Well a late start as we went to bed at 3am, but had a good day with a bit of logpile stacking, some compost bin filling, pruning brambles, to give me a layer of carbon rich/aeration material, and sorting out stuff for drying.
Later, I had a go at making 'raspapple', as Richard gave me about 9 punnets of raspberries yesterday, which were unsaleable as some of the fruit was going off. Gill sorted out enough to make a little pie, leaving me the rest... I removed the worst ones and brought the rest up to the boil on the woodstove, and sieved off the juice. I then put the pulp back on the stove with a bit of water, and after this had come to the boil, sieved it again, giving me a cup of raspberry juice. Then I got a load of already dried apple rings, which I have a lot of, and in small batches, put them in the juice to soak up a bit of raspberry flavour. I then put these for redrying on the rack on the stove.
I cut up the banana and cranberry leather which had fully dried... in fact, some bits had got to the crunchy stage, which isn't what I wanted, as it should be leathery. So I got a jar full of these strips, and some extra bits which didn't fit. I invited my boys to try these offcuts and got a big thumbs up.
So a quiet and pleasant day. No hiccups, no hassles, quite productive.
Showing posts with label Fruit leather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fruit leather. Show all posts
Another late start. Another fairly nothingy day.... although I started it by making up my muesli. As we've had a Suma delivery recently, I put in some chocolate raisins and yoghurt raisins, as well as my home-made raisins, dried pears, dried pineapple, foraged almonds and home-grown walnuts. Delicious!
Also I made a really nice fruit leather. Richard had given me 2 bags of cranberries so I sorted those... there were lots of mushy ones, so I just kept the firm ones, washed and drained. Then I got 3 bunches of frosted bananas, all black and soft, but the banana flesh inside was still pale, although looked cooked. I put these in the liquidiser with the juice of 3 or 4 limes, and then put the resultant pink semisolid into a sieve and spent a good long time wiping it through with what we call a 'last lick', a soft spatula used to scrape stuff out of bowls and pans.
So, this puree was poured into a shallow tray, lined with a plastic bag, one from two rolls I got for free from somewhere, and balanced this precariously on the lid of a saucepan on the stove. Too precariously as it slipped and tipped, but I got to it in time to stop more than a few spoonfuls falling out and onto the hearth.
I had another 'use it up' tea. I found a little box of sage and onion stuffing in the back of a cupboard whilst sorting things out, with a best before date of 2004. But as it was in a sealed packet, so I decided to mix it with some assorted veg, some rice left over from yesterday, and mixed it with hot water, as per instructions, and then microwaved the lot in a sort of nutloaf style. The kids had left half a tin of pasta hoops in tomato sauce, so I heated this on the stove and poured this over the portion of stuffing loaf. Not too bad.
Used a big can of wood-heated water for a bath for one of the boys, and then enjoyed watching the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture with my other son, although he said he felt patronised as 'everyone already knew about how Velcro works'.
Later, I peeled and sliced a load of frosted kiwis to dry, and a few pears.
Also I made a really nice fruit leather. Richard had given me 2 bags of cranberries so I sorted those... there were lots of mushy ones, so I just kept the firm ones, washed and drained. Then I got 3 bunches of frosted bananas, all black and soft, but the banana flesh inside was still pale, although looked cooked. I put these in the liquidiser with the juice of 3 or 4 limes, and then put the resultant pink semisolid into a sieve and spent a good long time wiping it through with what we call a 'last lick', a soft spatula used to scrape stuff out of bowls and pans.
So, this puree was poured into a shallow tray, lined with a plastic bag, one from two rolls I got for free from somewhere, and balanced this precariously on the lid of a saucepan on the stove. Too precariously as it slipped and tipped, but I got to it in time to stop more than a few spoonfuls falling out and onto the hearth.
I had another 'use it up' tea. I found a little box of sage and onion stuffing in the back of a cupboard whilst sorting things out, with a best before date of 2004. But as it was in a sealed packet, so I decided to mix it with some assorted veg, some rice left over from yesterday, and mixed it with hot water, as per instructions, and then microwaved the lot in a sort of nutloaf style. The kids had left half a tin of pasta hoops in tomato sauce, so I heated this on the stove and poured this over the portion of stuffing loaf. Not too bad.
Used a big can of wood-heated water for a bath for one of the boys, and then enjoyed watching the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture with my other son, although he said he felt patronised as 'everyone already knew about how Velcro works'.
Later, I peeled and sliced a load of frosted kiwis to dry, and a few pears.
I had a very sedentary day, doing mainly paperwork and admin.
I created an invoice for a gig in a few weeks time and sent it electronically to my client, a Housing Association. I wrote a confirmation letter to a lady who's booked me for her retirement party. I confirmed a gig in Preston with my agent and sent a Freecycled DVD to someone who'd requested it, one of a large pile of DVDs and CDs I'd found in a skip. I decided I'd see if anyone on Freecycle wanted the insulating plastic flex from all the copper wire I've been stripping, and was amazed and delighted to get a taker.... but I don't know what she wants it for yet! (not that's any of my business, but I'm curious!)
I also found several bills which need paying and some paperwork which needs filing. However I didn't find the paperwork from the WHSmith gig in Malton weeks ago, which I need to process before I get paid. More searching tomorrow. One of my facebook friends joked that I needed an administrator and yes, I reckon I could use her.... I think she works in an office and seems very organised!
Before tea I went down the garden for an hour of compost tumbler filling, bean picking and windfall collecting.
After tea I chopped up a lot of James Grieve windfall apples and liquidised them with the stewed blackberries, then put the puree through a sieve, and the seed-free and fibre-free slurp went into a non stick tray on the stove and will end up as fruit leather. The stuff that didn't go through the sieve is going to be mixed with water, boiled on the woodstove and left to drain through the sieve to make a blackberry and apple drink. I really like to get the most off my home grown fruit crops.
I created an invoice for a gig in a few weeks time and sent it electronically to my client, a Housing Association. I wrote a confirmation letter to a lady who's booked me for her retirement party. I confirmed a gig in Preston with my agent and sent a Freecycled DVD to someone who'd requested it, one of a large pile of DVDs and CDs I'd found in a skip. I decided I'd see if anyone on Freecycle wanted the insulating plastic flex from all the copper wire I've been stripping, and was amazed and delighted to get a taker.... but I don't know what she wants it for yet! (not that's any of my business, but I'm curious!)
I also found several bills which need paying and some paperwork which needs filing. However I didn't find the paperwork from the WHSmith gig in Malton weeks ago, which I need to process before I get paid. More searching tomorrow. One of my facebook friends joked that I needed an administrator and yes, I reckon I could use her.... I think she works in an office and seems very organised!
Before tea I went down the garden for an hour of compost tumbler filling, bean picking and windfall collecting.
After tea I chopped up a lot of James Grieve windfall apples and liquidised them with the stewed blackberries, then put the puree through a sieve, and the seed-free and fibre-free slurp went into a non stick tray on the stove and will end up as fruit leather. The stuff that didn't go through the sieve is going to be mixed with water, boiled on the woodstove and left to drain through the sieve to make a blackberry and apple drink. I really like to get the most off my home grown fruit crops.
ahh, a lie-in... not too surprising considering I was up til 3am last night, and saw the beginnings of dawn lighting the sky... I was preparing dried fruit (well, fruit for drying) and cooking potatoes, writing blog, playing Scrabble and chatting...
I did get up at 7.30 to help Gill with something, but went back to bed and didn't get up til 10.
I then got busy with paperwork; my pile of paper (intray!) had got too tall to stay vertical and therefore slumped and spread out. This is the signal I need that I should go through it and find the stuff which needs doing. I found some items which needed filling in, putting in envelopes, sending etc and did this. Went to the Post Office round the corner and sent one thing off with a 'signed-for' ticket.
Gill went to get our youngest and I cut the privet hedge at the front, with the shears, and when our eldest came home, he had a go with the shears and cut a bit of the hedge, which I was pleased with. I shredded this and added several sacks of shredded hedge and fruit/veg 'resources' to the Compostumbler. Riddled some more compost ready to mix into potting medium, to continue filling the pots of tomatoes, which need a few more centimetres of soil/compost mix adding.
Gill made tea, she fried the potatoes I boiled last night and added to the veg stew thing.
A quiet evening, made some fruit leather from apricots and nectarines and three apples. Should be a good-un when it's dried and been cut into strips.
I did get up at 7.30 to help Gill with something, but went back to bed and didn't get up til 10.
I then got busy with paperwork; my pile of paper (intray!) had got too tall to stay vertical and therefore slumped and spread out. This is the signal I need that I should go through it and find the stuff which needs doing. I found some items which needed filling in, putting in envelopes, sending etc and did this. Went to the Post Office round the corner and sent one thing off with a 'signed-for' ticket.
Gill went to get our youngest and I cut the privet hedge at the front, with the shears, and when our eldest came home, he had a go with the shears and cut a bit of the hedge, which I was pleased with. I shredded this and added several sacks of shredded hedge and fruit/veg 'resources' to the Compostumbler. Riddled some more compost ready to mix into potting medium, to continue filling the pots of tomatoes, which need a few more centimetres of soil/compost mix adding.
Gill made tea, she fried the potatoes I boiled last night and added to the veg stew thing.
A quiet evening, made some fruit leather from apricots and nectarines and three apples. Should be a good-un when it's dried and been cut into strips.
Had a mini-lie in... til after 9. But then zoomed into the garden to continue riddling mature compost so I could take some down to the veg shop for distribution. I got just 5 carrier bags worth ready and took them down to Country Fresh, getting some provisions at the same time, and then heading off to St Nicks for their 5th anniversary of the surrounding area being designated a Nature Reserve.
Met Jean Claude my new Chilean friend, who bought my last Carbon Detox ticket off me... that means I've sold 18, not including mine and Gill's. I'm pleased with this. There is now a special deal on at the Theatre Royal, two tickets for the price of one... a 'Buy One, Get One Free' offer! so any folks still thinking about whether to come to see George Marshall's one-man stand up comedy show can now come with a friend for a tenner... see you on Tuesday folks!
The event at St Nicks was good, soup and bread, coffee and good company. Gill and the boys came down, and some of the boys' friends appeared which was a blessing... A photographer took some commemorative pictures and there were speeches from Pat Hearn, chair of the Friends of St Nicks, Barry Potter, chair of York Natural Environment Trust and Andrew Waller, leader of the Council, who just happens to be a trained Rotter and keen composter too!
I didn't have time to go on the new Tree Trail guided walk, as I had to get back home to tidy myself up, get changed, circus stuff packed and cycle off to Osbaldwick to do a party at 3pm. It was, as usual, a good party. The children were on the lively side of average... quite a noisy audience but lots of participation and fun, and the mum commented on my ability to hold their attention. Several of the youngsters said to me afterwards that they wanted to have a Professor Fiddlesticks party, so I told them to tell their parents! Finished on the dot of 5, having had a 55 minute circus show and workshop and 40 minute modelling balloon activity.
Later, at about 11pm, I popped out to retrieve the wood from that skip, quietly. Two cycle trailer loads... excellent!
Answered several composting queries on Facebook, and prepared an interesting fruit leather... about 15 passion fruit which had been rejected by one or other of the shops, plus maybe 15 bananas... liquidised together and pushed through a sieve and the resultant smooth pulp put in a tray for drying on the woodstove. Smells heavenly!
Met Jean Claude my new Chilean friend, who bought my last Carbon Detox ticket off me... that means I've sold 18, not including mine and Gill's. I'm pleased with this. There is now a special deal on at the Theatre Royal, two tickets for the price of one... a 'Buy One, Get One Free' offer! so any folks still thinking about whether to come to see George Marshall's one-man stand up comedy show can now come with a friend for a tenner... see you on Tuesday folks!
The event at St Nicks was good, soup and bread, coffee and good company. Gill and the boys came down, and some of the boys' friends appeared which was a blessing... A photographer took some commemorative pictures and there were speeches from Pat Hearn, chair of the Friends of St Nicks, Barry Potter, chair of York Natural Environment Trust and Andrew Waller, leader of the Council, who just happens to be a trained Rotter and keen composter too!
I didn't have time to go on the new Tree Trail guided walk, as I had to get back home to tidy myself up, get changed, circus stuff packed and cycle off to Osbaldwick to do a party at 3pm. It was, as usual, a good party. The children were on the lively side of average... quite a noisy audience but lots of participation and fun, and the mum commented on my ability to hold their attention. Several of the youngsters said to me afterwards that they wanted to have a Professor Fiddlesticks party, so I told them to tell their parents! Finished on the dot of 5, having had a 55 minute circus show and workshop and 40 minute modelling balloon activity.
On the way home I spotted a skip with some good big chunks of untreated wood in, so I stopped and knocked on the door, and asked if I might later go and retrieve them to recycle them, to which the answer was of course!
Home soon... and needed to collapse as the concentration and unicycling around is hard work, and both my sons were both very cuddly and loving, which was unexpected and very welcome! Watched 'You've Been Framed' and 'Harry Hill's TV Burp' which are definite favourites in this house!Later, at about 11pm, I popped out to retrieve the wood from that skip, quietly. Two cycle trailer loads... excellent!
Answered several composting queries on Facebook, and prepared an interesting fruit leather... about 15 passion fruit which had been rejected by one or other of the shops, plus maybe 15 bananas... liquidised together and pushed through a sieve and the resultant smooth pulp put in a tray for drying on the woodstove. Smells heavenly!
I cycled down to school with our youngest son as the roads were clear, and came back to get going with the large pile of washing up. Then jarred up some dried fruit and did emails, and before lunch took three wheelbarrows-worth of split logs down to the covered logpile, and did a good job of building a couple of self-supporting walls. It's like a jigsaw... there's definitely ways which the different shapes will fit snugly together.. and plenty which will result in the stack falling over. I love doing it!
Lunch was lovely, apart from seeing the distressing scenes over in Australia with the Bushfires destroying so many lives, livelihoods and homes. We should, however, expect more of this as the climate shifts and we experience more droughts and extreme weather. It's not going to be easy.
After lunch I got a phone call from a TV producer up in Middlesborough looking for a 'Freegan' to interview. Spent at least half an hour talking to him about the various ways in which I live cheaply, get things for free, collect aluminium cans and occasional scrap metal and sell it, use the LETS and Freecycle networks, and give stuff for free too, such as composting advice, and many hours voluntary work with a plethora of local groups, and more. It looks like I'll be going up to Middlesborough next week, but nothing's been agreed yet.
I collected our son from school, on the way delivering 5 litres of Ecover Clothes Washing Liquid to one of our friends who participates in our Food Co-op.
I did a final (hahahahaha) load of chainsawing and wooding in the front... and finished the current pile! Just gives more space to put more there....
Ben came round as our eldest had emailed him asking for help with accessing the games bought a few days ago... they aren't loading and neither son knows why. Ben, however, arrived with a large polystyrene box and asked us if we'd like a 'science treat'? Well, we're all up for some science fun... so he opened the box and revealed a thick layer of 'dry ice' chunks at the bottom. This had arrived with a delivery of chemicals to the place he works, and the dry ice was surplus to requirements. Dry ice is frozen solid carbon dioxide, which keeps the temperature of the inside of the container at about -100 degrees Celsius. He showed us several tricks... including putting some pellets of dry ice in a glass of warm water, which then proceeds to bubble away and gives off lots of cold water vapour which looks like smoke or steam flowing out of the glass and down the sides. This could be modified by adding washing up liquid to the warm water... the large volume of bubbles generated can be popped, releasing the smoke-like water vapour. I found some balloons, held the nozzle open wide and slipped a pellet of dry ice into the balloon, and tied it to seal the initially flaccid balloon. As the ice sublimes (changes from solid direct to gas) the balloon inflates, as solid CO2 takes much less space than the same weight of gaseous CO2.
After all this fun, Ben tried to fix the computer problem... the boys computer might need a new graphics card. Ben left with a job-lot of lychees and two banana and chocolate chip buns which Gill made yesterday.
Gill did one of the best evening meals I've had for quite a while. We had a leek and potato soup which was delicious, and she used up some macaroni/cauliflower cheese and some tomato/onion pizza topping by putting the pasta in the base of an oven-proof dish, then a layer of sliced mushrooms, then a layer of tomato stuff, then a layer of wholemeal breadcrumbs and grated carrot, topped with small halved tomatoes and grated goats' cheese... and baked this. Absolutely Fantastic!
I then went to the Hull Road Ward Committee, chaired by the elected Councillors. A good presentation from the NHS Trust, and discussion about the Ward Committee budget and where it should be spent. I did a short presentation about the Planning Panel work, and there was an 'election' where those who wanted to be on the Panel were given the nod by the citizens present. We got three new members and lost two. I remain the Clerk, a role I am now happy with.
Home soon after 9pm, watched Horizon on dreams. I spent a couple of hours shelling the remaining lychees, then liquidizing the flesh, added 10 bananas, re-liquidized, pushed through a sieve and carefully placed the fragrant liquid in a baking tray balanced on the stove. Within a couple of days, this will be well on the way to being wonderful fruit leather.
Lunch was lovely, apart from seeing the distressing scenes over in Australia with the Bushfires destroying so many lives, livelihoods and homes. We should, however, expect more of this as the climate shifts and we experience more droughts and extreme weather. It's not going to be easy.
After lunch I got a phone call from a TV producer up in Middlesborough looking for a 'Freegan' to interview. Spent at least half an hour talking to him about the various ways in which I live cheaply, get things for free, collect aluminium cans and occasional scrap metal and sell it, use the LETS and Freecycle networks, and give stuff for free too, such as composting advice, and many hours voluntary work with a plethora of local groups, and more. It looks like I'll be going up to Middlesborough next week, but nothing's been agreed yet.
I collected our son from school, on the way delivering 5 litres of Ecover Clothes Washing Liquid to one of our friends who participates in our Food Co-op.
I did a final (hahahahaha) load of chainsawing and wooding in the front... and finished the current pile! Just gives more space to put more there....
Ben came round as our eldest had emailed him asking for help with accessing the games bought a few days ago... they aren't loading and neither son knows why. Ben, however, arrived with a large polystyrene box and asked us if we'd like a 'science treat'? Well, we're all up for some science fun... so he opened the box and revealed a thick layer of 'dry ice' chunks at the bottom. This had arrived with a delivery of chemicals to the place he works, and the dry ice was surplus to requirements. Dry ice is frozen solid carbon dioxide, which keeps the temperature of the inside of the container at about -100 degrees Celsius. He showed us several tricks... including putting some pellets of dry ice in a glass of warm water, which then proceeds to bubble away and gives off lots of cold water vapour which looks like smoke or steam flowing out of the glass and down the sides. This could be modified by adding washing up liquid to the warm water... the large volume of bubbles generated can be popped, releasing the smoke-like water vapour. I found some balloons, held the nozzle open wide and slipped a pellet of dry ice into the balloon, and tied it to seal the initially flaccid balloon. As the ice sublimes (changes from solid direct to gas) the balloon inflates, as solid CO2 takes much less space than the same weight of gaseous CO2.
After all this fun, Ben tried to fix the computer problem... the boys computer might need a new graphics card. Ben left with a job-lot of lychees and two banana and chocolate chip buns which Gill made yesterday.
Gill did one of the best evening meals I've had for quite a while. We had a leek and potato soup which was delicious, and she used up some macaroni/cauliflower cheese and some tomato/onion pizza topping by putting the pasta in the base of an oven-proof dish, then a layer of sliced mushrooms, then a layer of tomato stuff, then a layer of wholemeal breadcrumbs and grated carrot, topped with small halved tomatoes and grated goats' cheese... and baked this. Absolutely Fantastic!
I then went to the Hull Road Ward Committee, chaired by the elected Councillors. A good presentation from the NHS Trust, and discussion about the Ward Committee budget and where it should be spent. I did a short presentation about the Planning Panel work, and there was an 'election' where those who wanted to be on the Panel were given the nod by the citizens present. We got three new members and lost two. I remain the Clerk, a role I am now happy with.
Home soon after 9pm, watched Horizon on dreams. I spent a couple of hours shelling the remaining lychees, then liquidizing the flesh, added 10 bananas, re-liquidized, pushed through a sieve and carefully placed the fragrant liquid in a baking tray balanced on the stove. Within a couple of days, this will be well on the way to being wonderful fruit leather.
A nice relaxed morning and enjoyed Countryfile. It was good to see my friend Guy Wallbanks interviewed in Whitby about how to have an ethical St Valentine's Day. Then I enjoyed Gardeners Question Time. I spent lots of time peeling dozens and dozens of lychees, which were unsaleable as they have some little patches of mould on the outer skin. But when this shell is peeled off, the fruit within is absolutely fine... so did loads, then peeled the fruit off the stone, and liquidised this fruit pulp with some apples to make a wonderful juice. I'll convert some of this into fruit leather, but we had some nice perfumed juice drink with our evening meal...
Mid afternoon went for a cycle with my eldest lad. He had some homework to do, making a virtual tour of York, so we went with Gill's camera down to Heslington to get photos of his school, the park, Heslington Hall and parts of the University. He decided where to take the pics, I took him to the places he wanted to see.
Then we went down to Country Fresh and got some bananas and tomatoes, plus recycling, and then on to Freshways where one of the guys offered my son some bananas and he was unsure whether to take them... he's not used to the generosity that shop-owners display to me, their volunteer recycler!
Pizza for tea and then I took some lychees up to Wendy in part payment for the exercise bike... I sorted out a couple of dozen with minimal mould on, and she was happy with these.
Bathed both the boys in stove-water and a very peaceful evening.
Mid afternoon went for a cycle with my eldest lad. He had some homework to do, making a virtual tour of York, so we went with Gill's camera down to Heslington to get photos of his school, the park, Heslington Hall and parts of the University. He decided where to take the pics, I took him to the places he wanted to see.
Then we went down to Country Fresh and got some bananas and tomatoes, plus recycling, and then on to Freshways where one of the guys offered my son some bananas and he was unsure whether to take them... he's not used to the generosity that shop-owners display to me, their volunteer recycler!
Pizza for tea and then I took some lychees up to Wendy in part payment for the exercise bike... I sorted out a couple of dozen with minimal mould on, and she was happy with these.
Bathed both the boys in stove-water and a very peaceful evening.
I took the boys into school and brought them back. Between these journeys I spent time at home, in the garden, doing housework, sorting out a compost heap to make it less attractive to rodents, on the computer, building a logpile, with Gilly, eating lunch... not in that order....
After getting them I went to visit Richard at the veg shop and bought some fruit and got a couple of sacks of compostables for my heaps.
Gill recycled yesterday's stew into a pie with a suet crust which was lovely.
Very late on I liquidised about 10 bananas and 8 punnets of thrown-away strawberries, after a careful sorting and trimming (making about 4 punnets worth) and then rubbed the puree through a fine seive and poured the liquid into a non-stick cake tin and put it to dry on the stove. Banana and strawberry leather on the way!!!
After getting them I went to visit Richard at the veg shop and bought some fruit and got a couple of sacks of compostables for my heaps.
Gill recycled yesterday's stew into a pie with a suet crust which was lovely.
Very late on I liquidised about 10 bananas and 8 punnets of thrown-away strawberries, after a careful sorting and trimming (making about 4 punnets worth) and then rubbed the puree through a fine seive and poured the liquid into a non-stick cake tin and put it to dry on the stove. Banana and strawberry leather on the way!!!
Another lie-in, til 9, then got up as today have to go to the allotment to speak to Frank about a compost toilet at the lottie, he's looking for a design.
Our 13 pots of jam have not set, which means that we cannot give any away, although it tastes lovely, it needs to be spooned out.
However, didn't do much til after lunch when I went via Martin's compost collection, and when I got to the lottie, Frank wasn't there, he'd already gone... this is the second time I've missed him.
However, did some bramble pruning and nettle pulling, a good layer for the compost heap, and put the fruit and veg on top of this. Then planted 9 rows of tiny leek seedlings, where the spuds came out of last week. Then cut more bramble, the stuff which is encroaching the allotment, and pulled nettles which are encroaching the path, and put this on top of the chopped fruit and veg layer. Picked a tray of blackberries for making blackberry and apple leather. This is a guaranteed way of preserving the harvest.
When I got back I made some flagolet bean and red pepper spread, the beans were out of date from Out Of This World, and I soaked the whole packet and cooked them over a couple of days on top of the stove. Whizzed them with the hand-held blender with a waste pepper and home-grown onions. Added some flavours, herbs, soy sauce, bouillon powder and home made paprika from last year, makes a beautiful spread, four pots worth, will freeze them.
Home to have an unusual tea, a Tesco's veg pie which was given to us, not sure why, but they were taking up space in the freezer, so they went in the oven and we had home grown potatoes and broccoli, plus the soup from yesterday which I whizzed so it was less of a stew and more of a soup. Lovely tea. Watched telly all together whilst eating, then the boys went to bed early as we've got a visitor at 8.30, for a game of Scrabble.
Will came at the appointed time, and we soon had a game of superscrabble underway. Will is not a particularly competitive player, infact he introduced us to co-operative scrabble, where the aim of the game is to make the highest combined score, the individual scores are not important. However tonight we didn't play co-operatively, as we are used to playing to win. We didn't finish the game, we stopped at 11.15pm and Gill had got the highest score. The main thing is that we all enjoyed the game and each others company. Will is good at conversation and has a creative mind, he's always entertaining and interesting. It was Will who suggested that I should write a blog... his is at http://mathsdancer.blogspot.com . I don't understand all that Will writes about, or nessessarily agree, but one doesn't have to agree with everything someone says to like them or even love them.
An excellent evening, also made some blackberry and apple leather.
Our 13 pots of jam have not set, which means that we cannot give any away, although it tastes lovely, it needs to be spooned out.
However, didn't do much til after lunch when I went via Martin's compost collection, and when I got to the lottie, Frank wasn't there, he'd already gone... this is the second time I've missed him.
However, did some bramble pruning and nettle pulling, a good layer for the compost heap, and put the fruit and veg on top of this. Then planted 9 rows of tiny leek seedlings, where the spuds came out of last week. Then cut more bramble, the stuff which is encroaching the allotment, and pulled nettles which are encroaching the path, and put this on top of the chopped fruit and veg layer. Picked a tray of blackberries for making blackberry and apple leather. This is a guaranteed way of preserving the harvest.
When I got back I made some flagolet bean and red pepper spread, the beans were out of date from Out Of This World, and I soaked the whole packet and cooked them over a couple of days on top of the stove. Whizzed them with the hand-held blender with a waste pepper and home-grown onions. Added some flavours, herbs, soy sauce, bouillon powder and home made paprika from last year, makes a beautiful spread, four pots worth, will freeze them.
Home to have an unusual tea, a Tesco's veg pie which was given to us, not sure why, but they were taking up space in the freezer, so they went in the oven and we had home grown potatoes and broccoli, plus the soup from yesterday which I whizzed so it was less of a stew and more of a soup. Lovely tea. Watched telly all together whilst eating, then the boys went to bed early as we've got a visitor at 8.30, for a game of Scrabble.
Will came at the appointed time, and we soon had a game of superscrabble underway. Will is not a particularly competitive player, infact he introduced us to co-operative scrabble, where the aim of the game is to make the highest combined score, the individual scores are not important. However tonight we didn't play co-operatively, as we are used to playing to win. We didn't finish the game, we stopped at 11.15pm and Gill had got the highest score. The main thing is that we all enjoyed the game and each others company. Will is good at conversation and has a creative mind, he's always entertaining and interesting. It was Will who suggested that I should write a blog... his is at http://mathsdancer.blogspot.com . I don't understand all that Will writes about, or nessessarily agree, but one doesn't have to agree with everything someone says to like them or even love them.
An excellent evening, also made some blackberry and apple leather.
