The Tougher Thread continues.....

HelenYorkshire

I've always been told that adding potatoes "soaks up" salt in soup - don't know how much spud you'd need though. Worth a shot if you're freezing in batches?

Gingermillie

Thanks for that link Dronid. I just sprayed the Friday night beer all over the screen.

On the subject of funerals, my dad died suddenly early this year and his wish was to be taken to the forest and left in a ditch. No fuss, no bother, no cost. That being illegal we had him cremated but planning the service almost led to arguments between me and his sisters. They wanted hymns and prayers while I knew he'd have hated that. In the end we had a Minister take the service, had the cheapest options possible with the coffin etc (he was cremated and definitely would have come back to haunt me had I had a nice lump of oak set on fire) and had Led Zep (Ramble On, 'cause he did!), Pink Floyd (Shine On You Crazy Diamond, 'cause he was) and Mike Oldfield (Tubular Bells as he used to play it on a loop when it came out according to his youngest sister). It ended up going really well and suited him down to the ground, especially with the "flowers" which were made of tree branches and vegetables.
I do wish we'd had instructions from him on what he wanted though, it would have saved a lot of disagreements.

ifonlyitwaseasier

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Mardatha

Can I ask a really sensitive question - did you cook the cauliflower in a pressure cooker as a deliberate act of sabotage or was it a genuine error of judgement :rotfl:?

knowing Mad's aversion to veg i'd say deliberate!!

7_week_wonder

ceridwen wrote: »

It is one of the reasons I'm panicking that I dont have much in the way of savings yet - as I know that, once I have a decent amount of savings, then I have the money available to "lend out" if need be for this and wouldnt have to resort to a loan or anything.

If I understand it correctly funeral costs count as a "debt" against the deceased's estate. So with my dad's funeral the solicitors were happy for us to tell the funeral director to send the bill straight to the solicitors. We then confirmed it was the right amount and it was paid out of dad's money without mum or any of the family having to pay anything and claim it back.

Mardatha, thanks - I'll try the cod-liver oil and cat food (not that the cat will be impressed) and see if I can pursuade the girls to start laying again!

katieowl_2

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

:rotfl:- you got it with the trews, exactly! I saw a cool looking black dude walking up Sydenham High St in trousers exactly like those - and he did look a proper nana! I bet he thought he looked real 'sick' - a term of approval, apparently?

OMG you live in 'nam? We were there for 20 odd years, by Sydenham station.

Kate

Mrs_Chip

No Katie, FH - - but our opticians is just across the road from the station!

ginnyknit

Gingermillie that sounds like a fab funeral, if there is such a thing - or should I say fitting! My Oh is following (and ending) his family tradition of no minister/vicar. therefore I as next of kin will have to do the eulogy and when I cannnot sleep I work on what I am going to say. this week he fluffed all that up by saying he wants a small funeral - bu**er, dagnabit. So will have to scrap it and start again :mad: Was expecting a huge crowd of cricketers so now they are not coming I will have to do plan B, whatever that is

dronid

HelenYorkshire wrote: »

*Delurk to the sounds of the Tardis

Nice to meet another time traveller!

Gingermillie wrote: »

Thanks for that link Dronid. I just sprayed the Friday night beer all over the screen.

Glad to have the desired effect - particularly like the bit with Morton Harkett!

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Dronid - the sorry tale is from post 3960 in that old thread , beware some of the shocking links!

I'm made of stern stuff but lingerie should never come in skin-tone or peach and really not in crochet. I'm not quite reminding myself of dinner but I came close ._pale_

scottishminnie wrote: »

I made soup earlier - roasted parsnips, carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes and then added to stock before popping in the blender. The problem was I used loads of sea salt to roast the veg and the soup is horrendously salty.

Can it be saved? I'm about to freeze it all so what can I do to make it better when I'm using it?

I also made jam in the breadmaker - I think it would run from here to London and back - guess it will be compote now. Not been a successful evening in the kitchen:(

Likewise as others have posted, potatoes added and cooked into the soup can soak up the salt. You could, pre blending drain off the liquid and add some fresh stock - though of course not the best way to treat the vitamins from the veg. I have a policy of not adding salt until close to the end or not at all - people can add their own and normally stock has plenty. If it's made from salted other veg, a little rinse can help.

Jam, well you can re-cook it, maybe in a pan this time and it will re-set. Though it's worth knowing what fruit was in it. You may want some fruit higher in pectin to help it set. Best of luck!

lizzyb1812

Scottishminnie - re the soup - boil it up with some potatoes in it. You might have to add more water to do the boiling then remove the potatoes and reduce the soup to the desired consistency. Use the potatoes for interesting mash

katieowl_2

7_week_wonder wrote: »

If I understand it correctly funeral costs count as a "debt" against the deceased's estate.

Yes that's right, the bank will usually advance the amount required from the estate (the bank account of the deceased) to cover the expenses of a funeral when presented with an invoice from the funeral director, they will do this even before Probate has been granted. The problem would be if there wasn't enough in the bank to pay for the funeral I guess...

Kate