What A Dreary Day ..... A Thrifty Pie Kinda Day!

 Hello there ....

Well .. what a dreary sort of day ..

 I don't think it really ever got properly light ... and so cold.

As you can see from the top pic .. Hubby P now has good/proper lighting in his workshop ....

so that means he can work ... every hour possible ... 

Not that he would for a moment consider himself 'Driven' as they say on the Talk Shows!

But well .. he is always doing something .. and the lack of good lighting in his workshop was always a problem for him ...

Not so for me .. at least I knew he would be in for his tea when it was too dark to see..

Anyway enough of our little domestic issues ...

Whats for tea ?

Something warming and sufficiently stodgy to warm our cockles on this dreary day ...

and of course Thrifty ... money is tight over the winter months.

 I thought a gammon and egg pie would be welcome.

I had bought some very thrifty gammon pieces the other week ... 

cheap and cheerful because they were the end of the 'gammon' .. all misshapen end-y slices ..

not that it mattered to me .. they taste just the same.

So I pulled a pack from the freezer .. defrosted and chopped into small pieces .. fried up with an onion.

Made a lump of simple shortcrust pastry.

There was so much of the gammon and onion mix I made two pies .. 

I cracked a couple of eggs on to the mix and plonked on a pastry top.

I had some pastry left so I made an apple pie .. I have one or two apples hanging around.

Not that we will eat the Apple pie tonight ... two lots of pastry may be a bit much.

But we can have it tomorrow ... just lovely with some warm custard.

I switched the oven off and put one of the gammon and egg pies back in to keep warm...

we will have it for tea with some cheapo beans ..

I put the 'spare' pie in the freezer for another day.

This afternoon was so dark .... 

I had all the lights on in the house just to see where I was going ...

Just the sort of day a Girl wants to sit by a nice fire and read a comforting book.

 These are my 'go to books' when I need a comforting read.

I must re read them every winter .. to me they are like a warm comforting blanket .. they make me feel good .. its gentle escapism.

I do so love the Miss Read books .. they tell of a gentler time ... idealised life in a small village...

warm .. funny stories ... 

and I really did go to a village school just like the one in Fairacre.

But no doubt I am preaching to the converted .. a lot of you will be familiar with Miss Read.

Now just look at these wonderful illustrations ...

 Hubby P found these hardback versions of Lillian Beckwith's books ... again much treasured.

If you like stories of simple village life with all the funny .. lively .. quirky characters of a rural village .. 

then again you will love the tales of life in a Hebridian Isle.

 Well its time to go and drag Hubby P out from his workshop ....

Here he is busily repairing and renovating ... recycling and restoring ...

Make Do and Mending ...

We will have lots of new stock to take out Trading at the weekend ...

lets hope people want to buy ..

And keep us small traders in business .... keep the money flowing around our small community.

  

Enough of me .. what about you .. have you had the chance to snuggle up with a comfy book?

Bye for now x

The Energy Of Kindness ...

 Hello there ...

Well what a day ... its been awfully cold .. wet and blowing me to bits..

 We were standing the Car Boot Sale today ..  

And although we were mostly undercover .. I was .. well .. just cold and miserable.

But .. we had a good old natter with the hardy types that ventured out .. and made some money .. 

which always helps ..ha ha...!

Anyway .. whats all this about Kindness .. and Energy ....

 it all sounds a bit  'Hippy Dippy'  I know..

Well I was just thinking ... Hubby P shudders when I say 'I was Just Thinking'!

But I was ... thinking .. this afternoon as I warmed up by the fire ...

It had been a hard morning .. wet and cold ...

but then two lovely things happened ... two kindly ... unrelated little happenings ..

A regular customer .. a rather strict looking man .. reserved but friendly ...

 likes a chat with Hubby P ...

but sometimes I feel a bit ferocious ... 

Anyway he hands me a parcel in his decisive quiet way and goes off to talk to Hubby P.

 I'm left holding an oven ready pheasant .

So Kind in his quiet way.

Then later my ... not so quiet .. rather.. umm chatty really ... friend...

pops over from her stall...

 with a big bag of the most enormous apples.

'Can you make use of these' ... I certainly can!

How Kind of her to think of me ... and Hubby P's fondness of all things coming out of the oven.

Now I feel Kindness .. Thoughtfulness ... Caring ... Sharing ... all those kind of things have their own energy...

 and like a snowball .. gather size and strength if they are kept moving ...

Pay if Forward they say ... yes indeed ... keep the positive energy moving ... spread it around ... 

let everyone have a little ... include everyone.

We must all pull together and do these little kindnesses where and when we can ...

without human kindness we are lost.

So just a little tiny Pay It Forward ...

Some of the apples turned into a simple apple crumble ..

 one for us ...

 and one for friend up the lane..

It was a last minute thought ... I had the oven on to warm up some faggots for tea ... 

so I had to fill the oven space ...

A simple crumble ... I tend to rub a bit of butter into the flour and add whatever is lurking in the cupboard ..

today it was a handful of porridge oats, few chopped nuts, sprinkle of brown sugar and a scattering of coconut...

All plonked on the chopped apple, a knob of butter and sprinkle of sugar.

They look a bit rough and ready ... 

but I am sure they will hit the spot later with some nice warm instant custard.

The Pheasant I put in the freezer ... a little secret ... its Hubby P's Birthday tomorrow ...

 gettin' older don't ya know! 

So knowing him he will want his all time favorite .. Shepherds Pie for tea.

Pheasant will make a lovey warming meal over the next week or two.

And on a different note altogether ... look what I found today ...

 gosh .. 

this took me back to when I was about 16 ... dressing up to go out ... 

I thought I was the bee's knees...

It still smells the same ... ha ha ...

and I still love it ...

Well enough of me .... I'm off to have my Apple crumble ... will think of you Angela.

Take care .. keep warm x

Oooo .. Its Crazy Hat Weather

 Hello there ... 

I know! ... three posts in a row .... my things must be slow here!

Hows this pic for a bare all .. work a day .. selfie!

You can tell its a bit nippy .. more skins than an onion....

We've been loading the van ready for trading tomorrow at Mona Car Boot Sale .... 

and I was taking some pic's for our work Facebook page ...

 just search Graig Trading ...

 if you are interested in our workaday stuff...

So I thought you might like to see some of tomorrows stock .. and whatnot.

I tend to forget to take the camera to work .. 

and I miss some great stuff that I think would make an interesting post ... 

I suppose I should embrace technology and get a camera phone.

How about these lovelies ... Vintage 1960/70's chairs .. 

in great condition . and so comfy.

I think these will go pretty quick .. there is a great demand for this mid century stuff.

Hubby P's nicely restored Vintage tools .. always a good seller .... 

often bought to give as gifts.

And cases .. always cases ..

 it seems the world and his wife want cases ...

 as storage under the bed .. 

as decorative storage on top of wardrobes ... 

to stack in the corner of a room ...

mind you I must say .. I do like the look and feel of a nice suitcase.

 A quick snap inside one of the units .. a little display of wartime books etc ...

Its always nice to find an interesting book ... 

a body can never have too many books.

These are interesting .. I don't think I have shown you these...

We found them last time we went on a buying trip ..

 they are huge and will need a nice big house to display them ... 

but Wow! .. what beauties ..

They are the real thing .. true vintage shabby chic ..

Made from plaster and horsehair over a wooden frame ..

  they resemble ceiling roses but they are/were made to cover vents in an old theatre.

 The old chap at the antique shop (in Accrington) said he had cleared the old cinema down the road ...

 now as a girl I knew it as the Odeon .. 

but before that I think it was the Regal .. before that I think it was a theatre.

He said they pulled the plaster mouldings down and he was amazed that they were only held up by 'a couple of old rusty nails'.. 

I thought they would be nice simply hung/stood against a wall .. especially in a nice conservatory with lots of greenery .. lovely old things.

Anyway I have rattled on more than I intended ... time for tea.

Take care .. bye for now x

Thrifty Sewing .. And Making A Penny Or Two ...

 Today's effort ... 

simple little hot water bottle cover ... 

just a bit of messing about with scraps of fabric.

Hello there ....

Well .... it seems we all like a lump of Manchester Tart ..

 it was very nice ...

 perhaps a bit sweet .. but hey .. it was tasty ..

As far as the recipe is concerned .. 

well I just kinda made it up .. with what I had ..

 as I remembered it from school dinners .

So ... I made a bit of shortcrust pastry and lined a flan tin (it was all I could find deep enough) ...

 baked it blind.

When cooked and cool I spread the bottom with jam

 (the jar I had open in the fridge .. I think it was Damson).

Sliced an old (seen better days) banana over the jam.

Found a packet of instant custard in the cupboard and made it up .. 

thicker than usual ... I think I used half the amount of boiling water... 

and spread it over the banana.

When cooled a bit I sprinkled dessicated coconut over the top.

Easy .. bit fiddly .. but easy enough ... and tasty.

Give it ago ... school dinners all over again.

 

 Today's important 'work type' job was to make myself a sign ... 

and I'm not great at freehand painting ..

 

Its something I perhaps didn't really want to get into ... 

I find mending a bit boring .. to say the least..

... But Needs Must As The Devil Drives  ...

Things work wise always slow down during the winter .. 

and although we are fine .. 

and have prepared for these slower months ..

 another 'String to my bow' .. will be a good thing.

The decision has come about because last week another two people asked me if I did alterations ...

 I am always getting enquiries .. its because I sell haberdashery ..

 I am seen as a 'sewing type person' .. 

apparently!

I have always done bits and bobs as favours for people ... 

After talking it over with Hubby P ...

 I decided to offer it as a service ...

 I can just put the board out when we are selling at out regular haunts ... 

and see if I get any work.

 

Thinking about this new venture ...

 and .. clearing the sewing table to make space to shorten a lady's new curtains .... 

I came across a nice scrap of flowered flannelet fabric.. 

just a little scrap I had saved .... 

the darker ridged fabric was an old vintage robe ... too damaged to sell ..

So it became the body of the hot water bottle cover and the flannelet an extra bit of decorative padding.

And the lacy bits .. well .. I just felt a bit .. kinda .. well .. lacy!

I quite enjoyed my bit of sewing  .. 

and it will be useful ...

 I have just 'invested' in two new hot water bottles .... 

A must for the cold weather and Hubby P's dodgy back!

And you know me of course ..

 I get a funny sort of thrill from making something out of nothing .... 

I know !... Strange Girl...!  ha ha ...!

Take care .. bye for now  x

Mmmm... Manchester Tart ...

Hello there ... 

Just a quick catch up .. it seems to have been a busy week ...

Earlier in the week we had some sunshiny days ...

 a good chance to sweep up the leaves .. 

again.

 I'm hoping there won't be many more .. 

the trees look pretty bare ... 

cold and stark looking against the cold blue sky ...

I think Winter is here ..

 Hubby P here wielding a garden fork ....

 I asked him to give the chickens scratching pen/run a good forking over. 

The run is only small and it soon gets wet and muddy  ..

 I thought the wind and bit of sun we had might dry it up a bit.

The Girls enjoyed it ... lots of tasty worms and whatnot ..

 indeed .. 

a feast!

In a day or two I will keep them shut in their hen house ..

 they have a lot of scratching room inside ..

 just to give the run a 'rest' for a while. 

They are only getting cold and wet if/when they go outside ...

 the older ones are sensible and stay indoors .. 

it was always thus!

 Work continues on my dresser ... 

inbetween the 'earning a living' work ... 

or rather ..

 at this time of year 'trying to earn a living'.

This side piece of the dresser has to be scribed /fitted to the wall ... the wall it is built to /against was the outer wall of the cottage which means it is very 'humpy and bumpy' ....

 a 'technical term' you understand.

The cottage is built from boulders and rough stone so the walls are very uneven ... 

but we like it that way.

 This is one of the huge shelves .. 

you can see what a big 'curvy bit' ...

 there we go with the techie terms again ....

that Hubby P has had to cut out of the plank ...

 so that it fits snug up against the wall.

Its all very time consuming ... 

but Hubby P seems to like the creativity of it all ... 

Watch this space for more updates ... doors next I think ...

 

 Much to'ing and fro'ing with bits of wood means the door is open ... house cold 

 so I may as well play outside too ...

 everything is looking a bit sad and weary.

 This is/was a rather nice bedding Geranium .. past its best now.

Being of the thrifty mind ..

 I wondered if I could keep it going for next year.

I remembered when I was a young woman .. 

fresh out of college.. 

I worked in a Lab..(testing animal feedstuffs)...

 near Grange Over Sands.

 Away from home of course.. so I lodged with a lovely family who ran a guest house. 

The place was packed with returning guests every summer .. 

 a nice warm lively place to live .. 

the rooms had big bay windows that looked out across Morecombe Bay.

Anyway .. back to the Geraniums .. 

the front of the gust house was adorned with pots of lovely bright Geraniums ... 

and every year the Landlady's Mother would take cuttings and root them and pot them up ....

 We spent all winter with the bathroom windowsils crammed with pots of 'next years Geraniums' ... 

the original plants went on for years and years .. and years ..

So in a last ditch attempt to salvage something of the plant ... 

I know its a bit late ..

but I took some cuttings and sat them in a pot of water on the kitchen windowsill ...

 hopefully they will take root .. 

and will delight us again next summer.

 

 And today's creativity ... a bit of baking  .. 

a request from the 'wood lads' for Manchester Tart ..

Who remembers that from School Dinners ?

and ..

What other delights can you remember .... 

I just loved school custard ...

 but the mashed potato was awful!

Anyway enough of me ...

Take care .. bye for now x

Feeding All Of Us .. Thriftily....

Hello there ...

There is definitely a nip in the air now ...

 I think we can say winter is well and truly here ..

Time to wrap up ... keep warm .. and eat well ..

Eating well doesn't necessarily mean spending a fortune on expensive foods ... 

we just have to give it a bit of forethought and ..

'rock the Thriftiness ... '

Hubby P spent this morning selling at the car boot ... 

I knew he would come home cold and hungry so whats more comforting than a heap of warm scones with lashings of butter...!

Scones are cheap and so easy to make  .... 

Whilst I was in the kitchen I prepared the veg for tea .. 

I gave the carrots and potatoes a quick wash before I peeled them  .... 

it may seem a bit daft ...

 but you see I wanted to boil them up for the chickens dinner ..

 and ... 

save the veg water for my soups.

Nothing wasted if I can help it ..

 So here is a nice jug full of veg-y water/stock ..

 and whilst it was still hot I added a big handful of broth mix .... you know dried pearl barley lentils peas etc.

The broth mix will get a head start softening/cooking and all will be ready .. sat in the fridge to use for soup.

Chickens were happy with their warm veg-y mash ....

 And I picked up two lovely fresh eggs ...

 Oh .... 

and we had cheese scones ...

 another of Hubby P's favourite.

The trick is to add a teaspoon of mustard to the mix .. 

that way you only have to add a smattering of cheese ..

 I used just the hard end of a block of cheese .. grated up and mixed in it was fine.

And for something different and random ...

 who remembers these ?

 I found them in an old button tin the other day ...

They date from 1937 ... all that time ago ... I wonder how long it has sat in that button box.

Anyone know what the flower depicted on the front is .. 

what it represents ?

 Of course we are talking George VI on the throne ... a handsome profile dont'ya think..!

What I will do with these thrupenny bits I don't know .. 

they are just ...nice to handle .. nice to hold.

As I stepped out the door today ...

The air was fresh .. crisp .. and the sky blue.

The sun low in the sky but shining brightly ... a nice day!

Bye of now x

Well .. Happy Christmas! ..What More Could A Girl Ask For ...!

 Hello there .....

I hope you are getting some sunshine to brighten your days.

We've had a couple of splendid days ... a bit cool ..

 it is November ... 

but bright and sunshiny ...

The garden is still looking happy ....

 lots of interesting greens about ...

 it always amazes me how many shades of green there are .. 

all lovely and 'restful' in their own way.

 Already there are signs of a promising spring ...

 The plants are busily building up their reserves to see them through the winter and preparing to dazzle us once again with their wonderful foliage and flowers

 Just look at this big fat leaf bud on Will's Horse chestnut tree .... I thgink they are so lovely.

Monday was a day of great excitement .... I went to choose my Christmas present ... and just look....

a heap of wood ..!

As Hubby P said ...'he knows how to treat a girl !'

We jollied off in our van to the local scaffolding company's yard ... usually all locked up ... 
but there was a little man in a hard hat there to meet us.

The yard usually has a number of old .. 
deemed unsafe for use ... scaffold boards for sale ... 
good old wood .. 
that 'comes up lovely' after the Hubby P treatment.

This is a quick pic of the table he made me ... 
from scaffold boards ... you can see the nice grain in it ...
 please excuse the crumbs and dust ...
they'd never have me in Country Living Magazine!

Anyway my Christmas present is to be a Dresser to kinda match the table ...
 he's made a start today ... 
I'm being very good and 'Not Helping' ... with 'Helpful Advice'
 ... but I have made lots of cups of tea.

More pic's as we progress... that's if you would like to see  'building in progress' ?

Short and sweet today folks .... bye for now x