Blog of Oonah V Joslin -- please visit my Parallel Oonahverse at WordPress

where I post stories and poems that have not been seen elsewhere - also recipes and various other stuff. http://oovj.wordpress.com/

and see me At the Cumberland Arms 2011









Saturday 24 August 2013

Friday 16 August 2013

How does my Garden Grow

My hollyhocks are coming along quite nicely.

In fact it's a bloomin' shame that I didn't plant any tomatoes this year -- would have had a good crop by now. But you can never rely on having any summer here in Northern Britain and this year it has been glorious! Who'd'a'thunkit?
Oh who needs tomatoes anyway :)

Friday 9 August 2013

Food for Thought for Friday -- Hot Tips on Moving Day

I have moved house enough to develop a couple of TIPS I thought I would share.

and here's a story to go with them -- just in case you're not into pasta -- Moving Times

Our first meal in every house we've lived in has always been the same. Macaroni Tuna Bake. Why? Because it's quick, tasty and you can make it using a kettle and two saucepans OR a microwave oven.

Just cook the macaroni as per microwave instructions. Drain. Reconstitute the mushrooms and chop them. Flake the tuna into the pasta with some snipped rosemary (now you can stick the rest of the stalks in your new garden :) ) Make up the cheese sauce (pkt if necessary) and mix in. Sprinkle with parmesan and black pepper. 

Heat up some soup, open the wine, break out the biscuits and you have your first meal in your new house -- in minutes :) EASY!

TIPS

1. Label all your boxes with couloured sticker dots and make a plan of the house that matches. Simply ask the removal people to place the box in the room or that colour. (Also use Main Bedroom etc in case of colour blindness but Pickfords congratualted me on this method.)

2. Pack a suitcase as if you were going on holiday for a week because you'll be too tired to start looking for things for a day or two.

3. The BIG DAY MOVING BOX that goes with you in the car should have: the kettle, two saucepans, casserole dish, jug, grater, tea pot, mugs, glasses, long life milk, bikkies (of course), tea bags, plates, bowls, knives forks spoons, butter, flour (or a pkt cheese sauce), parmesan, tinned tuna, dried mushrooms, macaroni, rosemary stalks picked from your old garden that morning, btl of wine, tea towels, washing up liquid. Tins of soup and beans, rice and meat for easy meals, the toaster and some bread. Salt, black pepper, a nutmeg.

(Oh and Loo Rolls)

4. Always take the microwave oven with you. Don't pack it. Not everything is always connected when you get there.

This week we have lived here for 10 years -- the longest time we have lived in any house. A cause for celebration :)


Rosemary roots easily, is a useful culinary herb and is supposed to keep evil from your door. It's got nice flowers too ;)

Friday 2 August 2013

How does my garden grow? Well it can be a bit contrary to be honest.

Geraniums and trailing lobelia






White Clematis by the kitchen window





Contents of the BIG BOX










But I just can't get my pink pampas grass to flower. Everyone elses has big spikes and fronds -- mine? Nada! Just a fountain of greenery :( 4 years now and not ONE soddin' flower. Suggestions please.
Peeved of Pegswood.