Worth Wearing means Worth Reparing! And other things

What a brilliant Saturday. I really enjoyed pottering about and getting things done.

 

Total Spend:£9.05

 

I achieved a LOAD today, just pottering and doing the things I knew had to be done. Here's what I did:

 

1. Got my Shoes Repaired

 

 

 

These shoes were discounted to £22 and I wore them to work none-stop last year. However, that annoying thing happened whereby the tip of the heel falls off after a while and you are left trotting about with this annoying squeak of metal on floor tiles. Once upon a time I would have binned them, but I have bought myself another year out of them by paying £7.50 to have them repaired - much cheaper than buying another pair and I must admit, it feels good to mend what you have.

 

 

 

 

2. Tended my Veg

 

I spent two satisfying hours down at the allotment, hoeing, watering and planting a few things out. I will introduce you one time soon. At the moment I have strawberries just about to ripen, rhubarb, potatoes, butternut squash, broad beans, carrots, swede, turnip, cauliflower, red cabbage and broccoli up there growing away nicely. I even picked up some tomatoes for nothing, to go in the greenhouse  conservatory from a plot holder who had grown too many. They were a bit straggly and desperate for a bigger pot.

 

 

But with a bit of TLC they have perked up and will be just fine.

 

 

 

The garden is where I grow all of the high-maintenance stuff, like courgettes, beans and lettuce which need daily picking and watering - I just don't get to the allotment every day. It isn't beautiful for a wannabe garden designer I know - but we don't think we will be in this house for that much longer, so I have resisted the urge to make it pretty - it is productive though.

 

 



Things are growing away - we will have salad all though the summer from this tiny plot. I extended it recently and was about to get some 'Warrior Compost' from the recycling centre (£2 a bag - needed four bags) but then thought again. We had a large delivery of manure at the allotment last year - so I bagged some of that instead and brought it home in the car in some rubble sacking - praying I didn't need to do an emergency stop. I dug this in and incorporated some blood, fish and bonemeal and it is ready to go for the courgettes as soon as they are big enough.

 

3. Made some Bread

 

I have recently re-started making my own sourdough bread. I have bought it in the recent past for £2.70 a loaf - I just love the tangy flavour and the lovely texture. But, no more now I am frugal. So, last week, I set my sourdough starter off.

 

 

 

It is really simple - flour and water mixed and left to 'harvest' the yeast in the atmosphere, which is 'fed' and nurtured to grow a little yeast colony - which you then use to make bread. If you are interested, this is the recipe I use.

 

 

It rose sedately in the conservatory all day...

 

 

 

And was ready much later that evening .It is a little flat I concede - I think it really needs a large loaf tin as it lacks the robustness of normal dough. But it tastes divine!

 

This cost me: 500g bread flour (53p), salt (2p?) water (free!) and a little slug of vegetable oil (5p). Grand total: 60p!

 

I also spent £1.55 on a reel of black cotton and most of the day working on a super-frugal sewing project, but I will save that for another day, when it is finished.

 

What a relaxing and satisfying day.