Scarlett Rose

I would like to introduce Scarlett Rose, who was born at 1030 last night and weighed in at 6lb 6 ozs. She is so beautiful and such a precious gift.  Lucie and Philip will make such wonderful parents and needless to say I am totally besotted with my special granddaughter.

Our Style

Having spent the last couple of weeks announcing when I was going to the loo and whistling loudly, I now have a door with knobs!  These glass knobs are so pretty (I also got some for the bedroom door).

My mum asked what decorating style I was going for, I thought for a short while and then answered 'eclectic'.  I think that's the posh way of saying 'a bit of this and a bit of that'.  Our home is going to be made up of stuff we have, stuff we like, stuff we've inherited, stuff we've been given and stuff we've found/recycled.  I say stuff because none of it is expensive but it is precious because altogether it makes up our style.   All of it nice but a bit frayed and tattered round the edges, a bit like me and Pete!!!!

This week I have been creating my own version of sun dried tomatoes.  I have a dehydrator that my son bought me last year for my birthday and I also have a glut of tomatoes.  So I dried some plum tomatoes and then popped them into garlic olive oil.  Heaven!  will be using them for all sorts of things if I can only stop eating them straight from the jar!

In the Greenhouse

I

My tomatoes this year took ages to ripen, but once they did, it's been hard keeping up with them.  I tried something different this year.  Instead of pinching out the side shoots, I left them to grow to the top of the stakes and then just lopped the tops off.  Easy and it worked.  I had just as good as (if not better) than the old way, and a lot less fussing.  Bring on anything that makes life easier!!

House with Pool

Alfie now has his own private swimming pool!

The Heads

I thought I would show you some pictures of the heads (or bathroom as it is known to you landlubbers!). The important bits are done, but it does need; a window, a door, plasterboard finishing off, painting, shelves for linen cupboard, doors for aforesaid cupboard, sink splashback, etc.  but apart from that its done!

Have also been cooking again.  A simple bolognese sauce using veggie mince and  veggies I had in the fridge.  I have cooked and added the pasta to it, so it really is a quick meal for work nights.  I made five portions, three frozen and two for tomorrow night.

Now I have got to go and get ready to go to a rock music festival tonight (Brownstock).  Hmmm what to wear........

Skint, Skint and Even More Skint!

Trying to get the boat ready to move on, to means that Pete hasn't done any paid work for five weeks now.  Added to that we have had to buy a wood burner, fridgefreezer and washing machine earlier than planned so that they could be craned on to the boat.  All this has emptied our purses quite considerably, so now we need to do some serious saving/frugal living to be able carry on with the barge.  With that in mind, I have joined SFT's Stretch-It-Out September Challenge:

1. We spend our usual Grocery Budget from 1st to the 22nd-weekly or however suits. Looking out for bargains, special deals and batch cooking.

2. Then from the 23rd to 30th we eat for 'free' using up all the batch cooking and special deal meals.

3. The money we save by not spending that week could be used for anything

www.sftandthe101challenge.blogspot.co.uk

Today I have been emptying out my fridge to make a lovely pasta sauce to freeze, ready for quick easy meals 

when I get in from work.

I used :

1 Onion

3 homegrown courgettes

1 homegrown fennel bulb

1 Red Pepper

2 Homegrown Garlic Cloves

All gently sautéed in 2 tablespoons of water until soft, then I added:

1 Tin Tomatoes

300 ml Vegetable Stock

1 tsp Fennel Seeds

1/2 tsp Chilli

2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup

Salt to taste

And simmered for about 30 mins until all the flavours had come together and made a lovely chunky sauce.

I have actually frozen this in four portions, because I have it as a main meal with pasta but Pete will have the pasta

as a side dish with a couple of pork strips, so I don't need very large portions,

 

Makeshift Kitchen

We are living in complete chaos at the moment, those of you who have moved home will understand.  I cannot believe how much 'stuff' came off Carpe Diem, I am now convinced she was a Tardis in a previous life!  Added to the fact that although the bedroom was sort of ready and the bathroom works, albeit unfinished, there is still a lot if work to be done.  We are having to make do, hence the makeshift kitchen.  But I am not complaining - the space is amazing, I have ice cream in a working freezer, I can do the washing without dragging it all to work, I have a hot shower to stand under and best of all I have my bed!  More pictures to follow. Enjoy your bank holiday weekend if you are in the UK xxx