make do and mend for tougher times

jpscloud

Fuddle glad you are enjoying the halogen oven... Mrs C is right, you do have to turn/move things around/baste a bit. I thought with the fan it would cook really evenly but when you put several slices of bread in there to toast on the high rack, you'll see where the hot spots are.

I guess it's too much to ask for even browning really, given that it's small, economical and fast, and I'm not like my dad who famously took toasters back four times because they didn't brown his toast evenly!

By the way I have some of the large bindweed growing, I don't trouble it too much but snip off the stems at the ground. The next ones that grow are much much smaller and weaker, and I just do that for the summer. It always grows again the following year, but isn't spreading.

Mrs_Chip

Just teach the little 'uns what Bindweed looks like and tell them there is a prize for the one who picks the most by weight/longest stem etc!

prepareathome

Grey Queen, Grandma247,Florence22,Valk_Scott

Thank you for the info on my machines.....going to get dressed soon as am going to toddle across to newsagent( not got over there by myself for quite a while but feel up to it today:j ) to top up our electric - its 2mins walk but across that busy road, but lunchtime is the quietest time. Then when I come back will get out electric machine and have a good old dig around in bobbin area for stray threads etc and check feed dogs, put in new needle and see if that helps.

There is a singer shop in the city so I do want to go into it sometime or other(I make a list over months and usually get there once a year ) so will put it on my list to go to and make sure I have all the relevant details of my singer so they can hopefully advise me about motors for it. I will remember about motor size as it does live below its table all neatly packed away.

Thank you all hugs and Love xxxx

Pooky

Morning all - just :wave:

I watched the programme on fasting too, very interesting. I decided to give it a go and am doing the two days fast and then normal food for 5 days. Yesterday I had just black tea and water until the evening when it was a 400 calorie meal of chicken breast and veg with fresh fruit for pud....I could actually tell when I was full (which is a new experience for me). I didn't really feel hungry at all, the odd pang but I'd stick the kettle on, get my crochet out or go find something to do until it passed. Woken up this morning with no hunger at all, the dark circles under my eyes have disappeared and I'm raring to go! This is something that will work for me and knowing it can decrease the risk of 7 cancers (according to the programme and what I've read) and cholesterol etc then it's got to be worth a go.

I'm also hoping it will help me realise my portion sizes when I'm back to eating normally and of course help the bank balance a bit.

In other news have just been to physio with DH, a waste of time as they referred him back to the GP (I'm a big fan of the NHS but the waste of money in referring people back and forth is astounding). Had an email from Qui*c0 to say I have a £62 payment due this month, going to use that towards the coal I need to order, £106 for it to be delivered so now aim to find some bits to sell to make up the difference which will save taking the coal money from my savings account!:T

Shropshirelass

Pops I'm sure smaller portions, and simple uncomplicated recipes would be good. I love trying out new recipes though. I worry about hubby who gets sort of tetchy if his food is late, a bit like going hypo. You would have to be careful about losing concentration if looking after children or driving. It seemed such a good idea but not as easy as it seems!!

MiL's ancient barometer showed 'warm and dry' this morning so I took the spare room curtains down to wash, now its gone all cold and gloomy.

mardatha

Oh thankfully I haven't got bindweed, never seen that here. I've got buttercups, dont know proper name, but they grow everywhere and spread like mad. And dockens .
I have a problem. I bought a frozen pastry in Sainsbugs (after embarrassing the RV by squeaking aloud at the price ) and I chucked it in the freezer. But it's too big for just the two of us. How can I use half of it without throwing the other half away?

prepareathome

Meme, what a beautiful post, thank you .......we do all come together here, we can see through the governments attempt at divide and conquer.

Its a lovely day here, just hoping it stays that way so I can get some washing out, I love my bedding line dried but not been able to do it often this year so far. Dogs will not be amused as they are all stretched out around me as usual, on the bed and I will be asking them to get down to strip the bed in a minute......

I phoned my HA today nothing to do with my door or anything, but you know I told you they love winning awards for things they do to homes or in communities in the north, well I thought why not see if I can get them interested in my particular thing - building a storecupboard.

So phoned and explained my idea that using their infastructure we could maybe reach all the tenants and others to teach those that want to about building a store cupboard, preparing for emergencies and using the store cupboard to live within your means better.

Well woman I spoke to was interested and took all the details, then spoke to someone else who told her its certainly something they would be interested in promoting. So now am waiting for a call back from someone. So we will see if it goes further or if they just pinch the idea and ignore me, not bothered if they do I just do not want to see what happened to those shop workers the other week happen to others. Those people were mainly in homes belonging to another HA, the one my 70 year old friend belongs to but as I am not a tenant of theirs I don't think I can contact them.......with mine its classed as tenant involvement but as I do not have a tenants assoc. for my area not sure how they will work it if they do...........anyway I have made the call, the balls in their court now so to speak.

Right better get dressed and get that electric while I still feel able to and its still nice outside......

Possession

mardatha wrote: »

Oh thankfully I haven't got bindweed, never seen that here. I've got buttercups, dont know proper name, but they grow everywhere and spread like mad. And dockens .
I have a problem. I bought a frozen pastry in Sainsbugs (after embarrassing the RV by squeaking aloud at the price ) and I chucked it in the freezer. But it's too big for just the two of us. How can I use half of it without throwing the other half away?

If you score the pastry and use a big scary knife you will be able to cut it while frozen, and rewrap the other piece for the freezer.

turning into a surprising day - instead of being stuck with boring old me and no car (DH has it), the children have been whisked off to McDs and to see the new Wimpy Kid film by my very lovely friend. So I have a peaceful house, very nice for a change!
Oh and DS's friend just told me that when you go to the toilet in McDonalds its called a McD P !!!

prepareathome

Mar I know you don't like freezing meals as you forget them, but just this once I would use the extra pastry for a meal and freeze it - what ever you decide to make with it - pie of some kind, double the portions and make two, or three if enough pastry and hopefully you will remember it one day.

I often take things out of the freezer one day and don't use them till the next. They just slowly defrost in the fridge and next day are ready just to go into oven........

Right got to get dressed and stop reading .............

Hugs and Love xxxxx

[Deleted User]

MAR - you can make and cook pastry top hats for pies - same shape as the pie dish or individual circles, they are fragile if you try to refreeze them but will keep for about a month in an airtight box in a cool place. You can then top any stew, casserole or fruit with a pastry top, re heat in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes and you have instant pie. You could always roll it out and cover it with grated cheese and make some cheese straws, again they would keep a while out of the freezer ( they wouldn't in our house, we like them too much!) in a sealed box. Hope this helps Cheers Lyn xxx.