Delectable feasting

It can not be left quiet anymore - my hubby is a fabulous cook and I am so lucky to have him in my life! I wanted to shout it from the roof tops on Christmas Day but society does constrain one and the word 'mad' gets bandied about, hahaha.

It is a shameful thing to admit here on my allotment blog but, I did not go with Andrew to do our annual Christmas Eve harvest. It was cold and raining heavy and to be honest there were cute films on the TV and I was cuddling Toby - sorry but someone has to do it. Here are some of Andrew's pictures of that glorious moment....

Probably the most laughable harvest yet! The Kale was fabulous but the brussels had been attacked and we had about 3 tiny ones each and there were no carrots or parsnips - the shame. I think we're going to quit carrot growing, the disappointment every year is really too much and to be honest they are so cheap at all times of the year, it feels like it isn't worth it. * Now, I've just learnt (after publishing this post) that we DID have parsnips but the ground was too wet and claggy to dig them up!

* That is unless YOU can tell me of a foolproof carrot variety that NEVER fails.

Our Christmas Day was joyously quiet and uneventful; we started off eating porridge with chocolate drops on top and drinking 'jingle fizz' ~ prosecco and cranberry juice. Ah, there's nothing better than a day were it's socially acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast and (responsibly) drink alcohol all day.

And here was the main event - check out those brussel sprouts, they were delicious and were eaten slowly and deliberately. Plus, I would love it to be known that I didn't eat all the food on that plate - Andrew was a little generous. We did eat all the left overs on Boxing Day though.

And on Boxing Day we went for a lovely walk in Carnfunnock Park, where Toby had his 1st walk ever; this time went a heck of a lot better. There's nothing finer than getting all wrapped up warm and burning off that Christmas Pudding in amongst the trees and meeting cheery fellow walkers (and their dogs). Also, Toby got to wear his festive jumper on the journey and a very sexy red coat on the walk itself. Truly a festive walk is a marvellous activity, particularly when you stop to make tea, find mushrooms, berries and enjoy another sunset.

Today we went into Belfast which was a bit of a nightmare, so many people! Tomorrow we go for another hike in the middle of nowhere.. The allotment SHALL see us soon though, fear not.

******

Oh, and watch out for a New Year's GIVEAWAY - A copy of Sarah Raven's beautiful 'Cutting garden journal'. I'll only be able to afford UK postage but I hope you'll put your name in, there's every chance this hardback loveliness could be yours 

And some changes will be happening on the blog too, I need a change xxx

Hugs

Carrie

P.S. Tell me about your Christmas harvest and walks!

looking both ways

I've been dragged through a hedge backwards, tangled up in the brambles, scratched and aching on this, the other side. Seems the Holidays have taken their toll once again on my mental health and winter has given me the beautiful gift of the cold and enough phlegm to fill a swimming pool (yes that is an utterly disgusting vision but true). All the begging in the world, all the fist shaking at the sky has been in vain as I have endeavoured to be cheery, to take many photos and make memories, share time with my friends and be present in the moment. This time of year and I simply don't get on.

I have a wonderously clear view of myself now, with all this...I'm a bulb. Well, at least I would like to be a bulb, hiding deep down (at least twice my height in depth) underground, warm and snug in the darkness whilst the rest of the world gets on with things, only ready to emerge after the winter. Rather like a poster I once saw ..'life begins after coffee', for me 'life seems to begin after winter' hahaa. My ability to live, write, create and fight my depression all comes with a dependency on Vitamin D (i.e.sunshine) accompanied by a free and easy approach to socialisation (no long, internal struggles with what I ought to be doing). 

However, we did have a lovely little Christmas, please don't get me all wrong. Yes, it was difficult and emotional and such like but Andrew and I spent it together and that was perfect. Breakfast was lingered over and consisted of cava with cranberry juice (and berries) in it and homemade pancakes with crispy pancetta = yum!

Parsnips have been the best thing about Christmas and the days after. Oh my! I knew the 'tender and true' wouldn't let us down even though they looked rather ugly; taste is what matters and they are bursting with parsnip-y goodness. We had them roasted and mashed with carrot, mashed with potato, mashed with carrot and potato and fried as little cakes...can't get enough. Somehow leftovers are even more enjoyable than the main meal itself and they go on for days, just add Cranberry sauce and away you go :)

P.S. the stuffing balls had our own leeks in it, yep, proud veggie grower here :)

It's hilarious but I got a pink leather tool belt from Andrew as one of my presents! Funny how a man's mind works sometimes; I laughed until my throat ached but then saw that it wasn't a joke gift and he had actually thought I would get a lot of use out of it and love it. I shall use it on the plot but, well, you know...tool belts aren't famously a girls' best friend, hehehe. My dear friend also got me an allotment related gift in the shape of gorgeous hand knitted (and again, pink) wellie socks! I can't wait to use them, they are so warm and soft. I think both gifts would benefit from being shown off whilst in action...await further pictures ;)

*******

So now we try to look to the future and the first of the seed catalogues has arrived :) The plot is soaked through which is kind of good - takes the guilt out of our hands as we can't do anything, rather than we can't be bothered to do anything. Oh we have plans, many plans and I am determined to be more of a fixture there this year, I think that and not being such a bully to myself are my only resolutions. Though they are ones I make every year...

Love and hugs to you all

Christmas on the plot

Twas 3 days before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a Maggie...because she was snoozing as usual on her on sofa and it looked wild cold outside.

After lunch we decided to go and do the Holiday ritual of gathering our own parsnips and leeks. I am not impressed with what the weatherman and woman on tv are saying about the coming days...warnings for 80mph winds and bitterly cold raininess. So today seemed the wisest option for a visit to a place where the wind would cut through you on a good day and the activity is all about mud.

It was an incredibly welcome surprise to find this when we drove down the main path...tarmac, blacktop, whatever you call it, we now have some real road!!! This has always been the worst area so I am glad they started here but other areas have lots more hardcore down as well... It was a great feeling not to be sliding all over the show when we got out of the car :) Hurrah to you Council people and thank you!!

Look it put us in a happy/silly mood...

Kiss chase

So here is the last shot of the plot before Christmas and all the madness and subsequent exhaustion the days bring. I wanted an overall shot in case it's the last of the year. With reminds me Happy Solstice!! The days are getting longer now :)

A sign of Spring....

This is what we came for - the parsnips. We have honey roasted and mashed (with carrot) at this time of year - I think parsnips are one of my all time favourites. This bed was well and truly double dug last year but we think there may have been a layer of manure that these young parsnips hit early on in their growing and thus they are swat and many legged...a bit of a disappointment but still edible. We were hoping for the usual gorgeousness seen in the long photo on the right but we (Andrew!) didn't thin them out either so it's our (Andrew's) fault. These are our usual 'tender and true' - they'll taste fabulous so who cares really...

washing parsnips in super cold water-butt water, bbrrr

We also came for leeks and were not disappointed even after an earlier attack of rust; there are many left too. They are beautiful as always and as I am intolerant to onion..we eat lots of these every week. Have you seen the price of them in a supermarket!

Still come colour on the plots...who says the winter months are dead on the allotment?!

Brilliant garlic bulbs; best way to store them really

An action photo of Andrew for you, he was doing the 'really cold hands' dance and insisted I take a picture.

Hugs
from Me xx

Add caption

Merry Christmas one and all

In a fit of insomniac induced madness I am up at the ungodly hour of 4.30am on the blasted internet, having just coloured my hair (which took and hour in itself). I just haven't been well of late and my sleeping patterns are all over the place which really isn't helping and is in fact making me feel much worse - not only mentally but my double vision is just unbearable when I am tired.
So why do I come here? I have no interesting news other than my hair is now 'maghonaghy/dark auburn' and the house is freezing. I come here to write my last post before Christmas. I need a break, time to myself, time to try my darnest to cope with Christmas, get through it, enjoy it?? and see you all on the other side.

I've been too ill mentally to even see my friends and so I continue the legacy of finding this time of year the worst to deal with. I can only fake so many smiles before I crumble and each day feels like a marathon.
So my darlings.. here is my 'Christmas Card' to you; may you all have a joyful, peaceful Christmas holiday and come out on Boxing Day with your sanity intact ;)

The calm after the storm - updated!

So then, it's all over for another year. What was all that about? My goodness the worry we get ourselves into over presents and family dinners etc, now all is back to normal; the shops are going through the hell of sales, selling items we bought a couple of weeks ago for much less than we paid for them, people are going back to work and the house still has decorations up but otherwise looks the same (bar the piled up recycling in the corner). Christmas ~ such a drain on the resources, financial and emotional.

I should of course take photos of all the glorious presents I recieved; the books on gardening especially (of which we now have 2 new Alan Titchmarsh, 'Joe's Allotment', 2 River Cottage books [one on veg, one on perserves] and a Nigel Slater veg book to name a few). We were spoilt rotten as usual by eachother and by Mamma G. Plus I recieved lovely gifts from 3 good GrowVeg friends, one of which was a secret Santa and it's driving me mad trying to think who it is!

Soon all the decorations will be taken down, the cards put in with the recycling and the chocolates devoured. The vouchers are already spent, well most of them. We went up to Belfast yesterday and surprisingly we didn't get elbowed about all over by crazy bargin hunters, actually it was quite enjoyable, but for the black ice I slipped on and landed on my posterior. I even managed to get the fire brigade out to tend to a christmas light decoration that was commiting suicide (sometimes Christmas is all too much...). Funny, it blew and threw out sparks and melted plastic down onto the street and I was the only one who did anything. Does everyone else live in their own self important little worlds all the time or is it just the draw of the sales that does it?

Today we go to the Allotment for the day. Left overs in a picnic hamper and a large supply of coffee to help us stick it out, boy is it going to be cold! I have a funny feeling we won't see many down there today, I hope I'm wrong though, this is the time when there is lots of soil prep to be done and plans drawn up for the new year. I for one shall be trying to work off the Christmas pudding and some of the chocolate *blush*, though in my defence I didn't go overboard this year.

Well off to try and get a nap (still suffering the insomina!) before we have to get up and out. x

P.S. Our Brussel Sprouts were delightful, steamed and still with a bite to them, it's the first year I have enjoyed them ~ maybe my picking them the day before had something to do with that. It's such a satisfying job. The following may be offensive and even shocking to some......

Our own sprouts and my sister-in-law loves them raw!!

My Merry Christmas Wishes to everyone

May your turkey be moist and succulent, cooked the whole way through and stuffed to perfection. May you win most of the crackers you pull and the games played, but not rub it in.
May you receive gifts that you actually like and not ones that go straight into the emergency present drawer.
May the gifts you give bring joy, as you have thought carefully about what that loved one would like.
May you remember to wear a baggy jumper and trousers which you can unbutton desecretly ;)
May you not be alone, but instead surrounded by those you love, even if that means being wrapped up in the arms of only one special person.
May you not over do it too much ~ you'll only feel sick later on ;)
May the family and especially any children not drive you up the walls and make you want to pull your hair out.
May you enjoy the celebration, the time together, whatever your religious persuasion or indeed secular feeling on the whole thing.
Most importantly ~ may your vegetables, that you grew, taste fabulous; even the super stinky brussel sprouts (hold your nose, if you must, but eat one!)

I am aware that for some, Christmas is a very difficult time of year and to those I give my love; my wish is that you simply get through it and come out the other side unscathed. I too struggle to find the joy.


However:

A Merry Christmas to all x

woof! x

OOTS - for VP

Prepare yourself to be... underwhelmed my dear; I think this is a far cry from what you are used to. I haven't gone round people's houses yet (bit scared really in case I get bopped on the nose) but here are Carrickfergus' 2 town center Christmas trees. The first is in the Civic Center and is really quite nice, the 2nd, well ...... and this is it's 'good' side.....

There are also some colourful planting boxes outside the Civic Center.

So on to Belfast and I was concentrating more on not getting killed by the over zealous (read darned nasty) Christmas shoppers than on my photos to be honest but here are the few I could get.

The City Hall and the City Christmas tree with the Contential market going on.

Our newest Shopping Center 'Victoria Square' with fabulous single colour swathes of lights, loads of trees and one of the biggest fake Christmas trees ever in the world (I think anyway).  I swear it's about 40 ft tall!!! Just look at the people next to it - real normal sized humans!

So there, not terribly exciting I will promise to do better, when not being jostled about by angry, flustered women doing their christmas gift shopping. Oh tis the season of giving and peace and loveliness - NOT. Glad I'm done shopping myself, praise be to the internet!

I must really apologise for the way this post has turned out, I'm just not so good at the old photo placement now things have changed with Blogger.

Not hating Christmas so far - part 2

The wreath.
Last Saturday (which I have some nice photos of for tomorrow) Andrew, Maggie and I went to the local forest. (Colloquial - 'Up the Dams'). We gathered seed heads and little beech twigs, willow whips, conifer, laural, holly and some berries. Andrew took all the heavy bits, I had my little harvest basket full of winter wonder - I felt a little like the lady of the manor gathering things with the head garderner for a dinner party centerpiece (wow, that is rather more embarassing to admit than I had thought).

Maggie had the best time too, we don't go up there often enough. We used to go more regularly but then the Lottie took over all our free time. But can't complain; in both cases we're outside in touch with nature and listening to the birds. Which reminds me of the recent research Mind did on Ecotherapy - they comissioned the Univeristy of Essex to compare the effects of a walk in a country park with a walk in an indoor shopping center on people with varying mental health problems.

* 71% of people reported a decrease in depression after the country walk

* 90% had increased self -esteem after the country walk.

But back to the wreath. Turns out they are very easy and satisfying to make. Back at the lottie, Andrew worked away and I got to making the base out of the willow branches and red dogwood stems (they came from a plant on our plot). This just requires lots of twisting around eachother and maybe a little twine every now and then if things are very springy. Then it was all  fun filling it in with the various leaves, seed heads, and berries. I would recommend florists wire at this point to hold them in place, a bit fiddly but worth it.

At home I tidied it up and added more (fake) berries and a ribbon. Andrew was going to put on his blue star lights and I was going to let him but praise be he changed his mind. What a relief!!!! It would have looked terrible and would have destroyed a lot of the more fragile elements. Phew!!

So here it is on our front door - I hope it says 'Welcome'. I'm pleased for a first try ever - next year will be better.

There are lots of other fab wreaths being made by bloggers here and here for instance, for more inspiration.

Not hating Christmas so far!

This is great! I honestly don't hate Christmas today. In fact I have been continuing my decoration of the the living room and chatting to my friend ('support worker' really, but we're becoming friends) Eimear about presents and what not. I've gone for the 'bringing-the-outdoors-in' feel and the crafty look that is really me. I have more personally  handmade things put up; a knitted snowman and Santa,a felt reindeer and cross stitch angel, a stocking for Maggie and oranges with cloves in (never done that before - why not!?, so nice).

Plus today Andrew bought me a new angel in  my favourite shop, Oxfam. She's a beauty and can have a candle inside her if you wish, clever girl!

Anywho, Andrew, Maggie and I went to the local forest on Saturday and had a good time foraging for things to put on my new wreath. I took lots of photos too which was nice because I haven't been indulging that enough. Pictures from that trip tomorrow I think; arty farty ones ;) For now the wreath is finished in all its being from my point of view but Andrew has blue star lights he is deseperate to wrap round it before it goes on the door. I'll post a picture tomorrow x

You know having more of the outside in the house is like Ecotherapy too. I can smell conifer, oranges and cloves and there are berries and berry flavour candles and of course reminders of trees and nature. I'm viewing Christmas in a different way.

Oh, I also got my secret santa present from (well it's secret so I don't really know) a GrowVeg friend. Very excited ~ 3 parcels but I promise I won't open them! Plus every time I look over the wrapping paper has 'no peeping' printed all over it, haha.

The Gaults get festive

It's no secret that I am not a fan of Christmas, I find it all too stressful, demanding, commerical and expensive. Each year I am sure I eat too much, drink too much, spend too much and generally get worked up because (quite frankly) my bloody depression and anxiety does not care that it is the festive party season!

Well, this year, the last in this house, I have decided to get into the festive spirit. Things are going to change, I am going to embrace the season and enjoy the colours, lights, gifts, friends and family and the love. But at the same time I am not going to lose who I am, I can (and lets face it I probably will) feel bad without the world crumbling down around me. I am not the center of the universe!!

So, yesterday I went Christmas shopping in Belfast. This year (as we have tried in the past) we are being careful with money in the knowledge that we have solicitors etc to pay in the New Year. I gathered up presents in a creative way, taking the time to really think about everything and how to acheive it manageably. Hence my decorations or instance (you can't really expect me to talk presents here, loved ones do drop in here from time to time!), I am using things I have collected over the years and when I think about it, a lot have been presents and some I have made myself.

Here is our living room fireplace. No, I didn't make that particular wreath but I am in the middle of one and tomorrow Andrew and I are going to the forest to gather bits and bobs for it. The silver dangly decorations I did make, as I did all the felt hearts on the tree. I found my little wooden bowl yesterday in a charity shop and gathered bits from the garden and a few old and broken decorations to make it into something special - I can smell the forest right now and unfortunalety, yes I am still allergic to conifer (darn it, I'm itchy all over!)

I'm also making a felt reindeer but I'm not so sure how that will work out, ahaha. Andrew has promised me that the oven will be fixed and then I can make my Gingerbread men, something I have done every year (almost) for the past 14! It's my own little tradition and I love to give them as presents and to have the smell throughtout the house.

*

After work, Andrew met me in the city center and we visited the Continental Market. Such fabulous handicrafts and food. Oh we just had to get a few Breton biscuits - so good. They didn't make it half way round the market. We had locally brewed beer in a tipi! I had the Hillden beer and Andrew had the Headless Dog (which was sweeter), there was also local cider , mulled wine, 'tipsy' hot chocolate and Molly's Chocolate Stout, all sounded very good but 1 half pint and we were off. Such discipline!!

See Christmas and Winter in general can't be that bad if I had a good day like that!

OH and I got an early present from Andrew ~ a tripod for my DSLR, here's a picture of Maggie taken with it, late in the eveing when my camera isn't at its best usually, or I should say I'm not at my best - long exposures - blurry. Is't she's so CUTE!!

Somebody tell me why!!

A garden center a little drive away from here is a great place to go on a very wet cold weekend day. We were looking for some nice pots for our bulbs which, as I wrote about yesterday, we found and at a good price too. We also had a lovely biscuit and coffee in their very large coffee shop, which was naughty but warming and gave us both the courage and caffeine buzz needed to go to the lottie.

Now I don't mind a garden center having a cafe, in fact 2 we would go to regularly have very good cafes with Taste of Ulster awards and everything. But something else about these places really gets up my nose and last Saturday it had me in a bit of a fluster...

Christmas.

Christmas, at the one we visited (not Sunnybank), had arrived in all it's terrible gaudy style. Dear god, what does Christmas and all the tat that goes with it have to do with gardening?? Really I ask you, apart from a real pine tree why would a garden center need to be the hub of all things Christmas in the universe?

I give you some evidence...See if you can spot anything remotely to do with plants and the caring of them in these photos. Really, a prize for anyone who can. I took twice as many as this but even looking at them makes me want to boke.

Entering into the Christmas lighting section; the overpowering smell of cinnamon


Yes a troupe of dancing, singing Santas and Christmas dinner for sale on the cafe

Maybe I'm a little biased as I don't really like the whole Christmas 'thing'. It all starts far to early and by the time the actual celebratory days arrive I'm generally completely over the whole thing. I'm also a born worrier and Christmas present buying stresses me out almost as much as receiving presents myself, what if I can't find the perfect gift for my loved ones and what if I don't like the gift they've got me! It's a mine field. Which quite frankly I do not need to face in November in one of the places we retreat to when stressed already!

So..

Dear Santa,

I would like to have a nice Christmas; please stop the commercialism from eating away at my soul.

Love, Carrie

P.S. I have been a very good girl this year x

The Duality of Autumn

It has been bloody pouring all day, the wind is up, the house has had to have the heating on, I'm wrapped in my comfort blanket and Maggie has so far refused to go out and pee (she hates bad weather). I'm going to grab her when she least expects it and throw her out! It's also dark and thus headachey, can you tell I'm not exactly chuffed with the day we're having?

Autumn. It's the season when everything dies (bit dramatic there I know, my Cyclamen are gorgeous, parsnips fat and still growing) and there is rain and muck and greyness and dark mornings and running to the car from the front door yet still getting wet; don't even mention frizzy hair! It's the season were I just want to pack up my kit and go hide out somewhere. Maybe I could be a writer or painter (photography isn't great in weather like this) and just immerse myself in my 'work' for a few months with a huge 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign on my door. My pieces would be dark, brooding and full of depth, hidden meanings and wisdom beyond my years. I would eat only chocolate biscuits and drink copious amount of (decaff) coffee, peppermint tea and the reddest of wines.

But no. I sit here in the full knowledge that I have to go out soon and face the weather-y music. We're house hunting and time waits for no wo/man at this hour. The lottie needs tended to this weekend even if it is blowing a gale and raining so hard I can't see out my glasses. Then of course there will be the usual chit chat about Christmas being just around the corner and NO I bloody well don't have my shopping done, for goodness sake.

~~~

Deep breath.

~~~

Then there is another side of Autumn that I LOVE!! The colours is an obvious thing, the leaves (dry leaves) on the ground just waiting, wanting to be kicked. The boxes of bulbs arriving on the door step, the hard work digging manure into the beds (mainly to keep you from freezing, or crying, or both), the earlier nights and cuddles on the sofa and the blue sky, that amazing azure blue that you only get on a crisp bright Autumn day with the whitest of clouds floating by.

It's also the time when you get to buy jumpers and cardigans and heavier coats and people can't see that little (or maybe not so little) belly you have and swore you'd walk off but didn't.

There's Tree Week and the possibility of sitting with friends around a wood stove outside and playing with sparklers (I like to write my name with them), maybe even apple dunking and the big fireworks displays that are put on. The scary drives into the countryside or the organised trips to old graveyards, hospitals, prisons at the witching hour! Ohhhh.

Yep, Autumn = duality of emotions. Right now though I'm firmly in the 'right Maggie, you are going out to pee' mood, which will be followed by the 'do I want to sign my life away and buy this person's house' mood - eeek! That last one is scarier than any horror movie, BIG decisions - I'd rather do some weeding, in the rain.

A quick boast...

That Christmas Eve visit hasn't been fully blogged, as time was short. So I shall take this opportunity to boast a little about just how wonderful those Parsnips where! We grew 'Tender and True' in a brand new bed, which had organic matter etc in it, and they didn't fork ~ take that Mother Nature!!! The frosts beforehand has really helped with the flavour, they were truly scrumptious. On Christmas day, I ate all mine up off my dinner plate before I even attempted anything else, I love Parsnips, our Parsnips. And they were pretty darn big!!!

As well as that we harvested some more joyous Leeks (I'm allergic to Onions but can eat Leek). Look how HAPPY Andrew was with them ~ 'Ecotherpay in action' for him too!

Then, finally I checked on my Broad Bean seedlings in the Cold Frame ~ they are doing extremely well, possibly too well as they look like they are in need of planting out and it's not time yet! Eek. They're the first of our new year crops, so I hope they stay alive, not such a great way to start the year if they end up in the compost bin in the sky.

Boasting over.