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

lambanana

I also do veggie stuff in our slow cooker, we're not veggie but DH isn't really a fan of meat other than the odd bit of chicken and sausage. I make soups, veggie stews and veggie sausage casserole in ours. We also don't have it on the work surface, it's on the bottom shelf of the little butchers block/trolley we have in the corner for the extra worksurface.

I haven't bothered cancelling our veg box delivery even though we'll be away most of the week, my mum has agreed to help us out in this stressful time and is doing some washing and ironing for us, I can't really afford to pay her (and she's glad to do it as she's currently unemployed, job hunting and bored!) so I'm going to give her anything from the box that she'll like which wont keep until next week and I'll freeze some of the rest.

Kitcaboodle

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Don't let not eating meat put you off having a slowcooker, I'm a vegetarian and use mine a couple of times a week, year round. I don't have worktop space for one either but I said goodbye to some other stuff to make room in the cupboard.

Sadly we don't really have any space! I am a keen cook & every cupboard and lots of the surfaces are filled with stuff!

I might be really [STRIKE]sneaky[/STRIKE] OS though and just wait a few months and see if my sister is still using her new one! There's always a risk that she'll just bin it though (as I said, she's very un-MSE!)

I'm encouraged to hear that you can make decent veggie stuff in one though. I'll definitely add a slow-cooker to my 'someday' list of kitchen equipment!

northwest1965

Kitcaboodle wrote: »

Sadly we don't really have any space! I am a keen cook & every cupboard and lots of the surfaces are filled with stuff!

I might be really [STRIKE]sneaky[/STRIKE] OS though and just wait a few months and see if my sister is still using her new one! There's always a risk that she'll just bin it though (as I said, she's very un-MSE!)

I'm encouraged to hear that you can make decent veggie stuff in one though. I'll definitely add a slow-cooker to my 'someday' list of kitchen equipment!

They are very useful, I have a large one, I cant get into the habit of doubling up on quantities.
There is a great thread for inspiration on here - whats in my slow cooker. I love it

Having a really good 'clear up' day. Stepkids went home yesterday so the house has had a blitz today. How many finger prints can 2 children leave?
Self assesment tax return done, I refused to leave it till the last minute this year.

alec_eiffel

Kitcaboodle wrote: »

Sadly we don't really have any space! I am a keen cook & every cupboard and lots of the surfaces are filled with stuff!

I might be really [STRIKE]sneaky[/STRIKE] OS though and just wait a few months and see if my sister is still using her new one! There's always a risk that she'll just bin it though (as I said, she's very un-MSE!)

I'm encouraged to hear that you can make decent veggie stuff in one though. I'll definitely add a slow-cooker to my 'someday' list of kitchen equipment!

:rotfl: I say I have no space for something I'm thinking of buying but always manage to find space for things that are free too!

purpleheather2810

Lambanana, I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. You are having an awful time at the mo aren't you? Hugs xx

Kitcaboodle

alec_eiffel wrote: »

:rotfl: I say I have no space for something I'm thinking of buying but always manage to find space for things that are free too!

True - I just can't resist a bargain and nothing is more of a bargain than something that doesn't cost anything in the first place. :rotfl:

ceridwen

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

WELL DONE!!!!!!!!! :T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

I managed to pay off a debt earlier this month and its nice knowing I have an extra £45 to play with a month now

Ceridwen - I do think she keeps an eye on us and its comforting to know that shes around and watching Ben - I wonder if she'll watch holly too although I suppose maybe its nice for her to see her being brought home as a tiny newborn and growing up in front of her eyes.

Will definitely put it on my blog later to see what people think.

Glad to hear another debt has gone:T

I'd be willing to bet that she was thoroughly excited to see that another child had come and she could watch this one right from the beginning:D. I would think she probably quite admires you for how you cope.

I shall be interested in any details you want to put up on your blog re this (for info of others - ie Sammy's "homepage").

I think she's probably thoroughly enjoying feeling useful actually - just frustrated at intervals wondering how to communicate with you if there's anything she wants to tell you (like the "intruder alert" before). (eerr....very quick thought at this point - no please DONT even think of getting anything like an ouija board for goodness sake - I'm definitely NOT advocating that!).

ceridwen

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Don't let not eating meat put you off having a slowcooker, I'm a vegetarian and use mine a couple of times a week, year round. I don't have worktop space for one either but I said goodbye to some other stuff to make room in the cupboard.

Yep - as a vegetarian too - I'm sure a slowcooker would actually be a lot more useful to me if I ate meat but I still think its worth getting for a veggie as well. I'm still experimenting with doing various things in it and cant quite work out why it never struck me before now that a dead easy way to cook dried pulses would be just to soak them overnight and then cook them on low for a "day" (ie 7-8 hours) - with the exception of kidney beans of course (which, I understand, need 10 minutes fast boiling to deal with the toxins or summat in them before one gives them the rest of the cooking).

I tried stewing some apples in there for the first time over the weekend (rather than doing them in a saucepan as usual) - and found that it seems to take about an hour on "High" setting in mine. Of course the advantage of a slowcooker for this (rather than doing it in a saucepan) is that I can just go off and leave it, rather than stand there stirring it at intervals.

taplady

Lambanana (((hugs)))

jediteacher - well done:T:T:T

toomuchdebt - hope you're soon feeling better x

Lindy_-_Loo

Ds1 has had his first day of year 1, he was like a lost sheep this morning in the playground and he didnt go the toilet all day as he didnt know were they where!

he has been very naughty these past few weeks and tonight he is so naughty refusing to sleep again and upsetting his brother. Trying new disipline techniques but getting nowhere and its getting me down.

Manages to get the boys DS games for christmas in HMV today they had some good titles in the pre owned section and got them a couple of DVD;s although it was quite expensive in there.

ELC and wilkinsons tomorrow so hoping the boys can be done and sorted in a couple of weeks.