make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

Hi florence

pops I would be concerned about your body kicking into starvation mode because it's not getting enough energy to survive. I know a lady can have 1200 cals a day (at my size 14-16, 5'3") and that is when dieting.

As you have health issues I would stay well clear of anything that may just mess your insides around. I'm a cautious Annie when it comes to getting the balance right though because I know it effects my mood.

turnip seeds bought But the patch I was planning for them is covered in bindweed again. I don't know how to deal with this stuff.

GreyQueen

Fuddle, bindweed has been recorded as having roots up to 30 feet deep and been found in the bottom of wells, so it's a absolute burger. It can also regenerate from a millimeter of root and will survive composting unharmed so whatever you do, don't put it in your compost bin.

There are 2 kinds, common bindweed, which has smaller leaves and small pale pink and white trumpet like flowers and greater bellbind aka Granny-pop-out-of-bed aka Hellweed which has much larger leaves, purplish stems instead of light green ones and huge pure white trumpet flowers.

Both are absolute blinking pests. I don't know where you stand in chemicals in your food patch (my stance is no way, Jose) but if you want to control it manually, the best way is to delve it up with a fork and bin it. It has a lot of roots, which sometimes curl like bedsprings. Greater bellbind is similar but the roots are a bit thicker.

As you may have gathered, I have both kinds. I pull it up on sight and delve after it's roots with a fork whenever I'm clearing ground, but my lottie was derelict for several years and hosts some truly horrible weeds.

It's a pest but it could be worse......it could be horsetail. I have that, too.:rotfl:I tell myself as I toil with it that it's character forming. Or possibly Zen. I'm hoping it's making me a better and more patient person..............

Hi florence, welcome to the thread.

Mrs_Chip

Fuddle -bindweed is a nightmare. If you are happy to use chemicals you can stick some canes in the patch you want to clear and let the bindweed grow up them (it loves to go up things!) then paint the leaves with a glysophate based weedkiller.

I cleared my London garden of bindweed by simply pulling up the plant every time I saw it - there we some evenings when I was out for ages as the rule was I could not go in leaving any spotted plants untouched. The bindweed was in with plants I wanted to keep so weedkiller would have been difficult. After several weeks it had all but gone - by keep taking the top growth off the plant eventually runs out of energy. But this method does need persistence!

The roots will shoot from any break, so digging/pulling up can only really be done if the ground is clear and you can dig out all the root run.

Popperwell

So Fuddle...how did your experiment come out with the Halogen oven and are using it today? Did you get any accessories at all? Or nothing?

Think its a chicken, bacon and leek pie with mashed potato on top for me tonight in the microwave...might have ice cream and strawberries. Or cheese and biscuits. Might add some brandy to my coffee:p

Popperwell

Remember don't wash the glass bowl under it's cooled down and it will be very hot so don't burn yourself!

short_bird

fuddle wrote: »

pops I would be concerned about your body kicking into starvation mode because it's not getting enough energy to survive. I know a lady can have 1200 cals a day (at my size 14-16, 5'3") and that is when dieting.

Hi, Fuddle! I believe Pops is referring to this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01lxyzc/Horizon_20122013_Eat_Fast_and_Live_Longer/

I saw the programme last night and, although it sounds as if it doesn't fit with some accepted wisdoms, it seems to be a way forward. However, they weren't looking as "dieting as losing weight" but "dieting to reduce visceral fat, cholesterol levels and putting your body into DNA repair mode rather than cell growth mode".

Have a look at the programme; one male interviewee eats 1900 calories a day and has done for years with no noticeable ill effects so far. Not to mention the Americans who were on restricted diets due to the 1930's agricultural shortages and poverty and added 6 years to their lifespans:eek:
It's interesting stuff.

Shropshirelass

Hi all, been thinking of you all while I lurked the last few days.

I watched the Horizon programme on Monday night Pops - very interesting, when you consider that people have recommended fasting for centuries. I think you have to consider that anyone on regular medication should be very careful of making changes to their daily food intake, which would affect their metabolism, and consequently affect the way their body absorbs medicines.

That said, I'm sure we (I'm thinking of hubby and me) eat a lot more than we need, and would benefit from a few days a week on soup and salad. In fact I have started making porridge for breakfast, and intend to keep it up now everyday.

fuddle

It's growing where my rhubarb is so weedkiller is a no no. I'm just going to keep cutting it down as soon as it starts to grow. From what I remember in biology a plant needs sunlight to grow, if it's starved of light then maybe it won't grow? Stakes in the ground is a great idea. At least I can see where it's growing from with the leaves growing up and not along the soil.

It's got green stems by the way.

pops the halogen crusted my shepherds pie beautifully. I over egged the lard in the yorkshires so they became a heavy soggy mess. One ramekin had a beautifully made bread and butter pudding, the other still liquid (two different ramekins, one obviously thicker I dunno) My chips last night were still raw in the middle with a few of them but tasted quite nice the ones that were cooked. I just need to learn timings/visuals/appropriate heats. I'm positive it will be a success it time. it's me, rather than the oven.

Going to try chips again for lunch with fish fingers.

I'm doing a chicken and potatoes in there this evening.

Toaster has blown, typical! Can halogen do toast? :rotfl:

Mrs_Chip

Fuds - yes it can, my oven instructions had it as the first thing to try - but it did seem to take ages! On the high rack.

GreyQueen

Fuddle, I once attended a talk given by gardening expert Bob Flowerdew (lovely bloke btw) who is an organic gardener. What he said about weeds is that if you keep cutting the tops off/ pulling them up, you eventually weaken the roots to such an extent that they won't be able to produce more growth.

Since I'd need a JCB to get to the bottom of the horsetail root run (six feet deep) and possibly assistance from Time Team to get under the bindweeds, it's the philosophy I'm following. It works, but slowly. You have to play the long game when gardening.

Which is why I call it character-forming. I can be found most weeks on my lottie, bent over weeds, muttering to myself "I digs it up, I digs it up and I digs it up again."

Yeah, probably due to be sectioned any day now.