Tuesday 13 October 2015

Free Food

We have two apple trees in the garden and this year we had fruit but it was tiny , I am not sure if its because we cut them down to move them here when we moved a couple of years ago as they are still only about three foot tall, 
Or is there something  i am not doing  that i should be.
Please let me know if you know why so i can put it right for next year.


I did use them up it was very fiddly but i persevered.
They made four apple pies one we had for tea on Sunday.







 This year i   asked the neighbour that backs on to our garden if i could use the apples that are on the  back of her tree 
I can see them from my garden,
 Last year i watched them all rot , lovley cookers it was such a shame 
So i asked and she said with pleasure.

 This is my haul.

Yet to be used , I will make some apple cakes and puddings.





Our daughter had a parcel of  muscle food but she didn't want the diced beef , It was beautiful so tender , I will be having a look at 
there range next time i need meat. 





I did take a photo of the finished stew using all the ingredients in my store cupboard and fridge but i deleted it by mistake. Its very rare we get  free food but it makes a nice change.



A few more vintage finds.

 A hand made vintage blanket and a strange accessory








Some vintage plates made in to cake stands.







A collection of vintage sewing threads.









XXXX





19 comments:

  1. The diced beef looked very nice. I had to look on the internet to see what you meant when you said "musclefood" - you have very good food delivery services available in the U.K. much better than we have where I now live in America.

    Good for you asking about the cooking apples - much to nice to let rot. My mum always made the best apple pie and we usually had it served with custard.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello sandy , I would have never entertained buying meat on line but having tasted this i will try it soon , Pastry making was one of the skills i left school with that has benefited me in later life , It has saved me a fortune over the years and we have ours with custard too xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love that table cloth in your header so much, I really wish it were mine.

    We have been allowed to pick the blackberries from our neighbours blackberry canes that overhang our back garden. I have 2 large bags in the freezer. We have a communal orchard in the village so I picked quite a lot of apples which I have blanched and frozen too against puddings for the winter.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I sold that tablecloth on Ebay , I will let you know if i find anything similar , I have some pretty tablecloths listed at the moment but for the life of me i cant work out how to do a link , I will find it out eventually, If you want to have a look go on to eBay and search for Madeira table cloth , my ebay name is shabbychicvintagecottage , Its great to get free stuff isn't it xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good of you to ask and be permitted to pick the neighbor's apples, without letting them go to waste. Your apple pies look yummy. I love the cake stands, too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you , Even though i say it myself they do taste good , I just have to control myself from eating to much of them , There is so much food that goes to waste , I really don't like food waste xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Free apples lovely.
    Love the cake stands, so pretty, glad you have returned to blog land, x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you , I love the cake stands too , Its one of the things i find hard to part with xxx

      Delete
  8. David said your transplanted tree needs time to grow a strong root support system again so it will improve over time. Also feed it seaweed extract and sulphate of potash . Also plenty of water over Summer. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Meg , I guessed David would know , I did give them plenty of water , I will try the other tips next year xxx

      Delete
  9. Next year when the June drop is over, go round your apple trees and thin the rest of the fruitlets out, just leave 2 or 3 together and you should get larger fruit. Having said that 1 of my trees put out small fruit so I will be extra careful with it next year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks pam I did wonder if i needed to thin it out as they were growing really close to each other i just thought it was because of the size of the tree xxx

      Delete
  10. I was also blessed with a neighbours apple tree and blackberries along the back of my garden so that I have several packets in the freezer all ready for those Autumnal puddings that we all love so much. Your apple pies look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do taste delicious , I prefer to bake them in to something before freezing them it helps me when i have my off days and dont want to cook xxx

      Delete
  11. Not being much of a pudding eater I make (and freeze) lots of spicy parsnip and apple soup with our windfalls.
    That knitted throw is lovely - very Missoni! Is that a bed jacket or a tea cosy? xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol , Bed jacket or tea cosy ,I should have mentioned the size its about standard lamp shade size , I wondred if it was a pouffe cover xxx

      Delete
  12. Looking at your strange accessory, could it be a Christmas tree skirt?
    It seems sort of wintery , Christmassy colours and I have seen that pattern and yarn on some American blogs. Free food is great isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Could your 'strange accessory' be a lampshade cover. You know the sort that sits over another shade. Whatever it is I love the colours of it and the blanket.

    And well done for being brave enough to ask for the apples, it's a crime to leave them to rot. Lots of lovely pies and crumbles coming up then :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I though that sue but it would have to be the right size as its smaller than a standard lamp , I have baked half the apples up , will be doing some crumbles , I have done pies and puddings so a crumble will make a change xxx

    ReplyDelete

thank you for your message , Shabby