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

fuddle

Morning. It feels cooler here this morning, at least the wind has died down a little. Sat here in my gifted slipper boots. I can't walk in them but I can sit in them just fine and dandy.

True to 'out with the old' thinking I've been doing in preparation for the new year, for a new positive me, I have decided to clear out my wardrobe. I'm a size 14-16 and at 32 I think this is the way I shall stay, give or take a few pounds. So, all of my size 10/12 garments will have to leave the wardrobe. I've had two children and the wrong side of 30. I have to let that part of me go and work on this me.

It's not very MSE but I won't be ebaying my clothes. I get most of my stuff from charity shops and always feel compelled to give back. I may be looking through idealistic rose coloured glasses but I can't help feeling like that.

Also, my store cupboards need a clean out. My baking cupboard is a disgrace

DH is sourcing me a pudding dish so I can practise making a pud for when the meal plan kicks into force. Off now to browse BBC good food for a pud that hasn't got an ingredients list as long as my arm!

Hardup_Hester

Fuddle
Here is a simple pudding recipe.
A microwave sponge pudding in less than 15 minutes Flavour it by adding raspberry jam, treacle or golden syrup to the bottom of the final bowl. Or add cocoa to make a chocolate sponge. Serve hot with custard.
Ingredients

Serves: 4
50g (2 oz) butter50g (2 oz) caster sugar
50g (2 oz) self raising flour
1 medium egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons of jam or syrup
Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins |Cook: 3 mins
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
Mix in the egg and milk gradually.
Sift in the flour, and fold in gently.
Put 2 tablespoons of golden syrup, treacle or jam in bottom of microwave-safe bowl. Pour in batter.
Cover, and cook for 3 1/2 minutes on full powder, or until the pudding appears set when gently jiggled, and the top is sticky. Serve hot.

Hardup_Hester

Byatt, sorry you were upset by the idiot driver, always remember that you can tell the size of a man's danglys by the way he drives!
I had a run in myself yesterday, with an idiot who firstly, nearly took the back end off my car & honked at me for being in his way.
I have a real obsession about being bullied, I'm 4'11, 60 years old & I swear I should have been a redhead.
I got out the car, marched up to him and screamed 'What's your bloody problem' he was in his mid 40's, & wearing a very pompous suit.
'You pulled out straight in front of me, you need your eyes testing, if you didn't see me' he said
'Of course I didn't see you, you were hidden by the curve in the road, & if anyone needs their effing eyes tested it's you, you effing idiot, you have just driven through 2 effing No Entry signs & 3 Road Closed signs'. By this time my beloved was out of the car & walking up behind me & he can be a scary sight. Mr Pompous decided to get back into his car & drive off.
'Will you never learn that discretion is the better form of valour' he muttered as we both got back in our car.
Hester

mardatha

I used to make pineapple and apple and peach upside down cake - just do a quick sponge and glop it over a tin of fruit and shove in oven. Then glop some custard onnit. Now I do it with value or basics sponge mix but tweak it with cinnamon or vanilla for extra flavour. We're going onto one night soup & pudding instead of meat - only prob is he needs sweetener instead of sugar and its godawful. But if you pour enough cream over it then anything tastes good
I went from a 12 to a 14 and did the same thing Fuddle, threw all size 12s out and felt great because of all the space I made. And when am really really bored, or not talking to the RV, that's when I go and clean cupboards out

tru

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

I'm 4'11, 60 years old & I swear I should have been a redhead.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I'm a 5'2", 40-year-old redhead. No-one EVER picks on me twice

Mrs_Chip

Fuddle - Bananas and custard is a quick and cheap pudding (I buy the value instant sachets from Mr T), and other easy/cheap HM puds are:

Baked apples - buy bags of cooking apples when they are on special offer. Sweeten with honey and add dried fruit and nuts if you have them.

Rice Pudding - really easy, you can use any rice, does not have to be pudding rice.

Bread and butter pudding - use up stale bread,can be varied by using stale whoopsied fruit buns.

Bread pudding (I loath this, but some people love it!)- nice an OS way to use up odds and ends of bread. One place I worked, the canteen used to make it from left-over filled rolls with fillings removed:rotfl:.

All the above can be baked ahead while other dishes are cooking

HM yoghurt. This is easy once you get the hang of it, and loads cheaper than buying. Also keeps as long as you make sure your jars are clean. If you want to know about how to go about it PM me. For anyone with children who buys lots of yoghurt this is a great way to make savings, and you can make your own flavours. Can be used for both sweet and savory, and is good for you!

I'm sure there are loads more ideas other will come up with.

fuddle

Brilliant pudding recipes. It's been a while since I made HM SC rice pudding. I forgot about that!

I tried to make yoghurt last year. I did it on the radiator. It worked, it was brilliant but both my children got poorly tummies and I'm scared that it was the yoghurt so haven't made it since.

I think it's time to have another go Thanks Mrs Chip. Nothing better than plain yoghurt over some fruit and a drizzle of honey. Scrummy

Mardatha - remind me what RV stands for again?

katieowl_2

Crumble is quick too... you can use pretty much any fruit in it too, a good way to use up stuff past its prime (shhh) I was even given a recipe for a banana crumble by an American mate, was dubious, but I tried it and it was actually really nice.

The crumble I made for my dinner guests last night had six small eating apples that were going a bit squishy, six rather soft plums, a box of blueberries destined for the christmas fruit bowl, a big handful of soaked ready to eat apricots and my final flourish....tada the box of cranberries I bought to make sauce and never used as I discovered I already had a jar.

Even I thought I might have pushed it too far with the cranberries, but it was really rather good!

You can also make up a batch of crumble topping in advance and it keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks in a knotted plastic bag.

Kate

SpikyHedgehog

gailey wrote: »

I have wipe rage

jan 2011 17p a pack value baby wipes-tesco same
6months ago 26p in both
month ago 35p in both
today in sainsburys 46p
just checked my supermarket asda and tesco also 46p

why they all fixed the same?

people cant downshift lower than value

its not just wipes its other value lines going up steep rises 10p plus in such short space of time

wondering if supermarkets taking advantage as greater demand for value lines.
wonder if gap betwen value and own brand narrowing or they raising own brand too?

Im now on wipe watch/hunt and will now when see something cheap buy in bulk as whos knows what price it be next week.

all the supermarleys have baby events so will buy then.Lidls do cheap nappies but not wipes.

wondering if sensitive facial wipes be good for babys bum?
can get 2packs for £1 in poundshop/wilkos.

had relaxing evening but lots to do tommorow.

I used flannel & water at home for my eczema boys' bums - don't know if that would help much as its the out & about wipes are so great for!

Mrs_Chip

Try the yoghurt again and just give them a tiny bit, then a bit more if they are ok. If they normally have milky things and are ok it is unlikely to be an intolerance, and if it tasted ok, it had the right 'bugs' in it.

Yoghurt can be used in loads of things, especially in the summer, I use it to make salad dressings and with chilli and curries. Lidl/Aldi milk is 99p for 4 pints, so it's really cheap to make.