From debt to freedom...

Humdinger1

Well done on everything you're doing.   Love Humdinger x 

savingholmes

Hopefully you will have a great harvest. You have inspired me to get planting. I am unearthing pots from stores around the back garden and may use egg boxes and the cardboard tubes of loo roles as starters....

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Humdinger, that article was reassuring. Since separating I suggested a mid week evening and one day of the weekend so that we all knew what to expect. Although he does manage the midweek evening, the rest of the time is erratic so the younger ones have no idea ( and neither do I) as to when or if he’s coming or the other extreme of being here almost daily.

Thank you SH. Good idea to use egg boxes and loo rolls. Sweet peas benefit from root trainers and toilet rolls are ideal for this.

I’ve done a fair amount of baking over the last couple of days - flapjacks, vanilla cupcakes, simnel muffins and an adaptation of my usual brownie recipe. I added a tube of mini eggs to see if  it would work!  No complaints so I’m taking it as a success! Keeping the teenage boys filled up seems to be a daily challenge.

Normally on Good Friday I would have popped to the local Parish church but obviously can’t at the moment. The vicar had a downloadable Easter reflection pack available which was useful and meant it felt more like Easter.

Today has been spent at the allotment. We seem to be building a new routine of sorts. I go to the allotment daily to water plants and do odd jobs that need doing.  On Saturday most of the children come with me and pitch in. Today we got a second lot of seed potatoes in. I was really pleased  - we used a raised bed that needed earth in it and I had considered ringing a company to see if they would deliver a tonne direct to the allotment. Thankfully the nutty puppies had dug in the remains of an old compost heap, reminding us of its existence and we dug the rest of that out and there was enough to fill the raised bed. We were so delighted!   I got some sweet peas planted out as well. Having chopped down lots of brambles I’m now finding lots of nettles starting to get bigger. Some time was spent pulling the nettles out of the base of the gooseberry bushes and away from the edges of the raised beds. Why do they grow there, where you are most likely to be stung every time you weed or plant anything?!  I found some more cell trays today, lurking ina corne4 of the garden, which were  quickly put to good use in p*ricking out a forest of antirrhinums. I pr*cked out 50 plants and you’d hardly notice any difference in the seed tray! 

This beautiful weather has been very welcome, allowing us time outside.

Honeysucklelou2

Happy Easter 

XSpender

Happy Easter to you and your children x

Buffythedebtslayer

Happy Easter HoneySuckle, hope you have a lovely day, your baking sounds amazing! XX

savingholmes

Happy Easter. Great find on the compost heap and the seed trays. We threw most of our old pots on the skip last year - doh.

crazy_cat_lady

Happy Easter to you and the kids HSL. Enjoy!

Humdinger1

Happy Easter HSL, to you and your family.   Fab news re the compost! Love Humdinger x 

janb5

What a lovely positive post!  I am intrigued to know whether you have always been a keen gardener growing up or since adulthood?   My son who is nearly 30 has suddenly set to and has started enjoying being in his garden having dismissed it for years as my ` hobby`.......!  I`m not as talented as you and am very envious of the greenhouse...yes green with envy!
This recipe has been given to MSE in the past...doesn`t last as long as some fruit cakes but cake goes very quickly anyway!
Having rooted through the store cupboard, I do have lots of dried fruit so here we go!

Saucepan Cake

 This makes a very moist fruit cake. Only keeps for 2 weeks at most.  Can be frozen.

 7” square or 8” round tin lined with greaseproof paper or Magic carpet discs.

 1.25 lb mixed dried fruit (8 oz sultanas, 8 oz raisins and 4 oz currants.)  or use mixed fruit. 

8 oz butter or marg

6 oz caster sugar

3 eggs beaten

12 oz SR flour

1 tsp almond essence.

 Put fruit in saucepan cover with cold water and boil for 10 mins. Drain fruit well, put back in saucepan with butter and sugar and melt over very low heat. Take off heat then add eggs,flour and essence and beat well again.

 Pour into tin (useful to use paper cake liner - saves mess!) and bake in oven for 1 hour at 300F (150 C) or Gas 2 then a further hour at 250 F (130 C) Gas 1.

 I have used this recipe countless times and it is absolutely foolproof.  Produces a very moist cake.  I have used prunes instead of the currants but it may have to cook a tad longer.