We had a bit of rain ion the night but it didn't seem too bad and the wind didn't seem too strong either so when I woke up at 0700 and it looked okay I decided I would walk to the shop and buy the Sunday paper. Of course as soon as I left them boat is started to rain, not too heavily but enough to need my coat on. It is about a twenty minute walk there and I was looking forward to getting back and being able to read it with a cup of tea. But, you are probably ahead of me here, it wasn't open! When we walked past yesterday we checked for it's opening times and they were 0700 to 2100 on Sunday. Not a sign of life, so it was a plod back and get the kettle on and the other chores before taking it back to Helen.
After the Archers and Desert Island Discs I thought I would set to doing something for the fruit we have picked. I had chopped up the bullaces so I boiled them up to make jam. I was just about to bottle the first batch when there was a knock on the hatch and Jem Bates from the boat yard called. He had come to measure up for a couple of jobs we wanted doing. By the time he had gone my jam was just about burning. In my rush to get it bottled I put the plastic measuring jug I was using to pour it in the jars on the hop to fetch the next one. Unfortunately it was on the hot one and a hole melted in the bottom and the jam ended up on the hob!! We saved as much as we could and then it was 75 minutes to clean everything up.
After the Archers and Desert Island Discs I thought I would set to doing something for the fruit we have picked. I had chopped up the bullaces so I boiled them up to make jam. I was just about to bottle the first batch when there was a knock on the hatch and Jem Bates from the boat yard called. He had come to measure up for a couple of jobs we wanted doing. By the time he had gone my jam was just about burning. In my rush to get it bottled I put the plastic measuring jug I was using to pour it in the jars on the hop to fetch the next one. Unfortunately it was on the hot one and a hole melted in the bottom and the jam ended up on the hob!! We saved as much as we could and then it was 75 minutes to clean everything up.
Two of the jars of wild damson jam and the damson tarts. (Not quite I was hoping they would turn out but not using a recipe then what do you expect).
Helen decided to get in the act and made up a loaf of bread and prepared a ham for boiling and baking. After our lunch the weather had cleared up and we had blue sky and it looked like we would be able to get out for a walk. o sooner had I said it then a funny noise started and withing seconds there was a full gale of wind passing through. Just opposite our mooring two small horse chestnut trees in a hedge were brought down and leaves were every where. A piece of building timber about a metre long ended up in a tree opposite. It only lasted a few minutes but I suppose it will mean that there will be a few bits of timber for collecting for winter fuel. Every cloudy etc etc.
The trees down by our mooring with a sign of better weather coming.
As the oven was on I decided to make a damson tart and that was the job in the afternoon. That and washing up afterwards. I reckon the weather may be good enough to walk for a pint later tonight. The worst of it is that without the sun we are having to run the engine to charge the batteries. That reminds me I need to check the battery levels tomorrow.
5 comments:
Good tarts and jam Tony. This blog did make me laugh as today seemed not to go quite to plan. Was reading it to Will and he commented that he didn't think Helen baked and is impressed when I told him the things she gets up to. Do you think she used to just say that she couldn't cook to get out of it lol. I think she's a brilliant cook. By the way the foraged fruit looks amazing and as Ann says it looks better than the fruit in the shops.
Heather
I agree, Helen is a brilliant cook. How I miss our dinner parties!
Ann.
Tony, the best laid plans and all that ... My memory (very recent, in fact) is that Helen's baking is first class! And I am going to have to make sure David reads your recent posts, so that he too starts scrumping and cooking the results. Cheers to you both, Marilyn
Hi Girls, Helen does like baking as it is 'special'. She also likes cooking for dinner parties etc but is not so keen on everyday cooking meals everyday as it becomes a bit boring and there is thinking of new things and planning the shopping. We don't starve do we, plus we have more time for everything these days so there is less pressure all round.
Marilyn; I'm sure he will have his eyes open from now. That is if he has got over his jet lag yet! Tony and Helen.
Tony, Jetlag has nothing on the man flu he is recovering from ... I am generally enjoying cooking meals at the moment as I have hardly cooked at home for about 3 years - Joe has prepared pretty much every meal since he moved in with us in July 2011. The struggle with starting to cook again was remembering what I used to make! If Joe ever leaves us (and I hope he won't) David will have to brush up on his dinner cooking skills, esp if I am back at work when we head home to NZ! Cheers, M&D
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