Monday 19 September 2016

Autumn Preparations

Autumn is fast approaching so the preparations are ongoing.  I have phoned and booked an engineer to come and service the boiler.  Logs have been ordered and will be delivered next week.  Garden furniture has been oiled and stored with only a couple of chairs remaining so that we can still enjoy the bursts of sunshine that we keep getting.  I still have a few panels of fencing to paint but we have run out of paint so a trip to town is needed.  Herbs have been harvested and some have been prepared for the freezer and some for drying out.


 
Basil is hanging on the back door and should be dry in about 4 - 6 weeks, I am going to use it to make some salt meat rubs.
 
Whilst I haven't started to add the Autumn décor I have changed the candles and a few cushion covers in Autumnal colours.
 


 
My tomato crop this year has been a complete disaster but I managed to bag a bargain at the car boot sale over the weekend and get an enormous bag for £1.  I roasted them with basil whilst I was roasting the beef for Sunday lunch.  They are now all packed into the freezer ready to add to winter stews or soups, the perfect taste of summer.
 


 
Another bag of apples purchased for £1, has made 7 jars of apple sauce and with the addition of some blackberries picked on a stroll down the lane we also have a couple of pie/crumble bases.
 





 
I still have red cabbage and onions to pickle and some more jam needs to be added to the store cupboard.  I feel as if the majority of the preparations for the new season are almost done.  How are your preparations going? 

See you soon.

33 comments:

  1. My tomatoes haven't done so well this year either but I've managed to get enough off the plants for my needs. Last year was the best year I've ever had for tomatoes and this year has been my worst.

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  2. I'm still clinging on to this last week of Summer but I have (while the weather has been good) been washing the winter jumpers. I too am looking forward to making soups and the slow cooker made an appearance last week for a chicken stew. It's a lovely time of year. X

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  3. Apple sauce looks so good, glad you and family are well xx

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  4. Very inspiring - well done on being so productive in such difficult times.

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  5. Some lovely goodies there for the winter, I must make some apple sauce and also get some more Blackberries before it is too late xx

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  6. It sounds as if you have been busy! It's such great feeling to get things sorted for the upcoming change of seasons, and to have all that food stored for the winter.

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  7. I see you are well prepared !!!
    Like the Aunt in Fontaine fables...
    Have a lovely week !
    Hug
    Anna

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  8. Oh friend, what a delightful abundance of food! The tomatoes look divine as do the apples. Mmmm... the wonderful tastes of fall :)

    Wishing you a lovely week! Hugs!

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  9. You are very organised. We've done the ritual of bottling the tomatoes and that's all. You've reminded me to make an appointment to get the boiler serviced. We are unable to go over to Italy for the grape harvest as we usually do at this time of the year and missing that. Life goes on from day-to-day at the moment. I like the idea of changing your décor for Autumn. I think a few little touches such as changing cushions would be good. I might do that.

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  10. There is so much work to do in preparation for the coming Autumn. We have taken our one season for granted.

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  11. Lovely preparations. I haven't done much preparation for the Autumn. I have plums and some summer berries that will make nice crumbles when the weather gets cooler.

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  12. Your home is looking very cosy and seasonal.
    I'm missing our apple trees at the old allotment this year. I did manage to get a large bag of apples for 50p at carboot hen we were in Cornwall and a neighbour gave me some last week. We've been enjoying apple and blackcurrant crumbles :) Our tomatoes have been terrible this year too. We just haven't had anywhere near enough warmth and sunshine.

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  13. We didn't do well with tomatoes this year. I love the idea of roasting them to freeze, do you do anything else to them before freezing? xx

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  14. Gosh those tomatoes look sooooo good.
    I just have beetroot to buy and pickle and that's about it for my winter squirelling this year. I do miss making jams and chutneys but we just just don't eat enough of them now to warrant it-x-

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  15. You have been busy! Everything looks delicious and ready for fall/winter. I have done nothing! In fact, I'm sitting in the trailer at the lake right now trying to hang on to the last gasp of summer for a few more weeks before we close up for the year. I did put out a very few fall decorations last week but that's it. Those tomatoes look so good I can almost taste them through the computer screen! :-)
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  16. what a bargain on the apples and tomatoes! i only had one tomato plant this year and it gave me exactly 1 tomato. Sad....Glad you got a deal.

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  17. I always mean to decorate for the changing seasons, but somehow I never get round to it!

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  18. Wish I could hand over all the canning jars I have been finding in my barn clearing. Now I have not seen that method of drying basil...I am going to try it. Is there anything more I need to know? Great bargain on the apples and tomatoes. Just the thought of an apple crumble is making me want some apples around here.

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  19. You certainly have done a lot of prep. for winter. I used to do a lot of canning ( when my children were little) but now I just freeze everything. Well, I do make jam but that's no chore at all.

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  20. wow that is a lot of preparation. I don't think we do any preparation accept for outdoor maintenance type stuff.

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  21. My friend...
    I wish I could spend a week at your house learning all these amazing things!!!! I'd bring a notebook and write it all down!
    We are enjoying a beautiful start to fall here, and will only begin preparing for winter in early November. One thing Steve needs to do for sure is clean the furnace filters! Then we order a half a cow to put in the freezer for our meat supply. We do put all the porch furniture away as we wait for the cold and snow and coziness of winter. Have a lovely evening!

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  22. I agree, Id love to learn to can. Mama did it with her friend but I never completely learned. So I get nerves. In fact I just dumped two boxes of mamas tomatoes out.. They been there for years and years.. Sure brought back memories of her and her girl driend who had ten kids... She was always canning etc. I did get some tomatoes and green onions. Squash didnt work at all with the terrible weather and dirt. Swiss chard keeps getting that blyth.. Made me crazy mad.. Havent changed decor yet anywhere in the house. Soon though. Happy Monday dearest, with love Janice

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  23. Whew! You have been busy☺ Sorry about your tomato crop ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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  24. I love fall, my house is decorated and I'm in my happy place :)

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  25. Well done!!! I was given some sad looking peaches and tried to turn them into peach butter in a Crock Pot yesterday, but overcooked them so they were inedible leather consistency...dreadful. :) xx

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  26. you've obviously been a busy lady! Tomatoes here are not doing well either...wondering what's up with that?

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  27. Goodness you have been busy and have lots of lovely treats ready for those darker winter months.

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  28. Some delicious things going on in your kitchen - yum! Love your new cushions :) I'm way behind on everything! xx Karen

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  29. You have been so busy with the harvest. Yum!
    Meredith

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  30. oh!! love the applesauce..:)

    http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  31. Your pictures are very beautiful !!

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  32. I cannot begin to tell you just how much you inspire me. I've been wondering what to do with all of the tomatoes we have and the ones that will be ripening soon. That is a great idea. I like to make homemade soups when the weather gets cold. xo

    ~ Wendy

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