My Off-grid and need to be frugal diary

teapot2

I'll be interested to know how the dehydrated rhubarb works, I normally just stew mine so always looking for new ideas that also won't fill up my small freezer.

AnimalTribe

Teapot2 I'll let you know, although it will be a long time before I get around to using it, as I have so much rhubarb growing. In the past I've made rhubarb and ginger jam, rhubarb chutney and rhubarb wine (I used the really thick, woody, end of season stalks for the wine). They all came out well. I was thinking about making rhubarb leather, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Of course, I also make rhubarb pie and rhubarb crumble. I have found with the crumble though if your not going to eat it the same day then it's best to cook the rhubarb and the topping separately, otherwise the crumble goes sticky.

Yesterday was so hot. I did a Herculean amount of weeding and was absolutely shattered - more with the heat than the work I think - even though I took cooling down breaks.

Today DH and I went out for a mooch around a charity shop, DH got a book and a shirt and I got a pair of jeans for £3 and a hardback vegetarian cookery book for £1. I have lots of cookery books but this one looked good, and if it's not I can always just donate it. We went to a local cafe for lunch, which was very good, and of course the rules of the universe state that DH has to have cake. 

I've watered the garden early - I usually wait until the day has cooled off a bit, but I'm still suffering from yesterday and just wanted to do it while I still had some energy left. For the rest of the evening I'm not moving from my chair and I'm watching a film and reading my book.

AnimalTribe

The only gardening I’ve done today is tying up some plants as the weather is overcast and cold. Most of the day I’ve spent tidying up, putting things in the proper places and sorting out some paperwork.

It’s been a great day though as the Council have fixed the potholes in the single lane road that goes past our house. It was a tooth rattling ride to get anywhere.

I think it will be another lazy night tonight. A book I ordered from eBay has arrived so I will probably spend the evening, after dinner, reading that.

foxgloves

Cold here too. I did get a few random garden jobs done, but nothing which involved going in & out of the greenhouse, as I didn't want to keep letting chilly air in.
F

rachmac3

Ooooo an evening reading sounds delightful! I need to plan one of those soon!
Enjoy!

AnimalTribe

Foxgloves even a few random jobs are helpful in the garden.

Rachmac3 I'm an avid reader. I always have a book or two on the go. Usually, at least one fiction, and one non-fiction. At the moment I'm reading an urban fantasy werewolf book, a book of short vampire stories and a book on self-sufficiency.

Today I've dehydrated some more rhubarb and some sage. I've mostly been in the garden just pulling nettles from the fence line. DH has built my new raised bed and filled it for me. So I'll be out planting something tomorrow if the weather holds up. My raised beds have wood chips from our felled trees as the bottom layer, then mole soil DH has collected from the road side verge and finally a few bags of compost. The wood chips have nutrients in them, but after a year they sink so the soil level falls, and it has to be topped up. Tonight I've just been reading one of the MSE prepping threads. 

foxgloves

Coincidentally, new raised beds-filling is no.1 job on Mr F's list today. We are putting a layer of small branches/twigs in for the base layer. Agree about random smaller garden tasks being worth doing. I enjoy pottering around clearing a number of those as much as getting a bigger project finished.
F

AnimalTribe

Foxgloves it's nice when gardening is team work. Today DH watered the plants for me, replaced a faulty carbon monoxide detector and fixed an extractor fan - he's a handy guy. I have a large corner of the garden that's been taken over by fennel. It looks pretty and has a wonderful smell. The fennel had a lot of tall, dry stems from last year's flowering so today I've cut them all down and bagged them up. I'll try using the stems as kindling in the autumn and hopefully they'll work well and give off a lovely aroma. There was an egg in the border, but I'm not touching it. I think it might be a pheasant's nest and hopefully it will come back to it. Time will tell.

I finally did all the mending that I've let build up. I have to be in the mood for sewing, but it's a satisfying job done.

AnimalTribe

A mellow day today. I did all my catching up phone calls and just small bits and pieces. A couple of my houseplants have a fungal infection so I made up some antifungal spray - 4 tablespoons cider vinegar to a gallon of water. I've never used the spray before so I hope it works. The area I sprayed smells a bit like a chipshop now.   

DH fixed a few small items. Like me and mending, he has to be in the mood, but when the mood strikes he gets a lot done.

rachmac3

I usually have at least 2 audiobooks on the go, I can listen to them in the car or while I am doing chores around the house. I like to have a relaxing book for bedtime (something nature related usually) and crime/thriller book for enjoyment, and something interesting/educational. In the last few years I just fall asleep when I try to read physical books. II have dozens here unread as I used to be an avid reader and still often get books give to me as gifts. Maybe I will try again soon, I am a lot less tired now than I have been in recent years. 
I hope your houseplants recover well. 
Have a lovely week!