NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

natnat13

Thanks ImDoingItForMe and Peony40 for your kind comments. I am really fed up, have decided to hide under my duvet today (with my laptop!).


I pay £60 a month to a firm for oil. I have a credit of over £400 (which they pay interest on) but my tank is still nearly half full and I can't see me getting another delivery this Winter as I have the fire as well. So I rang them to see if I could reduce it right down. They said £60 is the minimum but they will refund me my credit. I would rather carry on budgeting monthly for it, they are usually very competitive on price anyway. So I have £400 winging its way to me. Car insurance is due next month and I was going to pay monthly but will pay it in one go now and will also put my car tax money back for May.

natnat13

Also picked up a night shift for this Saturday so that's 2 good money outcomes today, hope things come in 3s.
God I do think my life is boring sometimes but at least its simple.

CEW

IWAB Here is the bread recipe. It is from a book called DOUGH by Richard Bertinet which my sister swears by. We have only made a couple of loaves from this so far as we only got the book for Christmas but they have both been great. I saw from one of your posts that you will be using a mixer for the bread so I have given you the process for that. He tells you to weigh the water as it's more accurate but if you prefer just change the g's to ml's and measure it out.

10g Yeast
500g Strong Bread Flour
10g Salt
350g Water

Put the flour into your mixer bowl and rub in the yeast with your fingertips. Switch the mixer onto the lowest speed, add the salt and then the water and mix for 2 minutes, then turn up to the next lowest speed and mix for a further 6-7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Remove the dough from the bowl, transfer to a lightly floured surface and mould into a ball.

Flour your mixing bowl lightly and place the ball of dough into it. Cover with a tea towel and rest in a draught free place for around 1 hour, until it is roughly double in volume.

Remove the dough and form into desired shape then rest for another hour. Once rested place into a preheated oven 250C reduce heat to 220C and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. When cooked the bread should sound hollow when tapped underneath..

Hope this helps and that you manage to make some nice bread.

The baker in Mr S explained that you must never add the yeast and salt into the flour at the same time. If you do the salt counteracts the yeast and the bread will not rise. He also told us that at home he freezes his yeast in the correct quantities and just defrosts it for an hour or so. This was useful advice as when we bought the yeast it states do not freeze but he told us it's OK to.

He also told us how to get the crackled result for Tiger Bread. Apparently you mix a paste of milk and cornflour and brush this over the top of the bread before baking. We have yet to try this but will do at some time.

Let me know how you get on with the bread making.

Chez x

I_want_a_baby

THANK YOU SO MUCH CEW!

I really appreciate you taking the time to write that. I have taken a screenshot and will attempt my first loaf soon. How exciting.

Can I just check if you use fresh or dried yeast?

Many thanks x

115K

No Spend Day again.

[QUOTE=wmf;67437068
Someone mentioned men's clothes in charity shops. I have picked up some great shirts for me from the men's rails, hardly worn or new. My thinking is that they have been presents and haven't been liked. Worth a look anyway. I wear the small size and there is usually a good selection. They are handy over a T shirt.
[/QUOTE]

:T Thanks for reminding me. I used to do this when I was a sixth form student but I forgot about it until now, they are often better quality than women's shirts too.

emslovesmickey

Afternoon peeps!

I've been tempted to spend today as I am having trouble figuring out how to do a version of the latest project in the project book without an embossing gun and powder, BUT i will figure it out!

I'm also up to twelve books reviewed (would be more but I need to go to the library tomorrow) have done some more stitching and have made my first birthday present, which was a biscuit tube decorated with Roald Dahl decoupage and filled with some stamps and inks I have never used.

CEW

I_want_a_baby wrote: »

THANK YOU SO MUCH CEW!

I really appreciate you taking the time to write that. I have taken a screenshot and will attempt my first loaf soon. How exciting.

Can I just check if you use fresh or dried yeast?

Many thanks x

You are more than welcome.

Previously we have used dried yeast but as Richard Bertinet prefers fresh yeast we have used that for his recipes. We asked at the bakery counter of the in store bakery at Mr S and they charged us 20p for what was supposed to be 50g of yeast but was in fact over 120g. I think the bakeries in most stores will either give or sell you some fresh yeast. My sister usually gets hers from Mr T's and they often don't charge her.

Good luck

Chez x

System

Hello my lovelies

You've inspired me to make soup!
Yesterday I made a vat of leek & potato in the slow cooker, and a vat of roasted sweet potato &onion. It's all now in the freezer in portions, luckily DD had saved lots of big yoghurt pots so I used those. Then I bought 2 soup mugs that we can bung a portion into in the morning, and bung in the microwave at work for lunch
Sorted! And hopefully healthier than butties from the work cafe.

Did have a spendy day on Saturday but I think it's worth it - OH and I try to get out for a long walk every weekend, it involves train fares, snacks and drinks, which I minimise by starting off with a flask full of tea. However I'm a sucker for M&S flapjacks - I'll have to try again to make my own - they usually come out rock hard
I'm trying to keep up with the thread but to be honest it goes so fast I miss bits, so forgive me if I don't mention all the good ideas, I'm reading and taking them in, honest :T

Rx

ruby_eskimo

Morning all, had a relatively NSD'y weekend and even managed to avoid spending £36 on a journal for the year (don't ask, I'm just glad I decided not to proceed to checkout on the webpage!). This week could be a bit spendy though as most of my toiletries are on their last legs and will need to be replaced in the next few days. Need to stay strong and just stick to the list!

1of3

Deleted_User wrote: »

Enter the code under codes, top right hand corner of the screen If your still stuck PM me I'll send screenshots

Hi

It was my own stuupidity! I clicked on the link and and missed the actual code and thought when purchasing the 20£ it would automatically add it.My Bad!! Can you stack a few of these together or is it one time only? Was thinking of getting a few and keeping them for when we need to stock up on nappies etc