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

alfsmum

Afternoon lovely people,

I am enjoying a bowl of 'bottom of the fridge soup' for lunch and listening to the chancellor tell me how much of a pay rise I am not going to get if he keeps squeezing the middle, it will go pop eventually!

Well, I was astounded to come back fom the lottie this morning with 5 spring onions, some radishes, a little round courgette like a golf ball and 1300g of strawberries:j a combination of circumstances meant that I hadn't got down there since Friday which is far from ideal so I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't any disasters for once. The strawbs will be sorted into nicer ones for tea and the rest for jam. Looks like I will have to go shopping for sugar.

I had to smile at the blackbirds who were flitting up and down while I was there, obviously waiting for me to push off so they could carry on eating.

kezlou

Phew just caught up with you all!

What lovely memories you all have, really made my day reading through them all. Its quite strange have things have dramatically changed over the years.
We knew everyone on our street / estate when we were kids, so we just roamed around. My nana used to lock the door and say come back when its tea time, so 6pm. If she wasn't in one of my neighbours always knew where she was.

Nowadays i'm far to protective, i like to know where my kids are. In a lot of ways this has made them far to dependant on me but with so many people about i'd rather be over-protective than not.
The amount of times i've seen men were the roaming the streets where we used to live was unreal, yet it was seen as an affluent area. Move 2 miles up the road and its completely different. Kids can play out, my eldest wanders over by the beck with the other lads and muck around. They are now having freedom which is more than they have ever had.

I know sounds really bad, but when you cars driving 60+ miles per hour outside your house you get very panicky.

ashamed to say i've never made edlerflower cordial
Made elderberry and bramble jam though. Think i may have to collect some with ds2 after school and have a go. Oops maybe not i don't have any bottles to put the cordial in.


Fuddle - i never knew there was such a beautiful patch of river where those buildings are. We drive past there quite a lot to. Gorgeous pic

As for butter, we have given up on spreadable butter, we left it out for an hour and started to separate yack. So now we are using real butter. We just open the pack and leave it on a plate. Its generally softened by the time we use use it.

monnagran i echo lynns sentiments entirely, you were the last person to make him smile and show him kindness.


Thanks again for you condolences regarding my aunty, her body comes back on Thursday so will pop over to visit the family then. Funeral will probably be on Monday / Tuesday next week, so getting sorted for that.
One of biological mums sisters is trying to get her to stay over on Thursday night to sleep with the family out of respect. But to be honest i think it will drive my bio mum over the edge. When we both went to see her together we both broke down as my aunty looked so much like my adoptive mother who died. We still aren't sleeping properly. I've told her your not staying over, I'll come with you to visit but then were leaving. In my state of mind i can't handle her in a depressive state.

Went to a seminar on Monday about Jack the Ripper, it was interesting. The show consisted of a comparison of the old way of investigating murders and the new. The person who delivered it was a former police investigator and was really good at explaining the psychosis and how to walk a crime scene. then he went on to tell us of another man could have been Jack the Ripper after a phoncecall he received from a person saying "I think my great grandfather may have been the Ripper". turns out he's from Hartlepool. Amazing stuff, even my OH enjoyed it.Shockingly, it was the first time myself and OH have been out together on the evening in over a year with no kids .

We were back in by 9pm, bio mum was surprised and said out longer you know. But we weren't bothered, we just enjoyed our time out.

We better get a shift on, all the washing has been out and better make a move a pick ds2 up from school.

Nymphadora

My Goodness so much chat to catch up on

Spent the last two days in training for my new job and boy am I shattered. Will take some getting use to this working for a living :rotfl:

DH has read through the links posted about painting the furniture so project DD's room starts on Friday.

House is a tip and my fibro is playing up (struggled to sleep when going to work as I was scared I would sleep through the alarm) so don't really have much energy to do anything.

School finishes up tomorrow here so will rope the kids into helping with the housework.

Peony40 Sorry to hear you are having a bad fibro flare, I hope it doesn't last too long and you are able to rest.

ArthriticOldThing

Just a quick question to all of you taking kelp - do you think it might help psoriatic (I can never spell it right) arthritis?
I am so fed up with feeling exhausted and down all the time.

bunbun2

ds' anaesthetic and endoscopy went well and has no ill effects from the anaesthetic which is good. he had a good lunch in the hospital and is now home and playing cards with OH. the consultant saw him before he came home and was very vague. he said everything looked fine but they won't know for definate until they get the biopsy results. he also said a follow up appointment will be made and we will see the dietician. I assume this is only if the biopsy is positive. we should get the results in a couple of weeks.

FairyPrincessk

So pleased to hear that bunbun!

Popperwell

Hoping for good news Bun but glad today went as well as it did.
AOT I had not thought about Kelp for the purpose you mention but found the following site that has a long list of its benefits. And yes one appears to be connected to Arthritis...There are warnings too.

If I am near an Asian supermarket I may have to think of bringing some of their products home with me but the nearest are 12-26 miles away so will have to make a special trip and make it worthwhile.

http://veganlogy.com/2011/05/25/treasure-under-the-sea-kelp/

[Deleted User]

Thanks for letting us know that DS is OK BUNBUN, great news and glad he is over the anaesthetic so quickly, hope you feel better now it's all over, Cheers Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE later on in the season you can make blackberry syrup to use as a drink diluted and over ice cream undiluted. You can also use blackcurrants, nettles and rose hips, but blackberry is easiest and free.

Blackberry Syrup

for every 3lbs of blackberries add 1/4 of a pint of water
6 oz od sugar for every pint of juice.

Stew the blackberries and water together until the juice is running freely and they are cooked. Let the fruit and water drip through a jelly bag/old pillowcase overnight into a large bowl. Measure the amount of juice and put it into a saucepan with 6 oz of sugar for EACH pint of juice. Boil the juice and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved then simmer for 15 minutes stirring a few times. Leave to get cold. Bottle in sterilized bottles with screw caps. To store it long term sterilize the filled bottles in a water bath with the water up to 1" from the top of the bottle in a deep pan. Slowly bring the water up to a simmer and leave the bottles at a simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and stand on newspaper until completely cold. Check the caps are screwed on really tightly and it will store for the winter.

It's really easy and really nice too, Cheers Lyn xxx.

tattycath

Is there a forum on here specifically set up with recipes using foraged foods please? Either I'm not looking properly or there isn't one. Please advise.
I see loads of recipes you all post and think 'yes, must try that' but when I'm on my tablet I can't print them off and when I want to try them I have to trawl trough pages and pages to find them again.