A Lot Going On - And Some Exciting News!

Right. Today is Friday but what has been going on this week?

I think it was Monday that I picked two of our corn cobs for tea and they were gorgeous. I am still AMAZED that I have managed to grow these!  

On Tuesday I had a bit of an admin day as well as a bit of baking and cleaning out the chikens,

On Wednesday I had a lovely visit from Dawn at Doing It For Ourselves In Wales and she brought me some lovely things. These fantastic chicken plate holders? to use with the Rayburn....

a pile of magazines...

and a bag of chilies. 

She came to help me with my sowing and growing and now have a plan up to around July of what to plant and when. I am continually grateful for her advice and she never thinks I'm completely daft with the things I do, like being too careful with some plants and treating them too kind, well just a bit!

Thursday was a glorious day here.

I used the Rayburn to get a few things done. It is hot enough to use the top so I made the mix for a meat and potatoe pie, the pastry top (with a bit of grated cheese under the pastry top and in it, too...

and it came out very nicely.



I've been given a list by Jon and the boys for some new things to bake so I started off with creamed corn and cheesy bacon muffins. Mmmm.

Whilst all this was going on I had the egg shells for the garden in the warning oven, too.

And then the outside jobs consisted of giving the Poly House a good tidy and sweep after I had taken out the cucmber plants and mixed some of my compost through the bed.

Oh, I've been meaning to post a picture of  this tool which Jon made for me when he found the head of it in the shed and fashioned a new handle for it. 

Now, what else. I've started off some cauliflowers which can be sown in September/October and also a few more turnip; taking a chance on those just because they seemed to grow really well for me. One of the other trays is a salad leaf mix at the suggestion of Dawn; it has rocket, radichio I think, beetroot and mixed leaf seeds all together.  I have spring onions and lettuces in the drainpipes still.

My Father in Law was kind enough to bring me these fruit bushes which I have not moved outside, Dawn! There are two each of Spring and Autumn Raspberries, two Blackcurrants and one of grapes. The patch where they are going needs some attention next week.

The dwarf beans are coming on a treat and a flower appeared on Wednesday.

Now, the exciting news is that on Tuesday night we received an email via Airbnb to say we had a booking for the room this weekend! This is it but there are also two tub chairs and a coffee table.

The room had been advertised for about 10 days but was not available until Tuesday, and we got the booking at 9pm. I am amazed, grateful, nervous etc so we are preparing to welcome our first guests this evening at about 10pm. I have been into Aber this morning to buy a few things as we plan on giving them a compementary, continental breakfast tomorrow morning. The couple are also Airbnb hosts so hope to get some useful feedback from them on our efforts. They COULD be repeat guests if they like what we have to offer as they are coming to view porperties.

Anyhow really must go. I'm getting this post done just now as I have a bit of tidying to do in the garden and have bread to bake, too, then a final check on the room later this evening but the guests are calling when they have a more firm time for their arrival.

Ok, I'll be checking what everybody is up to, as usual, and then I'll see you on the flipside of the weekend.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Bits and Bobs Between The Raindrops

Haven't got up to too much over the weekend. Jon spent Friday night and half of Saturday fixing the water as we had an airlock. I am so lucky to have a handy husband!

I made some more fridge pickles; the cucumber have come to an end so I made these yummy things again but used red onions this time.

Forgot to say we visited a new vintage shop in Aber the weekend before and I found these for £1 each. A lovely addition to the Poly House but I shall probably end up using a couple of them for Christmas decorations; they are just my thing for that!

They had loads along with lots of other lovely stuff. Will definitely be going back as I hope to find one of those red metal fire buckets for the hearth.

Yesterday we harvested our first turnips. Eeeek! They are a good size but have left some in the ground.

Can't wait to use them in something; it won't be tonight as tea is already planned. We make a lovely chicken broth in the winter using turnips and carrots, just root veg really, and hope these will add some special flavour. I'll be looking for some recipes later to make the most of them.

At about 3pm yesterday I went out, trug in hand, to pick what I thought may soon be the last of the balckberries. I hoped I would not get caught in a rain shower as the weather is definitely on the Autumnal turn - can't wait frankly. I picked what turned out to be 1lb 4oz; don't you just love free food?

There were loads more so plan on making time to go out again this week to get more to keep in the freezer. Lovely to be able to have a handful on your porridge in the morning or add to a smoothie, one of Alfie's fav things for breakfast.

I plan on making a blackberry, peach and banana crumble today, mmmm! Unfortunately our apple tree has come to the end of its fruit but we have enjoyed it. We need to prune it I think ready for next year but will have to get my book out and see what to do as unsure. 

The boys are back at Urdd after school club today so I have the car from taking Jon to work so that I can collect them, and then Jon, later. I plan on going to the farmers co-operative in Tregaron to see if they have some seed potatoes or any fruit/veg trays of anything useful. I don't often get to go there because of not having the car.

Right I better get on as I have bread proving just now, a few jobs to get done over the next couple of days including cleaning out the chooks between the possible rain showers we may get. My visitor is here on Wednesday, it is our community monthly lunch on Thursday and my birthday on Saturday. No time for celebration for the latter as we are having the Rayburn put over to the house heating when Jon's dad comes to visit on Friday/Saturday but we will be all sorted then!

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Word Of The Week.

I'm taking part in Word Of The Week in connection with Jocelyn over at  The Reading Residence.

My Word Of The Week is.....

For, hopefully, some new visitors to my blog I should say noise has been around the house all week. I have two boys so noise is a given but this week we had a birthday celebration and other things.

For the birthday there were a total of five boys after school running, shouting, play fighting in the garden, you name it for a couple of hours.

But we also are embarking on music lessons. Alfie is starting to pratice his piano lessons and coming on well. Harry is being a bit bolder and came home on Monday with a cornet! Luckily we have a couple of places around the house where he can practise without us all getting a headache! But we are being very supportive and encouarging lots of practise. Being in Wales there are lots of opportunities for the children to take part in performances at various times of the year as well as regular Eisteddfods.

So my

                                                

may have been a loud word but it is very exciting for the boys!

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Round-up Before The Weekend.

I really don't have much to ramble about at the moment. We are just recovering from Harry's birthday. On Monday I spent the day baking and sorting stuff. I made the cake the night before but this was the finished item with the edible topper which I ordered from the internet. After school he had three friends round which lead to much running up and down stairs, around the garden and finally some quiet when they had burgers, homemade lemonade and chocolate cake for tea.

That was Monday and since then have really not done much. Oh Harry came home from school on Monday with his cornet which is commencing lessons on next Monday. Cue practising with doors shut! Did I also say Alfie had his first piano lesson the Wednesday of last week. Well he did well and at his lesson last night the teacher was very happy with him. We have swapped his lesson to Sunday now as the Monday slot clashed with Jon getting home from work.

Oh, also on Monday I thought two of my corn cobs were ready. I did the test thing and they looked good so brought them in. 

But, you have to pull the leaves right the way down or all the way up or you don't see the kernels that are still white. I'll be leaving them a little longer I think!

Yesterday I nearly weeded nearly all the main veg patch and it is looking better. Didn't quite finish as it was sooo hot. I am still taking loads of flippin' caterpillas off the turnips and the odd one off the beetroot but I think I'm going to take them up next week - worried the actual veg will get eaten.

I really haven't done much today. Just a few jobs around the house. We have had a number of views on the room on Airbnb but no bookings as yet so keep fingers crossed they translate into customers.

Alfie and I have been watching some of the Paralympics. Has anybody seen The Last Leg In Rio? It is very funny, irreverent and funny.

Not sure of any plans for the weekend. My vouchers I won from Grow Your Own mag came at the weekend. I have a few ideas about a couple of things I think I may order but waiting until I have a visitor on Wednesday to help me make some decisions and use them wisely!

At the weekend my Father in Law brought me these fantastic hessian sacks he found for sale at a garden centre in Avergele. I think they are just fab. If anybody would like some they are £1 each and we can get some more when he is next at the caravan.

They are for keeping the veg, when I grow a decent amount, in the cellar cold room but I'm tempted to use the last one as a bolster cushion for one of the kitchen benches!

Must dash as the boys will be home soon.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

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

One Year - Where Did That Go?!

One year ago today me, Jon and the boys landed with all our worldy goods in a Welsh wonderland and I really can't believe just what, in these past 12 months, has come about so I just wanted to write a post that I could look back on. I think it is always fun to see how the past compares with the present and gives you ideas for future; this will tie together everything we have accomplished and is a post for prosperity but would love it if you found the time to read it, too.

Our journey was a troubled one for a while, and I don't mean the Beverly Hillbillies-style packed trailer that came along with us! 


We put the boys in school just three days after arriving and, following the initial week, they thrived from being at the Canolfan in Felinfach before returning to main school at Christmas and they have continued to thrive to this very day.

Jon, with the blessing of our lovely vendors, began some outside work re-pointing the house's gable end because last September was such a great month weather wise. (He is never happier than when sitting as he dangles his legs off a scraffolding platform, trowel in hand!) We also worked to clear dead ivy from the front of the house and Jon refurbished the house name sign. Little things. Work on the house was quite extensive as three ceilings downstairs needed to come down and be re-plastered and re-painted plus the bathroom floor had to come up so that was a major job along with re-configuring the layout and building storage. We re-jigged a walk-in wardrobe for Alfie's room by creating a new wall and blocking up the existing landing cupboard.Other cosmetic work was done, too, in order to make the whole house just as we wanted.

It was at the beginning of October when our buyers pulled out but we carried on with work on the house - some people would rightly think this was a bit of a risk to say the least! I managed to get mysel a little job at a cafe in Tregaron that same month; I did it because it was required but I am much happier doing my thing at home!. We gave ourselves a year to have the house finished but, as you can see, the vast majority of it was done by the time we moved out of the caravan in mid-October then spending the first night in the house! Jon got himself a job at the local saw mill in November and I gave up mine. Through thick and thin, family assistance and preparing for Christmas Bronllan was officially and finally ours on December 21 2015 and we had the most wonderful festive season, just the four of us.

Our dream started to become a reality. 

I began some Welsh lessons at the beginning of January and hope to have some more soon to improve on the small amount I have managed to pick up, much through the boys. 

I have taken part in village life by going along to the monthly lunches and coffee morning/book swaps which are so conveniently held literally across the road from the house at our lovely, historic community centre. 

Jon has enjoyed getting to know people including the wonderful man who owns the house backing on to our garden; he knows everyone and everything about the village and owned Bronllan at one time. He has been kind enough to let us store our monster of a trailer in his barn and Jon has helped with his sheep and other jobs on his land whilst really enjoying his company and the boys really like him, too.

The boys have taken part in lots of things through school like the Urdd Club - having a fabulous time on their residential weekend -  the local Eisteddfod and a wonderful afternoon of entertainment to celebrate St David's Day.

The boys and I began tentatively sowing seeds to grow our own at the beginning of April to start off in the conservatory.

I began making our own bread at the beginning of April, too, and have continued to do so since that time.

Toward the end of April Jon had finished building the greenhouse and I began our Grow Your Own quest in earnest. This has been a massive learning curve for me; the only edible things I had previously grown were a few beans and some salad leaves! I have learnt that sometimes things just grow and don't need a lot of care and other things need to be nurtured a little more. I know I need to extend my patience when it comes to waiting for things to come to harvest but I have also learned that things don't always work out and it is sometimes better to cut your losses.

 We have since harvested a wonderful amount of cucumbers, just over 3lbs of spuds              (would have been more if it were not for my eagerness!), a good amount of courgettes,          some tomatoes, sugar snap peas along with lettuce leaves and a couple of lbs of 

 cooking apples.

I have had so much help and advice about growing from the lovely people in Blogland - you know who you are! x

It all really started happening at the beginning of May!  

We got chickens! Our six girls continue to provide us with a fabulous amount of a very useful foodstuff; you will never starve if you have eggs! Since we brought them home they have given us, to date, 559 eggs and you can look at this as having paid off just over half of the initial £80 set up cost of the chicken project.

We set up a strawberry patch along the back of the Poly House but this has not been a great success so we chalk this one up to experience and hope for better results next year by possibly growing them under cover.

Jon and I completed the first part of our 19 x 6 foot veg patch. I planted out turnips, swede, carrots, broccoli and onions. The second phase was finished at the beginning of August - things sometime just take a while -  when I planted leeks, carrots and beetroot. I have had some issues with a couple of these plantings and I have lost the broccoli to the caterpillers but the patch looks quite healthy otherwise and some harvesting should take place very soon and I am very eager to share the details with you.

We built a raised bed for sweetcorn out of the last four sleepers we found in the garden. These have been the basis for the veg patch, raised bed inside the Poly House, as it is now known, the strawberry patch and said bed for the corn. This has saved us a HUGE amount of money as well as looking really attractive.

At the end of the month the garden was scraped down with a digger. We decided to take out three large rhododendrons along with the dreaded bamboo which has almost become a distant memory, although the cheeky little divil still pops up here and there but nothing like it did before! The garden is a shadow of its former self in the best possible manner and is a very useable space.

In the kitchen I have learned how to water-bath process chutney and have managed to pickle both eggs and cucumbers from our own garden. 

Our newest project is our room to let - We now have it on Airbnb and we wait to see what happens.

So at this point Jon and I are so pleased and frankly amazed at how much we have just managed to get done really! There is so much ahead for us and the boys but I think we have made a proper good start!

Thank you, again, to all those who have given help, advice, encouragement, empathy and sympathy along the way. I so appreciate how you lovely people have added to our dream becoming a reality. - see what I did there?!

Lou.xx

Bit Of A Mish Mash.

This post is, as the title suggests, a bit of this and that.

I have been working on my preserves by pickling some of the cucmber glut, if I dare call it that, sweet pickling, and they are scrummy I have to say - fab on burgers. I'm trying to find out if I can long term preserve sweet pickles. In the fridge I also have marmalade and lemon curd, which you can't see! that are made ready for the village show next Saturday. 

Thought I'd get ahead a bit with it being Harry's 10th, count 'em, birthday the following Monday so I have baking galore to do with a cake for him and those for the show!

This is my super easy marmalade recipe that you may just be able to see. Bit of an all in one and just great.

Now, these next photos may not mean much to some people but anyhow Jon has has been refurbishing the Rayburn we bought so that we can replace the oil one and have a solid fuel one. He has re-painted with special heat/fire paint,

spruced up the doors which were in great condition anyhow,

and made sure all of the insides and other bits were as they should be.

This is the top of the cooker and the brown paint has been removed to be painted again with said fire paint.

The boys have been helping to move some more branches down to the fire pile..

and in the Poly House my sweet pepper is coming along well, however I prefer red and yellow ones so I hope this changes colour!

I just had to show this because Alfie made it for me and I have it on the dresser in the kitchen.

This morning Jon and the boys took Jake for a walk and they picked just over 1lb of blackberries. I have them on a tray in the freezer before I pop they into a bag. We still the the crumble to finish which I made with some me and the boys picked the other day so thought I'd better put them away for now.

Right, this post is to get photos I've been hoarding for a few days used so that I can publish my special post on Monday.

Ok. Have a lovely weekend and I'll be popping in to see what people are up to.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Test, Rate or Review.

Just in case you are reading this post as a new visitor to my blog I would be really interested in working with anybody who would like products regarding baking, cooking or gardening tested, rated or reviewed.

I am not looking for any payment for this, just the chance to see some new items, have a play really and to promote them here.

Thanks.