NST - Stupendous Sextilis

Fmess

Morning all,

Lost my SFD yesterday as bought a takeaway which was not good for the diet or my wallet but it was lovely and I was feeling knackered after a busy weekend and getting the garden sorted.

Today will be spendy as I need to pop to the shops before temping for a few hours and then have an exercise class tonight. Fingers crossed for another dry day today!

Eager_Elephant

Lovely to see so many of you posting each day - I love to hear what you have all been up to.

This week is National Allotment Week and Afternoon Tea Week so I thought we could participate.

Instead of only talking about allotments I thought we could include garden growing and also foraging so I would like everyone to eat something homegrown or foraged or to have afternoon tea this week or both if you want to.

As you all know I have an allotment, mine is for veg at the moment (cauli, broccoli, cabbage, carrots)and DH has an allotment which has 4 apple trees on (plus we planted a pear, cherry and plum tree last Feb as an anniversary present) which are now weighed down with lovely red apples.
I am also growing tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, beetroot, onions, French beans and peas at home.

There are allotments in the next village and often they have stalls outside selling produce, I like to drive by and see what they have - last week I got 4 huge beetroots (bigger than tennis balls) for £1 and a bunch of flowers for 50p which are only now dying off.

I often see honesty stalls at the side of the road, I like to stop and see what people are selling.

Yesterday I managed to get 2 bags of plums from my cousin - she has a plum tree and doesn't eat them so when I went over to collect some wood she had for us I took home some plums and will make jam and chutney and then take some back to her and her family.

And as for afternoon tea, I love a good scone and have perfected the art of gluten free scones.
DD is also good at making normal scones so I will get her to do this in the week and then we can have scones, jam and clotted cream!!

I'd like to hear your experiences of allotments/grow your own/honesty boxes etc

Have a fab week everyone!!!

Toni'sfriend

Toni'sfriend - I thought you had bought a live chicken when I first read your post!!

Oh, Apple, you did make me laugh. I wouldn't know what to do with a live chicken. You've fair brightened up my Monday!
I usually have a lazy Sunday but yesterday was quite productive. Stocked up on more kitchen roll (got enough for about four months now), changed our bedding, washed two loads (which got wet whilst I was out but are dry now)' ironed everything that I could, made stock, etc. Today's lunches and dinners are ready (all from freezer). I've made a sort of meal plan for this week but it may go a bit awry as we have friends home from Australia so it might involve a meal out.
So finishing my coffee and toast and then off to iron the rest of yesterday's washing and get on with some housework. It's really wet so I'm not venturing out.
Have a good day.

lcc86

Don't usually post in the morning, but I spent about 30 mins earlier checking my bank accounts and the budget and what not. I seem to have "lost" about £70!! I think I've really screwed my budget up this month by accident as I've been transferring things here, there and everywhere and I have just completely lost track... The £70 was spare money so it doesn't impact on the bills, but I would've used that money to either buy toiletries/household stuff as and when needed, or to throw at the credit card now that I have a small debt again... I'm usually really good with the budget so I have no idea what happened. I do have some money that I need to pay in today, and I made a couple of ebay sales so need to get some padded envelopes and get them posted. Today won't be a NSD for that reason. I also have a riding lesson later and my mascara is really running out. Was going to treat myself to an expensive one but given how this month has gone so far financially, no chance! A cheapy will be fine.


On the plus side I sat down and worked out I can clear most of my credit card in the next couple of months, so that's positive - provided nothing else pops up of course. Really does emphasise the need for an emergency fund. I'll be skint for the next few months to try and rectify this and it could've been avoided grrr. Lesson learned the hard way I suppose!

greent

We've not grown as much this year. We have 2 pear trees, 2 plum trees, a cherry tree and 2 apple trees (1 eating, 1 Bramley) and a huge strawberry patch. I've also grown tomatoes (mainly cherry and lots of different ones - pink, orange, yellow, red & 'black') - yummy and we have one pot of potatoes (just because I had a sprout potato) My courgette plants got eaten by the slugs We do have a handful of something else growing - it's either BNS or pumpkin - the seedlings grew from seeds in the compost - if I get anything off any it's a bonus

I will be giving (have already started) pears by the bagful to friends, family, neighbours, colleagues (huge crops....) and using some for poached pears in red wine (drool...), apple & pear crumble, Apple & pear chutney & pear & lemon jam (slightly weird - but great in a lemon & ginger steamed pudding ) I still have bags and bags of strawberries in the freezer (and around 8 jars of jam from earlier in the year) - they will be used with pancakes, yogurt or made into jam.

I am also fortunate to live about 100-150 yards from a canal path - where I can easily forage elderberries (elderberry vodka is divine), blackberries (I will be making red wine crème de mures again this year), sloes and more pears, plums and apples (if I felt the need for more of the latter three!)

I used to grow more in my garden (onions, runner beans, French beans, lots of potatoes, lots of courgettes, squashes, raspberries, peppers & chillis) but it's a lot of effort at times, so have scaled back.

Today I am making plum jam (and putting some chopped plums in the freezer for crumbles (with pear )) I may have some later this week with hm scones & cream
x

ETA: and salad leaves - I grow salad leaves!

Calling14

Apologies I did post the other day but somehow it's not here.

Spent only £5 over the weekend, treated myself to a local steak pie and cold drink.
Sunday SFD. Went small walk and gathered ice cream tub of blackberries. Found heaps so may pop out there later after work today.

Struggling with my knee, made appointment with Dr not until next week as something is pulling and very painful to walk. Yesterday was the only day I did less than 10K though still managed 8K

Today spend of £3.64 bread, pork chops and tomatoes.

Hemmed one curtain yesterday will do other one tonight. Lounge and Dining room looking swish now.

Grateful for

Surveys keeping me afloat.
Good blackberry crop this year.
Good nights sleep last night.

Lauralozzle

Today will be a NSD as I've been working at home and the OH has taken my car!

We have some fruit bushes at the bottom of the garden, the blackberries are pretty delicious at the moment and we've been foraging them for our packed lunches!

Nothing else to report really. Spent about an hour and a half cutting the grass yesterday. It looks terrible but better than it did. I was going to go over it again this afternoon but it has been raining so I'll have to give that a miss. It would be nice to have a week without rain, it's the reason the grass got so long in the first place as whenever I was going to mow it it started raining again!

Tomorrow and Wednesday will not be NSD. I've finished work now until Thursday, I have to pick up the dogs tablets tomorrow and on Wednesday I'm off out shopping with my friend. Hoping for Thursday and Friday to be spend free though. I have cake testing session on Sunday for the wedding but I've already paid for that. I would like at least one day this weekend to be spend free!

Although I'm super tired now as I've been up since six I do have house chores to get on with so a busy day to be had from me!

Gratitudes
1) Working from home today - it makes my life so much easier when I can get it in!
2) Two days off work this week
3) Leftovers - made lunch super quick and easy

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my bloods being fine, for a fun time with dd looking for bday presents for dh, for the lovely lady who served us in primarni, for being able to treat dd to a HPotter duvet cover (15) and a pack of 30 felt tips (1) and she is equally thrilled with both, for getting a workout done, for how good sweeping the downstairs has made me feel, for a day out in Lunnon tomorrow to look forward to, for gf sausages and mash for tea.

we have 3 apple trees in our tiny garden. One has finished fruiting and produced beautiful red apples with very pink innards, the other 2 are coxes orange pippin - my favourite. They are a late fruiter and I have to stop dd and dh trying to pick them before end Sept/early Oct. The rasps - which have taken over the meagace between the trees - have done really well, and my first attempt at tomatoes has yielded about a dozen delicious little tommies.
re sp

LD_13

Evening all!

Another spend day today, needed a couple of bits for tonight's dinner.

Today I'm grateful for:
The rain watering my plants & making it easier for me to stay in and get a lot of cleaning done this morning. Having time to spend with my parents celebrating my dads birthday instead of the usual flying visit and getting a nice long lie.

greent

NSd again (did buy something business related (needed) - but the business account paid for it)

Using up - used up veggies from fridge (some hg) to make ratatouille, which was part of dinner tonight with (worthy - I wouldn't buy it) brown rice (brought back from DD's uni flat share) Also made lots of jars of plum jam with plums from our trees and my mum's tree

Today's gratitudes:
* tasty ratatouille
* lots of plum jam (my 2nd fave)
* a hot toddy-esque drink made with strong hot summer fruits squash and a large measure of raspberry gin in