make do and mend for tougher times

Possession

Pops a BM does take a few hrs because it does everything from the moment you put the flour, yeast etc in. But it uses much less power than an oven, how it compares with a halogen oven I don't know. It's very useful for those who don't have the time or the mobility to knead bread, but they are not for everyone. I love my Panny though, as I hate kneading bread.
PAH you could definitely freeze the duck. Your OH sounds like mine if he'd eat it all!
re. memory foam mattresses, I love love love mine. I have a proper MF mattress now but had a topper for years. it was very comfy but it kept slipping to one side of the bed. I don't find it makes me too hot but then I don't like heavy covers on me anyway.

SpikyHedgehog

jem132 wrote: »

Hi i am hoping for a nice washing day today to get all the curtains out and throws ready for winter 3 loads done 2 togo . I think today is going to be a long day sean as thow yesterday never ended and today did not have a start point think i will need loads of coffee today x Any way got loads done cleaned the boys bed room from top to botterm they are sleeping at there dads tonight back tomorow .Do you think it would be ok to put zaflora watered down in a spray bottle ?or will the smell go ???
thankyou

All ready made sheperds pie for tea .

Our cleaner at work uses diluted zoflora in a spray bottle to spray the carpets to make them smell nice & disinfect them. I wouldn't use the bottle for anything else afterwards though. I think I should get some for DS1's stinky room.

Popperwell wrote: »

Well Fuddle...if you are thinking a head they also have some nifty clothes for wearing when you bike...they are waterproof but breathable to stop sweating, nice styles and nice colours. I suspect the tops could be worn even if you don't have bike...I may get one myself...I lose out adding the taxi fare but...

I got the waterproof trousers last year, & they're brilliant for wearing over ordinary trousers while taking DS1 to school on snowy or wet days. Easy to get on & off over clothes & shoes as they have snaps both sides of the waist & at both ankles. I should have taken them back for the next size up as I was optimistic about my weight loss, but at that price, I'll get another this year in 18...

Popperwell wrote: »

I have a great book about the recipes of Grandma's Day and most of the recipes for scones ue buttermilk as SDG suggests. When I like cooking it's a pity I only have myself to think of and only need such small portions, it's not always worth me doing a lot of cooking. I get a reasonably varied diet to avoid becoming bored.

I must admit I like being able to say I made that but I can't always do things as cheap as in the shops. Saw two fruit crumbles in the weighwatchers range for £1.10(55p each)I think you can pop them in the microwave...ready in minutes. I can make a big one cheaper and that is value but when you are on your own...Did not need them today...

I had a chicken melt from Greggs for lunch with brown sauce and buttered bread with brown sauce and a vanilla milk shake(reduced to 25p)around £1 in Tesco's...

Think it's a kind of casserole with dumplings and mashed potato for evening meal.

Mum used to make scones & freeze them to pop in our lunch boxes & they were almost as nice from the freezer as fresh from the oven.

In town with boys, got DS1's bus pass so he can get child fare. He's bought a helmet for his motorbike, first thing he's actually bought full price as the gloves were in the sale at the bike shop near my parents, & both his jackets & his trousers were from car boot sales. He wanted the helmet & boots new though, which is good as so did I. Going to get their hair cut soon, not at all money saving as the place they go to charges £30 for wash, cut & style for them both :-( But DS2 will sit there happily & have it cut, & it's worth it for that for me. & I economise by not getting mine cut...

Popperwell

SH,
I don't have much over the top of me either, when Mum was alive I often slept on the bed next to her not in the bed and was in light clothes and was still warm enough...I may still buy one...again if you have one, it's always there...just in case...

That used to annoy us as the Social Worker and District Nurse kept trying to make Mum have more bedclothes and she kept telling them I'm warm enough, when they left we used to make things how we liked again...

Mum also had favourite clothes she wore for bed as she warm enough and they were easy to change or you could avoid changing as often but they weren't happy till they made usget what they thought she should have...again we did what we wanted as soon as they were out the door...

Possession,
Well if I make even two loaves a week that isn't too bad energywise and if you are not having to shop as often(and therefore incur taxi fare etc...it's probably a good buy...

grandma247

I love my MF mattress too. We paid and arm and a leg for it three years ago but it has been worth every penny. I had a very bad back before we got it although our mattress was only a year old. After we got this one my back problem went. If I have bad joints they take a few minutes to unlock once I get into bed but when they have it is bliss.

Yes they are warm but in this house we need that. I used to use a hot water bottle but I rarely need one now. We have a 5tog summer quilt on but I dont always cover my legs if I am warm.

[Deleted User]

oh memory foam toppers, don`t remind me. It smelt of chemicals for weeks and it was boiling hot at night both me and dh, night after long night. Yes it was comfortable in that the hips sank in but waking over and over in the night because of the heat was no joke. We got rid after a long and fair go, never again.

Now I have got an excess of beetroots, they must like this weather. I`ve been putting my thinking cap on and decided that I want puree for beetroot/chocolate cakes. I did frozen portions last year but they took up quite a bit of freezer room, so I am going to puree the lot and then weigh it as I need 125g portions. Yes you guessed it, I am going to lay the puree flat and dehydrate it but doing a 125g portion on its own, so I can work out how many tsp of the dried flakes I will need

Now I`ll go back and read the zillions of posts, I daren`t come on too much as mse is quite addictive and (for me) time wasting

prepareathome

Ah yes 'the cake' bedsocks, I have knitted myself both slippers and bedsocks as I have always suffered from ice cold feet, summer or winter so depending how cold feet are I wear either, the socks of course covering more. I even knitted myself a pair of boots that are so thick they do stand up themselves but as yet not got round to getting soles on them so they also have been worn in bed.

Oh we had that storm that pops,fuddle and others had on east coast only we had it about 2 hrs before you, hubby was not amused as sky (which goes off on 15th sept as now cancelled) signal went down and I was not amused as wanted to take back broken teasmade to argos and he was not budging until rain eased so we didn't go out till 4.30pm. Our road was turned into raging torrent again as drainage can never handle heavy downpours like that. En route to shopping centre we had to drive through about a foot of water in dip under old railway bridge - when they built the bridge well over 100 years ago they lowered the road to fit under it. Luckily it was only about 10ft wide, have seen it far wider and deeper. Why do you always get nutters who put their foot down when they see deep water and so send water flying covering some poor people walking on the pavement, they were drenched.

Argos didn't have another one and so I decided to use the gift card they gave me ( it was just over a year old so worth the insurance I had paid so they don't give the actual money back) on some shelving bits and bobs I wanted for storeroom and kitchen cupboard but kept putting off as non-essential. Just bought a small kettle for bedroom to make tea on bad days when stuck upstairs.


Today totally different sunny and warm.

Popperwell

I have two pairs of thermal socks very fashionable but thick. Could not get bedsocks anywhere but these are great(mind they cost £9 a pair!!!:eek:

But they don't have tight openings that grip the legs but noiw often ordinary socks will do even those small that just go over the heel and are usually used with trainers...

Here's two coats I picked up at the charity shop for 99p each...the jerkin a few weeks ago and the big hooded padded anorack I managed to get today which will probably be great during winter...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auAOA1kTui4/UC0Nsi6wQFI/AAAAAAAAAfg/2gIid2pGopY/s1600/P1010476.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xAmBUZGjjgE/UC0NyLreo8I/AAAAAAAAAfo/8ReVxMAtu5Y/s1600/P1010477.JPG

I have managed to find some black slip on shoes as close to what I want via a sale on a website Pierre Cardin £29.99.

After all the searching in the shops and no joy even the pair they tried to sell me yesterday in the Clark's shoe shop were £64.99...

PAH that storm must have moved at quite some speed and from what you say many of us experienced it, glad I was home when it hit!

D&DD

*resisting the urge to buy a spare panny*
Thats a great deal isn't it!
Mine has been working overtime during the hols DS3 has discovered he loves bacon so I've been making baguettes every day for him since they broke up plus the usual loaf every two days for the pullman and the odd normal loaf in between :rotfl:

DS2 has had his AS results...drum roll... he got two c's and a merit very proud mummy considering all his woes and his cr*ppy attendance records his school did quite badly apparently this year so will be interesting to hear if it was down the staff or the courses or just in general.

The boys are currently playing the board game Attack so I actually get to catch up for 5 minutes

Re mem foam mattresses we spent an arm and a leg on the eldest two's and they were worth every penny..went cheaper with DS3's and already regretting it although it was still £149 :eek:

Just got the bill for my sewing machines OH is currently in a state of shock..£90 for my overlocker and £180 for my Janome :eek::eek::eek:

Popperwell

If I get one I may manage with the topper, then I have the option to easily remove it if I wish...but a new mattress is a must and as one poster said I forget who get the mattress before considering the funeral plan:rotfl:

I am still thinking about the bread maker...:o

Possession

Well done Master D!
DH has been waiting in all day in case he had to go to interview and it hasn't materialised so another nail-biting day down the pan.
On the plus side I made the tea bread on the cheap cakes thread and it is absolutely gorgeous and so *ahem* cheap to make. Both children like it (DH hates raisins) so it's a must for packed lunches.