Monday 14 January 2013

The Radio and Prickly Ptete

Well, didn't sound too bad on the radio this morning. It looks like they are following a frugal no-waste theme this week in response to the shocking but unsurprising news that we throw away half the food bought. As they gave out my blog address I have had quite a lot of views today. I hope that more people will look to reducing their waste and I expect those visiting my blog will visit the others that I follow. They would be bound to find someone they could relate to I am sure.
 Let me introduce you to Prickly Pete ! PP is an hedgehog that D. found wandering weakly in the garden one cold night (Dec. 12th 2012) As D. had just cleared out the log box, which is made of bricks, next to the lounge fire, he popped PP in there with some cat food and bedding. Googling how to look after hedgehogs in winter he found that they must be 600g before they can safely hibernate. PP only weighed 400g. so D was determined to build him up ( we are quite good at that in this house!) So here we are in mid January and PP rules the roost in the lounge and is eating us out of house and home. My neighbours lost their beloved dog in early December and asked if we had a use for their stash of tins of dog food. Never ones to turn anything down we accepted. Now I'm not sure if Pedigree Chum is recommended for Hedgehogs, but if it isn't nobody told Prickly Pete.. now weighing 620g !
 Snow today and am pleased to say that our garden looks as tidy as next doors' garden for once under the blanket of snow! Chickens hate the white stuff though and so I have fed them in the empty greenhouse and the barn.
A little more work done on the unfinished projects today. I must get them finished soon as the beautiful tidy stash of materials is calling me.
 Batch of bread made and kitchen tidied ready for the Civic Society's monthly Committee Meeting here tonight. I now need to put the cheese pie in the oven for tea and then get the Agenda ready for the meet.
Thanks for reading, comments welcome. Gill

3 comments:

  1. So funny about the hedgehog; do you let him cruise round the living room or do you keep him in the box.Very fortuitous about the dog food. He is packing on the pounds ! We used to put a saucer of milk out for ours. We loved to see them when we were young and used to prod them gently and watch them curl up in a ball.
    I made bread today - four loaves of Quince Tree s daily bread and a loaf of country white from the Skint Foodie. I have a grain mill and although it was quite expensive it has paid for itself many times over. I have two big buckets of hard red wheat, courtesy of the Amish. I have a bread maker but have been using the oven lately; I guess I just like kneading the bread myself.
    Know what you mean about the snow - covers a multitude of gardening woes.

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  2. PP usually stays in the box. He comes out occasionally but I guess because it is winter, seems to stay around his box for preference. Too true about the dog food, but difficult to express as it sounds like we are pleased the dog died!
    I have a bread maker but haven't used it in some time. I you assess how much electricity used in a bread maker , you might as well have a damn good bake and fill the oven ! I do understand that if you are at work having the breadmaker on while you do other things is a good use of time. I've always wanted a grain mill, especially now that more hard wheat is being grown in this country. I get my wholemeal from an old mill in Cornwall (my friend works there as a volunteer and gets it staff price which is good)My white bread flour I get from Lidl. Do you buy directly from an Amish farmer or do they have an outlet. Their way of farming is just as it should be. Gill

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  3. The Amish have a store run by them in southern Illinois. Yes, they are wonderful farmers. I love my grain mill and grind fresh for every baking. I did nt have one for years and my ww bread is so much more flavourful now. I buy King Arthur white bread flour; anywhere I can get it on sale !!

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