Living on next to nought - is that the key?

Greying_Pilgrim

maddiemay - do you de-stone your damsons for your jam? It's a taste I remember from my youth, but the non-gardening parental never had the patience to de-stone, so making a sandwich was...... interesting.......

Loving the sound of the damson gin

mrsinvisible - gosh, those 12 days went quick! Oh, I hope that the weather keeps grand for the ceremony and photos Tears of joy are never a bad thing, but don't muss up your make-up!

Hope you have a wonderful time and that your contributions to your niece and sister's day make the day for them

We'll expect an update after the weekend you know!

muddywhitechicken - thank you for dropping in

Greying

XSpender

Hello


I found your diary following a mention on Tilly's thread about the recipe booklets and am reading from the beginning but wanted to pop on and say how much I am enjoying it.


Loving the veggie recipes and have already scribbled down a couple to try. I was veggie for 20 years but reintroduced meat after being diagnosed with a dietary condition but would like to go back to more veggie main meals.


As long term NT members we have only had one poor experience where we were embarrassed, insulted (including my 2 year old at the time son) and patronised by a volunteer guide on a roof top tour we had joined. Needless to say after 10 minutes we demanded to be taken back down the stairs as we just couldn't stand it anymore. The other volunteer who took us back down was very apologetic so we got the feeling this other woman wasn't acting out of character!

[Deleted User]

Hi Chums just popped my head around the door .Back from my fortnights hols in Freshwater IoW.Great place very quiet and a huge apple tree in the garden so we had some crumbles and pies whilst we were there ,then DGS Henry 'liberated' half a dozen for me to take home so apple crumble will be on the menu on Sunday for after dinner pudding:) DD also went sea-fishing with her four sons a couple of times, and brought home on the first time some sea-bass and a couple of bream and on the second time a large sea bass which were swiftly cooked and eaten. I just luuurve free food :) my son-in-law pan-fried it with a bit of butter and some sliced chilli's and it was delicious.Back to reality now I am home again and streeetching the food budget for September with some serious belt-tightening I think.
Love the blog GP will just go and make some coffee and catch up on the past two weeks happenings
cheers chums ,back shortly
JackieO xxx
P.S. I used to have NT membership but returned to English Heritage as there is more in our area for me to take my grandchildren to,plus its almost half the price.I have four of my grandchildren on my ticket plus my daughter as my 'carer' as I have a walking mobility problem.I got a years ticket for £39.00 NT wanted almost double that for me to renew.

Upsidedown_Bear

Why do I suddenly want to eat pizza, crumble and ice cream? :think::p:D

Shortie

Oooohhh, I am planning pizza this evening when the kids get back from my folks' house as I have a few bases lurking in the freezer but I don't think it will look any where near as photographic as yours Greying

It's been nice having time to myself so that I can get in from work and crash but I'm on my tod as Mr Shortie's away too so the house is starting to feel a bit too quiet (never thought I'd hear myself grumble abouut that, lol

Anyhow, I have chickens to sort and housework to carry on with. Have a good day all x

giblet1979

Hi Greying,

I am also reading my way through from the beginning after finding your posts really helpful on other diaries, but wanted to say a quick hi.

I also am drooling at the pizza and crumble....I could just eat that right now! x

maddiemay

First batch of jam finished:j

Greying, my ma always leaves the stones in and always told us not to complain as those who ate the most jam got the most stones:rotfl:

My method is to simmer the fruit and water gently, squashing the damsons/plums against the side of the pan thus releasing the stones, it is tedious but some stones can be fished out at this stage, but after adding the warm sugar and increasing the heat most of the stones gradually rise to the top, throughout the process of heating to achieve a set I stir with a slotted spoon and gradually take the stones out of the slotted spoon with a teaspoon, out of interest I will time the next batch. I am far too :money: to throw away the small samples on jam put on a saucer to check for set (and I always seem to need lots), so having consumed all those teaspoons full I think I have had a sugar rush and now have a headache:(, teach me not to be greedy:rotfl:

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon

Ah, so the main shopping has been done for this month I totally got lucky in MrM and hit the reduced veggies at a good time. OK, so nothing was 10p, but the stuff was reduced by quite a bit, for large quantities, so 1kg carrots = 25p, 9 apples 45p, 3 courgettes 35p (having just walked past packets of 3 courgettes for 99p), a huge punnet of plums (1.02kg) for 55p - regrettably, although they were labelled 'English Plums' they aren't, they are the big dark purple Spanish ones, but I couldn't pass on them I got 3kg carrots, 9 courgettes, the apples and the plums. Also, just in case there are any chocolate cake makers reading, mrM have Cadburys cocoa (red container) for £2, a saving of 1/3rd - makes lush choccy cake And also, I don't know if it was on special offer, or not, but I got some of the savers frozen broccoli - 50p for 1kg? Seemed awfully cheap?? Now I know that some folk don't like frozen broccoli or cauli, and I do see your p.o.v, I've had good and bad, but I thought that if all else fails, it could make soup, so I got 2 bags! And I do have at least 2 recipes on my planner that need broccoli, so watch this space for a review of the product! :rotfl:

I spent just under £34 today - in 5 shops - it struck me that mrT don't send me money off coupons anymore. But I suppose given that they don't start until about £20 spend, they are on a little bit of a hiding to nowt with me, aren't they? :rotfl:

mrAl was quite busy, and the standard of behaviour amongst shoppers there has really deteriorated. It's like how frenzied folk get at Christmas, only in August I think that as I can probably get things as easily elsewhere, I'm going to start giving mrAl a miss, unless they move to bigger premises - everything packed in a tiny space, doesn't help people's tempers.

I got all the stuff for the FB donation - but UHT milk has gone up in price again :mad: So I only got 4 cartons. But our donation will still actually be more this time, as I got some other 'most wanted' bits from B&M to accompany the milk.

XSpender - thank you for your kind comment - and WELCOME I hope you find some interesting recipes along the way - but I do admire you for wading through all the pages It isn't obligatory y'know I hope you'll pitch in 'this' end of the thread too Lovely to have you here.

JackieO - I didn't know you read my thread! WELCOME. I don't think that there is anything I can teach such a super savvy saver as yerself, mind But it's lovely that you pop in - THANK YOU

Upsidedown Bear - I'm making up a care-package as I type!

Shortie - I hope the housework has been blitzed. I know what you mean about needing quiet when there's chaos, and yet needing some familiar bustle when it's quiet...... us humans, eh?

giblet1979 - YOU proffer really good help, advice and support on folks threads - seen ya Aw, would it help if I said that it all tasted really, really bad........? Nope? Oh :rotfl:

maddiemay - :rotfl: to your mum's reasoning. I really don't think that the non-gardening parental wanted to do the whole, 'putting up for winter' domestic malarkey. I think that they thought they were escaping all that for Chorleywood bread and shop-bought cake The stones left in were probably an indication of how p*ssed off they were at having to do it, and a deterrent to the gardening parental picking any of the blessed things next year......:rotfl: No wonder I never bother making jams or chutneys, I got put off at an early age :rotfl:

I have to say though, I do love Sue's pics (over at the Quince Tree Blog) of the jams and jelly's that she has made. The different colours and the lovely labels she sticks on the jars

Right, I best take tea and a HM lemon bun up to DP, who's wiping emulsion of wood work - annoyingly, not great huge swathes, just the odd spot, splodge or dribble here and there........

See y'all later.

Greying

beanielou

Am starting to feel a tad inadaquate on this thread.
You all seem so much better at practical things and cooking than me :eek:
GL~That pizza just looked lush.

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Upsidedown Bear - I'm making up a care-package as I type!

Thank you :A

beanielou wrote: »

Am starting to feel a tad inadaquate on this thread.
You all seem so much better at practical things and cooking than me :eek:
GL~That pizza just looked lush.

beanielou - I always feel inadequate when reading. I am definitely not a domestic goddess :eek::rotfl: