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

GreyQueen

Emptynester wrote: »

Ceridwen
Thank you for the mention of John Harrison his name was new to me. I have googled his name and marked his site to explore later. There seemed to be a lot of useful info there and I will have a good read later in the day.
Thank you
Empty

Hi Empty, I've got a book called "Living Better on Less" by Patrick Rivers which may be of interest. It's a bit dated as published in 1977. I have a Turnstone Books paperback edition ISBN 0 85500 064 3. Perhaps Amazon or Abebooks have it?

Got mine from a c.s. but had ready it many years before as a library book. Second the John Harrison books, very good.

My library has a fairly good selection of books suitable to OS living but they tended to be dotted around under different headings such as finance, cookery, home-making, craft. Be great if they had them all in one place.

If you want to do up furniture or decorate on the cheap, may I recommend "The Thrifty Decorator" by Jocasta Innes which was a Book club hardcover and turn up reguarly second hand, plus if you want to get into making your own clothes and fancy learning to pattern cut, the "bible" which fashion students have used for decades is "Metric Pattern Cutting" by Winifred Aldrich. ISBN 0 7135 2564 9.

I'm building myself a little OS bookshelf in an informal way as I see them second hand on my travels around the bootfairs and charity shops.

flowertotmum

Morning all...well its windy as heck here..didn't get much sleep last night..the cherry tree at the front of our house was tapping on my bedroom window all night...hubby going to trim it this morning.i honestly thought in my befuddled state at 2 this morning someone had climbed on the porch and was banging on the window...
The tots cold's have passed without incident..snot and nothing more ..thank the lord..
We are hoping it rains today and we are forecast rain tomorrow..fingers crossed..
I am horrified at the way prices are rising..£7.50kg for tomatoes..thats awful...we are looking into more ways of storing them than just freezing...we had a serious chat last night about our budget and how to make cuts..thing is we get very little anyway..so to cut more is going to hurt..but needs must when the devil(supermarkets) drive...
Got lots of flour in and stored it away..going to be doing lots more baking and bread making from now on..i went to the coop yesterday near closing and had a looked in the reduced bit..they want 65p for a small loaf and thats reduced..lots of folks in there having a look..but tbh it really wasn't worth the money..they have started knocking off 10p on the items and thats it...
I got lots of fabric samples this week so i am going to make lavender pouches and is it ok to use rosemary straight from the bush or should i dry it first...making up some sausage dogs for dd's house..and hot water bottle covers..have cut up an old pillow case and made some lovely hankies for the tots..
Our apple trees have lots of budding apples on them ..only 1 pear though..tons of cherries..and my hazels are going well..can't see them yet camoflauged against the leaves lol...all is well at the lotties...have 2 new tenants on the vacant one next to ours..hubby reckons they won't last..shame as the lottie they have is one of the better ones...
Agree with ceridwen about no teaching at school about budgets,baking,sewing..they are looked upon as fuddy duddy subjects.when i know for a fact the teenagers i have spoken to would love to learn these things...my girls and son have been taught by me..just hoping it pays off for them..2 are struggling financially and one is none caring..
I actually have some extra money this week..am wondering what to do with it...save it or treat myself..its only a tenner but its like gold dust to me...need some things,baking tins,cherry pitter,bean slicer..hubs is laughing at me..told me to treat myself not to buy anything for house,garden,tots or him...i am truly stuck...i will put it away and keep it for now...
Right got to go and get dinner on..
love to you all
ftm

charlies-aunt

Hippeechiq wrote: »

I used to make something like that, and I've been hunting for the recipe the last couple of months, but can't find it. How much stuffing and what quantity of onion do you use hun?

Its not an exact recipe - more of a bung-in-whatever-is-lurking kind of pie!

For a tube of sausagemeat I usually add a full packet of madeup basics stuffing and one large onion and any apples and /or veg that wants eating up - courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, an egg helps bind it all together but adds to the cost.. . .

If I have a glut of veg, I will make corned beef pie on the same principle - thankfully its a very stretchy kind of meat and I usually aim to make two tray pie (16 portions) from one tin. Pastry isn't the most healthy food to eat but I reason if the filling is reasonably nutrious and you don't scoff enormous portions then its not too bad

redlady_1

Charlies aunt...I have just seen your signature!!! :eek::eek::eek: Choc free LIVING???!!! There is no such thing. Life without chocolate exists in a parallel universe inhabited by zombies.

It's wrong, wrong I tell ya

elisamoose

can I pick your lovely old style brains? I have an old pressure cooker which cost me £4 from a car boot about 11 years ago. it has had a new seal and valve an works a treat. I use it 3 or4 times a month for soup and stock but would like to be more adventurous. I have a book which came with it 500 recipes and hints for pressure cooking by Moya Maynard.It was published in 1978 and is very dated. I on,y use it to check times for Christmas puds every year !
So can anyone recommend a good modern book or website?

jackieglasgow

elisamoose there is a pressure cooker thread which might be useful.

GreyQueen

redlady_1 wrote: »

Charlies aunt...I have just seen your signature!!! :eek::eek::eek: Choc free LIVING???!!! There is no such thing. Life without chocolate exists in a parallel universe inhabited by zombies.

It's wrong, wrong I tell ya

Hey, check my sig, too, I'm the instigator of this madness. Mind you, it was the chocolate which added about another one-third to my body weight and caused my arches to drop and my knees to hurt. I've lost 6 lb since the start of May and stopped craving the choc after 72 hours. I agree it IS weird and UNNATURAL and if I was lucky enough to be one of those skinny gals who can scoff it with impunity, I'd be face-first into a bar right now.:rotfl:

Yrs GreyZombieQueen......:rotfl:

valentina

Looks like you peel the mango stone, soak it, scrub it, pot it and keep it warm - http://www.personal.u-net.com/~treetops/freeplant.html

dreaming

I know people have been discussing growing veg etc. recently and would like to recommend a couple of books - "Grow your own fruit & veg in Plot, Pot or Growbags" by Steve Ott, Emma Rawlings & Roxanne Warwick. This is great as it gives details about all 3 styles of growing and I have found it very useful. Also, my DD bought "he Edible Garden" by Alys Fowler for me on Mothers' Day. I had watched the tv series but didn't enjoy the presenting style (jumping about and flashy graphics etc.). The book , however, is a totally different story - very readable with good tips on not only growing, but cooking/preserving and also edible flowers. It is a bit pricy but I am very grateful to my DD for such a lovely book.I was also thinking about what Ceridwen was saying about how much to grow for one person and think this would be very difficult to quantify as people eat different amounts, and it would vary from season to season/year to year/area to area. I am trying to grow more this year in the garden (just a few pots etc. last year) and have started a garden diary to try to track what does well etc. in my little patch. So far the soft fruit seems to be going well (sad looking plants "rescued" at the end of last season for about 1/4 of the normal price), and broad beans. I know tomatoes and peppers will be good as my garden is a sun-trap but the ground is very dry and full of stones so I am having to build raised beds and get compost in - hopefully my own compost will be ready later this year.

MrsE_2

bertiebots wrote: »

Dont know if anyone watched 2 Greedy Italians on bbc 2 tonight? Its was a lovely programme and despite the fact that it wasnt money saving they talked a lot about families eating together and the culture of passing recipes down from mother to daughter ,teaching cooking skills etc . I would imagine its available on bbc iplayer if anyones interested.
It made me think of o/s and how we pass recipes round like a little virtual family ,which hopefully we can pass on in turn to our own families and friends.


heres a linky

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0110c5x/Two_Greedy_Italians_The_Family/

anguk wrote: »

I loved it, I'm definitely going to try some of the recipes. I was very jealous when they visited the deli, we have nothing like that here, if we want any continental food it has to be pre-packed from the supermarket. Does anyone know of a proper deli in the north-east?

I'm always envious when these food shows visit proper food shops or markets, with the exception of a veg stall and butchers van our local market sells cheap tat.

I've just watched it on sky+

Tempted to buy the book:o

Loved the episode 2, poor mans food

3 recipes on the BBC website, anyone got the book? Is that chapter good?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b01169l4

Def going to make the Ragu:D