Bring on the Indian summer!

Well it has been announced on the news about the expected Indian summer. Apparently we are going to see temperatures of 21 degrees during the forthcoming week. I just hope they have got it right for once. I will be able to give the coop a jet wash before the winter sets in and remove any mites that may be lurking.

I wanted to finish the decorating today so this morning I put on the slow cooker, we are having Ham & Beans with orange from the Good food's 101 one-pot dishes. We had this several weeks ago and no one really liked it apart from me so I have made a few changes to it and see what the verdict is tonight. The house smells lovely and the bread maker is also busy whirring away.

I like this little recipe book, Jay picked it up one day whilst we were doing the weekly shop. We have tried several of the recipes and most have been well received. I have just flicked through it now and my tummy is groaning after looking at the mouth watering recipes.

We have another two weeks to run on our monthly menu before I make up a new one and there will be several new additions from this book.

I had to go and rescue Bell again as she had got trapped between the coop and the trellis fence. It is always her up to mischief! Whilst I was freeing her the run gate was still open so the others decided it was time to go for their forage around the garden. They are neither keen nor quick to return to the enclosed run and rounding them up and getting them back in is becoming more difficult. No longer does a shake and rattle of the corn tub induce any interest or speed from the girls.

I have found the garden broom a useful object in rounding up the girls and getting them to go where I want them. I just hold it behind them and they scuttle off in the correct direction and once I get them near to the run a rattle of the corn tub gets them in the rest of the way. Blimey the things I have to do!

Well that is it from me for today, until next time x I have put a link to the recipe book that I mentioned earlier

what a whopper!

Look at what I found lurking undercover in the raised vegetable bed! I was having a root round to see if there were any more courgettes when I spied this big fellow. I have placed it beside a gardener's delight tomato of average size so you can gauge how big this courgette actually is.

Once I had cut it of and had it in my hands I came running in to show everyone whilst squealing like a mad banshee! It's not quite as big as my pumpkin though but it is sure a whopper. I am planning to make a batch of courgette chutney and also some soup from it.

As you can see in the photo I have another tray of red tomatoes, just one more tray to go now. I finally had my decent crop of tomatoes after all.

They girls had a wonderful time running round the garden today, up in the empty raised bed, down the end of the garden and in the empty pots and containers. I had to have a good sweep up once they were back in the run. Bell and Octavia decided to pop into the kitchen. Bell knows exactly where the corn is kept and  she was jumping up and pecking at the container!

Well that is it for today, I am busy getting the last bits ready for the craft fair tomorrow. For those of you that live locally, the fair is situated in the scout hut, next to the tesco's on grange farm. Until next time x