Dog Days of Summer

Hello bloglies!

Welcome back once again to my little blog.  I am so pleased to welcome you in.  32 followers now! Wow!!  When I began my babblings I never dreamed that I'd even get one follower never mind 32.  Thank you all very much indeed for visiting me and for leaving comments.  I promise I read and enjoy them all.

There's been more than a sniff of Autumn in the air today.  A mizzly rain started the day but it developed into a pretty mild morning with quite strong sunshine.  Even so, I felt that an almost intangible sniff of Autumn hung in the air. 

We took Harvey the Hooligan for his usual yomp over the field this afternoon.  The wheat has not yet been harvested and is very ripe, the heads of grain hanging heavy on their stems.  I would think that if there's a dry spell by the end of this week, the harvester will be out working into the night as it does every year.  I've probably mentioned before that the field is more than just an open space to me.  I watch the seasons change by it and the wheat harvest never fails to make me a tiny bit wistul that the year is absolutely racing by.

Other autumnal signs........

These little beauties will be well and truly plundered tomorrow morning!

The last of the poppies and their seed heads. 

A close-up - I love this picture!

One man and his dog.  I'm always lagging behind swooning over wildflowers, cloud formations, butterflies and trees. He's used it now!

In other news...........

Harvey had several new toys today.  He does a war dance with this and no ankles are safe!

Still nicks my bloody wool tho!!  Goodness knows how he got hold of this!!

Hattie dug herself a trench this afternoon.  By the time she'd finished her whole body was hidden in the hole!



Charlie seeking peace and quiet on top of the chicken run roof.   Sorry matey - you should know there's no such thing as privacy at Peapods!


Saturday night is our night for cooking something a bit spesh.  It was my turn this weekend - Charlie cooks for us all week as he's home during the day.  I'm doing the Dukan diet as I may have mentioned so I have to stear clear of carbs (oh god - now I know I should go to bed - I just typed crabs!!! hahahahah).

I tend to stick to quite plain meals during the week (although I enjoy them all)  so tonight I really wanted something to tickle my tastebuds as I'm celebrating my first stone off.

To begin with, I made a simple salad of Little Gem lettuce (sadly not home grown but on special offer in Asda!!), some lovely little vine tomatoes which were in the reduced fridge at 25p, some chopped cucumber and onion.  This was made mid-afternoon and all tossed into my lovely new (well - to me anyway) Denby bowl (£2.00 from YWCA chazza shop during the week!).  (Ramble alert:- As an aside - I was browsing a home decorating magazine this morning and spotted a large salad bowl in one of makeover features. Ooh that's nice, I thought.  Yeah it was a beaut.  And a complete steal at just £55!!!  Pah!!  £55 indeed.  That's nearly three quarters of a week's rent fergoodnessakes!!  HAH!! I laugh in the face of your posh salad bowl.   Mine is totally fab so there and does exactly the same job! Ner!)  Ahem.  Where was I?  Oh yeah.  So... back to dinner......  I had a pack of turkey mince in the freezer and some lamb meatballs.  Both from the reduced 'whoops' section and I had paid the princess-ly sum of £1.80 for both packs.  I oven baked the lamb balls  on a grille above the roasting dish because I was a tad worried about their fat content.  To the turkey mince, I added finely chopped onion, sage and thyme, seasoning and an egg, then shaped it into .... erm.... well balls is a bit of a misnomer really.  Let's lovingly call them splodges.  Sounds homely and rustic doesn't it?!  A couple of tins of tommyatoes, onion, garlic, tommyato puree, worcester-shoire (you have to pronounce that  like a farmer cos that's the proper way don'tcha know?! ;) ), a couple of teasp. of sugar and some seasoning were simmered in a pan, before the turkey splodges were added and allowed to bubble away to their little splodgy hearts' content as they cooked and the sauce reduced and thickened.

Some natural yoghurt, mint, onion and cucumber were made into a quick raita dip, and finally some pitta bread warmed through to pile it all into.  Well I had mine piled into salad leaves - but - it was divine!! Even tho I say so myself.  And I do say so!! 

Sounds all long-winded but it really wasn't - probably an hour tops including making and cooking to serving. The boys declared it a hit and I shall definitely do it again. 



Our Saturday Night Feast!



Huge £2.00 Denby bowl stuffed with salad.


Oh dear me - yet another mammoth post.  I can never write one word when 73 will do.  Sorry.  Well a bit anyway!!!

Night all.

Close the door on your way out and don't disturby HTH.   He's had a VERY busy day!!