Improving my life during Summer 2010

Mags30

butafli wrote: »

Sounds like you are right in the middle of it there what with toxic friends (((hugs))). We have no snow here either (well there is a dusting on the paths but I don't count that). I LOVE snow - from a nice warm house . Been watching about Ireland money problems on telly (OH is from Roscommon). He was quite surprised at how little protesting there was. Hope the new year isn't as bad as predicted.

Not expecting the toxic friend to contact me again until after Christmas, hopefully not anyway.

Interesting what your OH said about the protest, he's right obviously--you'd get more people in Croke Park on All-Ireland day. There is so much apathy in Ireland, we will never have the sort of protests they have in France.

How are you doing healthwise? Is the cold effecting you?

Health: Yesterday from around 12pm onwards I was feeling really unwell at work, not sick, really difficult to describe but I felt a bit light-headed/dizzy when I was walking around at lunch and then I didn't feel up to having conversations with people, making phone calls. Then an hour later I realised what was wrong-I had forgotten to take my Efexor (anti-depressant to treat anxiety) tablet the night before.

Took the missed one as soon as I got home and the regular one at bedtime and I'm totally ok again today but I'm a bit freaked out that 1 missed tablet made me feel like that. I've taken them since March and only a really low dose and I will need to come off them at some point but that's another thing to stick my head in the sand about for now.( I'm very aware of the negative press Efexor gets but it suits me really well)

I was going to buy a slow cooker from Argos yesterday but I didn't feel up to shopping so hopefully will get it this evening before I go home. I think I'll be needing to do more home cooking in 2011 because of the awful upcoming Irish Budget cuts. It should make some nice cold-weather meals too.

Still only a tiny sprinkling of snow where I live but Ireland is almost closed for business due to snow. That's another thing I've noticed from reading diaries on here, all of the UK people seem to be making a much bigger effort to go to work. Irish people look out the window, see snow and mostly decide to go back to bed. (Might be doing exactly that myself in the next few days)

Mags30

The snow has arrived and I don't like it. The car park in my estate is like an ice rink and I fell on the bridge by my house. Didn't hurt myself but I could have. The thought of being housebound is making me feel lonely and isolated--it's awful living alone in this weather. I'm worried about extra costs too, heating bills and frozen pipes. The pipes are frozen at my mothers' house, an hours drive away, really hoping that doesn't happen here.

I did manage to pick up the slow-cooker from Argos but it's still in the box. It's morphy-richards and cost only €26.99 (reduced price).

Went to Boots to use up the £5/€7.50 skincare vouchers as they expire today and now I kind of wish I had just binned them. I bought 4 Sanctury products which I didn't need and spent around €12 (but saved €30). €12 would have been a FANTASTIC price for 4 products if I needed them but I don't.

Also picked up a dress for €7, reduced from €30 which I had really liked at full price. It's black with bronze beading around the neckline.

Then had a lovely hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream and a toffee and apple muffin at Insomnia for €3.50.

Souk08

Ooh Mags a slow cooker is a fab purchase. I love mine! You can do casseroles, soups, chilli, curry, ghoulash etc in it for winter. My mum has bought a bigger one so I'll get her old wee one next time I'm at hers.

Don't feel lonely and isolated. It's not to last much longer and then we can be getting on with all the lovley fun stuff that always happens before Xmas. Think instead how lucky you are not living with a miser who wont 'let' you put the heating on!!! X

Mags30

Souk08 wrote: »

Think instead how lucky you are not living with a miser who wont 'let' you put the heating on!!! X

True:rotfl:Except when I leave the heating on for hours I'll end up paying the huge bill all by myself. This cold weather is expensive.

I'd never heard of a slow-cooker before MSE. They don't seem particularly popular in Ireland. I've been browsing the old style board for recipie ideas which is keeping me occupied and keeping my mind off being miserable.

Mags30

Went to a customer evening at A-wear this evening. Didn't buy anything but I did enjoy 3 bottles of the complimentary drink Bulmers berry cider (known as Magners in the UK as far as I know). Strangely the place was packed despite the bad weather and recession issues.

Thankfully not feeling the cold so much tonight after the alcohol.

Need to use my diary as a filing system again This time it's for Memorygirls' recipies for mocha coffee and Twinks hob-nobs:

Mocha coffee:

This is as easy as one, two,three and tastes just like those expensive mocha coffee's you get at the posh and expensive shops.

In a bowl mix:

1 cup of instant coffee
2 cups of chocolate nesquick or LIDL chocolate milkshake powder
3 cups dried milk powder

Pour into a jar, mine is stored in one of those spring clip preserving jars, which with a bow and a brown paper label of instructions would make a pretty good Xmas pressie now I think of it.

To make up add 3 tbsp powder to a mug of boiling water - I do one to take with me on the school run in one of those insulated mugs.

Even better topped with what the kids call "Squirty cream" :rotfl:

Memorygirl

Twinks Hob Nobs - makes abut 24

4oz SR Flour
4oz Sugar
4oz Porridge Oats
4oz marg
1 dsp golden syrup
1 dsp boiling water
1/4 tsp bicarb

Melt the marg and the golden syrup together. Pour over all the dry ingredients and add the boiling water.

Mix quickly to make quite a soft dough.

On a piece of silicon paper, greaseproof paper or non-stick baking sheet do the following.

Take a 2" cookie cutter and place it on the baking sheet. Take a walnut sized piece of dough and roll into a ball and put inside the cookie cutter. Press the dough out to form a circle inside the cookie cutter and then lift off the cutter leaving you a perfect circle.

Repeat till you have used up all of you dough - leave a little space around them as they will spread a little.

Cook at 180 c for 15 minutes until spead, golden and smelling fabulous.

Leave to harden before lifting off the storing (although they smell so great you will probably eat a couple on the way to the tin :rotfl:)

Memorygirl

Only 24 days of avoiding shopping left until :xmassmile. If I must buy stuff it will be in the sales.

Souk08

Glad you enjoyed the drinks my love. Been thinking about you today. X

Mags30

Slightly scary sight in my estate this morning--2 cars parked right next to one another, both with smashed back windscreens:eek: Looked like vandalism which thankfully isn't a problem where I live but I think it was the effect of somebody trying to de-ice the cars with boiling water.

Haven't used my car in days, getting buses instead until the icy spell is over.

I have veg soup in the new slow cooker--my first ever attempt at slow cooking:T Added 2 veg stock cubes and it smelled really nice, can't wait to try it later. Veg chopping took ages though so if this works out I might need a JML chopper or similar appliance.

Mags30

Crowdology £3.44 (£20.64 received and used towards the cost of 2 large picture pockets from ebay for displaying photos)

Lightspeed Panel 805 points (115 points = €1 Paypal)

Toluna (IE) 39,855 points towards 60,000 points for a €15 voucher

Toluna (UK) 15,719 points towards 80,000 points for a £15 Amazon voucher (1st £15 voucher applied for but not received yet)

OnePoll £32.40 towards £40 Paypal

Surveyhead €10.92 towards €20 Paypal

Pureprofile €1.05 towards €25

Europinions €8.20 towards €50

That's-what-I-Think 1590 points towards 15,000 for a £31 payout

Mags30

Few more irritations this evening:

• Turned on my tv (my lovely big lcd screen that I'd have €1,000 less debt if I'd never bought it) -perfect picture but no sound. Had another "wish I had someone to help me with problems like this" moment before turning it off and back on again which thankfully worked so normal tv service resumed.
• Then a knock at the door-a salesman trying to sell me electricity. Last night's caller tried to sell me a charity subscription. Keeping the front door open in this weather while I politely explain that I'm not buying anything doesn't help with keeping the house warm. Even worse for the sales people I expect.

My veg soup from the slow cooker isn't perfect either. It's a bit bland even with the 2 stock cubes and a little salt and pepper. Perhaps I should have used a beef stock cube instead or added some garlic? BUT the pot of hot food simmering in the kitchen on a cold evening is so lovely so definitely a great purchase. Just need to work on the recipies or maybe do a casserole instead.

Souk08

Casserole ahead lady!

Mags just thinking about being single if you EXPECT there to be someone there for you then you will always be dissapointed if there isn't. If you expect it to be just you, then if there's someone else it will be a bonus IYSWIM. Might help, might not but XXX