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

kidcat

Am intrigued - what is the pudding club? Cos around here I know what it means but its got nothing to do with Mississippi mud pie

As for kids leaving for uni - my eldest is two years off and I am not sure which way I will go, will I be celebrating or crying? Only time will tell. My guess is crying - but when she leaves for good probably celebrating - gaining a room and all that. :j

Am in full party mode at the moment planning DD 17th birthday - its going to be at home and I have managed to borrow a double gazebo to go across the back of the house meaning I can contain them on the ground floor. I think softstuff chickpea curry will be making an appearance as the veggie food option, with a chilli or meat curry for the rest. Budget is tiny so i am going to have to be very inventive.

Interesting that Mr T has cut the value of the clubcard points justifying it by promising lower prices - but having a quick look I cant really notice that much difference if I am honest.

Our elderly cat has won a small reprieve and is trying some medication - if it works she may live a few months - but if not then its the end. We are clear that she isnt to have operations etc (and vet agrees) and that she mustnt suffer in any way. So its a wait to see how we get on.

JIL

Them burgers look really good, I have seen them before with mozzarella in the middle but never thought of customising them in other ways.

I really feel for the people whose children have just left for uni, When my first left I cried all the way there in the car, cried when we left him Then continued to cry for the next few weeks. It is like an end to that chapter of your life. It does get better and you get used to them not being there, its also really good for them my son always says he did not just get an education he learned how to take care of himself and live independently. It was not as bad when the second one left but the house got quieter and over time you just get into new routines.

just a question if I may, theres a small tree planted by the council on a square of grass outside our house, each year it has lots of small yellowish fruits on it. They are small pearish shaped, if that makes sense. This year instead of the local kids picking them up and throwing them at garden walls etc, I thought I may beat them to it if they are edible. I have looked on google but cannot find anything that tells me what they are. Has anyone got any thoughts on what they are or how I can identify them?
Times like this makes me think of my old grand father he would have known straight away and would have made wine out of them (if they are edible)

thank you

HariboJunkie

JIL could they be quinces? Lucky you if they are as they make great jelly and vodka.Enjoy your foraging.

SDG your baking sounds glorious. :T
Sorry about the sage GQ. I definitely recommend growing it.

SuziD Hope you find the positives to an empty nest very soon.

Mardatha. Go on. You're worth it.

Sounds like a lovely wekend Rach. x

Am recovering slowly from another weekend of prepping this old house and garden for winter. It's a never ending job. :cool:
Am also up to my eyes in making fancy dress costumes for the girls and getting ready for family coming to stay on Thursday. That and the fact that the kitchen is upside down again as the woodburner is being installed and I am fit for nothing.

SDG31000

:eek: I'm NOT going in that pudding club again kidcat. Two lots of PND and 5 years straight changing nappies is more than enough. DS1 is doing his GCSEs this school year and DS2 is in year 8 at school, so freedom is in sight. I have no desire to start all over again.

Hopefully this will explain the original pudding club- http://www.puddingclub.com/pudding-club-meetings
We just had our own version at home. DH made score cards and wrote a list of rules and all in all it went really well.

Can I reccommend this naan recipe for the party. It works really well and is very cheap and simple
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/naan_86626

Thanks NualaBuala and HariboJunkie. Feel free to pop in for dinner if you are ever in my neck of the woods.

alltrustgone

Thank you for the welcome maryb. I too am lucky to have all the supermarkets nearby. It does increase opportunities for savvy-ness. It takes me ages to grocery shop now because I’m constantly comparing brands/prices/weights, and will come away without restocking because I refuse to pay that particular asking price and will wait for a better deal. I try to keep a good stock of my basics, bought at the right price , so I can have this flexibility.

Aldi and Lidl see me a lot. Some promising farmers markets (with some proper local farmers/smallholders) have started up round here – got a huge head of home-grown organic celery equivalent in size to about 3 of the bagged supermarket product ( I even learnt the variety, its Utah) - dehydrating that, cost £1 and, not exactly a basic but was still delighted to find them, proper tree quinces at 3 for £1, plus cooking advice, and that was free. Much rather people like this have my money than supermarkets.

I didn’t know about T’s Christmas Savings – that’s an attractive return. Thank you for that info, I’ll look into it - the fight back continues.

There’s so much to learn from everyone here, thank you all. Now need to go and sort out the European celery mountain – it really is a massive head of celery.

ceridwen

maryb wrote: »

I saw this
http://www.weatheraction.com/displayarticle.asp?a=382&c=1

and thought hurray, Piers Corbyn says it isn't going to be a cold autumn and winter. But then reading it again, it may just be that he is only saying that James Madden of Exactaweather is guessing and only he knows the real state of affairs. Which doesn't necessarily mean it won't be cold.

Kittie, I know you can't give any details, but has he actually said in the paid for forecast what he expects this autumn and winter to be like, or do we have to wait for his winter forecast? Because he does seem to get things right.

According to one of my local "experts" on matters of the Nature variety - he says that theres LOADSA berries around this year on plants and that is the traditional country person sign of a bad winter coming up FWIW.

My own personal take - my feeling is that its gonna be a bad one FWIW.

katieowl_2

ceridwen wrote: »

According to one of my local "experts" on matters of the Nature variety - he says that theres LOADSA berries around this year on plants and that is the traditional country person sign of a bad winter coming up FWIW.

My own personal take - my feeling is that its gonna be a bad one FWIW.

Loads more berries here too... in fact the road where we walk the dogs has berries/fruits we've not seen down there before. Crab apples and Sloes - both seen for the first time, now coming up for our third winter walking down there and the haws, rosehips, elderberries and blackberries are really abundant. I was thinking off making some hedgerow jelly.

Kate

kidcat

SDG31000 wrote: »

:eek: I'm NOT going in that pudding club again kidcat. Two lots of PND and 5 years straight changing nappies is more than enough. DS1 is doing his GCSEs this school year and DS2 is in year 8 at school, so freedom is in sight. I have no desire to start all over again.

Hopefully this will explain the original pudding club- http://www.puddingclub.com/pudding-club-meetings
We just had our own version at home. DH made score cards and wrote a list of rules and all in all it went really well.

Can I reccommend this naan recipe for the party. It works really well and is very cheap and simple
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/naan_86626

Thanks NualaBuala and HariboJunkie. Feel free to pop in for dinner if you are ever in my neck of the woods.

Thanks for the naan recipe, I think that seals the deal and will be curries all round accompanied by naan bread. Just need to consider desserts.
Pudding club looks cool - am wondering if its possible to modify the idea into a fundraiser for school - will get my thinking cap out and have a look.

shegar

mardatha wrote: »

My god Jamanda you must have kids like mine
Suzid, its a natural part of life pet... you can't keep them wee forever, or teenage forever or anything forever. Just embrace the change and enjoy the good bits !
Can anybody mind that TV ad where the mum and dad were waving off the son looking sad - and were holding two huge bottles of champagne behind their backs?? that was us !:rotfl::rotfl:
Is 10C here. Sunny but not warm.

NO NO surely not 10 degrees this time of year???, :eek:If it were 10 here id have my heating on, thats COLD :eek:Its been 21 here today with sun and bit of cloud, we are suppose to go up to 28 by thursday:eek:I havent even got my winter boots out yet ive been in crocks since March, well I do have 3 pair, glad its not cooler yet as I dont know if my poor feetlets will like harder soles,:eek:.... I the ole planta fasciitis is very muchthe same pain......:eek:m going to get some more insoles in the morning so I can fit my winter footwear out ready...............

So sorry Charlies Aunt re losing your beloved cat, so horrible to have to take any pet to the vets knowing it wont be travelling home with you, ive been there, most of us have, but it dont make it any easier...........

Im trying very hard to train my dear little yorkie billy.:eek:ive said RIGHT enough is enough, training time has begun, ive been too lax with him and in return he has got the better of me, no more no more I cry , Ive been working on him for past 8 days and you can now see a difference, ive now got to stop his insistant barking just as I get quarter mile from the beach he must smell the sea air cos he jumps from passenger seat right on to my lap at such a speed :eek::eek:and if the window is down he jumps out.:eek::mad::eek:.............my other little chihuahua is 12 and she always sits on my lap when I drive and billie just lands on her, oh hes such a lump......:eek::D.......................

Tell you what I was advised to use and thats Pet Corrector tin of spray, now thats real good stuff and as helped me no end, its expensive in Wyevale Garden Centre at £11.29 per tin can..:eek: but I got mine out of the factory shop at £4.99.same stuff........everyone is ranting about it , so im now on that rant list too...........:D Have any of you used that spray??.......

My hens are still lsaying well, tommorow ive got to muck them out....Get some more straw amd mash, and probaly cut the grass so they have some nice grass to munch....:D....

Well not much happening in the news that I want to talk about,same s..t different day I say :mad:.................bless you all...

ceridwen

alltrustgone wrote: »

There’s so much to learn from everyone here, thank you all. Now need to go and sort out the European celery mountain – it really is a massive head of celery.

Do try steaming chopped-up lengths of celery and then putting them into a casserole dish with a layer of cheese sauce over them. Top that off if you like with things like breadcrumbs/tomato slices/knobs of butter - and then bake in the oven for say 200C for 20 minutes or so.

I used to wonder what to do with any celery I had left after putting bits into salads - but then figured out its possible to cook it - and havent wasted any since. Its luverly like that....

Speaking of which - got a couple of new-to-me veggies to try out - so must head for the kitchen and start experimenting with them....

I'm a gonna fulfil a personal "ambition" yet of instantly being able to look at any food/identify it/know what to do with it and what I think of it...(I'm a..gettin' there...as peeps I come across have started asking me whats what....and sometimes I know the answer....LOL...).