It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

moanymoany

Cinny91 wrote: »

Hey, I'll be set. I'll be a pig chopping, fleece rolling, cow milking sensation and you can all come around for rabbit stew with bread and butter.

Talking of butter, I'm actually going to try my hand at making some tomorrow. Got to work very early this morning (7 ish) so i can print some sheets off.

I put The Book on my Amazon wish list and it has disappeared! Just longing to read it.
Thanks Cinny. :T I'm going to start knocking up some pens in advance. DH has refused to keep any livestock other than chickens - and then only for eggs! Phew!

moanymoany

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Growing our own veggies -all in tubs n containers this year has saved us a fortune:T
I grew sooo many tomatoes that I have enough bags of roasted ones in the freezer to last until the season starts again they make the most stunning pastas sauce..in fact we are having them with marscapone, salami and veggies in a pasta bake tonight :j

I really would urge everyone to give it a go.. it is so easy and can save you loads.. not just because you don't have as many veggies to buy -but because it means you don't have to nip to the shops for veggies (where extra things "fall" in the basket :rotfl: )
Im allready planning and plotting for next year..can't wait as everything tastes so much nicer

How did you roast your tomatoes Mrs.M? When you make pasta sauce do you use X number or a weight of roasted toms? I am interested in this because I use a lot of toms and want to grow them next year. I don't want to bottle them and this seems a good way to store them.

D&DD

Moany I got my copy from the Book People a while back not sure if they still have it,it was less than a tenner
Taplady and Westy how awful for your boys to face redundancy at such young ages.My eldest is 17 and was going to do a gapyear when he leaves school this year and work to save for Uni,I'm wondering if he'll even find anything now it's scary!
I hope your boy finds something soon TL,Westy what sort of trade is he learning? Would there be any local firms that would take him on to enable him to finish his apprenticeship if worse came to worse? Might be worth a few phonecalls to test the water..

Cinny91

moanymoany wrote: »

I put The Book on my Amazon wish list and it has disappeared! Just longing to read it.
Thanks Cinny. :T I'm going to start knocking up some pens in advance. DH has refused to keep any livestock other than chickens - and then only for eggs! Phew!

Are you going for the new one or the old one? Have you tried your library for a copy? Mine has lots of books like that.

If I had chickens I would only be able to take eggs from them too. I get too attached to animals! I've been eyeing up those eglus from omlet for years. I'd love to have chickens. Might get some in the new year if I can get my parents to agree.

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Moaney...
any baby ones are left whole and the bigger ones cut into 1/2s 1/4s..drop them in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, some rock salt and cracked black pepper..and pop in the oven (or remoska) and cook for about 20-30 mins until soft..
I then just weigh them into bags -I do about 8oz as there are only 2 of us..
Then whack in the freezer..they are lovely on toast, or I take them out and defrost and then blitz..at the moment Im blitzing them with "whoopsed" marscapone-it is delicious...

I also have bags with various veggies in too.. aubergine, chilli, peppers, garlic, courgettes... they make gorgeous pasta sauces..
I had soooo many veggies this season that we couldn't eat them quick enough ....hope to do the same again next season... Im planning and plotting allready

moanymoany

Caterina wrote: »

Hi all

Sorry to hear about so many people's worries in these difficult times. The only thing that I can say is that being here on the forum at least we all support each other and give each other tips to ride the storm.

I think that DH will be ok work-wise because he is very busy at work, but my own job is at risk, the charity I work with has not got a couple of funding renewals that are vital to keep going and I am not sure of my fate from April 09 - all salaries are covered up to end March, but nothing then so far.

You know what, I shall cope, it will mean no more treats but with DH's salary thanks God the roof, food and bills are covered. The kids will have to contribute if they want holidays etc. I already ask them for a contribution if they want a takeaway, we have a "curry jar" where everybody puts spare change and when we have around £10 we get veggies from the Indian curry house and boil our own rice.

Ah well, we went through last recession, when DH was made redundant just before Xmas whe the twins were just 3 years old. I had to leave my p/t job as if I had been in work (on a very low pay) we would not get any benefits nor mortgage interest payments (no longer applicable now, the screw has been tightened on this too, bloody government). I got a small job baking bread and DH came in and made mince pies. We stopped using the car (we still had one at the time) and walked everywhere. We were skint and really skint but had a great time, making do and spending loads of quality time together!

Things will improve again, don't worry too much if you can.

Best wishes to all of you

Caterina

This is a very important point that Caterina makes. The reality is that if the worst strikes you have to cope. I remember back in the 50's and 60's - and when I did reminiscence in day centres and residential homes the people told be about their childhoods in the 30's and their lives in the 40's - most families had 'meals' for when the money ran out.

Our problem is that many of us have no experience of being so broke. We have been able to run to the plastic or overdraft - that wasn't possible then. Very few working class people had a bank account and lived a 'cash' existence. We think that it is impossible to live in this way - but it isn't.

In those days many people had no store cupboard - one bag of flour, one bag of sugar - you may have a garden or allotment and that would give some food. Most kitchens had only one or two cupboards or a pantry. One of our 'no food' meals was boiled onions and potatoes with the liquid thickened into a sauce. Fried onions and bread was another. These meals were helped by pickles and chutneys that had been made in the season. Bread and home made jam was often our tea. One very difficult time all we had was oats and we ate porridge three times a day - bulked out with bread.

We were not unusual, a day living on bread and jam was normal for many families - on the day before payday. If you have no money left, your neighbours were in the same position. If your shillings ran out you had no gas or electricity until you were paid and could get more shillings. If you had no milk tokens you went without milk.

People today - even on benefits - should not have to get to this stage. But if people do it isn't the end of the world! We survived, people survived the war rationing. If you have to do it, you have to do it. The secret is to plan for possible days/weeks with no income.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Cinny91 wrote: »

I was bullied at school for my ginger hair (the bullies weren't very imaginative!) So I've been dying my hair loads of colours since I was 13. I got sick of constantly having to dye my hair and so I decided to take a stand too i suppose and go back to ginger. The only comments I've had are nice ones, and my grandad gave me £20 for 'stopping with the silly colours' :rolleyes:

The great thing is, being able to have a bath without all the bath water turning the colour of my hair

Good for you,ginger hair is beautiful,just look at how many people pay good money to have red hair and it never looks as good as the real thing.I have three daughters,two have red hair and have never dyed it because they always got so complimented about it.My 18 year old granddaughter has red hair in a very strawberry blonde colour and it's stunning in fact all of her friends think she is so lucky with her hair colour.I could never understand why people with red hair were always bullied but I think attitudes have changed now and rightly so.

moanymoany

Cinny91 wrote: »

Are you going for the new one or the old one? Have you tried your library for a copy? Mine has lots of books like that.

If I had chickens I would only be able to take eggs from them too. I get too attached to animals! I've been eyeing up those eglus from omlet for years. I'd love to have chickens. Might get some in the new year if I can get my parents to agree.

I'm going for the new one.

We had three chickens last year. They were just the best things - terrified the dog! When we decided to sell the house we gave them to a friend of DH, he and his wife have lots of chickens. We had regular reports for ages. They settled in well and this year laid like trojans.

I will definitely have more chickens. They are more fun than you could ever imagine. Sitting watching the tele in the living room when one walked in and announced her arrival by giving a little croon and walking up to us!

ceridwen

moanymoany wrote: »

I put The Book on my Amazon wish list and it has disappeared! Just longing to read it.
Thanks Cinny. :T I'm going to start knocking up some pens in advance. DH has refused to keep any livestock other than chickens - and then only for eggs! Phew!

Errr.....have you still got Myrtle and her "crew" of escapologists?:D

EDIT; just read your post - that they are now happily rehoused......sorreeee..

ceridwen

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Morning all

Moaney...
any baby ones are left whole and the bigger ones cut into 1/2s 1/4s..drop them in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, some rock salt and cracked black pepper..and pop in the oven (or remoska) and cook for about 20-30 mins until soft..
I then just weigh them into bags -I do about 8oz as there are only 2 of us..
Then whack in the freezer..they are lovely on toast, or I take them out and defrost and then blitz..at the moment Im blitzing them with "whoopsed" marscapone-it is delicious...

I also have bags with various veggies in too.. aubergine, chilli, peppers, garlic, courgettes... they make gorgeous pasta sauces..
I had soooo many veggies this season that we couldn't eat them quick enough ....hope to do the same again next season... Im planning and plotting allready

Me - I'm still hoping for a blog I am...hint;)