Just a Catch Up....Chutneys..Jams..Cupboards & Stuff

How nice to see the sunshine .... hurrah ...lets make the most of it ...it warms me old bones just lovely!

Just a quick catch up ... and a few pic's ... we all like to have a look at a few pic's ... take an interest in others doings, at least I do. (well .. that's the polite way to put it..  he he)

 

Pretty flowers from the garden ... I know we moan about the rain, but everything is growing like fury.

I had another load of rhubarb the other day... and a bag full from a kind friend ... just how much rhubarb crumble can a girl eat? ...don't answer that 

...especially with cream

 .. or custard 

..how about raspberry ripple icecream

  .... oh yum yum

... enough  ... enough!

Anyway I got out the trusty Big Pan

Had a rummage in the freezer and to the rhubarb added some apple and gooseberries, good slosh of water and simmered /softened them... put them through a jelly cloth.

To each pint of juice I added 1lb of sugar and boiled it up.

Very slap dash and 'make it up as you go along' ... but you know what its the most yummy jam/jelly

...just didn't make enough if it!

 Waiting for the boiling jam to jell I stood gawking out of the kitchen window ... it must be the most 'looked at view' by the majority of womenfolk....

(Dont look at the mucky windows)

I'm lucky I have nice green space to look out on .... admittedly a lot of it is weed at the moment .. but its pretty weed ...and its my weed.

Hows your view? Do you too enjoy your weeds?

There should have been some photos of an enormous bag of beetroot here ...I knowww! 

I just so know how to tease you ...I really live it up here....

Unfortunately the camera was 'sick' ....something about having to reconfigure the card ... I don't really know ... Richard just 'fixed it'...I was supposed to be watching and learning ...but hey!

I know how to make Chutney and jam ...what more do they want?

The beetroot was given to me on Sunday afternoon....Colin 'the veg' (Greengrocer extraordinaire ....he has a stall at the carboot sale) was packing away as I sidled over to snaffle any bargains.

 I had bought my bag of bargain veg when he asked if I could 'do anything with' the beetroot....it had been bagged for sale and was sweating a bit in the bags and getting past its best. I took it thankfully and boiled it up Sunday evening in the Big Pan.

Next day I riffled the cupboards and freezer to find 'interesting' things to throw in to make a Fruity Spicy Beetroot Chutney, again...make it up as you go along.

It made a good 7 large jars...being chutney it needs to sit for a few weeks to develop its flavour ... so we will have a tasting in the Autumn with lots of tasty hotpots and shepherds pie.

Of course Colin ..'the veg' got his jar of chutney too.

 

Bit of a problem with the food situation in this house .... major problem has arisen since I have discovered Approved Foods ...I think I get a bit carried away ...we seem to have masses of 'bargain' food ....and no cupboard space.

Hubby P came home with this dinky little meatsafe/cupboard the other day ... 'just the thing' I thought ...and it will fit just nicely next to the other cupboard ...the one that is full to bursting with good bargain foods.

I gave it a good wash and a lick of paint ...and guess what ....it was sunshining, so it dried in no time.

 

Its ideal for storing jars of produce ...funnily enough I have one or two jars of chutney past me ... and some jam....and the way the garden is growing no doubt there will be more goodies to squirrel away for the cold winter months.

Is it just me or have you started your jams and jellies?

Bye for now ..... take care x 

Hanging Out With The Guys In The Evenings ...

Yes ....I know rain ...more rain...& rain and rain..

I'm heartily sick of it.... and now they say its to be a record breaking wet July too.

So much for the photo's of us enjoying our garden... Hubby P has taken to mooching about outside in the evenings....it seems to be dry then.
He has his little bunch of Guys to keep him company...

Remember Percy the pigeon ... well all his feathers grew back and his wing seemed a lot better so we released him from the cage... but he's still hanging around.
He has taken up residence behind the shed...and roosts on an old step ladder...coo-ing softly to us.

And another of the rascally gang....

 Can you see him?

Geoffrey the mouse .... coming out to play ....well feed actually.

On one of the less rainy days I had a good old weeding session...I cleared the garden bed around the apple tree. Its where we feed the birds so there is always lots of spilt seed and crumbs from the bird table, which often sprout into ....well quite tasty lookin weeds actually.

Now I have cleared the weeds anyone or 'anymouse'  ....'knockin about' ...can easily be seen .... not that Geoffrey is that bothered by us wandering about.

He sits happily chewing on a morsel...

........ and communes with Hubby P.

 

 Here's a random pic I had on the camera ...its the lovely bottles of Elderflower cordial... I must put some by for wintertime.

And something bright and pretty to cheer a Girl...

Do you like my new tin ....it has little handles and everything!

I think its just so cheery and pretty ....I shall keep my bits and bobs in it for the 'ongoing' quilt ...so handy on the windowsill ...it may inspire me to do a little each evening. 

Here is the 'ongoing' quilt ....as you can see it is quite large...and very random! 

I shall just keep plodding away with it ...after all there is no rush to finish it ...it just keeps my hands busy without me having to employ my brain very much.

As Gran use to say ...'The Devil makes work for idle hands'...

Anyway enough of me ...how are you? 

Keep warm.... keep dry... it sounds like winter..... roll on summer!

Take care xx