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

oldtractor

I love your posts GreyQueen especially the bits about the allotment.

Angel_Jenny

I dug out a tree in the garden yesterday to extend what is to become my little vegetable plot. I am aching in the strangest places today though! I am thinking of getting one of those apple trees that grow straight up to put in its place. Also I want a compost bin but not a huge one!

I am feeling slightly proud of myself as I am finally learning to knit and bake! Just taken cheese and celery bread out of the oven. I have wanted to learn all the domestic skills for so long but never got around to it but I am inspired by recent letters from some Amish ladies and I am actually getting on with it! They put me to shame with all their canning and gardening and sewing.

[Deleted User]

I,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

mardatha

Me too !

JillS_2

ceridwen wrote: »

...
(though I dont know how one removes those annoying adverts that sit over part of the text - and theres a long one on the left-hand side. So - if anyone knows the answer to that as well - would be appreciated - as the "overlaying advert" problem really bedevils a website I particularly like and am unable to read a lot of the stuff on it because of it...).

If you use CTRL + "-" to make text smaller it makes the advert fit in the left hand margin on the site you referenced. I think there's another more common way of making text smaller but I don't know whether that works because I can't use it on my computer (and cos I can't use it have forgotten what it is).

I only discovered this very recently so don't know if it works on all such sites and, even where it does, it's not always useful because the resulting text may be too small to be read easily.

It's a really annoying problem that's becoming more and more frequent - I suppose we should complain to the websites concerned but I just don't have the energy.

Gigervamp

GreyQueen wrote: »

The risotto recipe needs sage. Fresh sage. I went to several stores and the market. Sold out everywhere. How can a city be totally devoid of a common culinary herb?!

You haven't grown sage on your lottie? It's easy. Buy (when they have them in) one of those supermarket pots of sage, plant and harvest whenever. It's a perennial and evergreen. It's the only herb (other than the mints) that has survived the chickens and lack of my attention in my garden!

GreyQueen wrote: »

The Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas requires yellow Thai curry paste. I went to several stores. You can get it in red or green, here in the provinces. I got it in red as red is more like yellow than green is IYSWIM (was going a bit doolally at this point btw).

I read the comments on that recipe and a lot of people mentioned not being able to get yellow curry paste. The chef replied saying that red is similar but without the turmeric, so you can add a bit of turmeric to the red paste.

GreyQueen wrote: »

I've had my nose in a new library book since yesterday which I though might be of interest to the OS crowd "Sucking Eggs; what your wartime granny could teach you about diet, thrift and going green." by Patricia Nicol ISBN 978 0 099 52112 9.

It's not one of those reproductions of wartime publications but a combined history and tips book. It references Nella Last and quite a few others and had lots of stuff I didn't know.

Oh, I was in Waterstones yesterday browsing the cookery book section to have a look at the books I've put on my Amazon wish list and saw that book. Didn't have a look at it, but thought to myself when I saw it, "That looks like an OS book". Thanks for the little review.

Gigervamp

Angel_Jenny wrote: »

Also I want a compost bin but not a huge one!

Check out your local council's website. Our council will sell one bin per household for either £5 or £9 depending on the size of the bin.

Gigervamp

ceridwen wrote: »

(though I dont know how one removes those annoying adverts that sit over part of the text - and theres a long one on the left-hand side. So - if anyone knows the answer to that as well - would be appreciated - as the "overlaying advert" problem really bedevils a website I particularly like and am unable to read a lot of the stuff on it because of it...).

You can get a free program called adaware. That should stop *most* of those pop-ups.

beanrua

Almost ready for winter - and 'warm weather' is on it's way from Tuesday onwards! Not that I'm complaining but if i hadn't been prepared it would have been cold weather on it's way. I think I've fooled the weather by this reverse psychology tactic. Picked the rhubarb and it's on the stove now. Decided to cut down on carbs to lose a bit of weight. Making out list of chores to do to get house clean and organised. Getting my home organised will be a bit like eating an elephant - a bit at a time. So I'll do it in little bits. My local council gives compost bins free. Going grocery shopping to-morrow so trying to plan menus and list of ingredients I need. Good to know about the tumeric.

ginnyknit

Im ready for winter! and we are having a heatwave - well as they say seeing is believing and I am prepared to swallow my pride and admit they were right. Im a bit tepid tonight so adding layers.

My back garden is ready for packing away too but it is looking like fairyland tonight as Mr T was selling its solar lights for £3 and they are really good- and will save putting the outdoor light on to put they guinea pigs to bed - bonus!

All you help has paid off, following everyones advice I have become fairly organised and with DGS staying for the week all I have had to do is pull meals out of the freezer :T:T:T All I have had to buy is full fat milk for him. I am so pleased at how easy it has made my life.

Oh Greyqueen, thee of the mega pumpkin - how I wish it were mine :rotfl:
It is my ambition to grow one and as a goth, my duty:rotfl: - we consider Halloween our Xmas but I still do xmas cos I love it sooo much.

I still have tons of washing up and almost wish I still had my dishwasher! no Ginny resist, it was a pain in the a** and more trouble than good! I want a dehydrator more :j