Apples, Apples and more Apples!!

Hello!!

Look what my neighbour dropped in for me last evening from her garden, lots and lots of Apples! I am planning on making some Apple Crumble and some Apple Cake and I would like to make some Apple Sauce for when we have Roast Pork...any suggestions as to the best way to do this...or even any more Apple recipes so that I can put all of these Delicious Apples to good use?

Look what I was given last week, a Vintage Jones Sewing Machine, I LOVE it! It has all the original tools with it and is still in full working order, for it's age it is in very good condition, I have put it on my Web Site to sell but I don't think that I will leave it on there for too long as it would look great in my sewing room, but then if it does sell at least that will give me a few more pennies to be able to buy other goodies to pop on to my web site for you all to have a chance at buying if you fancied anything that I have managed to source!

Yesterday on my way home from work I popped into our local shop and look what I bought....the latest Country Living magazine along with the Ideal Home Christmas Magazine....it wont be long you know!! And I want to see if there are any ideas in here for me to be able to make, for gifts and also to make and sell, also the lady in the shop gave me a free copy of Exeter Living, I think that it is a little like Devon Life magazine, but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth as they say...anything Free and I wont say no!!!! So lots of reading for me when I get 5 minutes!


Before I go I just wanted to show you this.....just when you thought that it was a Chicken free blog! Look what one of my girls laid (don't know which one?!)

It only weighs 19grammes and is the size of a Cadburys Mini Egg!! Not going to get much baking done with that am I!!

Take care for now
x

Chicken House Production Line!!

Hi all, well its been a few days since I last posted, where does the time go? I know...Chicken and Duck watching!! Goodness they are time wasters, you just pop out to say hello to them and before you know it a whole hour has past by!

O.K, this is how our week-end went, we had an old wooden box sat in our garden which my husband had converted into a Chicken House for me (prior to my chickens arriving) and the more that I had looked at it the more I thought that I wanted something a liitle more "Up market" shall we say, so, we placed an advertisement in our local newspaper advertising it for sale at £25.00, well we could have sold it over and over again, we had soooo many phone calls from people wanting it!! So, clever husband decided that he was going to have a go at making a proper one from re-cycled wood, well, look what it turned out like!

It's fab isn't it?! It has a perch inside as well as a Nesting Box, the back door opens down so that you can collect your Eggs easily! At only £60.00 each we now have orders being placed for them!!! The great thing with them is that he is making them flat packed so that we can send them out via Courier service!

I couldn't wait to show you this...our very first egg from our Girls! Not sure which one laid it but who cares!! Weighing it at 59 grammes!!

Well my Sister in-law is due to have her second child any day now so we are on stand by waiting for the phone call to say that he/she has arrived, it's lovely not knowing what it is going to be, well, obviously it is going to be a baby! But it will be a surprise not knowing if it's a Girl or a Boy, so many people find out these days what sex their baby is before they are born and it kind of takes away the excitement!

The evenings are really starting to draw in aren't they, only just over a week and the clocks go back! There is something about Winter time and lighting the Fire and cosying up on the sofa with a Glass of wine and a magazine or book, I LOVE having the candles going too, it makes it all the more warm and cosy (these ones are on my web site and only 99p each if you want to treat yourself!!)

Oh, by the way, look at what Mr Postie delivered this week...

Since reading lots of other Blogs and getting very jealous at what was being crocheted by fellow Bloggers, I decided that I wanted to give it a go....do you think that I could get the hang of it?! NO, I kept getting holes, missed stitches, extra loops on the hook that I shouldn't have, oh dear, I could not get to grips with it, so I have now bought this...well they do say it's for Dummies!! Watch this space, I will let you know how I get on!!

Anyway, better go and gets some more logs in ready for later, Coronation Street on tonight...will she marry Liam or Tony?!!!

Take Care for now
Andrea
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Our Duck has made an appearance!!!!

Here she is...with great pleasure I bring you Emily Duck!!!!

But, I think that she passed the word around inside that there was a woman outside and pointing something at us (a camera!!), and so now there is a chicken on look out!!!

Tomorrow we are going to let them have the run of the garden...but I am a bit afraid as they are still quite nervous of us and so will they run and run and run away from us and never come back? Maybe I won't let them out to roam free...but I should, as that is what they want, what do I do? watch this space!!!

Have a great week-end whatever you do, I am back to normal (in work life) next week so will be in touch more...no more courses to go on...yeah!!!!!!

xxx

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

Only a quick post I am afraid, as it has been such as busy, busy week-end and I am back to work tomorrow for three full days in a row.....Oh, My, God!!!!!

Anyway, less about me, look what my son, his girlfriend and my husband bought for my Birthday on Saturday!!!



And poor hubby has been slogging away soooo hard at this...



I think that he has done a really good job don't you? I LOVE it!!

And yes, to those of you who expressed a concern about me only getting One Chicken and a Duck, well I did get TWO Chickens and a Duck....and... they all seem to be getting along just fine...eek...touch wood somebody!!! The lady that breeds them said that the duck will attach itself to any other animals within the household so it is not a problem in having only one duck!! The one thing that I can say about her is that she is sooooo afraid, (she is only 14 weeks old!!) and when she comes out to stay for long enough for me to able to get a piccy of her I can then show her to all of you!!

But for now, it is back to reality, (hate it!!) I need to go and get clothes etc sorted ready for the morning for work, Packed Lunch done, food in the Chicken feeder ready to pop into the Chicken (and Duck!) run in the morning, when I let them out, I have put fresh water out for them already for tomorrow but didn't want to put more food out yet for fear of attracting Rats/Mice, and get the washing in off the line, I think that week-ends should def be longer!

I will be back in touch nearer the end of the week with an update of ....Katie, Lucy, and Emily!!! (Emily is the Duck and Lucy is the slightly fatter of the Chickens)

Andrea
x

I am back!!!

It's been such a long time since I last posted, I am sorry, it's just that there has been such a lot happening including returning back to work, having to venture back into the big wide open world!!! What with the credit crunch..don't you just get fed up with hearing about that? Prices have gone up and everyone is feeling the pinch, so we have just got to face up to it I guess and cut back on a few things or at least just be a little more careful with spending than we were a few months ago!

Well I guess Autumn is finally here, the grass is really wet and the air in the mornings is really damp and misty, although not when I first get up at 5.30am! It is pitch Black!! I never was a morning person, but good old hubby has rows of cups of caffeine waiting for me in the mornings to try and get me moving into action! It isn't too bad though as I finish work at 2.30pm so still have a little of the afternoon to catch up with a few things before eating our evening meal, followed with a glass of wine and then lighting the fire ... to fall straight to sleep as soon as I curl up on the sofa! Sometimes that is sooo annoying, especially when there is something that you would like to watch on the TV (not very often I have to say!!) but sometimes I just cannot keep my eyelids open!!



Do you like my new Rocking Chair? I originally purchased it to Restore and Paint in a Farrow and Ball paint and pop it on to my Web site but I have decided that it looks rather homely in my lounge! So its mine to keep!! Sorry!!

I have been reading some lovely blogs in the last few days that I have come across, especially those that have a story connected regarding keeping Chickens, as I have decided that I want to have some of my own Chickens and hopefully some Ducks! Thank you to Diary of a Tinyholder and Vintage Pretty and Shabby for inspiring me to go ahead and get some!

Lots of planning though ahead! A Home is needed for them, along with a run and feed and feeders...oh my goodness the list! What I would really like is this...



But I am afraid that to start with, their new home will be...



I will make sure that it is Fox protected and warm and safe, one day they too can be upgraded to the penthouse!

We have also been to a fab wedding of my Cousins, it was held at Cameley Lodge in Somerset, WOW what a Beautiful setting!! We all had a fab day, it is so nice to go to the venue and not have to travel around to the Church, Reception, Hotel etc etc, all held under one roof is so much easier, the brides Flowers were Beautiful, take a peak!



More to come in the next few days!!

Take Care
Andrea
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