In the first year of my blog I revealed my appalling failure as a gardener with the above picture..
These are the easiest thing in the world to grow ..nasturtiums ...and I had failed.
But this year I have determined to have a better go at it.
I think I gave up on gardening when we had dogs running all over the flower beds, so felt doomed to failure.
Now, with a new, possibly chemically induced optimism...(Yes the pills are working) may I present the instant-tetris-bookshelf-raised-garden?
Yes these little units were once my sons bookshelves made in tetris modules shapes. I have asked for raised beds for the last six months. 'I'll have to look for some wood' came the reply.
See if we have some wood?!!!!!
You can't look in our garage without getting splinters.
So I went in the garage and saw these and knew they would work. They are only MDF so won't last long, but have had a coat of 'Ball green' inside and out and are sealed along the bottom edge with duct tape.
I have to admit that B&Q grew the chard and the strawberries..But I grew the broad beans from seeds.
Impressed? I hope so. I am. I have a chair right next to them so I can sit and watch them grow, and listen to the army of slugs gnashing their teeth at the edge of the gravel.
Just pass me my lace up wellies , an organic hemp smock, and a trug, and there's not much between me and Sarah Raven. Well, except about a foot in height and few acres.
I know that in the south and east, broad beans are bearing fruit now, and mine may seem pathetic, but its cold here, and often dull. Believe me this is a triumph in these parts. 850 feet above sea level and on the moors, clay soil, in the shade.
I've been creative in the kitchen too. (Oooh just call me Nigel Slater, what with the Swiss chard and everything)
Chocolate covered crinkle cut ready salted potato crisps .
One of my gifts for my friends 60th birthday after a conversation where they cropped up as a joke.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients: 4 bars of Cadburys Dairy Milk Chocolate
I bag of milky bar buttons
2 bags of Seabrookes crinkle cut ready salted crisps.
Method: Eat one of the bars of dairy milk.
Melt the other three.
In another bowl melt some of the milky bar buttons. Eat the rest.
Empty out the two bags of crisps and eat all the broken ones.
Dip the round ones in chocolate and put onto waxed paper.
If you don't have waxed paper use a yard of bondaweb wrong side up with the adhesive bit peeled off.
Dribble with some milky bar chocolate melted.
Put in the fridge .
Try one.
Then another.
Just to see if they are ok.
And another.
Quality tested by me.
Yum.
I think.
33 comments:
oh you make me laugh....sitting watching them grow. Can't wait to see the wellies and as for the chocolate...I want the recipe where you eat one and use the rest too!!
Oh, I LOVE that recipe - especially the part about quality testing. They certainly look good! Your finding a solution to the raised bed problem is nothing short of ingenious.
Lol lol ROFL!!! Brilliant!! You do realise, I'm sure, that broken biscuits (and crisps too, no doubt) do not contain any calories. This is due to calorie leakage through the broken surfaces.
Quality testing is soooo essential!
Love the gardening efforts. You've definitely improved since the days of the etiolated nasturtiums (nasturtia??) They reminded me of my mum's bonsai rhubarb.
Thanks for a great laugh!
What a fun post, Jackie!
Your garden looks great (very clever of you!)...and I'm coming over for some of those chocolate-covered crisps...YUM!! XXO-
You ahve brought joy to my day, that is possibly the best recipe I have ever read!! x
Love the raised beds and the gardening is looking good but not so sure about the recipe.....think I could manage all the eating bit before putting all the ingredients together though :-)
A x
Loving the planting...
Ha,,chocolate?? I can't get it out of the shop these days..it melts before I can open the packing...I'm used to eating choc only in the winter here..honest!!
Take care
Jude
x
I love your veg beds - what a brilliant idea (it'll catch on you know)
err... I'll take your about the chocolate covered crisps - but they look pretty!
Celia
You have a truly original way with writing recipes! Wonderful, Jackie. Broad beans are, however, the bane of my life at the moment. Can't tolerate the things, and HE loves them, so the annual ritual of him trying to make me eat them has commenced. Not one has passed my lips.......
Oh thanks very much for that! I've been really good sticking to a diet/sensible eating plan, and YOU come up with chocolate covered crisps.
I really love the re-use of the bookshelves as raised beds - what a brilliant idea. xx
What a hilarious post Jackie and your raised veg beds are great. Well done on the broad beans, they'll taste all the better for being home grown. Love the choc. crisp idea - haven't heard that one before. Like Shoshi, I too go along with the idea that broken crisps, biscuits etc., have fewer calories. They are even more slimming if eaten standing up!!
I love your raised beds and think that was a very creative solution. And as far the crisps - I know what I am makingn ext weekend!!!!
I'm not convinced by chocolate covered crisps but it did make me smile. Your raised beds are inspired!
What a great idea. The bookshelves becoming useful once more, and no need for any serious carpentry!
Well that recipe is right up MY alley!! They have my mouth watering with or without chips...chocolate...plain...
This is the first year that we put out tomatoe plants in a raised garden. So far I like it. I nixed the hanging bags this year! Sorry Terry, they were a bust.
Enjoy your garden. Its a good place to meditate...or eat chocolate with or without the chips.
xx, Carol
Crisps and chocolate, two of my favourite foods, why has no one thought of putting them together before.
Gillx
Brilliant beds! My husband has suddenly discovered plants! He only ever used to cut the grass and attack the bushes in a random way with the hedge trimmers. He is now revamping old half barrel planters and even suggested that we go to the garden centre! He then chose some very pretty pansies and waters them religiously every day!
Love the recipe : )
D'you think I could make the crisps with Galaxy? I don't like Cadburys chocolate.
yay well done - the pills are helping your plants hoho!! I have given up my allotment and am doing an Alys Fowler inspired edible garden instead - liberating!!
chocolate dipped chips (in this part of the world not crisps) sound like a great alternative for dessert.
great gardening and I love the recipe
Oh Jackie, I'm just sat here chortling over the crisps - so you really did make them! Hope your friend enjoyed them as much as you obviously did! x
HA Jackie you all gave us a GOOD LAUGH !Thank you !!(btw that's a very clever thought of Shoshi about the calorie leakage in the broken chips, hadn't thought about that but it MUST be true!)
Keep up the good work in the garden: it'll work out (one way or another, broad beans from the greengrocer ...?)
Thanks for making me laugh. Well done on your gardening efforts. Glad the tabs are working.
Bev :)
OMG I bet those crisps are the business. I like eating a crisp then a piece of chocolate and then repeat a few times, how handy to have them together! Loving your new raised beds, what a great idea, you've made a grand job of them and you can't beat growing your own veg :)
I'm laughing too much to comment! ROFPML You're an amazing cook :-))) Seriously though, when I can get my breath back, your raised beds are a triumph! Hope the slugs are suitably deterred!
Love the recipe - we thought it was just us that had to buy more chocolate than stated in the recipe because of the essential 'tasting'!
Good luck with the plants - looking good so far.
Thank you for giving us all a good laugh with this posting.
tears are rolling down my face....you should write a book! You make me and my family laugh.:)
My mum hates slugs too - but we've had a bumper hatching of frogs this year, so if they make it to maturity - look out slugs !!
Hope the Lancashire slugs don't work out a way to cross the gravel to your tender (and tasty) plants. I can almost hear the theme tune to 'Mission Impossible'.....
Well i have just gained another 2lb reading your recipe but hopefully the laughter of reading your post has wobbled it off again, thanks for cheering me up! Good luck with the plants.
So luv this post Jackie. Too funny indeed. and as Cathy said you have a truly original way with recipes! :)))
Soooo, choc covered potato crisps.... mmmmm. Now that is something I haven't seen yet, but I'm willing to give them a go! Can't be much different to chilli chocolate, can it? :))
Fabulous re-cycling for the veg gardens too. Well done you. x
Jackie. Fabulous blog... I was sat in the car park outside Hobbycraft. When I read the first step of the recipe I laughed out so loud that shoppers may well have thought I was having an asthma attack!
Love it - I have usually eaten half the ingredients before the finished item has been made.. Take care. Alan
That's one of the best recipes I've seen!! Its totally batty but I have to try it :-)
The tetris raised beds are so funky ....I'm in awe (as always when I visit here).
xx
my kind of cookin!
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