make do and mend for tougher times

ginnyknit

I think a chilli muscle rub would be like those heat creams you get only much cheaper.

Do they not mean you cut the plastic bottle halfway up like a cup so you can push it into the soil a little way and the pesky critters can climb up and stay in, then you can throw the whole kit and kaboodle away - with a grabber at arms length as they make me retch :eek:

thrown some food at the cooker as I have very little energy today - darling drunken neighbours woke DGS up at 1 am and he didnt go back to sleep till 4, then up at 6 in a bad mood :mad:

Feeling very satisfied with my O?S today as I have run out of a few things but had supplies stashed, didnt have much time to shop so can add them to next weeks list. Found a voucher in my purse for £4.50 off a £20 shop at Mr M and have weighed up whether it was worth breaking into savings to take advantage of this but really CBA and have stocked up well to date. Think some times you need a day off the pennypinching.

Jam making this week, Ys strawberries frozen ready and stash of sugar from poundland (79p) jars under sink just waiting along with my jam pan. Think my storecupboard will look very nice with my row of jams in it.

Sunshine4

Pooky wrote: »

Sunshine - how about making up some onion soup to freeze and some caramelised onion chutney.

Thank you Pooky,
Onion soup made and in the freezer enough for 7 bowls each had some for lunch with HM bread lovely.
6 Jars of onion chutney made.
Found a recipe for an onion tart also sage and onion bread so will try them tomorrow.

katieowl_2

'Speriments here for me tonight...I'm seeing if my chocolate truffle mixture will set in some moulds I bought and be tidily popped out, thereby saving me a messy job. Fingers crossed.

Also have to make a chocolate birthday cake for a customer.

Dinner fortunately, was instant, left over shepherds pie for me and the bolognese I made at the same time with pasta for everyone else.

Kate

D&DD

ooh we had shepherds pie too Katie just fancied it tonight

Well I'm organised as ever...NOT just found out today whilst doing yet more paperwork/shredding that DS3 actually returns to school on Thursday :rotfl:he's rather happy he's got a stay of execution for two more days!
So we have him off,OH on leave for a week and DS2 not back til Friday either...I'm gonna get a lot done this week I can just tell

Managed to get some whipping cream reduced from £2.00 to 49p in MrS so chuffed I've never spotted any cheap before so we're going to make some herby butters in a bit for the freezer,any tips welcome!! I have a kenwood thankfully so at least me arm won't drop off :rotfl:

Pooky

Evening all

Did our village garage sale safari today, DDs were setting up at 8.30am as I told them anything they made could be split between them as their winter clothing allowance. They sold their little hearts out (mum and dad donated lots of bits too) and they made £176 :T. It's probably less than I would spend on winter clothes between them (they're both teenagers) but they are determined to get everything they need. I promised them a girly shopping trip to the nearest city to spend their loot but in true MSE (and Mummy style) they've asked to go to a local big town to do the charity shops! :j

A friend gave me a box of fabric bits that someone had passed to her, DDs went through it and one has requested jimjams out of one bit of fabric, the other has asked for some smocked tops for next summer. There's enough left for some simple drawstring waist trousers for me and a couple of simple tops. :T

Kept everyone fed with home made bacon rolls (my parents were here for the day and best friend was here selling too). I've spent nothing, had a lovely day and am so proud of my girlies.

kidcat

katie - I have made hand made chocolates/truffles and used silicone moulds and they were great, I found that if I froze the trays for a few minutes before I tipped them out it really helped too.

Pooky well done, last time we did a sale we made £5!!! I just dont have the energy any more.

Possession

Well done the Miss Pookys, that's a stonking total. My kids made a similar amount selling their toys on ebay but boy was it a hassle. I'm not going to sell much at all on there anymore, it just isn't worth it. We couldn't do a garage sale though as we live on a tiny cul de sac so not exactly a lot of passing trade.

fuddle

Ah, kids after my own heart pooky My eldest (7) likes Primark "because you can get loads for your money in there mam can't ya!" It's a start :rotfl:

Thanks for the frozen jacket potato advice. I know what my lunches are going to be

We went a foraging this afternoon. We've cleared the well producing bushes out. The others are solid and pale pink. Hope they will ripen. I've made the beginnings of a blackberry wine. I also had a taster of the raisin and rice wine. Wow is that stuff strong :eek:

I've had a conversation with my mam tonight. We've been talking about my sister getting my grandma's jewellery collection when her second baby is born in a month or so. Mam asked me if there was anything of grandma's I would like and I said her wooden standard lamp. It's where I used to sit when at her house, she would knit under it and I thought with a new shade I could give it another 50 years or so. I'm happy with that I'm so looking forward to getting it. Been searching online for new lamp shades. Boy those things are expensive! I think i'll have to learn how to recover the shade that is there. :eek:

Off to library tomorrow to pick up Nella Last's book and a sock how to. Also really into a book I picked up from FIL's charity shopwhile visiting him. It's about townies (but country folk at heart) who go up to the Scottish hills and take over a croft. Only a little way through but good reading.

Pastry? As you get older can people not tolerate it? I made a mince and onion pie for our tea and DH has been feeling ill since. He's blaming my pie! Well at least the pastry. He said it's well known for people to struggle with pastry as they get older. :cool: He's 36 :rotfl:

savingqueen

fayhare wrote: »

I have started struggling to eat things like pies and anything fatty over the last year..one of my mates is the same..we are both 36!

I never used to get indigestion, not even whilst pregnant but last two times I ate garlic bread (ok I did eat quite a lot of it!) I have had horrendous indigestion - last episode actually scared me with chest pains. No more garlic bread or butter for me now. I'm 44 so its been downhill for me last 4 years anyway! Luckily though chocolate, biscuits, cakes, puddings, icecream - all ok so far - have to keep checking though don't I?!

sq:D

Pooky

Fuddle - always worth an ask on your local freec*cle group for lampshades, I've got two standard lamps and managed to get a gorgeous shade from ours.

I have problems with bread of all kinds, especially in the evenings. Pastry can sometimes give me acid too. Cucumber used to be fine until I hit 35 and now even the smell of it sets my stomach bubbling. I remember my Mum saying "it's all down hill from 35 food wise" but never really understood it until it hit.