A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

Mrs_Chip

Sitting here with a lovey cup of Welsh tea and a whoopsied vanilla slice from the Co-op. Got quite a few bargains there over the last few days, they seem to be out at any time of the day.

I had to pop in for a bottle of vodka to make Christmas Pudding vodka a la Hairy Bikers - saw it on a prog last night and could not resist. So it is sitting happily on the worktop to be given a good shake every day before christmas. Looks a bit like the contents of a small pond in a gherkin jar, i'm sure it will be alright on the night!

I think I mentioned before the Big Oven website, where you can download a prog to store recipes (the download for Windows is in the free apps section). I find it really useful, very easy to cut and past from recipes posted here or on web pages. I had a lightbulb moment the other day and realised that I don't just need to use it for recipes.

When you start using it you set up your own 'box' to file your recipes in. I have now got two other boxes, one for useful 'stuff' and one for seeds.

So when I find interesting snippets like cleaning tips or how to make things I copy them into my 'stuff' box. Whe ordering seeds I copy the details, sowing and harvesting times etc, onto a card in my seed box. You can put pictures onto the card too, so I do that where they are helpful. Thinking about it, I am going to start a knitting pattern box too!

I can't remember who first recommended the software, but thanks once again!

Tea V Coffee - Tea wins nine times out of ten. I have the odd cup of coffee now and then but black no sugar - coffee with milk is a loathsome brew .

Can I join the Baked Goods Church - Savory section? Or I would quite like to be the keeper of the church measuring spoons, having a bit of a 'thing' for them, I have *several* sets:rotfl:

Hi :wave:to the Newbies, we are not a bad bunch to hang around with!

Hugs etc for all suffering trials and tribulations, don't let the bu88ers grind you down!

Taurus - hope things are going your way and the pain is under control.

THIRZAH

I got a copy of the Gill Holcome book from the works for about £3.99.

Bitsy_Beans

stardrops42 wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me joining in:o

fuddle - I've just bought this book which is very basic and includes meal plans, shopping lists etc. Very MSE and great if you have a family to feed, I love it
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Healthy-Balanced-Little-Kitchen/dp/1905862156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324415671&sr=8-1
I bought a used copy for a couple of pound but it looks brand new:D

Don't buy this book when you can read it online for free

http://www.howto.co.uk/wellbeing/quick-healthy-recipes/

boultdj

GreyQueen wrote: »

:jI am officially the one that got away...........free, free! :j

I had a hospital appt before w*rk and by the time I arrived there were no desks and burger-all customers (must be out finishing up their Christmas shopping) so I jokingly offered to go home on full pay if it'd help and I have sufficient flex credit, so here I am!

:hello: Hello and welcome to the thread, lentil lover and please feel free to join into the nonsense and even manufacture some of your own.

Hobson's Choice, my keyboard is a bit tea-splattered now thanks to your wonderful recipe; I thought it was serious and started reading in all earnestness and nearly choked.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

taurusgb, hun, if you're reading and bust a stitch laughing, tell the nurses it was Hobson's fault not mine, okay? Hope you're heading towards wellness as we speak.

As I had 3 hours not accounted for on the day, I nipped into the hardware store and got a can of bathroom emulsion in pure brilliant white. Well, I feel that I need some brilliance in my life somewhere and I shan't be finding it in my own head, fer sure. Have sugar-soaped the walls I intend to paint this afternoon and am [STRIKE]drinking tea[/STRIKE] I meant, waiting for them to dry, before cracking on.

kidkat, I have extra-sensory powers to sense your housecleaning secrets. Very bad luck about guests moving the sofas. that's nothing anyone could have reasonably anticipated.

Mum calls me sometimes to ask where things are in her house and I have to remind her I left there in the 1980s.......but I can often guess based on probabilty+gravity+DNA sharing-of-random untidiness habits. Gravity accounts for a lot of things except dropped contact lenses, which have a special exemption for various laws of physics.

As does the Higgs Boson, the little wotsit the boffins are hunting for in Switzerland (hint; it's behind the cuckoo-clock, loves). I listened to a science programme on Radio 4 which is my window into the real world and I believe they invented the HB about 50 years ago and no one has ever seen it but they think they've nearly found it but even if they don't find it because it's not there, that of itself proves something or other terribly significant.

O-kaaaay, I may not understand advanced physics but there should have been some punctuation in that sentence somewhere and I shall continue to leave it out, being as I'm feeling high-spirited and anarchic this fine day.

Softstuff, we'll nibble down your effigy's thighs if it'll make you feel happier but I should remind you, anything person-shaped which I fashion from sugarpaste is inclined to resemble a smurf. And I don't understand the problem with ritual cannibalism; after all, you were the one making voodoo dolls to sell at craft fairs, not me.:p

ragz, I have heard of moderation but I hold no truck with it so welcome to the faith. ginnyknit, you are very welcome to join my Baked Goods religion too, but I fear that Triker and I may have to come to a parting-of-the-ways. Not over saucepans, I hasten to add, my remit only covers stainless steel, she's welcome to the rest. But, there may have to be a schism between the tea-drinkers and the coffee-drinkers before our first official brew-up at 3.50 pm.

Coffee is vile, which is my official position and I cannot even abide coffee-flavoured baked goods, so the main thrust of the ceremony will be towards the teapot and any java-heads will be tolerated as long as they are prepared not to rock the boat. Or even the cup and saucer.

Hmm, I am about to write 95 treatises about coffee and nail them to my front door, a la Luther, so the newborn Baked Goods Church may yet have to schism before teatime. In the event of trouble, we'll decamp to the pub and drown our sorrows in cheap wine.

Ooof, finished the tea and need to paint summat before the light goes.

Laters, GQ x

May I join your religon? Meat pie division if possable, and surgest an alternative to tea/coffee,that being hot chocolate,seeing as it's winter and I'v got a good supply of squirty cream to top it with.:D

jackel

Don't think anyone has already mentioned - Tesco Value Oats are back down to 75p today (North Staffs)

gailey_2

Hi guys

Hope everyones ok, had few days off so got some catching up to do.

I intended on day sorting out house.
dident acheive much ended up watching xmas tv whilst they messed up the house/played.
tea soon, bath then early bed for all 3.

Well survived bath shopping with mam and sister monday just without huge row.
Turns out its my spoilt younger sister insisting I go over to wales boxing day thats changed mums mind she even threw massive strop over where we ate lunch! Plus went to see xmas markets and they packed up and gone last week! It rained and dident get everything I needed. So not an overly successful day.

Spoke to aunt earlier who suggested I visit wales xmas night so they dont come over boxing day as cant be doing with them moaning about my house.

Dad rang grandads ill and theres no more treatment he can have and nans dementia getting worse so his family need to get tigether and plan how they will cope with their care. guess nan having 5kids haves it uses shared with some home help would mean avoiding a home when grandad passes.
So need to go see them always feel guilty dont see them enough.

My freind one whos avoided me for last month and half hasent come round today or phoned she was invited. did think about texting or messaging asking if theres a problem? But then think dont want a row.
I know from her fb shes been seeing other freinds. shes got 3weeks off work.Starting to think if she cant be bothered im going to stop making the effort as feel pretty hurt, fed up and slightly used maybe im just too nice next time she wants a babysitter then im busy as hers creates rows when over mine.
Guess will wait and see if hear from her before xmas if I dont then im clearly not a close freind anymore which is sad been let down quite a lot now.:(

Did half the xmas food shop in lidls yesterday spent 86pounds but most of it was everyday staples. They have passatta on offer at 25 so brought 8 wondering if should go back and get some more?:rotfl:
They had run out raisens and yeast:mad:

Will do small mr shop tommorow and poundshop.

xmas eve-waitrose/sainsburys reductions
boxing day/new years local co-op.

Hoping to spend 250-300 for whole of december to stretch through most of jan

planning on going farmshop wont buy much just be lovley for kids to feed piggies and its so christmassy.
Hoping to go church xmas eve.

Loooking foward to seeing family over xmas as dont see as much of them as would like.
Im almost as exited as the kids about xmas seeing their little faces.
Its like being a kid again and get to play with toys.

went out with couple of freinds yesterday for cheap meal and local pub and had lovley time.

Went for drive to pick up ebay toy I directed hubby we dident get lost and eldest got to see so many xmas lights was lovley.

Still not organised

nothings wrapped:mad:
still got stuff to make!
still not finished stockings or foodshop.

But im not stressing what will be will be , the plan will come together.
Greatful for hubby being super supportive this week.

watched richard corrigon hunger show on current tv other night was exploring poverty and foodbanks within uk was very interesting.Even working people need food parcels and some parents skip meals so they can feed their kids hubby said so sad we considered such a wealthy country but I feel as if we in decline. Everyones moaning they poorer or struggling. I kind of think of uk as a pyramid where more and more people are falling to bottom with few at the top.
Unsure what more needs to be done at moment lots of people rely on charities to get by.

maryb

Triker

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the heads up about Mermaid Roasting pans in T K Maxx. I filled my basket with about 5, all half price, some for me and some for DD1 who is getting into cooking in a big way now she actually has access to a kitchen at college. Although the ones for me are really DH's present to me (I am not normally one of those downtrodden women who actually do the shopping for everyone's present including their own - or at least not without bitter complaint - but to be fair he is frantic at work this week)

Did I say Thank you?

gailey_2

Ahhhhhhhhh my toddlers managed to block sink and leave running causing mini flood:eek:

Only left her for 5mins whilst feeding her brother.

i dried it upstairs
but its leaking through downstairs cealing
driooiung through central light switch so turned all the lights off
rang hubby whos quite chilled out
soaked most of it out but still dripping.

just bathing kids so can give tea and bed as feeling bit stressed and house looks worse than this morning!

Be back later when slightly saner. will get control back and get it tidy by time hubby gets home!

lizzyb1812

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

Don't buy this book when you can read it online for free

http://www.howto.co.uk/wellbeing/quick-healthy-recipes/

Wow Bitsy! That's a great link, thanks ever so :T

redlady_1

Isn't that basically the book that someone else was talking about? How to feed your family...etc?