Frugal dog food and Charlie

Our little poodle Charlie, is getting on a bit.  He's getting on a lot actually.  In the 8 or 9 years we've had him since finding him abandoned, with over-grown fur full of fleas, and an aversion to men with stick shaped things in their hands, he has calmed right down and become such a sweetie and much loved member of the family.  Well, I love him, even though the cats seem to cast their spooky spell over the rest of the family...I digress.

Charlie has always been a bit scratchy, a bit inflamed on the ears and feet, and I realised early on that it was probably the dog food I was giving him.  The vet agreed with me, but no matter what, Charlie would not eat the very-expensive-but-good-for-him dry food although he would quite happily scrump the cats' dry biscuit food.

So, after much consultation with vet/internet, I devised my own food for him: 40% chicken, 20% veg such as carrots/beans/peas and 40% rice and couscous, with a couple of spoons of powered eggshell for extra calcium, and he also gets a bit of sardine or mackerel when we have some for lunch.  Sometimes I chuck on a couple of little biscuity things too, just for a bit of a change.

About once a month, I boil up chicken legs in the pressure cooker until the bones soften, pick off all the meat, add the veg, rice etc, and measure it out into foil containers - 180 grams a go - and then into the freezer.  It costs me about a frugal 25 to 30 centimes a day, which can't be bad.  I love doing it for Charlie because I love him, and he doesn't scratch his skin anymore.

Win-win!

Well, it would be win-win, but he has suddenly got bored with his food and has started scrumping the cats' dry stuff again.  Sigh...

The 'Dorking' chicken

While we were in UK we did a trip around memory lane, and one of the things we saw was a giant cockerel in the middle of a roundabout in Dorking!  It made us smile, so I took a couple of piccies from the car (sorry about the quality but you can't park on a roundabout!).

A friend tells us it's because of the Dorking chicken - Dorking was once famous for the breed, but he thought it wasn't bred there anymore.  I think he's wrong, but I know you can buy then in France - saw some very recently at the market in Piégut.  They've come a long way!

Wedding cake

The reason for going back to visit the UK - only my second visit in 13 years - was to attend my old best friend's wedding.  We were honoured to be asked to be the witnesses, and I read a lesson at the service, and made a speech at the reception, which was great fun!  Anyway, the point of this is to show the most stunning wedding cake I have ever seen: I have an interest in these, as my dear old Dad was a chef, and generally made the cake for all of my cousins etc on their big day.

This whole confection was SO pretty: each cup cake was absolutely divine - very moreish!  The top two tiers were covered in pastel sugar butterflies, the interior being chocolate cake...yum...

The photos don't really do the cake justice, but I can assure you it was decadent...

Garden gone mad

We've been away to UK for a couple of weeks, well, actually been back 10 days now, but only just really got to grips with work in the veggie plot.  I decided to pick the courgettes - or 'torpedoes' and store them for the winter - here is a piccy of various types and some butternut squash, sitting in the wheelbarrow.  The cardboard was to protect the veg from scratching on the metal wheelbarrow: I've found the veg lasts much longer if undamaged, of course.

Still got more in the plot, but I'll leave them to get a bit bigger, plus the pumpkins. Am going out again in a bit to feed them with my secret liquid manure - actually, it isn't magic, just rabbit poo and nettle soup.  With 6 pet rabbits, at least I don't have to buy any fertilizer.

There is another photo, showing the scale, but no "oo 'er, Mrs" comments, please!

It's been a while...

Well, it certainly has been a while since I have blogged.  Don't know why really, just busy with life, the universe and everything.

A few piccies from a recent Sunday afternoon at the Bishop's Garden,  at the cathedral in Limoges.   Strolling about with our son and daughter, it was a lovely day, not too hot - it has been very warm.  Our son said he often walks there, takes a book, meets a friend or two - it's the nearest green space to his flat in town.

More little jaunts around the area to follow...

Autumn day in Angouleme

I don't really know why, but we rarely visit Angouleme even though we live halfway between it and Limoges.  I guess as both kids are studying in Limoges, our visits to Limoges are combined with squashing into our son's little (and I do mean LITTLE) flat and collecting his laundry.

I digress.

We felt like a mooch yesterday, so drove off to Angouleme and had a lovely afternoon walking round the town centre.

Angouleme is called the cartoon capital of France and there are lots of little pictures

painted on walls.  Not sure if they are official or just good graffiti.

Love the space-age angel

 This is in the underground car-park - it's for charging up your electric car - never seen that before.

These 'sheep' were outside  a shop - great way of stopping cars parking outside and a great eye-catcher - when did you last see sheep in a city centre?

The Palais de Justice, or Law Courts,built in 1830s - I thought it was a serpent wrapping itself round the clock, but it was a ribbon...how very French...  

This is a 'message tree' where you can scribble notes and clip them to the 'leaves' which are actually bronzed artists' paletts.

A Renaissance building  from 1550 which is now a gallery.   

The term 'Hotel Renaissance' doesn't mean it is a hotel in the modern sense, just a large building.

One of the most famous cartoons is of course Tintin - and here is a bust of Hergés, who although Belgian and lived most of his life in Belgium, the French have acknowledged his work with this rather large bust in the shopping area.

  

An advert above a shop - in mosiac tiles.

Nicely elegant buildings, as the sun began to set.

Some roof tops - Angouleme is set high up on ramparts, with fabulous views round the Charente countryside, but for the ancient French, it was for defence, not the skyline. 

Only about ten minutes separate these photos...and then the sun sank down and we went off to eat - at the Chinese buffet, where the only concession to French cuisine is the availability of frogs legs and sliced baguette. 

French fabric for sale

I've been going through my stash of vintage French fabrics.  It's sort of pile that most vintage fabric fans have where pieces are carefully stored for the future, when the call of creating something is loud and clear.  Unfortunately in my case, I can't sew a button on straight so time to thin out.

Beautiful burgundy, from 19thc, was once a single bed-head cover.

A striking salmon pink mattress ticking, with white flowers woven into the fabric

A real eye-pop of colour here: scarlet red, with white and grey flowers.

Another 19thc piece, in an Art Nouveau design, a little shabby but perfect for that small vintage project.

A beautiful design of floral pinks on a black background, nicely dramatic

And, finally, a little morceau of embroidery, probably from an old kneeling stool or chair, just perfect for a vintage cushion.

sorry, but all sold

As usual, if you would like any more info, just click here to take you to more pictures etc


Ooh!  Just noticed it's my 200th blog posting!

Have a good week!