Slow

Have you tried using the slow cooker to make bread?

We have two slow cookers, one large, one small. I decided to make gluten free sourdough in the small one. It is a ceramic pot which I greased first and put some greaseproof paper in the bottom. I put the mixture in and heated it up a bit, then left it to rise. Once risen I put the slow cooker on again on high and it was pretty good - more cooked at the bottom than the top as you would expect but all okay. 

It is worth a go and doesn't take long.

Boxing match

 A sad day as we had to cut back our old box tree after the devastation that it got last year from box tree caterpillars. They had not only eaten every leaf but also stripped the new bark. Looking around the town the box tree moth has been quite widespread. It is unlikely we will try and grow any in the future.

Around the garden there were quite a few rogue holly and bay plants growing. These needed digging out and removing. 

Rain, rain go away

 There is a local weather station in Clevedon and it recorded double the average rainfall for the whole of February, which will come as no surprise to anyone living here.

The rain has continued into March, but a dry day today so a gardening opportunity. Weeding.

There was one main culprit to clear - Lords and Ladies, the wet conditions must be its ideal conditions.

But from seemingly nowhere there were two very long brambles, which had rooted at both ends. Fortunately with the ground being so wet it was a bit easier to dig them out roots and all. The thorns were vicious though.

An ivy growing on a wall was another unwelcome plant which took some removing.

Finally for today were three Himalayan honeysuckles already well established in between a gap in the wall and path. They look a bit gloomy to me, a bit funereal. As the stems were hollow, I left about six inches of stems on each plant and poured a bit of weedkiller into the stem.

Medical man

 Today's job for Lent was to go through all the medicines and check which are out of date. 

Goodness it is surprising what different medicines that we have tucked away that are no longer valid. Ointments and creams too.

We took them all to the pharmacy.

Whilst I wouldn't take out of date medicines I am not sure if they become dangerous or simply ineffective. 

Shrove Thursday?

 This post is before next Tuesday which is Shrove Tuesday.

So time to think what to do for Lent. We like to give up something but also do something for the forty days.

Simple, no chocolate. I hope that there will be a loss of weight as a bonus.

This year it is an opportunity again to do all the little jobs that get put off during the year.

I like to do Lent on all days apart from each Sunday, thereby resulting in forty days.

But on Shrove Tuesday it has to be pancakes with sugar and lemon.

High point of the day.

An early start because of an appointment in Bristol.

We went to Cossham Hospital. It is an impressive Victorian building with some new additions.

We had never been there before and didn't know that it is the highest part of Bristol. It wasn't a totally clear day but the view was still very impressive.

The area is well worth a visit even if you don't have a hospital appointment. We found that the local people there to be very friendly too.

New Years' Resolutions

 What resolutions, if any have you made this year? Did you keep all those that you made last year?

For me I try not to over estimate what resolutions to make, that way I am less inclined to fail or give up altogether.

10,000 steps a day? Nope. Instead rather than walking the shortest distance, I walk a different route which includes an incline. It doesn't take much longer but it does make the heart work harder. 

Going to the gym? Nope. But kettlebell exercises are easy to keep doing especially if they are in a place in the home where you constantly walk past.

Gardening is great exercise and am I a rarity in that I enjoy cleaning - though I am not obsessive about it.

Give up chocolate? Nope. Why on earth would anyone give up chocolate?