Foody Fest!

Good morning.

I thought I'd just do a catch up with a few food things.

I've finally got round to some preserving, two jars of the gherkins which have done so well this year, sold a few and given away a couple. The pickled ones are now in the cellar store room, adding to the goodies in there!

I quite frequently make apple turnovers but decided to do cheese and ham ones this time and the boys found them very delicious, so after them trying them I still have a couple in the freezer for another day.

It was our local flower and produce show on Saturday. I managed to make the long journey to the Canolfan (for those of you who don't know I live directly opposite our community hall!) in the rain that was teeming down and had a go at entering one of the baking classes and a veg category with some success.

Camp fire cup cakes...

salted caramel and chocolate

and most surprisingly 3rd place for my cucumbers! They were huge and thought I stood no chance due to them looking more like marrows!

Still working my way through the gifted apples and so far have cored, peeled, sliced and frozen 9lbs! Still as many, and more, to get through. Hope to bottle more in syrup like last year and make cakes and puddings, too.

Ooh, a very exciting thing has occurred recently. I have been asked to contribute to the Thompson & Morgan website as a blogger. Amazed, chuffed, honoured and all that so watch our for my first ramblings! 

Right, better get on as the washer is calling.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

A Little Success At The Community Show.

Saturday was our local show and I entered a few things. I learned a few rules from last year which I think paid off.

Here is my collection of entries; lemon curd, lemon cake (not a lemon drizzle), refrigerator pickles, pickled gherkins, 'three onions', a Christmas item (not pictured but it was the December Daily album I made) and Welsh cakes.

Well, I ended up being placed third for both my lemon curd and my lemon cake and then first with my onions = total prize money of £2.50. It isn't about winning, really, although that is great, and it certainly isn't about the money, but making sure people take part to ensure something as lovely and parochial as local shows and events keep going.

 Added to this I was talking to one of the parents from the boys' school about the fact that the committee for our community events are all getting on in years a bit and we need to prepare for when they need to step aside. It comes down to making sure for example, we have somebody waiting in the wings who is a local accountant, business person or good at bookkeeping to make sure money matters are taken care of. We need to be ready to inject new energy into projects and events and to this I was asked if I would consider joining the committee. I am considering it; I only have to pop across the road, meetings are once a month or so but more frequent close to larger events. I think I can manage to take part but I'll see. It would be lovely to help keep things alive for the current community and for new people joining us in the future.

A little about the latest harvest. Some nice courgettes, and a couple still coming it seems and a collection of tomatoes as well as some of our garlic which I'm really pleased with. There is a lot of garlic still in the cellar as I am gradually brushing the soil off it before it is stored in a basket but I'm getting there.

I used the veg, as well as some of our onions, to make a sort of ratatouille and this has gone into the freezer for another day.

Jon's dad visited at the weekend and brought us lots of apples and damsons. I gave the damsons to a friend who's tree had failed this year and I am putting some apples outside to sell as well as using some ourselves of course. However, I used up other apples we had been gifted at the weekend and made a crumble and froze two lots of stewed apple. (Had to clean out the fridge/freezer in the cellar room first as the door had accidentally been closed but didn't take too long till it was spick and span again.) 

The weekend was mad, especially Saturday. We went into town for me to open Harry his bank account in time for his birthday tomorrow, Alfie to go to his football match then to look at tents for when Jon takes the boys out camping for the night soon then home. I readied the guest room, took my entries across the road and then had lunch. Phew.

I have Harry's chocolate birthday cake in the oven and it will get its Guardians of The Galaxy topper put on last minute tomorrow in time for his pal to come over and watch GOTG 2 and eat burgers after school; I made rolls for the burgers yesterday so that is one less thing to do. We received a 4-day booking for the Airbnb room last night with the guests arriving this evening which is great but with it being Slimming World and Sea Cadets Jon will have to do the meet and greet and not me as usual. We have got so busy for this month which we are so happy about and of course the room had to be turned round this morning, too, after Jon's dad left yesterday so I'm now looking forward to lunch. I love being busy!

Right,time to see what food is left in the fridge after the weekend!

Bye for now.

Lou.x

Tales From A Local Show!

Well, as my Dad used to say "learning all the time".

Yesterday was our local horticultural show. I had been really looking forward to taking part as I missed it last year, as you know, with us moving here the week before.

My cakes were made on Friday and yesterday morning I filled the Victoria sandwich and popped some strawberries on the top. I put three iced flowers on my lemon drizzle and finished off my chocolate brownie with some icing and pecan nuts.

I got everything over to the show and left it until later in the afternoon as we had family here and the Rayburn was being installed.

Before I say anymore about the show see how well the Rayburn looks. It went in really quite easily; Jon had help from his dad and then a pal from work came later on in the afternoon to help put the one we took out into the shed to sit until we sell it.

It is amazing. The water is sooo hot, I'll be able to boil the kettle and cook on the top and can't wait to go back to cooking and baking in it. All in all it is a great asset to the kitchen. I'm so grateful for Jon being so handy in order that all the refurbishment was done for not a lot of money to save us a great deal of money now and in the future.

Back to the show. I popeed over to take a look at everything and see the prize winners.

I have learnt a lot if I take part next year! My eggs when broken looked super but I had three the same colour and one not quite. Next my cucumbers  were a lot smaller than the rest but I didn't mind that; they were not going on taste just looks. My lemon cake passed without incident but I did win 2nd prize for my chocolate brownie! I won 75p for that.

 Now on the jams and jellies etc I had decorated tops on the jars which I wondered whether or not they had been taken off at all....

I didn't win anything for my button based craft item but this will be a nioce gift for somebody. 

Now, my Victoria sponge. They didn't even bother to cut into it! It had cream and strawberry jam in it -  nobody else seemed to have cream in theirs - but I have to say it look so much better than enybody elses, even if they were following the criteria or rules - which we didn't know of course. Look.

(This is it cut into when we ate some last night.)

I looked this morning and the lemon curd and marmalade had not even been opened! I was spoken to by a lady at the end of the show who said, if I wanted to go further in competition, that I need to have a plain lid and plain label - mine were Cath Kidston! Hate to blow my own trumpet but my lemon curd is a bit special, even more so now with our own eggs.

With all this I was laughing my head off and one lady told me that back in the day when the WI held shows you didn't even get a look in if you put anything other than raspberry jam in your sponge cake!

So it was a bit of an experience, Jon said I should stuff 'em!

Right now we are cooking on the breakfast on the Rayburn!

How fab is this. We have achieved one of our main aims, to heat the house, water and cook with out paying for the fuel!

In other news this last week I turned over the compost heap. I chose to do this on the day it was 77 degrees!

It has broken down really quite well apart from some of the straw so really hope I can use it soon.

Right, must dash as breakfast soon then we are going into Aber before Jon's dad and his wife go home. I have Harry's birthday cake to make today or tomorrow ready for his pals coming after school.

Of course, will keep an eye on what people have been up to over the weekend.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Getting Ready For The New Season.

Today I have been getting some garden prep work done outside. The broccoli plants have completely gone to pot so this is how the patch looks now after I took them out, added some fresh compost and turned it over a bit. I don't know what to put there just now.

The chickens had a bit of a feast.

Talking of compost, my black bin is just about full so I need to get anther one from somewhere but also need to turn the current one out and give it a really good mix up. Thursday is supposed to be a sunny day so will try and do it then. Although I have a lot to do on Thursday and Friday ready for the show and the weekend in general because of family visiting and it being Harry's birthday next week; he just let us know this evening he would like three of his pals over on Monday for a bbq; my daily to do lists are getting bigger!

These are my turnips. which I think will leave for another week or so, whilst watching the caterpillers incase they move onto them from the broccoli! They are a bit bigger than a golf ball.

The onions are SOOO close and I can't wait to get them dried out - best we have a dry day in a week or so...

I have cleaned out the sink which the dwarf beans had been in and they, too, were given to the chooks. This is the sink which, in hindsight, I think was not the right thing for the beans as the roots were quite matted when I took out the compost. Too shallow I think, so I would like to get some pak choi in there once I check the sowing and growing details. Won't put fresh compost in until I know what I'm doing.

In the Poly House the tomaoes are doing well....

and there a few more growing at the top, too,

plusI took this from the cordon when pinching out and have planted it to grow on.

I cut a lettuce and picked some tomatoes for our salad this evening and seem to be doing not too bad with the lettuce sucession growing.

These are the dwarf beans I planted not that long ago and I can't believe how they have come on already! I swear they practically grow whilst you are looking at them.

The boys were back at school yesterday and came home with a bit of a prize haul from the Bont local show, whcih we didn't manage to get to. They both won a second prize in the handwriting class with a certificate and £1 prize money then Harry came fourth with his medal made in celebration of the Olympics whilst Alfie came second. Very chuffed with them both!

Tomorrow is a busy day for the boys as they both start back to swimming with school, Alfie has recorder at school and then his first piano lesson at 4.15pm. (I hope to change the time.) Alfie and I are very excited about the Paralympics starting in earnest on Thursday after the opening ceremony tomorrow evening.

Right, I think that is it for now. Just wanted to say thanks again for the kind comments on my anniversary post yesterday.

I tried to put a link from our room to let on here but have had difficulties with Airbnb. (If you feel like having a look it is described as a boutique garden chalet in Ceredigion.)

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Show Me, Show Me!

The village Horticultural show happens at the beginning of next month so I was very pleased when yesterday I received the entry form for the various classes. When we moved here last year it took place the week after we arrived, and was also on the same day as Harry's birthday, so I was unable to take part but this year I am all over it like a rash!

I love a local event such as a show like this. The sometimes quirky class titles make me laugh and some of those which are inculded this year are an arrangement of garden flowers in a gravy boat and an arrangement in a cup and saucer, as well at the usual ones.

I have decided to enter seven classes, five of which are preserves or baking, plus one craft one and maybe two more in the garden produce class if I have some decent toms and cucumbers by then. 

The naughty but nice one will be my chocolate brownie with extra chocolate!

This morning I have had a bit of a clear out in the Poly House. I decided to ditch the beef tomatoes, much to my disappointment, and one of my two courgettes plants which hasn't done much at all for a while so I'm ok about that one.

Now you see them, now you don't!

I think Jake was wondering where they had gone, too!

I decided to rake over the chicken enclosure this morning. We had put some greenery in there for them and now it has broken down a bit I thought I would remove it. However, as I was raking over the leaves and things the girls were keen to see what was underneath. I ended up leaving a number of piles for them to root and scratch through and we plan on getting them some new sand this weekend. 

That is about it for me today. We are heading off to replenish food supplies this evening as the boys come home tomorrow and we are hoping for a good evening so we can have a BBQ. I have a busy few days coming up because there are uniform and supplies to check over, replace, get ready etc for when they are back at school on September 5. Harry moves up a year and a class which is exciting and Alfie will be in the same class and quite pleased, I feel, that he won't have Harry on his shoulder all the time!

I have put some cucumbers and onions to soak ready to turn them into sweet fridge pickles tomorrow so looking forward to seeing how them turn out. My pickled eggs are ready to be tried today but fancy waiting to have them with fish and chips; maybe we'll treat outselves to a chippy tea after the shopping.

Ok, I've made veg and lentil curried soup for my lunch so I'm going to eat that then put the washing out before a few jobs that need doing inside.

By for now.

Lou.xx