Mud Cakes and Wine

The weather is dull, cold, and grey so I have a cuppa, let's have a look back at the hanging baskets, with what worked and what did not. I had to but all my plants online this year from my local garden center this meant I had a few more petunias than I would normally have.  In baskets, there was Petunia Hot Pink, Purple, and Fanfare Red. The Pink and Purple did pretty well however the Red Fanfare was a total failure. I am not sure why, they just died. For the three-tier planter, two are Petunia Shockwave Denim and Deep Purple and Petunia Frenzy Pink. These did well to start with but then went downhill pretty fast. The bottom tier did nothing at all just sat there with a few flowers. The other two did ok but nothing I would get excited about. The wall baskets  This is the white one its Diascia White Blush, these were I am being very honest here, a disappointment this year which was gutting. I think I need to look into deadheading the Diascia as they ended up being brown sticks. I am

The meal plan has been pushed on the back burner for the last couple of weeks not sure why. But we are back and now with some full-on winter meals. Friday - Fish and Chips and peas for us all Saturday - Stand n Stuff Fajitas for us all Sunday - Meatballs for us all Monday - Smoked mackerel and beetroot salad for Mr. MC&W and myself the boys will have fish cakes beans and peas Tuesday - Sausage and fennel pasta bake the boys minus the fennel Wednesday - Cheick Kiev, new potatoes, and greens. Easy freezer meal. Thursday - Mushroom stroganoff with rice and sour cream. The boys like the sauce with pasta and some veggies, not mushrooms.

  I am late with the meal plan again, we seem to be so busy doing lots but achieving not much is how it feels. Friday - The middle boy has a friend over for tea as it was his birthday a week ago. So it is pizza for every one Saturday - Quorn Burgers for myself and the boys Sunday - Mr MC&W is home from his golf weekend so it is a ready meal for us and Tortellini with veggies for the boys. Monday - Ceasar Salad for us and tomato soup for the boys. Tuesday - Super smokey bacon spaghetti Super smoky bacon tomato spaghetti Wednesday - Spiced Salmon traybake. Salmon with mash and peas for the boys. Spiced salmon traybaked sag aloo Thursday - Sausages in hot dog rolls

  I missed a week's meal plan and this one is a few days late. Everything has been a little manic here with birthdays and I have not been feeling the best. I seem to be getting better and back on top of things. It is Mr MC&W birthday on Wednesday so a mid-week treat for us. Friday - Ham, Eggs, and Chips a family favorite Saturday - Mr MC&W is on call all weekend so it's a ready meal curry thanks to Charlie Bighmas and a pizza for the boys. Sunday - Toad in the hole for us all Monday - Fish cakes for the boys. A freezer fish in sauce served with lentils and roasted veggies for us Tuesday - Chicken pasta bake. I found this and it looks lovely I will change the mascarpone for simple cream cheese. Chicken pasta bake Wednesday - Steak and Chips for us. The boys will have cheesy omelets Thursday - Quiche with green veg and baked potatoes. Boys will have it with baked beans.

  The meal plan is a little late this week, we have not even been that busy but everything seems to have gotten a little bit messed up. Friday - Fish, Chips, and Peas Saturday - Sticky Chinese Chicken Sticky chinese chicken traybake Sunday - Venison Steak with chips and peas. The boys have requested Pizza and salad. Monday - Fish cakes (from the freezer) with veggies for us all. Tuesday - Bacon and Passatta pasta Wednesday - Chicken and Mando Stir Fry Chicken mango stir fry Thursday - Steak Pie and veggies from the freezer and Quiche for the boys.

  I have collapsed with a cuppa after completing a gardening job I have been meaning to do for the last couple of years. This space is a small verge of scrubby grass, it is next to a layby on the other side of our fence. It always looks a mess and ends up full of peoples rubbish that they delightfully throw out of their cars. I have had a dream for a long time to try and turn this into wildflower verge.  Last weekend Mr MC&W mowed it and this weekend along with the help of my middle son we raked the whole area to remove 50% of the scrubby grass. This was a hard, exhausting and not pleasant job but I am sure worth it. I decided to water the area as it has been so dry, with the space raked and watered we were able to seed it. I bought from Chiltern Seeds 11 packets of Hedgerow perennial seed mix. Together we scattered the seeds. I know these areas are not the easiest to make work but I felt we had to give it a chance and see what happens. If we can have a verge of beautiful flowers I