I have been totting up the tally charts I kept during the summer of the veggies we grew this is what we picked:
tomatoes - 9.852kg
green beans - 4.023kg
carrots - 1.178kg
cucumbers - 67
courgettes - 18
butternut squash 3
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Friday, 29 October 2010
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Catching up - Life gets in the way
It seems that every time I get chance to post on here lately I'm apologising for not posting iyswim.
Anyhow we are coming to the end of the halfterm week and we all go back to school or work on Monday.
This week Dave has had the week off as well and we have just spent time relaxing and not doing much.
It has been nice not to get up to an alarm clock.
Cooking has been casual using things up or what we fancy from our stores.
We have spent some time in the garden clearing a few things away and doing some general tidying so there is less to do another day. Also doing a bit of planning ready for next year so hopefully we can grow more veggies ourselves.
Our waste management seems to have evened out and although some weeks is a little more than my target others it is under; I'm not going to be fastidious in trying to achieve the target every week we are averaging 185g per week for the last 42 weeks so not a major amount in real terms for a family of 4.
Dave is hopefully starting a new phase in his work when he goes back on Monday, he will be doing some courses but also will possibly be working different hours and days which should mean an increase in income for us; this is obviously not to be sniffed at in the current economic climate.
So I will be holding the fort more, but also will be looking at what we can still do to maximise our income and growing potential.
I know I want an apple tree and that will be sorted for next year, we have made a note of the types of veggies which grew well and which we all also liked, and will grow more of these utilising the most space available.
Anyhow we are coming to the end of the halfterm week and we all go back to school or work on Monday.
This week Dave has had the week off as well and we have just spent time relaxing and not doing much.
It has been nice not to get up to an alarm clock.
Cooking has been casual using things up or what we fancy from our stores.
We have spent some time in the garden clearing a few things away and doing some general tidying so there is less to do another day. Also doing a bit of planning ready for next year so hopefully we can grow more veggies ourselves.
Our waste management seems to have evened out and although some weeks is a little more than my target others it is under; I'm not going to be fastidious in trying to achieve the target every week we are averaging 185g per week for the last 42 weeks so not a major amount in real terms for a family of 4.
Dave is hopefully starting a new phase in his work when he goes back on Monday, he will be doing some courses but also will possibly be working different hours and days which should mean an increase in income for us; this is obviously not to be sniffed at in the current economic climate.
So I will be holding the fort more, but also will be looking at what we can still do to maximise our income and growing potential.
I know I want an apple tree and that will be sorted for next year, we have made a note of the types of veggies which grew well and which we all also liked, and will grow more of these utilising the most space available.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Apologies
Where has the time gone.
It doesn't seem five minutes since I was writing about the end of term activities and finishing school for the summer.
Well now next week we are all back at school.
The waste management has still been going well, and as the garden has been very productive there has been alot less packaging as all the salad ingredients are from the garden not the supermarket.
We have still been having an organic box but have reduced it to fortnightly, this has been mainly for potatoes and an odd veg like cauliflower which we haven't grown.
I had hoped to have a baking day before school restarted just to get a head start on packed lunch items, but I don't think this will now happen as I had to go into school yesterday for a meeting and today have errands to run in readiness for Monday; I will maybe do a few mini sessions and fit them around my work times, just to get some bits in the freezer.
It doesn't seem five minutes since I was writing about the end of term activities and finishing school for the summer.
Well now next week we are all back at school.
The waste management has still been going well, and as the garden has been very productive there has been alot less packaging as all the salad ingredients are from the garden not the supermarket.
We have still been having an organic box but have reduced it to fortnightly, this has been mainly for potatoes and an odd veg like cauliflower which we haven't grown.
The garden has been prepared for some winter veggies as well, we have leeks, sprouts, swede, and hopefully parsnips and some winter potatoes.
It has been an eyeopener as to how much of any one particular type of veg we need, I thought I had planted loads of carrots, but we are eating them as fast as they are growing and I haven't even managed to put any in the freezer. So next year I will have a much bigger bed for these but will increase the sowings even more than this year.I had hoped to have a baking day before school restarted just to get a head start on packed lunch items, but I don't think this will now happen as I had to go into school yesterday for a meeting and today have errands to run in readiness for Monday; I will maybe do a few mini sessions and fit them around my work times, just to get some bits in the freezer.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Catch Up
Well things have been very hectic the last few weeks.
We've had end of school items, extra work hours for me, the garden going into overdrive, plus all the usual goings on in a family with 2 teenage boys.
I have still been logging the waste we have put into the landfill bin and can reveal that over the last 4 weeks we have only put out 966g; which considering what has been going on is brilliant.
We have been eating cucumbers and lettuce galore, and now the green beans and carrots have come into there own and I am freezing down the surplus. The first tomatoes have now started to turn orangey red so won't be long before we are getting a surplus of those as well.
I also found the time (don't ask how) to make a batch of Elderflower Champagne and a batch of Pink Rhubarb Champagne; these are more like a fizzy wine but sounds better if you say champers.
Hopefully now that we are into the school hols things can settle down for a few weeks; we are however having a major declutter and doing at least one carboot sale per week, (think loft full of baby items- boys are 15 & 12).
My next plan on the cooking front is to find some brambles to be able to make some blackberry jam.
We've had end of school items, extra work hours for me, the garden going into overdrive, plus all the usual goings on in a family with 2 teenage boys.
I have still been logging the waste we have put into the landfill bin and can reveal that over the last 4 weeks we have only put out 966g; which considering what has been going on is brilliant.
We have been eating cucumbers and lettuce galore, and now the green beans and carrots have come into there own and I am freezing down the surplus. The first tomatoes have now started to turn orangey red so won't be long before we are getting a surplus of those as well.
I also found the time (don't ask how) to make a batch of Elderflower Champagne and a batch of Pink Rhubarb Champagne; these are more like a fizzy wine but sounds better if you say champers.
Hopefully now that we are into the school hols things can settle down for a few weeks; we are however having a major declutter and doing at least one carboot sale per week, (think loft full of baby items- boys are 15 & 12).
My next plan on the cooking front is to find some brambles to be able to make some blackberry jam.
Monday, 21 June 2010
Menu Plan w/c 21 June
Monday - Meatballs, new potatoes, fresh veggies
Tuesday - Chicken Salad, fried potatoes
Wednesday - Macaroni cheese, salad
Thursday - Chicken curry, rice
Friday - Tuna Salad, New potatoes
Saturday - Tacos, salad
Sunday - BBQ, salad
Tuesday - Chicken Salad, fried potatoes
Wednesday - Macaroni cheese, salad
Thursday - Chicken curry, rice
Friday - Tuna Salad, New potatoes
Saturday - Tacos, salad
Sunday - BBQ, salad
Weekly Weigh In 24 & 25
I'm afraid this is a two week combined post as life just got in the way of blogging.
I am spending as much time as possible in the garden , weeding and sorting spaces ready for next year.
I have also made my first bact of Elderflower Cordial and will be getting another underway today.
So anyways the landfill bags weighed in at
weeks 24 192g
week 25 161g
As the weather improves I can only hope that there will be less going into the bin as alot of our meals will be based around the salad and veggies from the garden.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Menu Plan w/c 7 June
Monday - Fish Fingers, hm chips, salad
Tuesday - Mince and Mash potatoes, fresh veggies
Wednesday - Egg salad, new potatoes,
Thursday - pork curry, rice, fresh veggies
Friday - Jacket potatoes
Saturday - BBQ (weather permitting)
Sunday - Salmon, new potatoes, salad
All the salad levaes are now from out of our garden.
The cucumbers are coming along very nicely and all the indoor tomatoes have flowers on; so it won't be long before we are having homegrown of those as well.
Tuesday - Mince and Mash potatoes, fresh veggies
Wednesday - Egg salad, new potatoes,
Thursday - pork curry, rice, fresh veggies
Friday - Jacket potatoes
Saturday - BBQ (weather permitting)
Sunday - Salmon, new potatoes, salad
All the salad levaes are now from out of our garden.
The cucumbers are coming along very nicely and all the indoor tomatoes have flowers on; so it won't be long before we are having homegrown of those as well.
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