Thrifty Gifty Santas Challenge 2014

DundeeDoll

have been away toooo long.
Last month's challenge - freezer all good, took bus ride I'd never done before (in Barcelona on my tod grin), didn't manage cinema on my own so carrying over to November, but October was ridiculously busy!
Have caught up on all your news as having my coffee break at work. Waves to tealady
Loving the reindeer poo. Last year I did this for all my cathedral friends with a bottle of lager http://www.jokes2go.com/poems/25592.html
This year I'm doing this and have sourced green sweeties in the local £ emporium. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=grinch+pills&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=979&tbm=isch&imgil=wRbH1xmZ4tT8jM%253A%253B1yqffQ4B81e0AM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fcraftygirl21.blogspot.com%25252F2011%25252F12%25252Fgrinch-pills-revisted.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=wRbH1xmZ4tT8jM%253A%252C1yqffQ4B81e0AM%252C_&usg=__SIAt-6ZEWEdgDE3rivr09tnvAlo%3D&ved=0CC4Qyjc&ei=avdZVLT8I6-V7AaP5oGQAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=wRbH1xmZ4tT8jM%253A%3B1yqffQ4B81e0AM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-0undFIE45_M%252FTtprqy1-vjI%252FAAAAAAAACKA%252FIzJq05Kl_iw%252Fs1600%252FIMG_9875.JPG%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcraftygirl21.blogspot.com%252F2011%252F12%252Fgrinch-pills-revisted.html%3B800%3B533
My news is the windows are nearly done hooray and they have been totally fab. I happened to mention our need for new windows over a coffee with a friend on main campus and her sil owns his own window company. So much less than neverest Have cleaned out savings, but interest rates are so slow decided nice windows was much more important, and will have added to the house value. Of course it highlights all the other work needs doing. But Rome wasn't built in a day.
Lovely to be back and see all your smiling virtual faces (well posts, you know what I mean).
DDx

mum2one

Big welcome back dundeedoll - barcelona sounds amazing and the new windows, there be a real bonus with the winter looking xx

mum2one

completely unrelated to Christmas, but very juicy (apologies bit cryptic but cant say much till its been in the papers)


i've become a whistle blower, the hornets nest is a big one,

Ive contacted the local paper, theyre awaiting eargly an email explaining everything, then a photographer will be coming out 2mor or photo of me and dad.

It includes...
disability discrimination
a "medical driver" answering a call whilst driving
poor service
lack of protocal

From what I can gather it is a national company as i had the regional manager on the phone yesterday ( i thought it was a local one) - if it is national going to be a mega bees nest...

hopefully should be in saturdays paper - once its public I can say what happened. x

Hezzawithkids

Hello all :wave:

Hope you don't mind me hopping onto this thread, I've been lurking for a while as I've been getting my Xmas mojo together. Now I have a question.

I seem to be the only one in my family who eats the Xmas cake, mince pies & pudding. OH & the kids don't eat them, any guests we have can probably take it or leave it (if I put anything else out like chocolate cake or yule log they get devoured while the pud sits there looking like Billy No Mates) and they usually end up being thrown out after a couple of days. A couple of weeks ago I spotted a Mincemeat & fruit crumble option on an Xmas menu for a restaurant and I thought What a great idea! I make a mean apple crumble and this could be a festive twist on a family favourite. I can make it on Xmas Eve and just keep it in the fridge until I need to heat it up.

Can anyone recommend a recipe? TIA

mum2one

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

Hello all :wave:

Hope you don't mind me hopping onto this thread, I've been lurking for a while as I've been getting my Xmas mojo together. Now I have a question.

I seem to be the only one in my family who eats the Xmas cake, mince pies & pudding. OH & the kids don't eat them, any guests we have can probably take it or leave it (if I put anything else out like chocolate cake or yule log they get devoured while the pud sits there looking like Billy No Mates) and they usually end up being thrown out after a couple of days. A couple of weeks ago I spotted a Mincemeat & fruit crumble option on an Xmas menu for a restaurant and I thought What a great idea! I make a mean apple crumble and this could be a festive twist on a family favourite. I can make it on Xmas Eve and just keep it in the fridge until I need to heat it up.

Can anyone recommend a recipe? TIA

a big hi, were a nice lot here, so pop your feet up with a cup of tea.

I have to say that mincemeat and fruit crumble sounds lovely, I have to confess when I make a crumble, I tend to use a packet mix, I would use a standard apple mix, and maybe use 3/4 apple, 1/4 mincemeat, as it might be a bit sweet with more mincemeat in.

You could also make a large apple and mincemeat pie,

Mincemeat - you could make baked apples and use the mincemeat in the middle.

Any pud that is left over - make a Christmas pud icecream. Just get a carton of vanilla icecream (any type or size), let the icecream soften slightly and transfer to a mixing bowl, crumble the christmas pudding into the bowl, mix up and then transfer to the icecream container and freeze.

(although your defrosting its only just to soften up a couple of mins, so be ok).

The icecream, this can be made with mincemeat as well.

xx

mrs-moneypenny

love the new lewis' ad (not quite as cute as last year but still aWWWWWW)

hope all are well

vulpix

De Lurking to say, Hezzawithkids I had a lovely alternative to a mincepie at a carol service last year.I asked the lady how to make it and she said just a standard crumble mixture with an egg added.Spread a layer on the bottom of a tin then a layer of mincemeat then more crumble mix.It was cut into little squares and was much smaller and lighter than a mince pie can be.

mum2one

my favourite place today - the hospital, gd news from the surgeon he is happy with how everything has settled back down with dad, thou we all had a shock about his weight loss, then the gain as when they say kgs doesn't mean much but in stones and pounds its frightening... he went from just over 10 stone to 6 stone then back up to below 10 stone.

The story has broken, made front page of the local paper

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2014/11/10/nhs-apology-for-shropshire-ambulance-delays/


we had a bit of a fright tonight - went to gp for check up as back was playing up from last week, so the gp decided that I needed to go to a+e straight away... she rang ahead.

When I got there they were waiting for me, - spent from 4pm to 10pm - i have been checked top and bottom, back and forth, poked, proded, blood tests, 2 lots of x-rays... theyve checked for cancer, diabetics (already have), fractures, - as the impression that the gp sent was it was life or death.

Good news the tests came back clear, bar that I have arthritis in spine, and the part of my spine that I have jerked is the part with the arthritis.

Now go to go back to gp to arrange physio - but I have been asked can I see a different GP xx

SugarSpun

Hello, I've, um, been here all the time?

Actually I've moved country again, so I've been a little preoccupied. Still, 45 days to go and I'm all set to get organised. How are things?

DundeeDoll

Wow mum2one you've been on quite a roller coaster!
That recipe sounds good vulpix
Have done a bit of xmas shopping. Lovely cushion with pug picture for ds. He lervs pugs for some unknown reason
Last thursday went to a literary dinner and one of the speakers was sophie hannah who has written a poirot sequel. What better present than a signed copy to my dd1 as her present after the christie clue crackers?
Dd2 has asked for baking stuff so have changed her advent crackers to small baking things, and whatever doesnt fit in the crackers will go in a big mixing bowl for her pressie :-) bought a box of balloon animals to make from mr t £5 and think that will do nicely for 16 of ds's advent crackers. Have already got him 7 pairs of socks with day of the week on and a clockwork egg so that's the 24 done. Mum's musicals crackers also going well. Oh and mega good news
Dd2 has a job yay. She dropped out of uni may and was getting really down, but wonderful argos has given her a xmas temp job at least 10.5 hours per week which is exactly what she needs to build up her confidence.