Hmmmm no update for weeks and then suddenly I'm here three times in a week...
We've had some luck and Rik's off to price up the tyres for the van, they are really expensive out here... and hopefully within the next few days we'll get it on the road again.
Its been a while and my inflamed coccyx really protests at all the time spent on the bike, i'm just learning to live with it and sit 'differently' bending over weeding also puts pressure on but stopping that just isnt an option at the moment... anti-inflamatories just upset my stomach so it seems Im stuck with it for the time being.... luckily i seem to have a reasonably mild case as its uncomfortable but not agonising as some folk get it...
The Garden...
Beetroot.... bloody beetroot, Ive now pickled 9 kilos of the stuff... but according to Rik he will need about 25-30 jars to see him through the winter.... damn piggish if you ask me... Im also experimenting with freezing it part cooked at the moment...
As we eat a lot of beets hot with cheese sauce... mmmmmnnn lovely, then I need a way of keeping them for the winter, so Im par boiling and cubing and freezing it... I've done one portion and will then cook it from frozen in the oven and see how it is... let you know later...
The cougettes are coming on, loads of them , Im leaving two plants to grow huge ones for chutney... but eat the others just tossed in herby garlic butter.... yummy.
We've also got quite a few butternut squash coming on now, plus some spagetti pumkins too, any ideas what to do with the spag pumpkins would be a great help....
The peas came out and Rik retilled the area and we've replanted loads more parsnips and of course the dreaded beetroot...
I have parsnips already in the ground but never seem to get them in the ground to get a frost so they taste a little different... this batch should stay long enough....
This time of year is so busy for us... the land needs so much work with weeding, planting , harvesting pickling etc.. we are also madly trying to chop and stack enough wood for the winter, we need to fill a whole barn to the roof to have enough for our range cooker, the fire upstairs and the cottage fire too... it takes loads of work.. but its worth it, it gives me such a feeling of security to know our barn is full....
Im also busy stock piling and stashing food everywhere.... We were a little caught out last year, rik had no work during the cold wet winter and with the economic crisis cottage rentals were poor, luckily we had a few savings and tons of food put by, but it got a bit tough at times, I fully expect this year to be equally as tough, but this time I'll be ready!!!!
Every time I go to the shop I buy something extra, if we have a little money I buy a few things, if we're skint its just a packet of stock cubes or a 50cents tin of tuna... but always something, coupled with the garden , we'll be well set up for the winter. (I have 20kilos of rice....)
Well I think thats about it for now....
Pat
Frugal living in the Portuguese countryside,Eco-tourism, Agri tourism, recipes,family life, self sufficency, eco living, vegetable growing, tips and self help ideas for country living.
