Monday 31 October 2022

Almost finished preparations

Autumn/Winter preserving is almost complete. I have made my marmalade, two batches worth, for us and present giving. The batch below is plain, the other had ginger in it:


After the jars were removed from the oven, I heated it to a higher setting and made a batch of granola for us:


We don't eat it as it, preferring it as a topping on other things. It would be too expensive to make otherwise. 

Tonight I shall prepare vegetables for a small batch of piccalilli.

Sunday 23 October 2022

Ay up!

Been busy working my way through a list of things that need doing. This week I have started making Christmas cards, making mincemeat for mince pies and using the red apples foraged from the holiday to make crab apple jelly. It is a dark red but not as dark as it looks below:

I used light brown sugar instead of dark as that was what I had. The mincemeat looks paler because of that:
I am still topping up my pantry, I mean, why wouldn't you if you are able to? Also decided to donate to the food bank each week rather than monthly. Even if it is a few tins or packets, every little helps for both. 

Rather than buying what I think a food bank needs (they get inundated with pasta, rice and pasta sauces), I go online to see what my local one wants and buy those. Currently they are asking for tinned meat and fish, custard, biscuits and hair conditioner!

People are so disconnected from where their food comes from it is shocking. Two young men were recently asked what is causing climate change. They both said "Farming. We need to get rid of all farms everywhere". Doh! What exactly they think they will eat who knows:(
 

Saturday 15 October 2022

Shiver me timbers!

DB and I went for our Covid booster yesterday. He was alright, hardly a sore arm and slept okay. Me, a very sore arm began early afternoon. Just before going to bed, I started to shiver and went ice cold.

In bed, the shivering intensified and I just couldn't stop it. It went on for about 45 minutes. Thought I was going to smash my teeth they were chattering so much. During the night, my arm pain got worse as well and at one point, I couldn’t even move it.

Woke up this morning feeling not well at all. The shivering had gone, the arm pain had lessened but still there. DB was fine, typical!

Went back to bed for a brief stint, didn't want any breakfast so just had a cup of tea. Thankfully, now, I am feeling a little better. Any jobs for today will have to wait.

Bring on my flu jab, I always have a reaction to that.

Monday 10 October 2022

Honestly, you can't make it up!

 My doctor referred me to hospital on the 5th October. Yesterday I got a letter. Hooray I thought, at least that bit of it was quick.

Below is a scan of the relevant bit:


There is just one BIG problem (apart from at least a 30 week wait of course), he referred me to the CARDIOLOGY Department:(

Off I went to our surgery this morning to double check the error wasn't theirs. They showed me the screen with his referral to Cardiology.

Once home, I rang the appointment referral department in vain. Shall have to keep trying I guess.

I mean the letter talked about my heart problems etc. Obviously, they don't read them do they? DB was referred to them on May 5th, he has had no communication from the hospital whatsoever. Doesn't bode well for winter does it?

Sunday 9 October 2022

Whilst away...

We foraged a big bowlful of beautiful red crab apples:


They will have to wait a little while as we still have the tray of pears gifted by our nieghbour to deal with! 

We processed the cooking apples yesterday. Some were turned into a large single apple crumble, (plus two small ones as a thankyou for the doner), one batch of apples were frozen for later use. The rest were dehydrated to eat as snacks.

Friday 7 October 2022

Granddaughter's Dress

 We were away for the weekend attending granddaughter's thanksgiving service. Her local church wouldn't christen her so that is being done later in the year near her mums childhood church, whose vicar is quite happy to do it.

It went well, had a good sing on the songs I knew, church was freezing as usual. Here is the dress I made for her, fully lined. Other Gran had knitted her a lovely cardigan in cotton and silk:


I was pleased with the end result. Had wanted to do a full circle skirt on it but got my measurements wrong. This was the last metre of matching fabric the shop had so made a gathered skirt instead.

This dress has been 2 1/2 years in the design and making starting with a baby size! Covid got in the way, the life things etc.

We had a good buffet afterwards in the village hall, around 20 or so of us. She behaved brilliantly both during the service, afterwards and then back at home.


Sunday 2 October 2022

The other night...

 Our doorbell rang and it was our gardening neighbour. I had asked him 10 days prior if he had a few cooking apples. This is what he brought us - two buckets full to the brim:

Cooking apples above.
Hard but small conference pears, they will ripen in about two weeks. Lovely chap. I usually bake him a cake or pudding as a thankyou.