31st September (I make the rules here)

I was very brave and a little while ago, I gave in and relented to the fact that it is... October. I turned the page on the calendar before my nerves give way and just felt thankful that it wasn't November, not yet. This year seems to be going in way too fast and soon it will be winter and generally that does not cheer me in any way.

Thanks go out to Paul and Caro for arranging to have their wedding this month and thus a trip to Belgium is on the cards in less than a fortnight.

Even so, while I can, I would like to talk about September for a little longer.

We visited the lottie last night, for food for dinner, last nights dinner and tonight. I forgot to even look at the caterpillar chrysalis, so 'Chrysalis Watch' has gotten off to a terrible start, sorry.

We had a good harvest look. Yes, spinach, carrots, potatoes and 2 new additions to the repertoire - Scallions and Chillies (Hungarian Hot Wax). I had the spinach for my lunch there and it tasted great, with the usual addition of prunes, yummy. The Chillies were used last night in a Veggie Curry (made by Andrew), they weren't hot but they are only just turning yellow/orange but they did taste nice. The plant looks very healthy and there are, goodness, around 20+ on it growing away merrily under their own little greenhouse. The Jalapeno also has lots of flowers and a couple of baby chillies.

The Scallions are for this evening, Champ with Pork and Apple Sausages. Mamma G is coming over for dinner, and that reminds me - must tidy up a bit!! I think this is the 1st time we've had anyone over to share in a Lottie meal with us. We generally just give produce away, like these Radishes last night, which went to the afore mentioned Mamma; a good home for a radish to go and fulfil it's destiny. A couple were split a little and one of them was purple, it always was since it was a baby - odd, maybe just a different variety in the packet of seeds, even it's foliage was richer in colour.

Now I have a lesson to share with you, about Runner Beans and what not to do with them. Take note, if you ever grow these fine and tasty beans, never ever put them in the freezer without blanching them first. They will turn to floppy, squishy messes that even their own Mother would despair over. Blanching is the key, I hope anyway cos that's what we have done with the rest. Hopefully they will be better and can be cooked just from frozen.

Here are the floppy beans (sad) and here are the last batch of lottie runner beans, blanched and ready to go into the freezer.

Well, the sun is out, though it is very cold. I really ought to take Maggie for a quick walk before all the noisy kids get released from their schools and explode onto the streets. Haha, it's just started to absoultely pour down, no going out for us - Maggie HATES rain. It's so changable.