make do and mend for tougher times

kidcat

Yes PAH I have followed you yesterday.

I bought the batter mix too, and am regretting not buying more, I bought two bags, as DS8 loves yorkshire puddings, he will eight at one sitting or more if I have them. I try to make loads so I have some left to freeze but he finds them and snaffles them. Some days he wont eat anything other than ice lollies so having a quick mix yorkshire batter seemed ideal as an emergency supply!

I was supposed to attend the parents social evening for the group tonight but have toothache, a migraine coming and my back is screaming from all the WM manoeuvres, besides I have had several emails from the chairlady (remember the cake saga) and all of them have really annoyed me so have decided to skip and spend evening lounging on the sofa! Have promised kids proper day out tomorrow so want to be refreshed and relaxed before we start off. DS14 is really struggling at the moment, discovering the people he thought were friends are really not. Meltdowns galore!!

We have achieved loads today, kids little house is pretty much finished, weather vane up, DS8 night light up, car window fixed. Electrician finally booked for Saturday to fit DS14 lights and sort DD17 room out - her room was previously a kitchen so all the sockets are odd and have labels like WM, DW etc and some dont appear to work.

Have spoken to guy about quoting for roof, he will give written quote on Monday and have spoken to window fitter about DS8 window - there are a few types of restrictors available and he will look into best and then arrange to fit for me.

OH has taken old WM to tip, Dad has gone with him to make sure it goes and nothing comes back as he is wont to do!!

prepareathome

Well took delivery of my new toy(photo on blog) today and I adore the red colour, looks really good in the kitchen along with the greys and silvers. Rearranged work tops so its home now is beside hob so it shares power point with microwave which is unlikely to be needed at the same time.

Its been hot and sunny here but very heavy and we have had pure thick cloud cover a few times but thankfully they dispersed and we have blue sky with thin white wispy clouds(I have forgotten what they are called, the ones very high up).

So far scarlet(I am naff at naming things) has heated up a bought quiche from frozen as was up all night and after she was delivered around 9.30am ( impressed as less than36 hrs from ordering) tiredness hit me, but gardener who I had got in touch with last week and said he would be here at 8am today then turned up at 10.15am and worked till 11am and will be back tomorrow to finish the cutting the grass - looks better already, so fell asleep around noon and dozed on and off till 5pm so didn't have anything cooked for hubby. I have defrosted 3 chicken legs and they are now roasting in her. I thought I would just try them as got a pack of 12 fresh ones YS last week and put them into 3s( as that is enough for the two of us as always take all the meat off the bone) so if I messed up not to expensive loss.

Have taught hubby how to use her and he says he will be comfortable doing so as to him she is just like a microwave, even sounds like ours when she is finished cooking he noticed. So that is good as its one of the main reasons I wanted one so he is not using proper oven just to cook a pizza, quiche or pie - only thing he ever cooks himself.

Right Scarlett has finished so will go and see how the chicken legs are.

Hugs and Love

prepareathome

I got a surprise with the suet mix I bought from AF a couple of weeks ago. I had my usual blank moments and didn't pay attention to weights of most things so ended up with two massive bags of vegetable suet mix and 6 gigantic tins of tomato pur!e. Now we love both but its going to take a while to use them up....

prepareathome

Kidcat am glad new WM is working well, has DS8 accepted it? Just sorry all the carry on has made you feel urg, don't think the heaviness here will be helping the migraine.

Fuddle am so pleased that your mum at long last is accepting you as you are and appreciating what you are doing for your family. I hope your sister is as well.

hugs and love xxxx

fuddle

Toad in the hole in halogen tonight. It was ok but the yorkshires were a bit stodgy.

We made cakes tonight too, the kids and I. We used the balloon whisk and I adore it.I didn't miss the electric whisk at all. The halogen cooked the cakes just fine. Looking forward to doing a loaf in it.

DH is taking DD's cot bed to his sister for her little one. So pleased to help someone out for a change. It's a nice feeling.

Get this, are you ready? I have a child free day tomorrow!!!! Can you believe that? MIL is taking the girls while I chill at home on. my. own. I really need it I can tell you!

Tink_04

Hi thanks to every one who gave advise too many to name but thank you! I'm officially going back to basics (library didn't have the Delia book tho) going to learn one new thing a week and try to pick up a few little bits at a time!

My SC is still a mystery im afraid. I always have it on just low - I brown stuff first then put it all in on low I try not to use gravy granuals although they thicken it up its too much salt for DD so try to avoid them I know you can use flour but it tends to go lump for me - think ill try the Knorr stock and adding extra herbs for flavour.

This site has educated me through most of my adult life and still is but there is so much that is basic common sense to some that I just can't grasp how to do having never been shown and its not the same picking things up from books.

I've got a few SC books from CS - library and on kindle but most only have one or two things in id make, suppose i just need one good recipe and bulid from there.

Thanks again to everone will keep looking and will report back with a recipe im going to try and get some tips

kidcat

Oh fuddle what a treat I would spend all day dithering about what to do:D

PAH - DS has allowed Mr B into the house (mainly because he was still asleep when it arrived) but was upset when old WM was taken away this evening. Dad showed him where it was broken and I explained how the concrete had smashed various bit but he wanted to keep it as a pet! Thankfully he has been distracted by dad doing a variety of jobs today and is thrilled with the weather vane on top of the little house. Finally got his night light all up too so am hoping it will even out.

I popped into B&M today and they had Halogen ovens that were 17 litre for £35 but they had no accessories with them. Either way having spent so much on Mr B I will have to wait - I may drop some hints and see if mum and dad buy me one for my birthday - if I am really clever I can drop hints and they will buy it for OH birthday :rotfl::rotfl:

stiltwalker

oooh fuddle - I'm jealous. Have a wonderful quiet time and try not to miss them too much.

My monsters have driven me up t'wall today (in the nicest possible way) I have definately been talking to myself - DS don't pull your sister's hair, DD I don't think your brother wants to wear his abandoned socks as earrings! DS don't pinch your sisters crayons, DD your brother's foot is not a musical instrument - go use that stick to play your xylophone instead! and that was just a 10 minute sample. At least they are both so good natured about being mauled by the other one and just shrug it off, DD didn't even cry about the hair pulling.

Glad your new addition has arrived kidcat, may you have many happy clean years together. And congrats to all those proud new halogen oven owners. I always have my oven so full it'd be no good for me but if I were to get one I'd have to call her Hayley!

meme30

My halogen oven is black and far bigger than I expected. I am going with Big Bertha! :rotfl:

Since the money i used to buy her was not DH's overtime but turned out to be money from underpaid energy DD, I suppose it was well spent. I have recovered my equilibrium, Sometimes these things are sent to test us, it's not about wether you pass or fail these tests but how you dust yourself down and spit them in the eye!:rotfl:

kidcat

oh meme I like that idea