make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

pops, seriously. I bake for me. Sometimes the kids eat it, sometimes my auld man eats it, sometimes it's just me. Baking is more about the process rather than who eats it. And if there's loads well portion it up and stick it in the freezer.

It may well be that you have no interest though. I will never see DH baking, ever never. He has asked me to make him (in his tough northeastern accent) 'some of those scouser baker's scones, that was on the radio' I suspect he means Paul Hollywood. :rotfl:

fuddle

Wow, my mam says my nephew looks like me when I was born. I'm all choked up because I look very much like my dad. My girls are two little blond haired, wide eyed girls who take after their dad as I'm a brunette with small eyes. They've never resembled me so this is pulling at my heart strings a little.

My chest is feeling more like heart burn now. Hopefully I'm on the mend.

My cold/flu stores will now be cheap 16p paracetamol, honey, frozen lemon slices and orange squash. Nothing else has come close these last few days.

kidcat

Pops - I bake either for occasion or as a stress relief, in July after a really bad week at two schools, I managed to bake three chocolate cakes, three coffee cakes, four fruit cakes, 56 iced buns, four loaves of bread, 28 banana muffins, 28 apple muffins, 3 cheesecakes (one baileys,one new york and one chocolate raspberry) a banana loaf, and 120 twinks.
I baked all night as stress relief and was left with a kitchen that looked like a tornado hit and more cakes than we could ever use in time

On the plus side I was very popular with the groups I was involved with, the other kids staff room, friends and neighbours!!! Not so popular with OH who was left with kitchen mess to clean up

So if you fancy baking - make a cake if you cant eat it all, offer it to neighbours, care homes or local groups. You could even bake for any fetes and fairs in the area.

One very upset DS14, no justice in the world, poor Brendan - its cos hes old isnt it, the other two both have other things etc
I have to say I still dont get why Brendan didnt win, but I always felt Paul didnt like him.

Mrs_Chip

Wanted Brendan to win

Liver - like squid, ether very quick or long and slow! I do mine by coating everything in seasoned flour - sliced onions, lambs liver, rashers bacon, sausages (but they do come out a bit rude :rotfl:), layering in a glass casserole and sprinkling over 2/3 beef oxo and barely covering with boiling water. Lid on and cook slowly for min 2 hours. I guess slow cooker would be good.

(((hugs)))) to all - Kidcat , hope the muffins were ok!

Thanks Possession!

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

pops, seriously. I bake for me. Sometimes the kids eat it, sometimes my auld man eats it, sometimes it's just me. Baking is more about the process rather than who eats it. And if there's loads well portion it up and stick it in the freezer.

It may well be that you have no interest though. I will never see DH baking, ever never. He has asked me to make him (in his tough northeastern accent) 'some of those scouser baker's scones, that was on the radio' I suspect he means Paul Hollywood. :rotfl:

The freezer may be the answer and I need another a bit larger or one for the extra items that I have no room for now(if we can afford to run extra white goods items)with the cost of electric.

Oh I am interested in cooking and was a good little cook when Mum was alive, I liked cooking for someone else as well as myself...got to keep it up...and not give in but often bought prepared food is no more expensive for me but you lose the satisfaction that you made it!

Possession

We had a happy household as DS wanted John to win, and DD didn't want Brendan to win "because he's very big-headed Mummy". It's a shame for James that he really didn't do well that weekend. Certainly between Brendan and John, Brendan would have won it over the series as a whole.
I was rather shocked and pleased to discover I could make better fondant fancies than them though. Shocking efforts!

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Style that! :rotfl: It's bright green and yellow with complimentary jungle curtains. Told you it was cosy

And this is what I've been doing all day. It was brilliant as a pantry but needs must. I drilled the broom handle to the top shelf brackets to make a hanging rail. I just hope it hold! :eek:

Cunningly combining 2 thoughts about 2 posts I'm replying too :D...

http://www.san-stefano.gr/margaritas_room.php#1 have a look at photo 1 for Orange Lily and Sunflower suite - I think you could easily give it a look like this without spending or changing much. It's the way they've taken the photo from as far back as possible, and got everything tidy and clutter free that makes it looks so spacious - and of course, being a hotel that was vacant when they took the pic, it was clutter free!

I'd get a long curtain and bedspread to match to give your room a coordinated feel, and really, you don't want (at least at this time of year) the cool airyness. I love the way you've done the clothes storage! And for that, if it needs covering, I'd borrow an idea from Laura Ingalls Wilder and hang a curtain over that too.

Or, another thought for the window, a cafe curtain to go over the lower part of the window, and coordinating blind to go over the whole window at night (preferably thermal blackout to keep the warmth in). And curtains matching the cafe curtain round the table to hide anything that needs hiding under there.

2tonsils wrote: »

I thought some of you might enjoy this, its the first part of a documentary about Corfu. My friends own the little grill room in this episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thaeqsu4T5I

Ooh, I've been to San Stefanos, where Noula comes from, with Sally the wedding planner! Brought a bit of a lump to my throat actually, as we were planning to go back to San Stefanos for a third time, but using San Stefanos Travel and stay at the place the wedding was held in... But then Errant Husband left us. Well, the boys and I will go on holiday again, actually we went away this year (though Kessingland, not Corfu!) so enough of me being a grump!

JKJ wrote: »

Oh dear so much illness around. Hope everyone gets well soon. I dread this time of year as I have a very badly compromised immune system.

Have been thinking (ouch) and have decided to try a new approach to living. I am going to try really hard just to think about Today, not tomorrow or next week or next month, just today. Perhaps then I will cope a bit better than I have been as my brain races from money to health to family to , well everywhere really. Some days I really think I am responsible for global warming lol

JKJ, you are not responsible for global warming! Are you getting enough sleep? I find I fret more about everything when I'm run down or tired or ill...

Popperwell

Kidkat and Fuddle. I agree there is something thereputic about baking and helps reduce stress...I had just started to bake cakes, muffins, cupcakes and bread not long before I lost Mum. I also have all the gadgets too which are unused but I'm not getting rid of them and hope that they will be used again. i don't want to buy them again.

(My mini chopper)Hardly used has packed up tonight(I hope it is just a fuse)but luckily I had a manual one bought only weeks ago for approx £3-£4

lisakay_2

I now have 2 princess Leia dresses half made must get to bed and decide whether to make hoods and arms tomorrow or buy a couple of white hoodies to go underneath.

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Well done on trying. Why doesn't things in real life come out like our minds eye?

Tuna pasta with brocolli for lunch and tomato soup for poorly DD.

I know I don't suffer from SAD because I like the dullness of candle light etc but is there such a thing as fed up and lost get up and go just because.

My friend in Australia has contacted everyone else on facebook but not me. I'm really upset about it. I'm trying to tell myself that it doesn't matter, that I won't see her again anyway etc but it still hurts. I still feel snubbed.

Off to go get some hot water bottles filled. We need some cuddle heat.

But when all goes wrong out there, you'll be the one she's contacting for help.

fuddle wrote: »

I agree pops, never get the flu jab when you're ill. My grandma always got the flu jab because she had asthma really badly. She was booked in one year to have it but she was feeling poorly. With my grandma being a worry wort she thought she'd best just go and get it. With her frailty I'm sad to say that a few days later we lost her. Her body could not cope with the real flu/cold and the dose that the jab gave her.

My grandma was very old and frail and made her own call to tell a porky about having the flu because she was like that... didn't want to mess anyone around, or make a fuss etc Please, please, please never go for a flu jab if you're already ill. I have been in two minds whether to say this today because I didn't want to put any one off having it. It's as safe as houses and a great, great thing to have in the winter. Read this and go for your jabs as normal (I will be ) but just store it in your mind to not have one if you're ill. Remember my grandma was very frail.

DS2 & I have out jabs at the GP's booked for tomorrow, but I'm going to have to postpone mine as I'm not well. Someone I knew had her flu jab the other year while she had a cold and it knocked her for 6.

Chipps wrote: »

Is it just in the UK that people don't dress for the weather? A Slovakian friend posted a link on fb last year to an article written by an Italian woman who was wondering why (some) people here don't wear coats or appropriate clothing for cold weather. She commented on it that she had also noticed the same & didn't know why either.

I'm over 40 (well, over 50!!!) so wrap up well in cold weather - I'm not so bothered about being cool that I want to freeze!

Over-sweeping generalisation time based only on my own experience ;)in an urban preschool in a 'social priority area (poor!) : I find the children that come into preschool what I would call appropriately dressed for cold weather are mostly European. The Asian children tend to be well wrapped up in the buggies to come into preschool, but get unwrapped before coming in and wear sandles. British children tend to have winter coats so anytime it rains in summer, out come the thick coats.