At Knowle Cottage, we had two veggie plots, one which we managed traditionally and the other that other than keeping weed free and thinning as needed was pretty much left to its own devices.
Granny Spear
Granny Spear was born in a small cottage in Devon, Southern England in 1925. Married to farm labourer Ernest, she raised her family in the heart of the countryside without any of the amenities we rely on today. Using skills passed down from her mother, who had learned those same skills from her mother, she not only survived but positively thrived living a self-sufficient, off grid lifestyle. Outliving her husband, one of her children and two of her grandchildren she stayed in the cottage until 2003 when a serious fall saw her hospitalized. She now lives with her daughter just four miles from her old home. For her 89th birthday her grandchildren and great grandchildren brought her an iPad, which she instantly rejected until they showed her Angry Birds...After much persuasion she has agreed to share some of her knowledge with us about what she calls the 'old days'
Is Progress Always a Change for the Better?
Self-reliance should be on every school timetable because one day, we will only have ourselves to rely on.
Turning the Scraps at the Back of the Fridge into a Nutritious Meal
This is something I used to make for the children, usually in winter when the garden wasn’t very productive.
Compost Isn’t the Only Use for Veggie Peelings
If it hadn’t been for the tried and tested methods my mother passed down to me we really would have had times when the kids went to bed hungry or as a family we suffered from malnutrition!
How to Cook The Cheapest Cuts of Meat
The lid is put on and the whole thing goes into a cold oven. It’s important that the heat builds up slowly so as not to cause the meat to contract, to shrink too quickly because that’s what makes it tough.
Why Everyone Should Have A Rag Bag
It seems very old fashioned to have a rag bag, or in my case a rag box, but I couldn’t consider not saving bits of fabric.
Common Sense and Prepping Go Hand in Hand
You cannot survive a crisis unless you accept that a crisis can occur in the first place. It’s just plain common sense to make sure that you are able to last out a storm, or a power cut or an accident that lays you off work for a while. Not doing so is a sure fire way to see a minor crisis escalate into a major event.
Central Heating Isn’t All Good
Now I’m sure these experts know what they’re talking about but nobody ever seems to mention the downsides of being surrounded by that much heat 24 hours a day.
How We Kept The Cottage Warm in Winter
Get a metal range or a wood burner as they are more economical on fuel and the metal itself stores up heat. They are also safer and easier to cook on than an open fire.
Using Vegetables to Thicken Soups and Stews
When I look at food these days the colours amaze me. Everything is so bright, unnaturally bright.
