Sorry Delia, it's over!

The end :(

Yes it's over between Delia Smith and me, I have had a long relationship with the lovely Delia and in our many years together she has never let me down.

We've baked bread, made goulash, pavlova, Yorkshire puddings not to mention her luxury fish pie, I could go on.

Hugh's new book

But it's time for a change and in the Southwellski household we now love Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall.



Sorry Delia.

Today he brought a magical new dough to our home, we used it for perfect pitta's and froze some of the dough for a loaf in the future.

He has made us revisit our need to eat meat with his book on veggies and how to prepare them in new and exciting ways!

We had roasted peppers, tomatoes, red onions in fresh warm pitta's and with a bit of cucumber, more fresh toms, pak choi lettuce and a dollop of mayo and they were a feast to behold!

Nigella

 Actually if truth be known I love Nigella, but wouldn't admit that in front of Nanny Southwellski.

However if I was pressed on it I would have to say it's because I actually rated her Dad as a chancellor and politician.

No, to be perfectly honest there is another chefette I rate far more than Delia, Hugh and yes even Nigella.

She has sparkly eyes, quick hands and gets right into tasting the food she prepares.

Maybe not as well known as Ainsley or as outspoken and temperamental as Gordon (although she has her moments!) she is as animated as Jamie and is not afraid to mix her foods in new and exciting ways.

Celebrity chefette to be!

Who is this genius I hear you ask?

It's none other than my sidekick and partner in many adventures - Coco!

Just look at the enjoyment on that face and the laughter in those eyes, who wouldn't want to cook at 7.15 in the morning with her?

Say chocolate!

Coco could show them a thing or two about cooking and eating I can tell you!

Whilst on the cooking theme and before we head into the garden, we have been baking our own bread just lately and it's actually a lot less hassle than I thought it would be.

We prefer a loaf with seed and grains and are currently using Allinsons yeast and flour and haven't had a bad loaf yet.

Coco and I spent most of today in the garden before visitors and a heavy downpour put paid to our plans of tidying up the veggie patch ready for the winter greens to go out.

Fowl play!

On the subject of visitors we seem to have an unwelcome one, one with a liking for tomatoes and who is tall enough to reach the ripe ones.

Today however the culprit left a tell tale sign, a trail of footprints that lead along to tomatoes and across the leeks and ended at the fence to the chook run.

His biggest mistake was to revisit the scene of the crime only for me to confront him and offer a chastisement.

I don't think Brutus was that phased by it to be honest he just turned around and went in search of his girls.

Dew on the Leeks

Fennel

Finally, it was a wonderful dew laden morning this morning and after Coco had gone back to bed for her nap I had a wander around with my camera.

And with an almost clear blue sky a shot of the Fennel flowers was just too much to resist.

Who knows, maybe tomorrow the winter greens will get planted!

(No Delia Smith cookery books were disposed of or harmed in the production of this blog)

All creatures great and small

14 Cabbage White caterpillars

Those stoic few of you who visit our blog will know that Coco and I love all things living that come to our garden be they welcome guests or otherwise. 

Some unwelcome visitors are the Cabbage White caterpillars that have stripped our Brussel sprouts almost back to the roots.

Mature Cabbage White caterpillar

But that said, we do enjoy watching the butterflies meandering through the garden and of course the butterflies and caterpillars are part of the food chain and they keep the birds coming to the garden.

Some other pesty critters are the wasps, although despite there being hundreds of them we have remained unstung so far. 

Jarvis

In a morbid kind of way the wasp is a fascinating creature and to those of you who ask 'what use are they?' we would answer, they are the waste disposal units of the insect world.

We have two cats who are prolific hunters of small rats, mice and voles and they regularly leave remnants of mice on the lawn. 

The wasps dissect the remains and take relatively large chunks away with them, they also indiscriminately nibble every apple on our trees!

Bee and Hover Fly

Spider at night

Welcome visitors include spiders and all insects that remove the blackfly, whitefly, and other unwanted guests and of course the bees and hover flies that pollinate our plants.


We've had a few other exciting happenings at the garden,  I mentioned before the very poor quality shed we had delivered and sent back the same day. 

Our Hallgate timber shed

Well our new shed arrived from Hallgate Timber in Long Sutton in Lincolnshire, their website is www.hallgate-timber.co.uk.

Some of you will know that I am a carpenter by trade and if I was going to build myself a shed I would build one just like the one from Hallgate Timber.  The service was brilliant, the quality excellent, the price was good and it feels and looks right.

Sweetcorn

On the harvesting side of the garden we have been eating our own carrots, onions, potatoes, runner beans, purple kale, swedes, radishes and salad leaves for some time now.  But the highlight to date has to be our sweetcorn they are DELICIOUS!!!!!!

Coco eats them straight from the husk having peeled it like a banana.


Plant wise we have now put out our spring greens, which are a special request of Great Nanny Mero.  She has pestered us for ages to get some sown and ready for spring.

We also have some more peppers and chillis growing in the potting shed and waiting for the new poly tunnel to be put up.  It's on my list of high priority jobs to do.  Sadly above High Priority I have an Extremely High Priority list and above that a Very Extremely High Priority list.

Above that is the 'Nanny Southwellski Job list' that Coco and I are working our way through at the moment.  The only trouble is that when we finish one job for Nanny Southwellski she adds 2 more!

On a lighter note Coco's walking is improving every day and she seldom sits down and shuffles anywhere now, this has brought a whole new awareness on us that means we have to move everything to higher ground.

I'm a Nanny! Get me out of here!

When we show Coco something for the first time, be it how to eat a different food, put her shoes on or how a new toy works we generally show her how and what to do. 

Nanny Southwellski thought it would be a good idea to show Coco how to go through the play tunnel. It has taken nearly a week for her shoulder to get better.