Banishing the black cloud

Ratison

A Girl Called Jack is great for cheap and delicious veggie foods. She has a blog, and a Guardian column online if you don't want to fork out for her printed recipe book,

maggiecon

Fortune Smiles I will definitely be following your diary

Ratison I looked at a few of her recipes before and they looked a bit unusual to the say least. We are a very plain eating household and I am often scared to be too adventurous with food as it normally ends up a disaster. Although I am very intrigued by her banana curry...

supersaver1000

Hi Maggie, we're the same with the pjs too:)

I agree with the veggie peeling. And it's so much easier to think burger and chips isn't it. I keep meaning to draw up a fast food veggie meal list, when I'm not in the mood for peeling. I'm not very good at freezing things but when I made 3 shepherds pies last week DD ate them every night then got sick of them :mad:

I've just picked up this recipe on here, pastry-less quiche. Nice with a bit of salad I thought.

Impossible Quiche

Good luck with the recipes. . I'm going to start compiling that list. :T

supersaver1000

Sorry Maggie, just realised that the quiche has ham in - but could be left out or swapped for a veg? Just interested to see how the crustlessness works out.

maggiecon

thanks for all the advice. I had a big cookathon today so dinners all made for the week with the bolognese and a big pot of vegetable casserole for tomorrow.

Bought another two christmas presents today for my niece and nephew, only one more niece to go. Got an iPhone 5c on ebay for £215 for C so just need to sign up to a sim contract. Going to go with 3 as they over 2gb for £10 per month on a 12 month contract. I am also going to change hubby and Bs sims from Tesco to TalkTalk as there sim only contracts are £3.50 per month. Only DS present left to get.

Hubby has no work this week again so he is going to go sign up to a recruitment agency this week. This kind of leaves my budget a bit up the left so I think I will have to put the car insurance on the credit card. Not ideal but needs must, hopefully I will get a bonus at Christmas which I can use to pay it back.

monz

You are doing great don't worry about your daughter I used to be like tht and least she's not out with troublemakers getting into all sorts xx

maggiecon

I am still unsure what to get my mother for her 60th my sister insists that I buy her a make up lesson and some vouchers for new makeup. Apparently she mentioned to my sister one day when they were out that she loved some girls make up and that she would like to change her make up routine. I'm still not convinced.

My sister has also booked for four of us (Mum, Sis, SIL and me) to go to a spa on her birthday. It will cost the three of us £67 each to pay for mums treatment and to use the thermal area. Then there is a meal afterwards... I think my first estimate of £300 is not far away. Add to that the car insurance and house insurance, £500 I think the credit card will have to be used :(

I have finished the sanding, staining and varnishing of the living room floors and it looks well. Just 3 bedrooms, hallway and staircase to go I must take some pictures and post them up for you all to see.

Unfortunately when I moved the sofa out of the living room I noticed that it was covered in mildew. It has only been in the living room for 5 months! So told hubby it wasn't going back in until we find out what is causing the damp in the living room. I paid £2000 for the sofa and I just finished my last payment on it so I am not putting it back in the living room to get it destroyed. OH not impressed as living room is the only room with Sky TV. As a compromise I put an armchair and a small TV in the room for him to sit in on his own and watch football. :rotfl:

Budget is holding up well this week I have £50 left of my £175 and all dinners for the rest of the week cooked and in the freezer.

maggiecon

Hubby started a new job today:T:T:T

Rang him at lunch time yesterday and asked him to hang the new shower pole and curtain I had purchased at IKEA. When I got home from work, Hubby and DD were standing in the bathroom soaked, all the tiles were off the wall and the shower was gone :eek::eek:

Whoever did the work to the house last year tracked the water and electric to the shower at a 45 degree angle rather than straight down the wall. Hubby off course drilled straight through it. He was so lucky it was the water pipe and not the electric. So now I have to drive to B&Q, which is 30 miles away to get matching tiles. We only have one shower so everyone has to use the local leisure centre for the week to wash up. If you didn't laugh you would cry :rotfl:

On the money front, I might be able to avoid having to use the credit card this month now that hubby is back at work... but it will be very tight.

C said to me last night she appreciates that an iphone is probably too expensive for Christmas and she would be happy with a few bits of clothes instead. I cant wait to see her face when she gets it It still hasn't arrived in the post and I am really nervous. I hope its a good one. I did an IMEI check before I paid for it and everything looks above board. fingers crossed.

maggiecon

iPhone arrived this morning and it looks great, C will be over the moon.

Spoke to my mum yesterday and she was complaining about her phone and her bills so I have decided I will sort out her bills for her birthday present.

She is currently paying £100 per month for broadband, sky and her mobile and is only on basic packages :eek::eek: My mum doesn't understand about switching providers etc. She has been on the same tariffs with her providers for years. So I am going to buy her a new mobile phone and a sim only contract and also sort out her phone and TV subscriptions. I have priced around and I think I can save her about £60 per month!!

On another note, is anyone else cold all the time at the minute? I come home from work everyday and put on fleece pj's and jumpers and lie on the sofa under 3 blankets. And I have about 4 layers on me at work at the minute. This is not like me, but then I am not exercising at the minute and I think that might have something to do with it.

monz

Omg thats terrible having your mum pay that monthly!!x

Get back on exercising. I been forcing myself and feel more energy now x