Currently Browsing: HOME LIFE
Posted by
English Mum |
Oct 8th, 2010
Yeo Valley goes all ‘Yo! Valley’
So as you know I’m great mates with the chaps at Yeo Valley Organic. When I was at the farm back in August, they were all talking very excitedly about their new advert – a rap video. Yup, you heard it here first:
Farmers.
Rapping.
The advert is a real, proper rap video directed by Julien Lutz, who has made videos with such superstars as R. Kelly, Usher, Kanye West and Nelly Furtado. I was...
Posted by
English Mum |
Sep 12th, 2010
Rowan, Eucalyptus, Silver Birch, Beech and a lot of digging
When we bought English Towers – during the peak of the ol’ Celtic Tiger (yes, yes, I know… it’s worth about 50p now), the builder had planted (at great expense I should imagine) a Beech hedge that went all the way round the perimeter of the site.
The trees were tiny but David, our lovely tree expert and all-round garden guru (you may remember that he created the raised garden at the back...
Posted by
English Mum |
Sep 7th, 2010
The Sheridans Cheesemongers 50 mile Harvest Festival
Local to us here (and I mean literally just along the road – result!) is a fabulous cheesemongers called Sheridans. They’re great supporters of local and artisan production and held a brilliant Irish Food Festival back in May (which I sadly missed), so when Poppy’s Mum stopped me on the boat road while I was out blackberry picking and handed me a leaflet for their Harvest Festival this weekend,...
Posted by
English Mum |
Jul 1st, 2010
In which our hero nearly brains herself and receives no sympathy
So I’m bragging, yes, but my courgettes are huge (not a euphemism). They have taken over the entire greenhouse, with leaves so enormous you could seriously float down a river on one (yes, of course they would hold my weight – I am, after all, sylph-like in stature). The chickens have taken to making little impromptu nests under their leaves in the evening, they provide so much shade (and yes,...
Posted by
English Mum |
May 29th, 2010
Wisteria and chickens
Wow it’s been beautiful, hasn’t it? We’re really starting to feel at home in this house now (well I am, the kids were settled pretty much straight away). Here at English Towers II our little garden is actually a bit of a revelation, what with the gorgeous Wisteria that’s emerging, draping itself over the wrought iron arch that leads to the vegetable patch and the greenhouse:
As you...
Posted by
English Mum |
Jan 8th, 2010
Red crocodiles, Wiglet Noshers and other rubbish
Bloody snow. I’m so over it. Go away and let me go out to the shops already. I’ve spent the whole day at home AGAIN. It’s driving me ballistic. I went out and cleared the path only to be told that I could sued if someone slipped on it. How silly – if you’re coming down my path you must be coming to see me, in which case it would be a bit counterproductive to sue me, wouldn’t...
Posted by
English Mum |
Oct 6th, 2009
Minnie the moocher
Y’know, when we started this whole chicken thing, waaaaay back when the wondrous Hugh was starting his Chicken Out campaign, lots of people said to us how they have their own little personalities and you get quite attached to them. At the time we just laughed and thought ‘yeh, right, isn’t it funny how people always want to give dumb animals a personality’. But, dearest reader,...
Posted by
English Mum |
Sep 24th, 2009
Step by step cheese sauce – comedy cauliflower optional
So one of my happier experiments in the garden were these little beauties. They did have a name, but I’ve bloody forgotten now, although I’m sure Poppy’s Mum or GrowUp, my gardening gurus, will let me know in due course. Yesterday, then, we decided to pick one and test it out.
‘Ooh’, said #1, ‘cauliflower cheese!’.
‘Yum’, said I.
‘Bleurgh’,...
Posted by
English Mum |
Aug 7th, 2009
Everything in the garden is…
…well, frankly, a bit pooey.
Let me explain. We woke up this morning to much commotion. There was howling and yowling and even the odd woof (very unusual – Bert’s usually completely non-woofish). Anyhoo, disgressing. So a very excited Bert was telling us something crucially important, and we needed to get downstairs right away. Something wasn’t quite right in the garden.
‘
Look!’...
Posted by
English Mum |
Jul 26th, 2009
Some say he isn’t machine washable: all we know is, he’s The Stig
So happily, some semblance of peace has been restored this weekend in the garden here at English Towers. I have to take most of the credit for this (well, me and several small children) as, finally, the coop has a run. Oh yes, don’t say I’m not handy with a hammer… well, a couple of electric fence poles (not live, natch), some chicken wire and a few cable ties anyway (one upside of living...
