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

redlady_1

I also buy Moo! but the skimmed version. I havent had "normal" milk in years and it saves me a fortune in waste and no more nipping out for a pint of milk and coming back £30 lighter. I used to buy Morrisons value at 37p per litre but now they tend to do Moo on offer of 3 for £1 and I buy that instead. Moo is actually organic. I think I am currently on Waitrose essentials but under the spare bed is Tescos value. All of it skimmed and all UHT. I always buy at least 6 cartons at a time.

ChocClare

unixgirluk wrote: »

After checking my cupboard, there's a tin of cherries lurking at the back that are 3 years out of date. I don't think I'll risk it.......

Pfft, amateur I opened a jar of cherries in light brandy syrup which I got for Christmas ...er.... some time ago with a BBE December 2007 date on it.

They were scrummy. VERY ALCOHOLIC but scrummy (that probably helped)!!!!!!

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

Kimitatsu wrote: »

Solar panels are coming on a pace but as Mardatha says they should be with the house not the owner. Many new houses have solar panels built in, but for older properties like mine you couldnt get panels on the roof because of the type of tile. We cant change the tiles because it would cost a fortune and then the council will complain because its not in keeping.

Is there nowhere else to site them? In the garden? Against a south facing wall/fence?

(I don't know much (or anything) about solar panels, so forgive me if this is a stupid question )

oldtractor

T'other week i was watching Chelsea Fllower Show and they said there is only 4 days food supply in London at any one time. Reason enough to have our own personal small supply. They were growing tomatoes on balconies.

redlady_1

The reason for that is that supermarkets tend to operate on a Just In Time system. Because the goods are perishable they cannot hold alot in inventory hence it being called JIT...i.e. just before it runs out. If they hold alot in stock and it spoils then it cost money, increase in costs etc.

Everything in the garden seems to finally be growing but the allotment has seriously suffered and not much is happening down there. I hope my "wall of beans" survive.

meg72

Christina_F wrote: »

Does anyone know if you can freeze chopped onions?[/QUOT

I find that chopped onions freeze really well and are a great standby to have in freezer.

I love to freeze fried onions a they are such a fiddle to make just for one so I do loads and freeze them in portions.

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

Charis wrote: »

I'm not convinced the effort will be worth it. Unless you have a supply of almost free milk, if the fat content shown on the container is correct, you will need an awful lot of milk to make one pat of butter. What will you do with all the remaining leftover liquid that you have also paid for? I think you can use it for baking scones, which is all right if you were intending to bake them anyway.

I saw Jamie Oliver do it with double cream. Into a blender on "whisk" and leave it whisking until it goes past the point of whipped cream and it separates. The solid is the butter, the liquid is buttermilk which you can use for baking etc.

If you find some whoopsied cream, it's ideal and a lot cheaper. And can be frozen (as can "normal" butter).

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

claudiac wrote: »

WI am looking out for somewhere to buy the razor blades my men need at a price I will pay - nearly fainted when I saw the price at supermarket - this will definitely need sorted out - they will either have to grow beards or find another blade to use!!

My husband no longer shaves with a blade - he bought hair clippers and beard clippers a couple of years ago, and between the 2 he can get it down to almost clean shaven. Or leave it as "designer stubble". Or grow a beard and keep it tidy. All depends on what he feels like at the time. Has save LOADS of £££s from not having to go to the barbers or buy new razors every few weeks!

freudianslip

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

I saw Jamie Oliver do it with double cream. Into a blender on "whisk" and leave it whisking until it goes past the point of whipped cream and it separates. The solid is the butter, the liquid is buttermilk which you can use for baking etc.

If you find some whoopsied cream, it's ideal and a lot cheaper. And can be frozen (as can "normal" butter).

Thats exactly what happened yesterday when I ried it with the orange label double cream I got. It's no nonsense and a lot quicker than I thought it would be in the food pro.

Only bother when you do pick up orange label/whoopsied cream though as I very much doubt you'd be saving much buying the cream at full price.

Like someone wrote yesterday, it's the fact that you know how to do it if need be that's liberating. I feel calm when i'm in control and at the moment I feel a lot more in control than I have been with all these spirralling costs. Thanks to here

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

dubgirl wrote: »

Hi, I have followed the 'getting tough and tougher' threads with great interest and they have been very useful. I wanted to ask if people do think that the food prices are going increase and when that might be. I do think that if this is the case, then it could be very worrying and how much more can you do when you already do everything you can think of to save money re food, stretch everything, cook from scratch and grow your own veg.

Sadly, food prices are increasing every day. Looking at the stuff I usually buy, there's been an average 10-20% increase in my "usual" shopping bill. What was 27p last week is 30p this week. 64p last week is 99p this week. £1 last week is now £1.18. It may seem like pennies, but those pennies become pounds...