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

squeaky

bonnie_bumpkins wrote: »

Have you tried freecycle or YMCA shop. These links may help:

http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/bedminster-ymca-shop-bristol

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleBristol/

Also... Bristol Freegle

flowertotmum

kittie wrote: »

3pm :eek: already, I haven`t stopped. Just had a quick read and see that some are talking barbeques. Our ozpig is our power cut backup and I have been looking for jaffles for ages. I found them in lakeland sale ie a burger iron (pie iron) and a pannini press, they are ordered as they are the same as ones costing 3x the price

The understairs is now completely and finally revamped with great new strong shelving units, well they have to be as I have 40 lb of marmalade and endless jars of jams, chutneys, pickled lemons etc. I have been thinking about why I have been so busy and I realise that it is due to the revamp and restocking after the move last year, so there is an end to it :T. I gave away endless jars of brilliant jam before we moved, the postman, builders, delivery men, uncle tom cobbley, so had none left

I found loads of beans, nuts, barley, oats all vac packed so will be looking up my veggie recipes this week and I`ll be making granola etc

oooh,oooh please share how do you pickle lemons:D,and how do you do granola?
ftm

hornetgirl

I think it's ok to mention Christmas now Ginnyknit. I was in Costco earlier today and they have snowchains in stock. In August. No doubt when the bad weather hits they'll be selling bikinis. While I was there I bought a tray of chopped tomatoes, which of course made me think of GreyQueen 12 tins for 3.19, which I didn't think was too bad (Valfrutta brand).

Seakay

My favourite granola (because it is so variable and you can make it differently every time) is as follows:


Adele Davis' Grandaddy of Granolas

5 cups rolled oats
7 cups of other dried ingredients eg chopped or ground almonds (or your favourite nut), sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, soy flour, powdered milk (preferably non-instant), wheat germ, millet flakes, buckwheat flakes, (any other quick to cook cereal ie ground or rolled flakes) etc etc
1 cup warmed honey or date syrup or malt extract or (less healthily) sugar syrup made from 50% sugar 50% water
1 cup oil, any kind

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F 150 degrees C gas 2. Combine dry ingredients. Combine honey and oil and drizzle over the dry ingredients tossing and coating. Spread the mixture on 2 cookie sheets and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until golden. Makes up to 12 cups, depending what you add or leave out. If you want to have dried fruit in the cereal add a cup or so after cooking is finished. I find it easiest to wait until the granola is nearly cold on the trays and then sprinkle a handful or two of dried fruit evenly over. Keep the granola in airtight containers once completely cold.

blackandwhitebunny

shelley_crow wrote: »

That's not a bad idea. OH always does the BBQs, he like making fire and cooking meat, caveman manly instinct doesn't extend to cooking on the boring hob :rotfl::rotfl:Maybe I could con him into cooking christmas dinner too....

We have BBQ'd a whole turkey:D It was a smallish one that we bought marked down to very little on boxing day, I can't remember the weight but it was a feeds 5 - 7 one. We used a beer can chicken rack (You place the chicken over an open can of beer or cider in a special rack, ebay to see what they look like) in a large weber and it took about two hours to cook. We were very impressed that the pop-up timer worked.:D

[Deleted User]

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SDG31000

Thank you all for offering advice and suggestions for my mega dinner parties.
To clarify a little....there is myself, DH, DS1 and DS2. My friend M, her DH V, their 4 children that live at home and M's DD1, her partner and their son L who is 3.
It started when M's brother and his family moved into their house and M was getting no peace, no help and no money towards their upkeep. She needed a break from it all, so I started cooking for M, V and their twin daughters every friday. Just so M could get out of the house and have a meal that she didn't have to cook or clean up after. M's brother has moved out, but now her nephew and his girlfriend are there instead, her sister and mom have mental health problams and her Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week. So it's M's time to switch off and get looked after instead of running around after everyone else. Even if I have to drag her out of the kitchen to stop her washing up. M, V and the rest of the family have been a lot of help to us, including gutting our bathroom and fitting a new one while we were on holiday.
I have to cook sausages every week, that is now a given. So I buy them from Tesco's butcher counter when they are half price and freeze them. I also make pies, stews, lasagne, roast dinners, pasta bakes and curries. Pudding is generally cakes, ice cream, rice pudding, pavolva, sponge puddings etc. I buy as much as I can reduced or on sale, but it's the only time I over indulge with choices and posh ice cream. I feel they deserve it, if that makes sense. It just takes a lot of food to feed that many. Add in 3 teenage boys and two husbands that can eat for England and it feels like even more lol.
Sorry for rambling on. That's the condensed version, as difficult as that may be to believe.

the_cake

Re - sausages! The last couple of times I have been into M & S they have had a "3 for £10" offer on various stuff, including their LARGE packs of sausages. There are 20 in each pack, so for £10, you get 60 sausages .... they are really very nice indeed, good and meaty; I buy the 3 packs, divide into smaller quantities (just 2 of us here!) and freeze.
HTH SDG, your weekly feasts sound amazing, and I am sure are very much appreciated by all.

3v3

SDG31000 wrote: »

Thank you all for offering advice and suggestions for my mega dinner parties.
To clarify a little....there is myself, DH, DS1 and DS2. My friend M, her DH V, their 4 children that live at home and M's DD1, her partner and their son L who is 3.
It started when M's brother and his family moved into their house and M was getting no peace, no help and no money towards their upkeep. She needed a break from it all, so I started cooking for M, V and their twin daughters every friday. Just so M could get out of the house and have a meal that she didn't have to cook or clean up after. M's brother has moved out, but now her nephew and his girlfriend are there instead, her sister and mom have mental health problams and her Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week. So it's M's time to switch off and get looked after instead of running around after everyone else. Even if I have to drag her out of the kitchen to stop her washing up. M, V and the rest of the family have been a lot of help to us, including gutting our bathroom and fitting a new one while we were on holiday.
I have to cook sausages every week, that is now a given. So I buy them from Tesco's butcher counter when they are half price and freeze them. I also make pies, stews, lasagne, roast dinners, pasta bakes and curries. Pudding is generally cakes, ice cream, rice pudding, pavolva, sponge puddings etc. I buy as much as I can reduced or on sale, but it's the only time I over indulge with choices and posh ice cream. I feel they deserve it, if that makes sense. It just takes a lot of food to feed that many. Add in 3 teenage boys and two husbands that can eat for England and it feels like even more lol.
Sorry for rambling on. That's the condensed version, as difficult as that may be to believe.

What a wonderful friend you are And clearly the relationship works both ways
Sounds like you juggle it all wonderfully! And I can see why the American "pot luck" idea of mine is such a non-starter
Sorry to hear about M's father bit of a rough ride ahead for everyone.
So, when would you like to come around to mine so *you* can have a wee break? Roast chicken is on the menu for tomorrow with HM ice-cream, or its Enchiladas on Monday

3v3

the_cake wrote: »

Re - sausages! The last couple of times I have been into M & S they have had a "3 for £10" offer on various stuff, including their LARGE packs of sausages. There are 20 in each pack, so for £10, you get 60 sausages .... they are really very nice indeed, good and meaty; I buy the 3 packs, divide into smaller quantities (just 2 of us here!) and freeze.
HTH SDG, your weekly feasts sound amazing, and I am sure are very much appreciated by all.

Thanks for the headsup tc, I'm sure we'll all benefit from that snippet :beer: