really old style living?

boultdj

downshifter wrote: »

On the grapefruit curd topic again, if anyone sees any offers on butter or sugar, can they let us all know?

Ta

If you'v got a F*rm F**d's near you sugar is 79p a bag or 2 for $1. Look's like it's on for while longer yet.hth.

mardatha

I'm such an eejit. When you said "soap flakes" in the washing liquids, I was thinking of Lux. But you meant grated cheap toilet soap ? I have tons of Sainsbugs basic soap at 13p. Can I use that yes ? It isnt highly perfumed in fact it hardly smells at all.

mardatha

Could anybody who feels like it/is good at it, please try to work out how much savings can be made by going really old style? So far we have got sorted for home made -
bread
yoghurt
butter
washing up liq
laundy liq
jam
... what have I missed ? If we could post actual £££ saved then it would keep the motivation going. I'm too demented to even begin to calculate it.:D
We could then start to bulk buy stuff like soda crystals/jam sugar/vinegar etc and that is a real start towards self-sufficiency on a small scale.

betony

mardatha wrote: »

One thing re the yoghurt - did I read somewhere that I can freeze the live yoghurt in case I need it again for a starter ? I was thinking of putting a tablespoon into indvidual freezer bags & just taking one out when I needed it ?
And how do you add some flavour for when he gets bored of plain ? Can you add essences like vanilla or mint?

Hi!

I always freeze 2 or 3 small containers (approximately 3tbs each) of each batch of yoghurt I make and use one of these to start my next lot. Every so often I buy a pack of plain Greek Easiyo mix to kick-start another round of 'keepie-backs'. There is at least one thread about Easiyo elsewhere on MSE. Incidentally, using this method I never bother to add milk powder and end up with a lovely thick, creamy yoghurt.

Hope this helps!

downshifter

I'm getting very confused, I'm sure I've subscribed to 2 threads that talk about lemon curd, washing up liquid and Mardatha's yoghurt!! Have I?

Damn, just back from town where there is a Farmfoods, never thought to look there for sugar. 2 for a £ is good. Anyway, no money now to buy it with so it will have to wait. Thanks for letting me know however, hopefully the offer will stay for a couple of weeks.

DS

mardatha

its probly me who's got all confused. I started this new thread called real old style living to be more about self sufficiency really, whereby we would try and make more stuff and buy less; buying the ingreds in bulk, and going to shops less often. But things overlap a bit, mainly because I talk a lot. LOL !

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

I'm just posting it on here because I canny count LOL ! I am knitting socks too. Horrible colour but very warm

..and one consoling thought - if any of them turn out "not quite" - then I read that one can use a pair of socks to stand-in for gloves (mitten-style ones then that would be....). I never knew that..and there have been times where I have forgotten to bring a pair of gloves with me - but have spare socks to hand - so I neednt have had freezing hands after all...:cool:

ginnyknit

Made my blackberry jam with last years fruit out of the freezer and it cost me 35p for 2lb. That was the sugar. It turned out very good, tho I say it myself and set well too.

have made a couple of loaves in the last 3 days but havent costed them yet.

Really disappointed with this years garden plan, haven't got enough peas and beans although my borlotti's are showing hundreds of tiny pods. Sweetcorn is flowering but that really was an experiment to see if I could grow it.

Apparently there are a lot of things on sale cheap in Mr S as Dd cam home with my birthday pressie hidden, she has bought lots of bargain bits for me, thats the best kind of pressie.

Am going yoghurt shopping tomorrow as Dh has nearlly finished his supply of the bought stuff. Did your hubby like the batch you made Mardatha?

ceridwen

Ah...thats solved summat for me - the mention of borlotti beans. I was racking my brains - having not got round to putting a label on them - wondering what type of beans it is that I've planted. Borlotti - thats it....:D

Now I'm wondering if they are one of the type of beans where one can eat other bits of the plant besides the beans themselves - eg the tips. Does anyone know? Indeed - any hints on what to do with the borlotti beans and when they are likely to be "ready" would help - as they were a bit of an impulse buy and I dont really know much about them..

mardatha

Yes he liked it but said there was gritty bits in it - I think he didn't shake it enough to mix in the milk powder. Next time will try mixing the milk powd with the tablespoon of starter yoghurt.
My garden is annoying me too - everything came up huge and bushy and all together, the chickweed is like knee high & I have to keep hauling it out. It's smothering the onions. Next year (O famous words) I'm doing it properly, in builders bags. Meant to do that this year but couldnt afford the compost to fill them The Kale is huge and everyday I cut some and fry it in butter then hide it in whatever we're eating. He has low iron and it will help.
And I'm not happy because I want to grow fruit and have no money to get the plants.