So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Thanks SL, the mini cukes sound lovely, will definitely get some of those for next year.

 Interesting about the courgettes - although mine are growing apace now. Thanks for the tip on the plums/gages - don’t think they’re anywhere near ready yet though. Glad you like gages- if it’s what it turns out to be I’ll be picking your brains again!

savingholmes

Glad you are gaining harvest from your allotment already. Sounds like it's really working for you... 

I have plums on my tree but they are all still very green. The birds got most of my cherries.

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks SH, yes it's good and I'n enjoying it too - it's so satisfying growing your own, especially on this scale. Potato salad for me today for lunch!

My goodness, it's a warm one today already. I have only had one little work query (and the expected prep for my next Cambridge project hasn't arrived, so it can wait), so I've got a day to get on with other things. I've already hoovered because I thought I'd get that out of the way before it got any hotter. I need to do some washing too as it's lovely drying weather. Also have bunting to finish for my friend's birthday, romanesco to pot on, beans to take to allotment - another space has become available (i.e. another plant has died) and will give the rest to allotment friend, watering to do there, and various other garden and house jobs (including sorting out the piles of currants in the fridge!)

Had a lovely afternoon yesterday - did a bit of shopping for mum and dropped that off (flashback to 2020 standing outside her door!), had a bit of spare time before picking up niece so sat chatted with sis for a bit, collected niece from school, got us both an ice (cream for me, lolly for her) on way home, we played a game, I cooked dinner and then niece read to me (her reading is amazing - she's taken to it like a duck to water). Came home and caught up with mum on the phone (we didn't chat for long at the door as she was too tired to stand there) while both watching GW with the sound down.

Meeting friends for drinks and (English) tapas at a bar this evening which will be nice - they want to hear about our holiday.

MS things:
* CC target has had a £100 boost as I've just had to buy a Sains GC for GMIL's shopping  - carers use it and the previous one was running low. FIL will reimburse of course.
* Until this evening, today should be a NSD - I have everything I need for all the jobs on my list (i.e. a nice pottering day)
* Collecting some toms and avocados from an olioer shortly - I feel guacamole might feature this weekend (maybe fajitas for dinner tomorrow as I have peppers and some red onion too)
* £1 Populous survey done
* Homegrown food in dinner last night and lunch today

Gratitudes:
* Lovely time with Niece and Sis
* 'Free' potatoes (as I definitely didn't plant salad ones!)
* Time to get caught up on things

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

Sounds like you're having a lovely time! 😊

themadvix

Morning all,

A busy weekend of jobs getting done around the heat and watching the grand prix. I've picked the last of the currants - another tupperware full of pink currants and some more blackcurrants. Not enough blackcurrants to make cordial with, but thinking a cheesecake with blackcurrant compote on it might be the way to go. Freezer for now. We did come up with the idea of pink currant wine yesterday (or possible red/pink as I've got some redcurrants in the freezer too) - it might be interesting. Also picked my first courgette, a handful of sugar snaps and another 2kg of potatoes yesterday. Interplanted some leeks and chard where sweetcorn hasn't made it and fed and watered everything there. Also made and installed my plot number sign (the old site volunteer has retired and the new ones are enforcing the rules a bit more closely). Collected avocados, tomatoes and satsumas from a couple of Olioers over the weekend, so we had fajitas for dinner on Saturday. Yesterday we had a BBQ, which was lovely too - tenderstem broccoli BBQ'd (from my Olio collection), tuna from Lidl, and the last of the very convincing veggie 'ribs' I bought in the last supermarket order and some homegrown new potatoes.

Spent some time yesterday narrowing down the options for a new laptop for me. Am waiting on a supplier to answer and query and then will be able to get that ordered. Mr MV also ordered some parts for his car and a UV pond clarifier as ours has given up the ghost - that £3k limit will be easy to hit! (No ebike required, although still considering it!).

Don't really feel my list has gone down in size though - as soon as I complete one thing, I add several more to the list! As Cheery has challenged me to see who can get more ticked off today (albeit I have to do some work and she's got the day off), my list is as follows:

* Send Ebay item (half done - packed and label printed, just need to drop off
* Sign and send back work agreement  - done already
* Freezer inventory
* Mum - return item and take potatoes
* Sis - drop off present, item for niece and satsumas (from Olio)
* Dad - potatoes and a couple of bits we've borrowed
* Argoose - replacement gas for soda stream
* List bits on Freegle (from cupboard clear out yesterday)
* Water allotment
* Tax paperwork out of loft (need assistance from Mr MV for this)
* Strip, wash and freeze pink currants and blackcurrants
* Dump run
* Bunting

(There are other items but I very much doubt I'll get onto them - dump is also unlikely but I'd like to get there before we go away on Thursday really.)

Dinner tonight is going to be a tomato and courgette pasta affair, I think - as we have both in fridge and the tomatoes need eating/freezing. Lunch will involve potato salad of some kind as I cooked more than needed last night (intentionally!).

MS things:
* Ebay sale (our stuff)
* PA surveys - did one for a fiver while I was still in bed yesterday
* Free food from Olio and allotment

Gratitudes:
* The fans I bought last year are really earning their keep!
* A nice chunk of work for today to do
* Lovely time out on Friday night with Olio friend and her husband... but they are moving back to Italy in 18 months  

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

Excellent work there! You'll still beat me I think - I'm spending the whole morning ferrying Mr Cheery to the dentist and will likely stay out for lunch 😂

Very good work on the allotment. I have, yet again, neglected everything, and most of what is actually growing is beetroot and turnips 🙄😂

Sorry to hear about your friends moving back to Italy. Our local pals have just moved to Ireland and we are similarly sad. Happy for them - they've bought land and are having an exciting adventure - but pretty gloomy for us 😢

Right, going to see if I can tick something off my list while I'm sat waiting in the car 😂

Suffolk_lass

I never wash the currants before freezing. I do it when they come out to be used. That way they are less likely to stick together or get damaged, and the stalks, leaves and any gribblies are easy to deal with when frozen  Also, if they are going to be sieved, I leave the stalks

themadvix

Cheery_Daff said:

Excellent work there! You'll still beat me I think - I'm spending the whole morning ferrying Mr Cheery to the dentist and will likely stay out for lunch 😂

Very good work on the allotment. I have, yet again, neglected everything, and most of what is actually growing is beetroot and turnips 🙄😂

Sorry to hear about your friends moving back to Italy. Our local pals have just moved to Ireland and we are similarly sad. Happy for them - they've bought land and are having an exciting adventure - but pretty gloomy for us 😢

Right, going to see if I can tick something off my list while I'm sat waiting in the car 😂

You may be right there Cheery, this work isn't taking too long to get through (the fan right in my face is definitely helping with focus!).

Re the allotment, it's probably beginners enthusiasm - the real test will be the winter when it's muddy!

The one good thing about our friends moving home is that they are keen we should visit! Italy is somewhere we've never yet been despite being a place with loads of places we'd like to visit. I think we're a bit unsure of where to start and don't speak any of the language plus it being somewhere you really need to fly to and then drive, which increases the costs. There has been talk though of a Mini adventure (with mini-owning, Italian-speaking friends) to Italy, which we might aim for next year.... all undecided as yet (I also want to get back to Ireland next year too!).

Good luck with the list!

themadvix

Suffolk_lass said:

I never wash the currants before freezing. I do it when they come out to be used. That way they are less likely to stick together or get damaged, and the stalks, leaves and any gribblies are easy to deal with when frozen  Also, if they are going to be sieved, I leave the stalks

As I don't know what I'm doing with them yet, I get them all prepped and open freeze them (then transfer to a tub). More work I'm sure, but less when I suddenly decide to use them with five minutes notice! It means I can just chuck a few straight from frozen into a crumble or whatever. Open freezing works well for pour-ability!

Blackcurrants have been stripped and are in water as we speak (done whilst waiting for tea to brew). Have confirmed that Mum is at home later (and she's now Covid-free!) and would like a few potatoes too.

Addition to the list:
* Trim front hedge - the hedge trimmer is the item to return to Mum - need to use it first!

Mickyh-s

Courgette flowers dipped in flour and egg and shallow fried make a  nice veggie side dish and also, the courgette leaves are edible - use like spinach in cooking!