Community Farm

In the village, we've (Peasedown Area Transition Group) have been trying to form a Community Farm. Before the summer holiday we found a site, but it seems things have progressed from there whilst we've been off!!!

I found this whilst checking the RiverCottage site today....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAF8gh-odmU

Ditching Disposables - Handmade Money Pouches

I've done a budget for my monthly spending for as long as I can remember, but last year i made the decision to draw out my 'food' and 'petrol' allowances in cash for the coming month.

I kept these amounts in brown envelopes in my wallet to draw from throughout the money.

Unfortunately over time these rip and need replacing so I was looking for replacements. I found several on the internet but they were all quite large and more money then I had to spend!!!

This summer I had decided to make my goal to get out my machine and practice sewing. Well,with only one week left and the sewing machine untouched on the dining table I decided to make this my first project.

Its not perfect and I'd like to make a few improvements to the design but for now I love my new money pouch!!! Just need to make some more now!!!!!

Well, we're halfway through the summer holidays now and have been busy bees, hardly having time to blog at all. We've finally got around to doing 2 things that have been on my list since Mr J moved down to Bath.... First we visited the Roman Baths ( local residents can actually get in for free with a discovery card). We spent the morning wandering around like tourists, but surprisingly took few photos, as we knew we could come back again whenever we felt like it!!

The other was to visit a local wood and find the Waterfall. I'd never visited Greyfield Wood before, we are lucky enough to have so many wonderful woods to walk around here, but friend had told me of the waterfall so we were intrigued.

The map gave no indication of a waterfall at all so we set off to explore.....

It was definitely worth the wait!!! We climbed the rocks to the top of the waterfall and ate our picnic.

That better taste good......

because it looks like a train wreck!!!

I was lucky enough to meet a fellow forum member today, who gave me a pasta maker she had lurking in a cupboard! I rushed home and made pasta for supper. The pasta maker was great and took away hours of rolling out the dough, but i didn't seem to have the knack for the spaghetti attatchment!!!

I faired better with the tagliatelli.....

Add homegrown tomatoes, which have really started producing in good quantities this week!!!! And enjoy in the garden.....

Yes it did taste good!!

They're Quackers!!!

Well I've finally found the camera lead so here are our little ones....

Treacle, Pip and Pebbles

Don't they look all grown up already (only 5 wks old!!!)

aaaah!!!

Little Jonsey and Mr J built a fab new enclosure for them

which they loved! Along with my Nasturtiums!!

I dug out our belfast sink for them too, to add to the other ponds!

We really love having the ducks, we've spent so much time watching them this week. Although a word to the wise, they do smell a bit and they are noisy!!!

How to take a Basil Cutting

Today's how to is thanks to my mum showing me how to do this earlier in the week - thanks mum!

To make cuttings from a basil plant select a non flowering shoot.

1.Select shoot and remove the top 4 inches with a clean, sharp knife, cutting under a leaf joint.

2. remove bottom 2 leaves and plant.

Prepare a small flowerpot with seed compost and put cutting in 1 - 2 inches deep

Tip - planting cuttings around the edge of a pot will help to form stronger roots, as roots split and branch when they hit a surface.

3. Alternately, fill a clean jam jar with water and pop it on a nice light (but not hot) windowsill . Put the cutting into the water.

Change water daily and you should be able to watch the roots growing (2 - 4 weeks) Transfer to seed compost when good roots have formed.

When established cuttings should be planted up to a larger pot, watered in a placed on a bright windowsill.

Now you have lots of basil plants why not give some away to friends and neighbours? You might even get something different in return!!!