All’s well that ends well
In my late twenties I took a post graduate teaching degree. My subjects were Drama and English (subjects that I’d studied at University). I did my post grad year at Goldsmith’s College in London. The majority of the course consisted of placements in London secondary schools. One of the schools that I was sent to was in Blackheath. On my first day I was given two classes to teach. The first was described to me by their teacher as “Intelligent bubbly kids. Great fun to work with.” The second classes teacher looked grave. “These are...
read moreHarvesting the purple sprouting broccoli 2010
Our farming friends dropped by for afternoon tea on Sunday. They are easy and relaxed and their little girl A is divine. She gave our biscuits the thumbs up – the past selection weren’t up to much and we found little pieces of half eaten biscuit hidden in the kitchen for several days after her last visit. Our kitchen is a messy, lived in room so the biscuits provided a great diversion for the dogs. I had fallen asleep after a late brunch on Sunday and woke with just time enough to fly into Newmarket to buy the biscuits. Yes I know that...
read morePlanning the extended borders
I have spent the whole day in bed. Not snoozing though. I’ve been planning the make over of our herbaceous borders. On the south side of the garden they measure 21 yards long and are 7 yards deep. On the north side the borders are 21 yards and will be about five yards deep when I extend the borders on that side this week. I’ve finished the digging on the south side and the mysterious wall turns out to be just that. Some sort of soak away. So we haven’t journeyed to the centre of the earth just yet. When I started to plan the new...
read moreShitake mushroom and cream sauce recipe
Yesterday Danny bought two T bone steaks from Tennant’s in Newmarket for a treat. He also grabbed a bargain at Waitrose – 150g of shitake mushrooms for 29p. “I’m going to try making a simple mushroom sauce like the one you made to go with the calves liver last week.” The calves liver came from the Tesco CFC. Another treat bargain. I’d thought that my sauce was a real winner but Danny’s sauce won hands down in the mushroom and cream sauce stakes. Now I can see why people are happy to spend two or three quid on a small carton of...
read moreHow to make temporary cold frames out of old windows, bricks and bubble wrap
“It’s best to make things from stuff that you find hanging around. That’s what it’s all about.” Last spring S had made a new chicken house out of bits and bobs he had found in his sheds. He was pleased with the final result. It’s a great chicken house – roomy and low. A bit like the sort of chicken house that a Hobbit might have made. As it was constructed from recycled materials it didn’t cost a bomb. Sometimes I’m so pleased that I’m a hoarder. In the past I hoarded and bought new. Now I am gradually making the...
read moreFlowers from the garden: March 2010
Inca came home this afternoon. Svelte and so much better. Fingers crossed that the steroids work – she’s back in a months time for anoither spinal tap to see how things are progressing. Thank you for all your support which has bouyed us up over the past week. I celebrated by putting up our Easter Tree. We’ve had one for the past two years now. The idea is that you cut twigs in bud and gradually over the Easter holiday the leaves appear. I usually just give the beech hedging a bit of a haircut to make our tree. But I’m a...
read moreSlow cooker chef: Steak, venison and duck au vin recipe
Our fridge freezer has been a bit of a trial for quite a few years now. It has problems coping with external high and low temperatures and generally performs best in the spring or autumn. So it was a bit of a surprise when we found the larder floor covered in dark water. We both assumed that the other had kicked the bacon curing pot. The next day I investigated further and noticed red liquid dripping out of the freezer door. This is no super duper frost free machine. It has to be manually defrosted. If we forget to do this, the ice...
read moreUpdate on Inca
Inca is still being cared for at the Animal Health Trust. We get daily updates from the vets. She has been stable for three days now and is eating. The infectious diseases tests are due back today. Depending on the results they can balance the correct medication for her condition. I also got a call yesterday morning from a vet at our local practice – she had been up at the AHT and visited Inca. “I gave her a stroke but she’s still very shaky.” We are missing Inca like mad. I hadn’t realised how this little dog has got under my...
read more
FD