Shopping

Went to Körmend for some stuff today. got onions potatoes and some meat for a Goulash on the weekends ('Gulyásleves' or "Cowboy Soup" as they call it here) The sky looked a bit threatening on the way to Tescos and, sure enough, it started raining on the way to the bus stop.

I had a thought on the way that I really shouldn't be buying bulky stuff from Tescos instead of the shop as any savings I make are eaten up by the bus ticket. So only rare or small items from now on. This would include beans and essentials like Guinness. Guinness, unfortunately, is colossally expensive so I really have to cut down on my once a month tipple. For the price of one 440 ml can I can buy three 500ml bottles of expensive local beer like Dreher. Put like that its a non contest really.

Got on the bus and... well I easily found a seat which after the past few weeks of struggling past kids who wont move out the way it made a bit of a change. Schools must be off again or something.

Had beans on toast for tea. I discovered what I'd bought a few weeks ago thinking it was chilli powder was in fact chilli seeds. I'll have to think about grinding them up.

Had some Guinness

Wednesday

Feeling under the weather today so no heavy work. Took my plants outside as it was pretty warm. I'm experimenting to see if I can grow beetroot and radishes indoors for winter. Would be useful I think. of course a greenhouse would be better but its a start.

I also seperated the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin mush I scraped out over the weekend then washed and dried them on trays. I got about 3/4 of a pint of seeds. If only half germinate next year I'll have pumpkin soup every day for decades!

Tuesday

Normally, these days, I seem to get up 4am and manage to fall asleep just as the alarm goes off at 5:30. Today was different. Woke up at 3am. Not an improvement, let me tell you. Pulled a back muscle or something.

I went to the shop about 6am for the usual bread and milk. The shopkeeper threw me by giving a choice of bread; half-brown or pink. Something may have been lost in the translation but I went with half-brown. I'd taken about 40 forints worth of 5 coins and this, by coincidence, was the amount the bill was over a round 100. 240 in all so the shopkeeper got some coins now.

Pottered about all day then went to the pub.

Oh, I finished off the last of the chicken. These days a chicken does me for about 4-5 meals before there's just the bones and whatnot left. This I freeze until I have 3 carcasses and then I make chicken stock of it. If I had pigs then I'd feed the solids after straining them out of the stock and I'd be wasting nothing from the chicken which is my long-term aim..

Shop

Went to the shop in the evening for a few beers. also I was wondering, from the pub episode last night, whether I'd set the clock the wrong way.

Shop was open, the clock showed the same time as mine so that was OK.

The woman said she didn't have any 5 forint coins but I said that wasn't a problem. Normally I have hundreds of the things but must have left them at home. must remember to bring them to the shop tomorrow.

GMT+1

The clocks went back here as well. I wasn't too sure if they went back the same time or not. The real bad thing is that Hungary is so far east it should be in a different time zone to, say, Madrid. the result is that sunset at 3pm or 4pm is likely after November.

Today mopped the floor, salt scrubbed the wooden table and then set about converting the half a (huge) pumpkin into soup. I had only a couple of small onions so used a leek as a substitute.

I quartered it and put half in the freezer.

Thought I'd update the blog while its cooking.

I went up the pub and got there about 7:45. The owner was already stacking the chairs up! An unintentional dry night, not my favourite kind!

Cider

I don't think I mentioned that the apple juice was a different colour and smelled different to the 1st batch I did. The apples looked different too. This means I can get a different variety to the ones I already have by having some of the local trees. I'll need three.

Today I re-racked the cider into a new demijohn. Well, not new exactly but a different one that I'd sterilised. I strained it though some nylon netting which I've brought over with the intention of using as "cheeses" in an apple press. Got about a double fistful of pulp out of it.

Of course, siphoning does mean you get a mouthful of whatever your siphoning but at least this was Cider rather than, say, petrol! This batch tasted rather sweeter and less dry than my previous batch.

Should be ready in about a fortnight.

Oh yes, before I forget. Today was a bank holiday and anniversary of 1956. I think it was this time last year I accidentally took my parents to the middle of a riot, as you do.

Wash Day

Spent most of the day washing up as I now seem to have recovered from the cold. Went over the house with the cleaner and, at some time over the weekend, I'll need to go over it with a mop and bucket.