make do and mend for tougher times

mardatha

Been dry and sunny here WCS but rain clouds coming over from the west now. Was nice in the sun but cold when it disappeared. Very dark now at 7.40, got lamps on.

westcoastscot

Yes it's dusk here too - feels early in the year for it doesn't it? suspect that's because here it's been such a poor summer.

grandma247

born_blonde wrote: »

Really "interesting" night on the campsite. I had a group of Policemen who had booked the whole site for a Dads and lads weekend.
When they turned up yesterday it was a group of Policemen but it was a Stag Party!
I have never seen so many drunk Coppers in my life!!!!!!!!
And I don't think the Village Pub are speaking to me,
Oh well, off to view the carnage on site and later I will be having a very stern conversation before tonight's fun and frolics even think of getting started,

Magistrates are just as bad. DD3 had her reception in a local hotel and myself and her MIL catered. The ornament on the top of the cake disappeared within minutes of us leaving the room to do some decorating the night before for a start. At the end of the evening we were told it would be ok to leave the room as it was and come back in the morning to clear it of food.

When we got there the landlady said "I must warn you before you go in that we had a party for local magistrates upstairs last night and they got into this room and made a bit of a mess." Well that was an understatement! They had thrown the food all over the place:eek:

westcoastscot wrote: »

It's really wintery here - cold and wet - and I heard they've had snow on the Ben - cannot find anything about it online though.
WCS

Well it has been chilly here so I should think its freezing your way.

ginnyknit

I do ginger cake in the BM and when it comes out its sticky on the top like real cake :rotfl: Im sure I got the recipe off the BM recipe bit.

When I freeze baked potatoes they come out dripping wet and you can actually squeeze the water out - where am I going wrong ?

I give up am putting one heater on tonight as Im chilly and the washing won't flipping dry at all :mad:

Possession

D&DD wrote: »

Possession I do cobblers in the slow cooker they're really easy will post some recipes tomorrow for you *remind me if I forget* can't type tonight overdone it in the garden sat here with heated pads on every extremity lol showing my [STRIKE]decrepidness[/STRIKE] age now

Thanks D & DD, it turned out well but took much longer than I thought it would to cook through. The children have wolfed it down.

GreyQueen

lisakay wrote: »

IDH got home from work and told me the cars playing up, can you take it to the garage. our garage is shut today. managed to get car to near mums before power steering gave up, abs, airbag and traction control warning lights came on. called aa who took me to a garage but then had to walk 3 miles back to mums with the girls in tow (aged 4 and 7tomorrow) and then another mile and a half home. I've left girls at the craft session on the park with mum, she'll bring them back in a bit. but now we've got no car until monday at the earliest and DH has no easy way of getting to work. public transport is not really an option and taxis will be £25+ each way. hoping he may be able to get a lift from someone.

the only bit of almost good news is that it's probably the alternator that's gone and it's probably covered under the aa policy we have (probably:)).
right, I'd best go and get on with icing the cake! will have 5 extra little girls from 6pm all wanting to have their hair and nails done and to eat pizza and popcorn in front of a film.:eek:

(I'd best get the wine sorted as well;))

Oh, bad luck. It was an alterantor which brought me and my brother to a standstill on the way thru Yorkshire. Just bowling along and started slowing, told Bro to put a bit more pressure on the acceletator and he protested he was, glanced across and saw the fuel gauge dropping down to zero. It all happened in less than 10 seconds! Car dead as a blasted dodo on the side of an A road. And the first car that pulled up behind us seconds later was a Police unmarked one.

I'm lawabiding not because I'm properly-brought up but because I'd be sure to get caught if I started sinning.:rotfl:It's not a huge job, ours cost £135 and it was done in under 3 hours and that was including getting the old one off so they could see the parts number and only then could they order the replacement from their factor. I spent just under a year delivering car parts so I feel very at home in garages. And Yorkshire people are dead lovely.

fuddle wrote: »

:j DH has won £60 fishing I can pay off some gas arrears and feel a little better. He's fishing again tomorrow in the hope of winning more for it. He's a good lad

:j Hurrah for Mr Fuddle and fingers crossed for more success on Sunday.

Possession wrote: »

Ooh PIC I really fancy ginger cake now. I wonder if my children will eat it.
Currently attempting peach cobbler for pud, have never actually made a cobbler before even though it must be one of the easiest puds to make.
And can I admit here and now that I didn't realise the 6p sachets of instant custard were actually instant, ie pour boiling water in? I thought you had to add milk and boil them which is why I haven't picked one up. Doh.

I really really like that 6p custard and always have it in stock. Just now, I have it stocked up in the shallow drawers under my sofa. I was wondering what I could use them for as they seem to be designed for a couple of magazines and maybe the remote control off the telly and had a LBM and in they went.

Tired but happy as spent a long time on the allotment. I took down the oldest patch of broad beans as the pods which I'd left on them were now dried out. Sat for over an hour podding them and occasionally squealing like a kid when a whole load of earwigs *shudder* fell out.

My plans are to sort the BB into sizes as some are no bigger than peas. I want to sow a batch soon to overwinter and will use the biggest fattest healthiest looking seeds for that. I'll be checking for any drilled by bean larvae and discarding those.

The tiddlers I'm planning to eat. I shall dry them throughly and then plastic-bag then for a couple of days in the freezer to kill any bean larvae which may be lurking (the adults are wee mothy things) and then put them in kilner jars. I'll treat them like any other dried bean and add them to casseroles etc. Waste not want not.

Sorry to Scottish people but southern England has been gorgeous today; perfect sunny weather with blue skies and hot without being as debiltating as it was last Saturday. I kept my sunhat off as wanted to max out on the Vit D as have spent most of the week under cover in an office or at home. Feeling the better for it.

:eek: Can't get over how early it's getting dark though!

VJsMum, I finally got tired of looking at my work blouses and ironed. Took a whole twenty minutes. Mustn't let it pile up again like that as I don't stand too well.

OK, more tea is needed. Where's that blasted Nursey when you want her........................?

fuddle

My jacket potatoes come out the freezer with water on/in/around them but they're ok when they're reheated.

I have 6p sachets of custard but too scared to try it in case it's yakky. I ordere them in the hope that I added milk but when I got them and saw add water I thought, ergh and never tried them. I think the girls need to be guinea pigs

I've never heard of a cobbler as a pudding. What is it? How do you do it?

Mrs_Chip

Iv'e used the 6p custard and its not too bad at all -I make it thicker and put in a wee bit of cream (which I now have hanging about all the time now as there is a regular cheap supply at the wholesalers - getting just a bit bored with butter making now :rotfl:). OH eats it happily and he is a fussy beggar!

Tesco EV tinned peaches in syrup are very good - think they were about 27p last time I looked. I have paid much more and got nasty hard peaches with bits of stone in

GreyQueen

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Iv'e used the 6p custard and its not too bad at all -I make it thicker and put in a wee bit of cream (which I now have hanging about all the time now as there is a regular cheap supply at the wholesalers - getting just a bit bored with butter making now :rotfl:). OH eats it happily and he is a fussy beggar!

Tesco EV tinned peaches in syrup are very good - think they were about 27p last time I looked. I have paid much more and got nasty hard peaches with bits of stone in

Oi, shush about those tinned peaches (29p) will ya? They're my fave and a stockcupboard item. We mustn't let the word get out or there won't be any left for me and I only have 20+ cans at the moment.

I tried a 4p can of mushy peas yesterday with my pie. Ick. As I recall from times past, I really don't like them.

Mrs_Chip

Oh GQ, you have not tried MY mushy peas :rotfl: I make them every time we work, a big potful. They are very popular, I am told 'the best' - the customer is never wrong :rotfl::rotfl:.

Peasy to make and a cheap as chips (actually cheaper)!