'supporting each other through really tough times'

[Deleted User]

Freeze them and then blitz them in the blender and make banana ice cream - all you need is in the banana but if you like it you could put in a little bit of yoghurt (plain or any flavour) which gives a different texture, Yummy!!!!!!

kidcat

fuddle - I use bananas that are turning (not very often in our house with DS8 - I usually end up buying them that way!) in banana and choc chip muffins, they go down amazing with everyone I know, otherwise you can blitz them up into a smoothie type drink or even freeze them and then use in milkshakes etc.

Thanks for the tip about woodburners/multifuel, I need to root the house docs out as I know when we bought a survey mentioned being smokeless zone so we may have some issues there.

savingqueen

fuddle - we also have a big bunch of bananas that are perfect for eating right now... will that get eaten? will they heck! you could freeze them to make banana loaf later (I have half a freezer drawer full for that very reason!) or make smoothies, banana muffins or kids current favourite - banana pancakes or banana splits if not over ripe.

mar - I bought a collapsible steamer basket to add to ordinary pan from I~ea for a few pounds. Not sure if you an I~ea near you but thought I would mention. I do have a 2 tier steamer but not always enough room if you are batch cooking.

well we survived, nay enjoyed a 2 day visit to BIL and co. Their house is enormous (compared to the average pad like ours), their hall and landing areas together are probably about the size of our total downstairs area - so our boys and their youngest lad 10 mths DS8's senior enjoyed charging about everywhere, playing hide and seek, dressing up and playing various console games together. Our boys had their first ever sleepover with another child (only slept on a room together or with us if we have stayed anywhere from home). They didn't get to sleep til late which DH & I didn't care about, they were having so much fun but felt dutybound to try and get them off to sleep as it wasn't our home and their son, like the rest of them were going back to their manic activity packed schedule the moment we left.

This time for the first time instead of staying quiet anytime anything to do with money or spending in anyway came up, we were honest about our situation. We didn't bring it up unless it was appropriate but DH had no hesitation for once mentioning how skint we are all the time in a jokey way.

gotta go and hang washing

sq:)

Aria`s_Tail

Morning everyone. For once there isn't water falling from the sky here. There has even been a couple, just a couple of glimmers of sunlight.
Have found a pack of turkey breast steaks lurking in the back of the fridge that OH must have bought. Not like we had enough food in so no idea why but they have todays date on so will freeze half and do turkey 'surprise' for tea. Not sure what the surprise will be yet though.:p

Fuddle, i'm just as embarrassed on the running front. My plan is to take the dogs (they just trot a bit faster as I run :rotfl:) Means I have the perfect excuse to stop every 2 mins to let the dogs have a sniff.
I am going to declutter my seed box later as I won't be growing anything this year (due to being away at work for a week at at time OH only waters stuff when it is dead!). If you PM me you address i'll chuck some salad/herb seeds in the post for you Chick, would rather they were used than binned.

mardatha

Kidcat in a smokeless zone you burn smokeless fuel eggs, from the coalman.
Great re Ikea ty ty I can go up next week.
I would like to make quiche but I'm scared of pastry and have nothing to roll it out with anyway.

greenbee

Buy ready rolled pastry mar :-) although you can roll it out with a wine bottle or jam jar.

mardatha

Oooooh my birthday Pernod bottle ? LOL Hope it doesnt leak - might invent a new dish, Quiche a la Mard in Pernod Pastry

2tonsils

I used an old wine bottle to roll pastry for years as you could not get one here when I first came to live. If you cool it in the fridge first it will keep the pastry cool which makes it easier to handle.

Likewise, I could not get a potato masher anywhere and when I found one on the market after six years of looking out for one I was thrilled to bits LOL....amazing how little things make a difference. Now you can get almost anything you want if you are willing to pay the price.

Having said that the Greeks seem to hang onto household items until they are worn out or completely broken before replacing them. There is a huge demand for old items that can be recycled. Here we do it by placing them on the wall beside the recycling and rubbish bins. I have just taken down two winter jackets that someone will take and put to good use. I would much rather do that and have someone use them than try to sell them for a few euros at the car boot sales.

I often pick up plant pots with neglected plants and bring them home to rescue them. I do the same with stuffed toys and give them a good wash in antiseptic before passing them on to a child who will love them. It's recycling at its best Greek style. There are recycling bins for cardboard, plastic and glass and its taken a couple of years for the Greeks to put the right things in them, but they are getting the hang of it now.

Our weather seems to be drying up now, even though much of Greece seems to be flooding or feet deep in heavy snow. The weather is forecast to be good with sunshine and 17 degrees for us from Tuesday onward. Great stuff...I might finally get all my washing dried!

7_week_wonder

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fuddle wrote: »

Quick q? What would you do wih 5 bananas that were in the turn? No banana loaf apparently, they're tired of it.

I don't know if this is too much like your regular banana loaf, but it sounds yummy with the chocolate and dark sugar in it: I'm going to be giving it a go in a couple of hours!

Hope everyone is doing ok. I went out with my running group for the first time since Christmas. We then came back and undid all the good work eating left-over Christmas cake and Mary Berry cakes! Fuddle: I can't remember exactly where you are - but see if they have a "Run England" group near you - they should have some beginners' sessions starting now and they are a great way of going out and getting moving with people of all sorts of shapes, sizes and ages!

Have a good afternoon everyone.

shegar

kidcat wrote: »

I know I definitely want a stove it is just a case of price, we have been offered a sum of money but it may not be enough to cover the costs, in which case we will have to look at something else to do.

Seeing the gorgeous pics of your stove Byatt has spurred me on. We dont have a chimney though, although it would be placed on an outside wall it would need venting somehow.

As Lyn says I need to get a few quotes and see what the options are - its also a case or researching types so I have an idea what we would like.

I use to have woodburners, and they were always "multi burners", like mar says its nice to burn wood , but coal will get it hotter plus you do need a helluver supply of logs to keep you going, I find WB very expensive to run .........

Ive got a open fire here and its so lovely, I burn large lumps of house coal which seem to last forever at a nice slow burn, WB seem to run away with wood, in other words you are forever throwing wood on, where as coal burns hotter and slower........Plus with a WB you must really burn wqell dry seasoned wood......

Its a beut of a day, so sunny and nice bit of wind, which as dried my washing lovely, my hens are out scratching and still laying lovely eggs, ive now got 41 hens...:eek: I re homes 20 ex batts 2 wks ago, poor little things, pale pink combs, some are near on featherless, and very thin , im feeding them up although a few of them are laying already......Its just so unfair that these dam poxy people can keep hens in cages and never see the light of day or be able to stretch, if I kept hens like that in my back garden id be prosecuted by the RSPCA for cruelty................

Ive been spending quite a lot of time with them, cleaning them out, water , feed etc, just so that they get use to human contact, they will be fine in a month or 2 time, but they dont half look ill standing beside my healthy hens........

On to boredom, well im never ever bored, im usually always on the go and I love it, only time I stop is when ive wore myself out and have to.....I cant sit down and just do nothing, im always cleaning, washing, gardening, 24/7 carer, yesterday I was on the go like normal but my chest felt a bit tight, had a shower and went to bed at 7.15 slept til 6.30 this morning:eek:, wow I woke up feeling fit as a fiddle, I must have needed it................

Hubby go into respite care monday for a week so im looking forward to not having anyone to care for for a week, its a bit of " me " time .........It seem to have been quite a busy christmas period, im glad its over and now cant wait for a new year to begin....Sheila

It heat my sitting room which is about 16 x 16 nicely, it doesnt heat the whole of the house, which woodburners also dont, so Kidcat may find it cheaper to have a open fire, and build a chimney on the outside wall, like Lyn said get some quotes for it, probaly be cheaper and better for you to get quotes in the spring as you will pay a much higher price in winter for the same job....................................