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

ivyleaf

jem Good luck with the bread I'd love a KMix, but I suspect I wouldn't use it enough to be worth buying one.

sheila - So glad your op went okay! Wishing you a speedy recovery. I know you hate sitting still but it will be worth it!

FPK - I have all the Nella Last books and am very impressed at her ability to concoct a tasty meal out of nothing very much!

Molly - That did make me chuckle - did you feel the need to explain what you were doing down there?

very murky here this morning and it looks as if it's carried on raining well into the night, but at least it's not raining at the moment, so that makes a nice change!

fuddle

A bread storage question if I may?

How do you store your bread? Home made bread goes in the bread bin without being wrapped and I have no qualms in doing so as it has to be eaten in 24 hours really. Shop bought bread I also keep in the bread bin but also in it's plastic wrapper. I think that it makes the bread sweat on warm days and soon when the heating is on more. Do you think my shop bought bread will last 2 days and maybe a little more if it went in the bread bin without a plastic wrapper?

kidcat

Sheila so glad you had your op, but please get plenty of rest and take care

Jem we user similar electricity and I am incredibly hot on making sure everything is off etc. Yes the dw uses electric but I found the increase in heating water for handwashing dishes negated any electric saving, also we are on a water meter so I found we used more water by hand as well.

I did post a long post yesterday but lost it and didn't have the heart to redo it all, so am working from memory sorry folks.

Stilty so glad school went well today.

Jem good luck with your meeting.
I had our yr6 review transition meeting and easy initially treated like a fool, she laid out my options for next year and said that they were my only option. I pointed out that there were two more available options in either an out of Borough placement or home schooling. She tried to tell me that home school was not an option and nor wouldi be capable. Until school pointed out I had successfully home schooled his brother got two years!
I was honest about my concerns and after very frank discussion she agreed that he would possibly be better home schooled, as the concerns I have she wasn't sure could be fixed.
I am still willing to look at the special school and see if they can adapt to suit but currently they are unwilling to consider that they will need to change.

fuddle

A tip I use to save water when handwashing dishes is to only have a couple of inches in the bowl (and I use a bowl because it lessens the volume I need) for wetting and rinsing only. I use a handheld contraption with a sponge on the end that houses WUP liquid. I therefore wet the plate, scrub with the scourer end that lets out bubbly soap, then rinse in the water. It means for very little water I can get the glasses, mugs, breakfast dishes/snack plates from night before washed and out the way on a morning. I then only need one water bowl full for the tea time washing up.

Having had a dishwasher I know I am making a huge water and electricity saving by working this way.

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE I keep my bought bread in it's wrapper in the fridge and I find it keeps fresh and doesn't dry out if I put a plastic clip tightly on the bag to seal it. I don't use a bread bin any longer as the bread only lasts a couple of days before it goes mouldy if I leave it at room temperature. Homemade bread is cooled, popped into a ziplock freezer bag and also stored in the fridge.

savingqueen

Hi everyone

Great news re school stilty!

My cold seems to be going so able to concentrate properly on shopping today. I am starting up my little price comparison book again. Some prices are on scraps of paper still as I keep forgetting to take the notebook out. Need to sit down this eve and sort them out. Feels like I am in better control of our tight budget and being proactive.

I found a couple of coffee loyalty cards in an old handbag- not enough stamps for a freebie coffee but enough with both cards. I asked in Hasdaaars if I could use them and the lovely assistant said no problem. I have been very good lately in resisting all non essential spends so great to have a free reward.

Still eating down the freezer and enough room in the big one to transfer the contents of the tiny one and defrost it. A job I don't look forward to but always happy when its done. Might do that on Thursday. Have gammon with honey in the SC and it smells heavenly. Using up all random fresh veggies and also making a big cauli and broccoli cheese with frozen veg. DS7 asked for broccoli today. He dislikes the stuff but his cold is affecting his tastebuds so he wants to have some today!!

Neither our shower or dishwasher are working and haven't been for ages. I think we have saved money by not using them - not counting the cost of replacing them. DH would put big things in that took up half the dishwasher and would have been cheaper to handwash.
However when funds allow we will be getting the shower replaced (already have one so just need it installed) as it is so handy. DS10 is getting to an age when he needs his hair washing more frequently for example. To balance it a bit I am/will be taking as many as hair washing showers as possible at my cheap council gym. I have long hair so need to spend a bit of time under the shower - at home I think a bath is cheaper for those times.

savingqueen

Our !!!!!! have several packs of frozen veg for 79p eg. peas, green beans, carrots, cauli, mushrooms, country veg and a couple more that I can't remember. Other packs are £1. I buy a few packs along with other bits like loo rolls and use their £2.50 off £25 spend and think it's really good value.

jem132

Well I made it through the meeting was ok they think he can go to main stream hs , I very much doubt it but hay ho . It's easier to dereg and home school from mainstream witch is what we will do if the placement fails x

Still no airier arrrgggg

My little brothers on his way hear from Sheffield he only comes when he wants somthing so no doubt he will want the child baby sitting all she does is scream and make herself sick iv never known anything like it . She does it at home too when she can't do as she wants she's 18mts and very spoilt .

For tea the kids are having duck eggs and soldiers , I'm going to have chicken hm soup . And make some bread x

FairyPrincessk

Afternoon all,

Dragging a bit today and hoping to perk myself up and get a move on this afternoon. I always seem to drag after teaching days. I've used the morning to catch up on admin tasks but need to get some 'real work' done now.

Fuddle, our HM bread is kept in a cloth that has a button and an elastic loop on it. I need to make some more as I've only got one. I saw some patterns online for some coated in beeswax, but I think I prefer just the plain cloth. I agree with you that sealing it up seems to make it go off faster--even if it is completely cooled. Store bought bread is a different matter. It usually lives in the cupboard (we don't have a bread box) but I've been trying to freeze bits we won't use in time if I have freezer space. We don't tend to have fridge space for it.

Right. Almost finished with my cuppa and cookie. Time to get back to it.x

kezlou

Sorry only just able to reply about gluten free bread.

I tend to add a bit more warm water to the dough to kick start the yeast. Takes a bit longer to rise than ordinary gluten bread.
When kneading I don't knock it back as much, instead we do it a very small amount in order to the heat in the dough. I then cover the v bowl with the dough in with a carrier bag and leave it to rise.

That's pretty much it.