CUTTING THE CHEMICALS

A couple of years ago I decided to try and cut the chemicals that I use to clean the house with. I used to be very fond of different products and had a cupboard full of different cleaners, sprays and polishes. Then I found this book in the library, I borrowed it so much that I had to send it back and bought my own copy - second hand of course from Amazon.


To clean my kitchen I make up recipe no 684, I put it into my old Ecover "squirtyco" spray bottle and use it to clean all the kitchen surfaces. I buy the white vinegar in this gallon bottle for just £3 from the wholefood store in Manningtree ( http://www.the-wholefoodstore.co.uk/index.htm) I think that this is just as good as anything you can buy, and has just a few basic ingredients. It does need a bit of lavender oil to cover up the vinegar or you end up smelling like a chip shop!!

684 - KITCHEN CLEANING SPRAY
this light spray is great for cleaning kitchen countertops and other surfaces. Vinegar helps to remove the oily film that collects in kitchens and lavender and lemon essential oils are natural antimicrobial.

125 ml (4 fl oz) distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon natural liquid dish washing soap ( I use ecover)
125 ml (4 fl oz) water
1/4 tsp lavender essential oil
1/4 tsp lemon essential oil

combine the ingredients together in a spray bottle, shake well before use

Lukey has spent some time in the garage with his new mitre saw, making the triangles (roof trusses) for the porch roof, he has come home after visits to "Screwfix" with a bag of metal plates and other triangle bits- "to hold it all together". This was all screwed together on top of the blocks and became the roof!

On Friday the building inspector called and proclaimed the roof to have passed the inspection and we could "carry on"!! and so this weekend began the job of bricking up the triangle at the front, this is quite tricky as the blocks have to be cut to the angles of the roof and fill in the gap- almost there!
This evening I also ordered the door, after weeks of decisions - what colour door? what colour frame? what colour handle? a knocker? or no knocker? well, no going back now- but you will have to wait and see!!
On Sunday morning we popped up the allotment for a bit and I could wait no longer, I had to dig up a parsnip, I know you are supposed to wait until after a frost, but I couldn't and here it is- my first ever home grown parsnip, I could not believe how big it was- lots more to come, this one was roasted for dinner. I also hope to make some parsnip sherry and wine, but will wait until there has been a good frost for that.
The tomatoes and peppers have all finished now, the plants have gone black and the remaining tomatoes are soft and rotting. I have begun to clear them up, but it takes ages. I am saving the compost, I am going to try and use it again next year, I need to find out what to mix in it to make it good again.

A bit of knitting

I have been doing a bit of knitting! This is a felted handbag with bobbles on it.
These are fingerless mittens. There are flowers and beads sewn on, I have done another pair in the opposite colour way
"AUTUMN" mobile phone cover, this is a very thick and chunky phone cover designed to fit an iphone, with three acorns and an oak leaf attached. I hope to pop them onto folksy tomorrow, when I get a minute.

I have been busy trying to tidy up the garden and allotment over the last few weekends. I have been treating the wooden garden chairs before putting them away in the shed, still got the table to do and then will take down the bunting and gazebo. Trying to clear away all the old plants that have finished growing and digging up the potatoes. The tomatoes have also finished now and need cutting down and putting on the compost heap. I also want to plant some peas and broad beans this month, I have read that this will give an earlier crop next year, but they need to be covered with a cloche. Just a couple of courgettes left on the plants not quite big enough to pick, but will be ready next weekend. So much to do!

Onions

I planted my onions in February on the allotment, most of them grew, not massive but definitely onions. In July the tops bent over, and I was told it was time to harvest them. They were laid on some wire netting under the overhang of the shed for a few weeks. I looked up how to string them together and this is them!
I was so sure that I made 3 strings of onions and 2 of shallots, but today I looked in the shed at home and the one up the plot but can only find two strings, then I checked out this photo and it only shows 2 strings, I am sure there were more onions than this!

WHERE HAVE MY ONIONS GONE?

The story of my porch, continued...

OK, so a sunny day a couple of weeks ago Wayne the Bricklayer came back and "blocked up" the porch.
So all the blocks done

And now onto the roof trusses. Lukey has spent some time in the garage sawing up wood to create three "triangles" to form the roof.
I have been studying every ones houses, trying to decide what tiles we should have, what colour the facia and sofits should be, what colour should the door frame be - so many decisions?? What if we get it wrong and it looks strange or completely stupid, oh I don't know.