As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

GreyQueen

It's a cloudy start here in Provincial City and I'm squinting anxiously heavenwards hoping for rain. I'm astonished at how my attitude to lovely sunny cloudless days has changed after 2 + months with no proper rain. Makes you appreciate what it would be like to live in a much drier climate that we have usually had and wonder if this current situation is an abberation or the new norm.

I'v decided that as of next year I shall switch from my beloved Kestrel 2nd earliers onto maincrop tatties as we seem to have a pattern of late frosts and where my plot is within the overall lottie site seems to be a vulnerable spot. Then, of course, I'll have to be on blight alert at the other end of the season. Still, you win some, you lose some.

Upside in my life at the moment is that a friend has given me 6 celeriac plants and she bought a punnet and couldn't fit them all into her raised beds. Never grew this before in my life and quite excited; any top tips for cultivation/ recipes pls?

:beer: stilt-walker, congratulations on safe arrival of your baby and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Redlady. Wonder where the mystery Kenwood came from? And you're right, we are the very people to understand your joy.

I was too whacked out to get up to the lottie last night as the flat was at sixes-and-sevens and there was no food conveniently prepped for a fast meal. Have cooked a big batch of pasta-thingy, principally with whoopsied ingredients, so will be a fast tea tonight and a little gardening afterwards. Got to keep things happening but it's absolutely disheartening to dig down 8 inches and find the soil bone dry and totally devoid of worms. I worked out why Mr Mole is being such a pest in the strawbs and peas; they're watered so must have worms nearby underground....hence Mole is there rather than in the uncultivated patch where he'd do no harm. I have put water out for the birds in the hope that they'll drink that rather than be tempted to eat strawbs.

I agree that the prices for basic foodstuffs are totally shocking. I don't live at all fancy in the grocery line but when you see your staples going higher and higher, it causes you stress when your wages don't move. I'm waiting for a letter from the employer at some point this month; we're all being re-graded and some will stay on the same, some up and some down, and we're all supposed to get individualised letters explaining what this will mean for us.

So, may be poorer later in the year, who knows, but at least I have a job.

I've been exhorting Mum to get up into her Sainsbugs and stock up on those sultanas before they go up again as she makes buns with them about once a week. She was saying she doesn't have much storage space but I pointed out that some empty cake tins are storing air and could just as easily store dried fruit (yes, I know, what a bossy daughter I am!) and I think I have convinced her. She's definately shopping around more, particularly for fresh veg. Luckily the hometown has got all the major discount supermarkets as well as the big boys; it's in a pretty deprived area.

I thank my lucky stars that I was raised thriftily and OS as it's easier to revert to your base setting than to learn it from scratch as an adult. BUT perfectly possible, anybody out there lurking, lots of help and advice, so nobody is to go slinking off feeling inadequate. We actually know who you really are and where you live and a crack corps of OS-ers may descend on you at any time, pinnies and rolling pins to the fore, to sort you out.......:rotfl:

jamanda

silvermaid wrote: »

Hi Hippeechiq,
We grow about 30 tomato plants here. There are just the two of us a lot of the time. DD1, DSIL and 3DGSs join us for meals Sat, Sun and Tues as well as occasional Fridays etc. DD2 is here in the uni holidays.
We use the tomatoes fresh in salads and side salads. Also use them sliced for snacks such as added to grilled cheese on toast.
Obviously we have surplus. This is deliberate. We give them a quick wash, whizz in the food processor and then simmer in a big pot to reduce volume by half. Leave this to cool, then place in containers and freeze. The frozen toms are then used in recipes in place of tinned tomatoes. Also add onions and chilli to make salsa for Fajitas and Nachos.
This kept us going for most of the winter. Have had to buy tinned toms for the past couple of months.
Hope that helps x

I do something similar. However, to free up freezer space I'm thinking of putting the sauce in bottles (old jam jars, etc) and water bath for 10 minutes. Does anyone think this will work ok?

bertiebots

Morning everyone! Happy birthday redlady!..love a mystery and wonder who has sent you the kenwood??? Stiltwalker what lovely news congratulations on your new baby ..and sammy I am another who cant wait to see your new house,so good luck with all that. GQ I will do a little rain dance for you!
I was sat last night with a large blanket and lots of lit candles as its dropped so cold here but darent put the heating on anymore as we had such a long winter I need to keep those costs down in preperation for the next one! I live in a fairly modern house (15yrs ish) so have no chimney and only an electric fire which I never use and dream of installing a wood burner but I know its cost is far too great to justify especially as I may be moving in the next few years anyway...
As my mum always says you just think you are about to make ends meet and someone moves the ends. Think that sums up the whole situation for us all at the mo...lucky we have our thrifty ways to see us through!
But I am very worried about the fact that I am actually spending more on petrol at the mo than I am on food!!!!!...just how high can petrol prices go?

CRANKY40

The rain is all here on Merseyside GreyQueen. It's not showing any signs of stopping either.

jackieglasgow

Congratulations stiltwalker and family on the safe arrival of baby Joseph, I hope he brings lots of smiles into your family

And Happy Birthday redlady, you must come and let us know who what where and why :bdaycake:

mardatha

I wonder if I could bottle some rain and mist and sell it on ebay ? -Scotch Mist, only a fiver a jar!

bertiebots

mardatha wrote: »

I wonder if I could bottle some rain and mist and sell it on ebay ? -Scotch Mist, only a fiver a jar!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:.....are you near the see too? Red herrings bog2f;):rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

grandma247

Here is a site that will take you through the steps. I can my tomatoes and sauces now. I get family to save me their jars and I am saving my basics sauce bottles. The lids are good for 1 reuse without having to resort to buying them new.

grandma247

Did anyone see the fuel price protesters interview, last week I think?
One man said his mortgage was £250 a month but he was spending £400 a month on petrol.An insane state of affairs!

kidcat

happy Birthday Redlady have a great day.