Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

First use your sloes to make sloe gin, when your sloe gin is ready take out the sloes, keep the gin and use the boozy sloes to make delectable after dinner chocolates. After being in the alcohol the sloes are soft and easy to destone. Chop the sloe flesh and mix it with melted dark chocolate then spread it on some greaseproof paper in a slab and then leave it to set. Break it into pieces and serve with coffee or give it as Christmas presents, delicious!!

ginnyknit

Hi homestead chick :hello: I havent a clue about sloes only seen them once in a car park near Newcastle and wasnt sure till we drove away what they were.

Theres a definate chill in the air here Mar but I like it. You can tell when autumn arrives because Monty Don starts tidying up on Gardeners world I checked the local blackberries the other day and there were a few juicy ones already! Im sure that is very early?

thriftwizard that sounds a nasty situation to work in, thank goodness she is out of there, give her a hug from me and tell her there will be a job out there where she is appreciated.

Cannot make my mind up what to do today, no need of supplies of any kind so may well just carry on de-cluttering.

homesteadchick

MrsLurcherwalker: THANKS!

Sounds great!

I've made sloe Gin once before to serve at our annual Halloween party, and it was very well liked.

There are lots of sloes growing along the canal where we walk our dog, so easy picking.
Chocolate sounds really really good! I will deffo give that a try.

Ginnyknit: Hi to you too!
(I'm actually quite an 'old' member but changed acounts so I list as a newbe now.) :rotfl:

homesteadchick

I don't want to think about winter just yet thank you!
;-)

I''ve only just stopped complaining about the cold a few weeks ago! Geeshh!

We've had an absolute hot streak here in Holland for going on 5 weeks now. And it's been lovely!
Very hot on occasion, but lovely.

I'll have it last a lot longer please.

Although I am busy processing my veggie garden crops in my new waterbath canner.. (my new toy. YIPPEEE!)

and hoarding food does sort of feel like winter is around the corner I suppose..

Hmpfff

Confuzzled

*offers up some of her spicy beef stew she has in her slowcooker as she puts on her slipper boots because her feet are cold*

it's cool in the mornings here but is still getting up to between 18-20 but monday the high is supposed to be 13C, i feel a baking day coming on

Pooky

When I opened the back door at 5.50am yesterday morning I got that first lungful for fresh "just on the turn of a new season" air.......it was blissful. I did a little happy dance as Autumn is my favourite time.

Love the idea of boozy sloe choccies! Yum.

We had a very heavy short sharp shower at around 7pm last night, enough to put part of the patio under an inch of water, just as soon as it started, it stopped and by 7.30pm the patio was bone dry again in the last of the days sunshine. Quite surreal.

GreyQueen

Hello and welcome, homesteadchick.

I can second the advice to gin then chocolate the sloes. A mate of mine made truffles from the boozy sloes and OMG, the were the lushest thing I had ever had. Nomnomnom.

We have rowans growing in my neighbourhood as street trees and I noticed a couple of days ago that they suddenly had big fat orange berries on them. Think they are a bit advanced this year. The heat and dryness here in southern England seems to have brought everything forward by about a month.

I'm a lover of autumn, too. There is always one day in August when you get that first tang, a certain coolness in the air, a certain whiff of woodsmoke in the distance. It's hard to describe exactly but it's always an Aha! moment.

I think we are hardwired to eat up to fortify ourselves throughout the winter. It wasn't so many generations ago that we northern Europeans risked not making it thru the winter. You need a good bit of meat on your bones if a seasonal famine may be incoming.

I may be overqualfied already.............

Confuzzled

GreyQueen wrote: »

I think we are hardwired to eat up to fortify ourselves throughout the winter. It wasn't so many generations ago that we northern Europeans risked not making it thru the winter. You need a good bit of meat on your bones if a seasonal famine may be incoming.

I may be overqualfied already.............

i know i am, but i'd prefer to NOT have to find out just how much :rotfl:

pineapple

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm a lover of autumn, too. There is always one day in August when you get that first tang, a certain coolness in the air, a certain whiff of woodsmoke in the distance. It's hard to describe exactly but it's always an Aha! moment.

So beautifully put. Autumn is my favourite season. There is a certain 'time to hunker down' tranquillity.
When I lived in Uganda the only difference in seasons was it either rained a lot or it didn't. I missed the changes and had posters up of seasonal Yorkshire Dales scenes - like sheep in the snow .

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

Have you got battery/solar/wind-up chargers or appliances?

I've got plenty of batteries, a wind up radio, and a solar charger to charge up the AAs I use in my camera, and I live in the most flood-proof place I know.

I've also got gas camping stoves, paraffin lamps, and a HUGE stock of candles and tealights.

BTW. Has anyone ever managed to boil a cup of water, using tealights?