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

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

I saw this on the winter thread and it is very similar to the long term forcast on positive weather solutions

Lots of berries, very early too and brown horse chestnut trees here. It`s worth while starting to plan for winter ie salt stocks, shoe grippers etc

I'm wondering who the "Positive Weather Solutions" people are kittie??? (other than being amused to note all 5 female staff featured in their photos are very photogenic).

Have you found their forecasts reliable to date?

SCOTTISHMINNIE - I think you need a second opinion re that boiler insurance from the firm. I used to have central heating system insurance on my system (which was pretty geriatric at that time) and no problem with getting things paid for (admitted that never included having to change the boiler). BUT - my understanding of the system (with British Gas as it was at the time) was that they wouldnt have taken on insuring the system in the first place because it was so old - BUT since they were already insuring it, then they would continue to insure it and that included ALL necessary work on it. I think they might have possibly had a get-out clause if it had got even older of not continuing to insure it fully - but they would have had to tell me so in advance of any problem. I certainly never had any problems to get them to do whatever was required - and there was a LOT because the previous owners had cheapskated their way through so much to do with it and it therefore went wrong regularly. Once I got to a "lull in proceedings" (ie things going wrong with it ...) I decided the system must have come up with all the faults their cheapskating had inflicted on the house and I would change to having in "a little man" for a once a year service and "as and when" if required basis and start by having him install a new boiler for me and that has worked out better for me. The only thing I found to be aware of is that he will automatically provide the option most British people would pick when replacing anything (so I DO have to watch out for that and tell him "I want the best - NOT the cheapest"). They are obviously very used to peeps on "lower rungs of the housing ladder" houses picking the cheapest options instead of the best ones....so one does have to ask specifically "Is that the most reliable option?" and "Is that the easiest to use option?" about anything they do to the house. It took me ages to get mine trained into knowing automatically that I wanted the best option always....

I would certainly check whether they are able to sell you insurance cover and then not cough up when you go to claim on this cover. Try putting up a query on the "In my home" Board or Utilities Board on MSE and see what peeps say.

Softstuff

Congratulations Judy!

And Ceridwen, you really need to have yourself a good lie in! You're always up so very early.

Sorry about the delay all, but here's my chilli-ish recipe:

Fry up:
250g mince (chicken, turkey, lamb or beef, doesn't matter)
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli flakes (chilli powder's fine too)
1 tsp black pepper
good pinch salt

With any of this veg as you have it:
A large grated carrot
A grated zucchini (courgette)
Finely chopped cabbage
a healthy handful of peas
Diced mushrooms
Or all of the above!

When it's well cooked add:
2 tins of chopped tomatoes or 500ml passata or 4 tablespoons tomato paste made up to 500ml with water
A couple of big handfuls of cooked beans (kidney, canellini, borlotti, chickpeas or even baked beans with the sauce washed off since they're canellini but can sometimes be cheaper)
A couple of teaspoons of sugar

Optional extras (add 1, or all):
A teaspoon of cocoa
A couple of squares of chocolate
A good glug of red wine
A dash of worcestershire sauce

Then simmer. The secret to this is to simmer a very long time. At least half an hour, but the longer you leave this, the better it gets. If it gets a bit thick just throw a bit more water in and go again. If it's a bit thin but you're done mix a teaspoon of cornflour in a jug with a dash of water, then throw that in and stir well to thicken.

This freezes well. The first incarnation of this we eat is over homemade wedges sprinkled with grated cheese. We also eat it with rice, over nachos or just in a bowl with crackers American style. I've also used it instead of bolognese in lasagne or with spaghetti, or as a pasta bake covered in cheese and a quick egg and milk sauce. A little goes a long way with the pasta dishes.

For enchilada pie you also need about 300ml passata or pasta sauce or a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree made up to 300ml with water and add in a teaspoon of paprika. Then in a round casserole dish about the same size as your wraps/burritos/tortillas you layer it up. Bottom layer is your plain tomato sauce, then a wrap, then the chilli, then another wrap, then tom sauce and so on until you're to the top nearly of your container. The top layer should be more plain tomato sauce topped with grated cheese. You then bake it for about half an hour at 180.

For burritos I make refried beans (they're just beans fried in some butter or lard with cumin and salt, and mashed as you go), spread a layer on a wrap, spoon in some chilli and roll up. Then place the rolls side by side in a casserole dish, cover in the tomato sauce mentioned above, add grated cheese, and bake for about 20 mins at 180.

Sorry for the long post, but hope that makes some sense for those who were interested.

Memory_Girl

Memory_Girl wrote: »

I had a visit from a fellow MSE'r this summer - they took one look at my store cupboard and took piccies for their blog:

http://www.themoneyprinciple.co.uk/2011/why-create-a-store-cupboard/

In my defence, the weather last winter was very bad and so I have dedicated £5 per week to building a useful store cupboard - what I wasn't prepared for was how much money I saved.

MG

Got onto this blogger - and they have fixed their picture link. Whew!!! nothing to do with our computers at all

MG

silvermaid

kittie wrote: »

I saw this on the winter thread and it is very similar to the long term forcast on positive weather solutions

Lots of berries, very early too and brown horse chestnut trees here. It`s worth while starting to plan for winter ie salt stocks, shoe grippers etc

Wow it looks like we might have it rough again. I hate having to drive in snow and ice.
Where can you buy ice grippers? I saw some on a couples' feet last year that were metal and looked quite neat - but the only ones I could find on-line were very bulky. Thanks for any help.

ceridwen

Softstuff wrote: »

Congratulations Judy!

And Ceridwen, you really need to have yourself a good lie in! You're always up so very early.

.

Not really my lass:rotfl:. I'm a "lark" not an "owl" sorta person and am at my best in the morning - but a source of much amusement to others sometimes with how I wilt visibly come later on in the evening and you can forget about any "staying up to the early hours" malarkey for me these days:).

Now - off to study your latest recipe and see how it might adapt for vegetarians...:)

Softstuff

ceridwen wrote: »

Not really my lass:rotfl:. I'm a "lark" not an "owl" sorta person and am at my best in the morning - but a source of much amusement to others sometimes with how I wilt visibly come later on in the evening and you can forget about any "staying up to the early hours" malarkey for me these days:).

Now - off to study your latest recipe and see how it might adapt for vegetarians...:)

I forgot to post that bit, sorry. I've also made it with some red lentils (softer thicker texture, maybe better used with pasta or in the enchilada pie than had alone), with precooked brown lentils (surprisingly meaty that), and with some TVP presoaked in veg stock (even meatier tasting than the meat, but I know you're not into factory produced proteins, even if they are tasty tasty good )

EDIT: with any of the veggie options I tend to add another tsp of cumin and extra bit of paprika to meaty it up a bit.

As for being up early, I am neither a lark nor an owl. I'm a teddy bear. Not good out of bed any time of the day, but happy to be snuggled in PJ's :rotfl:

3v3

Gigervamp wrote: »

....
I'm trying not to get too attached to our male chicks (now teenagers) because I know that if we can't find homes for them, we'll have to find someone who can *do the deed*. ...

I'm the one who is tasked to giving our male chicks a humane ending if they can't be re-homed (1 definate male, potential of another 2 and while I'm unsure, nothing is going to happen ) Can't say it is something I'm looking forward to, but, I'm not afraid to do it either, because I know the good life, albeit brief, I have given them.

There is information on the net about the "broomstick" method but I shall employ the traditional method. If you can get hold of a copy in your library a fantastic book is "Self Sufficiency", it was reprinted quite recently; that is my font of all knowledge in chicken keeping, rearing and ... terminating.

[Deleted User]

yes PWS has been the most accurate for a long time

I`m just psyching myself now to get changed and into sanding clothes. Oh I am not looking forward to it, the kitchen tops are already half emptied, so we`ll shortly be in another big mess. Oh well I`ll just switch my brain off and work robotically

Lol my fermenting crock just gave an almighty burp

GreyQueen

Good morning, and a thousand thanks to whomever booted the yellow ball back my way yesterday; we had several hours of sunshine and it was a real mood-enhancer. Sadly, it's a grey and miserable 11 degrees out today but hopefully things will improve.

jedi very well done on halving your shopping bill with vouchers... that is incredible, I vote you get an extra MSE star for that alone!

As the end of the month is approaching, I thought I'd just total my grocery spend out of curiousity as it's almost certain that I won't be buying any more food until August; £55.83 for one hearty eater.

I run my grocery weeks Saturday-Saturday so this is effectively a "5 week month" on my schedule. This includes quite a bit of stuff which is tucked into the freezer and storecupboard and even under the bed. I have taken 2 of the underbed tomato cache into the foodcupboard to replace 2 tins used this week and now have an extra tomato cache in one bit of the sewing cabinet not yet needed for sewing supplies. Ladies, if you ever need to borrow some tinned tommies, you know where to find me!

To track the grocery spending (which includes things like t.p and cleaning materials but not toiletries) I just keep a wee notebook at home and add things as I buy them, total by the week and then by the month, whereup the figure goes into the "accounts" monthly page in the back of my A4 diary and eventually onto an Excel spreadsheet.

I'm no computer whizz but I like a basic Excel spreadsheet because I'm so deeply tragic that playing with autosum and percentages and making a pie chart at the end of the year amuses me.

If you can get over the feeling that this is nerdy and boring, it's actually quite fascinating as we're prone to forget what we actually spend and overestimate some things and underestimate others; it's just human nature and I do it all the time. Whether you're having to make serious cutbacks because you're clearing debts, have lost your job or are simply weary of working hard and never having any money left to spend on the fun stuff, this is an excellent way of imprisoning those pounds, to release them later on your agenda.

Actually, I will have to temporarily surrender my OS safety pin soon as I am planning to buy new things. At this point, if you were my mother, you'd mime a fainting spell of surprise because it doesn't happen very often. The nearest I get to new is the bootsale and the charity shop. Have a serious need for a pair of shoes or two as have bought none since 2006 and 2004 and badly need a waterproof jacket. Will be hitting various shops and comparing prices.

Yesterday was delightfully bargainous; 42 bread rolls for 63p then a hit on the Magic Greengrocer where £2 got me; a Romanesco cauliflower, 5 large oranges, a punnet of cherry plum tomatoes, 1.5 lb of greengages, 13 oz peaches and 1lb of black plums. Oh, and a single stray kiwi fruit all on its ownsome.

I feel rich and luxurious with my fruit bowl piled high. Had the cauli as part of my supper with leftover ChocClare's Chinese Chicken (goodness, how I love that recipe, thank you so much) and then simmered down the greengages as they were very ripe and I couldn't have eaten them all before they rotted. After cooling and fishing out the stones, I put them into plastic containers in the freezer and will thaw them out one tub at a time and have them over porridge. Had a small peach and a plum with my Tesco Basics porridge this morning and feel that I'm living very nicely.

Softstuff, I have taken your latest recipe into protective custody already, and will try it as soon as I have finished the CCCC and tried your chickpea curry. Thank you, everyone, for posting recipes; with such great examples there is an offside chance I may end up a passable cook. I have learned to keep a Word doc open on the pooter when I'm on the forums as you never know what you might see. It's fatal for me not to grab them when I see them as I still haven't managed to capture the Impossible Quiche recipe. If anyone could point out it's whereabouts, I would be very grateful.

Thank you for the linkie to the plans for h.m dehydrators which I have bookmarked for future study and I am going to head to Sainsbugs before w*rk to get some of these Basics shampoos before they triple in price, too. Then there's the foraging, the lottie and a 1001 other things I could be doing and I really don't have time to go to work........burger it.

Hope everyone has a good day and anyone feeling a bit wan, poorly or knackered or blue can have a Dodgy Group Hug. Or even two.

:grouphug::grouphug: Love GQ x

3v3

GreyQueen wrote: »

...

Softstuff, I have taken your latest recipe into protective custody already, and will try it as soon as I have finished the CCCC and tried your chickpea curry. Thank you, everyone, for posting recipes; with such great examples there is an offside chance I may end up a passable cook. I have learned to keep a Word doc open on the pooter when I'm on the forums as you never know what you might see. It's fatal for me not to grab them when I see them as I still haven't managed to capture the Impossible Quiche recipe. If anyone could point out it's whereabouts, I would be very grateful.

There is a free software program called "Big Oven" which is brilliant for copy/pasting online recipes into a database style format. It used to be a paid for programme (which is when I first came across it and bought it!) but now, not only is it free but its also an app version for Iphone/Ipads.

Big Oven Recipe Box Software

It downloads with thousands of recipes already contained within it (all USA based though), but you can create your own categories of "recipes boxes" (e.g. I have, over time, typed in recipes from my favourite cookery books and called the recipe box the name of the recipe book).

There is a "filter" function so you can filter recipes by criteria; it will even produce a shopping list based on a menu plan you draw up utilising the recipes from the database. I've even created the shopping list, then used the website mysupermarket.co.uk to price up the best deals.

I'm not affiliated with the company Big Oven, just a happy customer (not so happy when they made if free when I had to pay for it though :rotfl: but, I don't regret the investment - I thought it was good enough to be paid for at that time and haven't regretted it).

For those who like to copy and paste recipes and keep them in some form of searchable order ... you've nothing to lose Hope that is helpful to someone