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

taurusgb

maryb wrote: »

Froogs you just inspired me to check the price in Waitrose because I buy the Dove's Farm Quick Yeast and can't get it in my local Sainsbugs or Trashcos. Same prices for the Allinsons in a tin and for the individual sachets of quick yeast and the Doves Farm works out at £7.92. I do find that is easier to use than the Allinsons which needs reactivating, plus you need 25% less of instant yeast than you do the Allinsons. So that makes the comparable price for Dove's Farm £5.94.

I keep mine in a small Lock'nlock once it's open and it keeps for a very long time. Even so I never get through a whole packet before I need to chuck it and start a new one - but the same is true of the Allinsons in a tin. Maybe I should decant half and keep the rest in the freezer.

Hark at me- I'm getting almost as OCD as Amy Dacyczyn calculating to the penny

I use Doves farm yeast in the orange packet and as soon as I open a packet I clip it tightly closed and keep it in the freezer. No need to defrost, I just measure out the required amount and it works no problem - keeps forever that way :T

redlady_1

I dont feel so odd now with my crystals and feng shui and angels. However, we have found a cottage!!! It is sooooo lovely. I can't get excited yet but I have said to the OH that I would love to live there. He has gone away to sort out the finances and do the number crunching. It also means I need to get my backside in gear and get my cottage finished, painted etc and ready to rent out. I will take as many shifts as possible at the pub too so I can finish off. I am a big believer in what will be, so if its right then it will be ours. It even has a good sized annexe for the olds.

In relation to bread i have just made some using half water and half milk and it has come out just like shop bought bread. Will also have a go with the dried yeast in tins.

FTM - enjoy!

And welcome to the noobs.

redlady_1

Oh and if you are in any doubt about houses, let me tell you a story. My ex husband and I bought this house. The couple in it had been married for 30 years and within 18 months had split up. I didnt like the place but was pressured to buy it. We were a solid couple at the time. Within two years we were on the rocks and by 5 years in it had split up. I still say, and I said to him, that I hated the house and there was something not right about it. I even checked whether it was built on a tumulus or a crossroads.

When my new OH and I viewed that place recently I had in the back of my mind the above as the couple in it were splitting up. Bearing in mind my OH is a Reiki master I had no problem telling him my fears and we walked away from it.

suzid

Welcome Froogs and PT :wave:

All is quiet here in the wolves den. DGS fell asleep in his pram while I got ready to take him and Junior for a walk and DH is now also fast asleep on the sofa in the kitchen.

It's been quite fraught on the cooking front this morning. I made a gluten free Christmas cake for DS and then had a panic over the greaseproof paper saying - coated to prevent sticking - with what!!!!!! Looked it up on google but got diverted by a Jamie Oliver recipe saying many cherries and mixed peal contain gluten from the glucose-fructose. Panic :eek:. I've already almost poisoned the poor boy recently with the flapjacks I made and I've no idea how. Anyway the Ceoliac uk website says glucose and fructose are ok even if made from wheat as the process removes the gluten. It's so hard trying to think of everything that could possibly contain gluten. As for the flapjacks, I'm now mighty suspicious of the so called gluten free muesli I used. GP paper coated with silicon so should also be ok.

Lots of second hand furniture here too. Suite came from three doors down and I was recently offered it's replacement as my neighbour was getting another suite to replace that. Declined as I really like this one and don't have to worry about dogs and babies getting it messy. Our kitchen table was new but damaged, as the last thing I wanted was to worry about it getting marked, this was fine by me. Chairs are a miss matched bunch. Some from CS and some from old set. Old table is now used by DH in the office and my desk is also second hand. Beds were all bought new but several of them are getting on but wooden so just replace mattresses. Only just replaced our old 46yr old carpets last year as some places were down to the underlay. Replaced with remnants from shop and carpet tiles from library refurb work that were going in a skip. Laid the carpets myself. It's such a sense of achievement to source the materials and then fit them yourself.

Hope the wedding goes really well and the weather behaves itself FTM. Have a lovely time.

So glad I've been outdone with the outdated flour. I unearthed a jar of home made blackcurrant jam (at least three years old) while sorting. It's so tart no wonder it was at the back of the cupboard. Decided to add it to my porridge to use it up and add some honey to sweeten it. Guess what - the honey was out of date. Tasted good though .

shelley_crow

i have a mix of furniture, only bought new what i couldn't find 2nd hand. I really regret DFS sofas, shocking quality. They re 4 years old and in need of a good restuffing, they won't be getting my custom again, overpriced tat.

I bought 3,5kg of white bread mix for breadmakers in B&M, made by dr oetker, 99p! That will be going in my winter stock for emergencies. x

THIRZAH

I make bread by hand and use the Dove's Farm yeast too.I empty the packet into a jam jar and keep it in the fridge.

We are going on a bread making course tomorrow so will let you know if we pick up any useful hints.

westlothianlass

Afternoon all,
It's been lovely reading about everyones homes, ours is a mix of old and new (none borrowed and none blue though:rotfl:). I too have to feel something is right but my darling hubbie has a much stronger sense of whether he is comfortable with something or someone, so we often don't purchase something if it just doesn't feel right for us.

Welcome lovely new peeps as a newbie myself i can hand on heart say this is a beautiful and thoughtful bunch so i'm sure you will soon find yourself at home.

It is lashing down with rain today so have had a bit of a wandering about sort of day (room to room, not daft enough to actually go out in the weather), and not quite got myself into anything productive so far.
I am within driving distance of a costco but haven't yet taken the plunge so thanks for the info r.e. prices as it has now made me think about it.
Hugs to all
p.s. Is it today Hester is getting married? hope the weather holds and FTM hope your day is excellent too.

PrincessTazza

EstherH wrote: »

Mrs Veg Plot, I'm the same. I just throw in my slow cooker whatever I have and then the family will say that was really nice, but I don't really know how to make it the same next time.

I used to make bolognaise and chilli with jars in my Pre old style days though and can't manage to make the dishes to suit the families taste for this. I use masses of tomatoes, puree and passatta but they always seem to taste weak somehow. They do taste nice, just not like bolognaise or chilli.

taurusgb wrote: »

Do you add garlic, celery and carrots to the tomatoes? This adds to the flavour and thhickness of the sauce.

Good afternoon everyone!

I couldn't agree more Taurusgb - I always start with the holy trinity of celery, carrots and onion, mashed in the food processor with dried mixed herbs and about 6 cloves of garlic (not to mention a bucket of black pepper!)

What really adds the flavour for me though is also adding minced, smoked bacon to half beef mince and half pork mince - talk about tickle your tastebuds!

I then cook all of this down for a good 2 hours or so, stirring every 15-20 mins so it doesn't stick.

I normally cook up a big pot of this when nobody else is around, I find it quite therapeutic really!

I'd say roughly a quarter goes into making a spag bol, a quarter for lasagne, a quarter for chilli and the final quarter I always freeze for a rainy day.

7_week_wonder

A weekend of mixed emotions here: OH and I are down at my parents' house helping mum sort out after my dad passed away last month. Tomorrow we are off to the seaside to scatter his ashes at the place we spent holidays whilst I was little.

But lots of happy memories and positives: my dad was very frugal and careful with things including clothes - so our local charity shop is doing well with repeat visits from us, and I will never need to by cloth hankies again! We've given all his woodworking stuff to a local craftsman who is delighted with it. All the posts about heirlooms and family stuff being passed on are ringing very true at the moment; dad wasn't really into "things" but just small bits and pieces that belonged to him make us smile and are being given to people who will appreciate them. And in all the sorting out mum has also decided her jam making days are behind her so she's given me her huge preserving pan and a great WI book of preserves recipes. In return I've promised to keep her in blackcurrant jam in perpetuity!

Big thanks to Scottishminnie for posting the costco prices - even though I go there I never note down the prices of stuff I don't buy so it was really useful. Will definitely check out the sugar next time I'm there (I'm taking this jam/jelly making seriously!). And the Manitoba flour gets a huge thumbs up from me - it makes the most brilliant bread (and hot cross buns and pizza dough). If you are even just thinking about it I would definitely give it a go

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

PrincessTazza

Bless you 7 week wonder, what a trying time for you and your family right now.

I shall be thinking of you tomorrow - what a lovely day to say goodbye to your Dad, on Father's Day - and I shall wish for sunshine and the gentlest of breezes.

{{{ Big Hugs }}}