Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Farway it wasn't the company beginning with T but I think they were experiencing the same problems, I was in a phone queue for 20 mins but there was no problem with a refund, their usual five star reviews are definitely taking a battering this week.  

I've loads of wild strawberries all over the front garden they've seem to have gone mad this year but I'm leaving for the birds in the hope they leave my other fruit alone 🙂

I'm a box free house 😁 as long as the bin man takes all the rubbish, I spent all lunchtime breaking up three of the large boxes and squeezing them into the recycling bin, I'm hoping they won't be so jammed in that then they empty the bin tomorrow they get stuck, my neighbour took the fourth box as he wanted a big piece of cardboard and will bin what he doesn't need 🙂 so lunch was a piece of crustless quiche as I had a 2pm call

Dinner was also dictated by bins this time the garden one and a hour or so gossip with the other neighbour 🙂  I decided to prune a large variegated shrub out the back and once started realised the back of it was bare and as it was old and not in good shape I cut it down to a stump 😳 seemed a good idea at the time 🙄 which I now need to dig out, i had to try and ram it all in the left over space in the garden bin which was also half full. I just got it crammed in and the lid closed and by looking at my arms it fought a hard battle.  Once I got in at 9pm I cba to cook and grabbed another piece of quiche with a cold drink and my inhaler 

Pyxis

@PasturesNew hello! Long time no see!
Do you have another temporary place lined up? Sounds like you might have.
There might be a bit more  activity on t'other place now that The Arms/DT has been closed.



I had a batch of sad veg languishing in my fridge a couple of days ago, so I roasted the carrots and fennel with  two onions, sesame seeds, ginger and ground turmeric, then I sautéed the celery, flat green beans, sprouting broccoli stems and stalks with chopped fresh herbs and some chopped garlic, and blitzed the lot in a processor.

Then I cooked some chopped asparagus stalks in some bought veg stock and added the blitzed veg and some roast pepper pesto, to make a thick soup.

That made three good sized portions. I had one portion on is own, the second I had with some added cooked rice, and I will have the last portion today with some naan bread that needs to be eaten.

Farway

More overnight rain, may play havoc with my few strawberries, making them mushy. As a preventive measure I scoffed a few last night while I was picking peas

Sorted out another Click & Collect at @sda for Sunday early. If it's as painless as before I may stick to this method interspersed with ND shopping.

This time dishwasher salt is back in stock, and bread mix. Small win, of course may not be there come Sunday

I think today is use up some eggs day because I had to buy a dozen last C & C due to stock levels

Lunch will be fried egg sarnie

Dinner, cheesy omelette, bit of side salad & HM chips I think

I've not many wild strawbs, enough for a taster as I go by really. They are against a wall and in a dangerous hard to flee from spot fro birds

I've got some escaped raspberries near them as well, but I suspect they have some sort of regressive virus because the fruit is very much smaller than when I first bought the parents

I should really buy fresh canes but now I've gone rhubarb mad space is a problem

Today is garden bin day. brambling you're doing well, mine garden bin has not been touched since March lock-down.

I keep adding to it, it must be compost at the bottom by now

I report it, robot answers I may have to wait until next collection.

I'm not bendy enough to take it to the tip, even assuming I could book a tip slot these days. Around here tip slots seem harder to get than on line shopping slots

caronc

Good afternoon everyone, 
Rain is forecast for this afternoon but if it holds off I hope to carry on with some potting. I have herbs needing split and re-planted and I'm still working my way through the bedding plants. My balance is iffy today not helped by my wrestle with Henry hoover earlier so it will be non-bendy stuff only for the rest of the day. I'm hoping to get a chat with my neighbour re replacing our communal fence, they've had someone recommended to them so hopefully it can get started soon. I'll see if he'll be interested in the other fence work I want doing and that will get that off my "to do" before winter. My garden waste bin is due to be collected on Monday, it's pretty full so I'm glad they brought that service back pretty quickly as it's grotty stuff I'm sure neither of my kids want in their cars!
Last of the corned beef for lunch and tonight is something with the remaining cooked Ayrshire spud, probably breaded haddock and veg.

caronc

Good evening everyone, 
No gardening done as it been drizzling but  I did manage a chat with my neighbour re the fence and have the guy's number to contact next week re the work I want done. He's done a great job on work he's done in their front garden so seems like a bit of a find. He's had a look at our communal fence and says it's just some of the posts that need replacing and most of timber strips (it's ranch-style) can be reused so it won't be an expensive job to get it stable again.  After that I had a slightly damp natter in the garden with my elder son who popped by on his way to play a round of golf with his mate. He's only just taken it up since moving back to the area but is enjoying the fresh air and exercise. There are loads of public courses round here that are cheap to play on and as most of his mates play he's really getting into it.  One of his mates had an unwanted set of clubs he gave to him so an ideal way to get started.  On his way he had visited the farm shop so my supply of Ayrshire spuds is re-stocked. :-) The season for them will wind down in a few weeks so it's a case of make the most of them while they're about.
Last night of "proper" CFO for me for another while as my younger son comes back tomorrow. I wonder how much stuff will appear with him this time lol! It seems likely that mainly WFH will be the case for him for a good while yet so he's going to pretty much strip his place down and just leave the basics he'll need for odd visits until he's a better idea of what's happening and take it from there.
Easy dinner tonight of AF breaded haddock, Ayrshire's, cabbage and peas. 

Brambling

Our tip closed but we have had normal bin collections all lock down  the tip is open now but with restrictions and really busy, my neighbour spent a hour queuing to get in yesterday.

Good news about the fence Caronc and always handy to know a good workman

todays excitement was the cat knocking a large glass of water across the table 🙀 in the middle of a conference call 🙄 luckily it went in the direction of my paperwork and not the laptop and more importantly my sewing machine 🙂 these cat related dramas never happen when I'm on mute  he's not meant to be on the table but I've given up most mornings he jumps up as soon as I open the laptop and complains until I sit down and make a fuss of him 

We all worked through lunch today so I grabbed a piece  of quiche and had with beetroot and gherkins followed by fresh pineapple.  Dinner was meant to be turkey soup but it hadn't defrosted so it was the last piece of the quiche with salad, I'm all quiched out now and no eggs 

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
Sunny and warm here today, definitely a day for the garden before the rain comes back tomorrow!
My friends with the pooches are popping by as they have to come down this way anyway it seemed a shame not to take the opportunity for a catch up in the sunshine.
My son wont be back until late afternoon so once they leave I intend to make the most of the good weather and crack on with the potting up. I noticed this morning I have my first baby tomatoes, cherry yellow ones, on one of the plants in hanging baskets on the deck. Hopefully the rest won't be far behind.
I've a bakers delivery due today so tonight it's an easy dinner of a seeded long roll filled with bratwurst and onions followed by a piece of apple cake. Lunch will be a salad bowl of some description.

Farway

Morning all, dull, dampish & cool this morning so the planned salad has been kicked off the plan

Just checked my garden waste bin, uncollected again, flagged to council again, I note my previous missed bin flag is still "pending" so not much hope of much changing for a bit

Bit of a web run round earlier today, a DD had failed, checked on line and it seems because it had not been used for over 12 months it got cancelled. Progress I can do without

Now the rain has arrived a new hose I ordered [old one split] is due today.

Lunch probably cheese & HM pickle sarnie

Dinner, with the demise of the planned salad I'm thinking frozen breaded cod fillet, HM AF chips and pick some fresh peas

Brambling

I think you'll need to water next week Farway as it's meant to get hot

I hope your son got back ok Caronc 

i decided not to face town today,  my nephew tells me people are ignoring them when they stand in the shop door way and tell them to wait until someone leaves and push in 🙄 I didn't need much other than fruit and veg so went out to the farm shop which also gave the car a journey.  I picked up some nice fruit and veg including gooseberries and rhubarb  and some lovely local meat from their butcher including a small rolled shoulder of lamb as I've been fancying lamb all week and only have shanks in the freezer which I didn't fancy  .  I did kick myself on the way home as I forgot to pick up a bunch of local asparagus 🙄 Being a kind sister I picked up some bits for my sister including the pork and apple burgers we both like my reward after a couple of hours chatting in the garden with a cuppa was a sandwich 

my sister recommended the garden centre the other side of the town to us which did have its usual collection of plants etc the closer one is still a little sparse.  I had a wandered around and picked up a green ginger rosemary which is a new herb to me and does smell of both ginger and rosemary a little greener than the usual rosemary,  not sure what I would cook with it .  I also picked up a couple of their half price sale plants which I'll probably kill on my arid piece of front garden 🥺

Dinner was the turkey soup meant for last night with some crusy bread and a small Tesco own brand cornetto 

Farway

Up early for my @sda C & C, all went well, except I seem to have omitted Battenberg cake somehow.

Not something I eat often but just fancied some, in words of the poet, then fancy you've had some Have to wait until next time

Sunny & warm after initial rain. Replacement hose has arrived ready for next week's scorcher

As it happens today being father's day DD arrived clutching HM carrot cake, 

I've sampled a couple of slices, far tastier than any shop bought. Couple of portions of veg there

Socially distanced chat, DD also brought along a piece of fresh smoked Hampshire trout fillet, she passed the Farm Shop shop on her way

Lunch was late, pat chat, corned beef & tomato

Dinner, salad was planned and remains, but will include poached smoked trout and a baked spud