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

welshcamper

Morning everyone

Havnt been on for a couple of months me and partner split up in april, so been burying my head in the sand since then, but im back and approaching the workhouse so things have to change!..i find myself a single parent on benefits. i have been job hunting but with no luck at the moment.

i started ebaying last week and havnt done too bad, going to raid my attic and see what else i can sell. we had promissed daughter a holiday this year so i cant let here down. so out of my ebay profits i have bought a tent and hope to camp for 4 days in august. (the ex sold the caravan and kept all the money to himself)

wil go and have a quick flick through this thread to see what ive missed x

[Deleted User]

It`s an enforced indoors day for me today, wet and windy and waitrose is expected soon, complete with pickling vinegar but I`m going to do more delving before getting stuck in. There is far too much info available these days, I mean in the old days there was a choice of maybe 2 recipes and that was it. It doesn`t make life easier finding 20 variations on a theme. Anyway I am going to delve in farmhouse kitchen and the AFRC book and see what looks good and that`s it. My brain cannot take any more `choice`. What was tried and tested in the old days will do me fine

I am doing a storage swap around today, I suddenly have brainwaves. I mean I have 130+ cm at the end of the bed so why keep something of 60 cm there, says I. That one is coming down and being flat topped in dark cream leather (ebay brand new bargain 6 years ago) will do very well in our snug and I`ll be able to hide the preservation and food and gardening books that I read very often in there. In fact, I just lugged it down and it fits beautifully under the low window and it`ll make a good seat for grandchildren, doh it has taken me a year to work that one out. Now to get onto ebay and find another new bargain, if I can, for the bedroom

edit: softstuff`s recipe additions are fab, quick I have to get my blue recipe notebook out before they vanish to 30 pages back

Softstuff

GreyQueen wrote: »

EDIT; I have seen the Dyson and it IS hotter than Brad Pitt.

And unlike Brad, it's very easy to store in a cupboard, since its footprint is about the same size as a sheet of A4.

As regards cracks in masonry, I'm sure I heard somewhere that it's not that bad until you can stick a finger in it. Not that I encourage sticking your fingers where they don't belong

I'm afflicted here also with housing oddities, since there are over 100 units in our complex, either 1, 2 or 3 bedroomed. So it's a fair size with its fair share of building issues. I may currently be benefiting from one housing oddity, since I believe the mice may have been caught by a neighbour in the next block. He set 4 traps and got 4 mice. Of course, there may be more around, but a girl can dream.

kittie wrote: »

edit: softstuff`s recipe additions are fab, quick I have to get my blue recipe notebook out before they vanish to 30 pages back

I thank you. I've adapted many recipes from many places to make them cheaper and easier (I guess the same thing that troubles you with pickling recipes, makes my experimentation easier!).

The beauty of adapting recipes is I never worry which sugar I'm using (just results in a different cake, but equally tasty), I always use value s/r flour or value plain flour with baking powder, my measurements are at best haphazard and untopped they all freeze well. Some are stickier, some have a crunch or a chew, but that's pretty much the beauty of it. Some will take longer to cook, so I always poke with a skewer to check they're done in the middle. Just don't ask me to make a victoria sponge, actually weighing or measuring accurately brings me out in a cold sweat.

paidinchickens

Morning peeps

I was woken this morning by a phone call from DD who had her car broken into last night :mad:

She does not have a lot of money herself and she works hard to support herself and her daughter. Why these thieves do not care about the fact she needs her car to get to work is beyond me. Well I suppose things will get worse the more the police have their budgets cut. I am sure they will be really happy with the probable fiver they will get for the vintage sat nav they managed to get.

We are all struggling for money so why do these people think they should get a quick buck?

Sorry for the rant

PIC

[Deleted User]

I`ve done it :j one whole 4.5 red lb cabbage down (3 to go)

I used my 7 qt dutch oven
https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1_new.asp?menu=logic&idProduct=3947

which I got in the uk for making my sourdough bread, It all fitted in easily and the very heavy lid left no spaces on top

German red cabbage

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/german-red-cabbage/detail.aspx

very quick too using my Bonner mandoline. Every move a considered move as it is as sharp as a razor blade. First use for red cabbage as I always used my processor but this was way better and washing up was just a rinse. I did most just by holding the centre tough bit in the cabbage but not if you get distracted

I have always made the Delia recipe but this one has less rich spices, normal sugar and cider not wine vinegar

I am going to try a different way of storage to what I would normally do ie servings in lock and lock boxes but my freezer is already groaning. I`ll be packing into portions in cheap poly bags, then popping them into a vac pack bag for vacuuming. I`m hoping it will drastically reduce the freezer space needed. We`ll see, watch this space

Those dutch ovens don`t use much heat once up to temperature, ie number 1 on my induction hob will do. It will need oiling afterwards because of the vinegar and it weighs a tonne. I bought it for bread, I drop the dough into it when as hot as it can get, pop the hot lid on and the steam generated makes my bread rise like in an aga. It is also my backup together with an ozpig, in case of prolonged powercuts. None of us has gas here so I store wood and charcoal for that very reason

kezlou

Hi everyone

Been a hectic few weeks here, from volunteering going haywire with exams, work etc through to coddys (ds1's) transition week to finally slowing down with a prom night and a very wet and cold weekend.

We all got stuck in monsoon weather yesterday and got drenched down to our undies. OH said he's been drier coming out of a wet cave. b ut the countryside was gorgous and the views were amazing, we enjoyed it though .

But its finally slowed down a bit, just applied for a house with the council, my new application has been processed. So all good for now.
Basically told OH he can stay here if he wants but i'm sick and need to move house to make new start etc. Harsh i know, but the house is a wreck and its not helping living with damp.

Been harvesting loads from the garden i.e lettuce, raspberries, salad stuff, spring onions,peas, gooseberries and rhubarb. Not enough to make jam, but scrummy anyways. Weathers been so rubbish here i'm glad to get anything! Oh but flowers are blooming and they look gorgous, the roses and lillies are out, Ivy slowly growing ah its heaven:D

Financially still in the bin, but i now have my enhanced CRB check so thats something, hopefully september will come along with some work with the MAES. Still waiting on a few applications though, so its all positive.

Just been decluttering more junk, got rid of an exercise bike yesterday as i can't use the darn thing without hurting myself. But i forked money out and decided to join a gym. Found out the local council one does a "pay as you go" scheme, so basically you pay the £7 induction fee and thats it. Perfect really as it means i can go when ever i like without having a monthly fee. . Its money i can't afford but my health needs it, since the hospital has discharged from physio for my joints, as now you can only go for a certain amount of time.

Were supposed to go the mela today, but not sure whether to go. Last week the EDL were in boro on a protest march and lets just say it got hairy. People were wandering around with baseball bats around the mosques and shops. Wandering down our street and telling kids not to play with each other because of skin colour and religion. Lets just stay i told them to clear off and called the police. So i'm worried in case all this boots off again in the park. Such a shame these attitudes still exist in this day and age. If it stops raining i might just go and have a look round and come back. Maybe even grab some food while i'm there. No doubt they will be a huge police presence like last week, they were everywhere in town and the surrounding areas.

Got massive hugs and tons of food on Tuesday and Thursday this past week, everyone off the courses who i assist turned up with homemade treats and things for me and the tutor. It was so lovely, ervyone was saying thank you to us both for helping them with the computers and letters. So heart warming, all of them told me i better go back in september to see them all! so my diet went totally out the window
what i can't say no to homemade samosas!

GreyQueen

Rain has stopped play (or allotmenteering) so I'm avoiding the housework by playing on the internet.

The Observer online has some lovely Nigel Slater recipes for basil and I also found the ariticle below via the Environmental tab which may be of some interest. It's about the transition town Hebden Bridge, which I think is Ooop North somewhere. I'm a bit hazy about geography......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/jul/15/yorkshire-hebden-bridge-alternative-technology-centre-totnes-ambridge-epns-co-op

Hope that works, btw, never done a linkie before.

CRANKY40

One of my cherry tomatoes in the garden is nearly ripe. Ooh the excitement! I picked the other half of the cherry harvest (total of two cherries) and the blueberries are starting to ripen too.

I need to go and do the ironing, but I'm putting it off for some reason :rotfl:

Reverbe

GreyQueen wrote: »

Rain has stopped play (or allotmenteering) so I'm avoiding the housework by playing on the internet.

The Observer online has some lovely Nigel Slater recipes for basil and I also found the ariticle below via the Environmental tab which may be of some interest. It's about the transition town Hebden Bridge, which I think is Ooop North somewhere. I'm a bit hazy about geography......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/jul/15/yorkshire-hebden-bridge-alternative-technology-centre-totnes-ambridge-epns-co-op

Hope that works, btw, never done a linkie before.

It's in Yorkshire but still nice . its just over the border I think. My grandparents lived in Bacup and Todmorden(Yorks) was just a short drive over the tops as they called it.

Large lesbian/hippy/ greenie population I believe there but also some very sad underclass goings on. I saw a documentary off Lovefilm where a large section of the population were drink and drug addicted , disaffected and homeless... very very sad..it was called Shed Your Tears And walk Away...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jun/10/shed-your-tears-and-walk-away-review

kidcat

Its major jobs day here again as Dad is fitting cupboards into the utility room which will free up some much needed kitchen storage:j:j so am manically busy again. Have crossed a few other smaller jobs off list and am hoping to get a load more done before Tues.

Sending huge hugs welshcamper you are having such a tough time this year - heres hoping your camping trip helps.