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

pink_numbers

on a brighter note, I just rescued potatoes that were near to their ending and invented spicy thai crab fish cakes, with oats instead of breadcrumbs (gluten intolerent) waiting for them to chill now before I cook them, but it did smell DEVINE!

Annie56

hi folks

thanks for your imput folks, well I can assure you that whilst Im pleased for exOH and blondie I am not taking my finger of the financial pulse.

I worked all the hours god sent for 10 years to help exOH start up his business (garage and MOT centre) some weeks my wages went to pay his couple of p/time employees and my parents helped us with a BIG deposit on the house we first had and we lived the beans on toast for dinner scenario more than once, so I know the garages worth as I lifted our (note the our) accounts books when I picked up the greenhouse and shed:p:p.

Annie56

oops pressed the sent button...just to clarify Im only asking for my fair share, the house will be sold as blondie wants to live in a small village with chickens round the door, well so be it....

hey on a lighter note, Ive just realised that Im only 44:eek: ehmmm:T:T now if I fluttered my eyelashes at some poor unsuspecting bloke in the future I could be asked out for a meal...sigh....cant remember the last time I had a cuddle;);) never mind, right am off to write down some of these lovley sounding recipes that have appeared and go do battle with the utilities comparison sites.

had some more of my HMsoup for lunch..yum..and that HM bread can see me getting addictd to that;).

catch up with you all laters

Annie56

AnnieG

pink_numbers wrote: »

on a brighter note, I just rescued potatoes that were near to their ending and invented spicy thai crab fish cakes, with oats instead of breadcrumbs (gluten intolerent) waiting for them to chill now before I cook them, but it did smell DEVINE!

Yum, they sound delicious! I'm making veggie burgers for dinner with sweet potato wedges... I've never done them before so heaven knows what they'll turn out like, but I'll give it a go!
I just went to do a 'small' shop and it cost over £27. :eek::eek: However, I've got pasta, rice, pudding rice, couscous, loads of beans and passata and stuff in the cupboard so I'm going to try and make this lot last for 2 weeks. I'll need fruit and veg and milk, but really want to try and stretch what I've got in. The battle is on!!!

purpleheather2810

What lovely, supportive posts this morning. It really has cheered me up reading them all.

Annie56, I can see why you would raise eyebrows about your ex being able to father this child - time will tell, I expect. Be strong! Nobody would think less of you for feeling angry, betrayed, upset about that especially after trying for so long. Re the pension etc, I can understand you not wanting to contest things too much and not getting caught up in legal wranglings, but please do make sure you get what you deserve out of all of this. xx

Julie, I'm sorry for your loss. A lot of people don't seem to realise that it is a bereavement - grieving for the loss of everything that might have been and all the hopes and dreams you had for your unborn child. Somehow I think it's worse when you have already been through a successful pregnancy because you know more about it all IYSWIM. I had one at 12 weeks just before I had my 2nd child. Things were never the same after that. However, now I have 2 beautiful children who are my world and I know how lucky I am. I know it will happen for you soon xx

Lambanana, I'm glad the funeral went as well as could be expected. Hope you can get the food lists and shopping sorted out xx

Pink_numbers those crab cakes sound yummy!

Right everyone, had a good day so far today - our normal Monday routine which is, after dropping dd1 at school, going to "Messy Mondays" at the local children's centre. This is a messy play session for 0-5s (as you'd probably guessed) - which Holly loves. And it's free, which is a big plus! Then a coffee and more playing at the caf! next to the children's centre (not free, but a costa coffee is one of my weaknesses) Then we walk into the local centre where there is a brilliant independent charity shop (fundraising for a local nursery) for a mooch and a chat - they are so friendly in there. We usually find something wonderful in there - mainly clothes or toys for the children, school uniform, etc. Today I wanted to find a door curtain as our hall is so drafty. They did have one, but I didn't like the pattern very much and it was very thin. Then I spotted a pair of curtains which were the right size, right colour, nice and thick too. So I bought them - €7.50. I know I don't need 2 curtains but never mind, I can use the other one for something else I suppose. I'm very pleased with them Anyway, have finished our very moneysaving and weightwatching lunch of homemade vegetable (well I say vegetable, mainly marrow really!) soup with toast. Got to get Rachel from school in a while and then I have the virgin media man coming round as our box broke on Friday.

Nargleblast

Annie56, It just gets better and better doesn't it? Hopefully you can get this divorce action on the road, done and dusted, then ex OH and his new woman can get on with their lives, with all the stress and trauma that will entail. It sounds as if he is sliding deeper and deeper into a hole that he will one day wish he never started digging! By that time where will you be? Most likely in a nice house/flat somewhere, working hours that suit you, earning enough to pay your bills and treat yourself now and then, spending time on your flourishing allotment with your friends, maybe a new bloke on the scene? Try and keep on top of the solicitors, though - whilst you don't want to be cheated, at the same time you don't want this thing dragging out and costing you loads of money. Here's to a happy Christmas and New Year for you (slap my wrists, I said the C word!)

greent

Just caught up on the thread from Friday - lots to catch up on!! Nothing to add except ((hugs)) for those needing them x

I'm off to very quickly attack my kitchen before collecting DS2 from school

Hippeechiq

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

My problem is I self impose these rules:

• No meal can be cooked twice in a 4 week period (it can be eaten as long as the leftover last)
• I cannot cook with Chicken, Beef or Mince more then once a week for each!!
• Tuesday is Fish night
• Fish should be eaten 1-2 times a week... Omega 3 fish a must for one of them

I can go 6 weeks without doubling up and cooking the same meal twice...!

I used to cook the same 5 things every week... and got fed up!

It seems hard... but since Jan I keep a list (With headings for Chicken, Beef, Pork, Fish and Other) and just list everything...

That's pretty much what I do too!

At the moment I can go 4 weeks without repeating a meal, although my current menu plan is for 5 weeks. I have enough recipes to do more, but they're old recipes that I don't fancy since discovering all my new ones IYKWIM

I would love to only cook Chicken, Beef or Pork once a week, but it's difficult as I don't really have enough Vegetarian recipes and we don't really like fish/lamb or soup.

I never repeat the same meat/vegetables/pasta/rice or similar flavoured type of meal two days in a row.

We eat bacon, minced pork, chops, sausages, chicken breast - diced for various recipes - chicken thighs, beef mince and vegetarian meals.

Wouldn't know how to cook a whole chicken if it jumped up and pecked me in the backside. Ex-hubby wouldn't eat whole chicken, and new OH and the children (adults) don't like the dark meat on a chicken, so I'm not really sure we would benefit even if I knew how.

Also, the only beef we eat is mince. I cannot find a decent Cottage Pie or Spag Bol recipe (I've been looking for years, tried loads, but they're always disgusting _pale_ - and I always buy lean mince so I really don't know why ) so that limits us to Chilli

I adore beef! But I can't afford joints (of any type of meat actually) or steak and whereas I love stews and casseroles I haven't had one for years, as without a slow cooker, it kind of negates a cheap cut of meat if I have to have the oven or ring on for 1½-2hrs or more to cook it

What do others do who don't have a slow cooker?

northwest1965

Hippeechiq wrote: »

how.

Also, the only beef we eat is mince. I cannot find a decent Cottage Pie or Spag Bol recipe (I've been looking for years, tried loads, but they're always disgusting _pale_ - and I always buy lean mince so I really don't know why ) so that limits us to Chilli

I adore beef! But I can't afford joints (of any type of meat actually) or steak and whereas I love stews and casseroles I haven't had one for years, as without a slow cooker, it kind of negates a cheap cut of meat if I have to have the oven or ring on for 1½-2hrs or more to cook it

What do others do who don't have a slow cooker?

With my spag bol recipe, I just do it by trial and error. Do you start with mince and onions and go from there? Garlic, mixed dried herbs, worcester sauce, tinned toms, oxo?

I buy the cheapest braising steak for casseroles. Can you cook one while the oven is on doing other things?

greent

Hippiechiq, have you tried Delia's shepherd's pie recipe? (It's a leek topped one, but I odn't do the leek top) I do a cottage pie recipe of it (don't like minced lamb) and top it with mashed sweet potato and then a layer of normal mash. Oh and I add a huge spoonful of marmite to the meat mixture (disgusting stuff!! but it really makes the sauce rich)