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

WartimeScrapingofMarmite

:DAnother previous lurker here!

We've struggled so much with our huge mortgage over the past two years that we've had to sell our house. We will move into rented which will save us about £500 a month:eek:. I am sad that we will no longer own our own home, but I am so sick of telling my kids that we can't afford to do things, that the improvement in our quality of life will more than make up for it. (BTW we do go out and do free things, like going to the park etc, but it will be nice to be able to treat them once in a while)

Primrose - the syrup recipe sounds yummy!

katiegizmo

mardatha wrote: »

Well another day of torrential rain here, and the OH and I have cabin fever and are getting ready to kill each other...That's two and a half weeks of RAIN so far

Wow!!! we have had weeks of sunshine and muggy heat now, my garden is dry as a bone - not good for the veg!! we need to do a weather swap - I'll send a day of sunshine for a night of rain, how's that?:D

Gigervamp

It's raining here in Wales too. Only had odd mornings or afternoons that have been dry for the last couple of weeks. It saves me having to water the plants, but I miss sitting outside watching the chickens. Speaking of them, Gracie laid a 3 1/2 oz egg today! Bet it's a double yolker.

boultdj

Primrose,can you put the blackberry/elderberry surup recipe up please. I'v also got lot's of berrie's but not enough frezzer space.

EstherH

katiegizmo wrote: »

Wow!!! we have had weeks of sunshine and muggy heat now, my garden is dry as a bone - not good for the veg!! we need to do a weather swap - I'll send a day of sunshine for a night of rain, how's that?:D

Would be great if you could. We have a hose pipe ban here now and since it came into effect it has rained everyday. They say it will be here till Christmas but the way things are the plants will be drowned. They are already beginning to look battered. We don't need to use hosepipes.

Could do with some sun though for the tomatoes. Have tried growing them for the last two years and they have been quite tasteless and many haven't turned red because of the lack of sun. This is the last year we are going to try. It's very disappointing because we were really looking forward to the better taste.

parsonswife8

It's been very hot here in the South. We went away for a week recently and left upside down bottles of water in all our veg. Got back and nothing had died and there had only been a light shower during that time and temps had been over 30 degrees c.
Left the herb pots in a half sink full of cold water so they could suck up the water.
Another day or two and it would have been tickets though.
:eek:

Primrose

Here's the method I use. This syrup will keep for up to 2 years in a dark cupboard and is ideal for using up a glut of soft fruit if you have no freezer space left.

FRUIT SYRUPS

Fruit syrups can be diluted with water to make a hot or cold drink, or poured over ice cream, milky puddings, or fruit mousses. . Use the same method for all soft fruit. Various fruits can be combined. This recipe calls for a jelly bag, but the leg of an old pair of clean tights will serve in an emergency! Alternatively use a large clean man's handkerchief inside a fine wire sieve and press down gently.

Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Elderberry, Redcurrantm Cherry , Damson, Raspberry syrups

To each pound of fruit, add a quarter pint of water. To each pint of juice add 8 – 12 oz sugar.

METHOD
1. Simmer the fruit gently in a saucepan until soft, adding water gradually. Squash it well down until all juice has been extracted.
2. Strain through a jelly bag into a clean saucepan. If you squeeze too hard, the syrup could become cloudy. Whilst still warm, to each pint of juice add 8 oz of sugar at first. Test for sweetness and add more sugar if needed according to taste. . Reheat reheat gently if necessary until sugar is dissolved but do not boil. Remove from heat as soon as sugar is dissolved. .
3. Pour the mixture into clean warmed bottles Green screw top wine bottles are ideal. Clear clear glass is OK but the colour of the syrup may fade a little. Pour boiling water over lids to sterilise them..
4. To each bottle add half a crushed Campden Tablet dissolved in a tablespoon of water. This will preserve it and stop it fermenting. (Campden tablets are used as a sterilising agent in winemaking and can usually be obtained from chemists and health food shops).

parsonswife8

Thanks so much Primrose!
:T

northwest1965

EstherH wrote: »

Would be great if you could. We have a hose pipe ban here now and since it came into effect it has rained everyday. They say it will be here till Christmas but the way things are the plants will be drowned. They are already beginning to look battered. We don't need to use hosepipes.

Could do with some sun though for the tomatoes. Have tried growing them for the last two years and they have been quite tasteless and many haven't turned red because of the lack of sun. This is the last year we are going to try. It's very disappointing because we were really looking forward to the better taste.

You must be near me then Esther. I was just looking at my tom plants, they are laiden with cherry tomatoes, I hope they ripen, if not they'll have to go into a chutney

Topher

Frugalista wrote: »

That's the one :doh:- I wasn't even close was I?:o:o:o:o

I've a feeling Have a Goode Christmas was one of her magazine articles in either Family Circle or Living Magazine. I don't have it any more (if I'm remembering hers and not Ruth Mott's Victorian Christmas which was also pretty economical) but still have her "How To Feed a Family on £??? per week