Creepy Crawlies

It’s raining - absolutely horrible out there. The ground is sodden and claggy and all I can hear is rain rain rain, lashing against the windows.

There’s not a lot I can do outside.

So I decide to clean the daughter’s bedroom instead. I put on my gas mask, radiation suit and rubber gloves and, clutching a large bottle of disinfectant, I venture into the hovel.

It’s not as bad as I feared. And so I decide to tackle under the bed.

Well I pull out the usual assortment of knickers and socks, mouldy apple cores, crisp packets and sweet wrappers.

Then I pull out two small Tupperware boxes. I wondered where those had gone. I’m not too sure about that brown semi-liquid stuff that’s slopping about inside them though. Good job they’re sealed. I put them to one side to deal with later.

And then I spot the box.

Odd.

The lid is askew and I can see some shrivelled up leaves and a few twigs in it. As I pull it towards me I notice… the airholes.

Airholes?

I make a hasty retreat.

Exactly WHAT is loose in my daughter’s bedroom?

Blackberrying.

I’ve sent my husband out blackberrying with the kids. They return with several enormous tubs of berries looking very pleased with themselves.

“Excellent,” I say taking the tubs. I start to sort them into bags to go in the freezer. Then I pause.

“Hang on a minute,” I say pulling out a sloe berry. “What’s this doing in here?”

“Oh,” says my hubby. “I saw those in the hedgerow and I thought they looked nice. So I picked them too. I don’t know what they are.”

I eye him suspiciously. “Did you pick anything else?”

“Oh yes.” He’s looking really smug. “There were all sorts of berries along the lane.”

Ah.

I spend ages sifting through the blackberries really carefully before freezing them.

I think I’ve removed all the sloes and deadly nightshade.

Sloe gin and blackberry pie anyone?

September Picture

I'm harvesting like mad at the moment - the potatoes are in, the sweet corn almost ready and the runner beans still cropping - the weight of the plants is starting to pull the poles over!

Anyone know any good runner bean recipes?