Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Suffolk_lass

It is Mr Sl's birthday tomorrow, his gift from me is enroute from USA (Customs procedures paid for up front) - I hope they a) fit, and b) he likes them! So in the meantime we pottered out to a local pub for lunch with one of my beekeeping pals and her husband who is a bike enthusiast. Maybe only 6-7 tables but it was lovely. Very low key, and good company.

I have defrosted a whole shoulder of lamb from the half lamb we had in lieu of paying me for some beekeeping kit. We have DS & P coming over this afternoon, for the first roast of the autumn. It is also the first lamb we have had since that fateful February day when Mr Sl developed Acute pancreatitis and then sepsis after a lamb roast. I know we don't discuss medical things here but the pain developed within around 40 minutes of the sit down, and much more quickly than I, as a lay person, would think. I think it would help others to know that you must not delay. Acute, debilitating pain in the abdomen, cramping, making him vomit, and felling my lovely 6'3" husband so he was pumped full of morphine just to get him down the stairs and into the ambulance! Right, to cheerier things...

Our son sent a text saying they would like to collect the table top to go with the screw-in legs I made DS take home about two years ago. It is a black Ikea job that used to be my desk with roller drawers underneath. I bought a wooden desk with a leather top (reproduction, on FBMP) and stashed the table top behind my bookcase. This morning we shall be mostly emptying my study and the bookcase to get the top out, then putting everything back. I am hoping my MIA bus pass might materialise in the process and I might end up a bit more organised than it is in here currently!

Another beekeeping pal (someone I have been mentoring) has been returning the favour by studying one of the beekeeping modules with me. I am signed up to do the exam in less than two weeks time. He is studying for the interest and to improve his understanding. He seems to irritate some other people but I find that his attention to detail, and the questions he asks, makes my think about why I do some things the way I do and what I am trying to get out of various beekeeping decisions. So I am happy to keep working with him. I am doing a second exam too and the friend we had lunch with, is coming over tomorrow to revise (in my case) go through the syllabus and make her notes, in her case. Right, a quick scoot round some diaries and time to get going... have a lovely Sunday everyone

Suffolk_lass

Up well before daylight this morning because Mr Sl reset my radio to a loud volume and radio 4 and forgot to switch it back. The shipping forecast had not even started. He came creeping round the bed with a torch in hand but shone it in my eyes, so I started to reduce the volume and retune and he pottered off to the toilet. Then I was awake, and knew I also needed the loo, so padded downstairs where the light comes on automatically in the toilet. So that was me, fully paid up member of the wide-awake club, with the cat miaowing round my ankles in delight.

I did get the table top out from behind the bookcase, and gave the floor a jolly good clean and removed our annual ration of cobwebs from behind the table top and the bookcase. All my bee books are reorganised and in topics rather than alphabetical order now. The we became me as Mr Sl disappeared into his workshop for the late morning and early afternoon. He was making a couple of candle-rolling boards, ready for one of the Christmas craft fairs where Santa is featuring. I need to make up some kits too, to sell at my little table. He decided to add a second piece to the board, along the bottom. I explained why this was not a good idea (one long side of the board has a piece of wood stuck to it so that this can be used to roll against, keeping the bottom of the candle flat). The problem with the second piece is that only a leftie or rightie can then use it, whereas I turn it round to suit both dominant hands.

Unfortunately, apart from reorganising my bookcase, all the paperwork had to be moved last minute, as DS&P arrived earlier than I hoped. In all the excitement (mostly the dog, going mad, squeaking, jumping up, demanding cuddles and kisses) it just got piled up and shoved on the floor in piles in the study. Then one of the piles slid off, so I need to go through it all now.

My today study-pal can't come this morning so my day is now sorting out the filing and making passata (two preserving pans and one 10L pot) previously frozen and freshly ripened on the windowsill - tomatoes to cook, blitz, reheat, season and jar up!

I managed to omit to put the timer on for the large gooseberry crumble I made yesterday, and completely forgot about it. Mostly black, it is in the bin and an emergency rhubarb crumble was made instead. I do hate food waste so much. The rest of the dinner was lovely though, and there is a good hunk of lamb left, that will be used in a couple of other meals. I have some frozen rolls I baked so lunch today will feature lamb, pickle and mild raw onion (thinly sliced, to cut through any fattiness) rolls. Right, timer has just gone off for the first batch of tomatoes.

Oh yes, I meant to add that my free electricity amounts have been credited to the energy account and the credit is now £1002.05 after credits of £1.33 on 24th and £3.02 on 25th. Most satisfying!

I also won £25 on PB this month

Makingabobor2

Ooh well done on the PB win

Suffolk_lass

Well that was a dull day yesterday, but a much needed shuffle through all the piles of paperwork. Still no sign of my bus pass. I have one more 25L crate to go through with three in-trays in or on it. Ugh. How much do I hate doing paperwork!?

I could progress on to weeding the box files on the shelves, freeing up space for more interesting things and I can't bring myself to do more than the immediate. I did hacve a shuffle through seeds yesterday too and received some gifted seeds and spent a (much more pleasurable) time, preparing seeds to send by return.

I also managed to process the bags of frozen tomatoes (12 large zip bags), plus the ripe ones from the window sill. I am using the freezer trays to stand them on, just in case a seal fails in my larder. I was gifted these by a neighbour friend (she used them for fast open freezing but they are too big for my fastest freezer and the other one they would work in, is behind a locked door outside. So I use a baking sheet to flat freeze and the trays now have jars of tomato passata on them, under shelves and in bits of my very well-stocked larder (23 more jars from yesterday; 22x500g 1x250g) 

I plan to have a go at Pam's Piccalilli from the River Cottage Preserves recipes as I have all the vegetables except cauliflower and I intend shopping today after checking what I need - spice-wise and ingredients to make mincemeat and a few Christmas cakes as well as some monthly staples.

Also on today's list, I need to update the omissions from the minutes from last night's meeting and collect some bits from the nearest town, including a cheque from the BS for someone who needs reimbursing. I was going to order a turkey but now I am not so sure. I don't know why I am saying that. Of course I am going to order a turkey. Christmas starts for me, queuing outside on around 23rd December at 06.00 to collect it. I have my penultimate study group revision this evening too. The exam is Saturday week. I should say the exams are Saturday week. I am, in my madness, going to try to take two on the same day.  

Right, I have a friend popping over to borrow two mahoosive lasagne dishes shortly, and I am still lolling in my nightie (one of retirement's little pleasures) so I must get on with things. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Watty1

ahhhh  home made piccalilli.   In my very distant past I had an allotment and had a glut of veggies that the boyfriend (who was a chef) suggested we make into piccalilli.   I don't like piccalilli I said to be met with a "don't be ridiculous comment and he went ahead and made many many jars of this gorgeous piccalilli.  It is one of my fond food memories, I have no idea how he did it  but I have never tasted anything as gorgeous.   I gifted a few jars to my grandmother and her friends because he insisted I did so but I was not keen to part with them.  It was a sad moment when the last of it was used with fresh bread, ham and cheese for supper.

What a happy memory you gave me mentioning piccalilli.  I hope yours is every bit as delicious.  I am smiling remembering that and him.  Thank you xx

foxgloves

I like making piccalilli too. My Dad loved it & always looked forward to receiving his annual supply. I didn't make it for a few years after he died, as it didn't seem the same, but I've made some this year & we will doubtless be dolloping it into turkey & ham sarnies with gay abandon.

I love sorting out paperwork. I'd earmarked condensing household files down to free up space as a job for this week when I need a wet weather option. 
F
P.S @Suffolk_lass - Seeds posted so hopefully will arrive v soon.

Makingabobor2

Love going through paperwork & shredding stuff. 

Suffolk_lass

Seeds arrived in the post (thank you @foxgloves, really looking forward to growing these next spring.

I shopped yesterday. I knew it was going to be a big bill because I bought wine - for Thursday evening when I am hosting book club, and for Christmas - 6 good bottles with an offer on both sorts and 25% off 6. I also bought rechargeable batteries. My relief at finding the right size was tempered when I found they were £16.50 for four and I bought 8 at DH's request. They are the higher mAh value so they should last longer in the devices. The ones I intended were £12.75 a pack. Still expensive but not that expensive! And then they actually had the cheese in that we use for cooking. So I bought 3 packs of one sort and two of the other. The recent empty shelves in this store did not affect me as much as I feared. They are always out of offers but the wine one worked. Oh and 4 bags of cat litter for Stealth cat, who is an indoor girl. Only £8.76 for 40 kilos!

I also popped in to the butcher and picked up back bacon (smoked) and a stick of sausagemeat while ordering my turkey and a small uncooked unsmoked gammon. Both the men in my life (DS being the other) adore ham and I rarely buy it. So a few cloves and some black treacle with honey, ginger and turmeric I think.

I have been asked to make a Christmas cake for a village friend so have been through my fruit cake supplies, and yesterday's shop included some very lovely looking mixed candied peel. Every year I think I really should make my own, but with two exams looming, there is only so much time! I didn't get the dried fruit because I shall use my Waitflower vouchers for those

My other village friend came for honey and to borrow dishes, bringing a paper carrier bag half full of walnuts. Apparently, when the winds blew last week, they could not walk down their garden thanks to so many coming down. We like them a lot. Just as well! I persuaded Mr Sl to take a small gift bag full, along with a jar of honey to the quiz he went to (without me as I was on a study call) to add as prizes for the raffle.

I bought (but ran out of time to make) the veggies I am going to use in the Piccalilli - cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, courgette, (homegrown) shallots and fine beans. I have all the spices. Then I made mincemeat, instead. The Delia recipe from her well-worn Christmas book. I stirred in the brandy and jarred it up this morning. One jar for the Walnut friend, four for us. It keeps well so the one remaining jar from last year (or the year before) will be used first. It looks absolutely fine, but I assed the remaining brandy juice to it and now it smells and looks fantastic! Right, onwards, I need to do those minutes!

Suffolk_lass

It was a good job I bought three bottles of the on-offer Rose wine as we drank it all. Six initially, but one had to leave because all the old wood, our cat, our dog, and some medieval dust (ahem) meant she was wheezing quickly after arriving and I became quite concerned about her breathing. So did she, and she left after an hour. She does have multiple and complex allergies. Mr SL polished off the snacks after they left at ten past ten and we watched the final of CT - excellent fun.

Yesterday my study buddy pulled out; a relief tbh as I had only 2 hours between commitments and was up at 03.00 to see if Mr Sl had fallen asleep in the chair (he being MIA and TV and light in the bedroom having woken me) - he was working on his magazine and had forgotten the time!. So I had a little nap after the lunch club where someone else was cooking.

I still have the fruits, peel, nuts and cherries macerating in brandy and freshly squeezed orange and lemon, but I have removed the kilo of chopped and salted veg and made Pam's Piccalilli recipe - three jars with spring clips and silicone seals so the vinegar doesn't make the lids rust. 4-6 weeks before we try it. It's not really my thing but Mr Sl likes it and I know I have two whole shoulders of pork in the freezer. Cold meat and pickles is his idea of Boxing Day so we will see.

I have now invited a couple in the village who might be on their own for Christmas Day, and my recently deceased friend's husband, and their son, offering to be their back pocket standby for Christmas dinner. If either the couple get family asking to host or join them, that is first choice, but if not, I am willing and happy to host. The son may have something planned with his Dad, but I know Dad likes my cooking so I think they are a definite maybe, either both or just Dad. With a 5k turkey and a 1 kilo gammon ordered, not to mention my emergency turkey crown in the freezer, it is no problem and we like a few people. It makes the teapot game more fun, if we don't all fall asleep!

Right, we are off out for breakfast and it is 09.00 and Mr Sl is still not up!! It was the 03.00 on Thursday night I suspect. Anyway, time to wake him by rummaging for clothes as I am lolling in my nightie (again!)

foxgloves

Thanks very much for the seeds & pretty card. Arrived this morning. Initially I thought all the post was for Mr F (booo!), so was so pleased to see your envelope peeping out. 
Talking of piccalilli.....I'd forgotten I made some until you mentioned it. All the more reason to move 'Pre-Christmas pantry sort-out' higher up my notional list.....esp as it's another 'free' thing I can add to one of the hampers I'm making. Next week, I need to be struck by an enormous bout of Doingstuffitis!
F