The Cottage Smallholder

Sometimes I realise that I am one of the luckiest people in our part of England (East Anglia). I get to meet loads of people, rich, poor and in between. Every one of them is fascinating. Even the bad ones (and there have only been two baddie households in five years).
Usually I make what Danny Read More »

I have become addicted to the Manchego Membrillo Combination. This is not a barber shop trio but a marrying of flavours so exquisite that it had me rushing home for lunch for lunch three days this week. I added my own ingredient, Bath Oliver Biscuits.
Manchego is a traditional ewe’s milk cheese from Spain’s La Mancha Read More »

Secretly, I’ve always wanted to be a rock star. I did play the fiddle and recorder many years ago. Deep down inside me, there’s a cool musician just waiting for the right moment to emerge.
This time last year I went away to the seaside with my mother. She repaired to her bed to recharge her Read More »

Sometimes I take a straight look at my life. I am usually rumbling along a country road, behind the wheel of Jalopy.
“I never thought that I would be breeding keets, living with an Irishman, allowing the giant spider to live in the bath.”
I never, ever thought that I would be writing about salt.
I buck the Read More »

I still haven’t bought any flowers this year. Now there are loads of flowers in the garden it is not quite so hard to roll the trolley past the flower displays in the supermarket. Although when there are those large bunches of sweet smelling stocks the trolley often makes a small veer towards the buckets.
I Read More »

When I arrived at the cottage 15 years ago as a novice gardener, I discovered Honey Fungus. It was a bit of a blow. The name Honey Fungus sounds so gentle. It is not. Even then I knew that Honey fungus can decimate the shrubs and trees in a garden. Its progress is relentless, young Read More »

Danny loves mushrooms, particularly Chestnut ones. To make up for supper running really late last night I decided to give him a surprise treat. I warmed some butter, chopped up a pack of chestnut mushrooms and was just about to reach for the garlic when I thought I’d try something new and made the most Read More »

Mrs Boss is the heroine of the Farming Friend’s /Cottage Smallholder Interblog Guinea Fowl Breeding event. She is now starring in her first movie, which opened this morning on YouTube. Click here to view Mrs Boss and her keets, filmed entirely on location in the hen run with a hand held camera.
The keets are starting Read More »

I love crumpets. The honeycomb texture cries out for butter and jam or honey. Danny picked some up yesterday and I found them in the bread bin this morning.
As he was out of the house, I decided to experiment and incorporate one into my breakfast. I would try grilling an egg on top of a Read More »

John Coe helps me in the garden every other week. His main interest is the vegetable patch, although he likes to see me till the soil. He gives advice, orders and supplies some of his own good seedlings.
He is Sole Carer of Lawn, Edging and Hedging. The main structure of the garden.
When we need to Read More »