Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

The Good Life

Another successful day in the garden yesterday.  The extended veg patch has now been properly fenced, two veg beds cut and the turf used to patch up some of the bare areas where the fence used to be.  There is room for a further two veg beds so Mr F will cut those next weekend.  I planted out red onions and potted up green beans, courgettes, butternut squash and cauliflower for the cold frame.  I was worried that the cold frame lid was a bit light, and would be damaged by the strong winds we get here, so Mr F put a catch on it for me.  We're exhausted now though so have given ourselves an easier day today.

Lunch yesterday was a Leek, Ricotta & Gruyere Tart with salad.  I'd usually make my own pastry but flour has been hard to come by so I used some frozen pastry I'd bought as an alternative.  We had the leftovers for lunch today with Mustardy Greens and quinoa to use up some odds and ends from the fridge.  Supper last night was Courgette and Pea Pasta made with penne as that's what I had.  I think there are better courgette pasta recipes out there though so I won't be using that one again.

Of course I've been saving the flour to make... cake!  Today's bake was Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Frosting.  The fate of the clementines... Clementine, Bay & Black Pepper Gin. 

Today I've spent some money on toiletries - they're not needed just yet but with a three week lead in time on most on-line orders they'll be needed by the time they get here.  I also ordered a few treats for FDawg... just because 🙄

Mr F has booked some time off after Easter so that will give us the opportunity to finish up any remaining veg patch work and, hopefully, start some decorating too.  We may not achieve the original goals we set at the beginning of this year but we will certainly have achieved a lot.

It feels odd carrying on with domestic plans whilst the world is crashing down around us but there doesn't seem anything else we can do apart from keep busy.  And stay at home of course.

Hope you're all safe and well

Fortune x

PurpleFairy26

Sounds Uber productive fortune. Thanks for the recipes, you always use such lovely ones. I'll definitely be using the mustardy greens one, sounds lovely and I have a bag of kale to use up, possibly with liver and bacon tomorrow night now. 

rtandon27

mmmmm - carrot cake

You are putting ideas into my head Fortune!

Am off to have a rummage through my recipes...

PurpleFairy26

The mustardy greens were so yummy last night, we had them again tonight. Thank you for sharing. 

Fortune_Smiles

PurpleFairy26 said:

Sounds Uber productive fortune. Thanks for the recipes, you always use such lovely ones. I'll definitely be using the mustardy greens one, sounds lovely and I have a bag of kale to use up, possibly with liver and bacon tomorrow night now. 

PurpleFairy26 said:

The mustardy greens were so yummy last night, we had them again tonight. Thank you for sharing. 

Glad you liked them Purp.  My menu choices are driven by what's in the fridge and what's in the veg box so they can be a bit hit and miss.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

rtandon27 said:

mmmmm - carrot cake

You are putting ideas into my head Fortune!

Am off to have a rummage through my recipes...

I'm afraid I'm going to have to reign the cake in RT.  I've put on 4lbs since lockdown began 😮  I've gone back to my diet diary and worked out that I can eat half a slice of cake each day if I forego all other snacks 😔 At least until I hit target weight anyway.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

To cake or not to cake?

I certainly cannot keep eating cake and chocolate and drinking booze.  I've put on 4lbs since lockdown began 😮  I've been back to my diet diary and worked out that I can have half a slice (which is probably a normal sized slice if I'm honest 🙄) if I give up the chocolate and booze.  It's been lovely having treats to keep our spirits up but our health has to come first.  Mr F is doing so much physical work in the garden he is losing weight despite the cake.  He'll have to have the bigger share going forward I think.  I'm working hard in the garden too and keeping up my weekly yoga but it's just not enough to offset cake everyday 😆

A little more work has been done in the garden and we've broken the back of it so I need to get on with chores in the house now.  I've given the upcycled mirror a waxing so it can go back up in the bathroom now.  I may start a smaller project this weekend as I've still got paint left.  Today I will tackle the ironing pile.  I've lots of DVDs to watch so that won't be a hardship.

We had Halloumi, Tomato & Courgette Gratin for lunch yesterday and Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup for supper.  There's enough soup leftover for today's lunch.

Mr F's bonus has been postponed until July 😔 and his payrise until October 😪  Possibly longer.  Possibly for ever.  I'm very grateful that we are still financially ok of course but disappointed that we may not have the money to replace the leaking windows.  Sad for Mr F too as he worked so, so hard last year.  I will include both in Mr F's income for the tax office.  That way we'll start paying tax on the larger amount now and, if it doesn't come through, we'll get a rebate.  Otherwise we're in danger of having a big tax bill next year.

I've spent some money on cake tin liners.  I've been baking so much I've run out 🙄😂  We may need to order some fence posts too as the gate to the veg patch is falling over.  I'm going to try to spend as little as possible going forward as the future is becoming increasingly unclear for the Fortunate household.

Hope all is well with you guys

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Sorry to hear about Mr F's bonus Fortune. How unfair, when clearly he's already earned it and it had already been promised

Also agree it's very unfair about the cake too. I've not been eating even half the !!!!!! I usually eat (see my conversation about Mr Cheery giving me FOUR chocolate buttons at a time) but have I lost anything at all? No! Shocking. 

beanielou

Boo to the bonus 

woodfired

Sorry to hear about Mr F's payrise and bonus Fortune.  It's very difficult at the moment and I think barely anyone in the private sector will be untouched in some way.  I said the same to my Mum last night as we surveyed the 3 fields full of last year's lambs that should have been sold over the last few weeks.  Despite apparent food shortages, the price has dropped to almost half what it was 4 weeks ago and Dad is struggling to find a market for them at all at the moment.  Meanwhile, their mothers are producing dozens of lambs a day in the neighbouring fields......
Your garden sounds fab and a welcome distraction at the moment.  We too have been counting our blessings as we work in the garden and on the house, thankful for a lovely home and garden when others may not be so lucky.  Chin up, we'll get through this. x