Wednesday 25 June 2014

Bee Business

Hello
Still busy here. Have finally finished planting, just some plants waiting in the wings for when the garlic and spinach come out in the next couple of weeks.
Still picking gooseberries and now cucumbers.
  Last week we went out five nights out of seven and I am happy that this week will be less "social" so that perhaps I will get some sewing done in the evenings after I settle down.
 Still using up food from freezer as the older one is about to give up the ghost and I need to ensure that the remaining one has room for the summer produce. Not that we freeze ,many veg as we like to use veg in season and find frozen veg not a patch on what can be had straight from the garden.

On the food front. I bought two chickens for tea on sunday (to feed 9)
Leftovers were ..Chicken salad monday,  Chicken pie for next weekend when Adam is here, Chicken soup for lunch  and enough for three rounds of chicken and stuffing sandwiches.
As I was making pastry  I made a pound. Firstly for the chicken pie, then a homity pie (left over salad potatoes form yesterdays chicken salad, a pastry case for a cheese a onion  and potato pie later in the week. With the scraps of pastry that were left I made a turnover with a cooked salad potato mixed with the last tablespoon full of feta in olive oil from Lidl. If  you haven't tasted this yet do give it a try it is Delicious " (Aldi   does it too)
Had the most enormous swarm on Monday. YD spotted it through the window leaving Hive No.1 It settled high in a tree. Bob (Shared Lives) held the ladder which D. climbed and tied a chord around the branch and then cut the branch and gently lowered the swarm down while I steered it into the box. A good swift knock and they were in! They are covering most of the frames so there's a goodly few.
Still haven't sold any bees yet, but we should be collecting honey in a fortnight which is good as we sold the last of our honey store yesterday!

 Kev.. Tidy I am not. My excuse is that my head is full of highly intelectual and creative thought, leaving no time for the mundane. In reality I am a VERY untidy person and so is D. so we stand NO chance!

have much more to write, but just received a phone call from someone who has bees in there eaves .. can I go and have a look?
Back Soon
Gillx


4 comments:

  1. Would love to have a beehive in the garden, do you sell hives as well as the bees? How much would the 'package' be? and would you deliver to Leicestershire? (I'm about five miles from junction 22 on M1, I assume you would get on M1 at junction 26?).
    Perhaps I'm being over ambitious, especially as I have never looked after bees!
    Great to have the blogger reading full list back isn't it?

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    1. We could deliver to Leicestershire, but probably wouldn't be close enough to give you ongoing ( and occasionally frequent) support. If you google Leicestershire Beekeeping Association they will probably be able to tell you who is nearby to mentor you. They would also give you an idea of a fair cost and may even have some to sell. We are considering selling bees for £120, with the hives costing out at around £200 depending on how much "kit" people want ...types of quilt, floor etc. We will be finalising our costs soon.

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  2. I agree about freezing vegs. I try to find any alternative before confining mine to the freezer. I've just been pickling Caulis.

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    1. I certainly don't think caulis freeze well. We like them almost crispy and always steam them.
      I remember my mother and her contemporaries boiling all greens to buggary. When she cooked brussels she would would put the boiled buttons in the colander and press the water out with a saucer. They ended up resembling a green paste!

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