Thursday 8 July 2010

Bit of This 'an That ~ Thrifty Snippet, Shabby Chic!!

A little bit of everything tonight - just what I've been up to the last couple of days!
First of all my harvest - just look at these glorious little gems!
Its the first time I have had red currants to pick - the birds usually beat me to it, and last year the bush was stripped of leaves and fruit by ants. It seems to have recovered, although the other bush (I planted two ) is a poor scraggy thing.




I just have the two red currant bushes, I have them in the border with all the pretty flowers - they don't really get any attention, I just had a fancy, at the time, to grow red currants then I could make red currant jelly to have with roast lamb.
I don't have the garden space for a fruit garden, so I just make do -



although I don't think there is enough here to bother with jelly - all of 6 ounces!
I put them in the freezer - they will be used in something or other. They are a fabulous colour - Mother Nature has a wonderful sense of fun.
Playing about with my door again!
I put a little collection of Shabby stuff together in a boring sort of corner -its where we sit, so I wanted something to look at - if you know what I mean!


I dragged the old step ladder out of the shed - I had painted it up a while ago, a nice gentle green-y colour.



And nestled my little collection of vintage fish tank and cloche on the top. I have a little dish planted up with a teeny tiny fern, and some Navel wort - a fascinating little plant that grows like crazy on the walls, and in our hedgerows. I hadn't seen it before we moved to Anglesey - its called navel wort because it just looks like - well a navel - its round like a penny with a dip in the centre (I think its other name is Penny - something). It grows quite large in the wild, depending on conditions - mine is confined to the small dish - so is a dainty - fairy size!



I found this old shabby chair at the carboot - Hubby P was going to do it up - but I quite like it as it is. The old enamel potty is there to act as a sort of repository for Hubby P's cigarette butts, and other unsavory things - quite apt really, considering what it once perhaps used for!

We went shopping - we I couldn't put it off for much longer!
I managed a couple of Thrifty buys - some fruit and veg was on offer, so that was good, I bought quite a bit. Peppers were a mixed bag of 3 peppers for 50p - cheap and cheerful so I bought 2 bags. Now there is no way we will eat 6 peppers in a week or so, so I chopped 4 of them and lay them on trays and put them in the freezer.


They should be ok tomorrow to bag up and stay loose, so that I can just grab a handful for stir fries and the like - bit like I do with the frozen peas - everything gets peas in it here.

Hubby P does like his Shepherds pie, so we have to have minced beef, I like to buy British or Welsh - even more local, if I can. They had these big packs for about £2.80 I think, far too much for just Hubby P and I (Both Richard and William are veggies) - so I split the pack into three.
I think it said 400gms on the box/pack - it doesn't mean any thing to me, I know its shameful, but I cant get a grip on this metrication! My formative years I grew up with pounds and ounces - so that's how I think - so anyway - back to the mince - it madeapprox 8oz per pack and three packs, thats 4oz of meat per person which is plenty - it all gets padded out with lots of veg, or baked beans in the case of Shepherds pie.
A good deal there, and mince always gives good flavour to a dish - very versatile and quick to cook.




At the moment I am all for quick and easy - I have so much to do and not enough hours in the day - I've just noticed its after 11pm now - I should have been in bed ages ago - Ahhhh the things I do for you lot! hehe!
Lots going on here, big project ????



Here is a hint of things to come.
It must be said the 'Men' of the house are not too thrilled -but Hey! sometimes a Girl just Has to have her own way!
Show you some pic's next time - if the sun shines for me!
xxx Take care xxx







10 comments:

  1. Great idea! I did not know you could freeze peppers! I am growing some in the back yard and always have more than I can use. Thanks for the tip. Love your blog! have a great day. Lisa

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  2. lb's and oz's & stones and pounds~much easier to understand...oh and gallons too!

    love your little seating area~so sweet!

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  3. Your seating area is looking lovely.
    My OH does that with mince, we buy it when it's BOGOF then he bags it up so each bag is a meal for one. That way he can have cottage pie & I can have lasagne. I'm very impressed with this :)

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  4. I love redcurrant jelly. It was one of my Belgian Granmother's specialities. I remember the scent on the kitchen whilst she made it!
    Have a lovely weekend
    Isabelle x

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  5. I love the way you set up those features you have in your garden, very country cottage and just perfect.

    My peppers in the garden are still teeny tiny, hopefully by the end of August they will be ready, and I do the same as you, slice them and pop them in the freezer.

    Gill in Canada

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  6. I still do imperial...can't get to grips with metric!
    Love your little 'shabby' corner of the garden and especially that chair.
    Have a lovely weekend.It's going to be a scorcher here!

    Bellaboo ;0)

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  7. Hi Vicky, I love the little vintage finds added to your garden. I have a step ladder put away I would love to make look as good as yours do but I'm worried the hens may use them as an aid to launch into next doors garden! I love the shabby chair just the sort of thing I like in the corner of the garden. Jane xx

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  8. i had to pop back and let you know we have our own 'geoffrey'!!!
    keith spotted him at dusk last night making a dash from among the tomatos where the birds drop sunflower hearts from a feeder to a small hole in our railway sleeper steps! we are so excited and i left him a little bowl of goodies :)
    just need to find a good name for him!

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  9. You always find some lovely things. I love the old plant pots, they would look great with red pelagoniums in them!
    Love
    Lyn
    xxx

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  10. I do like what you have done with your 'shabby chic' corner. Hmmm... you've given me some ideas...I'm sure there is a step ladder and few other bits that I can 'rescue' from my FIL's house.

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