Saturday 13 November 2021

My Weekly Round-up on Saturday 13th

This week.....................

 I heard it on Radio 4 so it must be true  "people who go to bed  between 10 and 11pm are less likely to suffer with heart problems" Oh Good, I thought, as that's the time I head off to the land of Nod. How had this bit of health news had been found?..........one week of checking with a wrist worn device?! Surely that can't be right. I only heard it on one news bulletin so no idea..............
 
My new chest freezer was delivered only 3 weeks after ordering it which was good as they said between 4 - 8 weeks so I wasn't sure if it would actually arrive before Christmas. (Although why is it the only day in the week that I get invited for a coffee meet-up is the very day I had to stay in for the delivery of the freezer?) Now I can get busy with making some things that I've not had room to store since moving.
 Pastry cases for a start, because if I'm doing one pastry case for a quiche then it's as easy to make 4 and put 3 away and then I can quickly make my own quiches again  which will be good and I'll also make a big batch of  naan breads. 
I've already been out and bought some Christmassy vegetarian things and stocked up with the so called "party foods" like mini vegetable spring rolls, prawns in tempura and small prawn toasts which I eat a few of with  vegetable stir fry and noodles. Because they're in the Party Foods frozen section they're not always available all year round.

No spend November seems to have been abandoned because I bought a spring tine leaf rake! There's a huge Sycamore in the back corner of next door's garden and its leaving leaves in places where they can't be collected by using the mower (not that the grass has ever dried out enough to mow it recently). It could count  as a Christmas present to myself along with a metal cage for mulching the leaves and another compost dalek to fill in alternate years! I've pinched more random paving slabs from round the side of the bungalow and added them to the bit where my one dalek compost bin is already standing, so right ready for another one. The dalek arriving is better than the one I have because it has a lift up door on the side to get the compost out. Think I may move what's in the old one into the new one - good to turn it anyway.

The Christmas card writing is proceeding except that I counted how many cards need short letters included ....10. I'm so bad at letter writing now (blame the blog!) so doing 10 letters, even short ones, is a bit daunting.
 
Final job yesterday was to get my seed order done - it feels very good to be sorting seeds and planning for food production just like I've done for the nearly 40 years. Almost everything in my seed tin was way out of date so it's a case of starting more-or-less from scratch.
 
 I shall grow  a small plum tomato called Sun Grape and a large plum called Super Mama in the greenhouse with aubergines, cucumbers and two types of peppers - 1 red and pointy and the other a regular shaped orange colour. For outside I have saved seed of climbing French beans and runner beans and I will also grow some beetroot, leeks, squash, sweetcorn and courgette. Then I got tempted in by a special offer for some onion sets, shallot sets and garlic bulbs which included a square growing bed/bag.
 
Another weekend ahead when I'm not sure what's happening - although there's a Christmas Bazaar today in the village where I stayed  in the holiday let bungalow or maybe a visit to a tree nursery or another church.

Have a good weekend
I shall be back Monday
Sue


23 comments:

  1. Whatever your plans, have a lovely day!
    It sounds like you're having fun with the new freezer. I'm keeping off the party food because I know if i get them, I will scoff them all and that's not good for me. You have much better self control than I. xx

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    1. I have had a good day - thank you.
      Bought another pear tree!

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  2. We’re not expecting ‘company’ so there won’t be much extra going in my freezer this year.

    With regards to the bed between 10 & 11pm…..it featured on our tv news here in Melbourne during the week and I remember laughing and thinking ‘that’s good, I can forget all about the family history of heart disease’

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    1. How funny that the bit of news should have reached right round the other side of the world. Makes the world seem smaller.

      Batch cooking is so handy being on my own and it was so annoying not to have room for bargains or an extra loaf of bread

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  3. Not so good for me I go early to bed but there is such a lot of nonsense talked about, do we believe it? Those pointy peppers are much sweeter than the fat Dutch peppers and easier for stuffing, perhaps they will be the new 'in thing'.

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    1. It was an odd bit of news - mentioned once and then never heard again!
      I've been growing the pointy peppers for many years now - they are so good, although I've never stuffed a pepper in my life! :-)

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  4. I heard that piece of news too. And then I wondered about the clocks changing. That's an artificial construct we have put in place, that can not affect my circadian rhythm... So should I be going to bed between 11 & 12 in the summer, or 9 & 10 in the winter?

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  5. I've never been one to keep late hours, though I can remember going to all-night Cinema showings of Horror Movies in my early 20s!! Between 10 and 11 for us too.

    Glad your freezer has arrived - if you lived close you could have had the one languishing in the stables here! Now I have no fruit trees or bushes, there's nothing to fill it with.

    Glad you had fun planning what to grow next year.

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    1. When we were growing for sale and self sufficiency I used to peruse about 4 different seed catalogues working out the best value - took me days to sort out!
      Just one catalogue used this year

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  6. We have also bought our seeds for next year, plus our seedling compost and plant food such as bonemeal. Good to get them in, never know what is around the corner production wise.

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    1. Seed compost is something I need to go and get - not always easy to find.

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  7. I am also in bed probably asleep by that time most nights.

    I am glad you got your small freezer and can start to fill it up.

    God bless.

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    1. I usually head off to bed at 10 sometimes I'm asleep in minutes and other nights still awake an hour later, And the worst nights are when I'm still awake at midnight - hate that!

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  8. Raking up leaves is very good exercise. Nearly as good as raking moss out of wet lawns.

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    1. I need some drying weather to cut the grass again - it's so mild that the grass is still growing

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  9. That is wonderful that you have already received your new freezer! I'm sure it will be helpful through the holiday season. I had to buy a new rake last spring. It really does make a difference if you have the right style of rake for leaves. Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. I thought I would manage without a chest freezer in the garage but it's frustrating not being able to take advantage of special offers and batch baking

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  10. Here is a link to the study and paper.
    https://academic.oup.com/ehjdh/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ehjdh/ztab088/6423198

    I would also pass on my thanks as I'm always looking for tips for tomatoes. I usually start some off and then pass them onto my parents to grow in the greenhouse. Unfortunately last years werent good at all.

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    1. I think lots of people had problems with tomato blight last year. I'm looking forward to starting again this year

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  11. Wow it sounds as though you'll be growing quite a bit next year.

    I'm glad the freezer arrived in time for Christmas. It always seems to be the time of year where ours is the fullest - not to mention the fact that I try to keep a little more on hand so I don't have to go out in the snow if I don't have to.

    Hope you enjoy your weekend!

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    1. I'll try and fit in as much as I can in a small space, even a little bit of stuff fresh from the garden will be good

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  12. Yay for the freezer arriving early!
    Have a great weekend, Sue :) xx

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