Another delay and Eco Friendly packaging

Another delay this evening on the Chutney.  I have been rushing around trying to get OHs stuff ready as he is intending to go fishing tomorrow evening.  So Chutney tomorrow night along with some other bits and bobs as well.  More jam I think  - will have to get the jam pan out.  Apart from rushing around after OH and tea  (tonight, fried eggs, sausage and bacon with bread and butter and a cup of tea to follow).  I have also had to bath the dog again especially as she goes fishing with the OH. So its been a bit busy this evening.  I need to be able to concentrate when I am making my chutney and other bits and bobs so its best to get on with when OH has gone and I don't particularly want to be late to bed.  The jam jars have however made it into the house so one step closer than they were yesterday.  Perhaps tomorrow they might actually get filled.  These things are sent to try us.

I think I have some more new followers I am not sure whether from Blogger or Bloglovin but wish to say Hi  you are more than welcome and thank you for following,  Please make yourself comfortable get that mug of tea or coffee and have a good look around.  I have been blogging for quite a few years now and there is lots to read back on.  Sometimes life is chaotic but never dull another time I am up to my ears in preserving which I am passionate about and other times it is just run of the mill or I manage to get some crafting done.  Often it is just the depth that varies but hey life is for living and we all have our own way of doing that.  Would not do if we were all the same.

Selfishly I don't mind OH going fishing.  He chills out  - I chill out so its a win win.  In the nicest possible sense he can be high maintenance and when he is here I end up running around after him instead of being able to get on with what I had intended in the first place.  So it will be nice to be able to get on without any interference.

I am still waiting for the canner to arrive.  I don't think it will be too long before it is here according to the tracking information.  Getting excited.  

We all have to be able to feed ourselves sensibly and cheaply and so hopefully despite the outlay this will allow me to make use of ingredients and put them up on the pantry shelf for meals during the week or make soups for use during the week using fresh veggies with no nasties.  I will probably have to invest in some more Kilner or Ball Mason jars (I predominantly have Kilner or Quattro Staggioni jars although I do have some Ball Mason jars).  However the beauty of these jars is they are re-usable with new seals so I am not adding to the rubbish dump.  In fact this is something I wish to address generally and really get to grips with.  I an very aware that I could do better than I am doing.  I am going to aim to (once the bottom garden is sorted a bit more) in creating a compost bin and controlling the rubbish that is thrown away and sent to the tip.  I just wish that more shops offered paper bags to pop things into rather than the excessive packaging we are all subjected to these days.   However it will also go some way to producing compost rather than buying it for next year's seedlings. 

As a child I remember coming to Peterborough to the old Woolworths store which had lots of big glass and wood panelled counters, serious shop fittings, wooden floors and they used to sell the wafer biscuits in all sorts of different flavours.  We would pick and mix the biscuits for a price and they were always handed to us in a paper bag.  So much more user friendly and eco friendly. If I remember correctly the biscuits used to be supplied to the shops in metal double biscuit tins and then the tins used to be sold off for storage at home. Why producers are so excessive with packaging I do not know.  Surely a good product speaks for itself rather than having all the unnecessary hype.

Then of course there were the bottle deposit returns.  I remember collecting them up and taking them back to the shop and being paid for doing so.   We used to take the money back home to mum and dad and if we had really been good we used to be given so much to go and get some sweets like Black Jacks, Fruit Salad, sherbet dip, gob stoppers, and bubble gum.  

Surely if supermarkets or suppliers offered this option to recycle more resources could be recycled and reused.  Such a store offering these options would be showing themselves to be very green minded and ethically aware.  Come on suppliers start to take responsibility for the products and packaging you supply.

Mind you I also remember going to Peterborough market.  When I was little there was a large farmers animal market in Peterborough.  Mum used to go to the butchers stall and get some meat but she also used to buy proper pork dripping with lots of jelly and it was stored in big preserving pan sized vats and you bought it by the pound in weight.  Used to be lovely on fresh bread.  You cannot for love or money find dripping like that these days.  Occasionally I manage to do it at home.

Right I had better get a wriggle on I am waiting for the washing machine to finish as OH wants a specific sweat shirt to take fishing with him.

Catch you soon.

Pattypanxx