Monday 11 January 2010

Cabin Fever and Sowing Plan

It's still too cold/snowy/icy to go to the allotment and too cold/early to start sowing seeds. I don't know if it's a good idea to go to far flung/off the beaten track garden centres (which are the ones I want to go to to seek out loose seed potatoes) in case (a) they have not been delivered due to the weather and (b) the roads are hazardous. I was so bored this morning that I sat down and went through all my seeds and made a month by month sowing plan on an Excel spreadsheet. I thought I might post it on here but I don't know how.

Then I decided I would indeed venture out to an independent garden centre in a village a few miles away, to see what the seed potato situation was there. In fact the roads were fine. A bit slushy in places but not particularly dangerous. Their potatoes hadn't arrived yet although the lady said they were expecting them 'any minute' (by which she meant 'any day') but unfortunately they were not sold loose but in 3kg bags. I guess the seed potatoes will have to wait a bit longer. Oh well, there's no rush is there?

Anyway, while I was there, and I had a few Christmas vouchers, I bought 3 blackcurrant bushes and 2 blueberry bushes. These are now waiting in the greenhouse until the ground is plantable in.


Yesterday I received this late Christmas present. Most of these recipes contain no butter or equivalent, but instead are made with grated vegetable to make them nice and moist. The majority are made with courgette or butternut squash, and there are others which contain potato, sweet potato, carrot, turnip or beetroot. Because the vegetables contain natural sugars, most of the recipes contain slightly less sugar than normal recipes too. I'm afraid I can't tell you what any of the cakes are like as I haven't had a chance to make any yet, but I will let you know when I have. If they turn out to be as good as the pictures suggest it will be a nice way to use up all those courgettes and butternut squashes I will no doubt be inundated with later in the year.

3 comments:

Kella said...

That book looks like it filled with grea ideas.

And thanks for reminding me about seed potatoes, my mind is taking really long to wake up to the gardening bug this year.

Jo said...

Thanks for the link in the comments on your last post. Unfortunately, there wasn't any mention of any places near me. I think you've spent your vouchers well. I had a great blueberry harvest last year, and I'm thinking of getting one/some blackcurrants. That book looks fab. Do let us know how the recipes taste, I might just have to buy the book if they're good.

Shaheen said...

I know how you are feeling with the allotment. With all the snow up here, I have barely been to the allotment and seed planting is on the backburner for sure.

I got that book for my Birthday, I haven't cooked from it yet, but am looking forward to it.

Happy new Year to you.