No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

Lordhightiggythe3rd

yes please ftm they sound yummy love peanut butter

[Deleted User]

Morning all, FTM the other place for seeds that are reasonable is B & Q surprisingly enough. We had seeds for Plum Tomatoes and Peppers (the long red italian bulls horn ones) and they produced the best produce we've ever grown, well worth a look if you are in there. Reasonable prices too!

LHT3rd start small with the veg plot and don't be too ambitious until you get some feeling for what will grow successfully in your area. The best way of finding that out would be to find where your local allotments are and go along and natter to people who have one. Most folks are more than willing to pass on tips and usually surplus plants too. Courgettes grow like triffids and you'll get loads from one plant, lettuces are easy to grow and so are potatoes, get yourself a beginners book from the library to start with and learn about side shooting tomatoes and earthing up potatoes, all really easy to do but to a beginner it's all a bit complicated. Let us know how you get on through the year and we'll try to help out if you run into problems along the way. Good on you for giving it a go!!!

Have a good day all of you,stay warm and stay safe, Cheers Lyn xxx.

flowertotmum

Morning all..up early today got lots to do...tots are going to help out..got letters to post,books to donate to charity shops.and some pressies to deliver..
MLW..yes b&q do have some great seeds..i got my courgette seeds from there last year...lots and lots of them grew..more than i could possibly eat..thats where chutneys and pickles come in to play...
LHT3rd..as MLW says start small and don't give up..its so rewarding to dish up lunch or dinner and to know that you have grown it all...

Peanut butter balls dipped in choclate
16oz peanut butter
3/4 cup of very soft butter or marg
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3 and 3/4 cups of icing sugar
120z choclate chips
Mix the peanut butter,butter,brown sugar and icing sugar together.
Roll into 1" balls..no bigger than that
stick in the fridge until cool.
Melt your choclate ,dip the balls in one at a time..i used a mini skewer to really swirl them in it..
Put onto greaseproof paper to cool.
Keep them in a box or bag in the fridge until you want to eat them or you can freeze them in a ziplock bag with no choclate on..saves time if you make up a big batch..then dip how many you want or you can eat them without choclate.
hope you enjoy them..
take take care and hope your littlie is feeling better.
ftm

Lordhightiggythe3rd

Thanks MLW we love courgettes but cant afford them so that is great was thinking of pots to as i used to grow them when i was young

also thinking of sweet potato and butternut squash are thoses easyish ? if so that would prob be all id do to start with and see how i go.

Thanks FTM they sound yummy gonna give em a go at the weekend

scottishminnie

Morning all.

Welcome along LHT3rd.

FTM - those peanut butter balls sound amazing. I may make some later as I have a huge jar of pb in the store cupboard. It's my guilty pleasure. I should trade you the recipe for some of your ironing - I love to iron. I feel it very therapeutic.

I made some peppermint bark at the weekend, some traditional white chocolate and some with milk and it has gone down a treat with friends and family so I think I will need to make another batch before next week.

The plan for this evening is to make mince pies and to marzipan the 2 Christmas cakes so they will be ready for icing later in the week. I have mislaid the ribbons which I saved from last year for round the cakes so will also have to hunt for them.
I bought cheap mincemeat earlier in the year so I will add some brandy to the mix and let it sit for a while, should pep up the taste!

Off to find a good smoked salmon mousse/terrine recipe as the alternative Christmas dinner starter. I have a shiny new terrine tin from Lakeland and am itching to us it - how sad!!

[Deleted User]

Hello SM you are a busy bee and it all sounds scrumptious!!!!! Hope you don't knock yourself out trying to get it all done as well as real life, but I'm sure you will get it all done as you are an organised lady!!! A terrine tin from Lakeland sounds very nice, I found a pie tin with 4 separate sides that fit into a bottom plate so will be attempting a raised sausage and apple pie instead of sausage rolls this year as I think it will stay moist and keep better in the fridge. We have a really nice old fashioned hardware shop in a village nearby (still has tin baths hung up outside!)that is a source of kitcheny wonderfulness, I could part with serious cash if feeling reckless!!!!!

LHT3rd We always grow butternut squashes and usually get a fair crop which keep very well. This year was very poor though and we only managed 4 small ones, but usually they give you good yields so are worth growing. The only downside is they spread over a large area because they trail and tie up ground for a long growing season, but in my opinion it is worth it. We have grown sweet potatoes but they need such looking after and need to be kept warm and lots of water lots of feeding and the potatoes we got at the end of it were pencil thin and unusable. I wouldn't be tempted to try again even in the polytunnel as they are so cheap to buy. I would rather put in something I know will give us a good crop. You definately need a greenhouse if you are going to try though!

FTM - Thank you so much for the Peanut Butter Ball recipe, my eldest DD loves peanutty things and I will most definately be making those this year, she will be a very happy bunny indeed! I made a real discovery yesterday, after going to L*dl, I went across the road to a new B & M Store they have just opened, and oh my goodness it was amazing. I got some lovely german christmas things in there that L*dl didnt have and stocked up the store cupboard a bit more. It is such tremendous value, I'm very gald to have one here , it will be very useful next year.

Hope all your christmas prep is going well and wishing you all time for a nice cup of tea without having to do anything else than enjoy it!!!
Cheers Lyn xxx.

scottishminnie

Evening all. Well the big day is fast approaching and things "seem" to be under control here however who knows what may happen in the next 48 hours or so.

I will take the turkey crown from the freezer tomorrow morning to begin to defrost. It's 11lb so I think will need quite a bit of time to thaw. I have one cake left to ice so that will also be done tomorrow. My little festive cake toppers which I recycle alternate years are awol so I may have to make some fondant snowmen to grace the top.

I decided I wanted some fresh flowers yesterday to brighten up a fairly bland room. I had a look in both Mr T and Mr A however as I only wanted 3 lily stems it seemed all their bunches had something else in which I would be throwing away. To avoid being wasteful I popped into a local florist and picked up 3 lily stems and one twig thing with red berries. You could have picked me up off the floor when the woman said it was £19 for my selection.
I was too embarrassed not to pay up and say nothing but next time I'll buy the supermarket ones and throw away what I don't want. It's certainly one local business I won't be supporting again.

It's not feeling very festive here at the moment. My outdoor tree is being battered by the winds and I've turned the lights off as I was worried about them so it is dark and dismal. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I currently have streaming eyes and a runny nose so I've had copious quantities of cold medicine to stave it off and I'm thinking it would be good to wash it down with a G&T. Kill or cure!

Hope everyone else's preparations are going well. I think we all deserve a rest on Christmas Eve for being so organised.:)

katep23

scottishminnie wrote: »

I decided I wanted some fresh flowers yesterday to brighten up a fairly bland room. I had a look in both Mr T and Mr A however as I only wanted 3 lily stems it seemed all their bunches had something else in which I would be throwing away. To avoid being wasteful I popped into a local florist and picked up 3 lily stems and one twig thing with red berries. You could have picked me up off the floor when the woman said it was £19 for my selection.
I was too embarrassed not to pay up and say nothing but next time I'll buy the supermarket ones and throw away what I don't want. It's certainly one local business I won't be supporting again.

That's horrible when it happens, you resent being made to feel you have to accept when all you want is to say "how much?! No thanks!"

Last minute change of plans for us - we usually have Christmas Day at home in our PJ's eating whatever we fancy (calzone, pasta, risotto or leftovers from Christmas Eve when we get together with the neighbours) and then go to in-laws on Boxing Day but MIL is working BD now so we are going to them for Christmas Day and we will do pj's on BD instead.

OH's birthday tomorrow so fry up in the morning then out for dinner in the evening. Better wrap some pressies really :rotfl:

Have a lovely Christmas everyone.

flowertotmum

Morning all...its wet chilly and miserable here..but not moaning just glad i don't live in a flood area..those poor folks..my heart goes out to them..
SM..how awful all that money for 3 lilies and a painted twig..i hate it when they do that..if you put it back they think your tight or skint..sod them hun..put em back next time and go to a supermarket...
MLW..hi how you doing?
LHT3rd..hope your little one is feeling better?
Katep23..happy birthday to your oh..did he enjoy his fry up?
My house smells lovely..i have my turkey in the oven..roasting slowly..have done my stuffing and roasties for tomorrow..got a trifle on the go and just having a cuppa before i have to do lunch..
I made some reindeer food last night(porridge oats,dried fruit and glitter)..mixed in a brown bag with a small note attached
"Dear Fern and Iris,
Inside this bag is some special food for my reindeers,as you are an important stop on my map would you kindly put the food in a bowl for my reindeers".
Father Christmas
Well now anyone would have thought they had hit the jackpot this morning,i popped it at the bottom of their beds...don't think i am going to get much sleep tonight..
I am going to sign out of computer land for a few days and just chill and enjoy my family..
Happy Christmas to you all and enjoy yourselves..
sending much love to you all
ftm and the flowertots.
ftm

scottishminnie

FTM - I love the reindeer food. I can imagine the excitement that caused and with glitter too - a woman after my own heart!

I also have the turkey in the oven right now. I'm having 6 for dinner and lost the plot when I bought the turkey - it's a 12.5lb crown - we will be eating it for ever:o

It is beginning to smell good though. I also have a huge pot of bolognes sauce bubbling away, some for this evening's dinner and some for the freezer.

I'm off now to fill up by bird feeders - I've just counted 16 little birds on the bush next to one feeder. I think they are trying to tell me something!