Monday 10 March 2014

Cookery classes, Grandchildren and pruning

Hello Bloggy Friends.
Sorry I've not been around for a few days. Fine weather makes us busy!

I'm catching up on other blogs. I was particularly interested to see that Frugal Queen has been offering a Roadshow giving lessons on cooking etc. I think this is commendable and an idea that should be available to more people. Thing is.. how does this work? The more I think about it the more difficult it seems. Over the years I have been asked by people if I could offer sessions on preserving, smallholder cookery etc. But where ? In my kitchen? The village Hall? Neither of these could be seen as approved food rooms nor offer the room for more than a couple of cooks. Would my simple hygiene certificate suffice?  Any ideas Folks? have you thought of starting a cooking group?

After this weekend I'm feeling particularly proud of my granddaughters.
 My youngest, aged 8, stopped overnight on Friday. She is an early riser and whereas when she was younger this meant several hours of concentrated effort (in no way resented) keeping her occupied. it now means several hours of useful and interesting jobs. She is studying the growth of plants at school and wanted to discuss seeds and plants in a more informed way than usual. She usually has a small piece of garden to grow vegetables each year, but has worked out that if she is to grow all she wants to she will need a larger plot. We decided on an area she could have, measured it (300cms by 130cms in new money) and plotted it on some graph paper. With the aid of a couple of seed catalogues (smallholder's pornography)  she decided what to grow and I advised her what was possible and what might be too difficult. We agreed that she could use whatever seed I had and fortunately I had everything she wanted. She then proceeded to sow the early seed into pots and trays, labeling and watering and transferring to the warm greenhouse completely independently. She also started some cucumbers off for me and has negotiated for some plants that I have already started.
She was particularly keen to help with the "shop", rushing to the front gate to serve egg customers. There is an honesty pot, but this is not needed when YGD is here! People are usually happy to wait while she sorts out the right change or works out how many boxes are need for one and a half dozen.
Lastly, she tried on her Egyptian costume today. They are studying Ancient Egypt and she keeps asking her Grandad questions as she knows he loves a good quiz, hoping to catch him out. It really seems to have caught her imagination.
Here she is..

My eldest granddaughter is to start a new job and will need to take a packed lunch. Over the weekend she did a large bake of cakes and cookies to freeze and take out daily for herself an her partner. She chose some clever cost-effective recipes and posted a picture of the bakes on the Facebook site " Fill my Family on a budget"and had 88 likes and 30 comments, many of them asking for the recipes. Not bad for a nineteen year old ! 
Here is the picture she posted

Today she and I went into town to do some banking and popped into Lidl for some milk, there she bought two fruit trees for her garden. They looked good strong plants in large pots for £7.99, which is a very reasonable price if you are in the market for fruit trees.

Right! I promise not to brag about my grandchildren again for a week or two! tee hee

We have been pruning the wisteria today. It is huge and covers two sides of the house and there is also one on the front of the barn. So while D. is up the ladder I'm standing on the bottom rung "footing the ladder" and trying to duck the branches and twigs as they rained down. We have also pruned the front hedge which is made of pyracathus. D. thought it would deter anyone who might want to enter the garden, as P. is VERY spikey. Methinks that the only person deterred is me! Gosh, those spikes hurt!!

All for now folks. Lots more planting of seeds tomorrow. ooh don't you just love spring?
Gillx

16 comments:

  1. Grandparents always reserve bragging rights! :-)

    I think small informal cooking classes with limited sizes could be done either at home or in a town hall type kitchen. In our area we have what we call an Agricultural Extension office (I'm guessing you have something similar) and they offer how to information on food preservation. If you do indeed have something similar they might be the people to contact about teaching classes of that nature.

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    1. Hi Shara ! Haven't seen your blog for ages and thought you were having a break. I then realised that I was no longer following you. I have no idea how that happened, so I will put that right today.
      I am really busy at the moment, but if I ever get more time I may consider using my kitchen I think. One of the biggest difficulties here is that the minute you involve "the powers that be" things become complicated !
      Hope you are keeping well
      Gill

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  2. A policeman once recommended us to plant Pyracanthus under each of our downstairs windows.!

    As for the location for your COOKERY SCHOOL, I would have thought a small cosy kitchen would be charming. You may think it unsuitable, but others would probably love it (depending on how many 'students' you have, of course)

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    1. That police officer knew what he was talking about...However it would mean very dirty windows too!
      You may be right. Years ago, when we did B&B all the guest wanted to eat in the kitchen and would sit there for hours if they could.
      Gill

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  3. You seem to have been very busy and well done to both grandaughters.
    You mentioned that you pruned you wisteria is now the time? We have one growing over a pergola and I would like to tidy it up but don't know how any suggestions would be most welcome as it needs something as its been there for nearly 20 years and I have never really done anything to it. It does give a magnificent show of blooms but is now quite untidy.

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    1. Ideally D. prunes the wisteria twice, once in summer after flowering and then in winter (as now) before bud burst. He didn't have time last summer, so this is its' only prune.
      If you haven't pruned yet you still have time. Don't be shy and cut it right back to about 3 buds and get rid of all whippy bits. I bet there are lots of u- tube tutorials you could follow.
      Good Luck
      Gill

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  4. Hello

    I've been reading and lurking for some time and this weekend I made a promise to myself to go and comment on a bunch of blogs I am lurking on. I've been particularly enjoying your blog as my family and I are living in Chesterfield doing a Tom and Barbara Good in the backplot (pigs left for the abbatoir just this Sunday).

    I spent some of the weekend on one of our two Pyracanthus bushes and am covered in scratches. We've borrowed a shredder through to make some mulch out of our green waste and I found that there is little more satisfying the shredding Pyracanthus after it has spiked you. Sweet revenge!

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    1. Hello Chesterboro'! Glad to see you here. They call us "The Good Life" round here too. Though we are not considered anything like as odd as we used to be.
      Do you go to the Derbyshire Smallholders meetings?
      Am going over to your blog now to have look.
      Keep in touch neighbour
      Gill

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  5. We foolishly planted a Pyracantha by the front porch, I'm forever cutting the darn thing back in case the postman or someone putting egg money through the letterbox gets spiked. We thought we had mice in the roof but it was only the Py. rattling on the guttering - it had grown so quickly! Vigorous and vicious!.

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    1. I know what you mean, the branches are like pokey fingers tapping in windows and the like., and it grows SO fast.
      On the plus side the birds love the berries and perching on the branches
      Gill

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  6. Oh Gill, smallholders pornography, that made me laugh! The costume looks lovely and so does all that baking.I hope we get some pictures of this veg patch when all that lovely veg is coming up x

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    1. You knew what I meant though didn't you?!
      As soon as her plot is cleared and ready I will take a pic and then how it grows throughout the summer. I hope that this will inspire YGD to carry on with enthusiasm
      Gill

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  7. I think you've got every right to brag about your grandaughters, I don't think our young people get the praise they deserve, we only ever seem to hear all the negative things about them these days. I think your youngest grandaughter looks as pretty as a picture in her Egyptian costume, it's great when a topic they're learning about really grabs their attention. As for the baking that your eldest grandaughter has done, it looks scrummy.

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    1. I agree with you that people don't always remember to give praise where it is due, but are quick to find fault.
      I didn't even get a taste of the baking tho' I reckon THAT could be improved on!
      Gill

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  8. The baked goods look absolutely scrumptious! And your little Egyptian is a real doll. You have every right to brag about your grandchildren!

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    1. They really are a credit to their mothers.
      Your book has arrived from Amazon.. can't wait to start it! I will make sure that I write a review
      Gill

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