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

ginnyknit

SQ glad you had a lovely time, bet you need a rest now

I agree with your sentiments Pooky, listening to a child is so important. Our favourite days were a copy of OH's childhood memories, pack up some butties and fairy buns, bottle of cold juice and go to the park/local counrtyside and play for hours. I like to think my children have grown up well because we put in love and care not money.

School uniform prices are amazing now, I remember my blazer (rather a long time ago) was terribly expensive, can't remember the figure but Mum and dad were upset by it.

My pet hate, which makes steam come out of my ears is 'Mummy I need a wee wee' but mummy is too busy talking to her fake tanned. fake nailed friend or worse gabbling away on her phone. Mummy, Mummy on and on...to late a puddle..slap child and drag it off crying 'Why didnt you tell me you needed to go? ' I want to grab the Mother and slap her, then pick the child up and hug her.

fuddle

hmm Pooky. I talk to the girls, all the time. Whether I listen properly I don't quite know. I will watch my habits.

Renewing the meal plan again. We're having to take it right back now. No more primal eating for me, no more almond milk for the girls, no more organic carrots, no more using the car for anything other than school runs. I'm really frightened but not prepared to share what has happened financially. I need to find work but where our future will be is up in the air at the moment. I am using my free time to read as much as I can about social care in order to try get a job as a carer. I guess it'll be a couple of weeks till I know where we will be living. If it's still here I'll be job hunting when the girls' go back to school.

Trying this tonight - creamy salmon pasta with chilli lemon kick http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/07/17/creamy-salmon-pasta-with-a-chilli-lemon-kick-27p/ 27p per portion

I know potato and leek ssoup with factor as I was inspired by Hester's blog and never tried it before. I imagine it to be quite creamy in taste. We're having 2 soup nights with a pudding. The other soup will be roasted carrot, ginger and onion soup - 20p per portion http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/02/14/love-soup-roasted-carrot-ginger-and-onion-20p/

Bean burgers will factor in too - 9p per portion I'm lead to believe. The rest of it is still a work in progress. Shopping bills here are about to be lower than ever and I'm about to get savvier than ever.

This is the final squeeze. If anything else happens the bills will suffer. That does scare me, which is why we need a second income.

Still, many of you have had it worse in the past and you all lived to tell the tale. I am hanging on to the fact that we are above the breadline and appreciate that fact.

fuddle

Could anyone help me with a cheap basic stew recipe. Would you add pearl barley to a stew? Many recipes online have it but also have a lot of meat content.

thriftmonster

Fuddle, I haven't seen Hester's recipe but I make leek and potato soup with the darker green parts of the leeks (I trim off the very top 1/4") which leaves the whiter parts to be eaten as a veg another night. I made a batch this morning exactly that way and added the green flags from some spring onions as well (rest for salad). I do sieve the soup as it can be a bit fibrous. (De lurking to add this - although I'm sure for all of you it's coals to Newcastle)

kezlou

oo i love northumberland! so glad you were able to relax and enjoy yourselves sq!!!!!!!!!

I tend to make stews with brown lentils fuddle, they thicken quite nicely and taste meaty.

I don't use pearl barley as none of nine like it.

Have you tried country soup mix its 39p for 500g out of sinsbugs or morrisons. Its really good contains peas, lentils, barley etc

In morrisons you could buy a ham hock for £1.39, its basically gammon that you boil.
Cook the hokc for about two hours, remove meat from stock. Add soup mix, 2 grated carrots (gives it the orange colour), 2 potatoes and 1 large carrot chopped. Boil until soup mix is soft. Add seasoning.

now i serve the soup / stew mix without the meat. But you can add it just strip the mix and add it soup when its ready to serve. Best of all the bone can go to Alfie

By the way this makes a massive pan for a very small amount of meat.

elona

Fuddle

Lentil soup is very cheap - basically lentils, stock cube, chopped onion and potato, spices and blend like mad once cooked.

Pea and ham soup made with a ham hock is cheap and you still have meat for other meals, quiches. pasta, potato bake etc. If really skint use dried peas, onion, potato, bit of carrot and stock cube.

Think DH has passed on his cold to me so going for hot drink before clearing dishes after lunch.

Hug to all.

kezlou

OH my gawd i'm having a major meltdown, all my dd's have been rejected and only found out last night!!!!
The monies gone out and the cc's etc have not been paid :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

So were on a seriously tight budget from now on. Feel really bad as we've been so good lately with everything and been a high.
Thing is i can't freeze anything as the daft thing broke. So were going to be eaten from the fridge and store cupboard.
I'm fuming with myself i should have checked.


Oh well we've been in worse situations and we can do this. I've gone without food and heating in -13 temps so the lads could eat. They don't know hardship as they have always been fed, watered etc Even with no money we always find something to do.

Now i'm worried about the holiday have to pay £296 by August 16th, don't want to cancel as were looking forward to it. To be honest we all need the break away.

Well better make a plan of action and get down to it.

Think it will be chickpeas for breakfast dinner and tea :rotfl::rotfl:

PRINCESSX87

Kezlou,

The same has happened to us this weekend. Assumed stupidly there was enough in the account to cover the bills and now its all gone belly up. I think the one thing that’s annoyed me over all this is…..How did I not check. Instead we now have a lovely, bounce charge for 4 of the DD’s.

Chin up Hun. Nothing we can do about it now.

Does anyone remember the awful MIL that my brother has, Well all’s been quite for a good few weeks, They even shared the moment of the babies birth. Now she has strike again causing sheer mayhem for my DB & sil. Last I heard from my brother yesterday, him & sil has split up over the suitations the MIL caused.

The MIL has also given my SIL a choice, SIL must call the baby after their surname or sil & it - isn’t welcomed at their home anymore.

She is totally stupid. Causing all this, the baby is just 1 week & 1 day old. Doesn’t show much faith for the rest of babies life having grandparents like that.

Anyways, Just came back from a lovely Sunday Lunch with partner & his parents, younger sister and OH’s granddad. Its nice having a break - even if it is just an hour or too.

The rest of the day’s plans is sort OH out for work tomorrow and a quick tidy of the bedroom!

Hope the rest of you have a lovely relaxed quite Sunday.

ArthriticOldThing

Fuddle, when our boys were young and money very tight I used to make cheats mulligatawny soup as they loved anything curried. It just uses any veg you've got, i.e. carrot, turnip, white cabbage, onion, parsnip or whatever. Grate the veg, pop into big pan, add water or stock if you've got it and add curry powder to taste. Bring to boil, add red lentils and cook(simmer) until soft. Blend smooth and add seasoning. If I had any beans (and I do mean any) add them after blending.

Toad-in-the-hole is filling and economical. However much sausage you have can be cut into pieces to add to the Yorkshire pudding batter.

I just make stew from whatever/however much meat I have and add veg as needed. Tinned tomatoes can add flavour and beans or pulses will increase protein.

Am sorry if these ideas are basically telling grandma how to suck eggs.

My sons bought me a great book, "We'll eat again" - a collection of wartime recipes selected by Marguerite Patten. Am sure I've seen it mentioned on the site somewhere. It's got loads of ideas and recipes. I found it invaluable. Should be available from the library.

Sorry your problems have increased.

fuddle

Thank you everyone.

AOT I have that book I'm always dipping into it but never seem to absorb anything other than the carrot cookies yummy. Packed lunch staple.

for someone who doesn't know how to suck eggs just yet, I appreciate that you all go back to grass roots OS to help us get the basics.

Girls enjoyed soft boiled eggs and soldiers for lunch. I had pasta with cream cheese and some chopped tomatoes. Feel ill with the past. It's going to take some getting used to eating carbs again. Interested in the plan you're now following Mar. Will look into it later on