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

thriftmonster

Morning all,

Have spent the last couple of days catching up on the thread - don't post a lot but read all the time. Our schools start back on Weds but have induction days yesterday and today - ds2 at big school for the first time.

Builders here atm - I'm getting my OS dream larder. I had one like a big walk in cupboard at the back of the kitchen that then backed onto the outside loo (Victorian house - and yes we have an inside bathroom as well:D). So we have had it knocked through into the loo, which has bben removed and the doorway is to be bricked up and a window inserted. Eventually I will have a long narrow larder with shelving all down one side and a sink unit at the far end under the window.

Meanwhile all the contents of the larder are in the sitting room in bags and boxes which is making cooking interesting:eek:

The eventual idea is to have enough storage so that I only have do a supermarket shop every 2 months - but why do builders always have to take at least twice as long as they say.

Our blackberries are woefully small and underripe here - although I did snaffle several pounds of wild cherries.

Am also waiting to hear about another part time job - I work 10.5 hours a week atm but have applied for another 8hrs somewhere else as well which would be ideal.

Hope everyone else is ok - I really need to get on with some winter preps as well.

mardatha

Oh that larder sounds perfect. Every two months is good

D&DD

ah but thriftmonster an outside privvy..how very oldstyle lol only joking the larder sounds lovely!! What a great addition for your home.

Its only just stopped tipping it down here,very jealous of all you sunny ladies :rotfl:


Hope all is well with your dad crickett

Sammy I'm going to try the tragic pud in a metal pudding dish what are you doing yours in so we can compare notes with hippee

Glad to hear the damsons are going for you Taplady they do make a mess if not picked don't they..my bro has a tree

Well not much I can do outside today due to not being a fish so plan on having a bit of a baking session,lots of ingredients here but not too much will to get off the couch just yet :rotfl:

DS3 is off for his first day at high school on 2nd sept,ds2 probably won't be back til xmas although his school starts on the 1st.

kylebrad

Hi all, my youngest son goes back to school next Thursday and my eldest goes back on Monday the 6th. These summer holidays are to long, both of them are getting fed up now. This weekend we are going down to our local park. Every August bank holiday we have a big show from the re-enactments society (those people who dress up and play battles from different periods of history). Its really interesting. They set up camps and you can wander round the camps and they tell you all about their particular era. Really know their stuff. Theres also a horticulture tent with the prize winners plants and things are on show. There are stalls where you can buy things, the rangers are there doing different activities for the kids, an old fashioned bus is usually there for the kids to look at. We love it. Hope you all enjoy your bank holiday weekend, whatever you are doing.

Butterfly_Brain

taplady wrote: »

morning!

Yesterday I was given a huge bag of runner beans - had some for tea and they were yummy!:T anyone got a recipe for runner bean chutney?

Here are a few sites that might help hun x

http://www.hookerycookery.com/pickle033.htm

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/recipe-runner-bean-chutney-by-mark-hix-56

http://www.eatseasonably.co.uk/pdfs/ES_beanchut.pdf

lovelife_3

Chap on next allotment made me laugh about the previous owner, he said she was blonde and wore a thong, so I replied well dont worry Im dark haired and have Bridget Jones nickers thought he was having a heart attack the way he started laughing, they sound a lovley bunch and one of the ladies said to watch them as they are all single widowers lol ....ah well will flutter these old brown eyes and see if they have a rotavator they wanna show off, am really excited now so its off down the allotment most mornings now if it keeps dry.

Annie, this post has brought me out of lurkdom!!! I was catching up on the thread this morning and you have made me laugh soo much, with the positive attitude and sense of humour you have you can't go wrong :T

Oops!! well now i have exposed myself hello to everyone, been reading for about 6 weeks now and really enjoying the characters and humanity in this thread, a real tonic in tough times:)

Butterfly_Brain

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Oh yes! :T Now that's exciting!!

I had a last-minute-feeling-guilty-that-I'd-not-done-owt-all-day-moment just before tea time, and decided to make a pudding for our dessert - my OH does love a pudding - but, it was not meant to be......what was supposed to be Magic Lemon Pudding, turned out to be Tragic Lemon Pudding :rotfl:

I dunno what went wrong. It was the first recipe I've ever tried using Cup measurements.......is it just me? or do recipes using cup measurements make no sense at all :huh:

Anyway, despite using a cooking utensil specifically designed for recipes using cup measurements, it was,an unmitiaged failure........a bit like the heaviest suet pudding you could imagine.....although on a positive note, the lemon sauce created at the bottom of the pudding tasted divine ..............we've just got no pudding to eat it with :rotfl:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Just try making an ordinary lemon sponge then make the sauce as the recipe it works for me when I make Magic Chocolate pudding x

thriftmonster

Well, I have discovered that you have to be very specific with builders. When they quoted I told them I wanted a sink in there - at the beginning of this week I realised by a chance conversation with one of them that they were planning on installing a white china bathroom basin on a pedestal. I am still trying to imagine my fully shelved larder with a china basin at the end!!!!!

We are now planning on a stainless steel sink set into worktop (following much highlighting of the correct page in the Screwfix catalogue!). I'm not convinced they fullyy understand the whole concept going on here.

crickett1234

D&DD wrote: »

Hope all is well with your dad crickett

Thanks for asking D&DD, but I fear all is not well on that front. The trip down from London appears to have really set him back. On the other hand, he is in the right place still being in the hospital, so We can hope he gets better from here!

I am more worried about Mum being on her own all the time:cool:, though she appears to be having a whale of a time (or at least, coping admirably)! I have offered to go down and help get the flat together for Dad's return from hospital whenever that might be.

TudorRose

Morning Everyone.

Just ben catching up on this morning's posts. Things rae still slow in my shop but I have next week off for my annual holiday so when I get back it will be a new month & will see what that brings. Have to try my best to keep positive as know I have problems but in comparison with others on here they are not as bad.

I know what people mean about loving washing. I find it very satisfying to have all my clothes etc clean & washed. I always sort the loads according to fabric etc & have to have a good stock of washing products even though there is only me.
My ex husband thought I had an obsession with washing clothes but I think it started 31 years ago when DS was born & he was a sicky baby & I used to have to change my clothes at least twice a day let alone his & the last thing I wanted was a load of smelly washing hanging round.
In those days I also used terry nappies & although not the most pleasant things to handle there was a satisfaction in getting them washed & dried & ready for re-use or is this just me?