It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

narabanekeater

Jo well done thats fab
10 packs of crisps a day oh my word. Mind you ive been known to eat a whole mox of maltesers but I was pregnant!

grandma247

ginnyknit wrote: »

Grandma 247 thats just the recipe I was looking for! Thanks

I got really interested in preserving and "canning" or bottling a couple of years ago and joined the canning2 yahoo group. There are loads of recipes in the files. Some are only suitable for a pressure canner but there are a lot that can be done using a boiling water bath. In general anything with high acid can be bottled or canned using that method. Very useful for fruit to make pie fillings for winter. I even make apple pie filling with spices,very yummy.
There are lots of American sites also with recipes.

grandma247

Ceredwin will these help?
http://www.ehow.com/how_2134817_make-vegetable-chips.html
http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/recipes/Baked-Vegetable-Chips-recipe-308.aspx
http://www.ivillage.com/how-make-your-own-healthy-vegetable-chips/3-a-153633

Prudent

Oh dear, I shall have to shut my eyes through the crisps recipes after starting my diet today. Gailey you are doing your stepson a favour - everyone needs to learn how to budget.

I visited Morrisons too today. Bought lots of healthy food for my diet

I have also been reading the 'winter' threads today, so made a start. I looked at the UHT milk but it is only in date until Dec, so I will wait. I bought a lidded platsic box with carry handles for £3.50 which I shall fill with emergency things for the car. Not too sure yet what to put in it. I have ordered a slanket type thing from an ebay store for £8.99 incl postage. Any ideas what else. I was thinking of a warm hat and thermal socks. I tend to wear a hat and scarf on cold days anyway. Probably a torch and some spare batteries too. Any ideas welcome

Wee_Jo

lambanana wrote: »

Congratulations :beer: that's fantastic!

ginnyknit wrote: »

Aww weeJo am really pleased for you hunny, must have been hard work but amazing result, lets hope more of us are heading that way :beer:

narabanekeater wrote: »

Jo well done thats fab

Thank you Lambana, Ginnyknit and Narabanekeater! I am still all excited about it! And it's funny, the "old" me would have run out and bought something to "celebrate" but I genuinely don't even have the desire to.

I am home alone tonight (well apart from chatting to you guys of course) and I am quite happy to just potter about and maybe read my library book on knitting....I got a kids one (I thought that was about my level! :rotfl:) as I want to learn. So maybe once I have finished reading the book I will save up and get a wee bit of wool and some knitting needles. I am saving for a sewing machine at the moment too....£50 down £30 to go - so that's why I think I will read about the knitting first rather than jump straight in and buy the supplies!

My one treat for this evening is making myself my favourite tea...spaghetti, ham and cheese Nom nom nom!

Kezlou, I thought I was going to choke laughing at your wee boys description of the foal being born :rotfl: Absolutely priceless!

jackieglasgow

Ceridwen, Aldi sell roasted root veg crisps, they are pretty nice actually. Don't know about making your own, but it would be just like making your own oven baked crisps I suppose?

kezlou

Prudent wrote: »

O I bought a lidded platsic box with carry handles for £3.50 which I shall fill with emergency things for the car. Not too sure yet what to put in it. I have ordered a slanket type thing from an ebay store for £8.99 incl postage. Any ideas what else. I was thinking of a warm hat and thermal socks. I tend to wear a hat and scarf on cold days anyway. Probably a torch and some spare batteries too. Any ideas welcome

Car box
blankets / sleeping bags
torches + spare batteries
first aid kit
car jack
haynes manual
spare tyre
a flask of hot chocolate
water
snacks like crisps etc
spare clothing - lots of socks
towels
deicer
wd40 - if anything is frozen solid this will de-ice it straight away

My boys both come out with some crackers. My eldest is currently trying to find his more witty side. So the stuff he comes out with is unreal.

Thanks for the recipes grandma!

northwest1965

Wee_Jo wrote: »

maybe read my library book on knitting....I got a kids one (I thought that was about my level! :rotfl:) as I want to learn.

I was thinking about this in bed this morning. My grandmother taught me to knit. I went through a phase where I knitted a few things but I could never cast off or finish things properly. My mum did that for me! So, I think, like you I'll get a book and give it a go.

grandma247

Just edited the coleslaw recipe a bit. If you do the BWB method put a teatowel in the bottom of the pan, it protects the jars.

gailey_2

Prudent wrote: »

Oh dear, I shall have to shut my eyes through the crisps recipes after starting my diet today. Gailey you are doing your stepson a favour - everyone needs to learn how to budget.

I visited Morrisons too today. Bought lots of healthy food for my diet

I have also been reading the 'winter' threads today, so made a start. I looked at the UHT milk but it is only in date until Dec, so I will wait. I bought a lidded platsic box with carry handles for £3.50 which I shall fill with emergency things for the car. Not too sure yet what to put in it. I have ordered a slanket type thing from an ebay store for £8.99 incl postage. Any ideas what else. I was thinking of a warm hat and thermal socks. I tend to wear a hat and scarf on cold days anyway. Probably a torch and some spare batteries too. Any ideas welcome

I know its because we only have him parttime he wants to spoil him.
he wnated me to give him a pound and hes getting him pizza for tea tonight.

eldest had fishcakes and chips wit hm ketchup.
baby had beans on toast but was overtired.

I caught him going few crisps earlier and said no.
Asked if he wanted sandwich but he wont eat brown bread.
Luckily hes loving the free plums.
But just went down and biscuit jar was half full is now empty pretty sure not my eldest so must have been him, quite gutted as was saving those foxs creams for special occasion he dident even ask.
I know hes stepson and one of family but my girls dont get to help themselves yes hes older but needs restraining to better choices.
Its like he never considers anyone else joys of being 12.
His face in mr m when i said 80p sandwich and energy drink takes him over budget and he couldent have sweets he was prepared to put it back but I said no.

We looked at drinks chiller he normally opt for redbull 1.70 a can , i said no go for own brand energy drink 39p and he liked it.
As I brought savoury for everyone else plus cakes/icecream it was treat for everyone and kids enjoyed and ticked into their sandwich, cake and icecream at park whereas if mine had nothing and he had loads would have felt bad.

Thing is with maintaince, extra money se asks for and petrol costs/activities we do with him my girls get way less money spent on them.

Stepsons never had to wear 2nd hand clothes, hes used to having as much junk at home as he wants, no routine its why he dreads my cooking and im always the one to say know hes already had 3packs of crips this morning.

whats worse is me and hubby discussed what activities for week are.

libary-free crafts
local parks and picnic -free
maybe surprise them with nearest beach so petrol costs maybe an icecream.
vue cinima have kids screening in morninsg set kids film 95p each so would have taken eldest and stepson plus himself smuggled in drinks and popcorn less than a fiver.

But stepsons wants to go bowlplex im like cant he do it on the wii.
he also wants to see older film so would mean 12quid if not oramge wed or 6quid and chances are hubby will buy himstuff when there.

Am I being tight. I know he thinks im sad as say no a lot.
his mam moans for more money but tehy go on 3hols a year abroad , with tax credits and ha rent they seem to be much better off god knows how as they have takeaways every week.

Anyway enough of my wicked stepmum ranting.
Had hard night as swoped daughters room round so stepson can have more space which doubles up as playroom as 3rd room a box and baby still in our room until we can afford new bed for eldest and put baby in toddler bed as she detests her cot.

Both baby and eldest lots of tears tonight overtired me thinks thankfully both asleep as the screaming in unision was quite hard work.
Also big rows betewen daughter and stepson one of them is lying I think bit of both they constantly row.
On positive side got stepson to hoover front room admittidly he had his i pod glued to his ears and in his own little world.

Hes announced at 16 he wants to come live with us I said we will see as current house just too small and hubby wants another.

uht milk as used to work in supermarket realised we chucked away quite a lot of out f date milk due to poor sales and bad stock roatation by staff.

Slinkie is that the jml blankets. Am I the only one who secretly likes jml products even though sometimes bit naff.

Cant believe we thinking about winter already really want to get ready for xmas and feel slightly smug and relaxed in dec.:rotfl:

right im off to search ebay for sledge if daily mails right could be a mega blizzard