, claratyn's pollen counter and Ikea!!! I love it! I am quite disappointed there isn't a Laura Ashley app. Maybe that is for the best.


Just a quickie tonight, as off to bed now with a Lemsip.

Have a lovely weekend.

C x x

Ideas please

I went back to work on Friday and wasn't really looking forward to it. It turned out to be a wonderful trip, with great crew that had me laughing constantly for 3 days. We all went out in Vienna and had a lovely meal in the park. Then flew onto Glasgow for the night and went out again. I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home at 7pm last night.

Getting back into my uniform was a struggle after 6 weeks off. I don't think I pigged out too much whilst off sick, but the lack of exercise obviously took it's toll. When I say exercise, you know what I mean. It's not that I missed going to the gym, as I don't go anyway, but the lack of dashing around, weeding, hoovering and general things means that I am spreading. Not in a good way. Nearly garroted myself when I put my tie on.

Was up at 5am this morning and am now in Milan, in the scorching heat, with my mosquito spray at the ready! The place is full of them. My solar powdered mozzie repellant gizmo is charging by the window, in case I decide to go out for dinner later.

I was tinkering with ideas for the craft fair and thought about peg bags? Would you buy one? That is the problem I am having at the moment. Deciding what to make, so if you have any ideas, then please leave a comment!




I went into Marlborough last week and popped into Dible and Roy. Couldn't resist this gorgeous dotty fabric! I made 3 bags and want to keep them. Hee hee. Not very manly though!


When I got home last night I went into the garden to see the progress the veggies were making. The runner beans are now in flower, with the borlotti beans slowly catching up. The strawberry bed is doing really well. Jase picked a bowl full and I got a fair few too.


The netting is the only way to stop the blackbird eating them! I have had to cover the patio planter too, as Mrs Blackbird is sneaky and pecks away at any red strawbs she sees.

I made one more batch of elderflower cordial, so now have 12 pretty glass bottles for the stall. Need to think of some way of wrapping them? Might just use a fabric topper and nice label.

Jase has been off work sick this week. After a lovely week 'glamping' in Scotland, he came home with a bag of washing and a stinking cold. He sounded better this morning, but still not right. He is now under strict instructions from me to do nothing, drink lots and not to go back to work until he is better.

I have finally received my PAC from O2, so can now get my new iphone from Vodaphone. Will pop into the shop in the terminal when I get back from Milan tomorrow. Looking forward to entering the 21st century finally!!

Decision made, need to have a quick shower now and will pop out with the crew for a pizza I think. Shorts and tshirt at the ready!

Have a lovely week in the heat. Remember, the hose pipe bans will start soon! *wink*

C x x

The last square....

It's that time of year again. Elderflower cordial time!

I have bottled this batch and it is tucked away in the outbuilding fridge. Will make another batch later in the week.



The garden is doing well and with a couple of major showers, hasn't needed much watering. The weeds seem to appreciate the water!


I had some some basil seeds so planted them in a tin in the kitchen -



We have loads of pears on the little tree I planted a couple of years ago. Hopefully they will make it and I can bottle some this year.



I have been feeling much better this week. Still not 100% but much chirpier than the past couple of weeks. Am off until the 25th June and then it's back to the grind stone for 6 days. I spent most of this week sewing and sat in the armchair trying to take it easy. Managed to get a few projects done.

Strawberries!


Which are a bit riper than our own!


A couple of fabric bags like this -



Paper bookmarks, made using lovely patterned paper for scrap booking. I have made about 20 for the stall in September. (If I can get leave)!!


and yet more egg cosies -






BUT the big news is, I have finally finished my quilt. Thanks to Ricky and Janet at Quilters dream, who showed me how to do the finishing touches!



I am sooo pleased with it. It has taken me ages, but for a first attempt I think it looks great. I'll have to start another one now, as the finished result looks so good. Enough blowing of my own trumpet!

The girls are laying ok. Ish. Cornelia has laid one egg in 10 days. Shame as her eggs as dark brown and huge. She was the only one not camera shy yesterday. The others scarpered under the privet hedge.


I popped into the Weyhill Fairground to speak to them about the Michaelmas fair in September. I have to do both days (which is fine) and I have asked for the same plot as last year, but with an extra table. Kind of a 'L' shape stall if possible. Last year, there just wasn't enough room for everything I had made, so I hope that I can get the extra space this year. Jase is worrying me, telling me to make loads of stuff, but I am concerned it won't sell. I think the crayon rolls will be popular. As will the bags, but unsure of what else to make. I think the wheat bags will go down well again, as they seemed really popular last year.

Made several more Scottie dog brooches and they sold like hot cakes last time round. They are really fiddly to make, but everyone loves them. I have sent my egg cosies to Omlet to put in their on line shop, so we will see if they sell. I need more confidence in what I do.

I have cut of loads to take on holiday with me. Sitting my the pool sewing away to my hearts content. Will take some scottie dogs too.

We are both really looking forward to our hols this year. 10 days in a friend's villa. Confirmed seats both ways, so no worrying about 'will we get on' etc. We both need a break from the stresses of life and this will do it. Less than a month to go! Yayyyyyy.


Right, better dash. A few last this to do before I tidy up the lounge. Fabric scraps get everywhere!
I am visiting my Gran in Kent tomorrow, so have made her a bag and will fill it with 1/2 dozen eggs and some chocolate biscuits I baked today.




Nigella's chocolate biscuits. Naughty but nice! I did save a couple for when Jase gets home tomorrow. Well, there were more than a couple, but quality control meant that there aren't that many left. *blushes*

Nighty night all. Hope you are all ok?

C x x

p.s Ooooh, I forgot to mention the new look (as if you hadn't noticed)! What do you think. I like the fresh look to it. Have changed a couple of fonts after feedback saying it was hard to read, so hopefully that is better now?

The Blood bank

Good morning! (just)!

Hello peeps and sorry for not blogging in a while. Still off sick and have just returned from the hospital for blood tests (6 vials in total, convinced they are selling it)!! Doctor thinks I might have had glandular fever as am still so exhausted. Best thing is rest which I am finding very hard to do. Things are getting better and I do have more energy, but am still taking it easy. If I do too much it floors me for a couple of hours and I have to have a nap. Me asleep in the armchair a la 'old man', is a regular sight!

I have been busy (not in a run-around-flat-out kind of way), making a few bits and pieces this week.

I started with a tea cosy and managed to finally work out the best way to applique letters!



I love the daisy fabric which I bought from Quilters Dream along with lots of other designs I have spent far too much money on. One of which was this Japanese woven cotton, which I made into a crayon holder -



and the inside -




Continuing with the daisy theme, I made a small iphone case (I will get mine eventually)!



On the way back from the hospital, I popped in to see Ricky (hello)! and picked up more 'traffic print' to make a few more crayon rolls. Seemed a shame not to, as it was kind of on the way home. Needless to say, I picked up more that I ought to as always. I do have lots of nice fabric to make a few more rolls. All will be sold at the craft fair in September, if I get a wiggle on.

I sold a bag to the lovely Sarah last week. She saw it on here (the grey bag with white leaves hanging on my door). I added a padded gingham heart as I try to do with everything I sell. Nearly ran out of them, so made another 20 or so this week.



I need to finish them off with a loop of embroidery thread, so they can be hung up and then I'm done. That is a job to do when the tv is on and I can sit and sew.

Time is ticking and I wish I was feeling 100%, as I have so much to do. The garden is a jungle, well covered in creeping buttercups at least, and needs a thorough weeding session. The weather was great until yesterday when the heavens opened. At least my water butts are full again. We have 3 and need a couple more. The outbuilding and garage both need guttering and then we can have another 2 butts. 5 should be enough.

The veggie garden is looking quite lush, with raspberry canes coming up like triffids. The onions have gone to seed, so need digging up, but the radishes are being consumed (by me) and have planted more. The greenhouse is nearly empty (not that it is a huge Kew gardens affair) with just a couple of pumpkin plants to go out and the swiss chard to find a home for.

I discovered a chickpea, couscous and green lentil salad recipe and am eating it all the time. Soaking chickpeas overnight and then boiling them is a faff, but the salad is lovely. Add a few cubes of feta, some raw cashew nuts and a creamy dressing and you are practically eating a health food. Nearly. Taking of which, my chickpeas are ready, so time to get lunch organised.

Have a lovely week everyone and will post again soon with more pictures.

C x x

P.s The Girls are all fine. Getting 2-3 eggs a day, but once again Cornelia is only laying when it suits her. When she does grace us with an egg it is a whopper, so mustn't grumble.

The Chicken Whisperer

Monday didn't start too well. I woke up feeling the worst I have ever felt. Tight throat again and the same hacking cough, but pain further down my throat. Then I tried to talk. And couldn't. Now you have to understand, some people are quite quiet and can happily plod through life without too much conversation. I am NOT one of those people. A quick phone call is always an hour. My 2 hour chicken courses last at least 2 1/2 hours. You catch my drift? Hee hee.

So, I resorted to a croaky whisper. After lots of help from Jase and NetDoctor.com (the internet is amazing, if a little scary), Laryngitis was diagnosed. Rest, no caffeine (which includes diet coke, could things get any worse)???, no talking, no smoking, lots of fruit tea (makes me heave) and more rest. By Monday afternoon I called the Doctor's and had a very quiet conversation with the receptionist. The Doctor was busy, but managed to call me back and spoke to Jase, who went through my symptoms. Yes, Laryngitis. No antibiotics as it is viral and wouldn't do any good.

By Wednesday, my Birthday, I felt better but was talking in a voice akin to Barry White. Woke up to a blackberry and nettle tea (heave) and opened my pressies! Determined to not let it get me down.

Jase got me lots of dvds, mainly because he bought some months ago and put them away for safe keeping and forgot! Sounds just like me! The complete set of Dinnerladies, Avatar, 2012, The Inbetweeners and a new electric toothbrush that sonically removes the skin from the roof of your mouth. Also got a new compost scoop to shovel chicken bedding, a large cloth bag filled with books, a propogator, bookmark, ribbon, a wooden hanging chicken and money towards my new iphone, if I ever get round to getting one! More chicken cards than you could shake a stick at. What is it about that expression?? Never understood it!?!

Next door made me a teddy bear! He even has a chicken in his apron!! (she based him on me, always wearing an apron when I pop over).


View her other bears at Lovelock Bears

The propogator was set up before breakfast and filled with sweetcorn and squash seeds before the toast had popped up! Unbelievably, the seedlings are up already! I love my Propogator!

Will sit down later and read through My new Allotment book and see what I should have done in May! Desperate to get outside and do some weeding, but for once I have to stop and rest. The smallest thing exhausts me and I am getting slightly concerned now. If I am not feeling better by tonight, then I will go and see the Doctor tomorrow. Just to confirm it is laryngitis.

The garden is in bloom and starting to look summery. I was brave and bit the bullet as far as frost was concerned. The tomatoes were planted out (but with fleece at the ready, just in case). I have 5 more plants upstairs on a sunny windowsill and 10 more plants in the greenhouse.


The spinach and strawberries are coming into their own and flowering well. The enviromesh is now left off as the sparrows don't seem that interested.


My little rainbow chard seedlings will soon be ready to plant out. Not sure quite where to put them as the veggie garden is already planned. Might tuck them amongst the flower borders as they are striking plants.


Rob next door made a dust bath house for a lady on one of my hen courses. Here is it!


I have just received an email from her friend who would also like one. I should get commission!

I had to cancel my quilt stretching session at the local Quilter's Dream and was quite disappointed. But there is no rush (sorry to start with a 'but') - I will get it finished soon. I decided to play around and make something, just to sit and sew really.
A little hen change purse!


Her little tail doubles as a zip tab and I have lined the purse in green fabric. Couldn't find an egg fabric as that would have been ideal!

Next door are away and we are bantam sitting again. 2 of the 3 are now broody and clamped to the nest 24/7. I keep going over and turfing them off, but within 2 minutes they are back again, grumbling away. Once Lilly, the White Pekin, has laid I shut off the nesting area, but they still find somewhere to brood.

Loved this picture of Lavender and Marigold!


It was scorching hot yesterday and the girls weren't happy. They spent most of the day under the privet hedge avoiding the sun. I made sure they had extra water and put another shade over the run to give them more protection from the sun. Cornelia's egg drought is over and we have had 4 large dark brown eggs from her this week. Just seen that she is sat on the nest, so it might be five!

I did a chicken course yesterday as was feeling better on Friday night. After 2 hours, I was exhausted and wished I had cancelled it. Nice group though and happy to cuddle a broody bantam! Once everyone had left I slept for 2 hours.

Looks like it is going to be hot again today as it is 21C already and only 9.30. Umbrella is up. Caffeine free diet coke is chilling and books are waiting for me. *smiles*

Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

C x x x