nov 30th

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 4
Things bought, Village Shop, Potatoes, purple sprouting, bananas, cucumber, milk, marmite rice cakes, ice cream,   Bramleys, bananas, unseasonal soft fruit and veg.  Hobbs House, Sesame seed baps.  Flowers from Jaquaranda, Ham from the other Nailsworth butchers
Things cancelled, 0.
Things cooked, Burgers, pickled cucumbers, coleslaw, banana split, cooked ham and elderflower jelly  
Mince Pie for breakfast.
It had snowed.
Headed to Nailsworth this morning steadily in the car to get ingredients for tonight's 1960's milk bar.  For speed and convenience I used the other Nailsworth Butchers £11 for a weeny bit of ham to cook for the boys school victorian feast.  He won't be taking it all.  I then headed to Horsley, via Kingscote (road closure and icy lanes),
to the wonderful Horsley Community Shop http://www.horsleyparish.co.uk/Village_Shop/home.asp for basics.  Got all I needed except gherkins but bought a cucumber which I pickled instead, worked a treat.  I have challenged the shop to get me Kaffir Lime Leaves, I have run out.
We made delicious burgers, cheating using Anthony Smith, from Hobbs House Bistro's leftover Burger mix.  We served these on toasted sesame buns with pickled cucumbers, Leon's autumn slaw, scraps of leftover cheeses, and homemade ketchup or oh so chilli smokin' chilli sauce.  All washed down with strawberry milkshakes and followed by banana splits with roasted almonds and maple syrup.  I had cooked the ham for the boy and suddenly remembered Henry's amazing Victorian Jelly, so out came Bompas and Parr http://www.jellymongers.co.uk/ , all was good till I decided to save the ham stock too.  Suddenly there was a lot of measuring jugs and I muddled the two, oops, well now with all f the last of Junes elderflower cordial we have a jelly potentially setting for tomorrow, december 1st.  The advent calender is full, but not with the nativity set, we can only find a King at present, we will need to have a Holy family search tomorrow. 

Day 25

Hello day 25 or is it 26, think I have lost count.
Things bought, Horsley village shop, milk, nappy bags, coconut milk, chocolate digestives.  Pet shop for dog food.
Things ate,  Porridge with granola, dippy egg with wild white, lemon cake, sweet potato and aubergine curry with leftover lamb and rice, last bit of walnut tart.
Apparently I was a question in the Horsley Community shop quiz this weekend, what recognition.
Dummies, ideally natural rubber ones, any ideas anyone where I can buy them from, nowhere in Nailsworth and I have tried Sunshine In Stroud, what to do for PPP, may have to resort to buying off the internet or Tom going to an independent in London tomorrow.

Sweet potato and ginger soup recipe

As requested.
 Skye Gyngell,  A year in my kitchen,
2 large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 red onions
11/2  tbsp grated fresh root ginger
1.5 litres chicken stock (not rabbit!) or water
150ml double cream
1tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup.
juice of 1/2 lime.
Simplified method; melt butter, fry off onion with salt then add pots and ginger.  Add stock, boil until pots tender, whizz, then reheat and add other ingredients.

Day 24

It's cold, you been reading my blog, but who are you?  I would love to have some comments, please.
We have made the christmas cake today, using Delia's classic of my childhood, http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/sweet/the-classic-christmas-cake.html.
We had a delicious Roast dinner, chicken, dauphinoise and kale followed by leftover walnut tart.  Already down to 3 packs of butter, help.

Cereal

The cereal dilemma,
Children like cereal, my children like expensive cereal, their preferred choice is Kellogs Special K red berries, oh yes the one that retails at £3.50 unless on a supermarket special,  and oh yes the one they don't sell in independents.
The children are surviving on fire porridge, Oaty Bites (bought locally at £3.29 and lasting about 3 days) and basic cereals from the village shop such as rice crispies with honey on.
Fire Porridge, for those of you who don't know fire porridge, or have had my children request it at sleepovers, I will fill you in.  Make porridge, sprinkle with a little too much sugar, brulee with your blow torch. Serve to your loved ones, they eat porridge, result.  As for us homemade granola is the answer, lovely on porridge, not fired.

I love shopping

With determination caught the 9.23 to Stroud with the three girls on a mission for ballet and butter.  We got B to the Cotswold playhouse in a flurry of snow for her dress rehearsal for the familiar "Boy who didn't grow up"!  We then headed down to the market, upped the rations at Chads, to 5 packets of butter, got some cream and yoghurt to try and honey too.  Bought a handsome looking chicken with giblets.  We then treated ourselves to some Pippin doughnuts for the bus journey home.  The doughnuts went down very well and then we got off at Woodchester to head to Red Hearts knitwear exhibition at Frogmarsh Mill.
The knitwear was exquisite, want it, want it, stamping my feet.  Headed into Bikeworks too to look at BMX's for the boy, think he might have to wait until his birthday.  Then walked from Woodchester to Nailsworth, the girls fell asleep so I made the most of it by going shopping of course, finished off the advent calender shopping in the Little People Company and got some other ideas.  Then bought all the lightbulbs we needed, fridge, extractor and all from Brutons and Gordons.  I am disproportionately excited about the great red and white striped dish cloths I bought in Brutons.  One of the great things about local shopping is not only the conversation but the willingness to help, I've got stocking fillers collected at the Little People Company and two big boxes of crackers (oh yes I can get them local) put by until I'm not on foot at the ironmongers. Got the Christmas cake ingredients from Shiny Goodness and just need to get that fruit soaking. Made my signature lemon cake today without lemons and eggs from Riverford, not as golden but still good and tasty.  Cooking the children and the babysitter a rather tasty looking dinner of left over lamb and dauphinoise, would be jealous but we are heading down to http://www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk/about_us/our_bistro/ with friends.

day 22

Catalogues received;1, White company
Things bought, Village shop, milk, eggs, potatoes, parsnips, apples, crisps. Stroud; Made in Stroud, christmas presents, Heritage, stocking fillers for JP, present for Charlie, Fabric from shop by Mills Cafe, Nappies from Sunshine shop.  Nailsworth Christkindl; handmade hairclips, stocking fillers from Yellow lighted and Pulp.
The meal went well last night, slightly saved by Henry the chef.  Soup turned to brown soup, due to using rabbit broth, lovely as a game soup, not much flavour as a sweet potato and ginger soup.  Delicious butterflied leg of lamb (my last supper) with oh so hot harissa and purple sprouting.  Walnut tart amazing, but note to self always read recipe not just ingredients before beginning.  That was a lot of nuts to shell, fortunately Henry was a dab hand on the caramel.  Mr Tom bought some beautiful stemless wine glasses from Raffles yesterday, just need to find somewhere to put them before we break them.
Established Christmas Shopping today, headed out to Stroud and was reassured that Nailsworth will be good enough.  Stroud I love you too but Nailsworth has got it all.  Made In Stroud pretty special some amazing woolens by Cotswold Woolen weavers, http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/plaza/hk67/contents.htm. Got  some very pleasing stocking fillers for JP from heritage but feel sure I will manage the rest in Nailsworth.  It was Nailsworth Christkindl tonight, with that and a fluttering of snow the kids were a little excitable.  Really lovely evening lots of fab stalls representing local businesses, just a few fairground rides and lots of friends, good food and mulled wine. I bought a few more stocking fillers.  Collected a book and a cd for the boy from http://www.yellow-lightedbookshop.co.uk/.  Super efficient them, I ordered it on a Saturday and they had it was there by monday (quicker than amazon) , shame it took me 12 days to collect it.
Right to bed now, butter to buy in the morning, shall I up the ration, 6 packs this week?

Day 21, 22

Three weeks in, not starving yet.
The second column was in the Stroud News and Journal yesterday.
Had a great evening watching (through binoculars) my son at the Young Voices concert in the NEC.
Have felt the reality of having one car this week.  Although lovely today to walk to Horsley then Nailsworth then home then back to Horsley.  Got lots of lovely produce from Nailsworth today, meat from Country quality, fruit and veg from Bramley's and just milk from Hobbs.  The children are back in the daily habit of making a daily loaf after school.  How lush is that.  Minor crisis today, the rations have run out, no more butter, had to buy an emergency pack which makes me suspect we have actually consumed 6 packs in 6 days. oops, no wonder we are not starving yet. And we haven't even got any cake left.
Now I should be cooking dinner for friends tonight, a Skye Gyngell feast, Sweet Potato and Ginger soup,  Butterflied leg of lamb with harissa and purple sprouting followed by Walnut Tart.  Fantastic walnuts from Bramleys that me and the girls were allowed to feast on before we bought.  Let's get cooking.

Day 20

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 2
Catalogues received;1 Thank you Johnny
Things bought, Village Shop, Potatoes, carrots, Milk, biscuits, kids after school treats, brocolli, lovely looking apples, loo roll 4
Things cancelled, 0.
Things cooked, Rabbit Hotpot, homemade pizza for the kids
Lessons learnt; Split buttermilk pudding (without buttermilk) looks very pretty and doesn't taste too bad.
A day of sorting out aesthetics for Hobbs House Bakery.  Fed 10 tonight for the War era, made a rabbit hotpot with homegrown chard and the national loaf (butter rationed).  The buttermilk pudding tasted alright, probably better than alright, a waste to use 1 whole bottle of homemade rosehip syrup as the flavour really didn't come through.  Made the kids pizza, a earthy delicious spelt base topped with all things local including chestnut mushrooms and cotswold mozzarella from the farmers market.  

Re: Anna on BBC radio Glos

Awesome.
Though only first half of the interview on the recording!
Love g&z

Sent from my iPhone

On 22 Nov 2010, at 21:38, Tom Herbert <tom@tomherbert.co.uk> wrote:

> <SheShopLoacal LIVE on BBC Gloucestershire.mp3>

day 19

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 6
Things bought, Village Shop, Potatoes, carrots, eggs, ham, fredo frog, obligatory, golden syrup.  Country quality Meat, 3 rabbits and a bit of bacon for £9, amazing value.  Bramleys, fruit and veg.  Hobbs House, Milk.  Cute, christmas present for my daughter.
Things cancelled, 0.
Things cooked, Granola, Malteser cake, Stir fry tongue and vegetable, Buttermilk and Rosehip pudding.
Lessons learnt; Don't make buttermilk pudding without buttermilk.  It's ok to make malteser cake without maltesers.
Had a great day today, had an interview at Radio Gloucestershire, felt nervous but it went well, didn't sound much like me. Managed to answer all the questions but realised as soon as it ended that I forgot to mention Hobbs or The Little People Company.  Sorry, oops.  My blog got mentioned lots though. Hope to be given another chance as they hope to do a full interview next friday.  Then had warming lunch at Hobbs and a quick whizz round the shops, before all hell broke loose at home with mine and two extra kids.  
Made delicious granola, much preferred to the gloopy overnight porridge we had this morning.  Made Nigella's Malteser cake with the kids, great recipe with Horlicks in.  Another culinary first with tongue stir fry, the last of the tongue and scoffed by all.  I thought I was having a culinary genius domestic goddess moment, making buttermilk pudding with homemade rosehip syrup for tomorrows World War 2 dinner.  Unfortunately I couldn't find buttermilk so merged two recipes and I am now leaving a separated mess to set.  Pressure is slightly on as Tom's brother Henry the chef and his wife are coming along with Tom's salesperson sidekick and girlfriend.  I may have just been saved as Tom unwraps 4 packages of pies, from Phil the decorator of Cirencester who wants Tom's professional opinion.  Shall we eat it?  You will know we shouldn't of if I'm not here tomorrow, goodnight.  

Anna on BBC radio Glos

Christmas bazaar

My stall selling my vintage children's clothes, Cynthia and Betty, also available at www.thelittlepeoplecompany.co.UK

Day 18

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 2
Things bought, Village Shop, Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Mail (both featuring Tom), honey and cereal.  
Things cancelled, 0.
Things cooked, American pancakes, Swiss roll and Roast Pork Dinner.
A lovely wintry family day started with a trip to the Horsley Community Shop, Tom was in two papers, the Daily Mails You magazine, with his 'boy band good looks', and the My Space slot in the Telegraph, great publicity.  I made my first swiss roll today, amazingly simple and no butter in it!  Then cooked great shoulder of pork for 16.  I had a great tip to add quince to roasted vegetables, delicious, but unfortunately I used up our last two quinces in it.  Tom also fell out the tree getting them, oops, miraculously he was fine, and the quinces were worth it.

Missing shoe

Thank you very kind person, we found the missing shoe

Day 17

Emails received; 2, not bad
Catalogues received; 2
Things bought; Milk and rolls and lunch Hobbs House Nailsworth. Chads butter, 4 packs, mushrooms and cotswold mozzarella from the Farmers Market.  Pink smarties from Cocos.  White t-shirt Batemans.
Things cooked; A birthday cake for my mother in law with pink smarties on.
Was woken this morning by son bringing me a bacon sandwich with homemade ketchup in.  Nice start to a Saturday.  I then cycled to Stroud with 3 out of 4 and the dog to get B to ballet and for the butter.  I have been able to buy son, age 9 two specific items of clothing in Stroud in the last week.  I wanted a fleece for cosiness and sports, this was found in Five valleys Leisure and then today he needed a white T-shirt for a concert.  I sent him into Batemans whilst I waited outside with the dog, babe and bikes.  He came out and said they were really helpful in there with a white T-shirt for £3.  Can't get better than that.  We then cycled back to Nailsworth, not as fit as I thought, annoyingly lost another baby shoe, any finders??, and had a well earned coffee and soup at the bakery.  Then home to quickly knock up a cake for Granny before back to Stroud, in the car this time to collect B and bike from Ballet.  Had a delicious family meal with all The Herberts at the in laws tonight.  We took our draws for the not so Secret Santa, a now Herbert tradition, and agreed on a £50 spend.  I got my sister in law, so should be easy to find her something lush n local (new saying).

Is it your mission to save the high street?

http://www.bigissuescotland.com/features/view/404

Day 16

Hello Blog, me again , jolly and full after a good fill at Hobbs House Bistro, mussels in perry, rare venison and mocha tart mmmmmm.
Now for the formalities,
Emails received; 9, oops must unsubscribe some more
Catalogues received; 2
Things bought; lovely weekly shop of basics and not so basic at Horsley Community shop, fruit, veg, milk, bacon, cumin, curry powder, bay leaves, cream, tomato puree, kids crisps and oj, garlic, tomato puree, bacon.  Pork shoulder, the most amazing cheddar and banter and talk of rabbit from Country Quality.
Things cooked; Yummy loaded scrambled eggs ( free range eggs from farmers market really good), old Williams quiche out of the freezer with purple sprouting, Carbonara for the kids.
So impressed with The Horsley Community Shop, got all I want for the weekend and more there this afternoon. just needed a Sunday joint from the butchers and I'm afraid my loyalty lies with Chad for my weekly 4 packs of butter tomorrow at the farmers market. We will be cycling there tomorrow so surely that will burn off a pack or two.

Day 15

Emails received; 7
Catalogues received; 2
Things bought; More daffodil bulbs from Gordon, Cereal, Vitamin C, jumbo oats and Shaving Gel from Shiny Goodness
Things cooked; Still eating the soup I made on Monday and a bacon and chard risotto for the kids and my parents(babysitting) made with the goose stock.
Spent the day getting ready for the Christmas Bazaar, got lots of lovely vintage dresses and knitwear from my collection at the Little People Company to sell, added to my pile of Stocking Fillers whilst there.
The Bazaar went well, sold lots of Jellies and Chutneys and a few other bits. Really nice evening bought a couple of little christmas presents, a long dog for Prudence and a lavender bird.

Day 14

Emails received; 5
Things bought; Horsley village shop, basics bulk, loo roll, tins of toms, pasta, rice crispies, milk, yoghurt, SNJ,
Things cooked; apple and medlar chutney, medlar jelly, egg fried rice to go with leftover pheasant curry and raita
A good domestic day today, first column in the Stroud news and journal, rubbish picture, ah well. Reboiled the runny medlar jelly to so thick could only just jar. Thanks to days cottage hot tip I made apple and medlar jelly, unfortunately 14 jars, apparently great with pork pies. Good job brother Henry is learning how to make the best pies in Yorkshire as we speak. Getting through the abundance of garden fruit. Had delicious dinner starting with Williams oysters courtesy of Pippa. Now need to motivate myself to sew for tomorrows Horsley Christmas bazaar, last plug I promise.

Day 13

Emails received; 6
Catalogues received; 1
Things bought; 00000000000
Things cooked; chocolate biscuits, Tongue with horseradish dumplings and purple sprouting, apple cake and medlar jelly that might not be setting.
Lovely home day baking biscuits with kids, didn't know we had so many cutters, (hippo, toucan, Christmas tree, stars,) iced the biscuits with clementine icing, yum. Hard to find a decent biscuit roll out recipe, just had cocoa in so not really chocolatey enough. The Tongue cooked all day, seriously squeamish when I had to peel of the sandpaper rough skin but completely delicious dinner and only £5 for 3lb of meat. Made the apple cake with beef dripping, really good, heavier and a great pudding. Oops forgot to tell my mum it contained the dripping, she wouldn't eat the Tongue,
Didn't buy anything today, good achievement. Started to get things ready for my stall at Horsley school Christmas bazaar on Thursday night, priced the quince jelly and finished off the button necklace making kits. Just need to sew and price some final kid vintage bits.
Really enjoyed turn back time tonight loved seeing them piling onto the bus, picnic in hand for a day at clevedon. Looks like we will be cooking rabbit next week, ration style.

Sent from my iPhone

Almighty Nailsworth

We had dinner with friends last night, one of which is trying a similar mission in Wotton, she was thrilled to find coffee independently but couldn't manage wine. Nailsworth has two Wine shops and Williams sells wine. You can buy ground coffee in green spirit, Hobbs house bakery, Horsley village shop and probably Williams and shiny goodness. Amazing.

Sent from my iPhone

The Horsley community shop winter warmers

Did you know they stock, 23 varieties of tea, 10 of coffee, 3 of hot chocolate, 11 of sugar and 14 of biscuits.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 12

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 9
Things bought, Village Shop, milk, vegetables, lentils, noodles, cream, clementines, lemons, garlic, cider vinegar, muscovado.  Bramleys, chillis, clementines (addicted), purple sprouting(1st lot, can't wait), limes. Pet shop, dog stuff.  Country Quality meat, a tongue, 2 pheasants jointed.  Nailsworth Ironmongers (Gordons), daffodil and tulip bulbs, broad beans to plant.
Things cancelled, 3 unsubscribed.
Things cooked, Vegetable and lentil soup using goose stock.  Pheasant curry (Murgh something), rice and homegrown chard.
Lush shopping, lush food.  Boy planted the broad beans and daffs.  Daughter 2 needed a prescription today so went into Lloyds, didn't buy anything, didn't have to pay for prescription, does that still count?  Are there any independent chemists anywhere, Minch, Tetbury?  Soup was surprisingly nice, kids finished the cassoulet and I made my fave curry for old school friends, perfect, yum.  About to run out of loo roll, village shop? 4 rolls will only get us to the weekend.  Tom is about to run out of shaving gel, Movember? into december.  Rented Cinderella dvd from the library, 50p for a night, 50p, didn't know anything cost 50p, on that note must cancel LoveFilm.  
Tomorrow brings episode 3 of Turn Back Time, featuring my very own "Traffic Warden", should I make apple cake with beef dripping and wish me luck with the tongue, a little bit scared.   

Day 9, 10 11

Sorry blog I still like you, lets do a multiple,
Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 9
Things bought, Village Shop, toothpaste, nurofen, clementines (5 for 11p), sweeties.  Stroud farmers market, my 4 packs of Chads butter, eggs, toulouse sausages, bacon, Crispin and cox apples, Cavolo Nero, 1 sliced sherston and pasties.  Then to Nailsworth where I got christmassy, sock presents in Clobber,  99p wrapping paper in pulp and labels for chutneys, chocolate in coco, great Haberdashery in Steffi's new shop Mother Goose.  A 1/8 shepherds loaf and milk from Hobbs House. Cannelini beans, clementines and nappies from Green Spirit.
Things for free, Cheese from Chad, two different apples to try to aid my decision on which to buy, advise over daughters cold sore in Green Spirit.Things cancelled, no time.  The christmas catalogues are arriving and I will need to cancel post subscriptions too before the recycling breaks our backs.
Things cooked, Kids tomato pasta with Cotswold Mozzarella, ham, egg and mushroom roll, mmm, scrambled eggs and bacon, and the last of the goose and toulouse sausage in a Cassoulet with cavolo nero.  Followed by Apple crumble and custard.  Medlar Jelly on the go.
Had the last day at Mary Howard, no purchases and also a great success for the Little People Company. Had a fantastic evening with Todd and Jess from Trewothans Cheese at the Hobbs House Bistro scheming up ideas of Glastonbury and Artisinal doughnuts.  The food was amazing warm beetroot salad followed by Brisket with dumplings and horseradish it was to die for.  Too much wine and home late.   Such a pleasure to go to Stroud Farmers Market on Saturday again, hot tip about a Medlar Chutney from Days Apple juice.  Then an afternoon of preparing for Horsley School christmas fair on Thursday night where I have a stall, the button necklace kits are nearly ready. Spent a magical evening at Jessie and Carlos' yurt eating delicious food.  Then a perfect sunday lie in and a day in the garden.  Replanted last years Tulips, picked apples, oodles of bramleys, Ashmead Kernel and Ida Red apples.  Lots of medlars too, now waiting to be passed through the jelly bag.  I used up the confit of duck in the cassoulet, really good, now too make goose stock then the goose is over.  Doesn't seem so expensive now we have had 4 meals out of it and enough for the kids tomorrow.
Over and out, roger.

Day 8

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 9
Things bought, Village Shop, milk, brocolli, ginger and organic mini cheddar cheeses, not babybel
Things cancelled, 3 unsubscribed.
Things cooked, Confit of goose, split pea puree and homegrown chard. Hot nuts. Flapjack.
Another successful Mary Howard day, no purchase.  Some wild windy dog walks.  And lush food.  

Day 7

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; still 11
Things bought, Split peas and much needed Ricola cough tablets from Shiny Goodness.  Bread and milk from the bakery.  Tom did kids and bloke shopping in the Village shop.
Things cancelled, 6 unsubscribed.
Things cooked, Sweet potato and goose curry, a culinary first.
Good day at Mary Howard bought nothing, skirt from Moloh didn't look great with jeans underneath.  Quince Jelly has some movement in it, is that too runny.  Goose confit in the oven.

Day 6

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 5
Things bought, Essentials order arrived, quite exciting, lashings of sugar, oats, nuts, ecover and oh oops the wrong size nappies, too small, major boo boo.
Things cancelled, 3 unsubscribed, bye bye Johnny I do not need you or your 25% discount
Good day today working at the Mary Howard Christmas fair with the Little People Company.  Bought nothing, not even the tempting £40 Moloh skirt, although I have got 3 more days of work.  Then home to cook an Edwardian Feast, a legless Goose, Red cabbage, Home grown Bramley Apple sauce and Goose Fat roasted potatoes.  Followed by our very own Mince Pie including real mince.  Surprisingly delicious.  Finished the last of the Quince Jelly, just need to seal the 13th jar, oops, not as dark as the last batch but tastes good.  The goose legs have been massaged for the confit so it must be bedtime now.

Day 5

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 10
Things bought, lots, decided shopping locally is not an excuse to have no food in the cupboards
Things cancelled, 5 unsubscribes, couldn't bring myself to delete Toast
Had a great local shopping day, placed big essentials order of bulky things at the Horsley shop and they will arrive tomorrow. Amazing. Bought tinned things there too, chickpeas, beans, soup and tissues and obligatory fredo frog.
Then to Nailsworth, to collect the goose, he's a beauty, ham and cheese too from country quality, their ham did a week of lunchboxes last week.  Shiny goodness for Aloe Vera juice, baby bubble bath, pinhead oatmeal and S/R flour.  Williams for the bargain jar of big dijon mustard, wholegrain too, red wine vinegar, lemons and talegio cheese to go with the homemade membrillo.  Bramleys for their special mushroom box for £1, and fruit.  Wine from Raffles.  Hobbs House, bread, chocolate cake and milk.  Other result was setting up a weekly vase with Jaquaranda Florists for the bakery, bought some velvety gladioli too..  Cooked one of our favourite dinners, mushroom and kale curry, Milo made mushroom soup, spot the mushroom theme.  Now off to decide whether to stuff the goose.  Sent off my first Stroud News and Journal article and had my photo taken to go with.

day 4

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 3, it is a Sunday
Things bought, 0, it is a Sunday
Things cancelled, 0, it is a Sunday
Bought nothing, felt like quite a sad achievement passing through Nailsworth not buying a Sunday Paper and that extra litre of milk.
Had lovely Sunday big breakfast with the last of the Riverford organic eggs, will others match, and great Lancashire hot pot, thanks to Country quality meat.  The quinces are boiling for the last of the jelly, we havn't yet mastered the real mincemeat, maybe tomorrow....

Day 3

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 4, it is a Saturday
Things bought, ingredients to make real mincemeat Nailsworth, Stroud farmers Market, 4 packs of butter, will they last all week, honey, eggs, cheese, haddock,star find, raisins And suet in sunshine. Diesel ,
Things cancelled;8
Great shop at the farmers market, got some good basics, need to make my 4 packets of chads butter last the week but it is so delicious. Saw Jessies ladies selling yoghurt that will make a great alternative to my Riverford, her whole milk and cream is so good. Made some delicious food for friends today, Trethowans toasties, On shepherds loaf, then breaded haddock on handmade tortilla with tomato salsa and yoghurt and a ridiculously hot smoky chilli sauce. A whole lot more cooking to do tomorrow, the last batch of quince jelly, a rerun of king henrys mincemeat and a Lancashire hotpot, and a much promised bonfire. Perfect.
Sent from my iPhone

Day 2

>>
>
>> Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 18
>> Things bought; caster sugar, Demerara sugar, freddo frog from the village shop. Forgot the oats again. Startrite shoes size 3, apples and pairs Sherston
>> Things cancelled;0
Another day of using up bits? Pleased to finish the lAst of the dreaded babybel. Made two apple cakes with apples from the garden. A great autumnal cake. This is the recipe from my mother in law.
4oz butter
4oz Demerara sugar
5oz self raising flour
1lb cooking apples, peeled and chopped
2oz raisins
A pinch of cinnamon
1 egg
Melt the butter, add the dry ingredients then the egg, then stir in the apple and raisins. Put in a round deep tin and bake at 180c for 40 minutes.
Went to buy shoes for my one year old , no size 3's in Nailsworth, went to the great Apples and pairs in Sherston, Tetbury, such an amazing shop, fantastic personal service and beautiful collection of childrens shoes and clothes. Further than I would like to go, but worth it. Granny in tradition bought the first pair of shoes. Reminded today how amazing Tetbury is, full of independent shops.
Firework night tonight, the only place selling fireworks in Nailsworth is tesco or wyevale. Let's hope someone else has bought some!

>> Sent from my iPhone

The curse of the babybel

So I was persuaded to buy the first lot as an addition to the lunchboxes. The crisis here was that daughter two took daughter threes from her lunchbox. Therefore daughter three was confused and upset as to where her red treat was at playgroup, all her teachers mentioned it too, oops. So daughter two was suitably reprimanded.
Later I find myself in a supermarket, (before She Shops Local) it seems the reasonable thing to do to buy more. Except there's an offer, I buy two more. Now I am left picking plastic cheese and there moulded on wax cases off of my floor.
I'll be buying the village shops packs of mini cheddar cheeses from now on that's for sure.
Sent from my iPhone

Fwd: Cancellation

I've heard back from the vegman, I think we can still be friends

He writes......

...Hi Anna and Tom,

With a tear in my eye, I will bookmark your blog and watch from afar.

I am sure we will meet again, don't know where, don't know when….

 

All the very best,

Neal Whitehouse Piper

Riverford Home Delivery

www.riverford.co.uk -  what's in the box?

 Spot, the nail in the coffin!!!

Fwd: Day 1

Subject: Day 1

Emails received trying to persuade me to buy things; 12
Things bought; milk, biscuits and after school sweets all from the village shop. Forgot the oats.
Things cancelled; 1
Really pleased to hear today that I will have a slot in the local newspaper. Went to Cirencester today for a meeting and survived looking longingly at the beau striped shirts in sue parkinson. Was thrilled today to turn down the offer of joining my mother at house of frasers discount weekend where they promise to offer you money off everything you don't want.
Not much cooking today, used up the last of the porridge oats and a yucky tin of waitrose soup. Made much nicer By the addition of the last of the pease pudding. Heading to friends for dinner, don't worry they are local!
One dilemma today, petrol, can you buy petrol from non corporates but it defeats the point if you drive extra miles to get it.
One disappointment today, the village shop no longer stocks woefuldane dairy produce, much prefer that to yeo valley, does their milk really come from Poland.
Cancelled my beloved Riverford today by email, feels like dumping a long term boyfriend. Yet to hear from the vegman.
Havn't heard back from country quality butcher as to whether they can get me a goose for an Edwardian feast.

Sent from my iPhone

Testing

I phone a go go

Sent from my iPhone

bedtime

Ok , so its off to bed now, busy day ahead, anything non local needs canceling and there's a goose to find, goodnight

Ghost of Christmas yet to pass.

I had a dream last night...

That I would do all my christmas shopping in Nailsworth,  of course I do some, a lot and sometimes not enough. A tiny gesture really, actually this isn’t enough for our local town. What I am proposing is that I buy everything in Nailsworth and the Horsley Community shop until Christmas.  I will not be using any of the chains or supermarkets.  I will use Tetbury and Stroud, purely independent shops, occasionally.

I would like to think I already do this but accidentally find myself in John Lewis or Sainsburys with everything under one roof, but not this Christmas.  I already feel guilty when I shop out of town and I know I could have bought locally.  There has also been numerous times I have searched a city for something particular and found it closer to home, last Christmas the Emma Bridgewater tea set they didn’t have until January in her Marylebone shop, they had in Moonflower in Stroud. 

So this should be easy,  at least we are fortunate enough to have fantastic High Streets on our doorsteps.  Except for the fact that I have four children aged 1,4,7 and 9. This not only makes me pretty busy but also brings the inevitable mass produced present requests, the remote controlled Land Rover and Barbie car so far.  Father Christmas will have to be particularly canny at removing price labels as the kids spot things bought locally.  For those of you that think this is all well and good if you can afford it, we have had to take a eye watering pay cut in order for our own High Street business to survive.  So I will be shopping within a budget. And for anyone that knows me they know I love shopping, borderline obsessed.  But think of all that time I’ll have not looking at dresses and offers on the internet.  Oh but those moments of oh I forgot the... and just get me a ... and Sunday shopping for those bits you forgot on Saturday.  Horsley Community shop is open on a Sunday morning. 

This will also mean for me canceling my beloved of seven years Riverford box, and having to think outside of the box for what I cook.  We also get through at least five packets of butter a week that I always try to buy for £1 in the supermarket,  I know for sure nowhere locally sells butter anywhere close to this price. Not being tempted by those Boden offers, is it 11, 12 or 15% off a pair of pyjamas they don’t have in stock anyway.  I will also be cooking a dinner of an era, Edwardian next week in line with Turn back time, The High Street that Tom is in.

I will write a blog ( connected to Hobbs House and Little People Company website) and will twitter.

I will not cheat and will start immediately, with what’s in my cupboards today, no quick Ocado shop.  And no I am not one of those organized people that bought all their christmas presents in October I have none.

Finally, I must confess a vested interest, that my husband is a director of Hobbs House bakery and anything I get from there is discounted.   But I also have a duty to fellow shopkeepers to only shop locally. If we don’t use each other how will any of us survive?

Wish me luck, and off we go.