Comfrey under attack!

I'm nurturing my newly- planted comfrey, taking great pleasure in dreaming about its many uses once it is established. I'm watching each leaf unfurl with a sense of anticipation.....but it seems I have an enemy....Tonight I wandered down the garden and see a wiltered leaf...WHAT?!!!!! On closer inspection a small yelllow and black beetle flies off just as I'm peering at yet more leaves with holes in them.  Now, I have noticed the furry underside of some of the few leaves that are starting to get established, have got a downy look to them, hmmm ?eggs, I've ignored it until now....because now means WAR!

Now having done my research before I bought said plant, I know that any gardener worth his/her salt has comfrey growing because it makes a great liquid fertiliser.  So I am keen to encourage it even if it threatens to become invasive. Apart from that it has a variety of medicinal uses which I haven't got into yet....although its claim to heal broken bones seems a little far-fetched, won't bring that up with dh!

So what to do? Trawling through web sites, it appears that getting rid of said beetle is almost impossible, if it is cucumber beetle, which I suspect it is, by its description  If , of course, someone tells me it isn't resident in the UK then I will try and see what it is...but whatever it is, I'm up for a fight! Armed with my weak solutiuon of washing up liquid in spray bottle I have drenched the plant with it, having absolutely no idea if it will work, but sounding a lot like the father in MY Big Fat Greek Wedding who thinks that Windex cures everything!  I read it somewhere on an organic gardening website years back.... Next I have covered it with fleece and peg it down with tent pegs.....we shall see. I'm up for a fight! If it dies, it dies, but it's going to go down fighting and I'm going to spray and watch it like a hawk.... my little plant needs to have a chance.....wretched beetle.....

 One day, I want to see it looking like this!!!!

Next morning:

Don't think Confrey liked my diluted washing up liquid deluge..... Leaves gone brown overnight...no sign of downy eggs on underside of leaves though.  Have  removed some leaves which I consider past all hope and covered it up with the fleeceagain! Have about 3 or 4 leaves left and a tiny leaf coming up at the base. Decided NOT to respray!! Not about to give up yet!

A Flourishing weekend with the girlies

Psalm 92:12-15

The Amplified Bible  does these verses total justice in my opinion!


¹² The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].

¹³ Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴ [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].

¹⁵ [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
                       
I shall be reading this verses through slowly and thoughtfully again and again....

My reflective soap carving which  is now positioned on the bedside table as a reminder at the start and the end of the day.



and on the back....as if I needed reminding....!

A privilege to enjoy a brilliant weekend with some lovely ladies, all 25 of you!

Perfect Popcorn!

It was decided. Chick flick with mates:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letters_to_Juliet

 A great opportunity to try out the Toffee popcorn recipe recently discovered on Pinterest (don't get me started on this site!)

 Basic Popcorn

• 3 Tbsp oil
• 1/3 cup  popcorn kernels- (this makes enough for a bowl of plain too(with salt and melted butter added to taste)
• 1 large covered saucepan

1 Heat the oil in the saucepan on medium high heat.
2 Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.
3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds.  This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.
4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

 Here is the original link for the Toffee popcorn:

http://bloggingwithchildren.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/crazy-karo-crunch.html

I have added what I did below:

Crazy Karo Crunch Ingredients: 

1/2 cup Butter melted
1/2 Cup Karo Syrup (Light) - I used ordinary syrup
1 Cup Brown Sugar
 1/2 tsp Vanilla -I forgot to add this!
2 Quarts air popped dry pop corn - I filled a v large deep rectangular oven dish which was about  half of the popcorn I had prepared.
Cooking spray - Didn't bother as dish didn't need it
Preheat Oven to 200 degrees -Gas 4 in my case

 .Spread the popcorn across the rectangular dish.

3. In a pot on the stove, combine butter, sugar, and syrup on high. Stir until boiling. Reduce heat to Med-High and boil for EXACTLY 5 minutes. Add Vanilla.

Drizzle over popcorn, stir, and bake for 15 minutes. .

Remove from oven, mix the popcorn and caramel around, replace in oven for another 15 minutes.

 Repeat the above, until caramel corn has been in the oven for 45 minutes (Instructions said 1hr, but this too long for mine)  and has been mostly covered in caramel. I wanted a Butterkist look, so mine was pretty much coated! You could always include more popcorn if you want a less crunchy effect....but what's the point?! (Dentist's bill, I guess...)

 Allow it to cool, break apart, and serve.

Oh my word, it was AMAZING and really DID taste like Werther's original as she states! Thought I had made too much, but don't think it is going to last long in this house.... oh and they enjoyed the film too!

Is it me?

Saw this in Poundland (or was it in the 99p shop?!) in Romford.....I'm sorry...

Make your own crisps and chips?!!!!!

I despair.....

but it made us laugh....and a photo had to preserve the moment!

Thursday afternoon, slowing down and enjoying the rhythm!

Came home from work this afternoon and this was the view I had from my back garden!

and the other end of the rainbow!

.....and the full effect on the video!

The light was exquisite. I am constantly thankful for this panoramic scene that I can enjoy day after day throughout all the seasons.

Then I sat for a bit and did some of this:

...which will be a tunic top to go over trousers.  I'm no expert but I find it relaxing and it helps me to slow down and ponder!  I'm keeping to the straight forward patterns at the moment, although I must just show  you this, now that Christmas has gone!

For a special lady!

Then off I went with a small bag of bits and bobs for a local charity shop.....of course whilst I was there I had to peruse the books. My excuse being to look out for the Book Club reading books that are coming up.  I was shown the back room in which were stacked crates of books, paradise!  However, I could only gaze as there were so many piled up, I would have had to dismantle the whole area! my eyes did alight on a Nigel Slater book though....I love that man's mouth, forget the recipes, when he is on TV, I just stare at the curve of his mouth....hahaha, mad woman!

So here it is, such sensible recipes, food we all eat!

Photography is outstanding too!

However I believe my next culinary attempt will be Chinese tabioca! Got the ingredients (left by a previous medic....refuse the check the sell by date, sure it's fine...) Found a recipe online, it's chilled and is made with coconut milk....pictures may follow! (Bet you can't wait...)

Until then, have rambled for long enough, need to plate up the dh's dinner.  He will be home after extended hours surgery...12 hours at work being all things to all people.  I'll leave him to unwind in front of the TV in peace without me jabbering on (have learned the hard way! ) As for me I shall retire to my bed surrounded by my books and many thoughts, unwinding in my own way...with  A.W.Tozer!