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

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

No one should have more than one allotment by right, not nowadays when many many people are struggling to live healthily. The ones who had more than one have been very lucky and they should have counted themselves lucky but those generous times are over and very rightly so. Every council has a duty to go through allotment ownership, one by one and they should do the right thing if there are people waiting on the list. We cannot live in the past

Allotments are not a fashion accessory, they are a potential lifeline

I know there are people on here with two or more allotments, I say `do the decent thing by your fellow man`

Also landowners, like where I live. Do the decent thing too and let your neighbours have a small patch to work. I was lucky here, one small landowner listened to his conscience

Thank you for that Kittie:T:T:T

I think we know that it simply is far from easy to do the "listen to conscience" thing. I certainly know that I can argue with mine till Kingdom Come personally...and am sometimes very unclear as to who "won". Gawdaloneknows sometimes whether my conscience or my selfishness won and I DO know for a fact that often my temper wins...:(:o:(:o.

I think we have to acknowledge that normal decent people in the street DO often have a Battle Royal going on between their conscience and their own personal "requirements". Its being honest and fair to admit that it often is far from easy to listen to conscience - rather than greed. Own admission here - its bl**dy hard sometimes to come out the right side of things when Ceridwen Temper and Conscience are fighting a Battle Royal and I'm there on the sidelines wondering which will win...:(:eek:. My own personal thing is peeps who set out to "bait me" and sometimes the Ceridwen Temper wins and I belt them one back and then go off and have a Guilt Attack at having done so...:o

I think one thing that strikes me personally is that it IS easier with advancing years to follow one's conscience - purely and simply because there are less years left in which its possible to think "If I had listened to Personal Greed, rather than Conscience, then I might be doing a sight better than I am right now". It aint easy to take the long-term view often - and I think its fair enough to acknowledge that it isnt. Sometimes the pain of - at least - trying to "do the right thing" IS hard...bl**dy hard...

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

I received a new book from amazon today. It cost me about £11 and I am sure is one I will use a lot. It contains lots of preserving methods that have come down through generations in France and they are all without freezing or canning (bottling i will never get used to that word canning!) using lacto fermentation, sugar, salt, alcohol etc. It will be nice to get back to simpler ways and without involving energy use. Some good ideas too for winter storage of roots and cabbages etc Just like my Polish grandparents used. They were farming peasants (the other side were farmers then horticulturists). The war broke the link with the land and maybe that is why I feel the tug of my earth roots

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Preserving-Food-without-Freezing-Canning/dp/1933392592/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311172391&sr=1-1

No surprises there - but I've got that book in my Reference Library:rotfl:. DO let us know the results purlease re anything you experiment with in that...:)

HariboJunkie

Forgot to say. Tried making this the yesterday and it was a great success.

ChocClare

kittie wrote: »

I received a new book from amazon today. It cost me about £11 and I am sure is one I will use a lot. It contains lots of preserving methods that have come down through generations in France and they are all without freezing or canning (bottling i will never get used to that word canning!) using lacto fermentation, sugar, salt, alcohol etc. It will be nice to get back to simpler ways and without involving energy use. Some good ideas too for winter storage of roots and cabbages etc Just like my Polish grandparents used. They were farming peasants (the other side were farmers then horticulturists). The war broke the link with the land and maybe that is why I feel the tug of my earth roots

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Preserving-Food-without-Freezing-Canning/dp/1933392592/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311172391&sr=1-1

I've got that one too. You've just reminded me that I should pull it out again and have another look at it - my harvests the last couple of years have all ended up in the freezer as the stuff I wanted to preserve by more old-fashioned means didn't materialise (why yes, I do mean you, acres of blighty tomatoes...) :eek:

lizzyb1812

HJ - Pasta, pesto and chopped fresh tomatoes is my favourite lunch when what is on my meal plan doesn't appeal. Making pesto out of nettles sounds great - sort of "the biter bit". Glad you thought it was a success - it's always nice to get a tried and tested recommendation of a recipe found on the net.

jamanda

Thanks for the pizza info. I'm converted, and will have a go next time I make bread dough - at least I assume it is bread dough you are using (I do put a bit of olive oil in my bread rather than butter, etc). I also assume I just pull it about until "silky" and poke it on to a baking tray of some sort.
Actually, thinking about it, I suspect I have a round pizza tray with a holey bottom somewhere safe.

On the subject of my economy drive and books - Today, led on by some people on this thread, you know who you are, I have spent actual money. I have had to order Hovel in the Hills and The Long Winter. Am trying to ignore Kittie with her preserving book, although I have ventured to look at it twice already. Will now have to eat gruel until the end of the month and it is YOUR fault.

Edit: Oh B****r! Kittie has led me astray and I have bought the preserving book as well. Not even gruel now

redlady_1

HJ - Don't talk to me about scallops!!! I love them to bits and have them whenever I can, however....

last night whilst working in the pub the chef cooked me some scallops. About 2 hours later my world stopped - and I then found it in the loo!!! Today I have been in bed for most of it and finally managed to eat something for tea.

Kittie - that book is just the kind of thing I have been after. Thanks very much

Reverbe

ceridwen wrote: »

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NOTE TO SELF: following on from a conversation with someone else today re their comment "I hate my job - but what else will I do when I retire?" and feeling astonished by their comment....must remember to feel grateful that that particular thought simply wouldnt even cross my mind...and I must appreciate that the mindset I know is "LOVELY...celebrate..voluntary work and evening classes and University of the Third Age and Good Causes....YAY!!!!! Wonderful...." and appreciate that many people do seem to be totally lost without a job to go to (even if they dont like it...huh????!!!!), compared to my taking it for granted that there is a long list of "Things to Do - that I will much prefer doing" that I have...

MY grandad was like that. worked hard all his life in the forces and his own business. was like a spare part when they sold it in his later years. I have inherited his work ethic in that I dont feel like a person if I do not have a job. I like having something to get up for, something constructive to do that benefits someone. I always said I would loathe being retired and would seek to put it off as far as i possibly can.

ginnyknit

FTM, my mouth is fine and dandy, I heal very fast, and am glad to be rid of the offending tooth before it causes problems- toothache is hell isn't it as Mardatha rightly says. I am feeling a lot more positive about the dentist after my first lone trip.

Frugalista, congratulations on being a landowner - I see great things coming from your triangle of land :T

Had a busy day baking, 2 marmalade cakes, 3 tubs of shredded carrots and onions that I got whoopsied and wanted to save from the compost. I am finding that some things are so much tastier after being frozen?? mac and cheese and roast potatoes especially. So hoping for some cheap cheese and decent cooking bacon from Mr S on Friday so I can fill up the freezer with mac and cheese.

Off to Mums tomorrow, fortnightly pilgramage to check she is ok. Her search for the perfect pillow is not over,the Nasa one 'doesnt work':rotfl: So I will get that given to me tomorrow! She has also stocked up on wool and sweeties for us. She is my personal shopper but I am happy that she enjoys searching out things for us, it keeps her mind busy. Last time we went it was 400gms of aran wool from the CS goodness knows what she has got this time

greenbee

ginnyknit wrote: »

Off to Mums tomorrow, fortnightly pilgramage to check she is ok. Her search for the perfect pillow is not over,the Nasa one 'doesnt work':rotfl: So I will get that given to me tomorrow!

I have a spelt one and a millet one, both of which are great.