The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

savingqueen

thank you Mrs LW and everyone who has been kind.


(((((((((fuddle and Cornish chick)))))))))) you work so hard and care so much, thank goodness there are care workers like you two.

re: milk, is long life milk an option? just a thought.
If you have room in your freezer could you freeze a sliced loaf or two and just take out what you need the night before. If I have run out of fresh bread, I take out the slices I need, put them in an old ice cream tub and they defrost overnight in the fridge. Or I put individual slices on a cooling rack in the morning and they are defrosted enough to butter a short while later.

We did try the milkman as feel like silvasava but after 2 mornings in the first week when we had no milk delivered, I cancelled. I think we were just unlucky but worth bearing in mind. maybe just placing a tiny order for the first week or two before ordering what you would really use?

I have had a chicken in the slowcooker for hours, smell is driving both myself and the cats mad. Off to get the yorkies in and veg prepared. DS10 bought home the last of his share of the produce from his school gardening club so we are eating those tonight.

nursemaggie

Monna nothing wrong with saying Christmas this time of year it is very OS. You must have shared a similar childhood to me with rationing, our parents had no choice but to make our presents. I know mine must have taken months. e.g. my dolls house had electric light a staircase and running water in the bathroom and kitchen. No way could my dad have made that in a night or two. They must have started just as we returned from holiday.

I started making Christmas presents in August. So far I have knit 6 pairs of mittens, 4 scarfs, I am on my fifth. I have another to pull out it is not very good. I have made 3 hats and almost finished a sweater for DGS1. DGD8 and DGS6 are having hats scarves and mittens. I shall be kept busy until the end of November when everything will have to be posted.

I shall just buy a small toy for each grandchild and the adults will all get home made presents. I just cant afford to pay for them on my income.

Silvasava has a point fuddle we are coming close to losing the milkman and they are a vital social service most people do not appreciate.

SQ hugs I keep thinking about you. Have you thought about writing down what you want to say to your DH. You can keep editing it until you get it right and if he still fails to understand you can give him it in writing too. It may work.

Nice to see those who have been missing for a few weeks.

savingqueen

thanks nursemaggie, good idea. I will write it down. Had a conversation in my head this morning, should have written it down but the day runs away with itself.


I have cut down Christmas over the last few years, cut down on food and alcohol, on cards and cut out adults (though do give one of my good friends because we just do and its nice to have something to open in front of the children!) DH and I only buy token gifts or none at all if we are very strapped. This year I am making teachers a tiny gift instead of buying, first year for that. I like the "thinking of other"s part, being cosy and having some downtime with people you love, eating a little special food, the decorations, carols etc but the commercial side, the competitive side (who has the biggest light display type of thing), the need to be nice to people you don't like.... all that I detest. We can all make our own Christmas, winter solstice or whatever celebration we like at that time of year.

Possession

That dollshouse sounds lovely nursemaggie.

This day just seems to be getting worse..DH poorly but determined to go to work, and like a bear with a sore head this morning. Completely failed to help me catch the giant rabbits who I had to take to the sanctuary today. House offer rejected (to be expected) as we have no offer on ours. Have reminded the estate agent we need more than 2 viewings. As I was about to collect DD from school I get a call from DS's school that he's been brought down by the teacher very pale and saying his head hurts so much he can't move his neck. So I needed to arrange someone to get DD while I drove the 10 miles to get DS. He had a little sleep and is playing minecraft now so can't be too bad. DD cleaned out her rabbits but mistook the green wheelie bin for the new one with fresh hay in, think you can guess what happened. So I spent a lovely half an hour fishing rabbit poos out. Cleared out the giant rabbit run which is being dismantled tomorrow. Now need to go and clear out one of DS's wardrobes which is also being dismantled tomorrow - swapping labour with FIL who needs me to sort his computer out. DH is out all evening at a Quaker meeting. Apologies to everyone who's read this very boring moany post!

Pooky

Possession - sounds like a day of "meh" - hope tomorrow is better for you.

Nursemaggie - that dolls house sounds amazing - One christmas I had a dolls cot, it was painted a gorgeous shade of pink, it rocked and it had my baby dolls name on the sides....frilly blankets and drapes - it was the best thing I've ever seen and I kept it for years and years.....only now do I realise it was made from hardboard, painted the same shade as my bedroom and the drapes and blankets were all suspiciously like some of my old dresses.....My parents had little to no money for Christmas and birthday but we never went without. I adored that cot more than anything. I know fully appreciate the time that went into making it and keeping it from my view.

I do aim to make the girls something homemade every year, something they can keep and remember fondly.......although at the moment DD1 is lucky she's still alive let alone getting anything for christmas....but that's another story - nearly 19 year old anyone???? Free to a good/bad/indifferent home......

Bagged a kilo of parsnips for 20p earlier - all slightly soft but I've roasted them up with some onions to turn into soup tomorrow.

fuddle

DH (and me, to be completely fair) won't entertain longlife milk as a staple and don't need to at the moment. We don't like the stuff but had no choice to drink that and powdered at one time. We can afford to choose the real stuff at the moment. As for the freezing bread idea we have been there and done that. Remember we bought the cheapest smallest fridge freezer a few months back? Well it is small and I have to store free fish in there as well as meats. My freezer has to work hard and bread in there is a waste of room. I have tried.

I have set up the milk man. It is more expensive but nothing is set in stone. If it doesn't work or we drop in income then I will stop it and re-evaluate.

Thanks for the feedback

Pooky

Fudds - try keeping some wraps in your stores - as they're vacuum sealed they normally last a fantastically long time. On those mornings there's not enough bread for DD's lunches or I've forgotten to make a pasta salad or the like then a wrap is ideal - they'd not eat half the stuff in a sandwich that they would in a wrap....it's packaged differently so they expect it to contain something different!

I can't abide the longlife milk either - we only buy one 4pt per week as it's only me that takes it in tea, the odd bit in a sauce and DD2 will have the odd glass - no one else drinks it.

I'd quite happily have a bacon delivery daily though......and chocolate....

silvasava

Fuddle - it may be worth checking if you havn't already done so as my milk suppliers do the 2 & 4 pint plastic bottles instead of glass and they're a bit cheaper. It may be also be worth squeezing a pint of milk in the freezer as an emergency supply if you can

fuddle

Thanks, hey pooky that is a really good idea - plus those part baked rolls have a decent time frame in the vacuum pack too. Thanks!

Yeah silvasava I had thought about a little carton tucked in the freezer too. Any idea what I can do from stopping the carton from splitting though?

Don't get me wrong, if we needed to drink milk of the UHT kind we ruddy well will do so and be appreciative. It's just we don't need to at the moment. I much prefer the powdered variety to the longlife and have that in store - great for making rice pudding in the initial soaking up stage

candlelight_2013

Hi Fuddle,

Take a small amount out of the carton before you freeze it because liquid expands when frozen.

Hope that helps

Candlelightx