Water, water everywhere....

Today I have mostly been drinking water and weeing a lot.

It's perhaps not the prettiest topic in the world, but I have a recurrent kidney infection and it is royally getting me down. I was first treated for this a week ago with a 3 day course of trimethoprim and I have to admit, I did wonder why I felt like the pits again on Sunday evening considering I had finished my course and should have been much more comfortable. Anyway, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Today I stopped. I now have a 5 day course of nitrofurantoin which has turned my wee a luminous yellow colour. Well, at least it adds an element of interest on my many trips to the loo. I now await the results of my samples and keep my fingers crossed for a more comfortable and healthy relationship with my waterworks.

Chicken Stew for the soul

This stew is easy peasy and one of the nicest and most fulfilling meals of my repertoire. I don't even have a PROPER recipe for you because it's so very simple it really doesn't require one. So i'll just give a 6 point plan!

1.Cook Chicken breasts in the oven with a little butter, seasoning and herbs (I use sage, thyme and oregano - you can use whatever you fancy) then slice into pieces

2.Boil veggies (I always use green beans, carrots and potatoes - you can use whatever you have in the house...this is a great opportunity to use things up!)

3.Fry onions in a little oil and seasoning until soft

4.Amalgamate all of the above in an ovenproof dish

5.Pour over half a jug of chicken stock and half a jug of chicken gravy - yes, I *am* talking oxo and bisto respectively here!

6.Pop into a medium oven for 10-20minutes

7.EAT!

Sherlock

A whole new Sherlock.....

Possibly the best new thing on television and it was certainly an instant hit with J and G too.

For Ellie

For you, my oldest friend - remembering our long years of friendship and our childhood in Knock. I'm thinking of you constantly and sending all my love and prayers to your tiny, wonderfully eccentric Mum. xxx

Lettuce and lovage....

Our first lettuce crops are here and in abundance...


Since this first photograph we haven't needed to buy any lettuce which has been truly wonderful...genuine self sufficiency, if only on a small scale.


You can see how pleased Jon is.......(!)

Garden of Delights

Look at the most wonderful fruits that are blooming in our tiny garden....

Our meteor peas are beginning to swell and fill their perfectly formed pods.


The courgettes are starting to flower, creating those delicate yellow trumpets


The new wave of Little Gem lettuces are filling out and moving on up


And joy of all joys, we have sweet crimson baubles adorning the strawberry basket....

The graduated colour-change is an incredible thing to witness, checking them each day to see how much the bees have dip-dyed the pendulous fruit is like opening a summer advent calender.