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

splodger_seedswapper

i always thought that i was being a skin-flint by giving loads of manure as xmas pressies a few years ago (because i knew they couldn't get any themselves - and i couldn't afford to buy pressies) but maybe it wasn't such a $hitty present afterall - i think i might sort out a trailer load of muck for a lovely old dear i know - so that she can feed her veg garden and her roses :T

mardatha

FUDDLE ! stoppit !! You have seen the light and have started the fight back !!
If you start worrying and not sleeping then all that does is makes you ill which DOES NOT HELP!
Bad Mardy smacked fuddle

fuddle

mardatha wrote: »

FUDDLE ! stoppit !! You have seen the light and have started the fight back !!
If you start worrying and not sleeping then all that does is makes you ill which DOES NOT HELP!
Bad Mardy smacked fuddle

So funny! :rotfl: I'm alright now. It's about doing isn't it. I'm now doing - New Covent Garden Soup cookbook reserved. Will cost me 30p to pick up but I will write out the good ones from it . Also just finished stitching the hooks for the room dividing throw. Need to fight the wind and getin the garage for some tacks to hammer into the wooden arch. It's going to look appauling but needs must and can be folded away when we have visitors.

The wind brought down my retractable outdoor line. I 'm not bothered because I can just reuse the line and have it permantly up, doesn't matter but it's out of bounds for now. Got all the windows open in bay window with washing on airer. I don't know if it will dry doing that but figure cirulating cold air ight be the same as circulating warm air. Watch at the end of the day I'll still have damp washing but a frozzin bedroom :rotfl: I will not put the heating on to dry washing, I will not!

I'm trying or as DH would say... VERY trying :rotfl::)

thriftwizard

Just wanted to say a big thank-you for starting this thread - as a newbie I've been reading my way through the older ones for the last 3 weeks and haven't finished yet! And didn't feel I could contribute or ask anything until I was up to speed, as it were. But this makes it manageable - I should be able to keep up in the small slices of "free" time I can get on the 'pooter.
Off to hunt up info about window-quilts now...

Mrs_Chip

Morning Peeps!

What a windy night is was, which did not help my general restlessness. Sounds mad, but I am finding the mild nights too warm! I only have my 4.5 tog duvet on, but I don't like being hot in bed (steady!:D). Plus joints are a bit achy from the axe-wielding activities. Add on the normal night-time worries that plague me when restless, and even my '3 course meal' sleep technique did not work .

Thanks for the woodpile ideas, GQ I like the wood wall one. but the garden is pretty much all on a slope, I'm no structural engineer, I have visions of it all ending up in the garden below! I do have woodpile envy though, I long to have a lovely neatly packed woodshed, how sad is that?!
And yes Red, we will end up with wood everywhere, no garage, it might have to go under the bed!

Soup - home made is so easy, there is no secret, and recipes really not necessary.

All soups start like this - chop onions and cook gently in oil or butter for 5 mins. To these you add whatever you have available:

Leek and potato - chop leek, chop potato into 1 cm cubes add to onion
Pea - bung in about 1lb frozen or 2 tins (drained) peas. plus some fresh mint, dill or coriander.
Vegetable - chop carrot, leek, parsnip, celery, add to onion with a cup of red split lentils and any herbs you have.
Butternut squash Chop, no need to peel, add to onions with some garlic and chopped fresh ginger if you have it, and 2 tsp curry powder.

To all of the above add stock, either veg or chicken to cover. Simmer till the veg are soft, about 20 mins, taste, season and blend with a stick blender, or use masher, to required smoothness.

Pimp up the bowl a bit by adding grated cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped ham or chicken - makes left-overs go much further.

Once you have made this a few times you will be able to make soup out of anything you have to use up or have lurking in your cupboards. Cheap, filling and very good for you, it is one of the best weapons we have in the war on rising prices.

ETA: note there were no quantities above - just use as much or as little as you have/need/want of averything!

Softstuff

fuddle wrote: »

I've let my battling slip and now I feel a bit overwhelmed. To think that things are this bad and predicted to get even worse scares me because 'even worse' means not able to cope at all.

Fuddle, you'll be fine. We all will. Because we're sensible, resourceful, prepared and together.

I made pea falafel for tea tonight, suprisingly good. Just when I think I've tried every frugal recipe going, another pops up. There's always more to learn.

WelshWoofer

Morning! I hope you don't mind me joining in? I've been reading through and you all seem like a very sensible and grounded lot!

Fuddle - I know what you mean about intermittant panicking - I do the same sometimes.

I'm in the process of getting divorced and its been a concerning time moneywise. I now have to manage the mortgage, bills and everything else on my salary (I'm a teacher and earn well less than £30K which may seem a lot but it seems to dribble away quite merrily).

Luckily, I've paid off all my debts and have a small saved stash for real emergencies but it would have to be an absolute disaster for me to touch it.

I keep a close eye on grocery spends and having the heating on and things like that and try to save about £150 a month but its getting harder and harder.
At the moment I'm trying to save towards redecorating my living room (carpets, decoration, curtains etc) and have £200 but need about £1000 to do the lot. Its my 40th birthday:eek: at Xmas and my parents want to give me what they gave my sister so I've asked for cash to put towards the project - I think it'll be a few hundred pounds so that will boost the pot by quite a bit.

I hope that we can help each other along and keep each other spirits up during those wobbly moments that I'm sure we all have.
Thanks to you all for your words of wisdom!

mardatha

Great post re soups Mrs Chip, I find soup a godsend. Great for cheapness and for people who hate cooking !

fuddle

mardatha wrote: »

Great post re soups Mrs Chip, I find soup a godsend. Great for cheapness and for people who hate cooking !

I agree Mardatha, thanks Mrs Chip.

I make a super broth so should have the basics but my confidence is low. I trashed a pumpkin soup adding too much pepper and my attempt at carrot and coriander was yak.

I'm eyeing up a leek and potato one. That will be what i'll attempt this coming week.

decogecko

Hi all :wave:

Another lurker on the old thread here too! I can normally found on the flylady thread.

It's just me and my 4 cats - 3 of which are elderly (19, 15 & 14) so need wet food which is the only meat I buy as I'm veggie!

I've just started to drive to Aldi every 2 weeks (28 mile round trip as it's the nearest) due to the price of the veg and other foods being so much cheaper than Mr T. I spent the same on 2 weeks worth of food at Aldi than I was for a weeks worth at Mr T. There are some items I will still get from Mr T - their value pasta for example, which was 18p, I went there yesterday - it's gone up to 25p :eek:

I've also started to batch cook the day after I've been shopping so my food wastage has gone right down as the veg doesn't have time to go off. I'm making 2 weeks worth of soup one lot goes into fridge, the other in the freezer (I come home at lunch and I'm doing SW so saving time, money & lbs!). This week I will be having carrot, onion & lentil soup, next week I will have leek, courgette & lentil soup. The lentils have been a LBM as it makes the soup more filling.

I moved into my house in April this year, so only managed to grow tomatoes this year. Next year I have plans for a veggie patch and need to dig out my Carol Klein grow your own veg book out and start a plan of action.

I've also asked my family to club together to buy me a chicken coop for my birthday in March, so it'll be chooks ahoy as well.

I seemed to have waffled on long enough, off to check the soup x