Bank Holiday Monday

Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to Bank Holiday Monday here in England and, I think, also Wales and N Ireland but not Scotland who had theirs a few weeks ago when the children were still off school, I believe.

Actually, although I have the Bank Holiday feeling, it's no different to any other day except that some shops will be busier and, assuming a nice day, the air will be fragrant with barbecue aromas this evening.  It's such a delicious smell!

Project Freezer got off to a good start yesterday.  It sounds awful, but I am always quite shocked (in a positive way) with how much there is there, despite efforts to use things up.  It's like Tantalus and his water, truly it is.  I have no idea how it happens (and if you believe that . . .)

I did the more important and messy bits yesterday - the meat, fish, leftovers, batch meals, bread . . .

Today I can finish with the vegetable trays and the fast freeze section which always gets filled with other stuff.  Then we're done.

It really needs a bit of a defrost but I'm not doing that until the cooler mornings - it is scary how quickly some things start defrosting.

I keep telling myself this ought to be a fortnightly thing or, at the very least, monthly but that doesn't happen.  Maybe if I put it in the diary?

A few garden snaps, taken this morning so terrible light but you get the idea!

Not garden and taken yesterday, a close up of one single, solitary baby corn in my roast dinner plate.  Yes, they have started producing baby corn.  I had one in a salad last week and here's the second.  Not very big but very sweet and delicious.  I don't have many plants so I won't get many babies but I will enjoy what I do get.

The cucumber plants are looking decidedly the worse for wear now, still producing but I feel the end is nigh.  The fruit is more seedy and the skins tougher.

They've been good and I've glad I got more to replace the ones that died.

My sage is gearing up for the colder weather, stuffings, etc.  Must look up some recipes.  

Just very pretty.  I have several dahlias now, nothing special but they are lovely.  I need to take my scissors out and dead head them - the heads just go onto the soil under the leaves to rot down.

The hanging baskets have been great.  One is now very bedraggled now and will be feeding the compost heap soon, I think.  The two on the garden room don't get direct sun so much so are lasting better but I need to consider colour more carefully next year.  This year was a bit grab-what-you-can-afterthought, wasn't it.

I want them to make a real splash of colour next year!

The runners have been great after all the angst early in the season.  I've given away, eaten then nearly every day and have a stash in the freezer.

Another thing I did yesterday was start reviving my starters.  Bubbles and Squeak have been sadly neglected these last weeks.  I didn't need bread, Beth and Alex didn't need bread and Lindsey has been away all August.

However, things are starting to move again - Beth needs a loaf, Lindsey is back soon and I have PT with her on Thursday afternoon and I promised David a loaf for Friday.

However, after the freezer audit, I can say with hand on heart that I DO NOT need any more bread products and I WILL NOT be making any 'just for fun'.

With that in mind, I looked at the jar full of discard in the fridge and, knowing I really didn't need it, Googled for info and then chucked the whole lot on the compost heap because, and I quote . . .

it adds beneficial nutrients and microbes that boost the composting process and improve the soil. The discard is teeming with the very yeasts and bacteria that aid in the breakdown of organic matter, making it a "welcome addition" to a healthy compost pile. 

So now we know.

What I am not doing today is much crocheting because my shoulders are starting to hurt and that's a sign to take it easy.  RSI is a very real thing with these small and repetitive movements crafts and one must be mindful.

Instead, I'll do some more sewing but not until I have finished the freezer project, fed the starters, deadheaded the dahlias, scraped some weeds, done two loads of washing and got them on the line and done the kitchen stuff.

I may not be going anywhere but I won't be bored, that's for sure.  Busy but nicely and productively busy/.  That's my sort of day!  😇

Have a lovely one, everybody, whatever your plans are are and Sue - have a great holiday.  xx