'supporting each other through really tough times'

alfsmum

Really interesting article on the BBC about the rise of the food swapping movement, apples for eggs http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22539062

Mrs_Chip

I'm sure everyone knows, but the secret to using pellets safely is to not use too many - I think my bottle suggests spreading them out to about one every 6 inches or so - this certainly worked last year for me. The only problem was the horrible sluggy mess left on the beds - yuck!

Anyone with access to seaweed, it can be used to mulch around plants, when it dries it becomes a salty prickly barrier to slugs. Its also a good fertilizer, spread over fallow beds and dug in, it rots away over winter. We are lucky enough to be able to walk over to the beach and collect sackfuls after a storm.

I'm also using the wool slug pellets that I bought a couple of years ago, they were excellent at keeping my runner beans protected last year - and as they rot down they add nutrients to the soil, which is a bonus. Not sure why but the price varies enormously online.

kezlou

Saw the report on the news earlier about oklahoma, it's awful. Those poor kids and teachers:(

Well another day in, so far so good ds2 hasn't vomited, he even managed to eat a slice of toast. Ds1 enjoyed his ribs and films last night. Checked him this morning no rash so phoned up the doctors and school and both said he should go to school.

ds2 still won't let me out of his sight, so hoping he has a nap later so I, can wash up the sick clothes and pans.

markdebby

Fuddle, sometimes there can be a bend/kink in the outlet hose and it stops from draining properly.

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, cloudy and overcast here this morning and slightly breezy but quite comfortable temperature wise, it was warm last night though, kept waking up too hot and I've only got a 2 1/2 tog duvet on at the moment, not a complaint though!!!

FUDDLE I was going to stay up until today but the lovely BT man was at the house before 8 O' clock yesterday morning and had the job finished by 10. Brilliant chap, very efficient and everything fixed, so land line and broadband both working for DD now and all outside wiring renewed which is the best result we could imagine. I managed to get to the station in time for my train home and such a greeting from the Lurcher, you'd have thought I'd been away for months, bless his little hairy socks!!! If you are going to use leaf tea, make sure you have a small mesh tea strainer or the bottom of the cup is not a pleasant experience. I invested in a bright red enamel teapot I think it was around £13 from Fleabay and holds almost 3 pints, it pours perfectly and is making us very nice tea. I have had stainless steel and pottery in the past and none of them have poured as well as this one does. Bad luck on the washing machine going kaput, have you missed a sock or anything lately, that's usually the culprit or sometimes it's a blockage in the drain outside, have you checked to make sure everything else is draining from the house properly?

GQ we have used hollowed out grapefruit or orange shells to shield the slug pellets from the birds in the garden at home, also to keep the lurcher safe, a few pellets under the upside down shell seems to work very well and the organic matter seems to help attract the slugs too!

He Who Knows is currently on the lottie helping to erect yet another stretch of deer fencing, they really are reaching nuisance numbers here, there was an entire family of Roe down there the other day, 1 Buck, 2 Hinds and last years youngsters all munching away to thier hearts delight, little perishers. One of my neighbours has had thier garden wrecked by a pair that got in from the back hedge, all the apple trees damaged and soft plants that had just been planted out too, it's heart breaking!!!

Have yourselves a nice day everyone, I'm off to make some soup for lunch from all the bitses of veg that are lurking in the bottom of my fridge, Cheers Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

I'm being really lazy here but, could anyone tell me where on the thread is the recipe for Pulled Pork in the Slow Coooker? We went toFrankie and Bennys for lunch on Sunday and had thier Pulled Pork Sandwich which was delicious and both DD and I have slow cookers, so we'd both like to have a go at the recipe, I just can't remember where it is in terms of how long ago, Thanks pals, Lyn xxx.

Byatt

post 3762 https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4264869

it's not the slow cooker one...

Asian style pulled pork

I used a 2 and a bit kilo piece of pork shoulder, trimmed off the skin and a fair bit of fat, leaving some on though to keep it moist.

In a big bowl mix 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar (I can't see why white wine vinegar wouldn't work fine), 2 tbsp honey, 2 heaped tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice. Pop the meat in, give it a good rub around, cover with clingfilm and leave overnight.

Put the meat and sauce in a big baking tin. Cover with foil, put in the oven and switch the oven on to 160. After 2 hours, turn the meat, recover it and turn the oven down to 140. After another 2 hours take the foil off, turn the meat and pop back in for 1 hour uncovered.

When you take the meat out of the oven, pop it on a plate and leave it to cool half an hour. Don't discard the sauce. After the half hour, pull the pork into strands using a couple of forks. The outer bits should be kind of crusty and super tasty, the inside will be soft and moist. Mix it all up a bit.

Put the sauce in a jug in the fridge, when it cools remove the layer of fat on the top. Reduce it by 1/3 in a saucepan. Mix 1 tsp cornflour in a splash of water and throw that in. Cook it for about a minute until the sauce thickens a bit. Sieve the sauce and it's good to go. Be warned it's strong and salty, so should be drizzled not poured over!

To reheat some meat pop it on a tray in the oven. I served it in soft white buns, drizzled with sauce and a simple coleslaw of carrot, cabbage, mayo and a dash of sesame oil. Later we'll be having it with rice, in wraps, on pizza, on nachos.... the list is endless.

[Deleted User]

Thanks BYATT sounds delicious and I will definately give that one a try, Yummmmmmmm!!!!!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

Byatt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/53596949#Comment_53596949

a mention further down says it can be done in the SC

savingqueen

Hi everyone,

Glad DS1 enjoyed his birthday meal and DS2 is on the mend Kezlou.

After a good run of positivity, I seem to be heading in the opposite direction. Low mood and my anxiety kicking in - not sure which comes first but they are connected I know. It's my school volunteering morning and I just felt too wobbly to go straight in after waving my two off but I didn't want to cancel either so told school I needed to do something and would be a little late in. Took myself off for a big coffee in nearby cafe for half an hour, pulled myself together and still did my session. I need to watch my diet, walk more and get plenty of wind down time in the evening before early nights.

Well an hour to sort dishes, laundry etc and then off to school earlier than usual to collect boys for DS6's swimming lesson.

Do something nice for yourselves today folks... you deserve it
sq:)