Thursday 9 September 2010

The joy of.............

.....peeling onions!


Had to peel loads of these the other day to make chutney. My poor tomatoes were starting to go mouldy on the vines so I picked the ones that were still ok and turned them into chutney.  Reading back to one of my first blog posts I made last year, I had problems ripening my tomatoes last summer too. Am beginning to think I need to sort out a mini-greenhouse for next year!!

Anyhow all the effort & tears was worthwhile - we've now 6 jars of green tomato chutney to keep us going through the next 12 months;

I have been a busy little Vicki this past week - working a couple of days for MrVV - oh the joys of typing pages of figures into the computer.  I  have also been trying to make a start on some of the swaps I am taking part in - if you haven't already - look at my sidebar - think there are 2 swaps that don't close till the weekend?

I spent Wednesday afternoon as a volunteer in a local charity shop - something I shall be doing each week. It was rather fun - a real mix of ages.

As the weather has been mixed this week, I've started knitting a scarf for myself. When I was @ Latitude in July, I picked up a couple of balls of Debbie Bliss Eco Organic cotton from the knitting stall. I liked the colour and thought it would come in useful.  Last week when my very clever knitting sister came round I showed them to her & asked her advice on what I could knit that was simple? She had a rummage through my needles & handed me 2 ones of different size. Knitting like that produces a simple lacy pattern - I'm rather pleased with it;

One ball used up and I've made a start on the 2nd one - just enough yarn to produce the perfect size scarf :)

Thank you for all the positive comments on the gingerbread house in the last post - hopefully there will be some of those available to buy very soon ;)

Until next time

xxx Vicki xxx





18 comments:

Floss said...

Wow - it looks like you're settling back into the swing of things now the holidays are over! I'm impressed!

Unknown said...

Tomatoes i have the same problem as you they are still green, so i picked some and have put them in the kitchen window they are slowly turning red ;-) Seeing your jars has inspired me to have a go, every year i think about it and never do it..so maybe this year will be a first ;-)) Thank you. Enjoy knitting your scarf ;-))

Anonymous said...

Chutney & knitting - very impressive. I have never made chutney, but am tempted to give it a try.xx

harmony and rosie said...

My tomatoes have been a bit dubious to say the least, they are all green so perhaps I should give up and make some chutney with them. Good for you for doing some CS work - I wonder how many of the donations will make it to the shelves though?!!

Anonymous said...

I have never made chutney but I love eating it so I might give it a go. new experiences and all that.

I love the knitting idea of two different size needles, I have a ball of the same wool in a wedgewood blue shade so I will add that to list of forthcoming projects.

Great blog Vicki.

Caroline
xxx

www.carolinescraftsuk.blogspot.com

Felted House said...

That's such a simple yet great idea for the knitting - I'd forgotten until I looked at this that there was a fashion for using one tiny and one enormous needle when I was a teenager - my mum started a jumper and I bet it's still unfinished in her house! It was an even more exaggerated effect where you had to wind the yarn twice round the needle too to make big, big holes. But it does make a nice lacy pattern, yours looks like nice soft yarn. I yearn to knit or crochet mittens but can't find the time right now!
I have a mini greenhouse and my tomatoes still haven't ripened! But it's still great to have the greenhouse - we had to put ours in shade so I'm sure if you put one in sun it would work well xx

Victoria Plum said...

Hi,
I'm starting to resign myself to the fact that I will be having yet another year of green tomato chutney too ... I haven't had a single ripe tomato this year. What is so annoying is that I grew 5 different varieties of tomato too! Oh well .... I have a greenhouse in the sun (well, what sun we get in London!) and it makes no difference ....
x

Thedarkerside73 said...

Gosh you got into the school routine with a bang! Very impressive.

Liking the effect with the different sized needles and the wool very pretty altogether. You will look very stylish this winter.


MBB x

carol at home said...

Doesn't look as though my tomatoes are going to ripen either so maybe I should have a go at some chutney but then again I do like fried green tomatoes so will I have enough?

Lisa said...

I'm useless, never made chutney or even jam!
The colour of your new scarf is lovely.
Lisa x

BadPenny said...

Oh that takes me back - I started the blog last August & now I remember lots of green tomatoes being made into chutney !
I've just started volunteering one afternoon a week in our village charity schop too !

kim said...

Love the jaunty gingham hats on your chutney jars. Do you know I have been knitting for a number of years and I didn't know you could knit lace just by using two different sized needles......fantastic!

Dawn said...

I wonder if you will be wearing a new find every Wednesday at S&B?

Muddy Puddle Crafts said...

chutney, knitting, volunteering !!.... & all in the same week, well done, very impressed !

andamento said...

The scarf is looking lovely, that's such a good idea to use the different sized needles, I'd never have thought of it.

JP said...

love the scarf - enjoy the chutney

driftwood said...

mmmm chutney and scarves, lovely autumn treats xxx

...Nina Nixon... said...

I think peeling onions must be on the top of one of those lists for the most horrible jobs ever!!

The apples took me an age, but at least I wasn't crying the whole time.

Tomato Chutney though - well worth all those tears - yum.

Nina xxx