Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Pixiehouse55

Hello Mrs F and Gang. Not been about for a few days, over done it and so my back was giving me grief. I had to rest up. Not a lot done to be honest. I seem to be a never ending Chinese laundry here!! Then the dreaded ironing. Weve been trying to find a painter/decorater, they are all full up until July!! Garden front and back is nearly up together. Made a malt loaf, it didn't last long!!  I've got Gram flour rice flour and Chapatti flour to use up, busy looking for recipes.  Sounds like you are very busy Mrs F I wish I had some of your energy!!   Off to read now. Catch up with you all another day. Take care and keep safe xx

foxgloves

Sorry to hear you did your back in, @Pixiehouse55. What a nuisance for you. Re gram flour, I used to have a recipe (which sadly I lost) where you wokked sliced red peppers, onions & another veg, can't remember which, with Indian spices, then sprinkle on gram flour, cover it & the result was a sort of crispy-ish coated spicy vegetable side dish. It was nice alongside a curry & rice. Wish I could remember it properly. 
F x

foxgloves

Hello Money Savers,
Haven't achieved as much as I hoped in the garden today, partly because I woke up with a muzzy headache & also because the decorator found a couple of problems & I needed to stop to discuss solutions.
I had hoped to plant the chard out but have deferred it to tomorrow. Nevertheless, I potted on the hollyhocks I grew (free seed) & planted out a tray of cosmos. I also moved more plants outside to harden off, dug over the greenhouse bed & planted my 6 indoor tomatoes into their home made pot rings. Cut a big bunch of comfrey, chopped it up & raked it in as it will break down into good nutrients & is a much less smelly method than stewing it in a bucket of water to make fertiliser. I do make that, but the stench is unreal & I seem utterly incapable of using it without watering my feet. Truly horrid!
My outdoor tomato plants have had their first day of standing outside today, so must remember to pop them back in later. Just having a rest while I wait for bread to come out of the oven.
Lovely sunshine here today, but I spoke to my sister in London & she said it was torrential rain there.
Take care m'dears,
F x

Onebrokelady

What's ......sunshine 😟

Pixiehouse55

foxgloves said:

Sorry to hear you did your back in, @Pixiehouse55. What a nuisance for you. Re gram flour, I used to have a recipe (which sadly I lost) where you wokked sliced red peppers, onions & another veg, can't remember which, with Indian spices, then sprinkle on gram flour, cover it & the result was a sort of crispy-ish coated spicy vegetable side dish. It was nice alongside a curry & rice. Wish I could remember it properly. 
F x

So did you put it in the oven to crisp up or just left covered Mrs F?  I've found a recipe for Naan bread and flat breads using gram flour? So will try that next time I make my famous chicken curry.

Today I made a Malt loaf and a Mary Berry apple and cinnamon cake with chopped walnuts in it. Never made it before and it was lush! Then had to rest again after being in the kitchen.  Our Radishes, Lettuce and Spring onions are coming along nicely. As are the Tomatoes  Cucumber and Pepper plants. My Dianthus, Dahlia and Sweet Peas are looking good. My Fuchsias are growing like mad in the Greenhouse.  Still no replies to our adverts for a painter/Decorator. I really don't want hubby having to do it all.....  
We've had rain all day here so either had to use tumbler dryer to dry washing or have the radiators on for a bit...   

foxgloves

@Pixiehouse55 - No, it didn't go in the oven. It developed its crispy-ish coating in the wok. I don't have a lidded wok so I just shoved a big lid over it from my stockpot. I wish I could remember the recipe so I could be more helpful.
I love Mary Berry's Baking Bible. The recipes are so reliable.
F x

Debt_Me_Out_Of_Here

Wow you've been busy Foxgloves! I wish I had a proper garden, we just have a tiny concrete square in the back. But enough to grow a few things in pots.
We use gram flour all the time, mostly for onion bhajis, vegan Spanish tortilla and vegetable fritters, but also use it alongside vital wheat gluten to make our own seitan. 
Lots of nice recipes online!

foxgloves

Thanks, @debtmeoutofhere. I love our garden. It's quite narrow - 30 feet - but is over 130 feet long, which means we are able to devote about a third of it to growing food. When we were looking at the pros & cons of me taking VR, one of the things we agreed was that I would grow more food so as to stretch the grocery budget. I don't like any form of formalised exercise.... just walks & riding my bike locally.... so I am sure having a decent sized garden helps a lot with my general fitness.
When I lived in a rented urban flat with no garden (just communal concrete), I still grew a couple of tomato & pepper plants plus fresh herbs outside my front door.
Re gram flour.... yes, I had forgotten it is also used in things like bhajis. 
F

Debt_Me_Out_Of_Here

Honestly you're living my dream haha! I'm forever watching YouTube videos about self sufficiency and permaculture. One day!

Debt_Me_Out_Of_Here

And agreed, gardening is great exercise! It might not make you look like a model, but it's great for functional fitness which I think is more important anyway!