make do and mend for tougher times

Pooky

Pops - it will be fine to freeze for another time now it's cooked or to reheat later would work. I'd do it on the hob, nice and slow (oh er missus) and bring it up to a decent bubble, let it heat through well and stir lots.

elona

Pops

I would heat it on the hob for about ten minutes or so till it is simmering hot and thoroughly reheated.

Made sausage or bacon sarnies for dd and BF and another dd before they went out this morning. Other two dds have not surfaced yet.

Having a cuppa and putting feet up till we all (or most of us) set out for a drive out later. Not sure where we are going as they fancy the beach but Scarborough will be packed and they don't fancy Whitby or Redcar. Decided not to stress and just go with the flow. DH has decided he is not going anywhere so he can stay in the garden and the potting shed he would have to be surgically removed from and fend for himself.

DD phoned to say she is on way home so getting changed and looking busy!;)

Hug to all

smileyt_2

I don't know much about cooking meat but I wouldn't reheat it in the slow cooker myself. I'm sure someone will be along soon who can advise.

I only caught the last couple of hours of the ceremony last night but was thrilled to see the lesbian kiss - I thought that was very brave and supportive of the gay community. I enjoyed the bits I saw but sad I missed the Queen and James Bond. Will the ceremony be on iplayer, do you think?

Feeling a bit better today although still slightly wobbly. Am going to get back on the wagon with the diet and exercise today, honest guv!

On an OS note - I have five chilli plants on my window ledge and they all have loads of flowers and some baby chillis have started to appear :j. The plants in my little plastic greenhouse are doing ok too, and I might manage a dozen or so tomatoes ......

fuddle

A question for gardeners about my black current bush. Any help would be great.

I've read that I'm to cut back my bush (another ooooh eeer misses this morning :rotfl: sorry pops ) after the bush has fruited. All the fruit has been harvested now and wondered should I but confused as I've also read that next years fruit will appear on this years growth. :cool: I dunno what to do

Can you hold my hand through this at all?

fuddle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00w2r5c/Olympic_Ceremonies_London_2012_Online_Opening_Ceremony_no_comm/ it is

I missed the kiss smiley and wonder what else I missed. I was really pleased that the man who was behind www. was show cased, I had no idea. My favourite bit (other than giggles at Mr Bean) was when the steel makers made the olympic rings. I did love the lush and green meadow too, the copper petals were stunning and all the flags together on the green hill was superb. That handing over the torch to the youngsters was a lovely touch and we all gave a 'aw' when Sir Steve Redgrave took the torch for the last time.

As a GB-er I found it brilliant, I would like to hear what the rest of the world said about it. I hope the feedback is positive and that they understood the meanings behind it all.

boultdj

Blackcurrent fruit's on older wood fuddle,just cut out any broken branch's or any that are growing toward's the middle or crossing other branch's and rubbing them. The bush is suppose to be open in the middle to let air circulate and a old style tip which come's in handy if you want more blackcurrent bush's and that is to pot on your cutting's, that's how my Mum ended up with 17 bush's when she had only bought 2 . hth

Popperwell

Thanks for all the advice Pooky, SmileyT, Elona. I have learnt so much and am using more of my food that I might have thrown out.

I may treat myself to a Sunday lunch(or whenever I have it)tomorrow. Better have some cereal and fruit soon, possibly a coffee and some toast. May have some salad later. And that meal tonight.

It's funny it's not deliberate but I don't seem to eat or have time for much chance to eat "Desserts" or biscuits for that matter...so they are the most likely to be thrown out if they go past their dates...

There's no rush to do do anything, I don't have to go out so I'll potter about whilst I can, sometime in the future those that hold my purse strings may have other ideas so time i can do what I wish is precous.

One of the anons on my blog loves to keep having a go that I don't get out and do something, spend too much time at home alone...but as I say if your income is limited, no transport what can you do apart from sitting in cafe/on a seat in the town centre people watching or a bit of shopping and when you come home and close the door we all do the same things...watch tv, listen to the radio, cook, read a book, go on the ineternet, sleep etc...so why is that he/she thinks I am different? I hope to do more but I have to be careful as if I look too capable that could affect the help receive. You always feel that someone may be watching.

On my blog to some extent my life is laid bare but we never find out what anon's situation is so I'm an easy target. But even people who work often do no more than me because they have a low income or through working, they haven't a lot of spare leisure time.

When you work the routine usually means the only time you have to do what you want after you have your meal is 7pm-11pm weeknights. Otherwise you sleep and get up to go to work, come home have an evening meal and end up in front of the tv. And most days are the same.

Or if fortunate you hopefully try to get some quality time with loved ones...

They keep saying we work too much(long hours)and family time is important or time to recharge your batteries/emotional well being but the policies of the Government and the employers make it difficult to do that. Or you can't afford to work less.

I don't think it's much better if you are self employed with all the regulations you have to meet.

Mrs_Chip

Morning all!

We watched the opening and thought it was good, but did wonder what the rest of the world would make of the very British cultural references, but then some previous have been very obscure .

Fuddle - if you can I-player it, Monty Don showed how and when to prune blackcurrants on last nights Gardeners World (I love Monty and his dog Nigel:p).

I can only count my blessings that we don't have to claim anything from the state, dealing with the inequality and incompetence would drive me over the edge. I feel so sorry and cross for those who are being treated so unfairly.

As for those Post Office plans, !!!!!! do they think people are going to do - not only are they planning to get rid of the ability of the smaller offices dealing with overseas post, but cash payments too?

So many people rely on the PO for paying bills and checks in, do they really expect the elderly and disable to trek to their nearest town, often at great expense just to pay bills???

The more I read such things the more I want to run to the hills and live the life of a hermit, the idiocy of those in power beggars belief and there comes a point when railing against them totally defeating.

On that happy note, have a good day everyone!

fuddle

Ah, thanks boult I will do that yes, and I do intend to pot on some cuttings as this is a rented house and we don't intend on staying here indefinitely. I'd like to take some fruits of my labour with me. Pun definitely intended.

Mrs C, i'll hunt it out. Thank you. I used to watch Gardeners World religiously every Friday night and looked forward to the magazine monthly. I was 28 ish- 30. I had a new build garden and it was a blank canvas. I learned so much about flowering plants and how to design an interesting space. I was more upset at leaving my garden behind than I was about losing the house I think. Now my tack has changed and need to learn about a productive garden. I'm no longer bothered about pretty, although I expect it will come back if I ever get my own space again.

Evie74_2

Good morning all and (((hugs))) to anyone in need, and especially those living in dread of brown envelopes on the doormat

It's taken me over an hour to catch up with all your posts this morning - definitely two coffees' worth! A good read though...

On the subject of people feeling grown up, my lovely grandmother always used to tell me that she couldn't believe the old lady in the mirror was her as she still felt 17 inside. I don't feel any more grown up now than I did when I was 17 - more experienced and cynical maybe, and burdened with more responsibility (children, career, bills, worries) - but essentially I'm the same person and I think I always will be.

The kitchen renovation continues apace. My house is very dusty, and I will be glad to have my space back as there are things piled up all over the place. I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination but at the moment my house looks like one of those you see on TV where the resident has to tunnel through piles of stuff just to get to the next room...

I watched the Olympic opening ceremony last night, along with most of the rest of the world! I am not into all the hype/bells/whistles of the games themselves but thought that as a spectacle it was really well done. I don't know whether the wider world would have picked up all the cultural/historical references and it will be interesting to see reactions from abroad. I was glad to see the NHS being celebrated as for all its faults it is a very special thing and it's good to be reminded of that. I thought the Queen was a trooper too!

Have good days all

Evie xx