A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

Mrs_Chip

Evening Peeps!

All fine here in Westest Wales - some trees down in the county but the worst of it seems to be up the coast from us. Yesterday was dreadful, wind and rain wise, but today has been wall to wall sunshine and we have christened our sun loungers - Oh my they are comfy! Had a little snooze in the reclined position in the sun, and that is just not me! So they get the thumbs up

Byatt - so sorry about your freezer.what a terrible shame.

GQ hope the biotics do their stuff, earache is one of those pains that you just cannot ignore . How horrid are slugs? Do they have any redeeming features?

Fuddle - Poor OH, but it does seem some chaps go green around the gills at the least thing. Obviously whoever got it right when they picked the ladies to do the baby thing!

Elderflowers need a good wash, they are sometimes full of insects :eek:.You can also make them into a lovely dessert - elderflower fritters.just dip into regular batter and fry, sprinkle with sugar to serve.

Lamb broth - buy a pack of stewing lamb from the sm or ask for it at the butchers. Best to make the lamb stock first then left to get cold so that you can take the fat off the top, then I put my veg and the lamb meat (picked off the bones) back into the stock to make the broth. Shoulder is also good for broth.

EstherH

BYATT: I don't suppose you could claim on your house insurance?

I know there is probably an excess and then they put it up next time because you've had a claim,and that's always supposing you have contents insurance. We didn't for quite a number of years and only have it now because we got a deal that included it and was cheaper than we were paying just for buildings insurance.

Esther x

ginnyknit

Byatt that is my worst nightmare, am so sorry.

Is everyone cooking pulled pork today? Mines just finishing off now and it tastes superb and just a little cheeky ( thats what my cheffy kids call chilli laced food lol)

I am off picking elderflowers tomorrow, stocked up on sugar in poundwordl/land/stretcher today, 2 for £1.50 and as OH drinks soo much juice I may as well make my own. I think he is worried what I will make next :rotfl: my dear Pennypincher friends Irma and John Mustoe wore hm underwear, bless them , they were very proffesional too.

kidcat

Byatt - we had a power cut a good few years ago that meant that the power was on and off for days as a result I lost all my freezer stock (at that point we had three freezers and two fridges so an enormous amount of stuff) and I was able to claim the cost from the energy company. They sent me vouchers for Sainsbobs I seem to remember but were stunned at the amount of the claim and required proof so I packed all the spoilt food up and had it couriered to them, rotten and all. Apparently the guy who opened it rang in sick next day - as the courier took a few days to deliver it!

kidcat

ginnyknit wrote: »

Byatt that is my worst nightmare, am so sorry.

Is everyone cooking pulled pork today? Mines just finishing off now and it tastes superb and just a little cheeky ( thats what my cheffy kids call chilli laced food lol)

I am off picking elderflowers tomorrow, stocked up on sugar in poundwordl/land/stretcher today, 2 for £1.50 and as OH drinks soo much juice I may as well make my own. I think he is worried what I will make next :rotfl: my dear Pennypincher friends Irma and John Mustoe wore hm underwear, bless them , they were very proffesional too.

Have just served ours to mixed reviews, didnt give it to littlies, but DS14 said it looked like cat sick :mad: however he cleared his plate. Everyone else was well impressed though. I toned down the amount of chilli as I am not good with spicy food but was lovely.

OH has just announced his friend has invited us out to pub for drinks - and do I want to go - errrr no you are off work sick, how do you think your boss will feel if he sees you enjoying your self in the pub when you cant make it into work.
And more to the point how do I feel about the idea that I am chasing around doing everything yet you are ok to get drunk?:mad:

Hobsons_Choice

Byatt, what an awful thing to happen. Worth claiming from leccie company or house insurance if you can though...nothing ventured...........

jpscloud

GreyQueen wrote: »

Thanks, hun, I'm hopeful it won't be too vile. It's an outer-ear infection not an inner-ear one so my balance hasn't gone off. Couldn't sleep lst night because it feels like someone has jammed a red-hot marble into my ear canal.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

GreyQueen wrote: »

:mad: OK, did anyone hear shrieks of fury circa 1.30 pm? Apologising as it was me, having discovered the Crime in the Cold Frame. Bu88ering slugs had got in and totalled more than half my runner beans. I was incandescent with rage. Those people who think gardening is part and parcel of a simple, low-key, restful life are clueless. It's nature red in tooth and claw. Or at least slime. :mad:

I rescued my babies as best I could then, with a sharp trowel in my hand and murder in my heart, I went after the barstewards. They died of cold steel poisoning; fast and organic.

The result of their dastardly diet means that I have been able to transplant beans sufficient for only one-and-a-bit wigwams and I have four to fill. Time is now of the essence and I can't afford another murder of the innocents. I have fetched all the remaining bean seed back to the flat and started to soak it. I'll give it 72 hours then pot them on IN THE FLAT. Yes, I'm determined not be thwarted by invertebrates; let them get them in the living room if they can, mwah ha ha !!!!!

Slugs and snails are just indescribably horrible for a gardener. They can destroy days of work and large amounts of money overnight, as I know to my great sorrow.

Unfortunately I have become squeamish in my old age, so I want to stop short of actual killing or poisoning - I do however fling them with great enthusiasm over into the no mans land on the other side of my fence (sounds lovely doesn't it, but it's really just a bit of council land they can't be bothered to make into anything useful and some kind soul has dumped rubble right up to the back of my fence to make it look like I did it :mad:)

The good thing about the rubble is sometimes they land on it and pop, so I kind of cringe and exalt at the same time... I am a very ambivalent creature sometimes. I figure even if they do come back as people say they do, it will at least give them a headache and take them a while to get back in my garden.

The other thing I have finally sometimes resorted to, in order to reduce numbers, is to leave bran out for them. Apparently this is irresistable, and actually kills them because it swells inside them or something.

I feel squeamish about letting them drown in slug traps (and you have to empty those too) but somehow I feel ok with the bran - I'm not certain it kills them really, and after all, they choose to eat the stuff, and it's fine for birds and mammals to eat them after they explode too. At the very least they leave your stuff alone while they're scoffing the bran.

Edit: Byatt, sorry to hear of the disaster. I have frequently defrosted and refrozen food, including cheese, vegetables and meat. I just make sure they're really, really cooked when finally used - and served extremely hot. I don't mind cremated meat anyway and the veggies are usually ok.

I do have a very strong constitution so maybe this wouldn't be a good idea for more delicate systems, I don't know. I reckon as long as it has stayed chilled (i.e. not had a chance to warm up as though it was outside a fridge) before refreezing, it won't grow bacteria anyway.

Byatt

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts. I've kind of recovered now, no good crying over spilt milk for too long I guess. Mostly YS stuff so not a huge monetary loss in the scheme of things, but still very disappointing. It's typical, with my little freezer I never had any problems. I was wondering the other day what would I do if I lost everything for some reason. :eek:

I'll contact the power company on Monday and check out my insurance too Esther.

Kidcat, loved your story! Huge admiration! :T:T

JP, I have a delicate constitution and underlying health issues so can't afford to be ill...otherwise I'd risk it. Did try it once, and was very poorly.

Thanks Lyn and Docky,

GQ, I would be very upset about the runner beans too, I know last year I could have wept as the flowers on mine were gradually eaten. Snails came from miles around to munch on my plants. And so sorry about your ear pain. Hope the drugs work soon.

I used to collect all the slugs in my garden (years ago) and rehome them. Currently, I just throw them into field but I'm sure they come back. Have been tempted to mark them with something bright.

I appreciate being able to moan, as it does help to get it off my chest, so to speak and then I can move on. Thanks to you all. :A:A


Hiya Newbies...:)

prepareathome

Wow I go off to have some meaningful time with paramedics and come back to find out disasters have happened left right and centre - GQ I feel for you, have lost so much in past to those spawns of the devil. I am using organic slug pellets which are made up of lead ( supposed to be tasty to them but once eaten they go back to their homes to expire) but are safe for wildlife, pets and children and so far when I managed to totter round my beds earlier as it actually stopped raining I found just one nasturtiums ( I have planted seeds of them throughout my vegetable beds and they are all coming up nicely, but no flowers yet) had some holes in it and most of the pellets gone so have put more round each bed and refleeced them. I did notice some holes in some lettuce leaves but found the culprits are dunnocks as I spotted them pecking away at the leaves, although most likely after insects on them I guess. I must get round to pounding the rest of my egg shells as well to put down. Not check the grow houses to see if they have been invaded, need to be fairly steady on my feet to go out to back as its so steep and have to go up and then across down and up again round the fruit cages to check them and its all just slippy mud out there apart from patio and path so maybe tomorrow.

Byatt - I would definitely get on to the power company as even if weather was final straw your electric still went off due to them and so problems would have already occured. I think they expect claims after any work that involves power going off.


I have an elderberry tree in the front which I planted years ago - I had this stick which I was not sure what it was which I had picked up during a walk and so literally just popped it into the ground and left it. I would love to have a go using the flowers or berries but feel its a bit to near the road, which is a shame.

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kidcat

OMG my mum has one of those in her garden so I have a source that is accessible, free and I can take the kids too!!! Now besides cordial what can I use elderflower in again?