Apologies......................... This post is just a whole lot of lists!!
This was Week 35 of Strange Times and 9 Days of our second lock-down have passed = 19 left until hopefully things are relaxed a bit.............getting through.
First of a winter harvest this week - Brussels Sprouts and very nice they were too. They are from one of the four plants that I bought as part of a 16 plant Brassica Collection from one of the seed companies.
I didn't get many heads from the 4 Calabrese plants and the 4 Cauliflower plants only produced a couple of small Cauli's but I've had two big cabbages and 2 still standing and out of the 4 Sprouts plants 2 have decent Brussels sprouts. Conclusion = Probably not worth growing next year! Although it is so good to have fresh Brussels Sprouts. If they were available 'on the stalk' all winter rather than just at Christmas that's how I'd buy them.
And that reminds me...............what happened to my "Food Produced by One Old-ish Woman on Her Own" list?.................. Forgotten since 5th October.
All these are finished now
- Lettuces
- Rocket and small beetroot leaves as salad leaves
- A few asparagus spears
- Lots of rhubarb
- A surprising amount of strawberries from 6 new plants and a few from the old bed.
- 3lb of gooseberries
- Lots of raspberries and 3lb put in the freezer
- 2lb Redcurrants
- Few mange-tout peas - put in the freezer
- Green beans - some put in the freezer
- 2 small calabrese heads.
- 2 small cauliflowers
- Figs
- Courgettes
- Aubergines
- Cucumbers
- Plums
- Runner
beans
- Plenty of tomatoes from greenhouse
- A few potatoes
- Beetroot
- Onions
- Cooking Apples (Some left in the freezer)
- Eating Apples
- Few peppers left in the greenhouse (lots in the freezer)
- Pears
- A few leeks
- 2 Cabbages
- A few Brussels sprouts
Quite a successful year.
*************
I enjoyed re-doing the 30 ways to save £1 posts from 2013 and seeing if they were still relevant and thanks to everyone who commented. The reason for pinching pennies in some places is so that I can spend on more interesting things. This year I'm not buying an Advent calendar, an expensive diary or the Almanac book and that's freed up some money to use for my 12 days of Christmas Treats to cheer up the days alone after Christmas and I've already stashed a few things in the cupboard. It might seem a bit self-indulgent and it took me a while to "allow" myself to spend this way but it seemed a good idea this year when everything is so weird.
No spend November is still ongoing
(Direct Debits for Council Tax, Phones, Car Breakdown Insurance,Charity Donation Total £260)
This week I'm Grateful for
- Sorting out the Ride on mower when it stopped working -again
- Making an important decision
Have a good weekend, I shall be back Monday
Sue
A highly successful year, I would say. Good for you.
ReplyDeletexx
It's surprising how long the list is when written down. Not much of some things but every little helps
DeleteAre you going to tell us about your twelve days of self-indulgence?
ReplyDelete12 posts after Christmas!
DeleteGood for you! As my daughter struggled with working from home and the other pandemic problems, she introduced a "Payday Treat" each month. Nothing huge, just little things (a fancy cheese, special soap etc) which helped her feel better. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMine all seem to be readable or edible!
DeleteWow, you had a lovely lot of produce this year. But I doesn’t just happen on its own, so well done Sue on your hard work. I notice parsnips weren’t on your list, do you not grow them at all? I know not everyone likes them.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for planning some treats for post Christmas. I wouldn’t call it self-indulgent, more like self-care :)
I love roast parsnips but they are cheap to buy so better to use the limited space for other things. The same for carrots
DeleteTreats to cheer up the days alone after Christmas
ReplyDeleteI think that's an excellent idea!
That week between Christmas and new year is the worst, just hope things get back to something like normal by then
DeleteYour treat idea is a great plan. Having overindulged due to lockdown/illness/moving I intend to avoid 'treats' in December so that I can appreciate then over Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good plan too - I really do need to eat less.
DeleteIt's good to write a list of everything you've grown it really does show how productive you've been and how much you have cut costs AND eaten better by having homegrown.
ReplyDeleteI like that your treats are mostly going to be readable or edible ... most good treats are :-)
Seems I only need readable or edible!
DeleteI love the feeling that I get when I finally make a decision re: something that I've been turning over and over in my mind. Relief!
ReplyDeleteThe decision was a big one - more on that next week............
DeleteNice to have home grown, but I think I'm like you, small crop, so not worth the effort. We still have lettuce all under cloches and cabbage growing, ever so slowly!
ReplyDeleteI love to fetch in fresh things during the summer
DeleteDecision making is good. I have found making decisions helps better than any pills and potions. x
ReplyDeleteIt's taken a year to decide!
DeleteWhat a great list of garden produce. Nothing tastes quite as nice as your own, picked fresh from the garden.
ReplyDeleteEspecially things like green beans - which are 100 times nicer when really fresh
DeleteI am a big list maker and I love to see your lists! You are certainly to be congratulated on that long list of delicious food you have grown this year! Home grown food tastes so much better, is healthier and of course saves you money.
ReplyDeleteYou are brilliant to collect up treats for yourself for the days after Christmas! So much has been changing and we all need to find new ways to give ourselves a little lift, especially during the holidays!
The week between Christmas and New Year are always a bit empty when alone so I thought I'd cheer things up a little
DeleteWhat a lovely lot of produce you managed to grow, I only grow salad leaves and silver beet /spinach, chard and a few tomatoes just to have them handy everyday. Most of my shopping is fruit and veg from farmers markets because they are grown locally here, very well priced and organic.
ReplyDeleteIf you like to have a diary/journal the Bullet Journal is an awawesome concept, lots of setup info on Utube from simple and basic to very detailed and creative.
When all my fresh stuff is written as one long list it certainly looks worthwhile,
DeleteI do love a good list with bullet points but it tends to be just on the blog
I love the idea of 12 small indulgences for the time after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWe are just going to be starting a very loose lockdown here. Mind you our provincial government just made masks mandatory as well. I am keeping my fingers crossed that our sons will be able to come for Christmas.
God bless.
Readable and edible treats!
DeleteI do hope your sons will be able to get to your house for Christmas.