Showing posts with label home grown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home grown. Show all posts

Friday, 8 May 2015

BEDM - Day 8 "A Day In The Life"

Woke up!
Always a good start!
 
Bed with a view - wardrobes, window, make-up drawers and a Rene cat.

 
Not the news I had hoped for, for my town. This is the man that OK'd the brand new Bus Station that cannot cope with all the buses which means people have to stand out on the road in all weathers to catch their bus. Also the new Rail Station with lots of nasty, steep, concrete steps at its' entrance and a single lift. Not exactly good disabled access for the 21st century.
Loathsome dollop. 

BBC iPlayer link
Watched a little bit of this BBC4 programme and can't wait to see it all. Two hours of real-time footage on a canal boat travelling on the Kennet and Avon Canal; so no doubt some stunning scenery and views of Bath to come. Lovely.
 
Jigzone link
This could also be under the guilty pleasure banner. My daily fix of Jigzone. A different picture every day and a choice of how may pieces, so good for all ages. I tend to go for 184 which takes me a little less than 15 minutes. A nice little break with a cup of coffee.
 
The whole afternoon was spent pricking out and potting on seedlings. I did it in the kitchen, nipping in and out between showers. This wet weather has brought out loads of slugs, nasty little bu**ers! I thought birds ate the yucky things, but for all our menagerie of birdies, they don't seem to be doing a very good job.
 
The robins fledged a couple of days ago. Sadly we found one that didn't make it under the bench. We think it was the 'interloper' cat that we had just chased out of the garden. But 2 out of 3 is good. We also found an adult blue tit the other day, which was sad, but there seems to be much to-ing and fro-ing to the hole in the wall above loo window, so hopefully that family will fly off safely when the time comes. Don't know quite what happened to the blackbirds' nest in the honeysuckle. There was a couple of babies and the next time I looked the nest just seemed to have fallen apart! But, again, they seem to be keeping close to 'home'.
 
They didn't half work hard to bring up their little ones
It's about 7:30, Corrie is about to come on and I'm waiting for Mr B to come home from work. He's bringing in dinner from M&S...fish, chips and peas, so that won't take long to cook. Or eat. We'll plonk ourselves down for the ballet portion of BBC Young Dancer of the Year at 8. We know 2 of the 3 judges, Kenny and Dominic, so that'll be a bit of a giggle. The dancers have been fabulous to watch. Last week was the Asian section and they were fantastic.
 
A bit of TV news at 10. We still don't know how our local elections went. Northampton had a power cut just as they had started doing the counting, so they were going to start again at 6:30. Let's hope they do a better job than the last lot, even if it's the same party, as he is now our MP. And they wonder why our town never gets 'City Status'.
 
Roll on Saturday and the weekend!
Have a good one!
Zxx

Sunday, 3 May 2015

BEDM - Day 3 "Self Care Sunday"

Having woken up this morning with yesterdays' make-up still on, well, I'd guess I'd suggest taking off your make-up before going to bed as a good step to looking after ones-self!
 
To be fair though, most of it was Laura Gellar stuff which is a mineral make-up and therefore not too awful to have left on.
 

 
A gentle walk through the park to Aldi was up-lifting for the soul and spirit as we were in the sunshine and missed all the rain.
 
I have a stash of daily meds to take to keep me 'healthy'. Two lots for high blood pressure, which is all over the place at the moment(!), anti-histamine, anti-depressant and something for my overactive bladder.
 
I'm think crystals are a positive force. How? Not really sure but they've been good for me. Regular heavy-duty massage for my neck/spine because of scoliosis. I quite fancy taking up Pilates, which is a fantastic thing. Working in a dance environment I was introduced to it donkeys years ago and, with hindsight, wish I'd pursued it.
 
Having been in a really rather horrible dark place with clinical depression my self care has left a lot to be desired. I don't think anyone has ever sat next to me and thought "She smells", but daily ablutions really didn't figure in my day, (not very much did), and even now it is something I have to consciously think about as opposed to doing it on 'auto-pilot', if that makes sense.
 
Even now it is a struggle to clean my teeth even daily, let alone twice a day! Thank goodness I have strong teeth and a caring dentist!
 
 
My garden has quite seriously been a life-saver and I would say grow something, wherever you live. The garden isn't very big but I cram a lot in and the excitement when, like today, my broad beans began to show...WOW!!
Then you get the good thing of eating fresh produce, which really is just the best.
 
And there's the thing - just do the best that you can do.
YOU deserve it!
Zxx

Wednesday, 1 October 2014

October Autumn Colour Palette

The Hanging Gardens of Pennyblossoms!
 
 
 
Love the way this Virginia Creeper changes colour at this time of year.


 
Mind you, when the leaves start falling off, it doesn't half make a mess!
 
 
Centre right there are three raspberry canes that are about 9 foot high...they didn't fruit this year, so, technically, they shouldn't be pruned. But if I leave them they'll probably be in the next door neighbours' garden. (Sure they won't mind, free fruit 'n' all!).
 
 
And to end, a tiny, lonely, home-grown freesia.
Smells amazing. 
Zxx

Monday, 5 May 2014

#BEDM "Cinco de Mayo - Let's be Mexican"

Having been a milliner in days gone by, the first thought that crosses my mind is
'Mexicans dance on their hats'.
Not particularly helpful, and no doubt there will be someone out there shouting 'that's not PC!' But that's what people of my generation grew up with and the song is really funny.



OPI nail varnish set from TK Maxx...that's a bit more like it. (Though this was actually a set for The Day of the Dead/Halloween). Came with a whole load of stickers to put on your nails too.
 

Photo Credit: chicagocincodemayo.com
I am so loving this picture that I found via Google. It's for Chicagos' largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the Pilsen neighbourhood.
Some of my favourite things...arty skulls, roses and even a cowboy hat thrown in for good measure. Never had a tattoo, but this sure could be a contender if I was ever up for one!
 
source
Nice hats!


Vintage tomato ketchup dispenser. Well, don't all Mexican dishes have tomato in? Home grown fruit from my lully neighbour.
 
recipe here
 This salsa picture popped up on my fb page as I follow Nadia G (Bitchin' Kitchen).
 
As she wrote...
" Don't show up with store-bought salsa this Cinco de Mayo, show up with G's fresh homemade salsa for that unique Italian-Mexican fusion! And Tequila. Everyone likes Tequila."

 You can't disagree with that, can you?
 
 This showed up as well, and, well, looks totally delish!
 
Pomegranate Tequila Guacamole recipe
So, paint your nails, add your stickers then sip a drink and eat your salsa while they are drying.
Oh, and watch the video.
Laughed?? I nearly peed my pants!!
 

 
Happy 'Cinco de Mayo' Day!
Zxx

Sunday, 13 October 2013

Edible Earrings

 
 
Teeny weeny bunches of home grown grapes
 
Taste so sweet.
Maybe next year I might be able to get them to grow a little big bigger!
Zxx

Monday, 30 September 2013

It's Always So Nice To Come Home

After a lovely train journey through Stoke-on-Trent, where I had 2 stints on placement from college, (you usually only ever got one), and which holds so many happy memories, Lichfield Trent Valley, Nuneaton and Rugby admiring the stunningly beautiful countryside and the canal boats, we arrived home about 4 o'clock. It was still sunny weather so we had a coffee/tea outside on the swing seat.
Bliss.
 
We hadn't got anything suitable in the freezer to cook from frozen, so we had chicken kebabs delivered; lots of yummy salad too.
 
But I took the Jubilee chicken crown, from Sainsbury's, out to defrost and had that this evening with home grown potatoes cooked with mint  and green beans.
 
 
Now, my bean plants were massacred by snails earlier in the year, and the potatoes, well...this portion is half of the total from a potato grow-bag. So, on the one-hand, a pretty poor show, but, on the other, tasted bloody lovely and got me out of a tight spot.
Result!
 
(Mr B is up in Brum working and having to stay overnight, so am on me tod, not that I am not feeding him!)
Zxx

Friday, 23 August 2013

Ditsy Belle #23 - Fresh Fruit

Fruit in the garden.
 
 
 About as fresh as you can get!
 
 
And no pesticides! 

 
Bon appetit!

Tomorrows' title is 'Item'. Seeing as there is the Fair on, no doubt I'll be able to find an item or two!

 
Have a wonderful August Bank Holiday Weekend!
Zxx

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Wicker Wednesday 5



Rene enjoying our Indian Summer weather.