Botanical blunderings on a budget - good life starts here.

redsquirrel80

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Well that is all very true tricia you made me laugh - and red, chutney and me often aren't friends, they often have those evil things in them (sultanas and alike.............yuck). But, I do like chutney - does your recipe have evil dried fruit in it?

YUCK to the chicken feet though - this version is definitely veggie!

There is a ginger cat on my local freecycle - needing a home in the country, I'm needing a ratter............

List so far so good crossed off a bit more, but not much!

Got more work for next week (all week long yay!)

I usually throw a few raisins in, but if I remember rightly this rhubarb one doesn't have any - just onion, rhubarb, bit of apple and spices (oh and sugar and vinegar of course).. not so much of a recipe, more an experiment

A freecycle cat, how exciting!

Pippilongstocking

I like experiments

OK more of list done picked some dropped tomatoes, a cuke, beans and harvested the onions/shallots from my little plot at work and weeded it and moved about the beetroot which is still little. Gave it a drink.

Weeded the leeks, my onions and shallots aren't up to much and some are slightly rotting (white rot?) I have onion envy one of the other plots had better much bigger onions - but hey ho, dunno why have rotated my beds and manured this one, who knows - its more onions than none if I hadn't grown any. I've harvested them whilst green and will wash them, chop up the stalks and freeze them like spring onioins/leeks and use them up. Get more that way I guess. Need to think what I can put in that bed, wonder if I can get spinich up in time or something.........

Anyone any idea about pickling chunked up overripe cucumbers? Will go and google that in a mo.

Elderflower heads picked - no more here might have enough for ONE more batch of the cordial of delish

Bagged up weeds from plot for the chickens, I can put them on the communal compost heap, but the chooks love a rifle through weeds and they'll love hte bag I've got for them

Watered tunnels and time for the off in a mo, dunno if will go via supermarket home as its friday and not a great bargain hunting day.

Cat, will phone about it again something very nice about finding nice things on freecycle - especially a cat!

Paid £100 to penguinchops - MR S paid for the polytunnel poles for the ground work on a l/t loan so I can pay £100 to p/c this month and make a start on reducing that last debt (aside the overdrafts and the student loan of course)

Next week work for money has upped gradually to 35 hours - that's what I call a result thats paid rather than goodlife work, which is unpaid but equally valuable, like making dodgy sauces and planting/tending veggies

I'm trying to value these things more (the good life work) and not get sucked into thinking they aren't valuable as they aren't directly financial, they are work and they are valuable to me.

IYSWIM

Cheery_Daff

I do indeed see what you mean Pippi! :T :T (especially when you have some paid work too!). Very valuable if they're keeping you in veggies and you're meeting folk and keeping your hand in :T :T

Triciaxx

Trying to come up with a veggie version of chicken feet! I suppose some bark to give colour?

You don't have to put dried fruit in chutney. I just use whatever I've got (though not chicken feet :eek:). I'm artisan rather than WI, I am! I label mine as 'fruit' chutney - unless it is mainly veggie - then I think you can guess what I call it?

Since neighbours and friends bring back the empty jars with a pleading expression, I guess it works.

We went to Lavenham Guildhall this after noon and they have a garden with plants used for dyeing wool. I'm going to go back again when I've more time and the sun is in the right place to take piccies. :T:T:T

Igamogam

Hi
I am going to suscribe to your diary - just skipped through it so far but it looks 'easy on the eye' ie straight forward and down to earth and not full of hand wringing and angst - one day when I am brave enough I will start one of my own - that will be soon - but in the meantime I will cyberstalk and I hope you dont mind me dropping in now and then

BTW my local Freegle ( Freecycle) wont allow the re homing of animals. Hope he gets a home soon

Triciaxx

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

I like experiments


Anyone any idea about pickling chunked up overripe cucumbers? Will go and google that in a mo.

Boring but my answer is always chutney.

Elderflower heads picked - no more here might have enough for ONE more batch of the cordial of delish

Did you leave enough for elderberries?

Next week work for money has upped gradually to 35 hours - that's what I call a result thats paid rather than goodlife work, which is unpaid but equally valuable, like making dodgy sauces and planting/tending veggies

I'm trying to value these things more (the good life work) and not get sucked into thinking they aren't valuable as they aren't directly financial, they are work and they are valuable to me.

IYSWIM

Heck! Financial is only worth what it returns and that is difficult to measure. All I can suggest is to test your own sense of joyfulness, rightness, - - - don't bother to analyse it, follow your instincts.

Me, I'm learning, belatedly, that this is what matters. Enjoy life, follow your dreams.

vl2588

Hope the cat thing turns out well! It does worry me seeing animals given away (same as children in my eyes) but sometimes they find good homes

Lemon_Tree

hope you get the cat, what does Peedie think about it? i know you've had the discussion with him before about another 4 legged friend.
It is always sad to see and animal have to go up for adoption, i'm guessing your freecycle is a much closer thing as you all live on an island, can't explain myself very well but i know what i mean lol

Karmacat

Thats a good point, LT. I've never seen that with an animal before, but I can understand the island closeness. I also understand the need for a ratter - I'll never forget being on my cousin's farm, and seeing the underside of the roof insulation wobbling as the rats were running about on top of it :eek:

Love the idea of bagging the weeds to take home to the chooks!

MrsMoo2U

Hello, missed most of yesterdays discussion as I went out for an unexpected day trip. Still had a quick skip through and see that you are going for a ginger cat to rat. I really hope that you get him/her. My first ever cat came from the CPL and he was only 4 weeks old. I had to teach him to lap milk and he used to climb up my jeans, jumper and onto my shoulder when I was washing the dishes and give me little kisses on my cheek. He used to balance there the whole time I was washing dishes (until he got too big to balance). I adored him. Although he was ginger I called him Benny after Benny from Top Cat (I thought that TC was too obvious him being ginger and all). On posh days he was called Benjamin Pusskins. I adored him and was devastated when he got run over outside my front door. To this day I long for another ginger cat. (oops sorry that was a bit of a rant).
Anyway, well done on your lists. All going in the right direction. I agree entirely with Tricia (who is fast becoming my guru/mentor I think) that you should measure things by joyfulness and I reckon that the financial will follow.