Happy New Year

Happy New Year to the rest of the world.  Husband has abandoned me for a gig and won't be back until 3am, and the children will be going to be in half an hour or so.  I shall enjoy a lonely glass of wine, a Chinese takeaway and the TV remote to myself.  I lead a very rock-n-roll lifestyle!

Until 2015...

Those things children do!!!

As we were leaving Soft play this morning I had to (as usual) chase Eleanor around for a few minutes to persuade her to put her shoes on.  As I was hunting for her she came back with a very cheeky smile on her face.  I shall transcribe the conversation, as there is no way to paraphrase it and encapsulate my daughter's personality.

"Where have you been Cheeky Chops?"
"I need to talk to the lady"
"Which lady?"
"Cafe lady"
"What did you need to talk to the cafe lady about?"
"Sweeties.  She gave them to me"

And then Eleanor ran off.  That girl could charm Eskimos into buying ice

When we got home the phone rang and O ran to answer it.
"Hello Nana" he said.  Then he chatted for a few minutes about this and that.  Then I heard
"Mummy is on the sofa cuddling Elsa"
Followed by
"But you are supposed to be my Nana, you are my Mummy's mummy".

Turns out he was chatting to the vet...

Busy busy busy

O has another choir concert tonight.  It is all very excited, except the part where I was volunteered to make 8 dozen mince pies.  So the mince pies are made, and in the dark recesses of the night I decided that small children aren't generally fond of mince pies so I would make them some cupcakes, with the melty snowman decoration on.  In the cold light of day this seems foolish, however I am just waiting for the last 6 to  bake and then I have to ice 18 snowman cakes.  And I haven't finished O's waistcoat for the concert.  So this afternoons job is to handstitch the inside seams and to do the button holes and buttons.  Why of why do I leave things until the last minute.

There has been quite the drama here this week.  We have an alley way at the back of the house that is gates, but about 30 houses long, and is in the middle of 2 roads.  So that is 60 house holds.  And one of the has been dumping rubbish in it.  And a different someone has put rat poison out for the rodents.  Rat poison which somehow ended up outside our back gate and the dog got hold of.

I got it off her within a minute, but it was a little chewed. How much Elsa ate I do not know.  Within the hour she was at the vets, who tried to convince me it was a dishwasher tablet.  Any way last night (2 days later) the vet rang to tell me she though it might be rat poison after all, and to bring her in for injections and tablets.  So we have this morning.  Elsa was not at all happy with the injections, and she had to have 3 of them.  She has had a walk and feels a bit better I think, but I am scratched to death.  She appears to be fine with no ill effects  from the poison, but it is better for her to have the injections rather than get get sick.  Husbands job of the weekend is to put some woods at the bottom of the gate so that she can't get her head underneath to nibble at whatever she finds.

And I haven't even though properly about Christmas yet!!!

It is a good job that I do understand and agree with a lot of the unschooling, autonomous approach to learning, even if I would generally prefer a more formal structure.  Plenty of weighing, measuring, O has read the Velveteen Rabbit to his sister about 10 times this morning, and trip to the vets.  I am sure they must have learnt something there!!!!

Happy Christmas xxx

Time turner

I am tired. Beyond tired.  Exhausted even!!!!  I need more sleep.  I am a person who craves sleep.  I can sleep 10 hours every night and be still struggle to wake up.  But life has other ideas.  I don't have time for the 7 hours I normally snatch.  

Maybe my time management needs work

2 hours dog walking

1.5 hours cooking

1.5 hours housework

4 hours learning

3 hours social activities/clubs/lessons etc

3 hours sewing

1 hour allotment

2 hours slumped in an exhausted heap on the sofa with husband/planning learning

10  hours sleep

This is my ideal day. Unfortunately I need 28 hours in a day to do  it.  So my sewing time is cut, sleeping time is cut and husband time is cut.  And woe betide a day when something I am not expecting happens.  I need to go to the shop, church, plan for church, visitors, more detailed house clean.  And all of a sudden I am chasing my tail.  

So my evening tonight involves cooking the dinner, walking the dog, catching up on the obscene amount of Christmas present sewing I have to do, attempting meaningful conversation and a cuddle with husband, followed by an insufficient amount of sleep.  

If you can't tell, I am grumpy and I have a headache!!!!!  I will attempt to be happier next time.  xxx

Family values

On one of the frugal blogs that I follow there was one about a person who can't say no to buying and spending money on things.  It rang with a certain resonance.  At some point my children are going to get to the age where they want "stuff".  It is going to be expensive stuff, stuff we can't afford because of the lifestyle choices we have made, stuff their friends have.

I firmly believe that we are making the right lifestyle choices for us, and I truly believe that my children will become adults who will agree with that.  But I am not foolish enough to believe that there won't be a period of many years to come where the decision we have made won't be good enough for our children.

I want my children to find the value in what they have, not what they think they should have.

I work on our allotment, and the children do too.  Hopefully this will teach them to value what we have, to recognise that hard work brings results, that nature is in charge not humans, and to avoid waste.

I sew clothes and toys and things for the home, and will teach them to do the same.  On a practical level this teaches them skills that they can utilise throughout their lives.   Also waste, hard work etc.

I home educate the children.  I am hopeful they will learn the value of education, of learning. I want them to find joy in learning something new.  I firmly believe that this is missing from schools just because of so many children learning what they are told, not about what interests them.  Tangents are rare, and going off on tangent not acceptable.  Embrace the tangents.

I volunteer to teach Junior church ever Sunday.  I hope to teach them the value of helping, of doing something for others.

I have sacrificed my career, friends and earning potential to raise them as a stay-at-home Mum.  I have done so gladly and without regret, and I hope this teaches them that family is the most important thing in the world, and to embrace that family with joy.

Most of all I want them to understand that the most important things aren't material possessions.  Earn enough to be well fed, warm and safe.  And spend what little time we have on this planet making yourself and your family loved and happy.  The best things in life are free as they say!!!.

My children understand all of this now, and truly believe they will remember and understand all of this again.   But I am aware that there will be a period where they will forget the message.  They will forget to be thankful for what they have and the skill they are gaining. And they will break my heart.  As adults they may make different choices for themselves and their families.  And this is fine.  All I want for them is to make THEIR choices, and not follow the expectation of others, and to hold true to their own values

New family member

Elsa

I am so unbelievably excited, and I am trying to be calm, but am mostly bouncing off the walls.  We are getting a dog.  I have always wanted a dog, and it has been on the "when all of the babies are old enough to make good choices"  list for some time.  And since we decided no more babies (sob sob)  we have decided that now is a good time for a dog.  It is not a spur of the moment decision, but definitely one we have made in time, and it is all E has asked for for her birthday anyway.  Husband was a bit slow to warm up to the idea, although he had agreed hypothetically for years, but E went over with her blond curls and big blue eyes and said "please Daddy, Please,  Ellie want a doggy", with only minimal coaching from me!!!!  And so tomorrow we will take ownership of Elsa (fingers crossed).

I met her on Monday at her current owners house.  She is 9 months old and is just the sweetest.  She is a cavachon, which is half king charles Spaniel and half Bichon Frise, and has big brown eyes, and an interesting curious little face.  And a tail that is never still.  I can't wait to go on long walks with her.  I will need to do a sweep at the allotment to get the bramble runners that have taken over before taking her down there though.

Naturally the children are excited.  O is claiming it to be him idea all along, and isn't he clever to think of such good ideas etc etc.  And E, who still struggles with the concept of time passing, knows we are getting a dog but "On Friday"  could mean in 5 minutes, or forever and ever away.  But we did get a few necessities from the pet shop.  And that was exciting.  I have spent the last few days moving all of my sewing things into the spare room, that is now not going to be a nursery but a sewing room/drying washing room/ironing room.  And have cleaned and tidied everything except the car and the garden.  The car will have to wait for another day because the nearest space I could park in today was further than the extension cord for the vacuum cleaner will reach, so am about to sort the garden out.

I am going to compost the top of the Christmas potatoes today as well.  The weather is turning very cold, and I don't want to get caught out with an unexpected frost.  And the tomatoes are going as well.  So there will be plenty of space for Elsa to run, play and poop.

Happy happy.  xxx

Pumpkin Party

Last night we attended the Pumpkin Party at the allotment.  There are a few events each year to raise money for the allotment society, but we hadn't been to this one before.  We had the most fun.

All of the children were dressed up in Halloween costumes.  There were loads of giant pumpkins for the children to carve, although they were so huge it was mostly all the dads stood around with carving knives, whilst the children stomped through the puddles.  The children had a lovely time running around and playing together, whilst the bonfire was lit.

When the bonfire got going we had hot dogs and pumpkin soup, with loads of treats doing the rounds, and there were plenty of fireworks going off nearby that we could watch as well.  We all sat around the bonfire and enjoyed the company.  Fortunately the weather was fairly mild and lovely and dry, so we stayed until the end.  I had made some  cupcakes and jellies, as well as a raffle prize, so we rescued the tray.  We had a slight trauma in that we had parked by our allotment, and it was slightly tricky to find our way out in the pitch black with little windy paths to navigate, but we managed with no damage to property or veg patch.  And then needed a revitalising hot chocolate when we got in to defrost slightly.  A very seasonal good time had by all. xxx

Freezer meals

In an attempt to budget our food money a little better I have been making "freezer meals".  Basically these are meals that can go straight into the slow cooker from frozen in the morning, and be served for dinner with rice, pasta or potatoes, with little to no fuss.  I trialled it last month, and it worked well. If I forgot to put it in the slow cooker, it went into the pressure cooker.  We ate less takeaways and, all in all, it was a success.  So the decision has been taken to do it again this month.

The downside to "freezer meals" is the amount of planning that needs to take place.  Followed by the amount of shopping.  Followed by the amount of chopping.

So this month
Breakfast
Bread (15 bread mixes)
Jam (homemade, shed)
Cheerios (3 boxes)
Eggs (to be bought week on week)

Lunch
Hummous (1 pot, 12 portions in freezer)
2 x Mushroom soup
2 x curried parsnip soup
Chicken salad (chicken bought)
Baked potato

Dinner
2 x chicken chilli
2x honey mustard chicken
2 x chicken and vegetable curry
2x spanish pork
2 x honey mustard pork
2 x BBQ pork
4 x beef stew
2 x lentil dahl
2 x vegetable chilli
2 x pork loin (Sunday Lunches)
2 x Roast chicken (Sunday Lunches)

Plus fish fingers and chips, pizzas etc.  All of the main meals are 1/4 meat to 3/4 vegetables and are prepared and in the freezer.

We spent £117 in Costco (although £17 of that was Christmas presents) and £70 in Aldi.  If I spend £25 a week on extras like milk and fruit (plus whatever I have forgotten)  I should come in under my £300 budget for food and home.  Not bad for a family of 4, and we will be eating very well.

I am exhausted now though.  All afternoon shopping and all evening chopping.  The bonus to this is that Costco do  the nicest mince pies in the world.  As soon as husband has finished cleaning the kitchen (it looked like the food processor had exploded in there by the time I was done) we shall sit down and with our treat and watch something nonsensical on the telly.  I am so getting a lie in tomorrow!!!!

A grown family

I wanted another baby.  No, I want another baby, but we have come to the devastating conclusion that it is not going to happen.  The life and education we want to the two we have means that another baby would cost too much.  We couldn't afford music lessons, or scouts, or zoo membership.  We couldn't afford so many things.  And, as we finally out of babyhood, the idea of going back to sleepless nights, zombie days, 9 months of extreme morning sickness, not showering for days because I can't put a baby down, waking up in a puddle of milk because my boobs have leaked in the night, it is all too much.

From a practical perspective, the allotment is going really well, and I am loving it.  Would I have to give it up for another baby?  Maybe, I would certainly be limited for a good 18 months.  Sewing class - I certainly couldn't go if I were breastfeeding for a solid year again.  Camping - dragging a baby to sleep in field seems cruel rather than adventurous.  E needs me next to her when we camp or she wakes up screaming and scared.

So no more babies.  I feel all cried out.  There is a fundamental yearning for another.  That quiet moment in the middle of the night when me and my baby are warm and cosy, curled up together as she nurses.  That moment when she is crying, and spies me, and immediately stops.  When she first says "Mama" and means me.  Those first steps, and hugs and words and actions...all gone.  Our little Angus or Elizabeth-Jane will never exist, and I feel devastated and in mourning for what could have been, what should have been.  In one fell swoop I have lost my youth, my fertility, my hopes for what might have been.

I have to remember that I am already a Mum, and I have responsibilities to the two children I already have, and I am blessed.  The life style we have chosen means I can be there for every moment of their lives.  If I worked and we had more money we could have baby number 3, but I would miss so much.
So I will wipe my eyes, take a deep breath and plan.  I will plan our camping trips for next year, I will book the just so festival tickets that I was holding out on incase I was unable to go, I will book O's music lessons and I will get him on the waiting list for Beavers.  And I will breath.  I am blessed.

A very allotmenty Sunday

My husband has been rather absent lately.  Work stuff and a course etc..  means that I have been on sole parenting duty for weeks.  So today I went on Mummy strike and left the children with husband.  A lovely wander around the garden centre for some  new gardening gloves and some garlic and onions.  I then (after a cheeky McD's) went to the allotment.  The strawberries have gone mad, so I pulled out the courgettes, pulled out a few runners, and had to compost the rest.  I dug over that bed, then dug over the next bed where the carrots and peas were,  I then picked the remainder of of the runner beans, and pulled all the bean plants out, sorted the canes, and then dug over the bean bed.  Finally I dug over the salad bed, then planted the garlic and onion in that bed.  

Upon returning home, I planted as many of the strawberries as I had pots, podded the dried out beans, and sorted the rest for drying, and made a roast dinner.  I am exhausted.  Tomorrows jobs include pickling the beetroot.  I need a nice cold beer and an early night.  

Socialisation

One of the many complaints and concerns that people have over home education is the idea that "socialisation" is an issue, and it is a constant source of irritation to home educators that is constantly brought up.  But is socialisation an issue?

My little boy is 5 and a half now, and is constant saying "I'm bored, it's boring" over thing that he generally loves doing.  This is not new, many parents deal with their children coming home from school with that particular phrase.  The problem I have is that I know exactly where it comes from.  O's friend, that we saw this morning.  We were at soft play, having a wonderful time, and all you here from this friend is "I'm bored, it's boring"  and all too soon my 2 come out with "I'm bored, can we leave yet".  Now my issue is this...How do I deal with it?  I have the opportunity to prevent my children playing with this child, but O likes him!!!  And it is good that he has friends.  But he plays with random children at the park, at soft play, at swimming, at singing, at church!!!  So is it important he maintain this particular friendship.  If O were in school I would just have to deal with it.  How much do I "control" the situation.  I don't want my child coming out with bad habits.  At the moment everything is "boring" and that is not okay.  He is getting moaned at for it.  I suspect there is no answer that is the correct one!!!

So all in all our lovely trip to the expensive soft play was ruined and cut short because apparently having unlimited access to a huge play frame, loads of slides, a foot ball cage and friends to play with leads to 4 bored children who wanted to go home!!!  

Insanely busy

So today consisted of a trip to soft play to run off some  energy (and I didn't fancy a rainy trip to the park AGAIN), followed by nap time.  O and I watched the final instalment of Our Zoo (we are members to Chester Zoo so enjoyed watching it's history), and made soup and hummus.  When E woke up the chicklets ate lunch, and then the great learning catch up began.  We have been hopeless this week.  I had planned loads to do, and the children have learnt so much, but none of it was off the learning plan.  And so I felt behind.  That is the joy of home education.  But the teacher in me still rebels against such spontaneity.

So today O has done some subtraction practice, number bonds to 10, a thank you letter based on Handa's surprise, labelled a map of the world with a selection of flag stickers, and drawn, coloured and label the flags for Egypt, Uganda and Botswana (because they were the 3 African countries visited by Top Gear, and most of O's interest in Geography is based around the Top Gear Specials).

Then we sat for literally 6 and half minutes, before we had to rush out to singing class.  Husband has parent's evening tonight so E had to come too, and we had a rare mother/daughter trip to the park.
The children insisted on soup for tea instead of the curry in the slow cooker, so I am umming and ahing about putting the curry in the fridge for tomorrow, and getting a takeaway when Husband comes in.

Basically I am run ragged, and tomorrow we have 2 museum workshops in Liverpool, which will exhaust us all again.  I do love being at home with my babies.  My best bit of today was waking E up from her nap, curling up next to her, and having her throw her arm and around me and sleepily snuggle in.  There is no amount of money in the world could entice me back to work and away from my children.  I just hope that circumstances allow us to continue on this path for a long time to come.

Spiced blackberry and apple jam

I have a freezer full of beautiful blackberries picked at the height of ripeness from the allotment.  They are so delicious, but I struggle eating them.  They are nicest warm from the sun straight from the blackberry plant, or cooked in baked goods.  I am "supposed" to be doing slimming world.  It is not working at the moment, but I have been resisting making baked goods recently, so all of the blackberries ended up in the freezer.  Last year I made some yummy blackberry gin for Christmas presents, but this year I am sewing gifts.  It is, however, my niece's first birthday on Sunday, and we are having a tea party at my sister's house.  Mum has made 6 dozen scones, and so I offered to make a couple of trifles and some jam.  There is something special about homemade jam.  It is always so much nicer than shop bought.

500g blackberries
500g chopped peeled apple (reserve peel and cores)
1000g of caster sugar
a good amount of cinnamon.
A tiny drop of water

Pop blackberries and apple in a big old pan (I use my pressure cooker pan) with a tiny dribble of water just to stop the fruit burning before the juice is released.  Stir every now and again and cook out for about 40 minutes of so.  Whilst this is going put reserved apple peel and cores in a pan with a pint of water (approx).  Boil and boil and boil, then sieve the remaining liquid that has not cooked off, and put in the jam.  This is basically apple pectin and will help the jam to set.  Add sugar and stir repeatedly.  Add cinnamon.  I always put loads in because I am a cinnamon fiend, and I find it cuts the sweetness slightly.  Leave to cook for another 15/20 minutes of so  whilst sterilising the jars.  I tend to wash in soapy water, and then put them in the oven for 20 minutes of so on 150c, and have never had a problem.  Decant jam into jam jars and put lids on.  Leave to cool.  It made 4 full jam jars, and 1 half jam jar that was sampled for breakfast this morning - delicious.

So that is 17 remaining jars of jam in the shed for the winter.  Most of which were made with homegrown produce.  Happy.

Now I need to contemplate trifle recipes.  I am going to make a "normal" one with cake, jelly, fruit, custard and cream on top, and an "alternative" on.  I found a black forest trifle on pinterest, which will use up a few more blackberries.  But I also saw a caramel apple trifle as well which I think sounds nice too.  That one is a spice cake of some kind, a load of stewed apple, a tin of caramel (or condensed milk turned into caramel), custard, cream and decorated with cinder toffee.  I rather thought that one would be very seasonal and a bit different!!!,  We shall see.  The diet isn't going well though!!!

Parsnip thinnings

My new most favourite smell in the entire world is the smell of a parsnip being pulled out of the ground.  I was at the allotment for the first time in ages today, and I dug up some carrots that had been well munched, a cabbage, 4 parsnips and a bucket of green beans.  The parsnips have just been scrubbed and are going with our roast chicken for tea.  They were just big enough for us all, and have left us with a bit more space in the parsnip corner.  To be fair, I should have pulled up a load more parsnips, but a combination of nettles and wet soil meant that I couldn't manage to to a decent job.

I have a plan for the remainder of the beans.  They are all a bit tough and bitter now really, so I have podded as many as I can, and am drying out the beans inside in the trusty dehydrator for storage.  I am imagining a hearty spicy Moroccan bean soup with homemade bread in about February actually!!!.  Sounds yummy.

I actually cleared and dug over the pea bed, and harvested today.  Next year I definitely need to do some weed control around the pumpkins.  They were so promising, but have just been strangled and I have very little coming off them really.  Never mind.  Live and learn.

The Christmas new potatoes are coming on a treat.  Loads of growth on them, but I need to think about getting some fleece or some bubble wrap to pop around the tub to protect them from frost.  The tomatoes in the garden are coming to the end.  There are still a fair few tomatoes that are ripening, but the plants look quite sad now.  One looks nearly completely dead actually!!!.

My challenge for next weekend is to plant the garlic.  I am determined to plant some this autumn.  The spring planted ones did alright, but were a bit on the small side.  I am hoping for better things for next year.

I have avoided the allotment for the last few weeks.  First we had illness, then we were away, then it rained a lot, then we were ill again, and then I was just to scared to go in case I didn't recognise it because of the weeds.  I do get over faced by these things.  However I feel much more positive after going today.  And I know what I am asking Santa for this year - a strawberry planter.  We have loads of runners coming off the strawberries and no space to plant out any  more at the allotment, so  a planter in the back garden sounds promising.

Lapbooking bug

We have the lapbooking bug in our house!!!  Oh me oh my!  The excitement, the drama, the glue!!!

So far we have only made one about dinosaurs.  It is not terribly in-depth, because O is only just 5, but I was really impressed with the learning he did.  He researched, he asked questions, and he did some excellent writing.

The next unit we are working on is an "Africa" project, and it has lots of science (mining, habitats, food chains), art (masks, beads, patterns) history (Livingstone Burton and Speke) and Geography (lakes, rivers, mountains, continents, populations, habitats, transportation, etc).  Plus more that I can't remember off the top of my head.  How all of this will come together into a lapbook, I am not sure, but I am sure it will look fabulous.  I did spend a small fortune on books on Amazon the other day, which are due to arrive at some point today.

Anyway, a glimpse of our lapbooking of today...

Lazy teacher

Today O told me I was a lazy teacher in a school for lazy people.  I got quite offended.  Nearly everything we do has an educational purpose.  Well apart from the hour of Thomas the tank engine they get on the TV every morning whilst I run around doing washing, cleaning the kitchen, and putting the dinner in the slow cooker.  When pushed to explain  he said that I don't make him sit at his desk all day long like children at school, so I must be a lazy teacher.  So I think it was a compliment!!!  Maybe???

Either way, we spent part of today doing dinosaur learning, he did some number line work, we went to the allotment and the park and the shop, he had his music singing class and there may have been some cuddling on the sofa with some books at naptime.  I am exhausted, so I don't think I have been lazy today.  In fact I am going to make a cup of tea at 8.30 at night - the first in 12 hours, by the way!!! I did tell my mum that I was so under appreciated that I was going on strike.  So from now until 6am I am on strike.  Maybe 6.10 or even 6.30.  It depends when the children wake up.

Dinosaur learning

Today O has written a couple of dinosaur riddles.  He loves his dinosaurs, so I have come up with a very basic unit of learning on a dinosaur theme for September.  The latest plan we have is to make a lapbook based on a dinosaur theme.  Hopefully this will go well, and be a nice keepsake of his learning.  I am going to do a simplified one for E as well, so she can join in a bit more rather than causing havoc!!!!!  O also wants to make a volcano, so that is tomorrows plan.  Papier mache volcano, and when it is dry, we are going to paint it, then do a science experiment with baking soda, vinegar and food dye.  I suspect it will be a bit of a gloopy week!!!!!

The weeds are taking over

It is a disaster at our plot at the moment.  The last 4 weeks have been as follows - raining followed by nasty cold, 1 week camping, first week back at school for Paul and tummy bug no 1, second week back at school and tummy bug no. 2.  So basically we have been to the plot to harvest twice in that time, and no weeding at all.  I  went tonight to give the poor ground a long over due drink of water, and to harvest, and to weeding, except I ran out of time for that.  And I didn't harvest the runner beans because I ran out of bags.

I have just weighed the bag of green beans I picked though - 6lb!!!!  What on earth will I do with that number of beans.  There is actually no space in the freezer.  I may pickle them.  Can you pickle green beans?  If not, I may have to invent pickled green beans.

Green beans

1 full tesco bag of green beans
1 full tesco bag of runner beans
3 courgettes
12 cherry tomatoes

Now what do I make with that little lot!!!!!

Spaghetti Squash

We have a new baby.  One that has been nurtured through wind and rain, good times and bad.  And that baby's name is Spaghetti Squash.  We brought it home from the allotment the other day full of pride and  awe, and it has pride of place in the kitchen.  Unfortunately I cannot bring myself to cook and eat it!!!!  I'm not sure I am cut out for this grow-your-own malarkey.  I just get too attached my precious veggies.  Apart from beans that is.  We have eaten a lot of beans recently as I seem to have planted far more than we can eat.  If they continue this way, there is going to be far more than I can freeze.  I shall have to start giving them away to unsuspecting strangers I meet on the street.

So basically, as is good in our green little world.  Apart from the blossom end rot on 2 of the tomatoes, but that is a saga for another day!!!

Marrow and Ginger Jam

After a couple of days of non-allotment  jobs, I went up there yesterday, and low and behold there were 6 giant courgettes that had not been there at the weekend.  So, what is a girl to do but make jam.

I found a decent looking recipe on the BBC good food website which I tweaked a little.

1.5kg of marrow/cougette/little round yellow courgettes
1.5kg sugar
a big old glug of  apple pectin
4 lemons, juice and zest.
a thumb length of fresh ginger, chopped, bashed, bruised and shredded

Pop it all (except sugar) into a pan to cook, when cooked at sugar, boil for a good long time (approx 25min) and then put in sterilised jars.

My mum said that she had this jam that her mother made when she was young with the marrows from their allotment.  It is supposed to taste a bit like gingery, lemony marmalade.  It is got to be better than any more ratatouille.  Note to self, next year plant less courgettes!!!!

Eeeek

Such a bad blogger.  It has been ages and ages.  In short, we are inundated with vegetables and I cannot  eat the lettuce fast enough.

Todays jobs: lettuce and pea soup and pickled beetroot, possibly some blackberry and apple jam if I get on with it.

I vow to make a more determined effort on blog posts!!!  I am just too busy weeding at the moment!!!!!

Strawberry fiend

It is official.  My youngest daughter, at 2 and half years old, is a strawberry fiend.  A trip to the allotment this morning ended in tears because E kept picking and eating the unripe strawberries.  And then howling when they were taken from her.  And then she attacked the gooseberries.  And then the gooseberry bushes attacked back.  And more howling.  And repeat.  This went on for a while, until it was decided to give up for today.  So, whilst some weeds have been dealt with, there is much to  do, and it has, all of a sudden, taken over my life.  I haven't done any baking or sewing in weeks.

Status update - we have beetroot, lettuce, radish, chard, onions, carrots, parsnip, peas, garlic, courgette, potatoes, strawberries, gooseberries, black currants, black berries, broad beans, runner beans and french beans in, as well as a selection of cruciferous plug plants in, as well as more cabbages to go.  So busy.  This weekend I had husband digging over the "pumpkin patch" at the bottom of the plot as we have a fair selection out growing their pots at the garden.  I also have to pot up some of the spare courgette seedlings for my parents as we now have far to many.

However I did plant out 3 of the 6 tomato plants into the garden yesterday.  The other 3 are still looking a bit small.  One of them is tiny, and appears to have gotten smaller since we bought it, yet has obvious new growth on it.  I think it may not like the compost (lidls own, and not great) but I have some fancy compost from the expensive garden centre so I might risk planting it out in that later today and see.  It can't really shrink much more anyway so it is worth a try.

There was much excitement at our house on Sunday with chard and a lettuce harvested.  I think we are counting the one carrot that we pulled up by accident as "harvested" as well even though you need a microscope to tell that it is in fact a carrot, but we are counting it.  We had the chard shredded in spicy chicken pasta sauce, and the lettuce as part of a side salad (very exciting) and had the rest yesterday in (you guessed it) a side salad.  The remainder of the chard is going in a mince beef curry concoction that is currently in the slow cooker to feed the herds after swimming lessons.  The beetroot is nearly ready as well so we are checking it each time we go in eager anticipation of home grown beetroot.  Beetroot is a definite favourite in our house and last year we couldn't grow it fast enough.  It is taking over the bottom bed, and I am going to plant more when I go this weekend so we have a never ending supply.

Advise needed - I bought 3 rhubarb crowns last autumn, and because we were still planning the raised bed situation I put them in pots. They started growing this spring but have withered in fairly spectacular fashion.  I read online that it might have had something to do with the drainage of the pots, so I tried to rescue them by planting them next to the strawberries in bed 2.  Does this sound like a reasonably well though out plan?   My theory was that they were dying anyway, so moving them won't make them die any faster!!!.  Fingers crossed.

Next time I blog I am determined to have some pictures so post.  I am so excited by the difference between this time last year (when we were still at rubbish tip field fighting with the waist high weeds) and now when we have a reasonable productive little veg patch going).  I will definitely take the camera with me to document how well we are doing.  Very big smiles in this house today.  And muddy knees on E too.  A very nice summery problem - very grubby children from being permanently outside and fewer baths than normal because we are very busy making memories.  That is what they invented baby wipes for isn't  it?  

Thunder and Lightening

I have been a bad gardener recently.  I just haven't been to the allotment for more than the bare minimum of time for over a week.  This is due to children, my husband's band and his gigs, family birthdays and my 4 year olds hectic social schedule.  So yesterday afternoon I checked the BBC weather forecast online.  "Great" I thought "no rain forecast now", and after I had made dinner, off to the allotment I went.  I did a large amount of brilliant weeding when I felt the tell tale spots of a shower of rain.  "Oh it won't be much" I thought as I kept going.  Then the heavens opened.  And I was drenched.  I reasoned at that point that I couldn't get any wetter and it was easing off.  Keep going for a while.  After another 15 minutes the most amazing thunder storm I have ever been out in occurred.  The thunder and lightening was biblical and the rain was torrential.  I am a person who loves "exciting" weather.  By that point I ran for home, and ended up taking shelter in the chippy half way.  A portion of chips later and another mad dash for the finishing line and I was home.  Soaked but slightly exhilarated.  And I harvested a lettuce and some radish.

At least I didn't have to get the hosepipe out to water which I had planned on doing!!!!

First harvest of the year 2014!!!

French Breakfast Radish!!! Yay!!!

Planting squashes

What a busy day!!!  I spent nap time this morning digging out the weeds from the one bed I have in my back yard.  I did have to don the marigolds for the nettles, but got it under control reasonably quickly, and then planted the herbs.  I know have a very tidy looking herb bed.  And O found a plastic "deep-sea diver" toy that another child had buried.  He was very happy with that!!!.

All of the squashes are planted now too.  I was going to go to the allotment this evening, but time got away from me.  I pricked out the tomato seedings, and managed to get them down to 7 healthy looking seedlings.  I also planted all of the squash seeds.  No idea where on earth I am going to put them yet, but there you go!!!  3 crystal lemon cucumbers, 2 uchiki kuri, 2 honey bear, 2 marrow, 3 pumpkin, 3 butternut, 2 spaghetti squash and a couple of other that I can't remember,  are all planted in pots ready to go.  I am feeling very excited by this, but seriously - Where are they all going to go?  They spread for miles.  Okay, maybe not miles, but far!!!  I have dug a bed for them, but it is no where near large enough.  I suppose if enough of my other crops fail I can pop them in that space.  Better to have too many than not enough.  My knowledge of how to grow squashes is limited.  For example, how many butternut squashes can you expect from 1 plant.  Courgettes grow loads because they are constantly harvested, so it won't be the same principle.  I suppose I shall find out come September!!!  How exciting!!!

So tomorrows mission is to buy more plant pots.  I have 4 different varieties of courgette to plant!!!  Seriously, the supermarket is so boring.  Who only wants 1 variety of courgette?  Not me.  If my ratatouille has anything less than 2 different types of courgette in it then I am not interested!!!.  A new principle perhaps, but still sound I think.

House move and allotment check

Having just returned from the allotment, cold and sore-throaty, I can say, with much certainty, that I need to spend more time at the allotment.  It is very weedy and looking a bit tatty.  I am going to get on to Hubby about getting the strimmer fixed because quite a lot of the grass in between the beds is now knee high.

I was only there a short time, as a quite bit of eco-therapy after the house move and the in-laws visiting!!! I planted a couple of feet of peas, and finished planting the broad bean seeds.  The potatoes in the bags are going great-guns, but the potatoes in the bed are still hiding.  They have only been in 2 weeks though, so I'm sure they will peek through when they are ready.  It was a bit easier to see the difference between the beetroot and chard seedlings and the weeds today, so did a little bit of weeding.  The end of result of this discovery was that I need to plant more chard and beetroot seeds because they are a bit sparse.  The pumpkin patch needs a good dig over as well.

Tonights emergency purchase is going to be a hosepipe though.  I did many trips to the tap this evening and still barely touched the sides of what needed doing.

The final allotment job of the day was taking a few of the boxes from the house move down to Lottie, to put on the pumpkin patch to (theoretically) suppress the weeds.

We are loving our new house, and am looking forward to getting the tomatoes planted out, growing nicely in tubs in the sunshine.  I am sat inside under a blankie, drinking Pimms and feeling sorry for my self, whilst writing my to-do list for tomorrow.  It is looking dauntingly long!!!

My new garden

I spent a very small amount of time in my new garden today, but spent long enough in it to discover a small bed.  This small raised bed was very well disguised by many voracious weeds, but once it is dug out will make a nice herb bed.  There are also  sufficient bricks lying around to make another small raised bed.  I don't know what to fill it with, but the possibilities are endless!!!

I will need a decent pair of rubber gloves to get busy with those nettles first though!!!

Broad bean disaster

Some thing is eating my broad beans!!!  Any ideas on what gratefully received.

In other news I planted some sprout seeds!!!

Burning

I am heading to the allotment tonight.  I don't care what else I have to do, what jobs or packing or tidying or preparing...I am going.  Getting very stressed out with all that I have to do for the house move.  I need a spot of "eco-therapy".  I just find it impossible to be stressed or sad or grumpy or anything negative whilst on the site.  I always leave with a smile, either at a job well done, or successes growing nicely, or just the peace and tranquillity allowing me to get my head back into order so I can tackle the rest of my life with a better perspective!!!.
My new fire pit arrived this morning.  This was a bit of an impulse purchase, but I am quite pleased with it.  We have to burn a load of papers, old bank statements etc. and we were looking at buying an incinerator thingy-ma-jig.  But we also need a bbq, and preferably something to take with us camping, so we have settled for this fire pit that fulfils all of the above requirements.  I wonder if the ash from the fire is useful for any plant in particular or should be used as a general fertiliser.  More research needed I think!!!

Potatoes

We are moving house.  NEXT WEEK!!!!!  Very exciting and daunting.  We have so much to do and very little time in which to do it.  After the disaster of selling our house in London a few years ago and moving up here, we ended up in a flat owned by my parents.  It has been fine, and definitely helped us out when we needed it, but now it is time to move on.  Most excitingly it is an actual house.  We have never lived in an actual house.  And we will have a back yard.  I am so excited.  We will have a large kitchen and a space for herbs and I may even grow tomatoes in the back yard.  So brilliant!!!
So this weekend my only job at the allotment was planting potatoes.  They have been chitting for a number of weeks, but could have done with a couple more weeks really, but I don't suppose it really matters.  I don't want to move them because they may be damaged, and I think we have enough to do without making special arrangements for the transportation of well chitted seed potatoes.  So we have 10 maris pipers, and 26 desiree reds.  Very excited about potatoes.  Last year I was ill and left the planting up to my husband.  But, love him though I do, unless it is to do with random nonsense on the internet he is not terribly interested.  So it was done fast...and not terribly well.  Infact of the 20 seed potatoes planted last year we only managed to harvest 18 potatoes.  It didn't go well.  This year will be better.  Although I think the slugs didn't help last year.  I may have to be a little more severe with the slugs this year!!!!
The allotment is growing well.  The broad beans seem to be doing well, and we have sprouting garlic and the onions are growing well.  We have some lettuce and radish growing nicely, and some broccoli doing nicely.  But we are at the stage where I am not sure if things are weeds or seedlings.  I think I may wait another couple of weeks before weeding anymore just in case!!!.

Alas, poor greenhouse!!!!

This is what remains of my lovely well tethered green house.  Clearly not well tethered enough.  All that remains is half the frame.  I don't even know where the other half if, and the cover has disappeared into the abyss as well.  Sigh.  I have lost nearly all the seedlings as well.

The result of this catastrophe is that we are now discussing the purchasing of a polytunnel.  We just don't have space (and too many little fingers) to grow much at home so need somewhere to grow things inside at the allotment.  It won't happen until next year, but I suspect it does need to  happen!!!

On a brighter note

blossom on the new apple tree and

seedlings - we have broad beans, lettuce, radish, beetroot and chard.  So that made me smile.  

I also spent last night digging over the potato patch, but it needs another go over to make it less lumpy.  

A generally happy trip to the allotment anyway, apart from the Greenhouse situation!!!  A trip to the garden centre for trays and compost to replant everything I have planted me-thinks...

Greenhouse and fruit trees

The sun is shining, it is a beautiful day...after a slightly cold and miserable start anyway.  Started the days allotment jobs pre 8 am, with a trip to B+Q for tree stakes, followed by Aldi where I bought 3 of their fruit trees - 1 each of apple, pear and cherry.  I then dug some massive holes to plant them in.  Husband constructed the greenhouse with both children "helping" and me finding the instructions quite confusing.  A return trip home for lunch, nap time and planning for Junior Church tomorrow, and then straight back to the allotment.  

I then spent a happy couple of hours organising plant pots, pricking out tomatoes seedlings, planting out borage and nasturtiums and planted out my early potatoes.  I attempted to plant them in sacks rather than the ground after last years disaster!!!!  I also planted some more herb seeds, spinach and broccoli seeds.  I had a lovely time, but am now eagerly anticipating a long hot bubble bath and a hot chocolate!!!

Tidy up and planting

Today I had an indulgent solo trip to the allotment.  No children, no husband, no rush.  It was delightful and completely productive.  I dug over the parts of the beds that were getting planted in today, and planted out garlic, carrots, broad beans (after making a complicated support structure), lettuce,  radish, chard and beetroot.  Can you tell I was eager?  The first of March and I planted everything that could possibly be planted in March!!!!

I also had time for a good tidy of the allotment plot.  The children's toys were washed and moved into a better position and I worked out a way or stringing up garden canes off the ground.  All rubbish was collected and all random tools were put back where they belong.  It will last about 5 minutes into the next trip there but it looks so lovely for the moment.

I came back exhausted but happy.  Husband made me a hot chocolate as I soaked in a bubble bath.  Unfortunately, looking at the weather forecast, it is looking unlikely that we will get there again all week!!!  Nevermind.  Fingers crossed it doesn't rain too much. xxx

Garlic

I had a lovely hour to myself at our allotment yesterday.  The strawberry and the gooseberry plants arrived in the post and had to be planted out.  I went with the children, who had a lovely time playing for half an hour, and then Husband came and picked them up and took them home for tea.  O was delighted that I let him pick some kale which Husband cooked for him too.  I planted out the plants and generally just had a lovely time.  There are lots of worms in the new beds already so that is a good sign.  I ordered some borage and hyssop seeds which arrived yesterday as well,  so I am going to have a good plant at naptime.

I have just had a look on the internet at planting our garlic.  I planted out some overwintering garlic and onions in the bed I have in the shared garden, but some CRETIN keeps letting his (illegal, against the no pet rules) dog scratch and stomp all over them, and so I fear they are ruined.  Since I have spent the national  debt of some minor countries on the allotment recently, I am going to buy a few more bulbs of garlic from Aldi and hope for the best.  I know some of them are sprayed to not sprout, but that never seems to stop the ones that have started growing in the back of the fridge, so I shall take the risk.  Depending on how the weather goes that could be a good "the-car-is-at-the-garage-what-ever-shall-we-do" job and outing for this afternoon.

Fruit

The strawberries have arrived!!! The strawberries have arrived!!!!!  All 24 of them.  8 honeoye (early), 8 cambridge favourite (main) and 8 Albion (pepetual, 2 crop).  We also have had 3 yellow gooseberry (Una Crispa Hinnonmakii).  Very exciting.  I am going to take the children down the allotment this afternoon, and hopefully Husband with grab them leaving me with an hour or so of daylight to plant them out.  

We also have plenty of germination in the house.  Marrigolds and nasturtiums are all doing well.  I am attempting to get to grips with companion planting.  I do not pretend to be an organic gardener, but E is still young enough that she puts everything in her mouth, so I am reluctant to have too many chemicals about if I can help it. We also have basil, broad beans, moneymaker tomatoes and gardeners delight tomatoes.  I hope Husband gets into the storage shed tonight to rescue my potatoes which really should be chitting by now!!!  

And, on top of all of that, the sun is shining and for once we are not scheduled to the hilt with socialising activities (who knew that home educating could be so busy) that we are going to go out and enjoy this afternoon without much rhyme or reason for doing so!!!.  Happy happy. xxx

Allotment diary

I am feeling inspired to start a blog to mark our new allotmenting adventure.  We got our first allotment, which was a nightmare plot, at Bebington Rd Allotments about 16 months ago.  It was too late in the season to do anything, but we started in earnest about a year ago.  Much effort ensued, with very little reward.  The plot had never been worked before and was a churned up field that had been used as a dumping ground and was thatched with knee deep weeds and grass.  It was impossible to even walk down it and my two children struggled.  The allotment secretary took pity on us last June and gave us another over grown allotment, but one that was flat and had fences.  It was amazing.  So easy to work.  We dug some beds and got a few plug plants in over the end of summer, but the latest spell of wet weather has worked its madness, and the thick heavy clay has turned it into a quagmire.  Most of the remaining vegetables had rotten roots and are now filling the compost bin.  Husband and I have spent a considerable amount of time building raised beds and even longer filling them with 8 tonnes of soil.  I am now so excited.  It is really the start of us having a good year on the allotment, the first year really, and I have so many plans.

Our allotment last June

Our allotment 2 days ago

Excitingly enough we also have plant growth in the very few things that are planted in the house.  We have some broad beans, nasturtiums, marigolds, tagates and basil all sprouting well.  Not tomatoes or mint just yet but I live in hope.  I am  hoping to get the plastic feeble greenhouse up soon so I can go a bit mad planting but I want to make sure that we have had the worst of the storms first.  Strawberry plants are currently in the sorting office because I missed the postman this morning, and the gooseberries should be on route.  Did I mention that I am literally bouncing in place in excitement.  I never knew spring was so exciting.  

And just a lovely picture to put a smile on everyone else's faces (as it did mine)