Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Floss

Silvasava, we have blackberries & raspberries in the freezer, along with gooseberries which will be made into chutney to replenish our stocks after Christmas. We've also got borlotti beans, sliced leeks, chopped onion (and only 4 red & 4 brown stored ones left), apple puree, stewed plums & rhubarb (cooked & fresh chunks). Our apples all got made into wine which should be ready for Christmas

I'm trying to decide whether to try & grow asparagus on my allotment this year...we always have french beans - this years are yellow climbing to add a bit of colour! - and borlotti. Three lots of spuds are chitting, 160 onion sets are rooting in the greenhouse along with shallots & garlic. We've acquired a new-to-us g/house frame which I'm going to order polycarb twinwall for, so we can grow peppers & aubergines, basil and indoor cuces as well as my regular outdoor ridge ones. We always have courgettes & tomatoes, we're still groaning under the weight of last year's chilli harvest, and I cut down all the summer rasps a few weeks ago as we couldn't keep up last year. I replenished the strawberry beds with 80 baby plants on Saturday, the rhubarbs are coming up well, and we had our first PSB last weekend The fruit trees are looking good after an autumn trim, and I'm definitely growing florence fennel again, if only for the seeds when it bolts.

I took 4 bags to the CS today and 2 to our local cash4clothes. Came home with a couple of dresses for work (I wear fitted shift dresses, some of mine are looking a little tired & I got rid of 1 today) and a new chiffon top in a soft pale peachy pink. It goes perfectly with a black & nude lace-top pencil skirt I found in Asda a few weeks ago that is my current fave going-out thing! I also sorted through the Ebay heap, and added a couple of things to it - must get all these on soon before I get fed up of seeing them sitting in the corner.

Left-overs for tea - roasted veg topped with YS Cornish brie & baked in the oven, then h/m icecream & brandied blackberries

Need to settle down with my knitting too - colleague has had baby & they're visiting soon so I must finish their gift!

KnittaPlease

jinny wrote: »

I have left over wool too I'm loathe to part with. I would love to learn to knit socks I would knit in stripes so to use up bits of wool.

Socks can be a bit fiddly when you're first starting out, but once you get the hang of them, you'll never stop.


There's a series of vids by one of the yarn companies which takes you through all the basic steps. Try searching for Artesano on Youtube (I'm not yet allowed to post links - poor ol' newbie).

Hope that's useful.


_____


Got leftover curry for tea. Was planning on carting a load of stuff to the charity shop today but forgot I had an appointment, so I'll be doing that tomorrow. Planning a "fiscal fast" for the end of the week. Wish me luck!

jinny

Thanks KnittaP I will take a look ive had a go before but not too good. I am quite crafty and a sewer so wont let it beat me

celtic_moon

Hello again all!

Been keeping up with the thread on the moby - too fiddly to try and reply tho - pinching a bit of tinterweb before our expiry date approaches :j Sincerest apologies to all the lovely ladies whose names I can't remember - this thread moves on at quite a pace!

Cheerfulness, I am glad you're on the way back up again. And to the lady who lost her dog - my complete sympathies. I am 2 years into being owned by a cat and I am already dreading that inevitable day!

Loving how many Girl Guides there are on here (Baden Powell Guide 1988) and it was only a few days ago I was only telling my DH that a lot of my frugality, foraging and making do came from being a Guide and then a guide leader

Also having a laugh reading all of your memories - many I can totally relate to! I was disabled as a 70's child and had leg calipers but I still played with the boys rather than the girls - too many cops and cowboys to avoid and I was constantly trying to 'borrow' a friends chopper bike - even though I had one static leg and couldn't ride the thing But I too had a tiny tears doll (still have it in the loft) which was one of my most prized possessions!

I am still hoarding the recipes and DH is waiting very patiently for the ginger and coffee one vhalla - not the he's obsessed or anything..... :rotfl:

I have been doing well with the make-do and minimise. Quite a few YS bargains on veg and bakery goods in A**a and I have made enough room in the office to get out my stash of material (though not the trimmings yet) and taking a leaf out of the boat lady's book, I am going to split the seat cushions from my caravan so we can still have a seating area when the bed is out - if I don't turn myself inside out first that is

However, my biggest accomplishment has been getting DH on board with the frugality measures. As :money: says we are complete opposites when it comes to money and I now control all areas of money. I do make sure we discuss everything and he is aware of all options - it is now a rarity when we cannot agree. He is starting to see the light and very quickly - going from hovering on a CCJ to minimal o'draft within 2 years. I am very proud of him for this

Well, I have a HM 'skinny' lasagne - the H@iry Bikers no pasta recipe - in the oven with some 10p sweet potato and butternut squash in a tray which may need rescuing.

Will hopefully check back later - take care all xxx

cheerfulness4

vhalla1478 wrote: »

Cheerfulness, it wasn't meant as a criticism or to pry. It must be quite nice to make those discoveries.

viv xx

I didn't think anything of it. It is weird having food all over and it makes me giggle when I find the hidey holes we both found to plug with food as I can stand it messy in the house.
Sadly I'm not the Perfect Housewife though and it often is a bit muddled.

savingqueen wrote: »

Hope you are ok now cheerfulness.....

I do remember kiss chase at primary school though and felt the gender differences acutely then.

I'm doing much better now thanks and to everyone else wishing me well. This afternoon I've started to feel so much more myself and ate a proper meal. Bliss, as I am quite the foodie!


I'd totally forgotten Kiss and Chase. I loved that game! I think I loved the girly games like skipping and hopscotch, and I was mad on doll because I could left out my bossier side (youngest and no one lower in the chain to boss), but my tomboy side loved cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians and I too was always being tied up! Must be because I was the smallest.

celtic_moon wrote: »

However, my biggest accomplishment has been getting DH on board with the frugality measures. As :money: says we are complete opposites when it comes to money and I now control all areas of money. I do make sure we discuss everything and he is aware of all options - it is now a rarity when we cannot agree. He is starting to see the light and very quickly - going from hovering on a CCJ to minimal o'draft within 2 years. I am very proud of him for this

You sound so much like DH and I. He's fab and really got on the MSaving bandwagon with me very quickly. He admitted that I'm better with money and is happy for me to set the pattern and he supports me, even having a go at YS'ering occasionally, although that hasn't always gone so well.
Its lovely when you can work at it together. I really feel for the poor partners of those that refuse to accept that pennies need pinching and bury their heads in the sand. It must be really frustrating and even frightening for some.

Even my DS age 21 decided to have a go and help out while I've been off my game. He baked a loaf. Sadly we couldn't eat it but he tried. Can't think how on earth he got it to turn out like a little flat brick, though, bless him.

[Deleted User]

Made a nice card for DGS Jacks 15th birthday tomorrow from my craft stash so saved a bob or two there.left over veg from yesterdays dinner at Dds will get re-heated with gravy and my chicken portion from the freezer for dinner tonightNo spnding at all today I have to take a parcel to the post office tomorrow to post off to my brother in France.He owns a motor caravan that he has been renovating for the summer and to get the outside decorated how he wanted would have cost him 300 euros .He phoned a place in lancashire and they posted to me two rolls of tape that he wanted in the colours he wanted post free in the Uk for £25.00 I will post on to him tomorrow so he should be able to finish it off by the week-end He will reimburse me when he comes over next month for a few days,thanks my good deed for the week sorted :):)

Just had a lovely recipe for banana bread sent to me which I will try and test out tomorrow and let you know what its like DGS Ben's GF emailed it to me so fingers crossed its OK as I'm not too good with banana bread for some reason but I do have some past their best bananas to use up
Right I'm off for dinner have a good evening and keep warm its blowing a hooley here in Kent at the moment
JackieO xxx

Hard_Up_Hester

I cleaned the fridge when I got in from work, chopped up some leftover ham & made carbonara for tea, cooked the last 2 saausages to make sausage sarnies for hubby's pack up. then I dug out a tin of sardines & mixed with leftover mashed potato to make fishcakes, so that's a few meals sorted out.
Hester

kittym

hi all

Wish I could say it has been a lovely sunny day, however up here in the cold north east it has been snowing again.

Can't wait to try the recipes but they will have to wait a while to I pull myself together a bit more. Voice has returned even if it is very croaky. My poor cat doesn't recognise me.

I have made broth for tea with stock made from chicken dinner yesterday and using the last of the crinkly veg.
I got a super bargain today when I was in Mr. W's they were selling end of line lampshades. I managed to get a lovely creamy/gold one for 50p and it's original price was £7. I have to say I felt on cloud nine all afternoon. It will look lovely in my bedroom.

I to still keep finding things like you cheerfulness, as we downsized from a 4 bed house to a 2 bed bungalow. It makes me chuckle as I'm sure I will still be finding things for months to come.

Take care all. x

cheerfulness4

Kitty, can empathise over the croaky voice. I was trying to tell my tablet where I wanted to go rather than type and it was coming up with the oddest things. I gave up in the end but its usually so precise. :rotfl:

Silva, you're the clever one. If you work out how to make the cloches let us know. I could see old hose or plumbers tubing being useful and little pieces of wood for stabilizing the roof.

BTW, DH was saying that either Aldi or Lidl will be having the little plastic greenhouse replacement covers in for £4.99. Might be useful to someone. I've got to replace my 4 tier cover. I've found them very handy now DH has spent some years getting the hang of how to anchor them.
We fasten the whole thing with several luggage straps to a sheltered wall.

vhalla1478

Wow, I just go to my son and family for an hour and I've had loads of posts to catch up on - how nice! Everyone seems to have been particularly busy today. I took my biscuits that I made this afternoon over to the tribe as I was extremely weak-willed and couldn't stop eating them earlier - not good as I'd made a really yummy corned beef hash for tea with some of the left over potatoes and cabbage from yesterday's lunch and ate far too much of it.

I might be inheriting a little cat called Mimi soon - she's from the Czech Republic - a really long story concerning my DB - and has her own passport. DB is just enquiring into how we manage with Ryanair. She has to come from Cesky Krumlov ( a beautiful mediaeval World Heritage town - one of my most favourite towns in Europe - if you ever get the chance - go - it is so cheap and so beautiful with loads to do for all ages!) via taxi to Linz (where Hitler was born) and then to Stansted and then up to Lincolnshire. Watch this space. Things are moving in the right direction DB started by leaving a toothbrush here, last time it was his toothpaste and now it might be a cat!

I'm out on the school run at the crack of dawn tomorrow, so will post recipes later.


Stay warm, Everyone, and have a good evening.

Viv xx