The "state" visit is cancelled as my Aunt Elizabeth isn't well and needs minding, so our expected visitor has headed over to Essex. Unfortunately that means that the cleaning job Ian and Brian were going to do in advance of her arrival is kinda unlikely to happen. Of course they'll need to do it to be ready for Carolan and Andy visiting next weekend....
I've just been watching that long tennis match between Isner and Mahut. I don't understand how they can keep going for so long. I get exhausted just watching them! I think that what should happen is that the people in the next round should stand down in their favour so that they both get through. It seems it has so far been the longest ever tennis match in a major tournament.
The Queen is going to visit our President, it appears. How exciting!
Wednesday 23 June 2010
Wednesday 16 June 2010
The story of my life at this time of year
It's elderflower time of year. Ian and I picked loads of elderflowers so I have cordial and champagne in the making. It smells good! Here is my champagne recipe, courtesy of "selfsufficientish"
8 litres (2 gallons) water
1.25 kg (2.5 lbs/5 cups) sugar
8 large elderflower heads
4 Lemons
4 tablespoons mild white wine vinegar
Boil the water and pour over the sugar to dissolve it. Cool and add the elderflowers, juice of the two lemons, slices of the other two and the vinegar. Cover with a cloth and leave for a day. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth, squeezing the flowers as you do to release more flavour. Store in screw top bottles.
It will be ready in about 10 days to a fortnight and should be drunk within a month. <-----This is the part I'm at. Do you think it will be ready in time for Carolan to taste?
Also, in the garden I have mange-tout, lots of types of salad leaves, garlic, scallions and various herbs. Coming along nicely are beetroot, red onions, peas, broad beans, sweet corn and raspberries. For some reason my runner beans are struggling with the running bit and aren't getting far off the ground.
8 litres (2 gallons) water
1.25 kg (2.5 lbs/5 cups) sugar
8 large elderflower heads
4 Lemons
4 tablespoons mild white wine vinegar
Boil the water and pour over the sugar to dissolve it. Cool and add the elderflowers, juice of the two lemons, slices of the other two and the vinegar. Cover with a cloth and leave for a day. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth, squeezing the flowers as you do to release more flavour. Store in screw top bottles.
It will be ready in about 10 days to a fortnight and should be drunk within a month. <-----This is the part I'm at. Do you think it will be ready in time for Carolan to taste?
Also, in the garden I have mange-tout, lots of types of salad leaves, garlic, scallions and various herbs. Coming along nicely are beetroot, red onions, peas, broad beans, sweet corn and raspberries. For some reason my runner beans are struggling with the running bit and aren't getting far off the ground.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Leavy goes head on
Ian was throwing a ball for Leavy and Pippa over at the Castle Oaks field, and the little friendly dog from the nearby houses was joining in the play. Leavy has this habit of racing straight at people and dogs and stopping just before she reaches them. However, maybe his little friend also does this. Suffice it to say, they met head on. The little dog raced off home. Leavy looked stunned. Next thing, though, she was gone too.
Ian hadn't seen her race so didn't even know where to start to look for her, so he decided to head home to leave Pippa there before going off on a search.
The story has a good ending. Lo and behold, when he arrived home there was Leavy sitting waiting for him, looking very bemused. Is there any chance that she'll get sense as a result of the incident? The mind boggles at what would have happened if a car had happened to be passing when she raced across the road, as Leavy doesn't understand cars.
My aunt is wending her way down here the weekend after next. She is attending a wedding in Glin that is likely to be the talk of the town, so we are the staging point. She'll be here for 2 nights, and most of 3 days..... She has only been to our house once before. I don't think she is too fussy about housekeeping, but I'd better do a decent tidy before Carolan and Andy visit the following week. I know they're bound to notice everything!
I was afraid that my mange-tout plants were turning out to be sweet peas, but they now seem to be developing the correct shapes, with the bonus that there are flowers at the top of the plants so that the garden has a small bit of prettiness in it. At the moment the fare on offer from the garden includes loads of different kinds of salad leaves, and some spinach is ready for eating. Red onions are coming on well, and garlic will be ready for Carolan's visit. It is very pleasant and mild at the moment, taken with a salad. Tomatoes are beginning to show themselves in the greenhouse, but the plants are mainly growing like triffids. I have to breathe in when I walk into the greenhouse so that I don't knock something down.
Oh - and I planted some bedding plants in the shower base, locating it in front of the shed near my car. The colours on the flowers aren't very nice but at least it makes the shower base look as it if is meant to be there.
It's elderflower time, so the next few weeks will be spent making cordial. Unfortunately the local places I used for cutting the flowers last time have all been pruned back in the last year, and even the tree near the Meeting House has been cut, so I'll have to go further afield. The blossoms are coming along nicely, though are later than last year.
Off to the boat now, heading for Rossmore.
Ian hadn't seen her race so didn't even know where to start to look for her, so he decided to head home to leave Pippa there before going off on a search.
The story has a good ending. Lo and behold, when he arrived home there was Leavy sitting waiting for him, looking very bemused. Is there any chance that she'll get sense as a result of the incident? The mind boggles at what would have happened if a car had happened to be passing when she raced across the road, as Leavy doesn't understand cars.
My aunt is wending her way down here the weekend after next. She is attending a wedding in Glin that is likely to be the talk of the town, so we are the staging point. She'll be here for 2 nights, and most of 3 days..... She has only been to our house once before. I don't think she is too fussy about housekeeping, but I'd better do a decent tidy before Carolan and Andy visit the following week. I know they're bound to notice everything!
I was afraid that my mange-tout plants were turning out to be sweet peas, but they now seem to be developing the correct shapes, with the bonus that there are flowers at the top of the plants so that the garden has a small bit of prettiness in it. At the moment the fare on offer from the garden includes loads of different kinds of salad leaves, and some spinach is ready for eating. Red onions are coming on well, and garlic will be ready for Carolan's visit. It is very pleasant and mild at the moment, taken with a salad. Tomatoes are beginning to show themselves in the greenhouse, but the plants are mainly growing like triffids. I have to breathe in when I walk into the greenhouse so that I don't knock something down.
Oh - and I planted some bedding plants in the shower base, locating it in front of the shed near my car. The colours on the flowers aren't very nice but at least it makes the shower base look as it if is meant to be there.
It's elderflower time, so the next few weeks will be spent making cordial. Unfortunately the local places I used for cutting the flowers last time have all been pruned back in the last year, and even the tree near the Meeting House has been cut, so I'll have to go further afield. The blossoms are coming along nicely, though are later than last year.
Off to the boat now, heading for Rossmore.
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