28 and only just worked out how to run a house!

squeaky

Katmoo wrote:

Where can you get stardrops? They sound like a proper wonder product - I will get some as soon as my current supply (enough to start my own shop) is used up. That'll be in about 12 months time then....

Katmoo

In that case I'll tell you in a year's time

where to find stardrops?

Lizzieanne

I bought my first bottle of Stardrops about a month ago and it's fantastic!
I've diluted some in a spray bottle for the kitchen, but I have a second spray bottle for the bathroom which is slightly more concentrated and has a few drops of tea tree oil added.

The whole house smells clean when I've whizzed about with the Stardrops - so much so that Mr L said to the cat last week, "Mind out, she'll squirt you with the stuff as well!" :rotfl:

Deb_Williams

have been reading some of the comments about throwing fruit and veg away.

As an avid gardener, that's something I'd NEVER do. If I can't use the f & v in stews, compotes, etc, then it goes in the compost bin.

The compost then goes on our veggie plot, so we have more f & v to eat/freeze/stew/compote/compost etc!

Such is life!

expertwannabe

ifonlyiknewthen wrote:

I`ve bought Stardrops QUOTE]
I'm guessing though that to be true MS I'll need to use up all my current cleaning stuff before buying the stardrops!!
Definitly be giving it a go though.

expertwannabe

sarah*a wrote:

Had to laugh when I read that....

We cleaned out our freezers (yes I have 2 - I am that sad/organised) on sunday - and my DH was totally bemused by the bags of bones he found in there. I save all our chicken carcasses too but I don't think it had ever occurred to him that I freeze them until needed.

:cool:

OK can some one answer this question - if I have cooked meat that wa s previously frozen, can I freeze it again once it has been cooked (i.e. if there is any left or as in the quote above, if I want to save it for stock?)
As an almost vegetarian I have a (probably inhealthy) fear of food poisoning myself and kids/DH by doing stuff like this, but it means I chuck out alot of leftovers that I might be able to save and use.

SusanCarter

I'm 26 and our Home Economics was virtually none existent. Instead of being taught in the context of cooking for a household, the little cooking we did was more like Science investigations. For example in Year Seven (1st Year) we cut an apple into four and peeled each quarter with a different type of knife and then wrote up our findings. In Year Nine (third year) we used to cook something in groups and then compare them in an analysis session next lesson. For example, sausage rolls: one group did pre-made sausage rolls, one used ready roll pastry, one used premixed powder for pastry and another made pastry from scratch. We had to analyze things like taste, texture appearance etc. None of it really bore much relation to real life running of a home which is probably why the name was changed so by the time my brother did it it was called "food technology". Fortunately, my mum always expected us to help with cooking, cleaning, shopping etc. and she used to talk to us about what was done and why it was done (e.g. when she was comparing prices for different size packets she would point out which was better value so we could see and understand for ourselves) so although I have learnt a lot from the OS forum, it is building on a decent foundation rather than starting from scratch. I think "proper" Home Economics is politically incorrect these days... maybe we should start a campaign to bring it back?

squeaky

expertwannabe wrote:

OK can some one answer this question - if I have cooked meat that wa s previously frozen, can I freeze it again once it has been cooked (i.e. if there is any left or as in the quote above, if I want to save it for stock?)
As an almost vegetarian I have a (probably inhealthy) fear of food poisoning myself and kids/DH by doing stuff like this, but it means I chuck out alot of leftovers that I might be able to save and use.

Yes.

If you bought meat raw you can freeze it.

After defrosting you should not refreeze it raw.

If you cook it though, and have leftovers, then yes, you can freeze the cooked meat.

gb57

You are never too old to learn....

I think I am pretty good at running a home, cooking etc OS (I am 57 after all :eek: ), but I had never heard of Stardrops before. It is now on my shopping list.

Bicarb of soda and vinegar are good ones - periodically bung some bicarb down the sink, add some vinegar, leave a while, then rinse - keeps the plug'ole from getting bunged up. Someone else mentioned vinegar for getting rid of limescale.

If any of the family get indigestion, dissolve a teaspoon of bicarb in a weeny bit of water and swallow - tastes horrible, but works a treat (mind you, if you have got a picky OH of the male persuasion you might find it difficult to convince him that it works just as well as Rennies and costs peanuts).

If you still use a teapot (I do - proper tea leaves for my morning cuppa), and it is mucky or if the kettle is furred up, boiling water with some bicarb in it, left for a while, then a bit of elbow grease, will sort it out.

I am very impressed with all you 20-somethings who are getting into all of this - shame your mums did not get you to help round the house and thereby teach you this stuff, they were obviously seduced by the marketing hpye that said we did not need to know how to cook, clean etc. because of the miracles of modern technology. Anyone else old enough to remember Smash?? This was a powdered "mashed potato" to which you just added water - no more peeling spuds etc - it was REVOLTING :rolleyes:

2brownboots

Great thread!!!
there is something about this/ my generation, very much told that the world is her (our) oyster - i must be one of the lucky ones...

i'm 29, and so glad my mother used my a level years to educate me about cooking... we were home from school before she finished work, so she used to leave me instructions (and ingredients) to cook the family tea - i must have been one of the few freshers to be able to cook a meal for my flatmates(6 of us), with no leftovers (they took 2nds!)
but i've still a lot to learn about running a house (too busy using that expensive uni education)...
thanks to mse my domestic & budgetery(spelling??) skills have massively improved!
we still have half a tub of smash in the cupboard (OH insisted on buying the stuff) that hasn't been touched for months (OH has finally seen the benefit of buying seasonal veg - the variety it gives his tastebuds!).

I think my parents learnt to be mse's when credit wasn't easy, some 20-30 years ago, and passed those attitudes to my sister & I (to have something "new" was a real treat!!)

J

tifnstav

cazgordo wrote:

I'm with you, but my first challenge is to use up all the millions of miracle hair products I have managed to buy in the last couple of years (buy, use for a week, realise it isn't the magic exixr, give up).

I've got four different shampoos on the go at the minute!
And I got a tip (from a bald uncle though) that washing up liquid would keep my hair in excellent condition - i don't think i'll be taking it that far!