Day three and it's really starting to look like a deck

The length along the kitchen side of the house now has all it's joists

This side only needs one more joist, they ran out of time today.

The spa will sit under this end

 

 It's bloody massive!

The whole thing still needs Z nails, joist brackets, more coach screws etc, etc to stabilize it.

So still lots to do in that respect.

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The reason for running out of time today was because M&T were having people over for a BBQ, we went and joined them for more lovely food, summer is all about BBQ's isn't it?

 While we were eating the dogs were put inside, Max is a little sod when there's food and people around and we get the odd scrap between him and Astrix. Astrix wasn't overly impressed being shut inside and watched us through the cat flap

 

Sue called over earlier today to make an inspection of the proceedings! She ended up picking my rhubarb with me, so I had to go and do something with it once she'd gone home. One thing I did with it was to make a dessert, what I called UK meets NZ crumble. NZ like to think they invented the Pavlova, the Aussies claim they did and I read that someone had traced it's origins back to centuries ago.

Who cares? I'm just very grateful than someone invented it at all. ;-D

There was a choice of either a mini pavlova which is soft to eat or a meringue nest which is crunchy. 

I put a dollop of cream (with icing sugar and vanilla essence) then some rhubarb. I put the chunks of rhubarb in a flat pan, added some brown sugar, ground ginger and a couple of capfuls of Cointreau, I cooked it until the rhubarb was soft. The crumble was made of flour, porridge oats, white and brown sugar. I melted the butter and stirred it into the dry mix (so much easier that rubbing the butter in) then I placed it all in a pan and popped it under the grill to toast.

So the UK bit was the rhubarb crumble which met the NZ pavlova.

I am pleased to report it got a big thumbs up.

So in the garden today I picked all of the peas

 And spent a gazillion hours shelling them all and got 1.3kgs of peas. A lot of effort for not too many peas but so worth it just for the flavour. They are all in the freezer

I diced up 2kgs of rhubarb and that too is in the freezer, I'm going to make some rhubarb wine but only after there's a little less chaos around here!

I kept some for fresh, half of which went in the dessert.

And that's me done for today other than to thank you all for your comments over the last few days, it really is nice to hear from you. I do try and reply to each and every one of you BUT I reply here on the blog. I know lots of other bloggers reply to the posters email. I really don't have the time to do that I'm afraid, my apologies. If you've missed my replies, again I'm sorry, underneath the comment box where it says 'Choose an Identity' you can tick the box  'Email follow up *to your email address*' So if you don't want to miss out then this might be an option.

I'm tired so I'm off to bed. Until next time see ya xxx