4 Days Diaires in one post

On Friday I did my usual Review of The Month, On Saturday it was The Library Book Photo , yesterday was a list of Plans for November so it's about time for an ordinary diary post catch up.

The warmest Halloween on record and C felt well enough on Friday afternoon to go over to our neighbours and use the ride on mower to cut her grass, she was pleased that he will still be able to work for her. I made a small batch of cheese scones for C and some fruit ones for me and a small tuna quiche for weekend lunches. A few outside jobs were done as well but I can't remember what they were!

On Saturday up popped an email for reduced price delivery from Approved Foods and a Free Lucky box too. I wasn't sure there was anything I wanted but found a giant bag of Salt, some Pure soap, biscuits, mandarin segments, fajita seasoning, mint cremes- well in date -  and cranberry sauce  for Christmas, liquorice allsorts for C and Cadburys Screme eggs for me ( ordinary creme eggs but with a halloween wrapper!) and that was enough for an order.
While I was fiddling about online I did a small Amazon order for some Christmas presents.
The weather was decent so we worked together outside and got the electric fences down from around the now empty chicken shed, then C was able to hook the shed up to the tractor and tow it down to right beside the muck heap on the field so it will be easy to clean out. We used the trailer on the mower to shift the feed bin that was beside the shed which means everything there is now cleared away. C also drained the water out of the campsite toilets.

My sister and brother-in-law called in for a cup of tea and a natter after doing a 7 mile walk along the coast. ( They are much fitter than we are I think!).

We didn't bother to go and see if the car boot was happening on Sunday morning  as the weather was windy with rain threatening. The rain held off long enough for us to clear one bed of runner beans and I picked off a tray full of beans for drying to use for seed next year.

On Sunday afternoon we planned to go for a walk along the prom at Aldeburgh but the rain was pouring down and neither of us fancied a wet walk. We had a quiet afternoon watching Darts on TV and reading instead.

Today we went to Saxmundham to do the monthly shop. I had a £4 off £30 spend  and £6 in vouchers for Tescos. Quite a big spend there because cat food was on offer so I got 2 boxes of pouches for Polly, and they had some boxes of chocolate biscuits on offer which will be Christmas presents.
When we got home the postman had been and brought me something nice..... A free book :-)
When the Persephone Biannually catalogue arrived a couple of weeks ago I noticed a paragraph saying that they had a free book - The Home Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher to give away to bloggers, as you can imagine I was there emailing them like a shot. Now I just have to read it and review and link my review to their website.

 I love the Persephone publishing company, they find books that have been forgotten and reprint them in their special way with endpapers featuring fabric of the period. I've been slowly collecting them  over the last few years but not usually new as they are quite pricey.

 This afternoon the rain really came down so while I was working indoors C went out and made a start on sorting out his workshop which is in a terrible mess. I've been offering to help him tidy it all summer as things just get dumped in any old how but he thinks I want to throw too much out (true) so he always refuses my help.
Our friend T arrived with the nice big cheque - £900- for the hay he had back in the summer, that will help the bank balance no end and make it easier for us to get through to campsite opening time without dipping into the savings, Then  a ring of the doorbell and a lady who had a couple of bales of hay for her ponies a month ago was back for another 6 bales and that was another £15 into the kitty. 

Right, that's up to date and I must go and sort out dinner

Thanks for comments yesterday.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

30 Ways to save £1 ---DAY 5 + Clearing up for winter

Mixed weather here today with rain first thing.

We had decided that we would take down the runner bean canes  but delayed until the rain stopped. So Him Outside did a bit of wood cutting and I did a little house work. I usually take off beans that are starting to dry out so that I can save them for next year but because of the wet warm weather there were very few. That job done I had a look around to see what else needed doing and realised we still had several red cabbages. I'd thought about doing some pickled red cabbage for Christmas gifts but as I'm not sure if anyone likes it and we definitely  don't, they might as well be sold. I'll hang a couple in nets in the shed to keep for red cabbage casserole. I also brought in several red peppers from the polytunnel, wrapped them individually in kitchen roll and put them in the salad drawer of the fridge.

All this storing of food reminded me to have a proper look at  one of the library books borrowed last Friday. This is all about various ways of preserving  food.

  It answers the question of why our stored squash never keep as long as they should, or at least I thought it had and then I turned a few pages and got confused.
On one page it say's keep them in the house at a temperature of between 16 and 20 degrees, then a bit further on it says store at 10 degrees. I've got them in the hay shed at the moment but that will be too cold later whichever page I look at.
There are several ideas for storing food including lots about fermentation the Korean way and from other countries too. I didn't fancy any of the recipes. Some look positively yuck. I think I'm just too old and too English!
I have no intention of paying anywhere near its proper price of £16.99, but I might put it on my list to look out for secondhand sometime in the future, perhaps 1p  from Amazon!


Now, Day 5 of the 30 ways to save £1 was

5. Buy refill packs of things if you can

We used to have a shop locally that we could get refills of Ecover washing up liquid. But it is no more. Large containers of Ecover liquid clothes wash and w-up-liq are available on line but delivery costs are high. So although my idea for buying refills is a good one there are not many available. I do buy good coffee in refill packs. Anyone know of anything else?  ( Does refilling the biscuit tin count?!)


Before I sign off for today, I must just say Welcome to Janice who is a new follower and thank you to everyone for comments yesterday and some from a few days ago too which made me smile.