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

meanmarie

Spent €14.10 in Lidl yesterday, not buying anything else for a while as we have so much in we could live for a month I reckon and am going to try as I went so off the scale with last 2 months!

Marie

kidcat

Fuddle - we have a condenser dryer, I bought in our last house, as washing just did not dry there at all. The previous house we hardly used the dryer and it was only there for emergencies but when we moved it broke and I discovered that if I wanted dry clothes we had to have a dryer. Since then we have moved again and whilst washing does dry here there is not so much space so alot of stuff ends up in the dryer. With six of us, its just not possible to get everything washed and dried indoors with out converting the whole house into a drying room. I look on it as a necessary evil, when its dry we hang washing out but when it rains its in the dryer.
Its not as bad on electricity as our previous one either and doesnt cost as much I thought it would to run - being a condenser it doesnt need an outside vent either which means it can go anywhere which in the last house was a major bonus - I had it in the hall to throw the heat all over the house, and it worked a treat. Now its in the utility room as this house is so much warmer its not needed, so the cats make excellent use of it and sit on top grinnning from ear to ear with joy, whilst toasting nicely.

gardenia101

Will try & post again & hope it works....

I will try chopping onions with my contact lenses in & see if it makes a difference - feel a bit thick that I didn't think of it myself

Regarding my stockpile - well I'm not sure it deserves that title :rotfl:as it isn't as grand as most of yours. I do try & keep some tins as I found it difficult to get to the shops last winter in the snow, even though I'm not too far from a few expensive corner shops. But I struggle while shopping as I can't see the prices so don't know if I'm getting a good deal . I go to Aldi every other week on the bus with my trolley, so not far to walk (& the 2.5hours round trip gives me time to listen to a book). I'm envious of those with more choice, but I've also stopped buying so much carp just because it's there. Very MSE.

I think it is a good idea to stockpile food though - prices are crazy & I love the feeling of security it gives me. Not so MSE but I do have a milkman & I feel this has saved me money as I don't just pop out for milk (& all the other bits that fall into my basket attracted by the milk). I wonder if he'll get through in the snow?

I have a fish curry bubbling in my SC & bread in my BM, so feeling happy that I've got my harris in gear today. Curry smells so nice that I've had to leave the kitchen as it's making me too hungry. Just need to try & finish the gloves I'm knitting for DD Xmas pressie now. I learnt to knit before my sight problems, so can do OK even if I'm slow but when I go wrong I'm scuppered as I can't always see what I've done wrong :mad: Lots of cussing & wrenching off needles going on!

I'm enjoying this thread so much - thanks to all the posters. :beer:

7_week_wonder

Afternoon everyone,

I'm sitting here with a hot water bottle and a quilt over me catching up with posts and musing on food preparations for mid-Winter. My mum will be with us for at least 3 weeks so I'm getting a head start on preparing casseroles and stuff.

At the moment I've got oxtail cooking in the slow cooker (felt very grown-up as I actually had to ask the butcher if they'd got any cos I couldn't see it on display), I've just whizzed up a batch of spicy butternut squash soup (with skin left on and it worked a treat - thanks so much for that tip!). Next on the list is a big batch of mince with tinned toms etc which can be made into spag bol, lasagne, cottage pie etc etc and then finally it's some softstuff chickpea curry for supper. That will do for today!

Only a little bit of snow here, but enough to make cleaning out the hens not a particularly fun task this morning!

Preparedathome, I was looking at your blog this morning, which is lovely: any chance of that bakewell tart recipe?

And a general question to the great wise folk on here: I seem to have several burst blood vessels in my nose, which has interesting consequences every time I blow my nose (sorry - TMI!) I use cloth hankies - so what does everyone reckon is the best OS way of pre-soking/washing them to get them in a fit state to use again.

Have a good afternoon everyone and try and stay warm.

mardatha

I just want somebody who is peeling onions holding the potato slice in teeth and wearing goggles to post a pic please.

Kimsmum

mardatha wrote: »

I just want somebody who is peeling onions holding the potato slice in teeth and wearing goggles to post a pic please.

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

kidcat

GreyQueen wrote: »

I strongly suspect that the products originate in the same factories and are identical under the wrappers. Could you decant into jars before he sees it and tell him it's the T one even if it's not?:rotfl:

This is very true GQ, my husband has worked in several food production places and he says its sometimes a slightly changed recipe if the store has specifically requested it but otherwise the same item in different packaging. And to be honest he admits that the stuff that should have the changed recipe often gets forgotten and the same stuff sent out.:rotfl:

Its a dark horrible wet and windy day here, am not venturing out as am still not fully well, and dont want to risk catching anything else. Have managed to do most of the Christmas present shopping online, and a few bits while I nipped out yesterday. Aiming to get last bits this week and be finished before starting tree and decorations next weekend.

Trying to persuade our temporary kittie resident that wandering downstairs into the kitchen wont kill her but as she has a pathological dog phobia (she lives with a horrible yappy thing that chases her and barks) she is proving difficult as it means walking past our big daft labrador.
As she has decided that OH is her human slave and follows him everywhere (hilarious as he really not that fond of cats at all) I am trying to teach him how to encourage/coax/bribe her to go down. Its not going well.

After a week with two littlies off school and two sets of antibiotics each they are going back to school tomorrow with strict instructions not to let them out at break or lunch. Its DD5 school play this week and she would hate to miss it so have decided to risk sending her in.
DS13 is also going back to school this week having had half a week off again. He will be off to the one to one isolation area having not coped in the normal class with no voice - six weeks after he lost his voice no sign of it returning. So have had to beg school to accommodate him outside of normal classes.

Am waiting for our approved food delivery this week before stocktaking and planning our big Christmas food shop - am hoping that I can do what I managed last year and buy enough food that I didnt need to shop (other than bread and milk) at all in January, which paid off our overdraft last year.

Have also decided to MOT the big car this week, its due first week in January so am hoping that by getting it done now I can avoid the panic, that usually follows Christmas trying to find a day when the MOT station is open and that the mechanic is working.

Can I also remind people to move the snow shovel into range before any signs of snow. So many people last year we knew were left shovel less after storing it in the shed - but they couldnt get there.

parsniphead

GreyQueen wrote: »

I strongly suspect that the products originate in the same factories and are identical under the wrappers. Could you decant into jars before he sees it and tell him it's the T one even if it's not?:rotfl:

Completely true but trying to tell some people is like banging your head against the wall.I need to get a new spaghetti jar after I smashed to last one.I do decant cheapo shampoo into his posh shampoo bottle. Tee hee.;)

Back to making a list of what I need to get for my stores.

I hope everyone is keeping warm.

WeegieWumman

westcoastscot wrote: »

it's snowing really heavily here and very dark - between that and the landslip closing our one major road in those tougher times have arrived!
It's quite spooky, the dark, actually
WCS

Poor you!
Is this the third or the fourth landslip you've had in the past three years?:eek:
Hope the road opens again soon.

Frugalista

Nice clear day here, bright, but quite a cold wind.

OH is outside at the moment trying to patch up his car. As he was coming home the other night, a large fox shot out of the hedge right in front of him and the resultant collision smashed all the front section of his car :eek: . Luckily the headlights and radiator are ok but the rest is all broken (fibre glass?) so he's busy with tape, cable ties and glue. Hopefully it will tide us over until we can afford a new front end.

LOL!! He's just popped in complaining that one of the pups keeps stealing his tools and three of the other dogs jump in the back of the car every time he opens the tailgate! :rotfl::rotfl:

Regarding the 'stockpile', I think it is a combination of (a) growing up in a tiny village in the back of beyond in North Wales (one bus a week to town on market day); (b) living where I do now - still extremely rural, miles from shops and regularly snowed in (2 weeks last year); (c) the realisation that food is rapidly increasing in price and interest rates on savings are virtually non existent. I take advantage of offers, 'specials', etc, to stock up - knowing full well that in a month's time that same food could cost me double!! :eek::eek::eek:

To me, that's money in my pocket :money:.