We were given some rather rough paint stripper.....I mean rakia.....earlier and shoved a load of sugar and raspberries in. Smells lovely and as I can't get sherry I will be using some of the raspberries with fresh (frozen from the garden) in our trifle. I make my own mincemeat as I don't like peel (...

I use my normal stainless steel or circulon pans for two years, they cope fine and look as good as ever. Have also used my individual Le Creuset, but wouldn't fork out for them as they are not necessary.

Oooo yes, feta, onion and walnut is good with the butternut, the saltiness goes with the sweet.

At this time of the year it has to be leek and tater or spiced butternut squash

Sorry, I don't buy canned.

I haven't had any eggs from the shumens for many weeks, they are early moulters and range three years old down to six months (she doesn't moult of course, or lay) the ex-batts are giving between two and four between the five hens despite moulting. So that is what we are getting, out of 13 hens. I ha...

Made mincemeat and two cakes (recipe too much for the tin) but have had to compromise as I can't get currants. So have made up with dried cranberries, extra cherries and some of my home dried figs, with walnuts as I have so many. And a few prunes. Smells nice, especially the mincemeat as I used a Ma...

Living in a village where everyone has livestock we get a lot of rodents, but when they got into the house last year we put poison down. Big mistake! The house has hollow walls and gaps under the floorboards, open lofts and the walls have not been sealed. For months we had to put up with the dreadfu...

Stunning Richard.

They can be grown in a good year it seems, but you have to start early. There is lots on Youtube, it is not as hard as I had been led to believe. The climate is probably the biggest problem as not all summers are like the last one. I am going to have a go next year now that we have the climate and t...

It's a very common problem here, if you are British you are considered a soft touch. The towns and cities, and many villages, are heaving with scrawny and often vermin ridden dogs and cats. Castration (which applies to dogs and bitches here) is considered against nature, better to let puppies and ki...

Yes they do die back. l would plant it in the garden while the soil is still warm, or do the same next year. They are happy in a large pot if you have no space, out of direct sun and doesn't mind a damp place if you can protect it from slugs.

When I had a tiny area I concentrated on things that either didn't take a huge amount of space but also things that are expensive or not easy to find. Also things that grow high, like climbing French and runner beans, but only a few plants, because they taste so much better picked and cooked in minu...

Could you not taste it to see if you got away with it? If not I don't see why you can't add the frozen ones as long as you cook them well first before adding the 19 jars and cooking longer, if the chutney is thick you could maybe cook the fresh ones in a little vinegar to help preservation. Or I mig...

Awww lovely. We have some priceless photos of the kitten who adopted us at under four weeks old with our two dogs. Digital cameras are wonderful, every event recorded.

We also get it on line but have to get it sent to family then she sends it out to us. Expensive but we know it works.

We used ready medicated pellets when in the UK, much easier and readily available in feed merchants.