The new rhythm of our days is now settling into a pattern. Bread dough made in the breadmaker, then shaped and cooked in the oven, so we get a nice crusty loaf instead of the rather pallid (but tasty) loaf from the breadmaker. This one had a quick plait, an egg wash and Sunflower seeds and salt and pepper sprinkled on top.
Tea the other night was a simple Beef Cobbler, made with cheesey scones on top. No onions, as Keith doesn't like them.
There is absolutely no waste in the kitchen - trimmings from vegetables go into the freezer for a stock base for soups. Some little plum tomatoes which were thinking about going over have just joined them. Things which need using up go into stews, curries or stir fries. Fruit wise, we still have LOADS of blackberries from last summer (and the one before I think!) and lots of other tubs of fruit grown here or bought as £1 trays from Abergwili, which were cooked up and still provide dessert. I used to turn them into crumbles but Keith is always very careful of his waistline, so it's just ordinary stewed fruit for him. I have started a pot of peas in the greenhouse to provide pea shoots for stir fries too and have also blown the dust off my seed sprouter and it has some mung beans sprouting beautifully in it - we will have chicken stir fry tomorrow or Tuesday.
We have well stocked freezers but when we need to replace any meat, we will be using our local butcher Dewi at Ffairfach - and sticking to him in the future. Like many people I am sure we will remember who stepped up to the mark in their local community and boycott those who rackateered or took advantage of a dire situation - we won't ever darken the doors of Sports Direct again, that's for sure. So many local businesses have been enterprising, and local shops offering deliveries. Llanfynydd Young Farmers have offered to pick up prescriptions and do shopping for vulnerable people (we come into this group) in the area.
Rubbing this down is what made me ill the other day, so now I am just going to paint it as is! We got this for our middle daughter Gabby last year (she asked us to look out for one) and it's been waiting for me to work on it.
Indeed, talking of Gabby, she did a shop for us (perishables) last week and delivered it. Tam had got so anxious about shopping for us and inadvertently bringing the virus back, so Gabby offered to help out as she doesn't live under the same roof. It was surreal as we had to keep her 6 feet away, touching nothing (though she has new disposable gloves on) and didn't even let her touch one of the cats (though she was desperate for cat cuddles). It was lovely to see her. Everything she brought has been in quarantine down in mum's kitchen. Finally the elephant in the room down there - Gabby's big fridge freezer which we were storing for her - has come into its own and we have transferred all the frozen things across from the small freezer, and the fridge is the quarantine fridge . . .
Above and below: Working on the brash from having those diseased ash trees dropped back in January. Half way through it now - Tam in action dragging it down to Keith by the stables, who then saws it up and the top brash is in a huge pile for another bonfire.
Some of this has already gone in the woodshed, so we should be ok for firewood next winter.
Celendines in the top corner of what used to be the paddock. It's meant to be the "side lawn" nowadays, but won't be cut much this year!
Finally a view from the paddock looking up towards the hill on the other side of the valley. You might just make out a bit of a bank that was once an Iron Age camp - Dyffryn Camp - HERE is a link.
We are so glad to live where we do - it feels safe here and as long as we don't see too much of the news we can keep the horror of all this at bay. Keeping busy helps too, but every now and then I get a shaky moment and get emotional. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone with that reaction. Keep safe, my blogland friends.
