Quote

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.

Paul Coelho - The Alchemist

Recipe - Pumpkin Soup

So -its halloween. You've made a great spooky lantern face out of a pumpkin. So what on earth do you do with all the pumpkin flesh. This recipe is for a great soup. Try it...........



Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb of chopped pumpkin.1 oz of butter.1 medium onion, finely chopped.2 cloves of garlic, crushed.3 cups of chicken stock.1 tablespoon of tomato paste.1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese.Salt and pepper.

Preparation Instructions:

Chop the pumpkin into large cubes (not using the skin and seeds). Sweat the onion and garlic in butter in a large saucepan until the onion is clear. Add the pumpkin and garlic and sweat for a minute. Add three cups of chicken stock and the tomato paste.Cover and simmer for twenty minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Rinse a blender in boiling water to warm and blend the soup mixture. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.

Fruit Gardening in Winter

Growing fruit is one of the most rewarding aspects of having a back garden/ allotment area. It is also one of the most cost-effective, as fruit is almost always more expensive to buy than it is to grow. The Winter months, surprisingly, are some of the most active times for fruit growing. Here are some of the things I'll be doing this Autumn

October
Order fruit trees and bushes for autumn delivery
Prepare planting sites
Control weeds around established trees
Place greasebands around apple and cherry trees to catch winter moths
Pick and store apples and pears as they mature
Cut out fruited blackberry and loganberry canes and train in new shoots
Spray cherries, peaches and nectorines.
Take gooseberry cuttings
Pick autumn-fruiting raspberries

November
Plant fruit trees and bushes. In inclement weather, store trees in a frost-free shed or heel them in outdoors. Soak dry tree roots before planting. Plant firmly and at the same depth as the trees were in the nursery.
Prune trees after planting
Complete work on heavy soils
Clear weeds from around established trees and bushes.
Start winter pruning established trees. BUT NOT cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums or damsons.
Check that ties are not cutting bark.
Cut out cankers and control wooly aphids.
Inspect stored fruit, and ripen pears at room temperature

December

Spray all fruit trees and bushes with tar-oil winter wash when dormant.
Continue planting in suitable conditions.
Continue pruning
Apply nitrogenous fertiliser to trees grown in grass
Cut back newly planted trees and bushes

Hopefully, with all this hard work - the fruit crop will be excellent next year

Holidays - saving money

I've just come back from an amazing holiday in Italy. Staying at Caddenabbia on Lake Como. To celebrate, here is some advice on how to cut the cost of your holiday!

1. Book online and save time and money. Many airlines/tour operators offer a discount if you book via the web rather than by calling so give it a go if you haven’t already. Check out flights for under £20.00 on the Flight Checker before you go - http://flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/
2. Book off-peak and mid-week if you can. You’ll find that hotels and flights are much cheaper during the off-season. If you don't have children going on holiday with you, avoid half term and school holiday weeks as they are always more expensive.
3. Don’t be afraid of asking for a reduction from a tour operator. Haggling is becoming more and more common place and it makes more sense to them to fill a place for less than lose it completely.
4. You can save hundreds of pounds by using one of the low cost airlines to jet off to a destination and then taking the local train somewhere more exotic – and expensive - to get to. Just grab a map and access the local tourist office and off you go!
5. If planning to do a lot of exploring in your chosen country, check out if they offer any suitable travel passes., special offers, discounts etc Also, discounts are sometimes available if you’re a tourist, 65 plus etc.
6. Buy your sandwiches and bottles of water before heading to the overpriced shops in the airport. Taking a picnic from home is even cheaper and means you don't come home to rotten food after your holiday.
7. Booking earlier will always save you money - not later as most tour companies would like us to think.
8. Contact the tourist office of the country where you are planning to head off to and find out if they have any special offers going. They may even know of a new hotel just about to open doing an introductory deal, for example.
9. Make sure you don't buy your travel insurance from a travel agent - this is nearly always the most expensive option. Use a comparison website such as www.moneysupermarket.com to help you find the best deals. Also check out some of the money cashback sites before you buy as you may get cheap travel insurance plus cashback!
10. Finally - Make sure you book your holiday from a reputable ABTA agent. Anything without this approval could stain your dream holiday with tears rather than with suntan lotion.
    
    
    
    

Quote of the Day

If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.

Ivan Turgenev

Beetroot and Chocolate Cake ( yes, Really!)

This makes a great Autumn cake and is a really unusual way to use up that glut of Beetroot!

Ingredients
1 1/2 ozs Cocoa powder
4 1/2ozs Plain flour
1 1/2 tsps Baking powder
Pinch salt
5 1/2 ozs Caster sugar
8 1/2 fl ozs Corn/ or Sunflower oil ( you can use light oil)
1 1/2 tsps Vanilla essence - NOT Flavouring
3 eggs beaten
9oz cooked peeled beetroot, pureed
4oz Plain dark choc (60% +), broken or crushed into small pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas 5 and grease an (7") round cake tin.
Sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix with the sugar.
Add the oil, vanilla essence, eggs, beetroot and chocolate pieces and mix well.
Pour into the cake tin, put on a baking tray and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Turn It Off!

Here are some ideas for saving money when using everyday appliances

• Turn televisions and other appliances off at the mains. Leaving appliances on standby still uses energy.
• Turn off your home computer when it is not in use.
• Lagging pipes can save £5 to £10 from heating bills.
• Energy efficient light bulbs are more expensive than standard bulbs but they will last up to 10 times longer which conserves significant energy. They are most effective when used for lights that are left switched on for long periods of time
• Try placing foil behind radiators. Household foil will do, although it is possible to buy foil for this purpose from DIY stores.
• Don't put furniture in front of radiators, but if appropriate, fit shelves above them as this deflects heat into the middle of the room.
• Investigate further draught proofing of windows and doors.
• Look into cavity wall insulation, condensing boilers and loft insulation, all of which could save energy or money.
• If possible, buy the most energy efficient products possible. Ask retailers and manufacturers for information, and look out for the Energy Efficiency Recommended Logo.