Dehydrator update and The Waiting Room game
Our cheap and basic dehydrator continues to delight us. I’m reaping the rewards of dehydrating fruit and vegetables when they were on offer or marked down on the CFC. As all the chopping and preparation has been done prior to dehydrating a slow cooked meal can be prepared very quickly. This week I had to go for blood tests. I think that the doctors in Newmarket might be suffering from blood testitus as the clinic is always packed and you have to arrive early to get in the queue. I wanted to make our slow cooked skirt of beef stew but...
read moreValentine’s Day – a true celebration of love
Over the years I’ve experienced the full gamut of Valentine’s Days. From the lonely days of not receiving a card when even the birds seem to be flying in pairs to the time when I was sent a huge bouquet. It was so large that I couldn’t travel home on the tube and had to take a taxi instead. Being a bit of an old romantic I enjoy Valentine’s Day. Forget the expensive candle lit meal in an exclusive restaurant, the heart shaped presents and flowers. All that I want is a card and a hug from someone I love. Two people in the cottage...
read moreSurprise present
This morning’s hard frost meant that the Min Pins didn’t hear the postman glide up the gravel drive. His visit is usually a daily excuse for barking their heads off and tweaking my eardrums and patience. Because they are small, they yap. Big woofs are fine but high, shrill barks are a bit testing – especially early in the morning. I also didn’t hear the postman and was surprised to find an exciting envelope on the doormat. When I picked it up it had a crinkly feel. What could it be? Who was it from? I opened the envelope...
read moreIt’s official
Things have been hectic here at The Cottage Smallholder. I have finally been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME), which developed from the bad kidney infection that I had in summer. The diagnosis takes a long time as you have to be tested for the full gamut of other potential illnesses (cancer, thyroid problems, TB etc). All those tests were negative and I’ve completed the six months of prodding and poking. I’m now booked into seeing a consultant neurologist on Tuesday. But I don’t want to dwell on being ill –...
read moreLove anytime cards for the stand
For a few weeks I’ve been squirreling away bits and bobs to make some cards for the gate side stand. But as with so many things I have put the project on the back burner as I didn’t really know how to begin. I probably made my last handmade card as a teenager. I did serve the Blue Peter apprenticeship and enjoy making things but how was I going to design something to sell on the stand? I trawled through hundreds of Folksy shops for inspiration. There were loads of great ideas but I was getting nowhere. So two days ago I set myself a...
read moreMarmalade Dayzzzz
This past two weeks or so I have been caught up in a fever that hits the UK from mid January to the end of February. The great marmalade making bonanza. I was determined to develop a new range of recipes for the gate side stand – from dark and chunky to light and dainty. I have come up with two new easy recipes. I’ve also made a few discoveries and now feel much more competent when it comes to making marmalade. In fact I think that I was probably up a bit too long each day, falling asleep the instant my head touched the pillow....
read moreYesterday marked six months of being laid up
It’s been a strange life changing experience. My life was always a rush in the past. It was busy, stressful with very little time to pause and think. I was happy but, looking back now, I realise that I wasn’t content. I was running too hard to keep up. And keep up with what? I have no idea when I think about it. All I can remember is the pressure. There are new pressures now. Finding ways of making a living from home is the main one. I had no idea when I doubled the size of the kitchen garden slowly over last summer that I would be...
read moreAnd the winner is….
Our competition naming the late arrivals at the Chef’s and Gardener’s Ball closed at midnight last night. I’ve really enjoyed reading the entries for this competition. The Min Pins got quite concerned as I sat in bed roaring with laughter. They scrambled out from under the duvet curious to see what was going on. Laughter has drifted across from The Rat Room too. There were some great entries but the winner just has to be Brightsprite – not just the quantity of entries but the quality. In particular I cried tears of laughter...
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