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

ancientmum

Just catching up. The weather here varies between hot sun and fresh winds. Off now to put the last load of washing on the line and then get on with some baking. Rhubarb crumble for tea, yum :T

jediteacher

Ended up at the emergency doctors this morning as last night had awful pains down my right side (unfortunately not labour pains!) and couldn't sleep. Turned out it is a urine infection - I was surprised as I had just been tested two days ago and all was fine. So am now on course of anti-biotics which I need to add to my ever growing list of complications with this pregnancy.

I also booked a theatre trip for my little girl to watch Fireman Sam live with her grandparents. It's on the 4th June and will give us a day at home with the new baby (hopefully he will have arrived by then and I will be home) and also be a real treat for her. Due to the booking line being 'down' and their internet site having problems the lovely lady I spoke to gave me a slight discount - instead of paying £43 for 2 adult OAP tickets and 1 child ticket I got all three for £30 with no booking fee. Also my lovely in-laws are going to refund the money to us as they want to 'treat' our little girl.

The house is very slowly getting into some sort of order (apart from the nursery but baby will be with us for a few months so not that urgent). I can actually see the floor in our room and all clothes have been put away.

My lovely veggies that we planted last week as seeds are starting to sprout. Both the radishes and the lettuce are starting to grow. Just need to keep watering them as still no bloomin rain.

Very depressed to hear that June will be a scorcher but then the weathermen said that about last august and in rained most of the time. Hoping we do get some cooler weather and rain.

Need to do an online shop for next week and make sure that basic provisions are here just incase I do get to have this baby! Hubby already panicking that he doesn't know what to do with the food we have - I mostly cook from scratch. Men!:eek:

Back to sorting out the arts box for my daughter.

westcoastscot

Hi Carrie,

Yes that's what I do too - we have a small co-op and little local shops which I use between times, but its getting more and more expensive. I'm thinking about going every 3 months, if I can get myself organised. Also have decided no more non-essential items - if I want something i'll make it myself, I have a house full of fabric, wool etc. I've just cut down my working hours, as I found the extra money didn't cover the savings I lost through not having enough time to sew, garden, knit etc.

Let the battle commence!!!!

Mardartha - how are your tomatoes getting on?? I quite fancy those - mine are only 2 inches high and now the weather has turned I'm not hopeful

WCS

[Deleted User]

I went to sains this afternoon, first time in ages and I was gobsmacked at the price of tinned tomatoes. Eeek. Butter, cheese all up. No wonder it was quiet in there

I know it is always raining further up north but the weather here is dire. We had 4mm of rain in the whole of april and just a tickle since then. The wheat crop is looking terrible and puny. We are using every bit of recycled water that we can and I`m growing stuff through mulch if I can. Things like cabbages are coping as their leaves are so big and tough but peas, lettuce, turnips are finding it hard going. I just read the headlines about the heatwave that is coming :eek: It is warm today, not roasting but with quite a strong wind that is dessicating any bare soil and causing plants to transpire quickly

I am growing 28 tomato plants and am cherishing every one and am about to look up bottling and preserving in ways other than the freezer. I cannot see this summer being one on its own, I think it is a sign of things to come.

westcoastscot

Hi Kittie,

I agree about the sign of things to come - I've been in Argyll for 25 years and the past two years have definitely changed weather-wise - its been much much colder and dryer over the winters, much more like my childhood Pennine winters, and wetter (if that's possible) over the summer. I think I'm going to start earlier with sowing indoors next year, to take advantage of the warm dry spell we've had in March/April the past couple of years - if my plants are bigger they may survive the downpours better, although will need frost protection until June.

WCS

[Deleted User]

somehow we have to go with the flow but I just don`t know what the solution is. I still have stocks of pasta and grains but there will come a time when they run out. I am going to try and get enough stored, cooked tomatoes for a year because they are a staple here. In sains today, nice looking tomatoes, which seemed a reasonable price, were actually £7.50 a kg. Horrific price but anyone in a hurry won`t notice the small print

I, like many others, am making do with the clothes that I already have and thank heavens for stocking up with loads of crocs when they were cheap. They last for ages and I just wear socks with them so they stay comfy and to heck with what anyone thinks

There should be progs on tv about basics, like how to preserve fruit and how to keep root veg nice in the winter

trifles

Thank you ,everybody, for making me feel so welcome! Iwas kindly given a lemon balm plant for a recent birthday and am enjoying the tea every morning and through the day for it's refreshing,calming effects! Have also been given a rosemary plant,which has made such a difference added to roast veg and chicken,as well as linen drawer!This has inspired me to buy parsley seeds as I buy this for soups etc.My question is can any kind person tell me how to grow this from seed? I live in a flat with a window ledge,but as I am 2 up am a bit scared to kill/maim innocent passerby with pot! Is it ok to grow on indoor window ledge?Am I just being over cautious? thank you in advance x:A

HariboJunkie

trifles wrote: »

.My question is can any kind person tell me how to grow this from seed? I live in a flat with a window ledge,but as I am 2 up am a bit scared to kill/maim innocent passerby with pot! Is it ok to grow on indoor window ledge?Am I just being over cautious? thank you in advance x:A

It will be absolutely fine on an indoor windowsill.

Horrible wet day, I reckon I'm just a bit north of you westcoastscot so you'll know what I mean.

kittie, have you tried oven drying tomatoes and storing in olive oil? The're great for pizza's and sauces that way.

modern_millie_2

Kittie, you have got me thinking about the kind of tv programmes which would benefit people who didn't have an OS upbringing - things like basic mending, basic cooking skills, budgetting, v. basic nutrition - all the sorts of things we used to have in school (domestic science and needlework) which seem to have mostly disappeared now. I'm really grateful I had the opportunity to lean these things while I was young.

ceridwen

I agree with Kittie re it would be useful to have a tv programme (or even mini-series) about preserving food. There is a gap in the market for a suitable one.

I must admit I am quite surprised at some of the "gaps" that still exist in book and tv provision of information. I was certainly thinking only this morning "If the market takes much longer to produce a good gardening !!! cooking book about cost-effective growing of food then I can see me ending up in a few years time writing the darn thing myself". What I have in mind is the book I have been searching for - but not found to date - on planning out literally every single square inch of pocket handkerchief and matchbox gardens for cost-effective foodgrowing. It would need to specify how many of each type of plant per person are required for the more standard type plants - eg tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, cut and come again type lettuce etc. I'd just like to know personally the exact optimum number of plants one person needs (no more - because of these tiny problem size gardens - and no less).

I'm having to do a lot of "planning by guesswork" as to the exact optimum quantity of each type of plant that will give me the exact amount of it I require (eg I dont want to spare a precious few inches of space in a tiny garden for a 3rd example of the same type of food plant - if 2 of that type will be enough for one person).

Another "gap in the market" is a "How to live in too small a home" book. I know there are various storage solution books on the market - and I've certainly picked up various useful ideas for one from them. But a book that tackled the whole subject, ie:
- how to cook proper meals in too small a kitchen
- how to grow a substantial amount of foodstuff in too small a garden

in fact the whole kit and caboodle of how peeps can manage when their finances wouldnt stretch to a big enough house in the first place OR they had a big enough house, but finances dictated they had to downsize and now are struggling to get everything necessary in a smaller house.

*************

As a start-off practical suggestion - I think John Harrison ought to be contacted by a t.v. channel for a mini-series about his ideas. I have some of his books by now:
- Vegetable, fruit and herb growing in small spaces
- Low-cost living - live better, spend less

and I think he would have a lot of tips to pass on and would probably be quite interesting.