Great Expectations

I got married over three decades ago; in those days you saved up to buy most things - credit wasn't handed out like sweeties, and you didn't undertake it lightly.  In common with most newly-weds, the only debt we had was the mortgage - and even that was restricted to a proportion of the couple's income.


We were given a second-hand fridge with a dodgy seal, and were grateful for it.  It worked.  A second-hand twin tub washing machine served us well for quite some time.  We bought the contents of the house, so we sat on second-hand chairs, at a second-hand table, with a second-hand dresser housing our china, such as it was!


We did, however, splash out a new mattress, but couldn't afford a base as well, so it laid on the floor for a couple of years until we could.  We were comfortable, and certainly didn't consider it a hardship to sleep on the floor  - it was our floor, in our house.


The only heating in the house was a gas fire in the living room, on the lower ground floor, it was a three storey terrace house.  We couldn't afford central heating for about four years!  I remember making us both a dressing gown from a thick, lightweight blankets, and we would scurry downstairs in those, put the fire on, then dress later, when the room had lost its chill.


To the younger generations, this would seem like truly Spartan conditions - and perhaps it was.  But we were just starting out on our lives together, the house needed renovating from top to bottom, rewiring etc, and we knew it would cost quite a bit of money, even though we did 95% of the work ourselves.  


We couldn't afford fripperies, but enjoyed the odd meal out, and a drink with friends.  We had no TV, and played board games or cards in the evenings, or read books.  Friends came round to visit, and we visited them.  We were happy.


Nowadays the aspirations of youngsters starting out in their first homes seems to be to start at the level at which they lived at home with their parents.  Why?  How?  Their parents have doubtless worked hard for years to achieve the standard of living they now enjoy, how can children expect to start out at that same level?


But so many of them do.  Consequently they furnish their homes with new furniture bought on credit, watch a rented TV - plasma screen, of course, and enjoy all the channels their monthly subscriptions provide.  The car on the drive is probably bought on credit, too, and the holiday paid for on the credit card.


I had friends, years ago, who lived like this - and the spectre that haunted them was that one of them might lose their job, and the repayments would be too much.  Not quite the happy carefree life that they presented to the world.


... and the reason that I've thought of this?  I belong to one of those local sites that tries to avoid landfill, by offering a place where the members can offer their unwanted items free to others, or can request items.  Somebody asked for a 3' divan bed frame for their daughter, as she is currently sleeping on a mattress on the floor of their new home.  Poor child.

Grow your own garlic - it's easy:)

I love garlic.  Those lovely bulbs of fantastic flavour which enhance so many dishes.  I eat garlic raw in dips, chew a whole raw clove if I'm getting a cold (and not planning to visit anyone!), I love to roast a whole head of garlic, then squidge out the soft, rich clove centres, and, of course, it adds so much to curries, casseroles, soups, scones (biscuits) etc.


So ... last year I planted some cloves which had started to sprout, and this autumn I harvested the results.

They're drying off in the greenhouse, but I'm really pleased with the result.


Apparently I did it all wrong, though!  I'd assumed that the bulbs should be planted their own depth down, sort of like flowering bulbs often are.  However, I've just been looking into it, ready to plant some more this year, and apparently they only need to be just below the surface of the soil, like onion sets.  Which makes sense, I suppose.  It will certainly make them easier to dig up, these were quite reluctant to leave the soil!!!!!


However, I got a harvest, and they taste good, so it was a worthwhile experiment.  And, as a bonus, I had lovely globe flowers during the summer, too.


So, if you fancy growing your own garlic, now is the time to plant out your cloves, just a few inches apart, and just below the soil's surface.  Then forget about them until they've flowered next summer, and the stems have started to go brown.  Then dig them up, dry them off and store them ready for use.

Seeing Red

I had a friend, years ago, who hated Autumn - it made him feel depressed.  All he could see was everything dying, and the promise of colder weather ahead.


I have always loved Autumn - the crispness in the air, the smell of woodsmoke, the settling down to sleep before the re-awakening in Spring, and the glorious warmth of the colours.


So I thought I'd graciously share some of the red around in my garden this October, so that you can enjoy it too:)

The berries on the hollies are spectacular.

The berberis is its usual mass of red and greenness.

The buds on the skimmia look lovely

I don’t know the name of this small tree!  But it’s lovelyJ

The peony leaves have turned a lovely red.

Probably my final strawberry of the yearL

The rub chard just glows!

The slugs and snails also enjoy the red cabbage!

The apples on my neighbour's tree still hang like Christmas decorations.

The acer palmatum is still beautiful.

How is autumn cold and boring?  How????

did you know that October is the Vegan Month of Food 2011?  No, neither did I, but apparently it is, in the US at any rate.  So, why not be adventurous and eat a few vegan meals?  There are plenty of excellent recipes out there in blog land, not to mention cookery books, both real and virtual, nowadays!


Take a look at http://www.VeganMoFo.com to see what's going on!  

Apple lemon mincemeat update

Hurray!  I was right, the raisins did absorb the juice from the apples, and now it's a lovely moist mincemeat with a refreshing lemony, cinnamon flavour which I love raw.   I'll have to get baking some mince pies soon, just for your sakes, of course, not because I'll enjoy them, oh no, not me.


Here's what it looks like now.  I wish you could smell it, too:)

Mushroom, pepper and broccoli stir fry

I made this quick, tasty stir fry for lunch - the recipe is over on 
http://christineeatsglutenfreevegan.blogspot.com.  


I hope you'll enjoy trying it:)

Size Matters!

It's true what "they" say - size does matter!


It especially matters when it comes to yummy, tasty, fresh young vegetables - which is why I was so cross when I found these hanging on the runner bean plants!

Just over 14" long - maybe that would be good if I was entering a competition for the longest runner bean, but seriously not good for eating:(


It's my own fault - the rain kept me indoors for a couple of days, and the beans loved the extra moisture and kept on growing.


I simply took the beans out of the pods and ate those, the pods would have been too stringy for my taste.  Must try harder to harvest every day, rain or shine!!