tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86601902826091895172024-03-18T03:03:58.930+00:00A Cook and her WindowsillTales of windowsill vegetable gardening and a tasty meal or two...Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-58662950689639914812013-03-25T18:49:00.002+00:002013-03-25T18:49:40.305+00:00Birdbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've put a birdbox up in the garden! As the garden is quite dinky the only suitable place to put it was at the end of the wall that runs down the side passage. I'm a little concerned that it might be too close to the path and where we're coming and going but we decided to give it a go and see whether it works. Fingers crossed we get an inhabitant!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-11246947143675886282013-03-23T11:09:00.000+00:002013-03-23T11:09:00.038+00:00Tomatoes and thymeWell a week after being planted the tomatoes and thyme were starting to peek through. Pretty pleased that so many of the thyme seeds had germinated as I'd heard that thyme was hard to grow from seeds. Time will tell whether I manage to keep them alive and get thyme plants going from them...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow tomatoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of mini thyme seedlings</td></tr>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-62333096073987374992013-03-18T18:45:00.001+00:002013-03-18T18:45:12.814+00:00First seeds of 2013So I've sowed my first seeds of 2013. This year I've been doing quite a bit of reading about gardening in general and what I should be doing when. I'm trying very hard not to get too excited about all the new found space we have and keep things relatively simple and so for this year we have decided not to do too much with the main portion of the garden and keep all of our vegetable growing within hanging baskets and pots on the patio. This should mean we're able to have a lot more growing space than we have done in previous years but will hopefully not be such a big step up that we're overwhelmed by everything we have to do and have too much to learn.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-1QvtTojZqucK1ARHqube8qAErrKg_Iv-x_Hhu9naYiLf79sV8CsnIlUHUjjTgfZy76GnIVGvjlnEY_gjrXzgc-9X9iw-W-ezSapsKdMpSX54swJV7SP1sZKas9NoQqpu1rgIFC02hZ9/s1600/IMG_7694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-1QvtTojZqucK1ARHqube8qAErrKg_Iv-x_Hhu9naYiLf79sV8CsnIlUHUjjTgfZy76GnIVGvjlnEY_gjrXzgc-9X9iw-W-ezSapsKdMpSX54swJV7SP1sZKas9NoQqpu1rgIFC02hZ9/s400/IMG_7694.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocktail stick labels for my seedlings ready to go</td></tr>
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Therefore, again with the seeds for this year we've stuck with only buying ones which are recommended for containers although we have allowed ourselves some bigger crops (such as sweetcorn, courgette and squash!) than we've previously had on the windowsill. I'm also keen to get a herb garden established so we've bought a selection of herb seeds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJ3VJ9TJxBnRQrz4-MKee0vprVMzc_k1n6bNFYjsIpZGkA7zjHF7Rhu-Kjo1BqiGKpjnkM8HjEjfQAAp3VnpMvf6TfX6hNFpy6B0MfAv8P6Deg8eQDC8sUP2az4wUqT1W57ROWY0ELI7U/s1600/IMG_7697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJ3VJ9TJxBnRQrz4-MKee0vprVMzc_k1n6bNFYjsIpZGkA7zjHF7Rhu-Kjo1BqiGKpjnkM8HjEjfQAAp3VnpMvf6TfX6hNFpy6B0MfAv8P6Deg8eQDC8sUP2az4wUqT1W57ROWY0ELI7U/s400/IMG_7697.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First set of seeds planted and labelled up with sowing date</td></tr>
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Last Monday I set about sowing the first set. In my reading I'd seen that it is recommended that rather than sow all of your seeds at once you sow over successive weeks to spread out your harvest better throughout the year and so taking this into account I started with just sowing a couple of each of the seeds. I still had some seeds left over from last year (aubergines, caldero chillies, a packet of Wahaca chilli seeds that I'd picked up at some point along the way) so I shoved them in some seed compost to see if they'll do anything and then I started to plant up a few of the seeds that I've bought for this year so planted some red and yellow tumbling tomatoes, chervil, rosemary and thyme. I've read that it's really hard to get rosemary and thyme to germinate so fingers crossed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApUjVz1CHDIm2K0dLhF7vAz6Eif19YyodNMneJleaIFPopZVzEakSxNpmq3X6bTiwW3sBTJj8N5h-mNbLgNuoMo_62Fn8qyEKfv8xhOB80uhF1vwQW4EZ-nMH6KmjBKQsodlVFwslJK_1/s1600/IMG_7691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApUjVz1CHDIm2K0dLhF7vAz6Eif19YyodNMneJleaIFPopZVzEakSxNpmq3X6bTiwW3sBTJj8N5h-mNbLgNuoMo_62Fn8qyEKfv8xhOB80uhF1vwQW4EZ-nMH6KmjBKQsodlVFwslJK_1/s400/IMG_7691.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thyme seeds planted - fingers crossed they germinate!</td></tr>
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We also no longer have our lovely dining table sitting in a south facing window just perfect for germinating seeds that we had in the flat so I've resorted to using the bed in the spare room having protected the mattress with a dust sheet and put a couple of spare table tops on top of it. The window is west facing which is the best I can do so we'll see how it goes...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the bed in the spare room as a surface for seedlings!</td></tr>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-88121906170602679682013-03-15T08:21:00.001+00:002013-03-15T08:21:32.135+00:00Not just a windowsillSo I also have some exciting news to report. Over the winter we have bought and moved into our very own house! Which means that I am no longer a three windowsill gardener and now have two (albeit pretty small) gardens to get to grips with. I've already been out a few times digging, weeding and tidying up but am looking forwards to feeling my way through my first year with a small patch of land to tend. Here's what we've got to contend with:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front garden a week or so ago when I was out digging it over</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back garden a couple of days after we'd moved in before we'd done anything to it</td></tr>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-52089292786485174052013-03-11T18:25:00.000+00:002013-03-11T18:25:50.328+00:00We did get aubergines...Hmm... it appears again that, as in 2011, I managed to start the year with the greatest of intentions in 2012, blogging a few times and then life got in the way and I didn't manage to keep it up. We didn't give up on the windowsill though and did indeed get aubergines! In fact, the aubergines were our most successful windowsill crop last year - whilst we got some tomatoes and chillies, they didn't fare so well with the relentless rain that we had. Here's the 2012 highlights:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Zg4IWn5kcADW1s5P4jNMvx-pQ2Vsp5PZgiH1jEZRMEPCVt_G4vLQUmgovvHHPcH9plWMjYEAwxRY7yMm5l2UorsicMIaLtAcKQ_OuFH76N16pwIxUFiWYR0VYnvgsv3SpdU6w2YTKQgn/s1600/IMG_1244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Zg4IWn5kcADW1s5P4jNMvx-pQ2Vsp5PZgiH1jEZRMEPCVt_G4vLQUmgovvHHPcH9plWMjYEAwxRY7yMm5l2UorsicMIaLtAcKQ_OuFH76N16pwIxUFiWYR0VYnvgsv3SpdU6w2YTKQgn/s320/IMG_1244.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seedlings getting bigger</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8-Y6fiGM_1_b1pwaSf09BDDp-v4jj0WL5r7FRzUfX6p_4Oe5BQ34YslblRIkGFOnOsCLhGe9KO8-UpeS6evaChGcBHBL4wom3YQy1UsjPurM3oslKkaSKvahjRfrcxRVWq4ktT9n508y/s1600/IMG_1370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8-Y6fiGM_1_b1pwaSf09BDDp-v4jj0WL5r7FRzUfX6p_4Oe5BQ34YslblRIkGFOnOsCLhGe9KO8-UpeS6evaChGcBHBL4wom3YQy1UsjPurM3oslKkaSKvahjRfrcxRVWq4ktT9n508y/s320/IMG_1370.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plants go out onto the windowsill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Up_sQTGNpMsKZsnGAAImMe_17KvbryyDCEGKv7VbAWh3xPrSzeGVAKbE_AexjtM-4g5ZwUdqTiixvBDCCq4G1wieU74M1GJfuHGHM2NNhYrgF7B_K3si8sDUDQdbU3Ci-G380ivQGVHz/s1600/IMG_1376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Up_sQTGNpMsKZsnGAAImMe_17KvbryyDCEGKv7VbAWh3xPrSzeGVAKbE_AexjtM-4g5ZwUdqTiixvBDCCq4G1wieU74M1GJfuHGHM2NNhYrgF7B_K3si8sDUDQdbU3Ci-G380ivQGVHz/s320/IMG_1376.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some windmills add colour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mOsubnVR6jjJEAy9zCxDbn0D33t9C5KkzESL9Y-TAtMMivmePT3A0d4reSAvfqDceK8mPdn03Z0pVBG4VQ0VMTpd4rtQRxH5QNdZes9sZcaNzwyphf2XWnUutgYD0INZwCLf7I-f_64q/s1600/IMG_4031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mOsubnVR6jjJEAy9zCxDbn0D33t9C5KkzESL9Y-TAtMMivmePT3A0d4reSAvfqDceK8mPdn03Z0pVBG4VQ0VMTpd4rtQRxH5QNdZes9sZcaNzwyphf2XWnUutgYD0INZwCLf7I-f_64q/s320/IMG_4031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a wildflower windowsill alongside our veggies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eYQ_RElR5hLbugTfgFJmfY45Tw8tGexOIZdGTztWHX3jxDSCObHIRKteos9vZIhRDP1vof-ERizN9sdVNje8aQW1fqXXQKMrQsy2bfs4bmZ7mBETAbUfi59uKIEjHcMOM7czXKTQAdU3/s1600/IMG_4040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eYQ_RElR5hLbugTfgFJmfY45Tw8tGexOIZdGTztWHX3jxDSCObHIRKteos9vZIhRDP1vof-ERizN9sdVNje8aQW1fqXXQKMrQsy2bfs4bmZ7mBETAbUfi59uKIEjHcMOM7czXKTQAdU3/s320/IMG_4040.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pea flower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gOcU13QauxnKizCCJrEeOH5jS2NL0nRepdkHvx9omEm1KscgmiaBH5htqY5u8YkkY73TRCUMIS2DLdCay3gn5VVRU44kALYuhqnATms538E9-nMIaoCPppAhLlLROI5NCLRr_dl4dcO9/s1600/IMG_4939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gOcU13QauxnKizCCJrEeOH5jS2NL0nRepdkHvx9omEm1KscgmiaBH5htqY5u8YkkY73TRCUMIS2DLdCay3gn5VVRU44kALYuhqnATms538E9-nMIaoCPppAhLlLROI5NCLRr_dl4dcO9/s320/IMG_4939.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More wildflowers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9K5Y71qTPvgfpeExKZebfcT-o-W6jQeBWbVpd6uuxws0bff4oKlZhYSdUZP2x-imVlboFXq2b-A1wLSMNVLLAmZuGQNPcsLAyCW1r1vWu0-eQiminaGlGd_lVP709jVNnXBNE4xr-1W3L/s1600/IMG_4929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9K5Y71qTPvgfpeExKZebfcT-o-W6jQeBWbVpd6uuxws0bff4oKlZhYSdUZP2x-imVlboFXq2b-A1wLSMNVLLAmZuGQNPcsLAyCW1r1vWu0-eQiminaGlGd_lVP709jVNnXBNE4xr-1W3L/s320/IMG_4929.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beans!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXmGn6u58To7XIA62h5OzbTYwq7upXGcaFl1TRD-8Q7YNlW-tHCEDtFBpUErKOS-0NNXJwKHZyUzWGbqO6SFAT5m3YV6lxUd7ffKfOCaOSnmOZzG-uuATgmEwq0EpTGQ8ZJSPAw0KAh4E/s1600/P1030918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXmGn6u58To7XIA62h5OzbTYwq7upXGcaFl1TRD-8Q7YNlW-tHCEDtFBpUErKOS-0NNXJwKHZyUzWGbqO6SFAT5m3YV6lxUd7ffKfOCaOSnmOZzG-uuATgmEwq0EpTGQ8ZJSPAw0KAh4E/s320/P1030918.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aubergine flower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMYqLMevHyLmIwbCBVDlVil2Fy8tYoepm_F9mXE1vYkAiCu3wFol-S4UVwkNu0044uzeaS4HmzDorIucTZCzLAOvthmkctEK3lfCdlVXWwD7aWvLvul8IzAgPxt41ILPjFAFaoEAOsDmz/s1600/IMG_4945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMYqLMevHyLmIwbCBVDlVil2Fy8tYoepm_F9mXE1vYkAiCu3wFol-S4UVwkNu0044uzeaS4HmzDorIucTZCzLAOvthmkctEK3lfCdlVXWwD7aWvLvul8IzAgPxt41ILPjFAFaoEAOsDmz/s320/IMG_4945.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First bean harvest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aubergine getting bigger</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3Licgz5yJz66vhovnMRQsyHXZy6QBlZhwhyphenhyphen2Fi4LxuBdP6suI3bYdLNCtSgLCIs9Xc9qu2XJER0hXEVMkmD3ePDLd6FIh5MKz-c7V9RKQhdAn7tR3yZGh4F3cNwapvnipNkpfWb4abnw/s1600/IMG_5584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3Licgz5yJz66vhovnMRQsyHXZy6QBlZhwhyphenhyphen2Fi4LxuBdP6suI3bYdLNCtSgLCIs9Xc9qu2XJER0hXEVMkmD3ePDLd6FIh5MKz-c7V9RKQhdAn7tR3yZGh4F3cNwapvnipNkpfWb4abnw/s320/IMG_5584.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First aubergine harvested</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p5Rf0kkBWwe1GM5Wk6gTediWRAR-uSevC2un_ZkmXxpFekD5AyakOv72sB3ga8OIZuNQ3nN3epxHw8A0MRqMece4XZnNOisuHIAP7aIyrbyB51G-jxOtp4x9LfGXaIaQ40iIjktFMHh7/s1600/IMG_5592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p5Rf0kkBWwe1GM5Wk6gTediWRAR-uSevC2un_ZkmXxpFekD5AyakOv72sB3ga8OIZuNQ3nN3epxHw8A0MRqMece4XZnNOisuHIAP7aIyrbyB51G-jxOtp4x9LfGXaIaQ40iIjktFMHh7/s320/IMG_5592.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow tomatoes in the rain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFxnrjSDUztxsND8ONjS6Pqw3BDxGXtQwq5ptbpBjXRgV-5ya50scLO1abvoPWvOgBctSVV9RqPn9DgQLFTeCJAzOCtMWWznVjOINwfqZ_6kR2BCo4fyj3gDPnr3WVhtja4EFd0QZLnlI/s1600/IMG_5594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFxnrjSDUztxsND8ONjS6Pqw3BDxGXtQwq5ptbpBjXRgV-5ya50scLO1abvoPWvOgBctSVV9RqPn9DgQLFTeCJAzOCtMWWznVjOINwfqZ_6kR2BCo4fyj3gDPnr3WVhtja4EFd0QZLnlI/s320/IMG_5594.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunflowers in the rain (these self-seeded from the seeds the birds dropped out of the windowsill feeder)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great tit in the windowsill feeder</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RH2YTzGUIn0JkCZasvIKQhKBHqHA7TI9OvIWrz74N12pphbMejFbMi4gs4JVnss7hEBRMF7JB_k9oMcL5f_7GicWqqFxivBnu-mDrIiIJA-2Og13pzF80r4ECwQA31pkP7MhkwTNBEdK/s1600/P1040291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RH2YTzGUIn0JkCZasvIKQhKBHqHA7TI9OvIWrz74N12pphbMejFbMi4gs4JVnss7hEBRMF7JB_k9oMcL5f_7GicWqqFxivBnu-mDrIiIJA-2Og13pzF80r4ECwQA31pkP7MhkwTNBEdK/s320/P1040291.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilli and bean harvest</td></tr>
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So here I am again, in 2013, starting the blog up again with the greatest of intentions. Fingers crossed I'll find the time to keep it going this year!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-851331099055952822012-03-19T08:18:00.001+00:002012-03-19T08:23:26.464+00:00All our seedlings have germinated!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3rri5IOAuh1JfoO3-666LdzFrDbI6DfZi6IC2lTAWW6PkBs5G6h1ISafg7H48VIc8R1oIM0iml1P_QxyeNBP_vOCxYf_ErQDHRTolKo-V1K3IikhforDJWg1W6B0puZVvfvI2dsgrr77/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3rri5IOAuh1JfoO3-666LdzFrDbI6DfZi6IC2lTAWW6PkBs5G6h1ISafg7H48VIc8R1oIM0iml1P_QxyeNBP_vOCxYf_ErQDHRTolKo-V1K3IikhforDJWg1W6B0puZVvfvI2dsgrr77/s320/IMG_0625.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini-aubergine plants</td></tr>
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First the sunflowers popped their heads up, then came the red and yellow tomatoes (the yellow tomatoes seem to have done considerably better than the red ones with all of the yellow tomatoes germinating but only six of the ten red tomato seeds that I planted have germinated), a week or so later the aubergines appeared (very exciting!) and then just over the weekend the chillis have started to pop their heads up so now I have a full complement of all of the seedlings that I planted.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-51606024338307944382012-03-13T19:16:00.003+00:002012-03-13T19:16:42.138+00:002012 seeds are in<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDT3U0vhsWDgvXUTKws0k3RwW660IA8Lwt3UVr0c_nhXGpkCIFzyAuxfHDjnWxvlJGZTJqQPvk_7HS6dSza8PMxZ6lvweEy2YS_aPF6KbpVKkIJISW_GnTbB195G8bcqfigwe7GipWMpJ/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDT3U0vhsWDgvXUTKws0k3RwW660IA8Lwt3UVr0c_nhXGpkCIFzyAuxfHDjnWxvlJGZTJqQPvk_7HS6dSza8PMxZ6lvweEy2YS_aPF6KbpVKkIJISW_GnTbB195G8bcqfigwe7GipWMpJ/s320/IMG_0600.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's taken me a few days to get around to writing this post but the 2012 seeds are in! The aubergines, red and yellow tomatoes, chillies and sunflowers have all been planted into the seed trays and left on the dining table in the sun to germinate. From reading the packet it looks like you plant the runner bean seeds straight into small pots in April and so I haven't done anything with them yet.<br />
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I've got my fingers and toes crossed that the aubergines come up trumps!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-52550171028215931812012-02-19T07:50:00.000+00:002012-02-19T07:50:18.151+00:00Seeds!I have just ordered my seeds for the 2012 windowboxes. I am slightly later this year than I have been for the past two but hoping that this won't cause any problems... As some of you will be aware one of my "30 before 30" for this year is to grow an aubergine on the windowsill. This may be a tall order but I'm hoping that I'll be able to do it. The variety that I have gone for is the dwarf "Ophelia" plant. Fingers crossed they like sunny spots and will thrive on the windowsill. Only time will tell. To go alongside the aubergines I've gone for another newby to the windowsill - the dwarf runner bean "Hestia" and last but not least I have the old favourites which have done very well both years - tumbling tomatoes and some chilli seeds (another new variety of chilli this year - going to try Caldero).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghae7k8AFLVIR2xKb0y0orPXjG-Tqbig66rLqHlnk_CluhgjLXTDXxFymvm5zijnQfLIh7jL6Bry7rTVDpLBzxd5mUjEX4L76tfLriNY91dVBVb2IxurmXJ8nN8qQygVXcegTWDUwFKDSt/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="101" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghae7k8AFLVIR2xKb0y0orPXjG-Tqbig66rLqHlnk_CluhgjLXTDXxFymvm5zijnQfLIh7jL6Bry7rTVDpLBzxd5mUjEX4L76tfLriNY91dVBVb2IxurmXJ8nN8qQygVXcegTWDUwFKDSt/s400/Picture1.jpg" /></a></div>
Now just got to sit back and wait for them to arrive in the post!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-30194409826942004842012-01-17T19:50:00.006+00:002012-01-17T20:02:12.063+00:00January tomatoes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMgrzKWXrKnmI7KEbFgF4fRZSbv50XMPxJ54OPvv1T5_M6SaBH0p9y8UpeVc8pzJVi9vd5iRBOXCbSXLCbBb6DFmeGMSgoayhrFURlJMLIeYTSn-m_Q2PNgBWwrgyijv5xTwQCyrwT-Bj/s1600/IMG_9871.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMgrzKWXrKnmI7KEbFgF4fRZSbv50XMPxJ54OPvv1T5_M6SaBH0p9y8UpeVc8pzJVi9vd5iRBOXCbSXLCbBb6DFmeGMSgoayhrFURlJMLIeYTSn-m_Q2PNgBWwrgyijv5xTwQCyrwT-Bj/s320/IMG_9871.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698692906407595650" /></a><br />The window boxes did become casualties of all of the activity surrounding the wedding and honeymoon in the latter half of 2011 and as such got rather left to their own devices for the last quarter of the year.<br /><br />However, one of the upsides of this is that with the mild winter all of the green tomatoes that were left on the tomato plants have been gradually turning red throughout December and January and every week or so we get another 15-20 red tomatoes to put into our dinner. My new favourite cookbook is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plenty-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/0091933684">Plenty</a> by Yottam Ottolenghi and I used this lot in his <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/04/vegetarian-vegetablesrecipes">Lentil and Aubergine recipe</a>.<br /><br />Very tasty indeed!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8jFWgVe4nFwkhcB8ALIlTbbzlOp_hl0ov-mbbiU4Van238uQvDMMBCsyUO_apHs-yQGDO62M5DmgqBAOVQNMm2OKePNCUu4JvZxRTPwNKJ15iRvWCd3unDGf_s5-e0VCxFonNcmuCjN5/s1600/IMG_9877.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8jFWgVe4nFwkhcB8ALIlTbbzlOp_hl0ov-mbbiU4Van238uQvDMMBCsyUO_apHs-yQGDO62M5DmgqBAOVQNMm2OKePNCUu4JvZxRTPwNKJ15iRvWCd3unDGf_s5-e0VCxFonNcmuCjN5/s320/IMG_9877.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698693441952708930" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-66961417326115803132012-01-14T08:57:00.003+00:002012-01-14T09:03:31.839+00:0030 before 30<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFxCiqVVDrL2zOEBW3wtCampaNxyxg-JYz4Lj8kFS1Or_-98IO2ZPdBa3DAO9NajiUAJWEhSLhloLw5Jfg5QIhSFXah6Obx2BOGwsTAZHQwPBYJigOxt372BLY9q8A5RR9ojn3hwGhA4i/s1600/IMAG0042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFxCiqVVDrL2zOEBW3wtCampaNxyxg-JYz4Lj8kFS1Or_-98IO2ZPdBa3DAO9NajiUAJWEhSLhloLw5Jfg5QIhSFXah6Obx2BOGwsTAZHQwPBYJigOxt372BLY9q8A5RR9ojn3hwGhA4i/s320/IMAG0042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697409778181629218" /></a><br /><br />So... here it is, my 30 before 30. I thought that by drawing it out, making it pretty and sticking it on the kitchen door it would inspire me to do things and encourage me to keep planning through the cold winter nights after a long day at work. Here they are written out in a more user friendly list:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Food</span><br />1. Start a sourdough mother<br />2. Eat an oyster on Mersea Island<br />3. Make chutney with vegetables I have picked myself<br />4. Make a cassoulet<br />5. Catch a fish and learn to fillet it<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Exercise</span><br />6. Run a 10k<br />7. Stand up on a surfboard 5 times in a row<br />8. Swim a stretch of the Thames<br />9. Walk the Ridgeway<br />10. Go skiing<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Culture</span><br />11. Read To Kill A Mockingbird<br />12. Write a blog with a readership of over 250 people<br />13. Do an oil painting<br />14. Knit a Christmas jumper<br />15. Use my Tate membership card in all four Tate Galleries<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Garden</span><br />16. Grow an aubergine on the windowsill<br />17. Plant a sunflower on International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">London</span><br />18. Walk the Capital Ring<br />19. Visit Highgate Cemetery<br />20. Eat a steak at Hawksmoor<br />21. Walk from our flat to the Olympics<br />22. Drink champagne at the St Pancras Champagne Bar before departing on Eurostar<br />23. Go to a live event (concert, theatre, sports match etc...) every month<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Outside adventures</span><br />24. See a basking shark<br />25. Go skinny dipping<br />26. Watch the sun rise on the east coast and set on the west coast<br />27. Sleep under the stars<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Miscellaneous</span><br />28. Give blood<br />29. Drive a car with nobody else in it<br />30. Spend some time volunteering<br /><br />I am very excited at the prospect... Best get planning!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-26556881363602531892012-01-05T20:34:00.012+00:002012-01-05T21:08:45.324+00:002011 highlightsSo... whilst the blog didn't get written in 2011 we did try our hardest to keep the windowsill alive and kicking. Here's a few picture highlights from the year - more stories to come over the coming weeks...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PZrFQu8JMa3ylM1RiMBQkd4e1ElvxNqQS0S73mmmNKUOcxTE1rvmDV5dvdXO5W6t2c52AQEjpZvyRcyb0y2CfQmNRIU5_-2WLQREwst_4lfrUPagaCBnjpBkbYLFPjYLPD1O-vwForAn/s1600/IMG_2607.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PZrFQu8JMa3ylM1RiMBQkd4e1ElvxNqQS0S73mmmNKUOcxTE1rvmDV5dvdXO5W6t2c52AQEjpZvyRcyb0y2CfQmNRIU5_-2WLQREwst_4lfrUPagaCBnjpBkbYLFPjYLPD1O-vwForAn/s320/IMG_2607.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694250750740918370" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx7KWyDHFehgJmCF6g-mE-XWC5V0s-zQL2EAiEeQaaX7OUMsNUSZNKufvy2NbJpb2-WwxdPSMj4oZR5yF8_Xh7D4RpIxzNHI0e4k1gnDJJInfffihMFgdfZ_m99ebHYxLmvSRlPdPAI2o/s1600/IMG_2789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx7KWyDHFehgJmCF6g-mE-XWC5V0s-zQL2EAiEeQaaX7OUMsNUSZNKufvy2NbJpb2-WwxdPSMj4oZR5yF8_Xh7D4RpIxzNHI0e4k1gnDJJInfffihMFgdfZ_m99ebHYxLmvSRlPdPAI2o/s320/IMG_2789.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694251600036106210" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxoAtCOZ3d8_2GaY6oGDwSvppxNgmEdM43uboy1Hc4oy801riWRK3f-_WWoKOk27p1Di9Xc51mNPfdh0KMS6SLUfNcBXyZc7W8mkTV8WMolO3ebBMuBo4sYMFT5p5v22S3TC4xcDyRn6q/s1600/IMG_3688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxoAtCOZ3d8_2GaY6oGDwSvppxNgmEdM43uboy1Hc4oy801riWRK3f-_WWoKOk27p1Di9Xc51mNPfdh0KMS6SLUfNcBXyZc7W8mkTV8WMolO3ebBMuBo4sYMFT5p5v22S3TC4xcDyRn6q/s320/IMG_3688.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694253527178466098" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkQ5xfYy3Oo391e5u_afAusQ5SjGM63SbqqW6Q3hDo9x0HVYQ3hrqUQ4z7L6HRhRSdw2ZfXKXQd_jqPeaNOPVjdrJa4LAzdrq6tzl6semC_FsN52c8gBvgz5XESyxCYPq5ysRUaKBwvku/s1600/IMG_3698.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkQ5xfYy3Oo391e5u_afAusQ5SjGM63SbqqW6Q3hDo9x0HVYQ3hrqUQ4z7L6HRhRSdw2ZfXKXQd_jqPeaNOPVjdrJa4LAzdrq6tzl6semC_FsN52c8gBvgz5XESyxCYPq5ysRUaKBwvku/s320/IMG_3698.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694254092562544690" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyo2zS5i21FUheQrLEAdqocQ6B8ROCshwZvxlctrrb6VbVWJFieCeA0sd8a9AV6wnNpvJfxkRual2cfak2d8MsyK8uEpFo3VIi2nReKiKKsbLMphwDPgUuXP7wnI7cMAeEV-jgwd4C8AS4/s1600/IMG_4563.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyo2zS5i21FUheQrLEAdqocQ6B8ROCshwZvxlctrrb6VbVWJFieCeA0sd8a9AV6wnNpvJfxkRual2cfak2d8MsyK8uEpFo3VIi2nReKiKKsbLMphwDPgUuXP7wnI7cMAeEV-jgwd4C8AS4/s320/IMG_4563.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694255009162735602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUuQH1ZFelGCtDsmPVqxrNT8pD4TUe0O64gXRqOI_Q3fxf76810SR3IVZJPeL2D5pOMIHoHdMnLQ9E-t2-FTOR-meGVIwfAjDVXch2KkTqjj8UQXIvcOd1EUlyw_O4P5TYtuFuHt1CdNG/s1600/IMG_4589.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUuQH1ZFelGCtDsmPVqxrNT8pD4TUe0O64gXRqOI_Q3fxf76810SR3IVZJPeL2D5pOMIHoHdMnLQ9E-t2-FTOR-meGVIwfAjDVXch2KkTqjj8UQXIvcOd1EUlyw_O4P5TYtuFuHt1CdNG/s320/IMG_4589.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694255908508839330" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpC5HG_wArKS2nqVVpAI2U0q56Mg_9uByZ7aRxxQC4d4F5zmMPaz18T9izc2rpXLjGkVs9w3hb8wpYmXXQCbwO4gtdegXThws3xbG5ttoqpGu169r-P0Qu2pT0Wedz8WcqKCKd5OMlybz/s1600/IMG_4596.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpC5HG_wArKS2nqVVpAI2U0q56Mg_9uByZ7aRxxQC4d4F5zmMPaz18T9izc2rpXLjGkVs9w3hb8wpYmXXQCbwO4gtdegXThws3xbG5ttoqpGu169r-P0Qu2pT0Wedz8WcqKCKd5OMlybz/s320/IMG_4596.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694256434270954034" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOqDbyZWd8rqHP4Fx4JII7GRU6kSoaKdjb4OFleZ0k3zNUWMQ8S7K0J-Eza1yKahv-ifA6L19_sxrMy157y5FnAhrzWffSN1qsnsZUhEO-DInmkZ5j1Q4HOK-FJTn6LmHOUKpDJMMceBU/s1600/IMG_4643.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOqDbyZWd8rqHP4Fx4JII7GRU6kSoaKdjb4OFleZ0k3zNUWMQ8S7K0J-Eza1yKahv-ifA6L19_sxrMy157y5FnAhrzWffSN1qsnsZUhEO-DInmkZ5j1Q4HOK-FJTn6LmHOUKpDJMMceBU/s320/IMG_4643.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694257297453782034" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-43162402531362405132012-01-04T08:23:00.004+00:002012-01-04T09:24:55.718+00:00It's been a while...Well... it's been a very long while indeed since I sat down at my computer and updated the blog. I do have an excuse though, we got married at the end of last year and then spent a month on honeymoon where we moved around a lot and we planned the whole thing ourselves. The stresses and strains of planning a wedding followed straight after by a big trip like that sadly left little time for blogging and tending to the windowsill.<br /><br />But now I'm back and looking forward to all of the excitement that 2012 has in store. They say that after a big event like a wedding and honeymoon where you have spent so much time building up to it that you need to ensure you have things to look forward to afterwards. So that, combined with the fact that I'm turning 30 at the end of this year (eeek!!) has led me to create a "30 things to do before 30" list. Which leads me nicely back to the windowsill and the blog as one of my 30 things is to:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Write a blog with a readership of over 250 people"</span><br /><br />So here it is, I'm back and ready and raring to go!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-49888185096100397562011-02-16T06:43:00.005+00:002011-02-16T20:35:18.501+00:00Packed lunchesHere in the flat we always take a packed lunch into work with us. The problem comes with trying to find new tasty things to take in that transport well, fit easily in a lunchbox and so that you have different things each week. There seems to be a real lack of topics on this in cookbooks so I find myself constantly scanning our cookbooks for ideas of what we can have now. As I presume others might find themselves in the same situation I thought that I might start a relatively regular "What's in the lunchbox this week?" feature to share ideas for interesting packed lunches.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz66doYbIwe5yh6NzGP1IKceDE4iZoDgpzl8e7lXvKcJz2eE6ethVLdHIyWgLd79YHcwnQvbtY3pmM-eGtAwsLnw_UFFfpX3h7AebBs0mtEHnsWTULCkGP2OucT01zlDMkXCUlwY3ZHaiV/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz66doYbIwe5yh6NzGP1IKceDE4iZoDgpzl8e7lXvKcJz2eE6ethVLdHIyWgLd79YHcwnQvbtY3pmM-eGtAwsLnw_UFFfpX3h7AebBs0mtEHnsWTULCkGP2OucT01zlDMkXCUlwY3ZHaiV/s320/IMG_2585.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574177284702566818" /></a><br /><br />And this week...? An onion and camembert tart slightly adapted from Nigel Slater's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Appetite-What-You-Want-Today/dp/1841154709/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297838817&sr=8-1">Appetite</a>. It's pretty easy to make too which makes it ideal for slinging together on a weekday evening whilst you've got other stuff going on.<br /><br />6 onions<br />good chunk of butter<br />pack of puff pastry<br />1 camembert<br />bunch of thyme<br /><br />Peel the onions and chop them into fat wedges. Melt your butter in a pan on a lowish heat and sling the onions in and leave them for quite a while to sweat down giving them a push around every now and then - I ended up leaving mine for about an hour whilst I was finishing up a bit of work and checking emails. When they're done they should be translucent and golden. Roll out your puff pastry into a large flat rectangle and place on a baking sheet. Run a knife to create score lines a few centimetres from the edge and scatter the onions over the area inside these score lines. Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the onion butter. Then break your camembert up into little pieces, place them inbetween the onions and scatter a generous sprinkling of thyme leaves over the top. Place in a preheated oven to 220 degrees for about 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the onions slightly browned.<br /><br />We've managed to get five portions out of that which we'll take into work and have alongside some chutney and mixed salad. Delicious!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-52076887291045385792011-02-15T21:56:00.004+00:002011-02-15T22:01:57.493+00:00Sunflowers and tomatoes!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3zEpb0pDC0L1Z0zQl1oka_NiTLx0g6rPggWx2OTmIEng4rgAINbjsBU0QSxPG4YHmTLUQQBIqy2Xfx5PbnoxzYyLd187E9czRMtRTf5EQXkwbxWTQRpIF1Z3skdCuWgLNhUAtM2PuzUq/s1600/IMG_2578.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3zEpb0pDC0L1Z0zQl1oka_NiTLx0g6rPggWx2OTmIEng4rgAINbjsBU0QSxPG4YHmTLUQQBIqy2Xfx5PbnoxzYyLd187E9czRMtRTf5EQXkwbxWTQRpIF1Z3skdCuWgLNhUAtM2PuzUq/s320/IMG_2578.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574039522209051250" /></a><br /><br />As the title of the post suggests as of today we have sunflowers and tomatoes! Nine of the sunflower plants have come through and we have seven little tomato plants so far. So exciting to see the first signs of life!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_N0B2mjG3_Z6SIYsTb-udB0H1-Wd80jbfqog_7Oc-HjTqE97U_PMDBBAz2JA5t1ufpof75jE0ucBxGXa9m-nATdgn-dUZ1kgdXf-7En4ixujQdRCEXeUMWilyVZA115dVWjsF55ktr8pr/s1600/IMG_2581.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_N0B2mjG3_Z6SIYsTb-udB0H1-Wd80jbfqog_7Oc-HjTqE97U_PMDBBAz2JA5t1ufpof75jE0ucBxGXa9m-nATdgn-dUZ1kgdXf-7En4ixujQdRCEXeUMWilyVZA115dVWjsF55ktr8pr/s320/IMG_2581.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574039781319207234" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-56542556672515701842011-02-13T21:23:00.003+00:002011-02-13T21:32:59.861+00:00Prarie fire and jalapenos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZUhTMFLxHj9FMFVzsPnT_3fw0-Cj2wTzfc7HRJ9iCy4Q__wstH_dFUQgm-GSn0y097UAGhlEcZcb3Rt1zNU91XRgwo28e-01JwBUsF9_KbMzKvhkTcNH7sNHzk78gRij0jN3t-RkWz7C/s1600/P2130006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZUhTMFLxHj9FMFVzsPnT_3fw0-Cj2wTzfc7HRJ9iCy4Q__wstH_dFUQgm-GSn0y097UAGhlEcZcb3Rt1zNU91XRgwo28e-01JwBUsF9_KbMzKvhkTcNH7sNHzk78gRij0jN3t-RkWz7C/s320/P2130006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573289011272953330" /></a><br />The Wahaca chillies did so well <a href="http://acookandherwindowsill.blogspot.com/2010/08/feeling-hot-hot-hot.html">last year</a> that I've bought some more chilli seeds. Last year we had serrano's and I think another trip to Wahaca is in order so I can pick myself up some more seeds but in the mean time I did a bit of chilli ordering from the guys at the <a href="http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/">South Devon Chilli Farm</a>. I was in need of some dried chipotles to make chipotles en adobo and I thought that whilst I was paying for postage and packing I may as well pick up some seeds.<br /><br />So... I bought some prarie fire which are really pretty little plants that you can keep inside in pots and some jalapenos as they're used in loads of recipes and you can never find them in the shops. However, I'm not quite sure how windowsill friendly the jalapenos will be so that may have been a mistake if they start shooting up... We'll see!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-47295039753305435942011-02-12T09:02:00.003+00:002011-02-12T09:14:52.706+00:00The first seeds of 2011 are in!So... I've planted up the first seeds of 2011. Last year we planted all the seeds at once but this year I've decided that I'm going to go for a more staggered approach in an attempt to not end up with quite such madness in terms of hundreds of plants that all need attention simultaneously. But we'll see how that goes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9Mly6EiAm_wxW9Y0rTfISRJ8BcMalpdrEKbITI3gwRMiY8Zt60YGKEUaG1i3rxsddlc_I1WIljXSWPeGL6gdSceFzDFYbRTCTPLA3qaiQCk2oxBCFPk_cCeKm557CYP9zR5AUxbzftBE/s1600/IMG_2391.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9Mly6EiAm_wxW9Y0rTfISRJ8BcMalpdrEKbITI3gwRMiY8Zt60YGKEUaG1i3rxsddlc_I1WIljXSWPeGL6gdSceFzDFYbRTCTPLA3qaiQCk2oxBCFPk_cCeKm557CYP9zR5AUxbzftBE/s320/IMG_2391.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572728809057225922" /></a><br /><br />As chillies are the trickiest to get to germinate without a propagator I've put lots of chilli seeds in so that I've got time for a second and third go at them if this time is unsuccessful and I've also put in some tomatoes and some sunflowers that were left over seeds from last year. Hopefully they're not too old to germinate - I guess it's wait and see time now!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-62528677627353909482011-02-09T18:01:00.006+00:002011-02-09T18:17:08.228+00:00Cheese, pickle and winter leaves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmgTzPKha7aZYy_abel_by6JomB3KiOxPiHdk2YG-ENck02jNn4nmUoJJg0jEWrv6Tufy7VZK8lTw-NdD1Tjxl5JghT5xC8XlPbQa006hERhJjo6m1i3VyULOV11Gtq2ChR_ri3Lk10VS/s1600/IMG_2385.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmgTzPKha7aZYy_abel_by6JomB3KiOxPiHdk2YG-ENck02jNn4nmUoJJg0jEWrv6Tufy7VZK8lTw-NdD1Tjxl5JghT5xC8XlPbQa006hERhJjo6m1i3VyULOV11Gtq2ChR_ri3Lk10VS/s320/IMG_2385.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571753998219747346" /></a><br />Our winter leaves were getting a bit on the large side so I decided to chop them down today and shove them in a sandwich. After I'd cut them all down I suddenly realised that they're probably supposed to be "cut and come again" so I should have just chopped off a few leaves from each plant and left them growing (is that the idea with cut and come again salad leaves??) however unfortunately by then it was too late and the deed was done! But what a fabulous sandwich it was - brown seedy bread, pickle from <a href="http://www.fortnumandmason.com/">Fortnum and Mason's</a> (a Christmas present), mature cheddar all topped off with a big pile of windowsill grown winter leaves.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8raxvgo2pr2zcOfTJ1xVY3xbOY7h-DVXlhyPsKfGpxZHexScqf9AhkavOEyrYnAElROcCYGWHuzlQg4BNLMlsNrzo8qOD7Ulbb1MFIqm9ipHH7dW59SxSWw8tOEbX-Dp_wZdWUpL6FCw6/s1600/IMG_2389.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8raxvgo2pr2zcOfTJ1xVY3xbOY7h-DVXlhyPsKfGpxZHexScqf9AhkavOEyrYnAElROcCYGWHuzlQg4BNLMlsNrzo8qOD7Ulbb1MFIqm9ipHH7dW59SxSWw8tOEbX-Dp_wZdWUpL6FCw6/s320/IMG_2389.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571754323892368658" /></a><br /><br />As I felt a bit guilty for having pulled up all of the little plants I then went on a planting extravaganza. So I've now liberally scattered more seeds for the mixed winter leaves throughout the front of the trough they came out of (there's the line <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dyNg1nL28oxOqjxsQmYsM0FhwGu_OhDFldUKEtgnzNHLPlpaebtoSGizgtOHFkMJrOPG2YVBgGTIxcvVoNpABShakPTKce01mS5J03C-Pxo5-932OIyIhce6sIZ5q_UkNk5tX8Alqnip/s1600/IMG_2390.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dyNg1nL28oxOqjxsQmYsM0FhwGu_OhDFldUKEtgnzNHLPlpaebtoSGizgtOHFkMJrOPG2YVBgGTIxcvVoNpABShakPTKce01mS5J03C-Pxo5-932OIyIhce6sIZ5q_UkNk5tX8Alqnip/s320/IMG_2390.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571754672117476834" /></a>of slightly worse for wear looking spring onions along the back of the trough), on the soil around the three garlic plants which are looking really healthy and in the other round pot that had a serrano chilli in it last year. In the remaining trough that didn't have anything in it I've scattered Cos lettuce seeds - it said on the pack that they should be started out in seed trays but I had absolutely no luck with the salads I tried to grow in seed trays last year so I decided to sow them straight outside and see whether they germinate or not.<br /><br />All in all an eventful day's action out on the windowsill!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-91891441306780757672011-01-17T21:14:00.005+00:002011-01-17T21:28:45.645+00:00Moules mariniere<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIpbTXmtAY0qy27Avo-o1qQ1BQu1yqfCPQCLApq1K7d2P5CfiK35YDueY5nPcCZuXv69RxpIHar8Qrb__8yJelepsQUvY9t7xr62mQSgG9w4nMGOwnnlGlIis0OLW6J6s3_RqMoHJRZPA/s1600/IMG_1675.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIpbTXmtAY0qy27Avo-o1qQ1BQu1yqfCPQCLApq1K7d2P5CfiK35YDueY5nPcCZuXv69RxpIHar8Qrb__8yJelepsQUvY9t7xr62mQSgG9w4nMGOwnnlGlIis0OLW6J6s3_RqMoHJRZPA/s320/IMG_1675.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563268052484144962" /></a><br /><br />Full of enthusiasm and inspiration having spent a lot of last week watching the various programmes as part of <a href="http://www.channel4.com/4food/the-big-fish-fight">Channel 4's Big Fish Fight campaign</a>, yesterday night we attempted to cook mussels for the first time and they were fabulous!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrcZK9ky9Vr8D6SQK4gQ3Kk4FV0tp85Efzb9BSfuL7fGsslooVBwzLZW2zA9DbNCMXn6gMyBAQYU2e8BtvnLZTefI6bpKYYP3H_AYI-bKnt9GbJ0ZxFC5s1w0cHJGojLIW7YZUVMdbxdH/s1600/IMG_1683.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrcZK9ky9Vr8D6SQK4gQ3Kk4FV0tp85Efzb9BSfuL7fGsslooVBwzLZW2zA9DbNCMXn6gMyBAQYU2e8BtvnLZTefI6bpKYYP3H_AYI-bKnt9GbJ0ZxFC5s1w0cHJGojLIW7YZUVMdbxdH/s320/IMG_1683.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563268745047974194" /></a> I'd been a bit wary about cooking mussels as it seemed there was a lot of preparation needed but the time you spend doing the prep is more than made up by the fact that once you've got them ready to go they literally take about 30 seconds in the pan to cook and hey presto! We decided to go plain and simple with moules mariniere and used the good old <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jane-Grigsons-Fish-Book-Grigson/dp/0140273255/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295299276&sr=1-7">Jane Grigson Fish Book</a> for our recipe. The sauce in her recipe is just made up of shallots, garlic, butter and white wine flavoured with a bouquet garnis which suits me as I'm not a massive fan of creamy sauces and it was divine all mopped up with a good chunk of warm ciabatta. So... in the words of Jamie, Hugh et al - get yourselves down the fish counter and give the old favourites (cod, tuna, salmon, prawns) a break and try something else for a change.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGfkoIZAFxYOif2rE2VJxrUiJG_0PpG6iS8hNDh9kARj8LdgWr_bpvEE_o6f9d8KQJi7cBOTWbGH-71qEQlU8Z5mxK4u-YDIKGekH7ttegdwytKv28LgK6wCG0VArsrDvyNq-qNxcPi7J/s1600/IMG_1688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGfkoIZAFxYOif2rE2VJxrUiJG_0PpG6iS8hNDh9kARj8LdgWr_bpvEE_o6f9d8KQJi7cBOTWbGH-71qEQlU8Z5mxK4u-YDIKGekH7ttegdwytKv28LgK6wCG0VArsrDvyNq-qNxcPi7J/s320/IMG_1688.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563269282183090210" /></a><br /><br />Amazing!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-30508044423883127372011-01-11T12:23:00.005+00:002011-01-11T12:36:31.253+00:00New Year, New PostWell I haven't blogged in a long while and things on the windowsill have been moving pretty slowly but we do have movement and the leaves, spring onions and garlic that I planted back in November are all plodding away nicely. The growth rate is considerably slower than it was for the plants that were out in the windowboxes over the summer but for such little plants they do seem to have coped remarkably well with all of the snow they've been bombarded with!<br /><br />Here's the first pictures of how the windowsill is doing in 2011...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdDf1tjCpNPIFZdHRNBBPfdL41lf9wdIjCT0C9j5LXKsS6xhdN0jQhYuCUJ4Coz5yOWVFZyi0KSWDwZniVK8tLmjldEOVjyiVrZKfHuEfD9dpV1wfBQ8IcmPIsMBF4eqWkmq4Ob4W-4d5/s1600/P1110073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdDf1tjCpNPIFZdHRNBBPfdL41lf9wdIjCT0C9j5LXKsS6xhdN0jQhYuCUJ4Coz5yOWVFZyi0KSWDwZniVK8tLmjldEOVjyiVrZKfHuEfD9dpV1wfBQ8IcmPIsMBF4eqWkmq4Ob4W-4d5/s320/P1110073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560905137410879458" /></a><br />Our three garlic bulbs have all sprouted...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6GhZ9IV_xIWTcKypyQxWuixxngOhhO00JvP6BOV5F0LSdhTxIINU7QK8x8lLEsvCb1FBtWbuQMW1MV8qTfHwHNApQ2yO2wjWA1YCo2JT1NZjgzNh6CroFiCpO2XxH9g10R_hOaCp_VQH/s1600/P1110081.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6GhZ9IV_xIWTcKypyQxWuixxngOhhO00JvP6BOV5F0LSdhTxIINU7QK8x8lLEsvCb1FBtWbuQMW1MV8qTfHwHNApQ2yO2wjWA1YCo2JT1NZjgzNh6CroFiCpO2XxH9g10R_hOaCp_VQH/s320/P1110081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560905726299361522" /></a><br />...our spring onions have sprung...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX26ngq4FaUwp5TMiIVpJHr_FeAwzYIxZaNHG3WRPJOgPZ9gAKC69DKjszrRWFVV7TvTpqlnGcXW-NCRiHxwWZFe3Cu2m-DZDR8o43wjGgPvHNqZJZvDVK9nWCtl9HTYZBnvyCXDaHDWh7/s1600/P1110080.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX26ngq4FaUwp5TMiIVpJHr_FeAwzYIxZaNHG3WRPJOgPZ9gAKC69DKjszrRWFVV7TvTpqlnGcXW-NCRiHxwWZFe3Cu2m-DZDR8o43wjGgPvHNqZJZvDVK9nWCtl9HTYZBnvyCXDaHDWh7/s320/P1110080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560905424853982066" /></a><br />...and our winter leaves are looking strong (although I'm not sure we've got enough for a salad!!)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-31448213433309076782010-11-01T19:26:00.005+00:002010-11-01T19:36:02.103+00:00Out with the old and in with the new!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqE_D-3UVTpHp9NbW_4oxXwyFBQrBqhOasgvDTuFERI58Q-c4lA1eEcG8N32sYC47fTma6V-VVtXy7VCg79ORyEkk25uO3BVLFA3dZ0PVVqRyXjrc2PTVY18FNMpG32NF4qte8A8H_CDq/s1600/PA300007.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqE_D-3UVTpHp9NbW_4oxXwyFBQrBqhOasgvDTuFERI58Q-c4lA1eEcG8N32sYC47fTma6V-VVtXy7VCg79ORyEkk25uO3BVLFA3dZ0PVVqRyXjrc2PTVY18FNMpG32NF4qte8A8H_CDq/s320/PA300007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534666613045111618" /></a>Well over the weekend I took the opportunity to do some tidying up and armed with all of your suggestions from the other week headed off to the garden centre in search of some winter windowsill produce. I managed to get hold of some garlic, winter salad leaves, sping onions and cos lettuces which all said that they were ok to be planted at this time of year and I also picked up some cress and mustard too to keep me busy.<br /><br />When I got back I spent some time pottering around and cleared out one of the windowsills where all of the former tomato plants were dead (I have left a little clump of oregano which was clinging on for dear life in the hope that it is going to revive itself) and in their place I have planted a row of the winter leaves and a row of the spring onions. It didn't mention anything on the label about starting them off inside so I have just planted them straight into the windowbox outside (not sure if this was a good idea or not!?!). Then I also removed the chilli plant which had only produced one short fat chilli and have planted three cloves of garlic in its place. Am looking forward to seeing whether anything sprouts or not!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOmRNEeoctScpjZX7azYc-EnP1-zKDe3aCleKs2ETdvUkuWrT-hJdtqx46hd04OzH6DyipB_Ak6oskwShBtiHUEGTTWEqswsV0mRpz2l7l9R1oYZo3fN05oCPqiSS5fPgxiloIFPbNNAl/s1600/PA300012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOmRNEeoctScpjZX7azYc-EnP1-zKDe3aCleKs2ETdvUkuWrT-hJdtqx46hd04OzH6DyipB_Ak6oskwShBtiHUEGTTWEqswsV0mRpz2l7l9R1oYZo3fN05oCPqiSS5fPgxiloIFPbNNAl/s320/PA300012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534666734527313506" /></a><br /><br />I've left the other two windowboxes for the time being - one of them is still bursting with chillies and to keep them fresh I don't want to be picking them until we need them and the other one has lots of tomatoes that are a yellowish colour at the moment so I'm clinging on in the vain hope that they might turn red for me some day soon. I've also left the pot of mint in place and tidied it up removing all of the dead stalks and it's sprung back to life amazingly!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-81224003025385932992010-10-24T13:04:00.003+01:002010-10-24T13:11:40.969+01:00The last of the red tomatoes...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzu0memhy85rDa7iYUFJJWMok1mhGmlctrCSfXVyHZsTlbDHc69j85Sau0y9EseYEmDhUe_m6JJ0oZ6z-6SrZvPXQevXcIh0Az-ywBhuC6a13r1tVJDHJVKsPHkyCurQ690uGSocnI0GF/s1600/PA230025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzu0memhy85rDa7iYUFJJWMok1mhGmlctrCSfXVyHZsTlbDHc69j85Sau0y9EseYEmDhUe_m6JJ0oZ6z-6SrZvPXQevXcIh0Az-ywBhuC6a13r1tVJDHJVKsPHkyCurQ690uGSocnI0GF/s320/PA230025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531583933505800322" /></a><br />I decided to use up the last of the red tomatoes yesterday in a <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/sweet-cherry-tomato-and-sausage-bake">Jamie Oliver sausage and tomato bake</a> for a hearty late lunch. This is an old favourite of ours but to make it into a one-pot wonder we add Charlotte potatoes that have just been sliced in half into the mix. It's so easy - you just throw it all into the roasting tin, whack it in the oven and give it a stir a few times and out comes a delicious meal! Yesterday I also added in a few sprigs of our fresh windowsill oregano too. And the best thing is, we had quite a bit of the gorgeous tomatoey, balsamicy sauce left over which is going to go great with some penne for today's lunch, finished off with some gratings of parmesan and more fresh oregano leaves over the top.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-52031151336497321092010-10-21T06:59:00.003+01:002010-10-21T07:08:13.696+01:00Winter windowsillNow that the fruits of my labour over the summer are on their way out I have been wondering whether there is anything that I can put into my windowboxes over the winter months so that I've still got something exciting going on and I'm not just staring at bare earth with a few scrappy plants for several months. From an initial Google I was rather disappointed as it seemed very much that I'd missed the boat and should have been thinking about this a long while back in August. However, then I found this great page on the <a href="http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/veg_gard_now.php">Garden Organic website</a> which shows that October is a fine month to be planting a whole range of things - garlic, autumn set onions, chinese leaves, lambs lettuce, winter lettuce and more... I was watching an episode of the <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-city-gardener/episode-guide/series-1">City Gardener</a> the other day on 4oD where they were putting garlic and onion sets into pots for the patio so I'm fairly confident that I should be able to grow them in pots on the windowsill but of the leafy suggestions, not having an idea of size, I can't work out which might be ok for the windowsill.<br /><br />Any suggestions?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-22014347961732331842010-10-19T08:05:00.005+01:002010-10-19T08:19:18.073+01:00Food from the sky<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpJZ3FfpCx3vO2ENQWpLYT-NIthBmjyIW4TyVv1gfBpCqrLztzAYMu6QYCm9lseTvFQWnPnv6oWdwGyPxgSoJS4ozrcosRxnx8_BNqkREob-QHu2VMLmh9cQzAYvxBmoCdXopzcF0UkyR/s1600/P9250029.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpJZ3FfpCx3vO2ENQWpLYT-NIthBmjyIW4TyVv1gfBpCqrLztzAYMu6QYCm9lseTvFQWnPnv6oWdwGyPxgSoJS4ozrcosRxnx8_BNqkREob-QHu2VMLmh9cQzAYvxBmoCdXopzcF0UkyR/s320/P9250029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529652446751819890" /></a>Well a few weeks ago <a href="http://acookandherwindowsill.blogspot.com/2010/09/urban-places-growing-spaces.html">I promised to report back</a> from a garden that I visited on the Capital Growth Open Gardens day when garden's across London opened their doors to the public. Keeping in the vain of my windowsill garden I decided to visit another aerial garden called <a href="http://foodfromthesky.org.uk/">"Food from the Sky"</a> which is on the roof of Budgen's supermarket in Crouch End in North London.<br /><br />I found it a fabulously inspiring visit with old recycling boxes carefully placed around the roof that had all manner of exciting vegetables growing in them from salad leaves, tomatoes and peppers right through to fruit trees and there were some flowers thrown in for good measure as well along with egg boxes dotted around the place that had been put to equally good recycled use as seed starter trays. Amazing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B6kyZKG66AIy8xAxU6lddXCxq-Y6J6ZmB9G6j85UQz_l6Or2tdl8fkQW2WgGESp41fEtg5FSE0RqgO00wSbMBx6zHoc7tauc4nuqrbdP0a6_cm-BbNGVPo6paMd0riIEWbpkPzQif3BZ/s1600/P9250026.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B6kyZKG66AIy8xAxU6lddXCxq-Y6J6ZmB9G6j85UQz_l6Or2tdl8fkQW2WgGESp41fEtg5FSE0RqgO00wSbMBx6zHoc7tauc4nuqrbdP0a6_cm-BbNGVPo6paMd0riIEWbpkPzQif3BZ/s200/P9250026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529652786342290642" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUKRt3VQI7kA1U_BS99Joy-q0mzw_4lTfib2b9Y43pEr9HfgSwUBMGz3Sxn_HmKmJ-QMWTXJfhp12qzV11bvocr8EnIL3QbX7O1IznqqzC6HOIIXE75odRY48OQU5pONmDwTxLLweSezS/s1600/P9250028.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUKRt3VQI7kA1U_BS99Joy-q0mzw_4lTfib2b9Y43pEr9HfgSwUBMGz3Sxn_HmKmJ-QMWTXJfhp12qzV11bvocr8EnIL3QbX7O1IznqqzC6HOIIXE75odRY48OQU5pONmDwTxLLweSezS/s200/P9250028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529652976324955298" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-43251097299781249202010-10-17T08:44:00.008+01:002010-10-17T08:51:33.849+01:00A pleasant surprise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXYHLgkMEZsAis2SUdkwlF6RfKBEXKDejHWuBAw1827lAGqXIMPaDaakmYcdkCdt5WZBRDZB9LAj7mciYMymO6AEFCDVdjOBi5AxdPy0lXMR2ZsYZtkCVnQCLqjD4YSSuYTyWH2TaedOK/s1600/PA100001.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXYHLgkMEZsAis2SUdkwlF6RfKBEXKDejHWuBAw1827lAGqXIMPaDaakmYcdkCdt5WZBRDZB9LAj7mciYMymO6AEFCDVdjOBi5AxdPy0lXMR2ZsYZtkCVnQCLqjD4YSSuYTyWH2TaedOK/s320/PA100001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528918792882569746" /></a>Continuing in the theme of the dying contents of our windowsill our mint was not looking at all happy. All of the branches and stems had gone woody and the leaves crinkled and brown and so there I was about to chuck it out when I had a look down into the pot and there were loads of small bright green leaves growing up from the base of the pot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So it looks like I might have a mint revival on my hands!<br /><br />Excellent!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbhR5hyphenhyphenRLe4pW2-mhq5pzMCkWv-yDVTL4pep8pOXmtlhmC-2w6-NVS7p9Z8k7Be7Ufkry9s2X6udQXtNRocGQk_qwOpsudva7X-vSSZoJ7_bBh-YYag8X2cmM0jhn3d8Mmt0GPCRhlqOz/s1600/PA100002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbhR5hyphenhyphenRLe4pW2-mhq5pzMCkWv-yDVTL4pep8pOXmtlhmC-2w6-NVS7p9Z8k7Be7Ufkry9s2X6udQXtNRocGQk_qwOpsudva7X-vSSZoJ7_bBh-YYag8X2cmM0jhn3d8Mmt0GPCRhlqOz/s320/PA100002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528918915907169762" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8660190282609189517.post-6598551582439922472010-10-16T08:53:00.010+01:002010-10-16T09:13:26.907+01:00Disillusioned<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpIJNcIQhWae4ruq5iUpteOcZeGnxycUAL2mcug86x3qLT2uo-cz0rAtSpwBQzly790ly38Ly3cnfFt2d8D_ZVWKRG-LhxtjlDfqcC6G0R5L4nOD7aUEm8pzrcknFEevWL5p_G1E_r_pc/s1600/PA100009.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpIJNcIQhWae4ruq5iUpteOcZeGnxycUAL2mcug86x3qLT2uo-cz0rAtSpwBQzly790ly38Ly3cnfFt2d8D_ZVWKRG-LhxtjlDfqcC6G0R5L4nOD7aUEm8pzrcknFEevWL5p_G1E_r_pc/s320/PA100009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528552036161659170" /></a>As a novice gardener in her first year of gardening I was becoming a bit disillusioned - the excitement of the spring and summer when new things seemed to be happening every day had passed and the plants just seemed to be on a slow decline to death. I'd been walking past them and rather than getting the joy of earlier months I was getting a sinking feeling as they just started to look more and more dead every day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW5m481ipAhkTQXtfYVq4SijHPuub9u4yh-s0AYecr7HcFIlKVek4aztRHQ6CgC0cjdscS2otHHVoVpSR5BgoStBStiScL8MFmTNI-C7AUdHL51_PfjqpaP6dwKs3y-qa4UboEH48MgpS/s1600/PA100010.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW5m481ipAhkTQXtfYVq4SijHPuub9u4yh-s0AYecr7HcFIlKVek4aztRHQ6CgC0cjdscS2otHHVoVpSR5BgoStBStiScL8MFmTNI-C7AUdHL51_PfjqpaP6dwKs3y-qa4UboEH48MgpS/s320/PA100010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528552169712831394" /></a>But the other day I decided to pick myself up and have a proper look at them all and look for the positives - we had lots of bright red chillies and tomatoes just waiting to be picked and the oregano still seems to be coming on great guns.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAMgaiPJ7ffzscjCbtecmSIzklXwgyY-UztTyckpKHQi2TwzBfs98YF43PsGDFmSgyrOZykaDiNplyMxjrHrN10gg7HIstJ_W5IB22JHJO-PTz34rJPmPctp2YJN9SIxYrRCunBFXv73K/s1600/PA100011.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAMgaiPJ7ffzscjCbtecmSIzklXwgyY-UztTyckpKHQi2TwzBfs98YF43PsGDFmSgyrOZykaDiNplyMxjrHrN10gg7HIstJ_W5IB22JHJO-PTz34rJPmPctp2YJN9SIxYrRCunBFXv73K/s320/PA100011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528552494917894722" /></a>We also had no food in the house for dinner and had just got back from a trip away so the fact that we had these bright juicy fat red chillies and tomatoes just crying out to be picked was a great little present. So I heated up the hob and chucked four of the chillies in the pan to blacken them all over. Then in went the tomatoes along with some chopped spring onions, garlic and the finely chopped stalks of a bunch of parsley that I found lying around in the fridge. Meanwhile I got a big pot of boiling water on the go to cook some pasta in. Once all of the veggies had fried down a bit I bashed up the chillies, added a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of drained chickpeas and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BeraHoieUKsrITER3wL9PsBiehPME8gBC0qsv2QES5ECnraXJbgjJXXj0MenRidY1AypzPUjys9mijLc2PPH8Yf5zVeXc-qtt0UQ9UNA47eV1ZEKdZ3TjcNd51HYRCahFgZ23iffPbFN/s1600/PA100014.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BeraHoieUKsrITER3wL9PsBiehPME8gBC0qsv2QES5ECnraXJbgjJXXj0MenRidY1AypzPUjys9mijLc2PPH8Yf5zVeXc-qtt0UQ9UNA47eV1ZEKdZ3TjcNd51HYRCahFgZ23iffPbFN/s320/PA100014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528552729962210338" /></a>left it all to simmer away while the pasta cooked. Once the pasta was done I added a ladelful of the pasta water to the sauce, chucked the pasta in and stirred it around along with the chopped parsley leaves and salt and pepper to taste. A perfect meal inspired by the windowsill and the store cupboard!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02311403423357988448noreply@blogger.com5