Another List - Seed Order List

Serious gardeners will probably have ordered, payed and received their vegetable seeds by now.
Me ? No. I've only just compiled my list with desirable seeds.
In the past I've mainly ever ordered seeds from The Organic Gardening Catalogue and this year will be no different.

My veggie plot is small and I'll have more seeds than I can manage. Hopefully they'll stretch for a couple of years.

 The raised beds were an impromptu decision last year in April or May.

I used seeds from previous years and bought some extra. No planning went into it.

 Now, I'll have a better idea of what can go where and what veg I really want and better organised beds will be on the agenda.

Hopefully by next year we'll have expanded the plot a little more and who knows, maybe a little greenhouse or polytunnel. 

Even later in the summer we had this raised bed fabricated. It is right near the kitchen and is intended for herbs. I think I can fill it with some veg and all. Especially the squash and pumpkin, they can trail down the slope.

Good list ? Have you bought your seeds yet ?

Patricia xxx...x

The Ladies who Crochet

On Thursdays some of my friends and I get together for a bit of crochet. We each take it in turns to host at our respective homes. Yesterday it was my turn.
It starts at 11 am and we stop between 1 and 1.30 pm. We have biscuits and coffee or tea.
We only do this during the winter months as in the summer most are very busy (except me, perhaps).
Sophie and Sue both have a smallholding with farm animals and veggies.
Sophie sells loads of lettuce to the local restaurants, coffee shops and has her market stall on Tuesday Sneem market in the summer. Derryquin Farm
Sue runs her own holiday let, Bridget's Cottage, beside her farm.
Maggie is an artist and has plenty of work with her pets, ducks, chickens and husband (haha !). Anneke (Sophie's mum) is retired and has crocheted most of her life and spends her days crafting all sorts. Her crochet is as delicate as lace and she's been known to sell pieces at the Kenmare Lace center. She surrounds herself with cats, dogs, chickens and all sorts.

Best not to crochet anything too complicated where counting stitches is important. Lots of chatter, giggles and laughter will make you lose count.

 Sue

Maggie 

Sophie 

Anneke

They are so gonna love me for this. ;-)

Is it Friday again already ?  Have a glorious weekend all !

Patricia xxx...

Tuesday Morning

What a spectacular view we have (when the sky is clear), looking to the northeast from the house.

The mountain(s) in the middle are the Macgillycuddy Reeks which are the highest in Ireland. On the right is Mangerton Mountain. Both are situated in Killarney National Park.

In the front, nestled in it's own hills is our fab village of Sneem.

Just as spectacular on a glorious summer's day.

Patricia xxx...x

Sunday Tripping.

No, not like that !
We went to Clonakilty yesterday. We had a purpose to go there as we wanted to visit this pig farm .
They have a few  rare and old breed pigs and some piglets ( oh so cute). I took my camera and did I take pics ? Did I heck.  But we're not ready to take piggies home just yet. We only wanted to take a look and see the possibilities.
Of course we first phoned them to see if it would be okay for us to visit. We had to phone Maire, the farmer, when we arrived in Clonakilty and she would come to collect us.  Seemed easier than to explain the directions to the farm.
We stayed and talked with Maire for about 15 minutes - it was bitterly cold and then we headed back in the direction of Sneem while making plans for the next arrivals somewhere in March.
The pig pen in the shed needs a little rearranging and their outside plot needs draining. It's wet everywhere, here in Ireland at least, but it is not good if the next piglets disappear in the bog. Thus we plan to get the diggers in again in the next couple of months.

The two hour drive back home delivered some great scenery and I had my camera at the ready.

I couldn't bring myself to get out of the car as I had to tinkle really bad and staying seated meant I could save it all up till we were home ;) I also felt really crummy with a sore throat, so the sooner we got home the better.

I'll leave you with a last photo of yesterday morning's view from the house.

My guess is that it was a covering of hail and not snow. But lovely nonetheless.

Patricia xxx...x

In. Out.

All I seem to be doing all day, every day is opening doors for dogs. And for cats.

With the dogs it's like this. I come to the kitchen, sit my bum on a chair at the table. Dog, usually Millie, comes to kitchen from sitting room (where she has been napping on the couch). She stands at the door, I get up and let her out. I wait at the door. Any second now she will bark. Other dog, Blackie (we didn't name him) comes running from sitting room (where he has been napping on other couch). "I wanna go out ! I wanna go out ! There is something I need to see and bark at too ! " 

It's okay, I'm still there, I can open the door, like a doorman at a fancy hotel.

"Oh, man ! There is nothing to see here ! Can you let me back in ? "
Sometimes he waits till my bum hits the chair again. Blackie comes back in, Millie not. She'll wait another minute and then I see her head sticking out over the door panel, looking in through the window. Indignant. "Oi ! I'm waiting !"
Often, she will just stand there, gazing in the distance, letting a bark escape. And there is Blackie !  "Out, out out !"  And on automatic pilot, I open the door once more.
Can't wait for spring and summer to arrive, when the door is open the whole bloody day, weather or no weather.

The cats. Well... they are always on the wrong side of any door in the house, aren't they ?
Oh, they do have a couple of cat doors, but why use them when there is someone around to do all the work for you ?

It is my fault. I did this. I haven't brought them up properly. And they take me for a ride !

Have a good weekend, dears.

Patricia xxx...x

Celeriac Risotto and Scallops

I live by the sea and unless I go out for a dive (which I never do by the way), there is no scallop to be found for me to buy anywhere near.
Luck would have it that I found frozen ones in Lidl. I bought two packages as it is only a temporary article. Don't sneer ! Lidl is the only one that delivers on price/quality here in the area and where possible, their products are local (as in Irish). Again, don't sneer ! Frozen scallops are great if you treat them well.
Treat them well by defrosting them slowly. Dry them off properly with kitchen paper, et voilà, ready to use.

I had bought them way before Christmas and was contemplating how I would be serving them. I came across a photo on Pinterest and even though the link was broken it had the ingredients listed for scallops with parmesan risotto. I did my own thing, as you do. Not my first time cooking risotto or scallops.

Ingredients for 2 greedy buggers

• 1/4 celeriac, peeled and cubed small

• 250 ml chicken or veggie stock
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 fat garlic clove, grated
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 250 ml white wine (dry)
• 750 ml chicken or veggie stock, keeping it on the hob at simmering point.
• 2 handfuls of grated parmesan
• salt and black pepper
• 12 scallops
• salt and black pepper
• 1 heaped tbsp butter

Preparation

• Start with cooking the celeriac in 250 ml stock till tender.
• Use a stick blender or food processor to puree the celeriac. Set aside.

• Sautee the onions in the olive oil till translucent. 
• Add the garlic and the rice.
• Stir and coat the rice grains in the oil.
• Add the white wine and stir till it has evaporated/ soaked up by the rice.
• Pour in ladle per ladle of hot stock and keep stirring to prevent anything sticking to  burn the bottom of the pan and to release the starch in the rice, which makes it creamy. Each ladle needs to be evaporated before the next one goes in. Do this on a low setting.
• Keep going till the rice is cooked through but still al dente. I have to admit that I needed a bit extra water as I didn't use Arborio, but another unspecified risotto rice which takes much longer to cook through.
• Add in the pureed celeriac and heat through.
• Take off the heat and stir in the cheese.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover with lid and set aside.
• In a frying pan melt and slightly brown the butter.
• Season the scallops and sear in the pan, 1 minute on each side.
• Serve the risotto on plates (warmed), delicately put the scallops on top and don't forget the cooking juices from the pan (coz that's the best bit, I tell ya)

Delicately, for the picture.

Then add some more and tuck in.

Patricia xxx...x

Resolutions and Lists

I don't do New Year resolutions, or any other resolutions. I don't have the discipline and get go mentality. In other words : I am too lazy to be bothered.

The only thing that I promised myself, 4 years ago after Christmas and makes me feel slightly proud, was to stop drinking. Alcohol, that is. Never thought I could do it, but here I am, sober ever since.
Oh, I do use wine in cooking where appropriate, you know for depth of flavour. But it doesn't touch my lips from a glass (or bottle).

Enough of that already.
What I do do, is make plans for projects, and lists. In my head. And when it gets too crowded in there I put things down on paper.
Lists ! I have notebooks full of lists. When it's written down, it's out of my head. Sometimes I go back to  them, but more often I don't.
I've got this picture below of our garden last summer. It somehow epitomises what my brain must look like. Lots of beautiful thoughts, plans and ideas, but way too crowded. Make no mistake. There is plenty of weeds growing in between. Ha !

I've made my list in my head for the next three months. It'll still be winter and a good time to start and finish off some projects.
Let's put it to paper.

That is not a definite list. I might add to it, or start a new one if I feel I have to put my thoughts back into order.

• The first item is a given and I'll start with that today. It feels as if I've just put them up yesterday. 
• The craft room and laundry go hand in hand as the clean stuff spills over into my crafty space considerably.
• Yeah, the bed- and bathroom. What can I say ?  When we bought the place the room came with godawful glitzy (footballers' wives' style) wallpaper. Luckily only on one wall. But it has to go ! And look here ! I found a photo.

 Actually, the wallpaper doesn't look half as bad as in real life in this pic. Probably because it was being upstaged by the furniture and bed linen. Not our furniture, but it came with the house. We've put it to good use someplace else. Not our taste, I'm afraid. 

The wall to wall carpeting isn't to my liking either and I would like it to disappear. It collects dust that is almost invisible and doesn't look or feel fresh to me.

The en-suite bathroom has the same highly polished, extremely lethal white porcelain floor tiles as the kitchen used to have. Every time I clean the floor, I release some of the grouting. Arrgh ! I hate it!

I would be happy with a cheap vinyl floor covering the whole mess up. A floorboard design maybe.

Still, these are projects I need to be conferring with Bert about. Read : twist his arm.

• I've got plenty of ideas in my head for sewing projects. Maybe I should make a list specifically for them. I've been cutting squares from left over fabrics, old duvet covers and curtains with the intention of making a couple of quilts. High time I made at least one of them.

• And then there is the armchair. I've got the chair. I've got the fabric. It's a scary project.

•  How many granny squares make a throw ? 

I hope I haven't scared anyone off by showing you what my brain looks like and how it works (or not). 

Anything I should add to my list ?

Patricia xxx...x

Bye Bye 2015 !

Firstly, let me wish you all a Happy New Year and may 2016 bring you happiness and good health.

All in all 2015 was a good year for us. Obviously with some ups and downs. But we have made good memories and I can look back fondly.

 The new kitchen that we started using in earnest in the second half of December 2014 must be one of our highlights. It has opened up the house towards the great outdoors with magnificent views.

 In January we acquired 4 cute pigs with great personalities and super tasty meat.

 In March Bert and I planted 350 trees on our land. All native and deciduous.

During the summer months we've had visitors from family and friends. Above : My brother and his family, ready to board the ferry to Ireland.

 Celebrating our shared birthday, my niece Sarah and I, on the 31st July.

The theme was Frozen (what else ?) and I made Sarah an Elsa outfit.

Silliness runs in the family. You can't be part of this family if you're not funny or odd in some way.

Sarah and Uncle Bert.

Old friends from Belgium.

 The dolphin rescue mission at our back door that didn't have a positive outcome in the end.

 Our fantabulous volunteers of 2015 

Wen, Anna & Manon.

 The beginnings of our veggie patch.

 Couldn't love him more if I tried, Fergus. I've said it, silliness runs in the family...

 The summer I started loving my cottage garden and meadows.

 The autumn and winter that brought us lots of rain, and consequently ground works.

 Ah... the reupholstered chair.

 The ever changing sky.

 Funny mammy, Irma.

 And we've come to the end of a good year. 

Looking forward now to 2016.

Happy New Year !

Patricia xxx...x