As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

flowertotmum

O yes i made my own butter..and i have to admit it was very nice..much nicer than the shop stuff and it was cheaper..whoopsied cream and bobs your uncle..fresh HM butter...it was divine on toast..well worth the effort of doing it..
off to do the ironing
ftm

redlady_1

mardatha wrote: »

Redlady - for goddsake throw the bloody stuff in the bin and buy yourself a sticky toffee pavlova instead!

I reckon you may have a point there. Um, crisps....

ceridwen

We cant have this talk of crisps and pavlova creeping in here you know.

...and just for that - the MSE Old Style equivalent of "doing 50 lines" is doing 15 minutes of watching the longer-length/updated basic all-about-it family from the Path to Freedom folks in California. So - here it is - 15 minutes worth of (look away now Mardatha) grow your greens and loads of them on an urban garden:

http://www.youtube.com/urbanhomestead



PS Mardatha - it does include chickens - and ducks and goats. High cute factor at about 11 minutes in...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Molly41 wrote: »

Ohh blackberries from the hedgerow have such a yummy taste. You just need to disregard the little creepy crawlies.

Thanks for the butter recipe - Im going to try it soon.

I have never eaten beetroot leaves. How do you cook them? I have some growing.

1. I agree (but I have planted some in the hope of getting a proper crop next season). If they are particularly crawling, then I throw them into a bowl of cold water and everything that creeps, scuttles and wriggles floats out by the time I've had my cuppa.

2. Me too - although I might have to use a handmixer rather than a chef, as I can't convince my mother that hers is pointless being left sitting in the corner of the kitchen for 15 years when I could be using it.

3. The beetroot stalk was chopped into small pieces and cooked in some butter/oil with the green shallots whole, then as they softened, I added a little boiling water from the potatoes and put the lid on.

Once they were tender, I added the leaves, wilted them down and finished them off with a little balsamic and the cooking juices/lemon bits from the chicken I had cooked in the wok with the lid on (spatchcocked, placed breastside down with a couple of the shallots and a quartered lemon) as it cooks so much more quickly and is far more tender cooked that way.

They were very nice, like a beetrooty spinachy sweet, slightly tangy and rich vegetable

smileyt_2

Redlady - yes, just cut off the leaves and eat them. You may choose to cook them first!

Mardatha - stop leading redlady astray! Where would she get pavlova from at this time on a Sunday night anyway?

I was going to go down to the allotment but I think I have that can't-be-botherdness thing too. Also, I can't seem to stop eating! I think my body is convinced that it's really autumn and it should be putting on a layer of winter fat :eek:

redlady_1

haha Cerwiden, the mad bird can only dream of weather like that!

Mind you, potatoes = crisps!

I am not even sure what to do with spinach anyway!

CRANKY40

I've made butter with the little person. We just put some cream in a plastic tumbler with a screw on lid and took turns to shake it. He was so pleased with his own butter on his toast.

I have been mystified lately by something munching circles out of the leaves of my rose bushes. Having watched carefully this past week, I have now discovered "leafcutter bees". Happily they are flying away over the wall with their leafy circles, so whatever rotten wood etc they're nesting in isn't in my house or garden thank goodness.

I made some more Millies cookies today (recipe at start of grocery challenge thread), but added cocoa powder to make them chocolate. They were a hit with the small person and his friends. I was at a children's party yesterday with ds and the other mothers seemed amazed that I make the boy's cakes and biscuits myself and not even with packet mix. All I can say is that my nana who taught me to bake would not have approved of things like shop bought scones and mince pies:rotfl::rotfl: Happily I am also teaching the boy to bake. Our shortbread is highly spoken of round here :rotfl:

Oooh, I nearly forgot - we have our first teeny tiny green tomato on our plants. We have been picking several raspberries each day and we've had a couple of tiny alpine strawberries too.

scottishminnie

ChocClare wrote: »

Yep. That's what I do.


...

Excellent, I knew there was a reason I bought it. That's my little job for later in the week then.

My 3 tomato plants have shot up (a la Jack in the Beanstalk) so much so that they were blocking the light in the kitchen and I've had to move them to be by the patio doors which are in the den which is hubby's lair. Don't think he is too impressed!

mardatha

I am not even sure what to do with spinach anyway!
*************************
And she calls me mad ?! jeeez.

lizzyb1812

Smileyt - thank goodness someone else's body is doing that too. I may be getting fatter but at least I'm not alone

Redlady - to cook spinach rinse the leaves and shake off the water, into a pan, lid on and shake. They only need wilting really. I'm sure someone will come up with an improved method, but to be honest, I only ever eat it raw. As soon as the plants are a decent size start taking a few leaves, especially little ones, and chuck them in a salad or sandwich like you would lettuce. V expensive in the salad section of the supermarket so well worth growing. You can do the same with beetroot leaves - just leave some for the plant!

OK - radical rubber chicken stretching. I've got a heap of chicken bones after my efforts earlier today. Will take the skins, etc off for the dog, wash the bones, boil them up in clean water for a bit to be sure they are sterile then dry them thoroughly, grind them and voila! Bonemeal for the garden! Link:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bone-meal.htm about a page down "gardeners can make their own"

I obviously have far too much time on my hands .....:rotfl:

Lizzy