Sunday, 02-08-26

Morning, all.  Another cool and dry start to the day.  Mornings and evenings round here are really very pleasant, it just tends to get hot in the late morning and afternoon.

I made the first chutney I have made in several years, using a recipe from the ever-reliable BBC Good Food.  Maybe I shouldn't have added the optional chilli and maybe I overdid the ginger but I like a bit of spice in chutney, it's actually really nice and can be used straight away.
I halved the amounts and it gave me one big pot which is perfect as far as storage is concerned.
So that's 500g of tomatoes accounted for!

I meant to have some with my evening meal but forgot.  I've planned a burger this evening so it will be perfect for that!

I'll try Alison's recipe next although it won't be all Sungolds; I don't have enough of them and anyway I love them raw!  :-)

Last week, I got a message from Virgin telling me my TV box was on the way out (that wasn't news to me) so please to order a new one.  So I did, it arrived on Friday and yesterday I summoned up my courage and did the necessary.  It should have been easy and, to 99.9% of the population it would have been but me - I'm the original techno-twit and it took ages.  I got there though, finally, thank goodness.  Now I just have to return the old bod to them, everything provided including return label.
Of course, I lost all my recordings and settings, but it wasn't long ago I had to change the zapper and lost them in the process then so there wasn't much to lose.  To be fair, the new way to record is infinitely easier, once you get your head round it.

I've just unpacked the Oddbox, which is left on my doorstep overnight.  Lovely quality fruit and veg including a beautiful cabbage which I don't need but I will give it to Beth and Alex when I take come tomatoes over this afternoon.

This morning I want to spend a little time just tidying and sorting stuff and dealing with tomatoes (I might just skin and chop and freeze for chutney making at a later date) and then the day's my own.   I have absolutely no idea what to do but I'm sure I will find something.

In the meanwhile, I will love you and leave you with hopes for a good day for us all.  xx 

Saturday, 01-08-26

Good morning, everyone, and pinch and punch for the first of the month with no returns!  I think that covers it.  😁

So, here we are at the beginning of the holiday month as I always think of it.  I have vague and happy feelings of little children playing in the garden - swing, sandpit, tricycles, scooters, going for bike rides with Mum, going for walks with Pam, getting up early to bring the milk in before it went off in the sun and that overwhelming sense of freedom.  I was very lucky in my childhood; I'm sure there were less great times but I don't remember them.

Yesterday started nice and cool but by the afternoon it was hot again and I stayed in, appreciating the fans.  In the morning, I had done Slimming World and then went over to Morrisons to do the weekly shop although I do hope I won't need to do anything quite as big for a fortnight, just fresh stuff.  I'm away next weekend and that will help too!  I was able to take the money out of July's budget so today starts with a clean sheet and that's something else that feels good.  July was a very costly month, what with all the extra expenses plus paying for holidays and so on - August looks much plainer sailing (touch wood) one way and another.

I knew we couldn't escape the hosepipe ban much longer and, yes, Essex and Suffolk Water has announced one starting Monday.  Ho hum but fair enough.  I will make the most of this weekend and give the beds, especially the tomato bed, super long soakings and I'm thankful that I have no tomatoes in pots this year as they are a bit of a pain to keep damp and there's so much more evaporation.

And, talking of tomatoes, I have loads including some larger ones and will be making some chutney today.  I have a few big jars and don't want to make loads but, unlike jam, I do eat chutney regularly so it won't be wasted.  And there's always Christmas gifts to consider.

I'm glad that I have that because this weekend, for the first time in forever, I have no one to bake bread for.  Lindsey has plenty and so does Beth.  I feel bereft (well, a bit sad anyway) as I love making bread.

The other thing I want to do today is deal with the hanging baskets which are really past their best now and looking straggly. and not terribly attractive.  They've been great though and, obviously, I will be keeping the pots and dumping the contents in the compost bin.
There's always dead heading too plus weed scraping although they are wilting in the heat and not nearly as aggressive as usual.

Have a lovely day, everyone.  Stay happy and be safe.  xx

Friday, 31-07-26

Morning - welcome to the last day of July which is starting out dull here.  However, no rain forecast which is not great.  We actually had a few drops yesterday evening, great bit splashes, but wherever the rest fell, it certainly wasn't round here. 

A quick one as I have an early start.

Yesterday was a pleasant day, just pottering around doing this, that and the other.  I finished my latest crochet thing, one of those things that go across the bottom of your bed, mainly to look nice, I think, but it swill help keep my toes warm come the colder weather.

Today starts with Slimming World, as usual, and than I have the weekly shop.  And that's about it.

The next Broomfield Trips newsletter landed this morning and I've asked for places on two trips for next year, Milestone's Living Museum and Live Aid the Musical.

How about you?  What have you been up to?  
Have a lovely Friday, everyone.  xx

Thursday, 30-07-26

Good morning, everyone.  

I trundled off into town on the bus yesterday, laden with a list, water, sunhat, TV connectors and, most important, my bank card!
The bus was quick so I was able to wander along to Grape Tree first and found not only the required mixed seeds and pumpkin seeds (there's never enough pumpkin seeds in a mix so I always add more) but also some beetroot powder that someone in one of my Facebook pages recommended.

I picked up my glasses and had them fitted before popping over the road to Pret  - I rarely eat breakfast out but, on this occasion, I decided I wanted to - so I did!  I had a 'big apple bowl (not so big but very nice) and my usual black Americano and really enjoyed the experience.  I do like Pret food.

I wandered into Holland and Barrett where my eye was caught by a bag of carlin peas (dried peas) which, says the bag, are sometimes called pigeon peas and which have a chestnutty flavour, nice in curries, with roasted veg and in salads.
Looking forward to giving them a try!

And then, the main event.  Back to Specsavers for my hearing aid appointment where the audiologist took great care with tuning them, linking my TV connectors (the sound Bluetooths straight into the aids which is absolutely brilliant) and updating the app on my phone.  It's amazing what you can get to help nowadays.

I paid the ouchy amount and that was that - until the check up in a month's time!

Now I can do a final check and close my accounts for July.  Good!

Just as I got home, up rolled the window cleaner.  Good timing there.  Poor chap, he was baking hot and gratefully accepted a big glass of iced water, following up with a second big glass.

Today is a nothing in the diary day.  Chris can't make coffee and chat this morning.  It feels quite nice to have nothing scheduled first thing - every week day usually has something - fitness class, PT, coffee and chat and Slimming World.
I've picked another load of tomatoes including some big ones so I need to deal with them.  I think I am just going to peel the cherry sized ones and freeze them whole and I might make some portions of soup with the bigger ones.
I'm having a lot in meals at the moment as well.
Happy days!

Have a lovely Thursday and let's hope it's a bit cooler today - yesterday was an absolute scorcher!  xx

Wednesday, 29-07-26

Good morning!  How are you all today?  It was very hot yesterday and looks to be even more so today.  Phew.  

I've just done today's picking.  Yay!!!  Some are ready now and some will be ready after a day on the window ledge.

Pretty much the only thing I did yesterday was Groove and the walk.  It was hot but at least there was a bit of a breeze so the walk was nice.  Groove itself was, as always, great but phew (again) - we got hot.  

Not so hot that I didn't have a go at the bread though and, yes, 100% whole grain flours and it came up lovely and light.  That's a good thing to have learned - add a dollop of starter.  It doesn't have to be activated.

The flavour is different without the white but just as nice, even with a more speedy rise but very little hint of sourdough to it.

A little bit of forward news.  While on the coach on Saturday, Ray was talking (over the announcement speaker) about the holiday in Ireland they have just taken a group of people to.  Then he said Jan was in the process of arranging a trip to Jersey next year.  I've never been to Jersey so I asked about it and, lo and behold, the first of next year's holidays sorted!    I'll have to pay a deposit soon but it will be next month and finances will be back to normal again so no worries.

Today is exciting because I'm off into town to pick up my glasses and hearing aids.  I'm not looking forward to the town bit; it will be hot and I'm using the bus, of course, but apart from the glasses and aids, I will take the opportunity to go to the Grape Tree and get some more mixed seeds and pumpkin seeds as I am right out, using the last few in the bread.

Fingers crossed it won't be too bad and at least I have my sunhat!!
See you tomorrow - have a great day and stay safe,  xx

Tuesday, 28-07-26

Good morning, everyone.  Welcome to my Tuesday blog - a shorter one as not very much happened yesterday.

Starting with garden photos, of course.

One of the 'lost' dahlias - obviously not so lost after all!  It looks like the yellow one which, of course, won't go with the rest of the bed but not to worry.  Let's call it an accent wall plant!

And yay!  The big tomatoes are now playing ball.  I've picked a few and there are more nearly ready as you can see.  I'm approaching a glut scenario so will be making stuff for the freezer - things like passata, sauce, soup.  Some I skin, chop and freeze raw - it's fine for cooking with.

I love this time of the tomato season.

Circuits yesterday was lovely.
As it is the summer block, some people bring their older children who join in with great gusto.  Yesterday's bunch were just fantastic.

I wonder if there will be any youngsters at Groove today.

Apart from Groove, and the walk there and back, there's nothing in the diary but I have washing, etc, and there's always tidying, etc.

The bread I made yesterday did, indeed, do a super-rise.  It makes for a very light loaf.  So today I am trying the same thing (adding a bit of sourdough starter to the nix) with a 100% wholemeal (or wholegrain, anyway) rather than a mix.  That can be a bit heavy so fingers crossed it helps to lighten it a bit.  We will see.
Then I must stop because I will have enough frozen bread to last me pretty much through August!

Better get going and do stuff.  Have a lovely day, take care if you are in the sun and thanks for reading.  xx

Monday, 27-07-26

A very good morning to everyone.  A new week starts and it looks like more wall to wall sunshine after a cloudier morning yesterday and some actual, real, live rain.  Not much but enough to wet the ground.  It won't solve any water shortage issues but it did freshen up the atmosphere.

I made Beth's loaves and tried out a theory I had.  A short while ago, if you remember, I made a couple of loaves for her that rose almost scarily fast and, when baked, stuck to the tin that I covered the bottom loaf tin with for the great majority of the bake (I start from cold) and it was a nightmare to get it off the top of the loaf.  Well - I realised that I had just made some sourdough and decided not to clean Thermione but to mix the yeasted dough in the pan that had a bit of remaining sourdough.
I wondered if that little bit of sourdough created the super-rise so, yesterday, I deliberately added a bit of starter to the mix and, lo and behold, another super rise.  No sticking this time though because I oiled the tins I used as covers!

I need a loaf too so I'm going to try again today - just to check!

I said I'd show what I bought at the Show on Saturday so here goes.

A bit of a cheat, this, because I didn't buy it; it was a freebie and what a good freebie it is.  It's lovely and substantial and I will definitely be using it.

Two fridge magnets.  They are both from watercolours painted by the then Prince of Wales.  I love water colour paintings and chose these over a slightly more gaudy magnet.

My hands are very dry at the moment so I've started using beeswax hand balm again.  I got some in Crete which is still in use (you only need the tiniest amount) but I think it's an ongoing need now so I treated myself to these two from a stall.  The scents are gorgeous and the dry patches on my hands are so much softer again.

Five lovely cards - I'm always after a nice card or two.  These are prints from originals and just my thing.

The sunhat.
I've been looking for ages but couldn't find anything that didn't make me look like s Dingle Dangle Scarecrow (any one teaching primary in the 70s and 80s will recognise this) or a demented gardener.  This was just perfect, quite flattering and makes me look uncannily like my Mum at first glance.  A plus is that it rolls up and comes with a little bag for storage.

Just shiny hanging things that catch the light and move in the slightest breeze although, thinking about it, maybe it wasn't a particularly wise purchase - glass, reflection, direct sun = potential fire hazard in this weather if the air is very still.  It it's moving, no worries.

Hmmm - I'll ponder that one.

And, finally, of course, the show guide book.  Expensive but informative with a useful map and descriptions.  A nice memento.

The only thing I did set out to look for, a really decent pair of gardening gloves, was the one thing I missed.  I think the relevant stalls were the in the area I didn't have time or remaining energy to explore.  Not to worry, they are hardly a rare commodity.

I also have loads and loads of leaflets, business cards, etc, which I will be looking through and maybe accessing online to take a look.  

Now it's Monday and the only thing in the diary is circuits at Lindsey's.  
However, being Monday, it is downstairs cleaning day too and I want to make that bread as mentioned above so I won't be bored.

Have a lovely day, everyone, and I hope your weekend was the best.  See you!!!  xx