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

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE my dear, you are worth so much more than mere money, there isn't enough money on this entire planet worth the brightness that is you!!! Being happy is more important than any other single thing in life, and I wish you that so badly, happiness and peace my dear, you don't deserve anything less than that, Lyn xxx.

PRINCESSX87

Poor Fuddle, Its such a shame that its having to get this far without your mum seeing just how hurtful she's being, Naughty behaviour from your sister, Surly she should support you rather than hinda?
Stay strong hunni, It WILL get better.

Been a lazy day today. Think I have a start of a cold, Either that its just the come down from weeks of stress and worry. I feel I have very little "get up & go" and i'm constantly sleepy. My mum thinks I could be suffering with lack of iron.??

Took a trip to the local MR T, then head off to the C/S. I have to say that I was rather disappointed with the store. They had nothing of home use, However OH found two brand new puzzles for £3. I haven't stopped hearing about it all day.

There is a slightly bigger CS near OH parents so we're going to take a peek in there over the next few days. It means that we would have to spend at least £8 on travel to get there so would rather wait it out until we have more than one reason to go that far.

I'm looking at the bread maker coming into Ald! tomorrow I believe, I'm trying to decide whether i'm better off waiting until one pops up second hand or buy brand new, The other things i'm considering is - Is it cheaper in the long run? We would be using ours for not only bread, rolls, ect, but cakes and biccies.

OH is watching Harry Potter like a little boy. :rotfl:So i'm going to nip & clean the kitchen. xxx

Popperwell

FPK, I can enjoy pottering about and when all was well I stayed home a lot and going out did not bother me much. I am becoming more myself with every day that passes.

I have added an image to my previous post...you said that you feared the Garden centre could close early...I saw market stalls closing by 3pm that's how bad it was.

Whatever your tests were for, just happy to see all is well...

Hello melymay, sorry about the health problems too, not nice...I have a very light red patch from the neck down and across my chest but I blame the medication I am on...well I assume that is the reason...

Welcome aboard anyhow...

FairyPrincessk

Princess,

It takes awhile to find good CS, doesn't it? I must confess, every time we're in a posh suburb I always want to go into them there as they seem to have the nicest things.

As for breadmakers, I don't know if they're cheaper. My thinking says that they're probably cheaper to run than an oven, but then nothing is cheaper than kneading by hand. From what I understand, the cost of making bread from scratch doesn't beat the cheapest loaves---but if you aren't eating the cheapest loaves it may well work out cheaper. OH wanted one a couple of years ago, much to my offense as at the time I was baking all of our bread by hand. We didn't have any worktop space to spare so I talked him out of it, but I suspect I shall have to steer him past tomorrow nonethless.

Thanks Pops. Glad your heel pain is subsiding.

Popperwell

The suggestion is that a Bread Machine is cheaper to run than an oven but then again the other day thanks to a question on here we discovered bread can be baked in a slow cooker. And Fuddle can verify that a halogen oven works too.

There are some breads that require no kneeding too. I saw that BM advertised for Aldi this Sunday...seeing that I have all the gadgets I can think of except a bread maker I have wondered whether I should give in...

Been listening to an interesting interview on R4 all about eggs...

jpscloud

I know there is a long-running debate about bread machines and whether it's cheaper than shop bought, but I wouldn't be without mine. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros -

There really is nothing like fresh bread still warm from the oven (breadmaker)!

I like being able to make my own recipe bread (pumpkin seed, oatbran, etc.) after a bit of experimentation, I get it just how I like it.

I can make a loaf of bread instead of going to the shops for bread - if I go for bread, I'll buy other stuff as well.

You can put it on the timer so you wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread. It really works!

It's amazingly easy. Not OS, but so worth it. My dear old gran was OS in so many ways, but there were some new conveniences she embraced with great happiness - she would have loved a breadmaker.

Cons -

It can take a bit of perseverance to get the bread how you like it - be prepared to make a few bricks before you get a lovely loaf!

After the first day, and in my own personal view, the bread is really only good for toast - but even then, shop bought has nothing on it, especially for cheese on toast!

Popperwell

Well, I could work between the two, recently all my attempts have come out like bricks anyhow. But an Australian TV chef has given me advice/hope/encouragement and some recipes via Tweeter and he writes for the Guardian and hosts the Aussie version of The Great British Bake Off...

How the bread is stored afterwards may affect how long it lasts?

jpscloud

Most of my brick experiences have been because the dough was too dry. I now add more water than the recipe calls for, plus a vitamin c tablet (crushed up) and it's almost always good results.

The reason I need to add more water is probably because I don't follow the breadmaker recipes to the letter - I've experimented over time and now have it exactly as I like, with various things added and omitted. I don't use oil, or dried milk, that the recipes call for, and I add oat bran and pumpkin seeds, sometimes linseed, etc. etc.

Popperwell

I'm in good place at present. With or without a BM I plan to have a go again...

Have some good ideas for meals and days out...

The only good thing about today in Darlington I witnessed another singer who beats many on the talent shows on TV and has won me over. I hope I can manage to find a local gig as I have a feeling she's heading for great things...

There are lots of video's on You Tube and a great website...

If anyone wishes to look, its Hayley McKay...I spoke to her after the gig in a small way mentioned a couple of places and I am hoping she'll appear so I can see her again.

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies looks like a brighter day today, we currently have blue sky and the sun is trying to make its presence felt too. I am very impressed with my dehydrator, I fitted in all the courgettes yesterday and they are now in glass jars crisp and reduced in size in the store, ready to use later on. The space saving by dehydrating is impressive. Today it will be tomatoes again, not to go in oil this time but to store dried as we have many baby plum ones ripe and ready in the greenhouse, going to be busy again. Have a good one all, Cheers Lyn xxx.