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Archives for October 2015

Cooking scallops for a seafood gratin
I'm having dinner guests tomorrow night and one of the two dishes I'm making is the seafood gratin below. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/seafood-gratin-recipe.html I've had to adapt it already as I couldn't get halibut or lobster! So, I've substituted the halibut with monkfish as it has a similar structure…
Procrastibaking
Definition of Procrastibaking The art of avoiding all serious tasks by spending all of your time baking cakes, biscuits and other tasty treats. I am guilty of this - much rather bake up a storm than do routine housework that needs doing :o Why Hoover through or bottom out the bathroom when I can bake a batch of brownies.…
making your own bread at home
I am about to (re)enter into the foray of bread making at home and I wondered if anyone on here could provide any tips or advice? For example do you let the dough rise overnight and then knock it back and reprove in the morning, or do you start the whole process in the morning (as I have done in the past) and eat the…
Should I get a new boiler?
I have an old Baxi gas fire with back boiler. It runs ok BUT IT'S UGLY and probably not efficient. I'd love a new fireplace and wood burner, but this would mean a new boiler as well.....should I go for it? How much £ is it likely to be? I may move in around 3 to 5 years...
Smelly fridge
We are having house renovations done and moved out 3months ago. Due home very shortly :) :T The fridge has always been plugged in and used for milk for tea/coffee etc. we emptied it completely when we left and cleaned it out. New flooring went in and they removed the fridge to floor underneath it which meant unplugging and…
O/S Daily Thread for Saturday 31th Oct
This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome, please do come in, put your feet…
Meal Planning - Wk 31st Oct
Happy Halloween everyone! I just checked my planner and realised I was looking at the wrong week. I've free lunch at work on Tuesday, and Friday off. Plus I can't be bothered to go shopping, so I'm going to try and not spend any money this week. Monday Breakfast: Baked oats - 35g oats, 3 tbsp sweetener, 1 egg, 1/2 tub fat…
Onion storage
Hello If anyone is after a bargain and use a lot on onions, I've bought 5kg for £1 from Farm F**ds tonight. White onions, not huge, but tasty, we just had cheese & onion toasties tonight because everyone (apart from me!) was going out. I have been searching for ways to store them for a while-although I do use onions in 95%…
O/S Daily Friday 30 October 2015
O/S Daily Friday 30 October 2015 This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome,…
Bacon bits
I have searched but haven't been able to find a recent post about bacon bits-maybe wrong tho! In the last few months I have bought some packs of bacon bits from Li*dl, they are £1.50. I do check all the packs very carefully I try and chose the leanest. From 1 pack I have been able to make masses of meals, just thought I'd…
John Lewis price match a complete con
Found a fairly expensive item that I want/need on sale. Went to John Lewis to get a price match.... you'd expect like other retailers it would be a fairly simple procedure i.e every other retailer I know has done a price match on the spot either using one of their computer terminal and a quick phone call or just looking at…
O/S Daily Thursday 29 October 2015
O/S Daily Thread Thursday 29 October 2015 This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s…
Hugh's War on Waste
MSE update 18 November: We grabbed Hugh's time for a quick War on Waste Guest Comment. See what he had to say! Also see our new blogWhy Asda was right to reinstate food bank collections Back to the post... Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has a new programme starting 9pm Monday. I thought you and the Green and Ethical boarders…
How to clean a carpet cheaply?
Hello I just moved in a new houseshare and I got the feeling the carpet in my room hasn't been cleaned in a while. It doesn't stink but doesn't smell good either. Any tips/products to clean it without making (too much of) a mess or spending a fortune? Thank you
What can i make with this motley collection?
I wonder if OS-ers can help me? I'm moving home in a month and so I really want to try and live off my cupboards - because the move (agency fees etc) is going to leave me pretty skint for a while and because I don't really want to move lots of food, somehow. But I need help, recipe ideas. I want to get better at using what…
Porridge with apple and cinnamon overnight ?
Hi guys I'm sure I have read about some porridge that you can make overnight ? I would really like to have a try of this with cinnamon raisins and apple but I'm not sure how to do it :o I'm really hoping you can help as cinnamon and apple is my BF fave and he's staying tonight so I want to try to impress ... He also has…
O/S Daily Thread Wednesday 28th October
This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome, please do come in, put your feet…
What can I make with apples
Hello all I have been offered a big bag of cooking apples from a friend's tree, but I have absolutely no idea what to do with them. I'm sure they can be kept for a while, as they are straight from the tree, but I would ideally like to turn them into something which can be frozen/stored. Does anyone have any good ideas?
Make mash, burger and veg more interesting?
My dinner sounds really boring. The mash is left from yesterday, it and the burgers need used today. What can I add to make this more interesting?
Soup Of the Day!
Now the colder months are upon us I love making soup so thought I'd start a thread that we can all add our winter warmers to for more inspiration. Parsnip, carrot & fennel soup Today's soup was made to use up fridge leftovers so I had a couple of bendy parsnips, a couple of bendy carrots, half a fennel bulb, an onion, half…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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