The Cottage Smallholder

Sam’s stand caught my eye initially because it was so clean. He was talking to his customers and all of them were smiling. I was intrigued. Many months ago I bought my first sausage bap from Sam. I was amazed to see that he only sells Musk’s Sausages. It was very, very good. I don’t Read More »

I don’t think that I’m going to give up the day job and become a computer repairer. Despite having the dexterity achieved from making virtually every Blue Peter project for a good five years during my childhood, I have failed on one simple point. The button that allows a laptop computer screen to be displayed Read More »

I made a trade this evening. A swap to use D’s laptop in exchange for cooking his favourite cauliflower cheese recipe with bacon and tomatoes. I’m still trying to fix my laptop. The kitchen table is awash with pieces of paper holding tiny screws corralled with Sellotape, with scribbles noting from where they originated on Read More »

For the last few weeks my laptop has gradually been developing cataracts. It has been difficult to write and publish my articles. The problem started with a display that flickered intermittently, then long spells with a black screen and a very faint image of what I should see when I touched the lid switch. Last Read More »

Planning my decorating week, I checked the weather forecast last night as I still have a backlog of outdoor jobs. The symbols indicated that it would be misty and foggy all day. Too damp to paint outside. But this meant that I’d be snug indoors, beside someone else’s Aga in a house where the central Read More »

We were both working at the weekend so a trip to the new butcher in Fordham wasn’t an option. But we did wake on Sunday to home cured bacon slowly cold smoked for 36 hours over apple wood in our inglenook chimney. Our sitting room is unheated at the moment so long, cold smoking is Read More »

D generally cooks on a Friday. It used to be steak. Now it’s something a bit more economical. On Thursday I found a chunky pack of lamb loin chops in the fridge reserved for his chef spot. They’re cheaper than steak but still a big Friday night treat. When I pushed open the cottage front Read More »

We have two Pekin bantams, Mrs Boss and Mrs Squeaky. Mrs Boss is an International film star (two movies on YouTube). Mrs Squeaky is an undiscovered beauty queen. Her glistening feathers challenge the whitest teeth. Hence her name. Mrs Boss has raised a clutch of Guinea Fowl, three runner ducks and a couple of chicks Read More »

It’s been a good week. The BBC Gardeners’ Question Time team advised that we could safely use the soil from our blighted tomato grow bags. So John and I shifted ten of them from the pile in the driveway to the kitchen garden to spread on the bed that has a problem with heavy soil. Read More »

When we visited The Carter Street butchers in Fordham last weekend there were long slim peppered beef sausages hanging in the window. Beyond these was a rack where some dark dried meat was hanging. “There are fifty Southern Africans living in the village. Eventually I had to try my hand at making Biltong,” the butcher Read More »