This week has definitely been a get outdoors week with the better weather with us but with the UK you never know for how long, so you have to get things done asap!
The garden is coming along nicely despite the slugs which seem really bad at the moment, probably due to the fresh young shoots and heavy dew. I may have lost one of my courgettes despite having lots of egg shells around it, only time will tell if I get any new shoots off of it
I have potted on two of my largest tomatoes into their forever pots whilst the others play catch up.
Last year I created the downstairs garden flower bed which is really taking shape this year as the plants establish themselves. This year it’s the turn of the sloped bed which had been over run by mint and weeds. Also there was a dead ceanothus that needed taking out. I forgot to take a before image but did remember before going too far
The slopped garden already has a couple of well established shrubs in it so it was more about clearing the dead stuff and then I will under plant and maybe included one more statement plant where I removed the ceanothus but have not decided what it should be. I have cleared it all and made tiers to make it easier to maintain.
I had a trip out to a new garden centre this week which has just opened its newly built building and managed to get a few plants but not all the ones I had been hoping to get. They do have a lovely cafe and an amazing terrace with a view. So I had to try it out and had a delicious mocha cortardo.
The venue where I do my dog training lessons had a new baby born at the end of last week and I got to see him this week with his mum in the field behind the indoor school. How cute 🥰
Now it’s not all about work in my garden and now we have some good weather I need a good book or two to read outside. I have just got two murder mystery books written by Janice Hallett and I will let you know what I think about them. I am reading The Appeal first.
In the kitchen because it’s been nice I want things that are quick and light. I made a nice roasted vegetable frittata using veggies I had left in my fridge and crumbled some feta into it for a salty tang.
My favourite meal this week was a meal for one last night as my daughter was working and I had done four classes back to back and did not fancy spending much time in the kitchen but wanted something tasty. I had some halloumi and knew I had a tin of chickpeas so I created this salad.
Chickpea and Halloumi Salad (serves 1)
1/2 small onion chopped
1/4 drained can of chickpeas
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pack of Halloumi
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 brioche wrap
4 to 5 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 ” of cucumber diced
1/2 small gem lettuce shredded
Melt the butter with the oil and add the onion and cook till soft, then add the chickpeas and continue cooking over a medium heat till everything starts to colour. Sprinkle the garam masala over and mix in and then add the agave syrup and continue cooking. Add the halloumi to the pan and brown each side.
Meanwhile place the rest of the salad stuff in a bowl and quarter the wrap and either crisp up in an air fryer for a few mins or this can be done in the microwave or oven.
Place the chickpeas and onions on top of the salad and then the halloumi and serve with the crispy wrap on the side.
It is exam time for school, colleges and Universities and Mia is hard at work revising for her two final exams and finishing her poster for her presentation. She will then have finished her three years at Plymouth University. It has gone so quickly. Next Sunday I will go and collect a good percentage of things from her flat and just leave her with enough to spend her final week and also take the hoover down so she can clean it before handing back the keys after two years of living there. She will then be back living at home whilst she undertakes her Master’s at Exeter.
I’m off to enjoy more of this good weather.
Stepping Into Sixty and Out Of The Comfort Zone 