One potato, two potato, three potato, four…..

NaBloPoMo July 08 Day15

I went over to Mexborough on Sunday and Shaun was kind enough to let me have some of these little beauties, fresh from his allotment. Actually, there were more, but we scoffed them already 🙂

The variety is Charlotte and let me tell you they are excellent, great colour, wonderful texture and most importantly they taste divine. I cant wait until my Potatoes begin to crop and I can return the favour!

Turkey and Mushroom Pie

NaBloPoMo July 08 Day14

Sunday lunch yesterday was a Turkey and Mushroom Pie made by Paul. It was very nice, and so I ate too much and gave myself heartburn. It’s the pastry that does it, I cant eat any shop bought pastry, but I can never resist the stuff that Paul makes. He does try to make it a bit lighter for me, but what can you do really? Its just fat and flour in some ratio and so I’m bound to suffer later. I took a Ranitadine, but it seems, too late to stop me feeling the pain, thankfully it didnt last too long before the tablet kicked in.

We ate it with cauliflower, cabbage and gravy. The cabbage was especially tasty because Shaun, the brother in law, gave it me from his allotment 🙂

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Allotment update (finally)

I finally managed to get up to the allotment and do something. I prepared the beds you can see and planted Potatos. I’m so behind its unreal! However I probably wont plant a great deal more in this allotment, I’ve taken on another plot on the same site. I must get some “before” photos of that one before I start trying to get it under control 🙂

And yes, I’m aching all over, but its a nice ache if you see what I mean 🙂

Leek it or not!

I planted these leeks in June 2007 and I’d pretty much given up on them. I went up to the allotment yesterday to drop off some stuff for the compost. I was very pleased to find that having been left alone for a couple of months they have done very well indeed. I picked a few to have with our Sunday lunch and left the rest to keep growing.

I can report that they were deliciously sweet and tender.

I can also report that the Cottage Pie that Paul made was a triumph!

I’ve added a new link the the blogroll over there –> last nights dinner Its a really good blog, full of inpsirational recipes and ideas, its definitely worth a look 🙂

Can I keep him?

I had a visitor on the Allotment last week. Say hello to Mr Newt.

Well, that is to say I think its a Newt. I’m not some sort of amphibian expert you know!

CSI Sheffield

Visiting the Allotment today, I came across* this disturbing scene.

Something has torn the fingers off my gloves. Its all the more disturbing because these are pretty heavy-duty-rubber-over-cloth jobbies. I tried to rip them myself to see if its easy, and it isnt!

I cant imagine what could have done this, though I’ve seen foxes up there before so thats a possiblility.

Perhaps the biggest question is “why”

*Ok, I admit I rearranged the scene slightly for the photo, I mean come on, its not really CSI!

Nothing doing?

So in lieu of proper posts, lets look at what’s been happening recently on Planet Andy.

Myself and Paul ate out last night, which for us is a pretty rare thing on a week night. We went to Estikutum and really enjoyed ourselves. The company (Min and Marie from work) was good and the food divine.

I always find it reassuring when your fellow diners are of the same “ethnic group” as the food being served. In the restaurant, the majority of the customers appeared to be of either Indian, Pakistan or other far east origin. In fact, Min is of Indian descent, so I trust her when she said the food was authentic. My verdict? Five stars!

On Sunday, we finished off the front garden. Finally! Here are the obligatory photos showing off the view 🙂

We’ve gone from

To this

And finally

So that’s that done, I can now spend some time erecting my shed and greenhouse at the allotment 🙂

Hopefully inspiration will re-visit me soon and I’ll be back to my usual prolific (read: sporadic) level of posts.

Truth be told, one reason I’ve not posted much lately is that I’ve been labouring over a particular topic. Its one of those dreadfully self indulgent cathartic posts, it still feels quite raw in places but hopefully has some humour too. I’m almost happy with the content, I just have to decide if its really a good idea to post or not.

My first Carrots.

Chantennay Carrots in fact.

I’m so proud 🙂

P-p-p-pick up a Pea pod

This is a picture of some Peas that an allotment neighbour planted outside his plot. How nice is that? I picked a pod and can confirm that they are sweet, tender and lovely 🙂

And here is a picture of my own peas, not too far behind, the pods are developing nicely, they should fill out over the next few days and be ready to start picking 🙂

Paul has already claimed these, they will all, he has decided, be eaten raw as pod peas. Do you do that? Paul and I like to sit and shell the peas and eat them, just like shelling Pistacchio nuts only much healthier 🙂

Why does it always rain on me….

…errrr, because it hasnt stopped for the last 48 hours, thats why, actually it did stop for 2 hours this afternoon, but hey-ho.

So, as usual after any prolonged spell of weather in the UK, the whole country grinds to a halt.

The funniest thing though, Paul has Corrie on the TV and we cant help noticing how far out the pre-recorded storyline is.

On several occasions the characters are exclaiming about the lovely weather, “oh, lets go for a walk in the park” or something. We are both pissing ourselves at this, since the rain hitting the road outside is is bouncing 2 feet* back up into the air!

I do hope it stops soon, otherwise I wont get to collect and build my greenhouse on Sunday!**

* Approx 60cm
**I originally mis-typed this as Subday, hope its not an omen!