Breakfast, Beginnings and Boxes.

New Year's Day breakfast consisted of using up a couple of things, namely cranberries and bananas.

Therefore the order of the day was a smoothie for Alfie...

and pancakes for me and Harry. He loves crispy bacon on his pancakes, as do I, so I made plain ones for him and fruit ones for me. I'm going to be honest with you, though, 

he wasn't keen on the banana-base of the pancakes so just ate his bacon on a sandwich instead!

Never mind, here is my New Year decoration that I put out for January to remind me of new beginnings and what is to come, good things hopefully!

Forgot to say that on New Year's Eve we shared our Box of Experiences. From January to December 2016 I have been writing down whenever  we did something as a family or when something good happened worth remembering,

so we took turns reading about the things we had done and it was quite fun in the end - NOTE TO SELF: write or type the words next year, or improve my writing for the benefit of the boys!

I am on my own today for the first time in two weeks as the boys are Jon are back to their routines. I have taken down a lot of the decorations and will do the tree tomorrow. I am now looking now I can spruce up the house now we are looking a little bare but thought I would leave fairy lights on the dresser in the downstairs kitchen as it is something sparkly to look at on a bit of a grey day.

Onwards and upwards - Rayburn crackling, washing on, chooks fed, coal bucket filled and now must get on with a few things for an hour or so before lunch and then decide on tea - leek and potato soup from a few bits in the bottom of the veg.

Loving hearing about everybody's plans for the new year - keep 'em coming!

Bye for now.  

Lou.xx

That Was The Week That Was.

Well, here we are at Friday again. Hmmmm.

This week has not been too busy. We have been experimenting lighting and using the Rayburn but only for water and cooking as not quite cool enough for the heating. We have actually tunred off all the radiators downstairs as we won't need them when both the Rayburn and the woodburner are fired up. We may keep it in today as it is gradually getting colder. I'm having to get used to the right temperature for things especially baking. Earlier in the week I made some sandwich biscuits filled with lemon curd or strawberry jam and yesterday I made scones and a lemon and chocolate cake; the latter was done on the top some time before the inside so had to keep popping it back in with the top covered. But everything came out ok in the end.

I took part in a Stationery Swap and posted off my little parcel and very excited to hopefully receive mine today - maybe in time to post a photo today!

I have caught up with my Box of Experiences; I use this old Oxo box. 

This is where I write a quick note of somethings we did as a family through the year and then we will read through them on NewYear's Eve. Really looking forward to that as I don't think the men of the house know I'm doing it.

I have done some work outside. I finally got some manure from our neighbour yesterday to put on what will become the brassicas bed. He also gave me a basket full of apples which were some he had picked off another neighbours tree...

and there will be more hopefully, and I can get more manure when I want, too! This is how the bed looks after being cleared of the sweetcorn, some of my compost added along with some egg shells.

The manure is well rotted so going to add that to the bed with some bought-in compost as not in a position to get any top soil at the moment. The bed got very few weeds in it when the sweetcorn was in it so I'm taking a chance that once I have turned it all over with these additions and then coverd it with cardboard it will be ok for when I'm ready to put the plants in. As ever, any advice on this is always welcome but this is the best I can manage at the moment with current supplies.

My last ramble is a personal one. Since Monday of this week I have been on a bit of a detox, no carb, white meat diet. I have eaten no bread, potatoes, pasta or red meat. No coffee or tea or cakes. I have drunk only water and eaten eggs, pulses, salad, cooked and raw veg, chicken and plain fish, smoked haddock, nuts, dried fruit, seeds and porridge made with water topped with fresh fruit and linseeds. It may sound a bit boring but I have really enjoyed it as well as making veg soup. The first couple of days I had a terrible headache which I think was from the caffeine withdrawl but that passed after a couple of days, as did the lethargy I felt until Wednesday.

I am very proud of myself I have to say as I have made said cakes and sat in the car whilst the boys all ate Snickers bars! I have continued to make dishes such as lasagne and sausage and pasta bake for the boys, too! I expect to lose weight and will weigh myself on Monday morning to see what progress I have made. I think I will continue with this next week but will add some plain yoghurt to my puddings of fruit and nuts

Has anybody else tried anything like this? 

Will keep an eye on what people are up to over the weekend.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx