make do and mend for tougher times

prepareathome

Meanmarie, thanks for the bed for the night, very comfortable, key is back under the mat.

Cheapskate please go to doctors.

Please don't leave it. Don't let the stress build up any longer and depression can be very, very nasty.

Today has started as past 3 days with bright sunshine but sadly following same pattern dull now and looks as if rain will be here soon.

Post has been but no parcels so will give them till 1pm Monday as have ordered a couple of things that are supposed to arrive by then.


One item I have bought is a microwave pressure cooker as I want to try and use it a bit more, mainly for rice as I cook that in the rice pot in my electric steamer but hoping microwave will cost less and in pressure cooker take less time. I dare not cook things like pasta or rice on hob as I always forget it and burn it. So pasta I cook in microwave but never rice with having rice pot to use. It was only £5.05, its not massive 2.8lts but big enough for hubby and me. It has the locking lid and pressure release vent just like metal ones. I don't like food cooked in them, to me always seems tasteless, but then I love sc food and people say same about them but should be ok for rice and maybe veg if not doing a enough to justify getting out electric steamer.

Just trying to find ways that are not to expensive that will help cut down electric / gas costs in future.

Also have rest of hubbys birthday present, he wanted some albums for his birthday which was 21st of last month but kept forgetting name of one he wanted but last night remembered so ordered it.

Jeepers started this post hours ago and still not sent it, I do this almost daily. Write a bit immerse myself in something else, come back write a bit more and get side tracked again.

Just had a nice shower so feel a bit more human as up on and off with Sophie again but she's bounced back again but will not be going to Widnes today, still feel guilty going out on Wednesday night even though Alan was here expect for the short time he took me and came back to collect me. I have to go out tomorrow afternoon (baring her taking worse) and so want to be with her as much as possible.

Hugs and Love to allxxxx

Molly41

Shropshirelass wrote: »

Bad news on inflation front, will just push us to cope better than ever. I'm really tempted with that WWII Farm book... Anyone who has it, could you give a quick score out of 10 please?

12/10 :T:T:T:T It is excellent.

mardatha

I havent posted in AGES. Well an hour anyway ! PAH I got your soap back saying unable to deliver. will re-wrap and send again I went to Hadrians Wall once for a very fabulous day, spoiled by a very RV moaning about the cold and asking what the hell is so interesting about Roman drains LOL!

fuddle

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I am experiencing severe envy pangs FUDDLE I saw the lights on Hadrians Wall on the News this morning, enjoy them for me I thought they were beautiful. One of these summers Nell (DD1) and I are going to walk the wall as it's something we've always meant to do. I really want to see Vindalanda the Fort and the whole thing would be a good holiday. Hope the littlies and your DH enjoy too. Have a good one Cheers Lyn xxx.

I've not been to Vindolanda MrsL, we're waiting till the girls are a little older but we took them to see Binchester Roman fort where there are remains of a bath house. Really impressive. There's a really long section of old Roman Road (that has been tarmac'd) that runs along a good section of Hadrian's wall so hoping to catch a glimpse from there.

I like making treacle tart, so easy although I have to say I don't enjoy making short pastry :cool: The bonus there was some pastry left and it's now jam tarts for packed lunches.

Sunshine4

PAH If its not too nosey may I ask you where you got your Ghillie Kettle from and what size.:)

Shropshirelass

Cheapskate and anyone else feeling really long-time blue

Very few of us these days will get through life without getting some measure of depression. Yeats ago a friend finally persuaded me go to Dr ( I kept imagining driving into a tree head-on, very scary), and I remember I felt better just for making my mind up to talk to Dr - at least i was doing something.

Something unexpected and nice - tidying kitchen shelves (I keep preserves in wine rack these days) I found some of last years chilli chutney, well matured, just had it with bread and cheese. Yummy!

fuddle

I must give chilli chutney a try. Used up a 35p jam jar with the tarts so I have another spare. Off to find a recipe.

You lot are so bad for my waist line

katieowl_2

Another one who takes anti-depressants here. I take the tiniest dose, but it makes all the difference.

LOVELY day here. Woke up knowing what the first task of the day was, and dressed accordingly...cleaning out the chickens and dealing with the dreaded red mite *shudders* anyway I've now boil washed my hair and the job is all done, the feathery girls are back in their house.

I'm feeling very invaded by the DD and her BF - can't wait til they can move out (10 days) I really just want my house back. I'm so sick of piles of other peoples 'stuff' just lying around. That and the fact that they are eating me out of house and home and DD hasn't offered a penny to help out. I'd ask, but I don't want to start another one of her FML face down episodes otherwise I'll not be accountable for my actions :mad:

You lot are a bunch of naughty tempters talking about the wartime farm book...and then Book people go and send me a catalogue in today's mail. I'm going to hold off until I can look at it though, as I suspect I will have most of the info in my library already.

Anyway...I think I shall go and have a mooch around Mr T. There are a few things we've run out of, and I feel the urgent need to be out of the house!!!

Tea tonight is shepherds pie. OH took the meat out of the freezer. I told him to look carefully as there are several minces in there, and bring three blocks. He's come back with all beef, but I did laugh as we have one Irish, one Scotch, and one Welsh - sounds like the start of a joke!!! :rotfl:

Kate

unclebryn_2

:wave: :wave::wave: hope no-one minds if I pop up from longtime lurkdom to say hello and introduce myself? I'm female, 51, married to a right grumpy so-and-so for 24 years. Live usually with him and geriatric smelly terrier, currently joined by DS (22, PhD student, dustbin on legs) for a couple of weeks of TLC. I'm an inveterate OS lurker, rarely post, just occasionally pop-up. I've learned loads from you all on this thread, so thought I'd pop-up just to say hello. I honestly thought I was the only y/s junkie in town, until I found this forum! I was brought up to be thrifty, my dad's mantra as he followed my teenage self around the house switching off lights was "ECONOMISE!"

Like most of you, I'm facing a period of uncertainty for the future, have always been the main wage earner, but the future of my job looks more uncertain each week. I've worked my way up in my field to a senior level, over 20 years, jobs like mine are scarce, and get the feeling that this combined with now being 50+ will make it very difficult to fine something new. Someone posted on here about their OH's interview experience where they didn't think he'd commit because of lower wages - that's pretty much how I feel it would be.

Still, it's Saturday, it's sunny and I've got a week off from the grind:j (and I've got loads of tinned toms, mushy peas and tea bags too)
Nice to meet you all
Bryn

[Deleted User]

weather in winter? no idea yet but hearsay is bad but we`ll see

Have been feeling autumnal so have been busy tidying the garden stuff and also moving plants. Dh has been coating gate and timbers. Got dratted rust on leeks but they were all big so decided to dehydrate all of them, they have turned out very well too and first time doing them, thanks to yet another american you tube video. Enough in store now until next summer

Had loads of good ripe tomatoes this year, about 50+ lb so have been dehydrating like the clappers. About 4lb in the fridge to try and slow them from getting soft and saw that monty don has got blight in his greenhouse, so am not waiting any longer and picked my green ones. Got 5lb and found a delia recipe for chutney on the web. Got all the bits in and minced away, leaving the 5lb of bramleys to last. :eek: my maslin was 2 mm from overflowing without any apple. I have decided to heat very gently to evaporate and them I`ll mince and add the apples in this evening. A 4 hour process is going to take me until the small hours at this rate :eek:

Got the last of my ethical-superstore stuff yesterday. I felt so sorry for the delivery man because he had to carry the box, which was a stupid heavy weight. He said` it`s very heavy, what have you got this time`. I just said flour, didn`t mention the whole winter stash of chocolate

Dh is raving about my compote. It`s just whatever berries I get hold of, today I made with blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and some frozen rhubarb. Just heated gently until all was soft and have now divided into some excellent containers that I bought for half price from lakeland. Will freeze
http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=freezer+containers+for+baby+food&sugexp=chrome,mod%3D8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15342289727965788479&sa=X&ei=AAlCUPHwCImd0AXGkYDQDA&ved=0CEIQ8wIwAQ

I also have
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/15112/Oxo-Tot-Freezer-Tray
and they are brilliant for ice cubes or stock cubes