50p a day til christmas, healthily?!-Weezl's next challenge (part 2)

In_Search_Of_Me

quite agree...come and say hello weezl and stop lurking! Just about to have a go at the tea bag wine...chai to start!

weezl74

:rotfl:

I am here I just wasn't sure what to say!

been doin lots of gardening, handwashing etc... as well as all my mum tasks

mostly growing herbs and salad leaves because it needs to be fairly low-maintenance but yield big results.

Anyhow I should have lots of salad soon...

the energy consumption is still low, gone down to 3.1 units perday averaged over last 10 days.

not many recipes to write about as we're eating up the freezer ready for le grand defrost and switch off for our holiday!

apart from milk for us and fergus, we're trying not to go to a supermarket for the whole of July (and haven't been for 10 days already!)

not great sleep here last night, as fergus was in just his cot, rather than moses basket in cot, and kept wriggling off his sensor mat (special gadget to let you know baby is still breathing) well the alarm went off 3 times last night, and that's the kind of scared, sat bolt upright type of awake you don't settle well afterwards :eek:...

I will be experimenting tomorrow to see if you can use up tahini paste in sian's fool-proof cake recipe (I'm determined to be the fool who breaks it ) so I might have a recipe to post soon!

anyhow love to all, and I'll try and post more often, I'm just scared of being a little dull!

lightisfading

weezl74 wrote: »

mostly growing herbs and salad leaves because it needs to be fairly low-maintenance but yield big results.

Low maintenance but big results = courgettes and tomatoes in pots/growbags. Mine get virtually no maintenance beyond watering every couple of days when it's really hot, and produce loooads!

weezl74

lightisfading wrote: »

Low maintenance but big results = courgettes and tomatoes in pots/growbags. Mine get virtually no maintenance beyond watering every couple of days when it's really hot, and produce loooads!

how are you protecting yours from the slugs lightisfading?:D

LittleBrownFrog

Weezl ... I'm a lurker, but I've come out of lurkdom to give you an iron tip... your sun-dried tomatoes/spiced lentil recipe saved me from the dreaded iron supplements during my fourth pregnancy ... I add spinach (I tend to use that as a generic word for dark green leafy stuff lol) to it to boost the iron level in the meal, and wash it down with orange juice (the vitamin c helps you absorb the iron) ... I inflicted the dish on my family at least three days a week during my last trimester lol

lightisfading

Mine are in pots on the patio so do okay - I pick the courgettes asap rather than leaving them to grow huge as I find that's when they get attacked. I also use the growing success organic slug pellets, scattered round the base of the pots, if I'm having a problem with anything in particular. Never had any probs with slugs and tomatoes though. They adore my salad leaves so I tend to grow them in containers (or this year, in a wheelbarrow!!) and use my two 8x3' garden beds for toms and beans which are more slug resistant.

In_Search_Of_Me

my lovely weezl you could never be accused of being dull...a hello is nice...may not set the world on fire but we likes it see....well done on the energy reduction...flat is boiling and fan on the go all the time of I'd melt...chai tea is in its glass jar and currently doing some research into whether I should add more sugar...recipe wants 1.08 but its at 1.10 on the hydrometer. Can anyone say if I should add more sugar? I am tod that it tastes better after a year so its definately a lesson in patience!!

nopot2pin

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

chai tea is in its glass jar and currently doing some research into whether I should add more sugar...recipe wants 1.08 but its at 1.10 on the hydrometer. Can anyone say if I should add more sugar? I am tod that it tastes better after a year so its definately a lesson in patience!!

1.100 is quite high ISOM, so I wouldn't add any more sugar.
If this ferments down to .996 or .994, you will end up with a 14% ish wine.
In fact, if you have space in the demi, I would add more water, to reduce the gravity.... to 1.080, if you can.
The higher the gravity at the start, the longer it takes to become drinkable, as you have to wait for the hot alcoholic taste to mellow.

I made a cranberry juice wine, about 18 months ago, and still cant drink it, for that reason
Hope this helps

PS... yes patience, is definately a must, in wine making

nopot2pin

lightisfading wrote: »

Mine are in pots on the patio so do okay - I pick the courgettes asap rather than leaving them to grow huge as I find that's when they get attacked. I also use the growing success organic slug pellets, scattered round the base of the pots, if I'm having a problem with anything in particular. Never had any probs with slugs and tomatoes though. They adore my salad leaves so I tend to grow them in containers (or this year, in a wheelbarrow!!) and use my two 8x3' garden beds for toms and beans which are more slug resistant.

My courgettes died
I think it was too hot in my back porch for them.
I planted these, because they are such heavy croppers.
I planted some more, outside, in pots, and they are now growing happily :j
I did read up on it, and it said they should be picked when they are quite small, as it encourages more fruit to grow.

I have got one tomatoe, so far, on 7 plants
But it looks like one tasty little tomatoe

I bought some copper tape from the garden centre, and stuck it round the bottom of the pots....
I haven't had a problem with slugs yet.

My potatoes and onions are now in flower, so will be ready for picking soon :T

Elfinwings

phizzimum wrote: »

ooh, impressive! any photos?

have to confess, I have not the slightest idea how to add a photo!

Elfin.