'supporting each other through really tough times'

2tonsils

Pops you could make the soup out of bits and pieces you have left over and save the stuff in the cupboard for when you are short of time or need something quick ...unless its near the use by date of course.

I cooked a ham shank yesterday, simmered slowly in stock with onions and leeks so made the stock into a soup at lunchtime. My OH had two bowls of it despite it being 19 degrees out...it was like a spring day today. We had the ham with hm potato wedges and green beans last night for dinner. The stray cats will finish off the bits of fat and meat that are on the bone. Have enough soup for tomorrow as well.

Will go tomorrow to replenish fresh fruit and veg but don't need much else. we are on another storm warning from tomorrow despite the wonderful day we had today. whatever happened to the world weather??? It's like something from The day after tomorrow....

Off to make some nice gluten free spaghetti and some bolognese sauce out of some reduced price veal mince I bought. It was on sale for 2.75 euros a pack so I got four for the freezer. I might make some home made burgers with another pack later in the week.

It's nice to have loads of potatoes ready to use...I bought a large sack full off a gypsy who was going through the village and compared to the supermarket prices its saving me about 36 euros for the sack full! Its amazing how it all mounts up. If this weather continues the potatoes and root veg are going to need a bank loan to buy them! On the other hand, the fruit is dirt cheap as we had such a long hot summer....but I guess you win some and lose some in that respect. It must be the same with the UK weather, it must be horrendous for the farmers with all the snow, deep freezes and torrential rain.

Speaking of which, I am posting updates on the Atlantic storm forecast to hit the Uk at the weekend on the SHTF thread.

Purell_Queen

Hi another lurker here i felt the need to delurk as i am a little worried about you Pops having supported my OH through all the various stages of kidney disease (CKD1-5) just over 3 years of Dialysis and finally Transplant i feel i have to say a few things to you.

A renal diet is not just about reducing your protein there are other things to consider, and it all depends on your level of CKD and blood test results you may also need to follow low sodium, potassium, phosphate diets too.

Salt reduce as much as possible and don't be tempted to use a salt substitute like lo salt it is unsuitable as it is high in potassium. and remember ready meals and processed food is very high in salt (home cooked is best for a renal diet)

Vitamins and food supplements should not be taken without medical advice as they can harm your kidneys (sea Kelp in particular).

If you are attending a renal clinic you will have access to the renal dietician please speak to them.

While your GP can be helpful but your Nephrologist will know more

And as i see you are also on immunosuppressants you should be very careful with food safety and hygiene is saving a little money by buying/using food so close to its sell/use by date really worth the risk to your health, i am not being a snob over this i will happily buy reduced goods for myself but would never risk my OH's health as he too is on immunosupressants

sorry if any of that sounds like a lecture

Popperwell

Purell_Queen wrote: »

Sorry if any of that sounds like a lecture

No it doesn't and it all helps. My GP is good and my Consultant is too(I have had the same one for 16 years...)

Haven't had the kelp tablets yet...and they have a long date on them but if they are wasted so be it. I have been on the vitamins I use for a long time and been seen during that time and all seems well but I could ask for advice.

Also could see again if there is something I should avoid in the diet. But I have mentioned in general eating fruit, veg, fish and chicken to my Consultant and not been told to avoid anything...yet! But I use common sense and try to avoid salt, moderation regarding what I eat and try to maintain a healthy weight and where possible my meals are home made...

You are right that food safety and hygene is important too.

Purell_Queen

Pops it sounds like you only have mild kidney disease and if that is the case i hope it stays that way.

when OH was at his worst the restrictions on diet were very strict as what you would regard as an ingredient in a home cooked meal wasn't allowed due to either the potassium or the phosphate in them all his food was extremely plain not to mention a pain to prepare had to double boil potatoes and if he had chips they had to be boiled first then cooled then fried (delicious though) and what veg he could eat had to be boiled to within an inch of its life ....soggy overcooked cabbage anyone i tried to eat the same as him but ended up we had different meals most of the time as i couldn't cope with it no cheese :eek: no stock cubes/gravy granules :eek: no garlic, chilli or ginger :eek: no ketchup or brown sauce :eek: and worst of all no chocolate :eek:

mcculloch29

I missed seeing Nannato3's first post, welcome! Like VJ'smum, I should be working but I'm dipping in and out of it - and this.
I've been inspired by the Hoarding and Messy threads, not that I am as bad as the TV prog cases, but a lot can and should go. There are bags of books sorted for the town CS's. Usually BHF gets them, as a very dear friend died from a completely unexpected heart attack - lack of funding meant he wasn't checked out when his Dad was diagnosed, as he would have been in the past.
The Air Ambulance put a bag through the door and I had a stern word with myself before looking in the wardrobe.
What COULD go? What was waiting to be worn for some fantasy version of me that doesn't actually exist now, and never will again? Two coats, (too small) two skirts (I don't really wear skirts) and two handbags, was the answer. Plus a few other items were marked out for a friend.

I just hope the Air Ambulance does collect it and it doesn't get filched by crooks.

[Deleted User]

Hello Toughies, the snow has melted here, but we now have a stiff breeze and it feels arctic out there, brrrrrrrrrrrr........ Having said that, when I walked the boy this afternoon I found the first Celandine out up the chicken track and I can't ever remember them being in bloom in January before, the world is going crazy!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello to NANNATO3 nice to have you with us, always lovely to have new pals for chatting with welcome aboard.

JEM honey, Hugs, hugs and more hugs, life is so difficult sometimes and relatives are even more so. Keep sight of the fact that you love your lads so very much and wouldn't change a thing about any of them, bless you little one, just sending you some love because I can xxxxx.

2T you have so much more to cope with weather wise than we do here in the UK, it must be quite scary at times for you. We seem to be living on home made soup these days as it's so dank and chilly, we currently have a large vat of mexican butternut on the go and I had some chorizo to use up so that got chopped and went in along with a tin of red kidney beans, just what you need to warm you up on a cold January day.

Had my 6 monthly visit to the dentist this morning, all well except I had a red and bleeding gum so I now have to use the dreadful Corsodyl Mouthwash for a week, it tastes vile, but does the job, Yukkkkkkk!!!!! My eldest DD is coming home for the weekend so we are looking forward very much to that and some nice doggy walks along the river with her. Got us a treat in M&S this morning, they had a couple of packs of thier breaded lemon sole fillets reduced to £3 each so that is going to be supper on Friday evening when she arrives which will be very nice. Stay warm and safe everyone, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Sorry PURELL QUEEN I should have said Hello to you as well, glad you've joined us, always nice to have new playmates, welcome aboard too!!!

sevenup01

Welcome Purell Queen and Nannato3.
Purell Queen that diet sounds horrendously boring and would drive me quackers very quickly! You mentioned a transplant - does that mean the bland diet is over for your hubby? I hope so.
When it comes to decluttering i have been doing some myself recently. But most of it is stuff belonging to my eldest daughter. Hopefully tonight a carpet, underlay and a sofa will be disappearing to her new flat. hooray! space in my garage for me to use as a store.

sevenup01

Mrslurcherwalker i have used that corsodyl mouthwash and it was horrible! It actually made my mouth numb for over 24 hours - i literally could taste nothing and couldnt even tell if a drink was hot or cold. I am never using it again!

[Deleted User]

I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!! definately not looking forward to toofie cleaning for the next few days!!!!!!!!!!!

katieowl_2

Afternoon everyone. I haz snow Lots and lots of it. Started at lunchtime and now there is about 5 inches.

All hunkered down now. DD wanted me to drive her to 'big' town to go shopping earlier. Very glad I said no...there are a few flakes of snow not going anywhere - sorry! She went to the CAB this morning, and they don't think she's going to be entitled to Job Seekers Allowance, because her BF works (20 hours a week?) they are going to check it out, and let her know, but they are to claim HB and CT rebate. Hope they are entitled to SOME help otherwise it's going to be really tough.

I got a bag of chicken scraps in the market yesterday. The free range man sells a stock pack. There was loads of meat scraps on the last one. That was boiling away this morning so we'll have tasty soup for dinner, with whatever meat there is in, nom nom.

Can I ask here, Gailey posted over on another thread about having a fiver till the end of the week, and someone linked a blog I really liked * and this lass reckons her electric is £80 odd quid a month, she's spending a tenner a week on food, and she's spending £20 a month on household stuff for her and her young toddler son. I think that's quite within the realms of what it would cost? But several people were say OH that's way too much on the leccy and the household stuff, the inference being that she was telling whoppers and it really got my goat!!! They were saying if she was spending £80 a month on electric, there would be no way she needed to wear a hat indoors (!) I'm spending well over that on electric, and I'm sitting here in my bliddy hat. Just sayin'

*
http://agirlcalledjack.com

I love this site, and there has been at least one other I don't use anymore, because of snippy remarks about benefits and the undeserving poor, I really hope that doesn't start to happen on here, because it's such a life line and source of strength to some of us!

Kate