From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Cherryfudge...pleased to report the mangetout survived the first night in the ground 🙂.

Yesterday I went to Mr T’s. I’ve been going in the evening which has been quite a quiet time but yesterday it was busier. Thankfully the shelves were well stocked, even saw multiple toilet roll  packs which hasn’t been seen on the shelves for a few weeks!!  The only things I couldn’t get were reasonably priced eggs, flour and St*rk . I’m just thankful to have been able to get the food I did. Hopefully we won’t need to go for another week.

Hoping to get the potatoes in the ground today. DD3 and I spent some time raking up the huge amounts of bramble that we have chopped down. The pathways at the allotment are looking much better, as a result. Got a second sow of lettuce done and have sown some kale. Starting to need to juggle space in the greenhouse - a nice problem!

I’m thankful to have had a couple of decent chats with DD1 and although I’m still very concerned about her, I’m reassured that she seems safe and well and busily working on essays.

Broke_Bear

Hi HSL, we managed to get our tatties in this morning, we have 2 varieties, foremost and arran pilot. This is the first year we have been able to grow them in veg beds rather than bags and I have no idea how we will get on with the earthing up side of things, it will be a learning curve. I hope you get some time at the allotment over the weekend, we are trying to do much more with the garden this year now we have a little veg area at the bottom. 
keep safe xx

janb5

Date and walnut cake

This cake is one of my favourites given to me by one of my friends when we were at South Bank Poly.  Yep I’m that old, it’s a Uni now!

 2 x 1lb bread tins             6 oz chopped dates

8 oz SR flour                    2 oz chopped walnuts

5 oz caster sugar              1 tsp bicarb soda

1 egg                                  1 cup boiling water

2 oz soft marg

 Cover dates, walnuts and bicarb with the boiling water for 10 minutes.

Rub marg into flour and sugar.  Mix in beaten egg and date mixture.

Bake in 2 x 1lb loaf tins.  Could use loaf liners for ease.

 Moderate oven – 1 hour.  Freezes well.

 325/350 F  160/180C : Gas  No 3

 

savingholmes

Didn't manage to get the meds DS went in for - but he did manage to get me eggs. I am planning to have a go at baking again. Perhaps an apple sponge cake - eve's pudding kind of idea - I have too many apples. I also found orange loaf cake... Your recipes always sounds amazing.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Broke-Bear - the potato growing is very much a learning curve for us too! 

Mmmmm 😋 haven’t used dates for a while. I used to use them in a sticky toffee pudding type dish but hadn’t thought of using them in cake. Will have to go and rummage in the cupboards to see if I have any. Thank you Jan 😀.

Orange loaf cake sounds interesting SH...is it similar to a lemon drizzle?

Saturday was a productive day here. Made a couple of lemon drizzle cakes and a batch of lemon cupcakes - yep, net of lemons needed using up!  I packed up the cupcakes, some fruit and sandwiches and headed off to the allotment. I hasten to add we are completely on our own there, so enjoyed a few hours outside. Even remembered a flask of coffee which was very welcome after some tough digging!

The 2 older DDs  dug over a bed which when ready, we planted with  potatoes.  Amazing how much learning can be done, through measuring the depth of the trench, distance between potatoes and distance between rows. DS3 learned how to spot a chafer grub and remove from soil asap!

We planted up more mangetout plants and got another couple of beds raked and ready for planting next week. The beetroot have started to germinate. I sowed them into individual cells so am hoping we can get those planted in a week or so. I got a couple of the first tomato seedlings planted up into the biggest pots and in situ in the greenhouse.

We saw some beautiful butterflies whilst at the allotment. One looked similar to a red admiral, except it had purple “eyes” on the outermost parts of the wings. A few bees were out and about which is lovely to see. The blackthorn blossom is out and we saw the first bluebells of this year 😀.

Unfortunately I was walking down a small bank in the garden yesterday, slipped and ended up flat on my back! I was ok but feeling somewhat bruised so digging  ( and walking) was done a little more gingerly than usual.

crazy_cat_lady

Hope that you're not too sore after your fall HSL. 

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you CCL, feeling much better today, bruised, but not as sore as yesterday.

Today has been quite a quiet day. Watched a couple of online church services before doing a few house jobs. I had intended to get out for a walk but ended up falling asleep😴. I concluded that I must have needed it, my sleep patterns have been awry for weeks.

Made Jan’s apple Cake for pudding which went down well. I’ll need to try and buy eggs soon as I’m almost out. 

NSD today 🙂. I 

savingholmes

Hi HSL
I think this was the recipe I used for orange loaf using a food processor:

For the cake:

• 175g (6oz) softened butter or margarine
• 175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
• 175g (6oz) sifted self-raising flour
• 5ml (1tsp) baking powder
• Finely grated rind of 1 large orange (I would sometimes mix in some of the orange flesh too)
•  I would also use some of the orange juice in the batter mix as I like my cakes moist - but couldn't tell you what quantity.
  
• 3 medium eggs, beaten

I don't like buttercream for orange loaf so I would mix a glaze of the fresh squeezed orange juice, icing sugar and normal sugar. I would !!!!!! the finished loaf to pour it in and pour it over and then sprinkle the extra sugar on top for a bit more texture

savingholmes

I normally hate dates - but banana, date and walnut loaf is also really nice as long as you chop the dates smaller.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SH, sounds similar to my lemon drizzle recipe, but I have oranges that could be put to good use, so will try that, thank you.

I’ve decided that I mustn’t have a daytime nap again...woke to find a  whole loaf of bread had been demolished 😵, not to mention a whole packet of biscuits. I’m wondering if the older ones are grazing more through boredom or lack of routine.