So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Hmm... that's a really good idea Karma - there's some NT woodland nearby that might be nice for a walk. That being said, we've got the patio to finish and I need to get the allotment all seen to before the potential frost on Saturday night, so I guess we'll see - if I get down to the allotment today then we could potentially go for a walk tomorrow, that would be nice! Oooh and take a packed lunch...

themadvix

So I've been down to the allotment, picked two cabbages, 4 butternuts (not ripe, but ripening in the greenhouse now), another tub of French beans and more raspberries. Annoyingly I think I could have left the BNSs as the Met Office (rather than the Beeb) says temps won't get as low as 1 degree over the weekend. Never mind, at least I haven't got to work out a way to wrap my oca up.

Cabbages are soaking in slightly vinegary water to try and eliminate the many live creatures on them - removed quite a few slugs while I was at the allotment. Will kraut these two over the weekend, with some caraway seeds this time to see if Mr MV prefers it this way.

Had forgotten that Mr MV wants to go to Parkrun tomorrow morning and I was planning on going with him... However, it's also the farmers' market which I want to get to *and* we need to be picking up this pipe at 11.30, so I'm not sure I've got time for Parkrun. I may just go for a run here instead (PR is about a half hour walk each way - a good warm up and doable, but not if we're in a hurry) and then down to the market.

Off to the pub soon (and we have an incentive to get there sooner rather than later as rain is forecast for when we'd normally be leaving!).

themadvix

Morning all,

 Lovely time at pub last night with a friend. Home to already prepped risotto and yoghurt and raspberries from the allotment.

Mr MV didn’t get up for Park run this morning, so we’re just getting ready to head to farmers’ market and then on to collect pipe. I’ve made us sandwiches for a picnic lunch afterwards as we’re going to go for that walk. (I can’t promise we won’t add something naughty from the farmers’ market, but at least we don’t need to buy a whole lunch.) Sun is shining, although it’s definitely chillier here, so it should be a lovely day. 

Karmacat

Sounds a wonderful mix of events, have as good a day today as you did yesterday  

Cheery_Daff

Does indeed sound like a lovely autumnal morning you have planned! 😊

themadvix

Thanks ladies!

 Farmers’ market was very disappointing - only 5 stalls and no honey, which is what I’d gone for. We did buy a small fruit pie for dessert tonight and tomorrow though. Pipe collected and delivered to the allotment and we had a lovely walk in the woods/countryside and I even picked some sloes (my sister has recently mentioned that she likes sloe gin, so that might be her birthday present sorted (July -apparently it takes a long time to make!).

Now just having a rest at home. The sun is out though, so I think I may head back to the allotment in a bit and get my broccoli in and the tunnels set up. 

themadvix

Well I did make it to the allotment, but no tunnels or broccoli in - snapped the (fairly blunt) hacksaw blade before I got through the first cut 🙄 We’ve added blades to the BnQ shopping list. I did however clear the butternut (picking two smaller unripe squashes which I’ll ripen at home) and make two woodchip paths between beds - old (rotting) bits of wood out and cardboard down and then a nice thick layer of woodchippings. Hopefully it’ll keep weeds down and be easier (and safer) to walk on. Picked a few beans I’d missed yesterday too.

Mr MV is going to go to BnQ and I’m going to make kraut, sloe gin and bread in the morning.

 Dinner tonight will be toad in the hole - Mr MV is having the last of the Glamorgan sausages and I’ve got some LM ones. Will serve with cabbage and carrots I think. Or spinach/chard - always lots of that here!

Baileys_Babe

A tip I've used in the past when making sloe gin is to freeze the sloes first as it saves needing to poke them with a fork or toothpick.

themadvix

Ooh thanks for the BB! I might stick them this time as we only collected a couple of hundred grams as an experiment, but if we ramp up production next year, I’ll definitely remember that.

Suffolk_lass

Yes, I echo the need to freeze your sloes as you have picked them before the first frost. Here, the 5'6" early season picker has stripped the blackthorn hedges up to their height! 200g sugar, 500ml gin? My old imperial recipe is 75cl gin to three quarters of a pound of fruit and the same of sugar. Traditionally sloes were not picked until after the first frosts btw!