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

ifonlyitwaseasier

welcome back Nuala

ChocClare

Scottishminnie, I was just in Lakeland buying a £5.99 egg poacher for DS to take off to university with him, and I noticed those poaching pods - look like hard work and lots of washing up to me...:D

The one I bought him is a replica of the tried and tested one we bought from Lakeland last year - absolutely BRILLIANT.

You two-thirds fill it with water, bung it in the microwave for one minute, break in your eggs, bung it back in the microwave for 45 seconds, leave to stand for a bit (can't remember - 30 seconds?) and then tip your perfectly-cooked poached eggs onto your toast.

And it's easy to clean.

Someone recommended this one to me and it's really really good - and ensures that DS will actually cook himself eggs when he goes to university. So that's one meal that's not pizza then :T
However, it will be interesting to know if he spots a difference when he's buying his own eggs - our eggs are all from our own hens, so they do spend far less time between hen and egg poacher.

When the lady down the road was reported to environmental health for not putting a sell-by date on her buy-at-the-gate eggs (rolls eyes), the EHO told her to put best before on the boxes - and that she couldn't sell eggs which were older than three weeks. She pointed out that she didn't sell eggs that were older than one or two DAYS, but apparently that's how old supermarket eggs can be before you take 'em home :eek:

maryb

Great to see you back. Torn between wanting you to post more often and not wanting to encourage you to overtax yourself, but welcome anyway!!

ChocClare

Ooh, Nuala, welcome back! *waves*

We obviously cross-posted. Lovely to see you again :j

maryb

ChocClare, I buy my eggs from the 'egg lady' (local smallholding) and they aren't date stamped either - I do wonder how she gets away with it as we aren't in the country where people don't tend to make their neighbours' lives unnecessarily difficult. Mostly the eggs are very fresh indeed but just occasionally you come across one she obviously missed collecting:eek:

smileyt_2

grandma247 wrote: »

I had a quick look for towel toppers and there are loads, here are just a few. one, two, three, four.

Aaarrggghhhh nooooooooo! Please don't post links to knitted patterned dishcloths or I will be led into temptation and I already have soooo much to do before Christmas!! :rotfl:

Went into town today (Abakhan fabrics and Fred Aldous craft store, :wave: waves at Ginnyknit who knows how tempting those places are). I was very good and only bought the stuff on my list, how's that for self-control? It was so crowded in the shopping centre that it makes me even more determined to get everything ready for Christmas as soon as possible as I am not going into town and fighting my way through massive crowds if I can avoid it!

Have just harvested, chopped and frozen my baby sweetcorn. I will grow this again next year as there is no pressure for it to ripen! AND I FOUND FOUR RIPE CHERRY TOMATOES whoop whoop!

Am going to try for an early night. What is it about shopping in the city centre that is more tiring than hours of working on the allotment?

ETA Hello Nuala.

pennib

Hello NualaB I remember you in the dim and distance past. It must be hard to keep away from the computer. I have to discipline myself otherwise I would be reading hints and tips and not doing any of them:o

Which brings me to the lovely person who put the tip with bicarb and bleach for whitening grotty tiles. (I'm sorry I've forgotton who it is)
It worked a treat:j There was specially hard bit at the back of the tiles which a hand cant reach properly and I slapped it on there and left it for a while and it's come up like new. I did use a 99p bleach pen which helped a little bit but this way is sooo easy and frugal as french fries :T

ginnyknit

:hello: to smileyt, gosh I am proud of you going to the Northern quarter and keeping to your list!!! Im going to Primarni on Monday to stock up on socks ...must be good...... avoid Oldham st.....

Grandma 247 you have led me into the world of towel toppers and theres no way out :eek: They look so pretty and much neater than chucking them somewhere and losing them.

Nuala, lovely to see you, just take it easy. Yes it is very satisfying to see a stock of food as a hedge against poverty/ the workhouse/ living in a cardboard box - Oh that reminds me of going to see Mike Harding years ago. Sorry I wandered off to a nice place where I was quite well off and running round like a headless chicken,work, work and work were all I did.

Hugs to all see you tomorrows gods willing

redlady_1

NB - You're back!!! Fab to see you again. xx

mardatha

Hi nooly, am in a bit of a flareup of the ME meself at the moment- will talk to you later when I'm more withit!