St Patricks Day in Dublin

I haven't managed to do anything crafty for the last few weeks but you find this interesting?


We went to Dublin to see the St Patricks Day parade and came across something that may be of interest to all chicken keepers. Firstly we came across these giant eggs being chased by chefs who were the worst for wear.

But I think that the eggs were getting the better of the chefs as they chased the chefs rather than the other way around.

This was followed by a group of ladies with huge feathers, who teased the audience with them.

And they were followed by the biggest CHICKEN I have ever seen. You could get some frugal meals with this big bird......

WEEK 7

MAKING PICCALLILI

YUM YUM........

This is my first attempt at making yummy piccallili but I consulted Delia Smith (UK tv cook) who gave a really easy recipe from Delia Online where her How To Cook books are presented for all to share.

I and Holiday Boy, love this sweet mustard relish, but the down side is we have to wait 3 months to sample it. No one I made earlier here.

So just as Delia said, I broke cauliflower into small florets and chunk chopped onions which were placed in a bowl. I did the same to cucumber and placed that in the second bowl. Both had a salt bath and were left for a few hours for the excess fluids to seep from them.

The basis of the sauce is vinegar and the veggies are boiled and then simmered in the vinegar. After 8 minutes the cucumbers, sugar and garlic are added and the mixture is then returned to the boil and simmered for a further 5 minutes. When they are ready the veggies are drained and the vinegar mixture is reserved. Mean while the tumeric, mustard powder and flour are mixed into a smooth paste with vinegar and water and the hot reserved vinegar is mixed into the mustared mix. The mustard sauce is brought to the boile for a few minutes whisking all the time. When thick it is added to the veggies and stirred well.
The jars are prepaired and the piccallili is spooned into each jar. Looks good enough to eat but has to be hidden for the next 3 months. I can't wait to try it. Yum Yum.......

WEEK 7

NEW PLANTS

Today I spent some time tidying up my rockery. There are bulbs just peeping their heads out of the ground ready to turn their faces to a lovely spring sun. There is no warmth in the ground, so I am suprised that they want to come out to play!!!!

Plants are donning their spring colours, preparing for the spring sunshine. The weather gave us a taste of that today, although it was cold, the sun shone and tried to warm the ground. It has been a beautiful day, the best for a long time. I hope it continues...........


These are the new plants I bought today, tete e tete daffodills and flag iris. They are lovely flowers and very strong, so soon I hope to have a colourful display on my rockery. I also put in a row of crocosmia, multi coloured, between my purgola and fence. They should offer a lovely display, their heads nodding in the afternoon sun. I can't wait. I just have to be carefull that the field mice don't steal them!!!

Well, I stole my friends idea and thought I would try to grow potatoes on my patio. However, I think i'll need to buy better containers, which I will do within the next few weeks. In the meantime, we'll try it this way..........

I look forward to be able to plant out a new herb container garden in the near future. Although I have a large garden, I couldn't maintain it if I turned it over to growing veggies and my gardener would have a fit. He does my garden because I find it difficult, but patio containers seem a really good idea.

I love this time of year when winter becomes a memory and we welcome the new spring. The plants have new buds on them, a taste of lovely things to come. I have many roses in my garden and I look forward to their lovely colours, from yellows to deep oranges and tender pinks to deep, blood reds.

My garden brings my mum and grandmother to mind. They loved carnation pinks and I have two plants in my garden which should soon produce those lovely, fragrant flowers.

This winter has seemed very long and we have been unable to do anything in the garden. I now look forward to long, warm days (I wish) sitting in the garden, enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of spring and summer...........perhaps (LOL)