Selfsufficientish.com

I mainly do lacto-fermented pickles Bernard. These all are quietly fizzing on the countertop now. I rarely use vinegar - although I do like a bit of chutney. I make a rather nice farmhouse chutney (Branston pickle-ish) and a fabulous carrot and ginger chutney. Oh and while I was in the preserving mo...

I've got various vegetable combinations brining. Bok choy, cucumber, carrot and radish to make kimchi; cabbage, fennel, radish, carrot and onion to make Gundruk (a new one on me, similar to kimchi but uses more Indian type spices. It's a Nepalese recipe); beetroot, radishes, carrots and onion to mak...

I don't like broad beans, Flo (well I do when each bean has bean peeled - I can't bear the skin!) and we haven't grown any carrots because we get some every week in our veg box. Our raspberries and strawberries are only just ripening. The salad leaves went from cute to bolting in the space of a few ...

A few of today's offerings. Courgettes from the cold frame, tomatoes and peppers from the greenhouse and golden cayenne chillies from the windowsill.

I'm currently reading a series by Jim Butcher - similar theme to the Rivers of London series but set in Chicago. Not nearly as good IMHO. I'm enjoying the story lines but the lead character needs a good slap.

Yes, I've read them all and thoroughly enjoyed them too.

No cabbage whites but we've had loads of peacock butterflies. Never seen so many. They spent most of the nice weather we had several weeks back sun-bathing on our white walls.

I've been out twice now. Both times were quite stressful. I had to go for cement and I have to say that B+Q had it sorted - sanitising facilities, masks for anyone who needed them and clearly marked routes through the store. Everyone seemed to be observing the 2m distancing (or maybe they could see ...

Hadn't heard of Robin Hobb - will investigate! Do so, ina, she's written several series (Liveships being one such) that all concentrate on different aspects of the same fantasy world, so all the books share some characters, places etc. She also writes under the name Megan Lindholm. I've enjoyed eve...

I'm afraid I haven't been reading anything remotely useful - just pure escapism. I've just read every book by Robin Hobb and thoroughly enjoyed every one.

Our "recycling centre" closed at the start of lockdown and hasn't re-opened. All the surrounding ones have but theirs are all manned. Ours consisted of two enormous skips, into which everything was thrown in a jumble. I'm sure it must have played havoc with the Council's recycling targets but I'm gu...

The foliage and thorns sounds like a wild pear. Mine has, thus far, never fruited so I can't help with that.

Lovely surprise! Pickled walnuts here we (you) come.

That is very good to know Viper (and don't worry I'll not tell your OH ).

Yes, it's the same old problem. I bought some glass food containers to replace those plastic ones that are so useful for freezing stuff. They're great, although rather expensive, which would hopefully be offset by their longer life. But there are two major downsides. They don't stack inside each oth...