Slow Living 2013 - August

It's been a long time since I did one of these posts and a lot has happened since March (my last slow living update - eek!). Things are gradually getting back into their usual swing post-move, so I think it's about time I restarted the slow living posting as a way of keeping track and preserving a little sanity - it's always helpful to reflect on what's been done, especially when all you can see ahead is a mountain of stuff that needs doing!

Nourish

When we moved into the house, we had no cooker.  For the two weeks prior to this, we'd been in The Beloved's flat and although it had a cooker, the fridge was in storage by then. All in all, a frustrating kitchen situation. Thankfully we have a barbeque.  And we moved in summer.  I don't know what we would have done if we'd moved in the Winter!  Anyway, it was a joyful day when the cooker finally arrived and as the novelty has most definitely not worn off, all meals are cooked from scratch.

One of the first meals on the cooker included the new potatoes I had planted in pots while I was still living in the cottage, which was distinctly satisfying.  And tasty.

Prepare

I remain generally unprepared.  I did however manage to make some chicken stock from a chuck I cooked in the slow cooker during the cooker-less weeks.  We recently used some of it in a risotto. Again, satisfying.  I also have a box of veg peelings in the freezer ready for a batch of veg stock. For someone who is generally unprepared, stocks of stock are looking pretty good.

Reduce/reuse

Over the last year, I'd been trying not to buy things that The Beloved already had as we didn't want two of everything when we finally moved in together.  On the whole, we've done pretty well. The inevitable house-moving clearout really only produced bags of clothes for the charity shop, which is great!  In fact, the only duplication I can think of is that we now have two dustpan and brush sets and three (!) slow cookers. One SC has already got a home lined up though, and the remaining two are different sizes, which is quite handy.

Leftover veg from a roast dinner made into potato cakes. Delicious.

Green

My good intentions when it comes to making cleaning products have once again been thwarted. This time by The Beloved's cleaning cupboard. I certainly can't justify binning it all, so having gotten down the last drops of all my old cleaning products, I'm now working through a variety of half-bottles of his. I have converted The Beloved to using vinegar as a fabric softener though. As we live in a hard water area, it should also help keep the limescale down in the machine without using Calgon tablets in each wash (which make me itch- ugh!).

Grow

Not much to report here.  I have been planting, but the garden isn't huge and there are a couple of whopping great trees in it. A small area has been cleared and planted with cyclamen and shade-loving plants (brunnera, heuchera, coleus), but flowers are mainly in pots.

We have inherited a monstrous lavender too.  I harvested all the tall straight stems earlier and dried them.  The curlier stems have been left for the bees and butterflies and when they disappear for the winter, I need to Google the best way to prune lavender.  There's quite a bit of old, woody growth on it.

Oh, and I have one strawberry plant which just keeps on cropping.  Even now.

Create

Yarndale, yarndale, yarndale.  It's all I can think about at the moment, therefore I crochet morning, noon and night to make stock.

Discover

I finally swapped my Blackberry for an iPhone.  It's been a long time coming and I have kind of resisted the tide because I initially felt like once you had an i-something, you'd end up with an i-everything in order that everything was compatible with everything else.  All that actually happened was I ended up with nothing.  It came to a head when I was looking for a card payment solution to take to Yarndale with me.  There's some really great technology now for small businesses to be able to take card payments on the move without signing up to expensive contracts but they're powered by smartphone apps, none of which are written for Blackberry.

Oh, and I made a cover for it. Well, I couldn't leave it floundering around naked in my handbag, could I?

I've also added a Pinterest app (I'd kind of lost interest in Pinterest, but I'm back now!), a Blogger app, Feedly, an app for the shopping cart on my website (very useful) and joined Instagram.  It's been a voyage of discovery.  I know I'm coming late to the party, but at least I'm here now.

Enjoy

There's been much to enjoy in the last few months, most of which I suspect I've blogged.  This month, we had a joint housewarming with some friends who've also moved, and made a weekend of it. They hosted a barbeque and we did a roast dinner the following day. Beef wellington for 11 + a slow roast joint for one who's gluten free.  And a cheesecake to follow.  Did I mention we have a fabby new cooker?

I also took a trip home for my mother's birthday. My brother joined us for dinner and it was good to be all together round a table for an evening. It seems to happen all too rarely these days.

Slow Living 2013 - March

April? APRIL? I've only just undressed the Christmas tree! At least, that's what it feels like...

Anyway, efforts to live a slower life have continued through March, though given my alarm at finding myself in April, results have varied. As usual, you can catch up with other blogs taking part in this (usually with more success) on Christine's blog here.  I've skipped the headings I have nothing for.

Nourish

I have been making a conscious effort to eat more fruit and veg as by the end of the winter, I do find it just too easy to fall into the all-carb-no-nutrient diet.  There have been some very healthy meals...

...but my resolve was soon bent towards a more cakey direction.  Still, better than wasting three perfectly good bananas.

Prepare

I am wholly unprepared and have decided to 'wing it' for the forseeable future.

Green

Following on from the last point, I haven't actually replaced any cleaning things with green alternatives this month, but I am running low on just about everything. Next month will either be a Green Clean Bonanza, or slightly smelly.

Grow

Most garden plans were thwarted by a thick blanket of snow this month however we've had a few lighter, brighter days lately, so it's only a matter of time before I can get busy in the garden again. Hurrah!  I have at least sorted out some seeds and made loose plans for what might be planted in what.  In fact, it's been so dull and grey here, I took a photo of the sun when it did finally make an appearance.

On the one warm spring-like day we had this month, I also reassessed the Plant Pot Situation and the Greenhouse Shelves Situation.  Conclusion: I need a bigger greenhouse.

Reduce

There are plans afoot to move. Still. However plans are creeping forward little by little and there is the glimmer of a removal van on the horizon. Consequently, there have been a couple of trips to the charity shop. I seem to be some sort of coathanger queen as I rarely hand over a bag without at least half a dozen in there. Is it just me?

Create

There has been more knitting - I finally cast off one of the scarves! I also picked up the other and got on with a bit of it. More about all that soon.  There has also been the usual constant stream of crochet. Squares for a little blanket, squares for a middle-y blanket and, quite unexpectedly, a cushion cover.

I just need to add buttons and poppers.

Enjoy

A friend and I went to the Knit and Stitch show at Olympia (Kensington, not Greece). We've been a few times now and have pretty much got it off to a fine art. So fine, I didn't buy any yarn. I know. It shocked me too.  I did pick up some nice fabrics though, but as they're for a present for another friend, I haven't been able to show them off on here. Sorry!  Another friend was thwarted by the unseasonable weather and so found himself at a loose end and came over for lunch. He's a bit tall.  My living room is a bit small.

It was lovely to see him, even if he left with a crick in his neck and a blunt force trauma or three...

Resolutions

Last month I said I would start running and make some Yarndale stock. Both of these things have happened,  though I'll admit, one more than the other. What can I say in my defence except that it was jolly cold outside?  I also zapped that lingering 3lb. Phew!  April resolutions?  Maybe just more running.

So there it is. March. Catching up with friends, baking and waiting for the sunshine. How was your month?

Slow Living 2013 - February

Once again, I'm taking part in the Slow Living roundup. You can read everyone's posts here. Here's my February, as usual, I've just skipped the headings I don't have anything for...

Nourish

Erm, well, let's see. There has been some pretty serious muffin action here at The Hookery this month. Blueberry muffins, lemon muffins, lemon and sultana muffins, lemon and poppy seed muffins, lemon curd-filled lemon muffins and apple and sultana muffins. The  recipe for the latter is here.

In fact, I have baked so much, my scales have broken :(

It's also been a good month for the slow cooker, butternut squash and bacon soup and a sausage casserole being particularly good.

Prepare

There hasn't been any foody preparation going on here, but I have finally knuckled down to start thinking about Yarndale in September. It's a long way away still, but crochet takes a lot of time and there's only me working on all this. I have (I think) settled on what I want to take along with me so now I just need to sit down and getting hooking!

Create

Well, following on from the last heading, I've been plodding on with the mutant blanket and started putting some squares together to make the blissful blanket. I need to press on with them to clear some space for stock-making for Yarndale. They can't be on hold until September. They just can't!

Other projects, like the daisy meadow blanket and the e-reader cover, have just mushroomed into being. I must sit down and write a tutorial or two for these.

The knitting is still there. Still growing. Just very slowly.

Enjoy

I feel like I've seen a lot of my friends this month, both near and far, planned and spur-of-the-moment.  Is there anything more enjoyable?

The house has also been filled with daffodils. The blast of colour is most welcome and I have so enjoyed having little vases of sunshine on the windowsills. I am now properly ready for Spring to...er...spring!

Resolutions

So last month I said I'd lose half a stone. Well, it was going very well until the muffin-attack happened. Then it slowed somewhat. Still, I'm 4lbs down and that is fine by me. I think I'll banish the remaining 3lbs in March - evenings are lighter which makes going for a run easier. I'll also start making stock for Yarndale. So there you go. March resolutions: running and stock-making.

Slow Living 2013 - January

I'm delighted to see that Christine is keeping this going through 2013. I kind of fell off the wagon at the end of last year and there was no December SL post. Mainly because there wasn't much to report. We filled the fridge, locked the door and spent Christmas eating and watching iPlayer.  Anyway, January... (as usual, I've skipped the headings that I have nothing for)

Nourish

January is always a curious month food-wise. I always find I'm watching the pennies but have cupboards overflowing with indulgences like chocolates and Christmas cakes. I have not lived exclusively on these however. Honest. There have been some nice homemade soups, quite a lot of baking and for my lunch today, there are some homemade sausage rolls in my lunchbox.

Grow

It's been tricky to grow anything this month. Well, anything to eat. The cottage positively reeks of hyacinth though!

Reduce

The Beloved and I are in the midst of house-hunting. He has made a real effort to clear through lots and lots of stuff. Having moved house last year, I'm still feeling pretty trim in this department. I don't have much space for books in the cottage though, so I have bought an eReader. We'll see how I get on with that. I don't actually reread books very often at all, so I do sometimes feel a little bit guilty about all that paper (for which trees have died) just sitting there on the shelf.  Or in a number of boxes in The Beloved's spare room, as they are now...

I am also trying to reduce the yarn stash. I'll be honest, it's been a bit half-hearted so far...

Create

It's been a pretty creative month, January. I have surprised myself. I finished the ripple blanket, started two knitting projects and have been hopping from one crochet project to another (more about those soon).

Discover

In the course of starting two knitting projects, I treated myself to Learn to Knit, Love to Knit after seeing a review of it on another blog ages ago which really stuck in my mind for some reason. Although I haven't actually made anything from the book yet, it has been an enlightening and instructive read so far.  I am resisting the urge to jump in at the back and make a fairisle tanktop. I suspect it might end like the time I tried to teach myself to knit by making socks...

Enjoy

It's been an enjoyable month. I like January. Some people hate it, but I like it's shiny new-ness and the sense of a new year stretching out ahead of you full of promise. And it usually snows in January. I love snow. I need a good dose of it at the start of the year just for that moment when you wake up and see a pristine, crisp white world outside. It reinforces the sense of a new beginning somehow.

Resolutions

At the start of the year, I decided against one big resolution for the year. Instead, I'm going to make little changes each month and set my self little challenges, all with the goal of generally moving life along on the more positive side of things.  I think I'll record them on the end of these SL posts.  January's resolutions were to knit more and eat fewer biscuits. Well, knit I did. I haven't bought any biscuits either. There may have been a batch or two of homemade ones, but they don't count, do they...?

February's resolution is to lose half a stone. Seven measly pounds. I can do this. I can.

Slow Living 2012 - November

It's been another very quiet month here at The Hookery. Not so busy on the slow living front, but little bits here and there. And every little helps, right?

Nourish

I put my baking apron back on this month and there has been a near constant stream of ginger cake.  I came across a recipe for pear and ginger pudding in Country Living Magazine and have been a tad hooked on it. I missed one of the ingredients out the first time I made it (the milk) and ended up with pear and ginger brownie. I wasn't disappointed!

There's also a recipe for pear and cheese tarts, which I also made and recommend. The leftover pastry made sausage rolls which I'll also be making again. It's been a month of good eating!

Prepare

Another month without stocking up on anything. Unless presents count? I did my Christmas shopping a while ago and appear to have presents for me leftover...

Create

More work on the ripple, more baubles, some cross stitch and quite a few catnip mice...

Discover

More of a rediscovery actually, but lately I've been working on something from a book of French style cross stitch. I bought it a while ago after drooling over it in a bookshop and doing that page-stroking thing for long enough that the store assistants started looking at me funny. I finally sat down to make something from it (more about that later, it's a present for a friend, so you're not allowed to see it before she does) and it was a  delight. Also, don't tell anyone, but it was really quite enjoyable to do something other than crochet for a bit. A change is as good as a rest, eh?

Enjoy

This month was the month for what has become an annual pre-Christmas get together with some friends. We usually pick a town or city and descend for a couple of days, but this time we had it here in my wee cottage. It was very cosy, with lots of card games, a frosty morning walk, plenty of tea and cake and good company. It was lovely to have the cottage full of laughter, chatter and friends and to be honest, it feels a bit empty now...

So there you go. Not the busiest slow living month, but a very enjoyable one nonetheless. Don't forget, you can catch up with lots of other slow living posts over at the slow living blog.

Slow Living 2012 - October

Wow, really? The end of October already? Yikes!  Time really has flown by this month and to be honest, there hasn't been much going on on the Slow Living front. Still, let's see what has been happening here at The Hookery, shall we?

Nourish

There hasn't been much baking this month. None at all, in fact. This is probably a Good Thing as far as the waistline is concerned. I have still been cooking from scratch though, but I'm not sure whether this counts - I don't know any other way to cook...!

There has been a lot of slow cooker action though and a good number of elastic stews have been made ('elastic' because I dilute the last half portion of whatever it is with boiling water, give it a bit of attention with a potato masher and hey presto! Soup!). The food flask has also been pressed into service this month and it's been fab having a hot homemade lunch at the day job, especially as the office heating only just came on yesterday.

A bad photo of a good soup - slow roast lamb and Mediterranean veg, as I remember...

Prepare

Ain't done no stockpiling, sorry. Does making Christmas decorations for the shop count?

Reduce

I haven't been here much this month (more of that anon), so my bins have been delightfully empty. I ate up all the fridge contents before I left for my hols, which meant I didn't even food shop until the 23rd this month!

Green

Last month I swore I was going to make washing powder this month. I failed. I will make it in November. I will!

Grow

I haven't done anything new to the garden this month but I am *still* harvesting spinach, rocket, beetroot, carrots and salad onions.  I am pleased about this.  Alas, my basil and thyme plants have got a serious greenfly infestation. I am not pleased about this. Any suggestions for de-bugging them, or are they doomed?

Create

Well, the ripple blanket has grown a bit and some Christmas decorations have been made, but it's been a very quiet month for the crochet hooks, all things considered.

Enjoy

There's a lot to go under this heading. Or rather, one big thing to go under this heading: we went on holidaaaaaay!

The Beloved and I spent just over a week in Scotland and it was HEAVEN! Lots of good food, walking, sight-seeing, reindeer-feeding, castle-visiting and whisky-quaffing.

*ahem...*

I have really struggled to readjust to Normal Life since we got back, which is usually a sign that the holiday was somewhat overdue, but I think I've just about caught up and settled back in.

Fingers crossed for a more productive Slow Living post next month...

Don't forget, you can catch up with others doing the slow living thang over on the Slow Living Blog!

Slow Living 2012 - September

I remember getting all excited for the start of Autumn in my last Slow Living post. As I type this, the wind is whipping the the trees and hedges into a proper Autumn day. There are still plenty of blackberries and enough haws and rosehips as to lend the hedgerows a reddish tint as you drive by. I've been continuing to try live a slower life, along with plenty of other people you can find on Christine's blog, Slow Living Essentials.

Nourish

The cake tins here at The Hookery have been as full as they usually are. As I type, there's a batch of banana and peanut butter buns cooling on the side. A good number have already been sampled. Quality control is so important, don't you think?

Thinking back, I do seem to have gotten through a lot of risotto rice this month too - I put it down to the cooler weather.  I think a stew could be in the offing in the coming days too.

Prepare

I don't usually have anything for this heading. I barely have space to accommodate the day-to-day necessities, so there's not much option for stockpiling. With the hedgerows so full of free food though, it felt a bit rude not to gather my bodyweight in blackberries. Having eaten more than was probably good for me, I had a crack at apple and blackberry jam. The aforementioned problems with storage space meant making it in a saucepan though. Not quite the success it should have been.

Post-jam horror

Better luck was had with rosehip syrup and green tomato chutney. I am already running out of both!

Reduce

I started the month with a rash of DIY-ing. A set of shelves which I really didn't like was turned into a set of shelves and a planter which I do like. I am ridiculously proud of having cobbled together something useful out of something that I secretly wanted to throw out but couldn't justify so doing. There was also the hotel-shower-cap-bowl-cover, the stocking-jelly-bag and the milk-carton-jam-funnel. It's been a good month for reusing and repurposing.

A milk carton with the bottom and top cut off. Surprisingly useful.

Green

I'm still using homemade rosemary hair rinse instead of commercial conditioner, white vinegar instead of fabric softener and the post-jam saucepan was rescued with a sprinkling of bic. soda and a dash of elbow grease.  I am just about out of washing powder, so I'm on the hunt for a recipe for a homemade alternative. More about that next month I guess.

Grow

I sowed a late batch of spinach and rocket earlier and rather than thin out the seedlings, I've let them grow just big enough to eat.  I am now thinning them out by adding baby leaves to sandwiches, salads and risottos. The borage plant has gone berserk and every sandwich now has a little floral garnish. Long may that continue!

The recalcitrant tomato plant was stripped of it's lazy green fruit and chutneyed. Let that be a lesson to it. Possibly as a result of rumours heard from the back garden, the strawberry plant at the front has started to put fruit on again. This has never happened before. I'll have to have a chat with it and see what's going on.

I need to eat more spinach!

In preparation for Spring, bulbs have been buried and seeds have been sown. I think I have about 25 daffodil bulbs left to find homes for though. I haven't got a clue where those will end up.  Anyone want a daffodil?

Create

It feels like it's been a month of sewing in ends. I rounded up a few blankets that are in various stages of half-done-ness with a view to finishing them off and using them over the Winter. I think I'll manage it for two out of the three. I've ordered enough yarn (I hope) to take on holiday with me in a couple of weeks' time. Fingers crossed I'll finish one of them then.

Christmas crochet has been bubbling away gently in the background for a while here, but now I'm starting to pull everything together and see what still needs to be done (not much) and listed (just about everything). I also finished a cushion cover which has been on the go for a couple of years!

And, I finally wrote up a pattern for some of the chunky yarn I have in the shop. It was sweltering on the day I made the twisted tweble scarf, but I could quite easily wear it today and feel nice and snug. And smug.

Discover

I feel like I have been reading chutney recipes all month. Also, advice on post-jam pan-cleaning. I have also been mooning over the September issue of Country Living Magazine, but nothing new there. The upshot of all this is that I look at all veg with a view to simmering it with vinegar, sugar and spices and keep a healthy stock of bic. soda in the cupboard.  Can anyone recommend a good chutney book? There seem to be so many to choose from.

Enjoy

It's been a quiet month here really. But I like quiet. Next month will be busy with work and although there's a holiday in there too to look forward to, I'll be trying to cram twice as much into the day job to accommodate the week off. A quiet September has been wholly enjoyable.

How was your September?

Slow Living 2012 - August

This part of the year is always one of my favourites.  The anticipation of autumn when the heat of summer starts to dwindle and I can downgrade to factor 30 suncream as the 'season of mists' quietly creeps in and turns the world mellow.  However, autumn is still standing on the doorstep waiting to be let in.  Before I offer her a cup of tea and a sit down, let me tell you what I've been doing with August...

Nourish

I'll admit, there hasn't been much baking going on this month.  I did find a new cookie recipe though, and it's a winner.  The mix didn't spread as much in the oven as I'd expected, so they were a bit cake-y in the middle.  I'll make them smaller next time...  The oven has had a very quiet month because most meals have been salads plucked straight from the pots outside. Hurrah!  I did however feel inspired by Heidi's popover recipe and made some goats cheese and caramelised red onion flavoured ones.  Delicious.  Alas, no photos.  I ate them.  All of them.  Pretty quickly too. *blush*

Green

I've been making a real effort to turn off lights when I'm not in a room.  I had my first electric bill which tells me I'm on economy 7 (why couldn't they tell me that on the phone?).  As a result, the washing machine has become nocturnal.  The breadmaker will be following suit and things which need recharging are plugged in at bedtime and unplugged first thing.

Grow

As I said above, there has been a lot of salad-eating going on here.  All the radishes have now been hoovered up.  Quite a lot of rocket made it to the table until it got inspired by the Olympics and 'went a bit Usain'.  One day I had leafy, eat-y plants, the next they were about a foot taller and flowering. *sigh*

There's still quite a bit of beetroot dotted around the place, carrots and some salad onions which are coming on nicely and cabbage and spinach has been sown for some winter eating.  Calendula has also been sown for a head-start on spring and a last batch of radish and rocket has been put in for some late salad-eating (and because I like rocket stirred into risotto - add it just before serving). The latter was sown over the top of a load of spring bulbs, which makes me feel *very* organised.

My tomato plant has produced about a dozen fruit, but all are remaining resolutely green.  At this rate, I'll be looking for recipes for the smallest batch of green tomato chutney in the world. Hmph!

At the front of the cottage, the pots are blooming and even one of the clematis I bought in the early summer has managed to squeeze out a bloom.

Create

As usual, the crochet hooks have been hard at work.  I managed to get a small batch of baubles made up and I'll aim to keep adding to the stockpile in preparation for Christmas in Eidelweiss.  I've also been thinking about woolly things to stock and have finessed a handwarmer pattern in a cluster stitch which I hope to make more of... if I can bear all that sewing in!

I also treated myself to some new terracotta pots as they were in the sale.  Then I treated myself to a couple of paint sample pots (£1 each and I've still got over half left of each - bargain!).  I do like terracotta, but I prefer it when it's aged - new terracotta always looks like it's had a bad spraytan.  Much better painted in softer shades of sky blue and light green.  The cream-coloured paint was a small pot of furniture touch-up paint that I had.  No idea which bit of furniture it was supposed to touch up, but I'm glad I've been able to repurpose it.

I just need to think of what to plant in each pot now.  My favourite is the planter with the bulbs and rocket in that I mentioned above.

Pretty funky radish, no?

Oh, and I'm still dithering over this blanket, but I think I'm slowly coming round to the idea of a solid pattern.

Discover

When I moved in June, most of my books were stored at The Beloved's.  I recently dug out a few of them and have been dipping in and out of them.  Particularly the RHS one about growing veg in small spaces and the 'Grow Your Own Drugs', which is not some sort of 'dealer's guide', but rather a nice collection of recipes for home remedies.  

I've been reminding myself of what to be sure to have in stock for winter chills (cloves, lemons, honey, ginger, etc) and thinking about what and how to plant come the spring.

Enjoy

It's been a month for reaping the rewards of my frantic (if limited) efforts in the garden earlier in the summer.  We had a small barbecue early in the month and it was nice to be surrounded by flowering pots and see bits of veg poking through.  It was also good to catch up with friends and enjoy some nice relaxed weekends in the sun.

So, how was your month?

PS - You can find more Slow Living tales on this lovely blog :)

Slow Living 2012 - July

July seems to have flown by!  As before, I don't have something for every heading, but here's what I've been up to on the slow living front...

Nourish

There has been quite a bit of baking.  Hobnobs made a return to The Hookery's menu after a long absence (I lost the recipe, and despite having emailed it to a friend long ago, it wouldn't show in my Gmail sent items. Weird.).

I also adapted my favourite banana loaf recipe to make choc-banana buns.  Definitely a winner and they last a bit longer than a loaf somehow.  I'll post recipes for both here soon, promise.  All meals have been made from scratch I think, and I can't remember the last time I bought my lunch at work, although not having any shops near the new office definitely focusses the mind when it comes to remembering the packed lunch!

Reduce

A while ago I bought a wormery.  It's a great alternative to a compost heap if, like me, you have a container garden (read: yard).  The worms eat pretty much anything and you can add cooked food (not that I ever have leftovers...).  Alas, I did forget to move the wormery into the shade when the weather brightened, so I actually cooked a batch of worms.  I feel terrible about it.  I've ordered some more, I just hope they don't freak out when they find the carcasses of their predecessors.

Green

Still using the rosemary hair rinse.  Still loving it.  I recently cleaned the inside of my mugs with salt to remove the tea stains.  Just sprinkle a little salt (any type, cheap table salt works fine) on a wet cloth and rub it around the stain.  It doesn't take much elbow grease and your mugs will all look like new.  I also ran out of fabric conditioner this month and have replaced it with white vinegar.  It has the added bonus of combatting limescale in the machine, as well as softening the laundry.

Salt and vinegar: not just for chips!

Grow

As I said in my last slow living post, I'm kind of behind the whole planting/eating curve this year, but what I have has been potted on and my original plan of successive pottings on (rather than successive sowings) does seem to have staggered things.  I'm looking forward to peas, a few carrots, rocket, radishes, tomatoes and beetroot.

There have also been strawberries and there is the promise of more to come.  I need to get my planning hat on though soon and start thinking of what to grow over the Winter. Suggestions welcome!

Discover

I'm still finding my way around the local area and even my own home.  A while ago I noticed a toad in the yard one evening.

I was delighted to see him more than once this month.  I was less delighted to find some of the most enormous slugs though :(  I doubt Mr Toad will be able to eat too many of these in one go.

That's a normal-sized biro, for scale!

I've think I've finally gotten into the habit of cooking on electric - turn it on before you need it, turn it off before you're finished.  I've been lucky enough to always have gas, so it's been a steep learning curve.  Out and about, I'm noticing lots of little farm shops on the country roads around here.  I must investigate these further.

Create

There has been One Big Project this month: getting the commercial side of The Hookery up and running.  It's now really beginning to take shape and all very exciting.  And in a departure from the usual hobby, I've been learning to knit.  I find it quite demanding concentration-wise, but it's definitely satisfying to finally feel like I've cracked the knitting thing.

It's also been a great month for finishing off projects.  A pair of bedroom curtains were finally hung, a couple of baby gifts were given and a long-overdue wedding present was also handed over.  The work basket is positively empty and I'm definitely in the mood for a ripple blanket now.  Watch this space!