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

ginnyknit

GQ I know you werent having a dig I just felt stupid. Just having a bad day today. Will come back later when I am more myself

Red_Doe

Lashing rain and very high winds here since last night and more expected...we usually do get hit here on the north west coast when the American coast has it's hurricane season, can only imagine how bad it must be for them, it's bad enough here.
Shergar, I'd say I'm shocked but I'm not, sadly. I am appalled though and don't know what to say...in fact I read a few stories on MSE that are similar...people with disabilities that are not going to improve being hounded to look for work they cannot find nor do! Like others, I do agree with getting jobseekers back to work but for goodness sake, in a country where there simply isn't enough work to go round, surely the youngest and fittest have 'first dibs' and those with disabilities should be left be and at the least not be made to feel insecure, which only adds to their distress and anxiety about their conditions.
I echo what I'm sure I remember someone else saying earlier...ever get the feeling the governments would love to have the poor/disabled simply die off or give up trying to claim their due, just so their books would look better and more money can be spent shoring up ailing banks and buying fancy duck houses? Makes me furious.
My OH is also permanently disabled, his last operation took away so much of his insides that he has only twenty five centimetres of his colon left and another large amount taken from his small intestines, none of which will regrow, and all of which leaves him with severe health problems for life. He had peritonitis and spent two months in a drug induced coma as it almost killed him. Yet the authorities insist on hauling him in every six months to test him to see if his condition has improved so he can work. Yet his own specialist and other doctors freely admit he won't get any better. Makes no sense, and all I can think is that they want the most vulnerable in society to be bullied into giving up.
On a lighter note....*blush*
since money is so tight I was looking at ways to make thriftier meals and tried toad in the hole with four pork sausages we had left, and the batter. I had to use brown plain flour so wonder if that is why my batter turned out all stodgy and not nice. Does anyone please have a foolproof recipe for making toad in the hole that will give us a decent, yorkshire pud-like batter? We did eat it so as not to waste food but it wasn't great and it's a good job I'm not going swimming this afternoon as I'm not sure I'd float!

toottifrootti

hello lovely people

I am back from my week on retreat which was very interesting and thought provoking.
The only thing I learnt that might be useful is how many edible mushrooms there are out there - we found loads of chanterelles and had them cooked in milk, garlic and cream and they were wonderful - I just wish i could get out in the countryside more.

(((Hugs))) to Frugal, so sorry to hear about your father - you have been very strong but dont bottle things up its not good for you.

RedDoe I have only quickly skimmed to try and catch up on the masses of posts since I went away:eek: but wanted to suggest / mention that you register yourself for income support - I think you mentioned you were just about bankrupt so I am guessing you are not making a real wage so you should apply for income support - I was in the same position several years back and being ignorant of benefits didnt think I would get anything being self employed - I put off going to apply until I literally had bailiffs at the door only to discover I had lost about 6 months of benefits I would have been entitled to.
Its hard but make an appointment and see someone - if your business is not trading then do it now and get the ball rolling - if you do get IS you will then get other things like housing benefit.
Your OH has a lot to cope with and attending assesments should be banned - could his GP not say that he is not fit to attend let alone work!!!! I def think you should be appling for carer's allowance for him. has he applied for DLA? Is he getting jobseekers or incapacity benefit or whtever they call it now? even if you have been turned down keep re-applying - the citizens advice will help fill in the forms in the best possible terms to aid the right decisions to be made. (BTW I am in Scotland too) keep the chin up honey - you will get through this.

My next few months are going to be very tough so will have to cut back - I am dreading the winter as I doubt if I will be able to afford loads of heating and being ill and at home its not a pretty prospect given that we were averaging minus 12-15 a lot of the time! I also need to stock up because I just will not be able to get out if the snow is as bad again and I doubt if friends will get to me either.

need to ebay some more 'treasures' to help.

tootsxx

greenbee

Toots - if you're looking to stock up, then keep an eye on approved foods for stuff you use and order when it is cheap. Get your freezer defrosted and it and your store cupboard organised. Pulses are a very cheap way of eating, and dried pulses are cheaper than tinned. I batch cook and freeze mine in 100g portions so they are easily available when I need them.

ETA - I believe GQ is the queen of store cupboards (or at least when it comes to tomatoes), although Memory Girl has 25kg of chapatti flour, so there may be some competition for that title...

GreyQueen

Hi Red Doe, I have just checked with the Household Oracle (hi Mum) and she uses the cheapest plain white flour, one ounce per person. The trick is to pre-brown the sausies or they'll be cooked but look anaemic and to put them, and the batter mix, into a pre-heated and almost smoking hot Pyrex or tin.

We ate an awful lot of "toads" in the 1970s and I sometimes revist it for old times' sake.

ETA oh, and you should oil the tin or Pyrex or you'll never get the batter out of it.

Red_Doe

Thanks GQ, will give that a try, certainly sounds much better than what I was doing! (yes, the sausages did look unappealling and anaemic)
Toottifrootti, thanks so much for that info. I had no idea I could apply for Income Support, being self employed I thought I wouldn't be entitled to anything at all even when making no money. Will definately apply for that, thanks.
The OH is on disability living allowance, which they have just slashed by 200 euros (he is Belgian) as we now live together. We're appealling that decision as they also stopped my housing and council tax benefits, so along with the reduced disability and my lack of income, things are pretty dire. But we are appealling and will send them proof of my lack of income and see if it makes a difference.
I need to somehow also get together a couple of hundred pounds to become bankrupt which will take a while.

toottifrootti

Red_Doe wrote: »

I need to somehow also get together a couple of hundred pounds to become bankrupt which will take a while.

RedDoe I hope you find they will give you something - every little helps - you need to get ebaying for your 200 - or is there a car boot near you? good luck - it will be a weight off your mind if you do go bankrupt - at least you will def be entitled then and when things improve you can try to repay the people -try not to feel too guilty its hard these days and all sorts of companies are going bust that you would think were bomb proof!

Pink.

Red_Doe wrote: »

since money is so tight I was looking at ways to make thriftier meals and tried toad in the hole with four pork sausages we had left, and the batter. I had to use brown plain flour so wonder if that is why my batter turned out all stodgy and not nice. Does anyone please have a foolproof recipe for making toad in the hole that will give us a decent, yorkshire pud-like batter? We did eat it so as not to waste food but it wasn't great and it's a good job I'm not going swimming this afternoon as I'm not sure I'd float!

Hi Red Doe,

To make a large toad in the hole for four I part cook the sausages in the tin and use half a pint of milk, 4oz plain flour, two eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper to make the batter. Mix the ingredients together and let the mixture stand for half an hour.

The fat in the tin needs to be really hot (almost smoking) when you add your batter mixture. I heat it in the oven (highest temp) then I pre-heat a ring on the hob and set it on that to maintain the heat while pouring in the mix. I also find it helps to make it light and fluffy by adding an extra egg, so I use two eggs per 4 oz flour.

There's an earlier thread with lots of tips on making toad in the hole that should help:

anyone got a good recipe for toad-in-the-hole ?

Pink

Igamogam

Red_Doe wrote: »

On a lighter note....*blush*
since money is so tight I was looking at ways to make thriftier meals and tried toad in the hole with four pork sausages we had left, and the batter. I had to use brown plain flour so wonder if that is why my batter turned out all stodgy and not nice. Does anyone please have a foolproof recipe for making toad in the hole that will give us a decent, yorkshire pud-like batter? We did eat it so as not to waste food but it wasn't great and it's a good job I'm not going swimming this afternoon as I'm not sure I'd float!

I have used either Delia or Hairy Bikers recipes - both are fine and are probably on the web somewhere - TBH I now just do it by eye - 2 heaped ( as much as you can get on )table spoons of plain flour. Pinch of salt one egg beaten with some milk or half milk water - beat like heck until the consistencey of single cream - just add liquid if a bit too thick - works for us

Charis

GQ, this dual purpose sauce may come in useful for your camping expedition. The container should perhaps have a message saying 'warning, may cause wind'?