The Dish of Deliciousness

More bounteous delights from my little garden.

These are Swift, and are 'first earlies'. They taste lovely, but once again this year, not a lot of spuds per tuber. On the scale of 1K per tuber, we got about a kilo from 4. But, a much better yield than last year.

And when it comes down to it, we aren't trying to feed the 5000, just a couple of mouths. And when they look this good!!

I've got Charlotte to dig up soon and later on Maris Piper. Again, just a few tubers in a bag, so hopefully, a meal or 3 from them.

This is the choc/courgette mix about to go in the oven yesterday evening.

There MAY be a picture of it cooked! We had a slice with Hagen Daas Vanilla ice cream, for supper and it was D-lish. Bit like Brownies, only better. I think next time I will cook it as a tray bake and add walnuts to make it even more Brownie-like.

So, tatty bye from Fanny Craddock! Have a good W/E.

Z xx

PS. Charlotte is a 'make' of potato, not a body!

It would help if I gave this a Title!

Well, here I am again! It's only taken the best part of half an hour to get to this stage of writing from turning the laptop on. But that IS quicker than before, and it seems to boot up quicker now. So, one step forward, eh?

Of course, any photos I had lined up are downloaded on t'other laptop, ha ha.

Not sure what's on here, so, surprise photo downloads.

Like this little Liberace number!

I will be making a chocolate courgette cake with my little lovelies, and some 'frites' probably. I don't fry a lot of stuff, bacon and steaks mainly, and don't have a deep fat fryer, so a little bit of 'make do' will be need to deep fry my chippies!

I have tried to keep up with your posts, but as yet haven't left any comments, but there's 2 weddings looming in blogworld...the daughter of Debbie at Vintage Wants and also lovely Lou, (Sprinkle of Glitter), so a huge burst of fabulous-ness for those girls and have a wonderful time!

Need a nice suit suit for a wedding? Have bottomless pockets? Then how about one of these beautifully constructed Vivienne Westwood numbers? The red one is my fave. Fab-U-Lus!
(Told you these would be surprise photos!)

A wonderful, hand-beaded Matador jacket, anyone? I think this is just one of the most beautiful, exquisite things ever.

Talking of handmade...

I'm thinking it is Bicycle Bazaar this Saturday. A small change, as they have the most dreadful (sorry, I LOATHE stuff like this) art installation in the Fishmarket, it will be held in the Market Square, I think.

Mr B is on his summer break at the mo and for the last couple of days has had what I would term as some sort of ghastly vertigo. Poor lamb, he is booked in to see the doc later, but he can barely stand up, so I don't really see it happening.

So, having spent about an hour doing this post, ("An hour?", as Nadia from Big Brother would say-think Portuguese accent), I'll pootle off and see how Mr B is doing and try and get to the doctors. Wish us luck!

Z xx

Arrrrgh!

There may be a short interlude here for a while.

I have one laptop with Vista that keeps getting so hot it turns itself off after 20 minutes or so.

The other one is XP, and to use my late mothers' favourite phrase, (often about me!), has two speeds...dead slow and stop!

I am trying to get one/both back up and running, but it may take a while. And a visit to the Tech Guys or a computer wizard that Mr B knows, which means a trip to Brum.

I hope you are all OK. Hello to new followers, (sorry to be so impersonal at the mo') and I hope "little guy" gets better soon, Christy. It is SO unfair, poor little chap. Big hugs from me!

I think I can pick up emails thru' my phone, but not sure about t'intertnet.

Take care all,

Z xx

The Trug of Plenty

Little Brown Jug...

...is the name of a song, if I remember rightly.

But I'm going to show you my little pink jug!

(oo-er, now then missus)

A fuzzy phone picture , but you get the gist. I didn't get to the Antiques thing at the Fishmarket yesterday, but this is a jug I got from their stall at BBB one month.

With more of my yummy sweet peas. Ooo, I am LOVING being able to pick some every day. Apparently, the more you pick, the more it produces; so I'm am picking them like a mad thing

These are 4 pictures of the Antiques Centres' reclamation yard. Well worth a mung.

And, finally, another fuzzy phone photo of my 1st new potato, Swift, that unearthed itself as I was watering them. Hopefully more to come from where that came from and EVEN more hopefully, they will be more successful than last year. There were rubbish, less than a kilo from several plants; you're supposed to get at least a kilo from each plant, so I've read. We shall see...and eat, possibly!

Have a good week.

Z xx

Fourth of July

Wishing all my American readers a very happy

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

(this font is called Georgia...on bold and italic, thought it would be appropriate!)

I know I have used almost the exact same photo for Memorial Day, but this is the other one of 2 that I took of my choccies that Mr B brought back from Washington.

It struck me that it was quite appropriate!

Z xx

Bleugh!

As much as I love this summer weather, it really doesn't like me!

Congrats to the winners of the giveaways below...sadly not me!!

*****

Picked my first strawberries, raspberries, sweet peas and freesias this week. Mmmmm. Really chuffed with the 'peas as it is the first time I have grown them from seed, as I usually get a pot of seedlings from the Market. It was definitely worth doing, as the plants seem much stronger, if that makes sense. The front garden is a bit of a riot-lots of those big white (ox-eye?) daisies and triffid-like hollyhocks. But overall, looking quite pretty.

(front garden, last summer)

Another blackbird nest filled with 5 babes in the lilac tree this time. I have been able to get close without disturbing them. So cute.

You lookin' at me?

*****

If you fancy a trip out tomorrow (Sunday), then this is happening. This is the place where Debbie has opened her new booth.

http://homethoughtsfromvintagewants.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-declare-this-shop-open.html

I believe she is not going to actually be there tomorrow, (busy with the up-coming marriage of her daughter, wishing them all the luck in the world), but I am definitely going to try and get there.

So, I guess, having written all this down, not so bleugh-ry after all. Good, eh? Mr B comes home from Manchester tomorrow and then scoots off to Cardiff. So a mad, busy day then!

By the way, mentioning Manchester, does anyone have any news on MelMel (at home with)? I can't get any response from her blogger page. Hope you are OK hun.

And, finally, for Sian, another gratuitous photo of Rene.

Have a good weekend,

Z xx

And Here's Another One!

http://vintageatthecornerhouse.blogspot.com/2010/06/first-giveaway-kaffe-fassett-and-cath.html

Ann is spoiling us with the choice of TWO giveaways, to celebrate a year of blogging and 100+ followers. Big congratulations, Ann.

Pop over and have a lookie-see!

But you need to be quick. It closes at midnight on 30 June.

Z xx

Fab Giveaway! (not mine!)

Do pop over to Victoria Rose for her 100 followers Giveaway. There are some beautiful handmade items to win. Mind you, I'm entering and I wouldn't mind winning one of those lavender hearts...gorgeousness. And check out the cute kitty photos.

http://victoriarosepapercrafts.blogspot.com/2010/06/100-followers-giveaway.html

Hangin' on in there

...just!!

Lots of good stuff happening, but can not drag myself out of the gloom!

Jolly postings will resume at some point...

...but for now I'm going back to hide behind the chair with Rene!

Z xx

Hi Ho Silver

I was getting a tad concerned that my posts were being a bit bleak, so in an effort to be more positive...

(photo from link below)

http://www.fineflowers.com/2010/05/26/bloomsbury-flowers-brings-home-silver-medal-from-chelsea-flower-show/

One of 'my boys'* was invited to show at Chelsea and won Silver.

How bloomin' brilliant is that?

Good on you Wicky. The last time I saw him was at a retirement Gala and at the after party he stuck his head down my cleavage!!
*(We do know each other very well. 'My boys' were a regular bunch of dancers that I used to 'dress' and make costumes for).

*****

And a really fab thing that happened to me...

when we went to The Place, part of the day was spent recounting memories of being with the company, both on Dictaphone and film. Well, technically, I shouldn't have been there, but was welcomed in. As Barrington said, if you did Class with the company, you were part of the company; and I did the very last class they did, with Bob, at Canterbury.

(And, yes, I was knackered!)

Now if those two things alone (that doesn't make sense does it? two things alone) weren't enough I got to spend the time sitting next to David Hughes. Yeah, I know...a lot of blank faces all round. He is a wonderful dancer and a wonderful bloke too. And, boy, was he eye candy. (Looking older now tho, but still easy on the eye!). This man was an Athena poster star! (Again, cue blank faces on those of a younger ilk!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_(retailer

I don't really know of an equivalent today. But I'd like to think maybe R-Patz or someone like him. ('cept he does nothing for me. Benicio del Toro, now there's a MAN).

See, I'm 50 but, hey, I'm up there with wots happening!!!

Even if I don't know any of these...

http://oddsocksandprettyfrocks.blogspot.com/2010/05/plastic-fantastic.html

(Alex, that's for you!!!)

Sadly, I can't find an image of the poster, but here is a more recent photograph, by Paul Liburd, who was also a dancer with LCDT.

Beautiful, isn't he?

So, on that lush note I shall sign off for now,

Z xx

Happy Memorial Day, USA

I was going to save this picture until 4th July, but a heads up from Kim that it was Memorial Day today, made me think hey let's go for it now. I can always use the picture again!!

So, I hope my readers in the USA are having a wonderful weekend.

And to us UK-ers, happy Bank Holiday weekend!

These choccy hearts came home with Mr B, from Washington, for my birthday, and very tasty they were too!

Z xx