Oliver Boliver

Damson Gin Recipe and Sloe Gin Recipe

The latest batch of damson gin is now sat on top of the fridge and should be ready in time for Christmas. It's a good job too as we managed to glug our way through the last of 2007's vintage at the weekend in a post baptism gin supping frenzy!

The recipe is fairly straightforward and consists of:

About 2.5 litres gin

1.5kg pricked and washed damsons

375g caster sugar

All popped into a 5l demi-john. I can never remember year on year exactly how much goes in the jar and usually end up plopping any left over damsons and topping up with gin as the original recipe fills the demi-john by about 3/4's. 

I love watching the pinkish syrup start to rise from the damsons a few days later before I eventually take the plunge and give whole lot a good shake. I try to shake the bottle every day or so to ensure that everything is getting mixed together well.  It should be ready to bottle just before Christmas and usually add some more sugar to taste. I don't like it too syrupy; just tart enough please! The amount of sugar largely depends on how ripe the damsons were to begin with and I just tend to put an evening aside to keep tasting as the sugar is gradually added. I definitley don't recommend doing this in the morning unless you wish to advertise that you are an old soak or indeed don't care!

The sloes should be ready soon and will be subject to the same recipe, again adding sugar to taste at Christmas prior to bottling.

All in all, looking forward to a very "merry" Christmas! Hic!

Oliver's Baptism

We finally managed to get organised and a date was set for Oliver's baptism. It was a lovely day and was even sunny enough for us all to sit in the garden enjoying a glass or two afterwards! Canon Vin Whelan exerted great patience as Oliver buzzed about at the front of the church during the service.

However I rather suspect he got the last laugh as he poured almost a pint of holy water over Oliver's thick head of hair. 

All in the name of holy baptism of course! Alex and Sarah both read beautifully in church and Grandpa Ray said the bidding prayers.

Oliver had a great day and it wasn't until later on that I discovered he had been grazing off the buffet table helping himself to various goodies.  Fuelled by flumps and pork crackling he eventually tired at about 10pm when Daddy gently put him down to bed.

We had a great day and thanks to all that joined us for the service and for drinks afterwards and also for your kind and generous gifts. Special thanks to Vin, of course.

Chicken Run and Bald Chicken Bottoms!

I telephoned Forsham Cottage Arks today enquiring about an extension for our Boughton chicken ark. Since the latest fox-escapades I don't think it's wise to keep tempting fate and the girls have been put under strict house arrest! I have been advised on several occassions that the Boughton unit is perfectly big enough for only 3 chickens but I can't help but think that a extension run would make their lives happier and healthier especially in a permanent position. So a phone call later and an extension ordered I happened to mention that our chickens have been suffering from bald bottoms and I wasn't sure what to do about it. A lovely lady called Cindy spoke to me and we went through lots of possibilities such as stress, a lack of protein in their diet or bullying; none of which appear to be relevant although it may be that they have developed over the summer a preference for corn over their layers pellets which may have something to do with it. So I'm going to try reducing their treats and checking for mites as a first instance and see how that fares. Fingers crossed they'll have fluffier bums in a month or so!