make do and mend for tougher times

short_bird

mama67 wrote: »

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

Might be to ward off pests such as aphids.

grandma247

For all who have Asian shops near Ramadan is set to end around the 19th of August. Look out for bargains as it is like christmas.here with lots of great offers.

Mrs_Chip

Fuddle - Mrs OG is Mrs Old Gent. Old Gent is the 93 year-old who lives next door. He has a live-in girlfriend so she is Mrs OG!

A drop of WU liquid in the plant water makes it absorbed easier by the soil when it is dry. Some plant foods have it added. Especially good for pots that are very susceptible to drying right out.

We have a toad! Just found it in the yard. Will make sure I leave plenty of leaf litter (yard get full of leaves as it is all trees and bushes above and has to be cleared out on a regular basis, it all goes up to the garden).

jamanda

Good Morning everyone,

I've been topping up my stocks (quietly to avoid the hilarity last time I was caught). Luckily DH seems to have shifted over from the hilarity to asking if I want a hand carrying stuff around :eek:

I reckon I have enough for us two to keep us going for a while, but DD + 3 kids thinks I am bonkers and doesn't keep anything in, and says she couldn't afford it anyway. Priorities !!!!!

If trouble hits, I know blooming well where she will end up, so I'm trying to keep DH on board and not let DD know I'm still stocking, or she'll think it doesn't matter as I have enough for everyone. If "everyone" wants feeding, it won't last long.

I've mentioned in conversation loads of times about how hard times are acoming and recently the crop problems this year, and it all goes straight over her head. She thinks I'm just a pessimist and seeking out bad news I think.

Getting a bit irritated because as my DD she ought to be able to see beyond the end of her pretty nose and look to security for kids in all aspects.

Sunshine4

Morning everyone.
It hasnt stopped raining here since 3pm yesterday, its dull, damp, dark and wet. Could I please have a share of your sun please.

Mardatha. Thank you for that link, I will go through my cupboard and write I long list of what I really need to get. I have made 35pounds on ebay so will use that to buy some extra food. I will be careful what I buy as money is very tight with no job.

elona

Had just got out of shower when I heard our smoke alarm going crazy. The roasting tray has set it off when someone left the kitchen door open. Had to race downstairs festooned in bath sheets and thanking providence we were not overlooked!:eek:

Huge yorkie is now in oven and it is such a nice day I am going to wear my new sundress and eat in the garden. Dress is in lovely blue and green pattern , long and floaty - and the best bit - cost all of a pound in a new charity type sale.:j

Just checked in cupboard and gosh do I have lentils! Going to use some in savoury mince and make lentil pate later in week. DH tried bought mackeral pate yesterday (YS) and loved it so going to try to make my own sometime and experiment a bit.

Have learnt never to say (except to DH) that something was a bargain but instead to say I am trying a new recipe while giving everyone the idea it is a treat and a special effort.

Hugs

prepareathome

Well just actually done a AF order - never bothered before as B&M usually sell the same things but pain has been a bit of a pain lately so only getting out to shops once a week tops so missing out on bargains so with free delivery thought I would go for it so spent a whopping £42.

Has anyone used the tinned margarine? I thought might be handy to keep in stock as cannot get tinned butter so easily. Went mad and order the 12 pack cous cous med herb flavour, never tried flavoured one before I usually by plain and tart it up myself. According to them I am saving £68 well no as would not buy some of the things as to dear at full price lol. Getting 72 items but lots of them are catering size like the vegetable suet so might transfer them into Lock and Lock containers when they arrive ( 3 -4 weeks unfortunately but a good price so worth the wait).

I have been amazingly lucky with regards slugs and snails this year I have definitely had far, far less, in fact never seen so few by this time last year I had nothing left in the garden at all - potatoes were eaten as they grew. I literally harvested 10 peas in the pod and that was it they ate everything else including my flowers.

I don't know if its I have been more pro-active ( and spent a fortune) on buying the blue slug pellets ( the ones safe for pets and children and classed as organic) and been using them constantly since February. As hubby keep reminding me would have been far, far cheaper to go and buy organic produce but as then i keep reminding him I enjoy my gardening and its been great going out and digging up my potatoes this weekend and getting them in dehydrator - its on now and will get some more up today, hopefully, to boil and mash and freeze.

Friend came round yesterday and so we wandered around the vegetable patch and I found a snail on a cabbage, it soon was an ex snail, I keep stones by the beds and I just them to stand on said snails. Not seen any slugs at all only the few snails. She went home with a good few pounds of potatoes straight up from the ground and a lettuce that had grown so big it weighed just over 2lbs - it was solid, I have never ever managed to get any that have more than a dozen leaves before the pests get to them and have still 5 more of them in their pots. Only damage on outside leaves is from birds as I have seen them picking at them - might enlarge fruit cage for next year and put lettuces in there as I am not using all the bamboo poles that came with it.

grandma thanks for the links - I bought two large fruit cages last year in a sale but found even one is to big for back garden so used less of the poles. So am thinking if I can get plastic to cover it I could turn it into a hoop/polytunnel as its an oval shape and you can stand up in it so that would save me a fortune. Snag is at moment no - where to put it as inside garden it would stand out like a sore thumb as on show, but once the hedges start to get some height I could put it out there so going to see if they mention on the box the exact side of netting supplied with said fruit cage and then start pricing the plastic so I have it ready to use in the future. I would chance it now but knowing this area someone would be on to the council complaining I have put a structure up in side garden - we are in a conservation area and walls or fences can only be 1m tall and no structures of any type to be on show in front ( or side as well) hence me now having had the hedges planted last December, oh why didn't I do that years ago, but then thought of keeping all hedges trimmed was to much and side garden then was only filled with grass and used by boys to play football. As I needed 100 hedges I could only afford 1m bare root plants and although about 90 of them have taken it will be a few years before they hide anything from view. Mind you at the moment thanks to son not cutting the grass and I have not seen the guy who does my garden around nor has he knocked and his mobile just rings and rings the grass is taller than the hedges. Just hoping all is well with gardener as his wife suffers from Bi-polar disorder and can get very bad at times. That is why he took up gardening he needed a job where he could take time off to be with her when she was bad and be there to look after their children who are now mid teenagers. I have his address but never gone to his house and don't like to, just most unusual not seeing him around for weeks.

Isn't it just typical nice weather arrives at last and ME fatigue hits - yesterday when out in back garden with friend legs gave way and I had to be half carried, half lifted by hubby and friend ( she is one of these 4ft nothing tiny women aged 70 who can put most tall and strong men to shame) where I stayed till 7am this morning. Bathroom was to far to go so got hubby to bring the portapotty into the bedroom and used it ( sorry TMI) but at least its useful.

Its driving me nuts trying to get a good weather day and me feeling good to combine it always either one or other most of the time - hence me digging up potatoes in the pouring rain the other day or attacking the grass with a machete at 4am ( only out there half hour tops with rests and it knocked me for rest of the week - but that was pain flare not fatigue :mad:. It then gives hubby a reason to go on at me to find a more gentle hobby.

So now waiting until energy builds up again and hopefully get those potatoes up, well some of them.

Freegle acquired freezer seems to be working well - filled at moment with YS bread from Mr S on Saturday ( 10p a loaf no matter what size or make) so perfect as couldn't make it that cheap and stops freezer running empty. Its not massive just 3 drawers but decent size and depth. My study is looking more and more like a shop with the bookcase with my food stores and another shelf unit with cleaning bits and bobs and now a freezer in there. There are also the big plastic boxes that have the sacks of flour in them and another with packet food items like rice and pasta.

Right willl shut up now and post this - I start to write and go away and come back over time hence you get such big posts.

Hugs and love to all xxxxx

kezlou

Fuddle great news!!!, you'd make a lovely childminder. If you would like me to i could pass your details on to a few people i know. They work all over the place so could post your details up on the workplace boards.

I was looking into childminding myself, but i decided my house is to much of a hazard so thought maybe in a few years once everything is finished.

Had a lovely weekend, brit gas came and the engineer came and filled the tank with gas. So hopefully the pressure will stay up. If not i'll have to call them again
We went to my MIL's for tea, ended up sitting in her garden in the sunshine:) Didn't come home with any goodies though as all the strawbs and veg have just been stunted by the rain, lack of sun and slugs.
Went to Sunderland air show, the boys thought it was great seeing the red arrows Not a bad day, warm but windy, lovely by the coast.

Today no idea what were doing, its windy but warm, so might go to the park for a mooch about.


haha yeah thats the were thinking of going to Is it really that bad? The people we might be going with are super cheap so won't pay for anything unless they have to. Shame really as Goathland was one of the few places where you could have a campfire too.

kidcat - what a nightmare with the ceiling.

[Deleted User]

If anyone wants lentils to stock up on my local Mr.T has a 2kg pack for £1.99p in the 'World Foods' section at the moment. Seems like a good price for that much. Cheers Lyn.

SDG31000

Afternoon all

Kittikins wrote: »

I read that article too and groaned.....then opened an email from AF; free delivery if you spend £40 until the olympic torch is lit. Good for couscous, tins of soup etc.

Kittikins I'm not sure if I should say thank you or hold off until DH sees a massive box of bread mixes, hot chocolate and naan breads, among other things. I blame DS2 for egging me on and not having eaten yet today. Even DS1 stopped disagreeing when I told him about all the crops failing and food prices going up. AF have Mr Mash for 2 for £1. This is the only dehydrated potato that DS1 would eat when he was little, in fact it was the only potato product he would eat. Now he only eats french fries. I like it made with milk and butter and lots of black pepper

:T fuddle I'm so glad that your Mom was nice to you and I think the child minding is a great idea.

PAH and kidcat I hope you feel better soon xxx

Well life continues as normal here. DS1 has switched from Fallout New Vagas to Borderlands and that's about as exciting as it gets. I've had a vile headache that keeps coming and going for the past few days. I thinks it's a combination of high air pressure and the increase in the pollen count :mad:
I'm really hoping DH doesn't say anything about the AF order. Some of it is for Christmas presents, (I'm going to package up the hot chocolate to go with homemade marshmallows, sprinkles, choc dipped spoons and the makings of smores), and for the In laws. I'm sure some more of it will get passed along to various people as well.

I'd better go and eat something before I order more stuff :eek:

Take care xxxxx