My last post was on Wednesday so what has been going on at our little homestead since then? Well, I have to say the weather has been very wet since then, as it is now, so I have not done too much outside.
The most important thing is that happily our boys came home on Thursday from a few days with the Gramps.Yay! Ready for them coming home baking for the tin was required, almond pound cake - so easy and so delish.
Also this was the day's little harvest. Some wonky carrots, gherkins (the glut has begun!) and some toms and turnips.
I was brought from Grandad's garden the gift of a big basket of damsons and a box of cooking and eating apples. (Attempting to keep the basket!)
We have sold a few punnets of damsons outside along with the eggs and have given some to people in exchange for stuff, always useful to be able to trade. I plan on making damson jam this week. It's something I prefer to do when the kids are not around so I don't have to stop in between the process; I may do it in the evening after a quick put together tea, that is probably a better idea. Apple crumble has been requested so that will definitely be made this week and of course eating apples are off the shopping list for now, yay!
We had burgers with everything for tea with the boys, a family favourite, and I had one of my Slimming World burgers with gherkins (not mine as they need to sit a little bit longer) and chips made with our Salad Blues and Maris Piper spuds. Mmmm. Gotta love purple food!
We had guests arrive for the the Airbnb room on Friday for two nights, lovely people. Then we were without Harry again as he was taken into Aber that evening for his Sea Cadets summer camp in Llanelli; Alfie was in line to help with a few jobs over the weekend. He is such a different boy when Harry is not here but he does miss him.
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On Saturday I discovered some cucumbers hiding and these are hopefully going to be ready by the end of the week. On Sunday I gave my strawberries a snip on the leaves and a bit of fertiliser and hope they will have a little sleep until the fruit again; not had a great deal of success with strawbs so hope these two plants do ok.
After I said goodbye to our guests yesterday morning I took up some more Maris Piper spuds; getting on for 2.5lbs. I know now to sow more first and second earlies next year as I should really still be harvesting some of them now and not the maincrop quite yet but that is something learnt which is a good thing.
We fetched Harry back from Aber at 5pm last night and he was tired and glad to be home but had a great time shooting, swimming and messing around in kayaks; he has a boating weekend in September, too. We were happy to all be back together, again.
This morning, as I said, we have rain but the forecast is wet and warm for most of the week; tomorrow I have to clean out the chooks so hope I miss the showers for that job - never a pleasure in the rain!
Right, there are beds to change, vacuuming and other mundane stuff to do today so better get on with it. Looking forward to seeing what everybody got up to over the weekend.
Bye for now.
Lou.xx
We fetched Harry back from Aber at 5pm last night and he was tired and glad to be home but had a great time shooting, swimming and messing around in kayaks; he has a boating weekend in September, too. We were happy to all be back together, again.
This morning, as I said, we have rain but the forecast is wet and warm for most of the week; tomorrow I have to clean out the chooks so hope I miss the showers for that job - never a pleasure in the rain!
Right, there are beds to change, vacuuming and other mundane stuff to do today so better get on with it. Looking forward to seeing what everybody got up to over the weekend.
Bye for now.
Lou.xx
wow I am tired reading all of that. (sorry lost your blog from my bookmark as we had to rebuild my laptop! found you!!!)
ReplyDeleteburger dinner looks lush! what a haul from your veggie beds! good times!
Thanks Sol, and glad you found me again! The beds are doing well and for my first year having a real go at it I am pleased with the results. I am learning lots from how things did and didn't work and cannot WAIT to start planning for next year. Is that sad?
DeleteIt sounds like your Airbnb is doing well which is fantastic. I know what you mean about planning for the next year, I think it's because it's the opportunity to put all the previous mistakes right. Your cake looks lush.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tania, we are still amazed how well we are doing when we don't advertise it anywhere else. Phase two (room two) will start at the end of the month! The cake is one of my fav's, when I can eat it and is lovely with fresh berries.x
DeleteAre you making Damson Gin too? Lovely at Christmas and a good alternative to Sloe Gin when it's a bad year for Sloes. Our tree was heavily "pruned" early this year when we had the house repainted outside, so I only have a handful of fruits this year, but still some in the freezer from last year if I dig deep enough.
ReplyDeleteYou are learning what you need to plant more of but are doing SO well with your garden. Mine is in resting mode this year - mainly runner beans!
Cake looks good. I need to do some baking today (never a hardship!)
Hi BB. I have to say I am not a fan of gin but do hope to forage enough blackberries to make berry vodka for the festive season. Yes, learning from mistakes/results is a great thing and bodes well for next year. No, I LOVE baking, too!x
DeleteLovely to see your harvests coming in, I have my fourth lot of potatoes growing now this year, hope to have them christmas time, although they may be ready before that the rate they are growing.
ReplyDeleteYes Dawn, I love it when there are things I don't have to put on my shopping list. I am getting the shelves in the cellar storeroom stocked slowly slowly and I love it; I really hope to bottle the tomatoes soon. I already have the top of one of my xmas spud plants showing through!
DeleteOooh would love to see the recipe for almond pound cake if you get chance on another post? Lovely catch up post, you have a fabulous lifestyle and the bits will have such happy memories when they're older. It's great when you continuously learn for next year, my elderly neighbour who visited today told me we will never know everything and gardeners are always learning. That's after 50 plus years of gardening. Great harvests there lou xx
ReplyDeleteWill share the almond pound cake recipe, it is sooo easy. Our lifestyle is not perfect all the time but we do our best to make it just as we want. Very pleased with how I am providing fresh stuff for us!!x
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