Spice up your life...

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It's amazing what a couple of days relaxing can do for you.  I woke up on Sunday morning feeling refreshed and ready (is that what R&R means?) to take on the world.  A far cry from Friday morning when I would have been more than happy to call on Monsieur Guillotin such was the level of migraine pain.

So having missed out on a wonderful friend's post wedding party, several dog walks and copious amounts of food over the twenty four hours, it was a chirpy Bird who got out of bed on Sunday full of vim and vigour.

I said that I was ready to take on the world, but decided to tread gently and sort out the allotment first.  Baby steps, and all that.  Having not gone over there for three weeks or so, I had visions of Donald Trumpkin growing to the size of a small bungalow, and blocking access via the gate.  Walking over there with the husband yesterday, I mentioned that pole vaulting might be necessary if I couldn't get in via the gate.  He gave me one of those eye-rolling looks which basically means, 'Bloody hell, you're a daft woman.  Unfortunately, I'm not brave enough to say this out loud so I'll just satisfy myself with a feeble eye roll'.

Anyway, Donald seems to have peaked where size is concerned, and although he's still a whopper, he's not going to win any prizes for the largest one in the county.  I do envisage a bit of a struggle transporting him to my doorstep for Halloween though.  If anyone knows a helicopter pilot who fancies doing an airlift, let me know.

The allotment looked a terrible mess.  The weeds were running rampant, and it appeared that my beetroots had done a runner, as there was not a single one left.  I am blaming the four legged critters who we share the allotment with for this.  They're obviously extremely discerning also, as any red tomatoes had been nobbled and nibbled and the remains left scattered across the allotment, whereas the green ones were still clinging to the vines.

This was fine though, as I was planning on making a vat load of green tomato chutney.  The first three jars I made were gone within two weeks, and the husband has been driving me mad with his 'Got any of your chutney left?' demands for the past few weeks, so yesterday was the day to get the larder replenished

I had half a wheelbarrow full of tomatoes, and yesterday was spent chopping, simmering and stirring, and I eagerly awaited the moment when I would be able to pop it into the labelled jars.  

However...

The chutney is currently residing in the caravan washing up bowl and a rapidly sterilized bucket of the husband's, where it's waiting to move into its semi permanent home of forty eight jars which are stuck in a post office close by because I wasn't able to haul my sorry carcass downstairs to sign for them on Friday when they were delivered.

Ho hum...

By the way, the picture used today has no real bearing on my sorry tale, but it did make me giggle...


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