'supporting each other through really tough times'

Softstuff

I slept in until 9.30 this morning, woke up still feeling exhausted, but stomach not as bad, so the tablets for that must be working. Thanks for the well wishes. Thanks for what you said Elona, it made me cry a little.

I can't believe what happened to your friend Katieowl, it beggars belief.

As for alcohol in the family, Grandad used to get his first whisky and water at about 10 in the morning. Dad near the end was getting through a fair bit too. Though I wouldn't have called them alcoholics, I wouldn't have imagined them without it either. I don't drink at all now (for stomach reasons) and hubby last had a beer at Christmas. I'm not a fan of drinking or drunks.

Byatt, I echo Kidcat, try not to get all het up about the tests, it does change the results. I always try and remind myself that tests mean results which means treatment and improvement, which I admit is easier said than done.

I enjoyed the quotes too Nargleblast, Saving Queen and Monnagran. And though I enjoy Desiderata, I think the glow worm is more my style

fuddle wrote: »

Wartime tip: add little bicarbonate of soda when strewing fruit. It neutralises the acid which means less sugar to sweeten.

I'd forgotten that Fuddle, thank you. It also softens it quicker.
I've never gone off tea. I dare say the day that happens I should make my final preparations :rotfl:

Mrs LW, you sure did the right thing with your mother, can't imagine dealing with that, not with kids around. Your kids had to come first.

Mrs VP, the last time I looked for quick cook polenta in England, it wasn't with the solid stuff, it was with the dried wholefoods.

*whew* took some time catching up to you all, you're moving a bit fast for me at the mo!

jpscloud

Fuddle, I've found that hormones (just the routine time of the month type), or an impending cold can make things taste strange.

The washing machine repair man let me down yesterday so (if he can be bothered to turn up today) I will have to cram a week's worth of washing catch up into the weekend. Sigh. It's so annoying, changing the pump is a two minute job for a professional. If he doesn't come today I'm tempted to have a go at doing it myself.

It's bitterly cold and I need to go and spread some limestone chips on the patch where I park my car. Brrr. I think I'll wait a bit and see if the sun comes out.

elona

Softstuff

I am glad that you are feeling a little better but don't try to push yourself too hard.

I loved the Pam Ayres poem about the gloworm too - just the word "glum" makes me chuckle and seems to reduce the down feelings and put things into proportion.

I have a feeling that bicarb was also supposed to keep the colour of veg while cooking.

We have a weekly market this morning so taking a walk there later for their eggs which have such golden yolks even my youngest dd noticed.

Mardatha

A conventional slow cooker is only supposed to use the energy pf one light bulb so would save on energy costs. My DH would be a bit :eek: at the thought of a haybox too but I am considering finding a suitable size sturdy box and lining it with polystyrene tiles, cutting up and old duvet to fit round a dark coloured cooking pot and giving it a try.

Trick is not to call it a haybox- I plan to call mine a thermal cooker

I can't remember what it is called but there is someone in Wales who makes a wrap type thingy made of fleeces to do the job of a haybox but it is around £60.

We have the gas people doing work outside and will probably have no gas supply at some point probably tomorrow so as my oven, hob and grill are all gas I will have to use the slow cooker or the Remoska to make chicken curry and the microwave for rice. I probably should have dug out the Remoska over the winter instead of using the oven but got distracted with dd being so ill.

Hug to all

Softstuff

elona wrote: »

Softstuff

I am glad that you are feeling a little better but don't try to push yourself too hard.

Thanks Elona, be assured my bum has barely left the sofa all day

I shouldn't be as upset or surprised as I am when I hit hard by anything infectious stomach wise, since the tablets I take every day deliberately make it the perfect environment for stuff to thrive!

I like Pam Ayres in general, my mum used to have a book of hers I read repeatedly as a child.

Hardup_Hester

I married in '76, had DS1 in '77, mortgage rates rocketed. We bought a wreck of a house & then couldn't afford to do it up, we had no central heating, just a coal fire in one room, we only had the fire lit in the evenings as we couldn't afford the coal. MIL was horrified when I made DS some dungarees out of a pair of trousers. I lived on toast in an effort to feed DH & DS a decent diet.
Hester

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, it's a lovely bright sunny day here, but a bit on the nippy side this morning!

Yesterday we were contemplating not our navels but Hay Boxes. I've done a little bit of interwebulating and found a modern take on them. If you search for 'SELF SUFFICIENTISH HAY BOX' it takes you to a very easy idea for making a Hay Box from a rigid sided cool box and a big slab of polystyrene. The cold box is already insulated in its walls and there is a suggestion to fill the hollow lid with polystyrene beads to insulate that. The block is cut to exactly fit the pan/pans you will be using in it and it doesn't look too difficult. It also looks modern and not something that a sceptical OH would raise an eyebrow at and heap scorn on. Worth a look as I think it might be a money saver as times get just that bit tougher for all of us, including me. I'm going to have a go and see how efficient it is. If anyone is interested in Hay Box Cooking I have an early 70's publication just called 'Hay Box Cookery' by Ambrose Heath who was a well known wartime home front cookery writer and I spied a copy just the same on Fleabay yesterday afternoon. If you search Ambrose Heath it will show up. Hope that is useful to you, Have a good day all, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Just had a look at Am*zon and there are a couple of copies of the book there too!

nuttyp

Morning all.

Kate, your friends decision to OD is horrifying. Around here if you approach our council claim to be from certain countries they seem to trip over themselves to help you. Unfortunatley were from a certain area that has turned into the nation place they all want to live. We have a small market toen and they have opened up over 8 supermarket's just to sell their countries fare.

I am not complaining as they also like to gamble, so they are often our best customers!!!!

I was always led to believe if you had mental health issues, then circumstance like your friends were treated differently. When we were loosing our house, i know it was then. I had post natal depression after our youngest was born, and then we lost our house when she was just over a year old. That was some 16 years ago, and it was only nearly 6 years ago that we finally had to go BR to resolve the shortfall from the house being forcibly sold. Yes i could have quite easily commited harry carry, but i had 2 girls to think about. But the thought did cross my mind.

Well wish me luck as i go to town, need to 'try' and arrange a new bank account.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

stiltwalker wrote: »

Only time I went off tea I was up the duff Fuddle! Both times it was my early warning sign - /QUOTE]

Me too stiltwalker.

Thanks katieowl for the tip about the polenta. I have only used it once before and the was a long time ago in an unsuccessful cake recipe.This time I need it for a Butternut squash tortellini (another Hairy Dieters recipe I am trying tonight). The recipe for the tortellini dough can also be used to make lasagna, ravioli and tagliatelle so it is worth investing in a bag of the polenta as I will use it for all of these. I should have thought to search H&B myself . I am so sorry that your friend had to resort to taking an overdose to provide a roof over her head. this reflects so badly on our country. Hopefully she will get the help she needs now to provide her with somewhere to live.

Going to sit with OH today (he does not know yet) to see if there is anywhere we can tighten our belts a bit further. Feb was always our catch up month with not having to pay any council tax but it has not helped us this month. I have meal planned the next two weeks from the freezer and cupboards and just need to buy fresh fruit, veg, bread flour, milk and cereal.

Took my meds late last night and this resulted in a sleep in this morning which is very unlike me. I always feel that I have missed out on the best part of the day when I do this. Going to attempt to clean the downstairs loo, hall and dining room today as my back feels a little better. Will pace myself and not try to do it all at once.

Enjoy the day everyone.

Mrs VP

Softstuff

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

This time I need it for a Butternut squash tortellini (another Hairy Dieters recipe I am trying tonight). The recipe for the tortellini dough can also be used to make lasagna, ravioli and tagliatelle so it is worth investing in a bag of the polenta as I will use it for all of these.

MrsVP, I thought that sounded like a nice recipe we could have, so googled it. I found instead their ravioli recipe and notice that this one just has flour and eggs, not sure if that's of any use to you, but figured I'd mention.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/butternut_squash_ravioli_31141

fuddle

Houses are made from bricks and beams, homes are made from love and dreams.

When you are faced with the possibility of losing your home you forget any sentimental values and just strive for somewhere to live. Anywhere. Although never really faced the prospect of being homeless as we found mouldy cwappy old LL's place well before we were pushed, there was a time when everything looked hopeless. I have never felt so low as I did at that time and that includes grieving for my dad as a child.

I don't know about the homelessness figures but I suspect they are shocking. I want to be able to be positive and say 'hey, look at me it can be ok, just a blip etc, etc' but my reality is nowhere near the reality of what is happening out there. It's happened to katies's friend, a medical professional and monnagran helps the homeless in her locality week after week. Some of us are lucky, it gets sorted, some of us aren't quite so lucky and I don't know what to say to those on the brink to coax them away from doing what Katie's friend did.

Reading hester's account of living on toast so her loved ones could eat a balanced diet makes me appreciate everything. Frugal living? Still bliddy luxury in comparison! Here's me about to tell you I'm making Irish stew for tea... I mean come on!

Strive for contentment everyone, strive for heads above water and a smile as you open the curtains on a morning. If you can do that, you have it made. x

P.S I can't be pregnant because Lyn says everything is falling into place, carrying a little one would blow all my plans out the water! Hey ho, such is life huh?