Apple cheese

 After a foray into town and Prestwick..just two hours to do four things, plus a cuppa and wander round the garden centre sale corner (nothing worth having)...which would have taken me a very long day by buses....

Back home to get the apple cheese done.

Some apple butter recipes don't add sugar...some do, 1 apple pulp to ¾ sugar by weight.  I use 1:1 as I want this to keep..I have just opened a two years old jar, and the contents are fine. Apple cheese is basically Apple butter cooked down further to get a more solid preserve that you slice more than spread.

Ideally you would put it in jars that have no shoulder so that you may empty the whole jar onto a plate..so easy to slice...and eat with a good strong cheese...or you can take it a little further like Membrillo and then spread it in a lightly oiled flapjack tray...then cut it into squares...

And while I was doing that, two machines were also busy for me, making bread and yoghurt!

The washing up and the floor can wait till tomorrow...

Duolingo French lessons and bedtime for me now!

Still foggy

 It is still dank and chill...friends in Devon had a lovely sunny day!!

Indoors jobs today....sorting shoes and boots, mainly Pirate's.

Our Friend in France may need some...his feet are the same size as Pirate's!!

Some fit me..with an added innersole...the difference between 42 and 43!

A nice pair of winter cycling boots... unfortunately the country and western style half boots have a hole, with the upper coming away from the sole.

If anyone can mend it it will be our regular cobbler in Ayr...but I'm not holding out too much hope.

Most are too big for me..or I wouldn't wear them, like the Ghillie Brogues....made to go with a kilt...the kilt, socks and jacket went to a friend...but his feet were too small for these 

Not much else done today apart from bottling and processing 7 bottles of pear and apple juice, and bottling 5 bottles ( the small flat flask shaped bottles that had maple syrup in them ) of sloe vodka.

The latter had been sitting on the fruit for two years....it is quite potent!!

So its do my lessons and have an early-ish night...

Sunday, Monday...

 

Sunday was overcast but dry...I was surprised how quickly the sheets wash dried!  Sunday was also a slow day, after all the driving on Saturday.

Mid afternoon I managed to get my bike in the car, and take a slightly circuitous route to Irvine Harbour to avoid road closures (a new surface being put down..at last!)

The idea was a quiet ride up and back along the shared cycle/walking path for an hour or so...I got three miles....and found a loaded apple tree, with enough just ripe enough to pick...I filled a plastic bag that you buy bread in....then another halfmile to some luscious large brambles (blackberries)...another full bag..which went in another bag!!....so with a full pannier, 8 pounds of fruit, I turned around....back to the car and home!!

Good thing I did, as had I gone on a longer ride as planned, I would have got rather wet.

Fruit cooked last night...and set to drip in a jelly bag..  

Today it has rained....and rained...and rained...

Someone is happy...

I finished making the jelly...the apple press was useful to get most of the juice...easier than squeezing the jelly bag...which you are not supposed to do....but why waste the juice as I am not making fruit cheese today. There is enough on the larder shelf already and jelly has run low. It is so handy to give as a present.

And still it rains... thankfully not as heavy as this morning....the ground was sodden already before all this rain.

No excuse not to do indoor jobs then....

Op day +1 , progress

It rained really heavily...again...last night, and was still at it at breakfast time...but I worked out that going by bus was preferable as at every destination, the distance travelled on foot was shorter! So the car went to the garage..and by their entrance gate is the bus stop!!

The rain had eased, thankfully.. another reason for bus travel, apart from taking a rest from driving, and using the car less...is getting a view of the countryside either side for a change!!

Back to the dentist's surgery to see the hygienist..and I passed with flying colours..relief. 

Then a bit of a wander around before lunch...I always leave half an hour between teeth cleaning and food and vice versa to allow my mouth to do it's natural thing...it works.

The Auld Brig...and M&S behind it

Entrance to the yard of the Black Bull, oldest pub in the Newtown area of Ayr, by one end of the auld brig.

Puns galore here...at the other end of town is "Ayr Guitar"...

And the obligatory seagull at the bus station...called Steven, with his girlfriend....

Next bus , 15 minutes ride to the hospital door, through a sharp rain shower...and of course when I reached Pirate, the sun was streaming in through the windows!!

He is recovering slowly but steadily from the op. A good sign? He is asking for two books tomorrow!! I might add a couple of crosswords...

It was good to sit and chat..

Back into town , and only ten minutes wait for the bus back home.

By which time it was decidedly chilly, having been pleasant all day, despite the showers. So nothing got done in the garden....but I did finish the orange and blueberry marmalade.

It is the colour that a good blood orange should be, but just made with Seville Oranges and blueberries..it has a tangy bite which balances the sweetness nicely...and I like the zested peel instead of sliced and chopped peel.

Thankyou all, fellow bloggers for your kind words and compliments and suggestions.  You are a great help, to taking a deep breath and carrying on...and remembering to rest as well!

Weekend

 Once a month on a Saturday, the youth cycling club in Johnstone...the Johnstone Jets..organise a day long competition at Glasgow Velodrome.

Monsters of Track...in other words the youngsters! The future of track cycling...three under sixteen groups in two year age bands, with so many in one that there are separate boys and girls' races. They are running with full fields of 24, which is the track limit for a 250m track like this..it varies according mainly to length but also width, both of which are fairly standard for indoor velodromes. Add to that , Women's events and open events...anyone over 16.  Each in turn, every time I the same order so that you know which group is going on..and five events each group.

We managed to arrive just after midday, a little before the lunch break. ( The commissaires...judges...need a half time break!)

It was great to see riders from our club...three women..racing. 

Then to add to that our Fife friend turned up unannounced...making a good day great.  Pirate had the best of times watching the racing and talking to friends (and so did I)

Today we had a slow start, but as the clouds lifted we had a walk along the Big Hedge to check on the birds and down to a pond to see if the frogspawn was there..a bit early for that!

We heard chaffinches, saw great tits and blue tits, sparrows and dunnocks, rooks and gulls...by the river we saw dippers and mallard ducks, but not the kingfisher. 

And now waiting in the masking pan are the markings of blood...or blush as some now call them (!) Orange marmalade.

Marmalade

 First batch made yesterday..

Ten pounds made with three pounds of Seville oranges. 

I have three more pounds...I'm considering a batch of Cranberry and Orange...that was tasty last time...and maybe save some to go with a batch of Blood Oranges to help the setting.  I haven't seen Blood Oranges in the shops yet...but they should be available soon.

They make a colourful and fragrant marmalade.

A healthy store cupboard...and enough for gifts as well.

Xmas

 A quiet time here...just local cards and phone calls and texts to family and friends.

It has been so wet lately...showers, with rain in between! Some were lucky to get a reasonably dry walk late this morning.

Since then the light has faded again, with everything blanketed in grey cloud.

I have been busy in the kitchen...before we went out I bottled the apple juice that we had pressed yesterday...nine bottles, nearly four litres...and added sugar to the mixed berry juice I had extracted...seven and a half bottles there, so between three and four litres.

Through the afternoon I have been processing them...the last batch is on now.

This will clear a lot of space in the kitchen as they go on the racks, and spare bottles have been sorted to go to friends...three carrier bags full!!

Now to get supper on the way...roasted vege salad, baked tatties, falafel mix patties and possibly a fruit crumble as the oven will be on.....

Hope you are all having a peaceful argument free time!