make do and mend for tougher times

Cheapskate

Morning all

Just saying hello, as I'm only half way through the thread :eek:

I know we can all talk, but bu99er me, every time I go to this thread there's more to catch up on!! I WILL catch up today, and become a fully paid up member of the tougher thread! :rotfl:

GQ - sympathies again re the slugs, the little bu99ers have had most of my (admittedly small) crop of spuds, all my onions, all my brassica seedlings, only seedling left is 1 lonely basil plant!

I'm already starting to stock up on flour, pasta, rice, lentils, etc, etc.... think this winter will be very expensive!

Off to catch up some more.

A xo

Mrs_Chip

Morning Campers.

Overcast here in the west, and looks like it will be until Friday :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad. Wretched jet stream is still in the wrong place for us. Oh well will have to do chores rather than mess about on the water .

When we lived in London we were regularly kept awake by car and house alarms, and even worse, the police helicopter that used to circle above the house for hours on end (nothing to do with us!). Don't miss that one bit.

Spoke to Mrs OG about the gooseberries - the plot thickens as she thinks a trough underneath the bush has been moved, and is convinced someone has been in and nicked them. As if battling slugs, snails and birds is not enough :mad:.

I am going to start buying tins and bags of staples as a hedge against the price rises - I have got quite a good stash of some things but will add to it each week. I will need to get some plastic boxes to store flour and sugar as it is so damp here. It looks like we might get a reasonable runner bean crop, so will freeze as many as possible. The cavolo nero and purple sprouting broccoli are doing well so will have some greens over winter. I will also have another go with sowing some carrots.

fuddle

Mrs C who is Mrs OG? I often wonder.

My mam is here and wonders never cease. Mrs 'I'm not frugal or think about eventualities' has walked in my house with Coop bakery choc chip cookies for 30p instead of £1.25. She picked them up last night and "thought I'd put them in the microwave to soften up a bit" She got a hug for that one Also, we are having hotdogs for lunch and stew and dumplings for tea. She proceeded to write a shopping list for the ingredients and I said "mam I have the lot in the wonder cupboard!" Mince and bread buns defrosting She's actually proud of me for once in her life. All that has changed is her way of thinking not mine. Really pleased

Kittikins

Hoorah to your mum opening her eyes

[Deleted User]

incredibly deep blue sky today and have started to water troughs and smaller pots. Will feed chillis today and have started to add couple of drops of washing up liquid to watering can. Too hot lately for making big blanket, so on hold for now

Enjoyed wearing a kaftan, only at home mind, as was very cool. Great value at around £25. Will last for many years at this rate

Dehydrating going strong, very happy with progress

Fuddle I am glad you had a pat on the back, well deserved

bossymoo

Morning All!

Very bright and gusty here is yorkshire, have had to prop the back doors open as they are swinging about like nobodys business. Have got wm on and it's perfect drying weather. Just hope my pegs hold!

Need to defost my FF this aft, that will be interesting, it's a bit big for me to lift outside and it doesn't have one of those channels to collect all the drips. Usually end up making a right old mess! (ETA no it's me who is a numpty, there is a channel. Still making a mess though...)

Nearly blew away this morning, am wearing a dress (omg!) and thankfully cropped leggings underneath, haha. Otherwise I may have had a few blushing moments stood outside nursery, lol

We have plenty of spuds / cereal in stock, and pasta and rice. Not big users of veg oil or sugar, whats going on in the world?

mama67

kittie wrote: »

incredibly deep blue sky today and have started to water troughs and smaller pots. Will feed chillis today and have started to add couple of drops of washing up liquid to watering can. Too hot lately for making big blanket, so on hold for now

Fuddle I am glad you had a pat on the back, well deserved

Kittie, why are you adding washing up liquid to the watering can please?

elona

Looks as if it is going to be a nice day so sofa cushion covers are drying on line ready for me to wrestle, punch and fight them back into place later.

DD has gone off to work with home made chicken and veg pasta salad in lock and lock box. Youngest arrives home from foreign parts in early hours of tomorrow and DD who lives down sarf is coming home for weekend. :j

Have carrots, onions and gravy from yesterday so going to make a big yorkshire pud to use it up for lunch. DH is digging up potatoes and onions for later. I have lamb mince and plan to add peppers, onions, grated carrot, mushrooms etc to make a huge spag bol type base. DH and DD can have it as savoury mince with mash on top and other DD and me can have it as spag bol. Hoping there will be enough for a hot lunch tomorrow for two of us.

Mardatha

Thanks for the warning about crops. One thing I do have is lentils, bread flour, salt and sugar but need to stock up on more pasta, rice etc probably from AF. DH has just admitted the huge bag of rice has got lost in the move ( he means he was fed up seeing it, does not like rice so tossed it but life is too short to shout at him so will get more and make sure it is in kitchen cupboards and in glass or plastic jars so he is not tempted to dispose of it!)

Going to browse on AF later, pin my ears back and go for it. Anyone who has problems with me stocking up to save time. money and effort - tough!!! Especially as when I make home made lentil soup and bread they will wolf it down. DH is getting like six dinner sid for meals and snacks but is losing weight because of all the exercise in garden. He looks like there is a famine and I look like I caused it.;)

fuddle

I am so pleased you are being appreciated :T

Going to mix batter now so see you all later and hugs

adelight

greyqueen have you thought about eating the snails? If you have an old tank or bucket and muslim you can keep them for a week feed them peelings and oats, then starve for two days (i think) before eating. My council suggests it but I have yet to try it.

I'm guessing I will need to hit the shops in the mornings to have a chance at getting much pasta and rice... without the car

grandma247

All is not lost have a look at this link this this and this If you can't afford to do it this year you could buy a bit each week from now to put together next year.

The main problem has been the wet. If we can control how much water falls on the plants the they should have more vigorous and earlier growth just like we have had in the greenhouse. You will still have to have snail and slug protection but at least the plants will have a fighting chance and your growing season can be extended because there are plenty of things that will overwinter.