74. Homestead Plans & Too Good To Waste Dash - Living Alone in Wales (June 2024) 

Good morning Sean, sorry you didn't get your rocking chair for the shed that would have been a lovely idea.like the little duck though! 🦆 Felt inspired to write another poem,hope you like it. Sean's Haven Now that you have built your shed You'll have a place to rest your head With all of the digging and weeding and such Little and often, not too much Putting in plants and little fruit trees,all of that bending, not great for the knees. But we hope veg will flourish we really can't wait,to see the results from the ground to the plate! A whistling kettle,its time for some tea so three cheers for the shed and best wishes from me! Have a lovely Sunday Take care Sean 💜

Hi Sean, my Gran, Dot, sent you the Plymouth fridge magnet! (My mum sent it as a surprise for when she watches this video this evening). She started watching your channel when she had just started feeling really ill from cancer, she is getting a little better now & still enjoys your videos. All the best! 😊

Hello Sean. I agree with other commenters that the best way of defrosting chicken is to take it out of the freezer the day before you need it, and defrost in the fridge. I take mine out of the plastic bag as soon as I can get it off (sometimes it's a bit stuck when the chicken is still really hard), stick it in a bowl with a saucer on top like my Nanna used to do, and bung a folded old teatowel under the bowl, otherwise the condensation drips all over the place. I feel like the dreaded meal planning is the answer to food waste and to the issue of buying too much. But I'm with you on not always wanting to have the whole week mapped out. What I do is think of a few dishes I'd like to eat in the week, make my shopping list based on that, then make sure the post-it note with your proposed meals on it is stuck on the front of the fridge. Refinement: note next to any perishable items e.g. fresh sausages what would be the last day on which you could safely eat, so that you don't end up throwing away expired stuff. Pick which one you'd like to eat the day before you make it, so that you can slow-defrost any meat etc. required, in a timely manner. Cross it off the post-it note. I always make enough for at least two days at a time, because I don't love cooking enough to do it every day. Any surplus goes into takeaway containers in the freezer, labelled with a bit of sellotape and a sharpie. Instant dinner for when you don't have the time or inclination to cook. Any or all of that might I hope help your meal woe! Happy eating! Sally

Hi Sean 👋 I just want to say, I am really enjoying watching you creating the homestead. I can't wait to see it transform into something beautiful. One more thing, I used to work in a gym and I prepared food for the PTs. I hope you don't mind me giving you a little advice. I wouldn't take any notice of the calories on those apps, they are way too low. You will lose weight steadily at 2000 cals per day. If you start to reduce your calorie intake too quickly, you will slow down your metabolism. Aim to eat at least 100g of protein for your muscle mass. You need your strength 💪 for working on the homestead. Good luck with your weight loss journey. Lots of love, Tracy ❤

Lovely to see a video this morning Sean, loving seeing your ideas and progress for the homestead, I am beginner veg grower so excited to follow what you grow, I also have country cottage style garden to encourage the pollinators and birds , I love nature, and hope you build a pond and maybe some feeders for small birds, hope you have a lovely Sunday x

It's a good idea to take body measurements, when I went on my big weight loss I was astounded at the amount of inches I trimmed off. I'm surprised you can have bread on your diet! It'll be interesting to see what you've got for your shed👍. Have a good Sunday🤗

What about a polytunnel? There might be some second hand ones going cheap.

Hi Sean from Nova Scotia

With the greenhouse and the black paint, won’t your shed be unbearably hot?

Spring onions - gibbons!

The secret to weight loss is don’t diet. Just make changes,portion sizes need to be smaller. Everything in moderation. It worked for me. I’ve lost 50 pounds. I don’t have anything that’s off limits. I’ve reversed my diabetes,my cholesterol and triglycerides are well below normal, and I feel much better.

I am sitting here watching you remove all those frozen bags from your freezer to transfer to the other freezer and I am thinking 🤔 is there a secret hole behind that freezer 🤣🤣as the bags keeps 😊coming out like a magician taking endless ribbons 🎀 out of a small hat🤣how did those bags fit into that small space 🤔even your new freezer is all ready full ❤️have a lovely Sunday ❤️🙏

Use Avon Skin So Soft to keep the midges off 😊. It’s very popular in Scotland when they are plagued with midges

that little shop is a treasure trove. A rocking chair is a great idea Sean. I am glad you took the time to explain your vision for the layout of the homestead. It makes it easy to see your plan. Defrost chicken in the fridge. move it from the freezer into the fridge the night before and use it the next day. It takes five hours per pound.. You can defrost on the counter, but it is riskier. as you dont want meat products sitting for an extended time in warm temperatures.

Yippee!! Sean is taking us all to To good to waste.... love it ❤

Portion size will make a big difference. Also, post an inventory on your freezer door as to what’s inside and then cross off as it is used up - eliminates waste. As time goes on, possibly planning meals a few days at a time.

HELPFUL HINT: depending on the size of the bread loaf, I wrap a portion of my bread in plastic wrap+ put it in a plastic bag, then freeze it. It saves throwing out bread you can’t eat fast enough before it spoils+ you are defrosting smaller portions in the refrigerator or cabinet.

Sliced bread is good to keep in the freezer, means you always have some in the house and you can toast frozen bread.

Try putting your plants in large containers till the plot is ready and you can place them around till you decide where they are going in the ground

May I suggest that before you food shop, you look in your fridge/freezer/cupboards to see what you already have that needs eating, then decide what you actually need to buy. This will avoid food waste and spending unnecessarily. Thankyou for your videos and enjoy the weekend. Greetings from Devon 👋🏻

I take frozen chicken out of the freezer the day before I want it, and put it in the bottom of the fridge, then it is ready for to cook. I keep my chocolate (only have a little) in the fridge, along with wine gums (which I love) in there. It is a good idea to write down what you have put in the freezer, so you know what you have. You can put a magnet on the outside and have a piece of paper with the list on. xxx

I love seeing the helpful comments from people here. It’s like a little friendly community. Sean, I bought myself some smaller dinner plates and bowls so I put smaller portions of food for myself. My gran grew fruit and as I child I used to love picking fruit and eating it in the garden. A friend of mine has an allotment. He grows marigolds around fruit and vegetables to prevent pests like greenflies and blackflies. If you grow carrots 🥕 or cabbages grow sage with it to prevent pests too. Marigolds and sage give off strong scents that repel pests. Brilliant idea, the compost toilet. I agree with the comment about Avon Skin so Soft to repel the midges. I had a Scottish friend that spent a lot of time outdoors that swore by this stuff.

Awww shame about the rocking chair!!!! There will be others tho!!! I love that place,too good to waste!!

Keep to 1500 calories a day.... And do 10,000 steps a day .. The weight will fall off... Easy peasy 😊

Love your pen description, ‘Or the woman would be naked when it all dropped off’!! I save freezer space sometimes by removing food from the boxes and just cut a bit of the box label off and sellotape to the packet. You get more space that way. Often the boxes are far too big for the product inside. Good luck with the weight loss plan.

Always drink water. We become dehydrated very easily, and water fills you up too. And, yes, portion size is huge. Here in the states, portions are ridiculously big, and the size of our people shows it. Keep up the good work.

Thank you for take us shopping with you! Love seeing the shops!

Get some beans in soonish Sean before you start building more structures! You will love it when you can store your home grown produce in the new freezer ! Plenty of time to build after you have crops in the ground. Don't waste the season if you can help it.x

Chicken goes from freezer to fridge to defrost (I just did that along with a half pork tenderloin as well!) I've been drinking too many soda's recently so will work on weaning myself off of it again (I did once and got some spectacular caffeine headaches for the first week but then fell off the truck and started drinking it again). Can't wait to see the homestead completely cleaned up. Will be able to envision the whole area once that is done!

Sean I find it easier to find things in my freezer if I group things together. One bin for meat, one for vegetables another for fruit and miscellaneous. No digging around. I defrost chicken in the fridge or cook frozen.

Just realised you said that your birthday is 23rd April and i think i am right saying that is Shakespeare's birthday and the date he died.😊

Take the chicken out of the freezer 24 hours before you want to use it and put it in the fridge. In 24 hours it will be defrosted.

It's always great to find loose items I forgot about in the freezer, as I keep my chocolate in the freezer that's my ideal forgotten fruit.

Too Good to Waste is really a gem. I live in the southern US and finding real antiques is pretty rare. So I'm quite jealous of all the choice there is there. 😁 Also really love the magnet collection. Such a fun idea.

I'd pay NOT to have an app that told me my weight! 😄 But, it's Good. You're doing well Sean. 👍

Hi Sean, why don't you buy one of those hats, bee keepers wear, for the midges, might be a solution for being bitten, 🦗 time for a cuppa tea ☕👋🏻

Get some long life milk. We use it all the time now. Never think...is that all I bought ? ! Be happy you bought less ;-) Scrooge liked the dark... The dark was cheap...

I’m worried about your dripping kitchen tap. Amazing how the water bill can creep up with a drip like that. Same if a toilet cistern is leaking into the bowl. Enjoyable video, as usual.

'My forever land...' that has a rather nice ring to it, you are now its caretaker, it's in your hands 🙏 My yellow raspberry didn't come from the Victorian Kitchen Garden, it came from my neighbour Gwyneth's garden and is the finest raspberry producing plant in the whole world. I like your new duck, hope it gets to play in your pond 🦆

This is just a thought the pipe frames with wire on them that you stepped on as you were describing things......are much like the trellis that I have up for tall telephone peas and blue lake beans.... I drove a tall T post by each end of wire frame and put several zip ties to secure the panel to the T posts. Its stays semi permanent but can be relocated if needed. If you put them end to end it can be a long row. A long string on 2 stakes help to lay out where you might want them first. So they end up nice and straight. I see you getting excited with a plan that's good to see ....good job.

Do you have a space to the right of your new freezer where you could put a freestanding veg rack. You can get them on wheels to pull it out. Make sure you label loose things you put in your freezer, along with the date. It is a good idea to put meat products together in one drawer, ideally use containers. I put a clothes peg on opened packets of fruit and veg i store in the freezer. Could you use your old freezer for bread and milk? I buy milk in 2l bottles as they are easier to defrost. I have an open one on the go and one defrosting. I leave the one defrosting in the sink overnight. You can slice bread before freezing it so you can take slices out individually for toast which can be cooked from frozen. Food is expensive so take a bit of time to see what you have before shopping. I live alone since my partner died and try to shop once every 3/4 weeks - I do buy fresh cooked meats, veg and fruit more regularly. You can also freeze butter and cheese. It's amazing how much you save by keeping on top of what you have and how you can prevent wasting stuff. You have extra storage in your kitchen unit too for extra unopened boxes/tins etc.

Sean you can alter your freezer so the door opens the other way if you want it to. No wastage now as if you’re not going use something pop it in the freezer before the use by date.

Geoff Hamilton lived in Rutland Sean, I visited Barnsdale many year ago with my my best friend. She died last week on D day so you brought back some lovely memories of her,❤

Green shed would look more natural against the back drop and not stand out like a sore thumb, but it’s want you like😊

Hi Sean, for chicken you can thaw them out in a big bowl, or pot of COLD water and put it on the counter. Leave the chicken in the plastic bag. Or, you can put them on a plate or bowl and take it from the freezer and put into the refrigerator overnight. That's a safe way to defrost the chicken.

Oh I loved my pen with a slidy ship. I think it was a souvenir from the Lakes. There were no computers back then. We had hours of fun with such things.

Sean your ideas are so lovely that I hesitate to mention this but Midges love ponds! Midge eggs, larvae and pupa are found in storm retention ponds and lakes. They simply thrive in low oxygen habitats. Was this ever problematic in your last pond?

Sean your vlogs are of the highest quality and caprivating. For the uninformed, how do you produce such captivating vlogs? You should do a vlog giving a brief summary from conception to upload, without giving away your trade secrets. I think we would all learn to appreciate the effort you put in to producing such exceptional blogs.

So enjoyed your video again after returning from early dog walk, this sunday morning and having a cuppa. Have you ever been in the Community Shop I saw on the high street? Always good welsh blessings from the LLyn Peninsular to you. I aways open windows for half an hour after getting up, before putting any heating on. Have a brill weekend. 😊 Ps I thought you might buy the big ted for the shed. A companion to chat to and discuss your planting and growingplans 🤗

Get the slow cooker out,any old mushrooms tasteless sausages❤️,burgers bits and bobs ,you have a tasty casserole,X clear all the odds and bobs out

I defrost my chicken in the micro wave but also use my fridge. Put it in the fridge the day before you want to cook it. Good luck with your new app for counting calories. Sounds like an excellent app. Going to check it out. Thanks Sean for that. 6 lavender bushes sounds amazing. Love Lavender. Your homestead is going to be amazing. Great plans.

I also like something with a bit of girth 👍

Video I didn't expect today, so that is a treat .Love your little duck and interested to see what your other goodies will be Sean.. Plot plans sound good . .Will you have a gutter on your greenhouse for a water butt, it might be an idea . You seemed to fit an awful lot of food in your little freezer, it was endless appearing, ha ha .. Have a lovely day today , the sun is shining in Weymouth . . .

I just had my old shed painted black (after refurbishing the roof and exterior) and love it. My house is red brick with black framed windows, gutters and roof. The black shed looks really good. I get loads of compliments from people driving by. Thank for sharing your ideas. I enjoy your videos.

Morning Sean, a cold morning heare in Cumbria, injoyed this mornings video, I was going to ask you, did you ever watch the Organic Garden programs, that was on in the 70s, it was good, carnt remember who was the presenter, but nettles in a bucket is a good feeder for my tomatoes, but a pongy one, what a shame you missed out on the rocking chair, get yourself a folding up chair camping chair, then there’s room after you finished having a rest, you could hang it up too.

Sean, do you have a shredder, so you can shred all your envelopes with addresses on?

Well done to have your national flag flying , I’ve forgotten when I last saw mine .

Chicken pop it covered in the fridge to defrost OR COLD water.....

Even a brick hard frozen piece of chicken I'd put directly into the Instantpot for pressure cooking. Those three frozen breasts would likely reach safe internal temperature around 12-15 minutes on high once under pressure. Easily under 30 min from thinking about it to on a plate. It is one of the few "kitchen gadgets" used so frequently that if it failed I'd need a new one immediately.

Your so funny, you crack me up, when I least expect it. I think you are on to something with your calorie counting app. I think that's really going to work for you. Thanks for all you share.

Might be worth buying some serious midge protective clothing! Maybe Scottish brand fine mesh hat. I went to Stockhill woods on the Mendip Hills once looking for nightjars. Will never forget the midge experience but did see nightjars. 😀

Solar pump for pond

No no...boiling meat straight from the freezer..temperature won't be the same inside meat.whilst cooking ,leading to food poisoning. I think if you read instructions, thaw in refrigerator ..same goes for anying unless it says cook from frozen...

The Arts Festival is 25th - 30th June Sean. 😊

aye up duck 🦆 good luck on your health journey, you already eat alot more variety of fruit and veg than some people. You can add your milk daily as a whole unit for the day if you usually use the same amount, save having to put in each cuppa, best wishes

If your pulling the green netting off the fence it might work as cover for your fruit trees......ect. or sweet pea netting. Saving you a few coins.

Expensive hobby and hard work having an allotment

Did you say your going to do a video about the cameras you bought,we going to get one for back and front but we don’t know much about them .thankyou loving your videos .

Waitrose Chunky Fish FIngers are brilliant. Unless they fall out of the bag into the boot of the car and you don't use the car for 2 weeks...😭😭

I would use your large fridge, one drawer for fruit and one for veg and use the small one for bread and meat, makes it easier to see what you have and what you need. Always handy to freeze a loaf in case you can't get out. Might be a good idea to draw out your plan for the homestead and keep it pinned in the shed that way you can do one section at a time xx

Hi Sean, they've got some good stuff in Too good to waste. Love the freezer, and I always get the chicken out the day before and let it thaw in the fridge. You've got some good plans there for the Homestead, such a large good flat sized plot. I'm cooking a good old roast dinner today, my favourite meal. Have a great week, all the best 🙂

I always take chicken, sausage, fish, in fact any of kind from the freezer, and defrost overnight in the bottom of the fridge. If you cook all well then they will be absolutely fine to eat. I have never had a problem. Shame you threw that chicken out near the beginning. I bet if you had microwaved it (provided it didn’t smell) the cats would have lovedit as a treat.

Even though you said a path would go along fence, a 1 foot (or a bit wider) setback from fence could be useful. I could see small more-or-less perennial plants like strawberries or even narrow things like fruit tree (espalier-style) trained along wires?? You would not want sprawling things like squash or cucumber, but planting upright along fence is almost like cheating when the overall area is limited. I have even seen gutters nailed up on fence as planter for herbs, like mint, thyme etc for easy clipping, no bending.

I like that little set up. Doing alright for yourself since your move to Wales arent you, ive not watched you for a while because im also settling in my new home. But yes very interesting what a major success its been so far for you You are definitely needed over there good on you. All the 👌 oh my recent gas bill was 15 pound British Gas and my electric was 40 pounds EDF . All were my first bill. Im not complaining just got to keep doing what Ive been doing. And its been a major difference from my previous place.

Brought back memories at 11.55 with the pen. Over 60yrs ago the school teacher caught me with a naked lady pen in class and for some reason she was not impressed and sent me to the headmaster who rewarded me with the cane for my scandalous behaviour 😂 l can still see her face when she tilted the pen upside down 😂😂 Happy days. Beautiful 😂

Your homestead plot is taking shape and looking good. Now you will be well advised to hire a cultivator with operator to deal with the compacted land. Save yourself a great deal of effort and pain at any cost.

I use a see-through box or a plate to put my fresh meats in bags in. That way I don't forget what needs using up and if any bags leak, I don't have a dripping mess down the shelves.😂 Brilliant video again. You do make me laugh out loud. Recommended thawing as I'm sure everyone will tell you is placing in the fridge for 24hrs. I just cover it and leave it on a shaded spot in the kitchen but as you've got 2 cats that wouldn't be a good idea😂

Yes just defrost the chicken overnight.

Good morning This allotment garden has good potential and is really big. I can't wait to see his evolution. At home in France I also have one, smaller and I have to walk half an hour to get there, but what satisfaction to grow your own vegetables Well done

If you build the greenhouse where you said the roof will be very low as you build out owing g to the roof sloping down as it is.

Very methodical. Think twice and do once. FYI. I’ve seen green houses made by assembling old windows. Lots of ideas for that on the internet. Very bohemian. I wonder if you have websites in your area that you can search for discarded windows from a house Reno. FB marketplace? Many times they’re on offer for free. Also, to preserve your structure, no wood should ever come into contact with soil. It will be the ruin of it. I’m so happy for you and looking forward to the development of your “blank canvas”. I hope you can turn it into a four seasons resort, with visual interest for the entire year. Till next time.

Hi Sean , I take my chicken portions out the night before and keep covered in fridge .. xx

Love the little duck. I have a few glass animals. So pretty.

Sean that freezer on top of the fridge was like Mary Poppins bag 👍😂😂😂 I thought there was no end to it.. I don't eat meat any more but when I did freeze it, I always took it out the night before to thaw out and in the morning put it in the fridge and then cook it that day.. 👍😉🇨🇮☘️Eire

Take a selfie you'll soon see how you look

It would be so useful if the shed door opened the other way. Can you switch the hinges over? I live a greenhouse with two doors for wind ventilation. ❤But I love the idea of use using the side of the shed as part of the greenhouse. How clever.❤

Good morning, nice surprise to see this video downloaded this morning, I watched one last night you were going to have a few days off. Nice to see the land is clearing with a better idea of the layout. The midges are a "bugbear." You will have to route out your old hat you used to wear on the allotments.Great video as always. You do come out with some funny one liners too. 🌞😆👏👍

enloyable video sean

Loved the video what a find the too good to waste shop is. My I suggest that you use that beautiful vintage wire basket you showed us for your fruit and veg. Air can circulate to help keep it all fresh. 😊

HI Sean, quick suggestion. put your fruit in one draw, your meats in another, your veg in another. Maybe use the smallest freezer for your meats since you tend to order less of that. Easier way to sort and know what you have. I always put my open bags of fruit or veg on the top of the newest. I only purchase more when I am on my last bag, etc. I take a list to the grocery store to avoid buying extra that I don't yet need.

Hi Shaun there is a plate you can get in shops or eBay it is called a portion plate on eBay or Amazon I bought a few of them as my family were at sw so I got them to help them and my friend and myself hope this helps ihave lost weight on sw on the last two years if you lose a lb a week you will. Lose 3 and a half stone in a year which is great good luck on your journey 🐝🧵🐝

Amazing! That small freezer of your fridge ... it was like Mary Poppin's bag. You went on and on taking things out. I can't imagine how it could be all in there!

I had a pen once from Niagara falls with a moving maid of the mist boat on it. My portion sizes, have to measure to learn what is the proper amount.

Your small freezer is like doctor who’s Tardis, I thought how much more is in there 😊

I think you missed mauling one of the leaks with your sausage fingers...

Are you getting a skip for all the stuff on the homestead, clear it out in one go?

Nutracheckapp looks like good tool to help watch yr weight

Hi Sean is that glass duck a murano glass one. Some of those sell for god money. I have a collection of those that belonged to my great aunt. Also how go you get on the website of too good to waste is it via Facebook because when I typed in their website it cam up but you couldn’t see anything they had for sale

Hello! Now that you have the freezer, think about making some hearty soups and freeze for days you're too tired to cook. It's great to have a hot meal in a couple minutes while you rest. I use plastic containers with a wide screw on lid made by ziplock or a knock off company. Take care Sean!

Hi Sean I just love the area we're you live I just enjoy going around the area It's just perfect