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Sunday 8 July 2012

THE GOOD LIFE



I don't want to harp on about the weather, but this year our vegetable plot has suffered badly.  Weeds have taken over because of the rain, and most things have grown so rapidly they've gone too seed before their time ... we are still learning (I don't think you ever really stop) but it is disappointing when all the planning, digging and really hard work, doesn't quite pay off. Thinking even Tom and Barbara might be a bit ticked off ...




However, yesterday was a lovely day and I wanted to make a completely free meal, being a thrifty soul, and this is what I got when  I ventured forth, trug in hand to collect the bounty ...


Eggs from my chickens, lovely new potatoes, radishes, spring onions, peas, kale and rhubarb.  I made a spanish style tortilla and we had stewed rhubarb swirled into creme fraiche (alright, I bought that!).


Please don't think I'm being smug and taking all this for granted, I do know how fortunate we are to be able to do this, but I do urge everyone, no matter how big or small your garden (mine is only a smallish patch next to the house), to try and grow a few veg as the taste and quality is just amazing, and totally different from anything you buy in a supermarket. For the price of a few packets of seeds you can amazing food on your doorstep, and if you're lucky enough to have an allotment, can share seeds and produce with other allotment holders.  


I had great visions of how my vegetable patch would look, a bit Mr McGregor's garden, with a touch of Vita Sackville-West, but it somehow hasn't turned out like that!  Next year we are going to lay membrane between the raised beds to stop the dreaded weeds, and put gravel on the top, so it might look a little more orderly.


Can you see Marilyn and Audrey looking a little disgruntled in their run? They are waiting to be let out into the back garden, on account of delicious vegetables growing which they can't wait to shred to pieces.  It's really funny, because during the autumn and winter they have the run of the whole side and back garden, but in spring and summer have to be ushered into the back.  After this has been done a few times, they know the drill and just trot happily into the back garden, seemingly oblivious to the cabbages they could be digging up!


The big and blousy Marilyn,


Florence, the one remaining of our 3 original rescue birds, once the henpecked, now leader of the pack!

Had a lovely evening visiting one of my oldest friends (as in, length of time I've known her, not age!) who has just returned to Old Blighty after living for about 30 years in Israel, so me and Millie had a catch up with her and her children.  I've seen her every summer since she went and the years just fall away as we chat about our school days and teenage years.  Can't believe it's 40 years in September since we met for the first time on our first day at secondary school.  She's only here for a couple of weeks, and then starting a new life in Brighton, so hopefully will be visiting her there too, can't wait to see all the lovely vintage treasures that seem to abound in Brighton.


Have also been busy painting and titivating front room, so will share those pictures later with you.

Have a fabulous Sunday, and hope the sun  shines for you!

Love Claire xxx

41 comments:

  1. It's great to be able to go out and pick your own dinner. The weather is no help at all this year. If I could eat weeds I would be well away.
    The sun came out here in Dublin yesterday and there was a mad rush to get a few gardening jobs done. A cuppa in the garden and a few homegrown raspberries. Bliss

    Have a good weekend.

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    1. I know, we really do have to make hay while the sun shines these days! We've only had a few raspberries, but they were delicious ... have a lovely week xxx

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  2. Hello Mrs!
    Aww love them girls...
    You are really living the life, like Tom and Barbara.haha..
    Just did my oven with your bicarbonate of soda tip...
    Worked a treat!
    Maria x

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    1. The oven tip is the best thing you will ever do Maria! Never having to clean a dirty oven again must be number 1 work avoidance! The secret is to keep doing it every time you use oven and it will stay gleaming. Any reader who wants to try this, it is on an earlier post think called Tuesday Tips, but not sure how to link it!
      Hope you enjoyed Manchester, xxx

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  3. I love when we can eat our own veg and use our own eggs, definitely been a bit dismal so far this year though! How wonderful to have a catch up with an old friend, nothing like a good natter over a cup of tea! Looking forward to seeing what you've been doing with your room. x

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    1. Hi Cheryl, wasn't over cups of tea but glasses of wine, so even better! Room nearly done so will definitely post update ... enjoy your week, Claire xxx

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  4. Looks great and I'm glad you managed to get a meal from your own garden. My veg hasnt really done much this year either, the carrots just havent done anything at all.Still theres always another year. I am really envious that you have chickens!

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    1. Hi Anne, sorry your garden hasn't produced much this year, it's really pants! We've got a meal and hopefully a good few more potatoes, but everything else is rubbish. We tried small carrots this year and they are more successful as less chance of carrot fly apparently, and they taste really sweet. The chickens are really lovely, and I am lucky to have them, I know. Hope you have a lovely week, Claire xxx

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  5. Previous years we have grown quite a big and its been lovely to have a homegrown dinner. This year it hasn't happened but maybe next year we'll have the time to do it properly again - just need to build some raised beds over the winter.

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    1. Hi Vicki, that is our mantra: there's always next year!
      Enjoy your week, Claire xxx

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  6. Nice garden, I too think it's important to grow as much of your own food as you can, envy you your hens.

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    1. Thank you very much, but it's really not nice this year! Absolutely full of weeds and gigantic slugs. The pictures of the garden were taken a couple of weeks ago, the weeds are now shoulder height because the rain has fed them and it's been too wet to get out and obliterate them! Thanks for popping in, always nice to see you, Claire xxx

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  7. What a super bounty! Love you hens too! Would love to keep some but sadly our garden is too teeny!
    Victoria xx

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    1. Thanks Victoria, maybe one day you can have chickens ... they are lovely! Claire xxx

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  8. Hello,
    Thanks for popping over to my new blog.
    You are doing so much better than us on the veg front, I have drowned tomato plants and slug destroyed courgettes. I despair with slugs, I don't like using pellets, not least now because Mabel might eat them, but they are everywhere with this rain.
    Your garden looks fab, very jealous,
    Nelly xxx

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    1. We don't use pellets either Nelly, because of the chickens and dog and we do want it to be as organic as we can get it. However, if we see a slug it gets chucked in with the chickens, apparently it enriches their eggs, yuk! Thank you for following me, you're very welcome here xxx

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  9. I had high hopes for growing our own veg this year, but hadn't bargained for the level of destruction the chickens would bring!!
    Nicky
    x

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    1. Hi Nick
      Chickens and veggie plots definitely don't mix! I love watching the chickens doing their backward scrape dance though! xxx

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  10. Hi Claire,
    Your garden looks so productive despite the weather. I agree with you freshly picked food from the garden tastes so much better.
    Sarah x

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    1. Hi Sarah, it's lovely being able to go and pick a meal for your tea, but last year I had enough to share, this year it's slim pickings, I'm afraid! Have a lovely week, Claire xxx

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  11. It must be great eating stuff you've grown yourself. I will do this, I really will. Probably!
    I couldn't have chickens though, I'm a bit sissy and they scare me! Silly moo!
    Hope the weather brightens up this week and you get some sun on your veggies.
    xx

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    1. Hi Missy, lovely to hear from you! I'm a bit of a sissy too and don't like flapping wings, but if I have to I can pick them up (wearing garden gloves and sleeves rolled down!) but they are really quite docile and daft! Hope the sun shines for you too xxx

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  12. One word....SLUGS! Beans planted in pot,beans grow and then beans obliterated.I salute you and your crop of veg. :0)

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    1. Hi Bellaboo ... slugs and snails are immediately despatched to the chicken run ... so begins The Circle of Life! xxx

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  13. Hello Claire,
    I envy your vegetable garden and chickens,
    frescge eggs every day, how nice.
    Here we have the problem backwards,
    no rain and hot muggy terrible ......
    but between a little and came to England ....
    I can not wait.
    Susy Love x

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    1. Hi Susy, you're right, fresh eggs every day is a luxury I will never take for granted ... Lovely to hear you're coming to Engand, will make sure the sun is shining for you! Love Claire xxx

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  14. I've got the theme tune humming in my head after seeing your first picture.

    Lots of lovely produce - at least the rain has been good for one thing....if you can get them to grow before the slugs and snails gobble them up.

    Nina x

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    1. Some of the slugs look like you could put a saddle on them and ride around the garden ! Apparently there is a Spanish slug invading gardens ... I think they've come to mine for their hols! They're about 2 feet long! Have a lovely week, and beware monster slugs xxx

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  15. Hi Claire,
    Another lovely post. Thanks for letting us have a 'walk' around your vegetable plot. I think it looks lovely. There's nothing better than freshly dug up potatoes. Sounds like you've had a lovely time catching up with your friend. It will be lovely to visit her in Brighton.
    Hope you had a lovely weekend. Ali x

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  16. I did have a lovely weekend thank you Ali ... Am busy amassing a little pile of treats for you for the British Swap! Hope you're ok, love Claire xxxx

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  17. Hi Claire, what a wonderful "patch" you have there despite the weather! I can't wait till spring to get into mine. Tom & Barbara bring back happy childhood memories of sitting around the tellie with my family. S:)

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    1. Thank you Sally, ooh I loved it too! It was the highlight of the week in our house, and must have been a great success because it's still being talked about now! xxx

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  18. Hi Claire, all i've managed so far is a few broad beans, far too much rain and not enough sunshine here :-( your little booty looks lovely as does your veg plot, I feel sorry for the farmers whose livlyhood depends on the weather really.
    how lovely to catch up with an old friend, and so good you kept in touch, have a good week, am debating hanging the washing out,,,,should I, shouldn't i???? life is full of such difficult desicions!!! xxx

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    1. Hi Sophie, it has been a disappointing year, veggie plot wise, and yes you can only sympathise with the farmers who get a raw enough deal anyway! I just went into garden, hung a row of washing out, felt a few drops, brought it back in, and now it's chucking it down again!!! xxx

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  19. I do whinge sometimes about life here, but the climate is very good for growing your own. People here don't have a lot of money and I think they still have that practical side. Roman's parents have a potato field and you often see quite elderly people tilling the fields. We are able to have apricot, peach, plum and cherry tress and it was quite a shock to me to pick bags and bags of cherries that would be so expensive in the UK supermarkets. Roman does a lot of the growing to be honest. He planted peas in the garden and the tomatoes are turning red now. Eliska loved the strawberries.
    You are right, it is very satisfying and connects you to the earth and the seasons. I think you are so right, it is rewarding and you have done extremely well. The food you made sounds delicious.
    I don't keep chickens, but next door do and I was surprised at the racket they make, quite high pitched squeals.
    I love The Good Life. I think they would be very proud of you!
    Thanks for your lovely comment at mine.
    Tracy xx

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    1. It's lovely to her about your life Tracy, baskets of cherries would cost hundreds of pounds here, but glad you have the weather for people to be able to do this. My chicken's clucking and squawking pales into insignificance compared to the screeching of the seagulls, so we haven't had any complaints! Thank you for your lovely comments, Claire xxx

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  20. I live near Brighton, hope you do get a chance to visit....D xx

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    1. Hi Dawn, will definitely let you know when I'm coming! xx

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  21. Hello, is it me being barmy or is there no way to comment on your latest post with the poem? I have looked and looked and hovered over things and decided that it's not me! Anyway, beautiful poem and how lovely that your son gave it to you, so he was having that flying the nest feeling too. It must be a tough time for a mum and I'm not looking forward to it. (Although it will be nice not to have to keep finding dirty knickers and ipod leads all over the place...)
    Oh my God about that bowl in the charity shop. I think I would still be in mourning for it. It's one of those things that's going to haunt you for a while and you'll probably wish you fought her for it. There is a lesson to be learned here, mrs, never dawdle in a chazza. Don't give anyone (even a close and dear friend) the chance to get to something before you. Even if you decide you don't want the item at least you will have given it the once over and moved on to the next piece of loveliness! I'm going to bear this in mind when I go to my village later this morning. If anyone gets in front of me I will do a quick body swerve (yes, even with a bad neck,) and get in front sharpish.
    Have a happy Wednesday! It's actually sunny here, I'm having to pinch myself.

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I love to hear what you think of my ramblings and value all your comments ... I will try and get back to you, but am sorry if I don't always manage this ... sometimes real life just gets in the way! Claire xxx