It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

ginnyknit

I did it! I made soup that tasted good -thank you all for your help. Mushroom with a few leftover onion, peppers and tomatoes (cos they were lingering in the fridge). I bought a tub of whoopsied mushrooms for 60p and there was enough for 3 bowls.

Popped rest of leftover veg with mince and lentils in slo cooker and its ready for the mash to go on top tomorrow for shepherds pie, well 2 of them hopefully.

need to get sorted better tomorrow for weekend so I can have a rest.

Went to the market whilst at the library and pleased to see it was busy. The Polish shop had huge cabbages and was thinking of buying one but it would fill a freezer on its own. Must have a rummage on here for some recipes.

Still raining......

lizzyb1812

kate1974 - thanks for the info re the heating. There's only me and the pets here and I don't like having heating in the bedroom. Bathroom is downstairs so I'm really talking about heating downstairs only. The 20+ year old radiator/pipe system hardly works at all and there are a lot of ugly exposed pipes, the previous owners being too tight/broke to have the pipes set into the walls. Whether I go for electric or a refurb of the gas heating it's going to cost a lot - not immediately but I imagine definitely within the next 2 years or so. Not bothered about potential effect on resale value of house as I don't intend to ever move from here.

Ginnyknit - congrats on your first batch of good soup. For me it took a good few tries to get one but once I cracked it there was no stopping me! Now I just work on the basis that if I'd eat a bunch of ingredients on a plate as a meal then it will be OK as a soup - even if the "meal" has six or seven veggies.

My furniture rearranging has basically turned my knocked through front room/back room back into 2 rooms and today I remembered that one of my criteria when looking to buy a house 20 years ago was to have 2 downstairs rooms, not a knock through. I can't believe that such a simple thing as rearranging the furniture can have such an uplifting effect on my mood. I had to go out for a while today and for the first time in ages when I got back I thought "home" and not "house". To quote another 70s/80s band - it was "a peaceful easy feeling" (The Eagles)

littlecal

ginnyknit wrote: »

I did it! I made soup that tasted good -thank you all for your help. Mushroom with a few leftover onion, peppers and tomatoes (cos they were lingering in the fridge). I bought a tub of whoopsied mushrooms for 60p and there was enough for 3 bowls.

Popped rest of leftover veg with mince and lentils in slo cooker and its ready for the mash to go on top tomorrow for shepherds pie, well 2 of them hopefully.

need to get sorted better tomorrow for weekend so I can have a rest.

Went to the market whilst at the library and pleased to see it was busy. The Polish shop had huge cabbages and was thinking of buying one but it would fill a freezer on its own. Must have a rummage on here for some recipes.

Still raining......

I bought a "covent garden"cook book a couple of days ago - £1.50 from the cs - some very interesting recipes to try out.I think I'll be relying on good filling soups more than ever this year,so am eager to get started,lol.

I'm off to Ireland for 10 days tomorrow,first time I've flown for 24 years,so if you live under the flight path and hear a sobbing sound,you'll know who it is!!!!!!

Aaaaargh - why wont my dongle let me put in smilies?

Take care all "see"you soon.xx

Rosanna79

Today being market day and our usual shopping day OH felt reluctant to go over to Morrisons on account of the waste of petrol for a few bits. I do several shops on the High St like home Bargains, Heron and Wilkos, finishing with the weekly market, OH decided to do the rest of our split shopping list at Aldi at the end of our road. It felt really good to have stayed so local this week and we definitely spent less- I use the Shopping trolley and reckon to get a couple of miles walking on my GPS watch- therefore killing 2 birds with one stone. The fact that I also had done 36 lengths in the pool at 6 30 this morning did mean my feet simply weren't up to walking to Morrisons as well even to save petrol!! We got everything on our lists as well.

It's true that the seasons are a bit what we call 'previous' in Lincolnshire and most of our onions have been bent over and coming out of the soil for weeks . So far we've 315 drying in the garage and about another 100 to lift when they're re ready. Normally we're drying at the end of August and I'm plaiting them in September. Not bad for a suburban garden.

Interesting to hear people's comments re those lights for SAD- had a friend down south who used one to great effect. Find myself seasonally affected as well and during last December's 'shutdown' found that the only 2 days I stayed indoors the 'black dog' was awful. Struggling through the ice and snow even if I did look like an arctic explorer made me feel loads better for being out - despite it's being hard going.

There's also a fair bit of evidence to support exercise as a great way of helping low mood and whilst it can't cure depression it certainly can help to manage mood. Those in England will find the 'Walking the Way to health' schemes run by local councils very effective. Even if it's wet tomorrow morning, wearing the right waterproof gear and getting out with a crowd of friendly people will do much to lift my depressive state of mind if I feel low on getting up. Having to pick up a friend who doesn't drive ensures I do it and her knowing I'm coming to pick her up ensures she's ready and waiting.So we both get out, enjoy the company and manage both weight and mood in the process- even with lunch.!

As far as theses riots are concerned I find myself getting extremely angry about the whole thing and really need a rubber brick to chuck at the TV! Sure part of this anger in the many people I've met recently is the helpless feeling one is left with, so fantasising about suitable punishments seems to help even usually mild mannered individuals let off steam I guess.. ..

On a humourous note my oldest friend used to live in a less pleasant part of my hometown some years ago, (when I lived in London's East End). She related the story of a neighbour whose car was regularly nicked by the same bloke , driven around and returned to his house when the petrol was gone.

Frustrated this neighbour decided to protect his car by making it so the thief would get an electric shock if he touched the car. Somehow the local cops got wind of this and informed the car owner that no matter what the thief did he wasn't allowed to 'electrify' his car!

So he took a piece of wood with 6 inch nails sticking up out of it, placed this on the driver's seat and covered it with a blanket.

When the thief received a very sharp shock on his next attempt to steal this chap's car , again the police approached him trying to tell him he wasn't allowed to that either! The car owner replied that he loved sitting on 6 inch nails, in fact he really 'got off on it' and who were the police to tell him about his sexual preferences in the privacy of his own vehicle!!!

redlady_1

I really have had it now. Sooooo tired. I know there are people who work longer hours but I am whacked. Tonight I have to dash over to Bath Hospital to seeone of my friends in there.

I filled the car up yesterday that was another £73 and then did some shopping but without a list and meal plans...boy, was that a mistake!!!

ceridwen

Rosanna

I'll second the recommendation for "Walking for Health" schemes - reasonable walks with helpful leaders and a chat with friendly faces. I've found that I like to alternate guided walks like this with solitary "go where I will" walks - a bit of mixing and matching that works for me...:)

squeaky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3418291

mardatha

This was posted in an American forum and I thought it was interesting - BEWARE -
pic will cause drool!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/dining/17bake.html?em

[Deleted User]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jolaaled

mardatha wrote: »

This was posted in an American forum and I thought it was interesting - BEWARE -
pic will cause drool!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/dining/17bake.html?em

That is a really interesting article.
I have been guilty of 'fast creaming' my cold butter in the microwave, but having read the article which states how melted butter loses it's emulsion properties, I will try to resist in future!

Thank you