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

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Bambywamby wrote: »

I had Home Economics at school (in the eighties) and it was incredibly useful. We cooked everything from basics like cottage pie to fully iced Christmas cakes. We even learnt how to portion a chicken and then how to scrub the chopping board to within an inch of its life lol. It is such a shame that these days lessons are based around theory and written assigments rather than real life practical subjects - what has happened to woodwork and metal work? It's worrying how many teenagers don't even know how to fry an egg or change a plug.

My H.E. in the 80s was *kerapp*! In 3 years, we learned how to make cheese scones, bread rolls (I still can't make these), 'dauphin' potatoes (which put me off cheese sauce for a good 20+ years!) and fairy cakes! I remember I was told I MUST tie my hair back whenever in the kitchen, and that we should brush our teeth at least once a day. No wood or metalwork, or very much practical stuff at all.

Apart from that, bluddy useless!

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

smileyt wrote: »

I've just been online and cancelled the two mags I get by subscription (saving £6/month) and various charity direct debits so that's a total of £18/month. I am now really stuck because I have 3 more charity direct debits totalling £8.50 per month and I know I should cancel them but they are so dear to my heart. One is greenpeace (I have been a supporter for 17 years), one is the Brooke clinic for horses and donkeys in the third world, which supports their human owners too, and one is refugee action, and these are people who have absolutely nothing and rely on charity (in spite of the lies the tabloids peddle - but I don't want to start a debate on that).

I'm going to cancel the TV licence too.

I think I will leave the last three direct debits for a while and see how I cope.

Cancel them and whenever there's a free listing weekend on eBay, list a few things SPECIFICALLY for donation to those causes. Then you are still donating, but it's less guilt and more proactive fundraising. IYSWIM.

smileyt wrote: »

If I get another teenager with me in supported lodgings I can re-start the direct debits I've cancelled, for a while at least. The trouble is that having a teenager in the house (especially one that isn't your own) is exhausting and I'm still in recovery from the last one! I don't want to be in the position where I'm tempted to take one in just because I need the money, because that would be wrong.

Hey, I'm still recovering from MY OWN 2 daughters' teenage years!!! Been 3 years, so far!!!

:eek:

ChocClare

suzid wrote: »

d
ChocClare will you please stop mentioning the Mitchell word as I’m still in shock after the last episode!

You and me both, dear :eek:

The really sad thing was when I happened to see how old Aidan Turner is and realised that I am WAY old enough to be his mother

Never mind, I've got my own brown-eyed (grey-haired and bearded) superstar sitting opposite me. Sadly, he looks more like a certain comedy star of the eighties than anything else - in fact, he has a photo of himself with Alexei Sayle which one of his employees insisted on taking when they were at some film festival many years ago, and the number of people who say, "I had no idea you and Alexei Sayle were brothers!"

Oh well. I've got Being Human on DVD to sigh over...:rotfl:

bluebag

I think I have been very lucky, my home economics and needle work was a long time ago though,( cough!) We learned to darn, sew buttons on, make buttonholes, put zips in and all other manner or things, I made a (very poor)skirt for a project...still rubbish at sewing!

We learned how to hand wash wool, scrub collars, and boil whites, make pastry, bread, hotpot and sones. We also learned the science behind it all, gluten in bread and acid in lemons type thing.

Sad they don't do all that now.

smileyt_2

bluebag wrote: »

Maybe you could give a once a year donation instead of the direct debits, that way they still get SOME support.

You have the comfort of having supported them while you could, but you do need to take care of you too!

Do you no longer have a TV? Hope you don't think I'm out of line for asking, but a flippin fine would ruin your day I'm sure.

Thanks bluebag, no it's not out of line. The method for cancelling the TV licence is very long-winded. You have to print a form off t'interweb and send it in with your licence and proof that you no longer need it. I'm just going to send it in with a covering letter saying I've decided not to watch tv anymore as I can't afford the licence and the tv is being stored in a room with no aerial (sp? - it's late and I'm off to bed lol!) until I get a better job!

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

Cancel them and whenever there's a free listing weekend on eBay, list a few things SPECIFICALLY for donation to those causes. Then you are still donating, but it's less guilt and more proactive fundraising. IYSWIM.

Good idea!

Hey, I'm still recovering from MY OWN 2 daughters' teenage years!!! Been 3 years, so far!!!

:eek:

:rotfl::rotfl:

It was doubly exhausting with him because we didn't bond. To be honest I think he had something wrong with his head because he seemed totally incapable of considering anyone else at all. I mean really not at all, above and beyond normal teenage self-centredness. We don't really keep in touch. The first lad I had still keeps in touch with me, phones and messages on facebook, and we meet up a few times a year for a brew and a chat. He says I am his real Mum, bless him. He was exhausting too, though at least he left knowing how to clean a toilet :rotfl:and use a hoover!

ChocClare

grandma247 wrote: »

I have spent the last couple of days bottling spaghetti sauce and tomato juice for soups etc.
I managed to buy three boxes of B grade tomatoes from my local Asian shop for £1.50 a box. There was 38lb of tomatoes altogether. I got 22 jars of sauce, 8 jars of juice and most of the pips and skin are waiting in the freezer till I can dry and powder them.

That's brilliant! Do you mind my asking what EXACTLY you do with the pips and skin? I have a passata machine thingy for want of a better word but pips and skins have gone on the compost heap thus far, so this sounds far better!

Nicepeach wrote: »

By the way, before I purchased the system I checked out the prices for the sachets in our local shops but could only find them in the national chain of the healthfood type store Julian Graves and they have got all the different types of sachets & the machines and extra cannisters etc. on offer - BOGOF if anyone's interested. So I managed to get four sachets of mix for £7.50.

Any contributions gratefully recieved. x

I have just made some yoghurt tonight in the Easiyo - two tablespoons of Total Greek yoghurt and fill up with full fat UHT milk. Pour on boiling water and leave overnight. You don't have to use the sachets to get good results with this, it's brillo!

mardatha wrote: »

I have 2 red tomatoes. Will take pics tomorrrow lol!

So all this moaning about rotten weather has just been talk then?!!! I live (as you know) about as far to the south from you as it's possible to be and still speak (nominally) the same language and I was celebrating today because I have ONE GREEN TOMATO the size of a rowan berry on one of my plants :T Didn't I warn you about showing off about your tomato plants in MARCH???!!!! :D:D

(Can you tell I am green with envy at all?)

sb44

ChocClare wrote: »

I have just made some yoghurt tonight in the Easiyo - two tablespoons of Total Greek yoghurt and fill up with full fat UHT milk. Pour on boiling water and leave overnight. You don't have to use the sachets to get good results with this, it's brillo!

I was going to have a go at this after seeing a YouTube video but I thought you had to boil the milk in a pan before putting it in the Easiyo tub.

I have a new tub of full fat Greek Style yoghurt but bought the semi UHT milk by mistake would that be OK?

So I put two tbs of starter yog into the container, pour all of the UHT carton in and then pour hot water up to the baffle thing as you would when normally using your Easiyo?

Charis

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

Anyone else on a water meter? Good or bad results?

I put in for one, after being advised by folk on here that £490 a year was a bit steep for one person's water bill and I'd be better off with a meter. I applied to Welsh Water on 28th Feb, a man came out and sprayed blue paint around my water connection point on April 4th and it's now 23rd May but no sign of any meter. They said it might take some time but unless they've got only one fitter on a bicycle, I think they are having a laugh. I have heard from other householders that my bill will probably be less than half what it is currently if the meter ever turns up.

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Charis wrote: »

I put in for one, after being advised by folk on here that £490 a year was a bit steep for one person's water bill and I'd be better off with a meter. I applied to Welsh Water on 28th Feb, a man came out and sprayed blue paint around my water connection point on April 4th and it's now 23rd May but no sign of any meter. They said it might take some time but unless they've got only one fitter on a bicycle, I think they are having a laugh. I have heard from other householders that my bill will probably be less than half what it is currently if the meter ever turns up.

Thank you Would appreciate any future updates, if poss

(and fingers crossed for a good outcome for you!)

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

I have 2 red tomatoes. Will take pics tomorrrow lol!

Okays...okays....we getcha..."My tomatoes are red sooner than yours....:rotfl:". Humph....goes off in huff...as even mine are still just a few yellow flowers...

Reminds self "Well - Mardatha has those there Arctic type tomatoes....". What was the brand name again? 'Twas Arctic summat as I remember - and you got them from that Real Seeds firm wasnt it?

Well - I bought me 5 more tomato plants yesterday (they're only a quarter the size of the 7 I already have) - but am hoping for them to do a catch-up growth spurt.

Really will start from seed next year - including doing some of those Arctic ones Mardatha has....:cool:

One pessimistic father about the chances of my tomatoes ripening considering they've just been put outside and left to fend for themselves (well - plus regular watering and feeds of dried seaweed) - he forgets that most of them did so okay last year and a lot of the ones that didnt got put in brown paper bags with apples and did so then. I reminded him of one of the - few - plus sides of urban living and that those tomatoes get put right up against a wall of my house - that means they have their own little microclimate.