Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vhalla1478

Morning, All,

Just a quickie to say I'm still around, but DB coming for the weekend so am trying to get really organised so we can just enjoy one another's company. On the school run this morning so will try and put a recipe on later. and on that subject, I have to agree with you, Lynn; it's not just the cost of ingredients, it's also the time in takes to make - ie the longer it takes, the more wonderful the results have to be. I have a vegetarian recipe for a savoury layered terrine - it's absolutely fantastic and looks amazing because it has three different coloured layers; but I've got to be in the mood to do it. I'll put it on and you can judge for yourselves. It's very impressive and great for the Summer. (where has that gone??!)

Speak later.

Viv x

[Deleted User]

Good Morning chums wideawake this morning,blooming blackbird was doing his 'courting' outside my bedroom window trying to attract his ladyfriend by singing rather loudly.There are two handsome males trying to outdo each other for the fair feathers of one mousey looking bird :):):)I hope she gets a move on and chooses her mate then peace will reign once more in my street.:)
History group this afternoon and we are discussing transportation to the colonies,should be interesting.I shall do my morning hobble after breakfast,its getting better (although no faster ) but its because I am built for quality not speed :):):) plus I love looking at other peoples front gardens as I mosey along:)
Another week gone already and we are half way through May already.Weathers not looking too bright as yet but forecast is dry at least ,yesterday was rather damp to say the least.Fingers crossed we will get a really nice summer for a change
Right time for a cuppa I think
Have a good MM&M day if you can
Cheers chums
JackieO xxx

Nargleblast

Just had a make-do idea....some time ago we bought a cat litter tray for the two resident mogs, who go outside during the day but are kept in at night. This tray was an enclosed one, where the cat goes in through a flap, does what it has to do, comes out again, then you turn a handle on the side and the waste is tipped into the bottom enclosed part whilst the clean litter is sieved back into the tray.

Brilliant invention, but after a few months the cats went off using it (blooming divas!) It was so bulky, too, around 2 feet by 1 and a half feet and about 2 and a bit feet high ( sorry, not metricated here ). It was doing my back in moving it out of the way all the time.

OH then said we might as well take it down the tip ( as in " you can take it down the tip.")

I took it apart - the hood/roof bit with the flap, the tray bit with the handle, and the storage tray at the bottom for the waste......which I have just realised will make an excellent plants container for the garden if I knock a few drainage holes in it.........

cheerfulness4

Brilliant, Nargle. The 'Divas' loss is your gain.

This cold is such a nusiance and now the rest of them have it. Its leaving me feeling really drained physically but mentally I can wait to get going again.

DH just walked in as I can hear the kettle going. Lovely, needed a coffee to wake me up. Feel so sorry for him working with a nasty cold. I should be making him one today for a change.

Have to go shopping this morning as we take my parents.Since upping my budget we've only spent £3 on milk. Nobody can be bothered shopping so its been all out of the freezer, as it should have been in the first place!

Want to make up a hanging basket today. I shall probably let it settle in for a week before taking it outside. I'll see how I feel when I get up. May get done, may not.

The sound of the your holiday sounds amazing, Bubble. I hope you have a fabulous time.

Lyn, both DHs and my lappys weren't happy after the massive downloads the day before. Mine can be stroppy normally but with DHs being strange too it did make me wonder.
Think his is fine now.

vulpix

I prefer my food intake in the day,just naturally don't eat in the evening.A nightmare when I visit my son in the south,they can eat at 9pm,nearly breakfast time for me.

Cauliflower crust pizza

bag of frozen cauli (cheaper recently than fresh cauli)
table spoon of parmesan
salt,pepper
1 or 2 eggs
passata(I make my own)
grated cheese about the size of 2 matchboxes or if not slimming,as much as you like.

boil,drain and mash the cauli
add salt,pepper,parmesan and 1 or 2 eggs.1 egg makes a thin crust,2 thicker crust.
mix well,spread on oiled baking tray,cook in medium oven till crust is bronzed as you would like your pastry.
spread with pasata,sprinkle with cheese,return to oven till cheese melted and browned a bit.
yum yum
makes enough for 4 or 3 greedy guts like us

My old lap top is playing up worse than usual,Mr V had to take his in to work to get IT Dave to find all the stuff it had deleted.

Off to patchwork this morning.Vx

misstara

The internet on my laptop was also acting up and kept freezing, however, it seems okay this morning. It was really annoying the other night though.

I had a look through the craft books yesterday and got some ideas. The first thing I'm going to try is a knitted headband, it looks fairly easy for my first attempt at following a knitting pattern. There was also some great ideas for cards which I will try when making the birthday cards needed for this month and next.

[Deleted User]

Morning all, sorry I've been missing for a few days but on Monday I got a call from DD2 that Zebra was too poorly to go in to nursery so could I go, right away to look after him. I got the next available train and got back last evening shattered and aching well, specially the well crawled on knees!!! He's better I think and hopefully will be OK for next week so it's nice to be home again and on my 'patch' with my armchair and my slippers!!! Oh what a creature of habit I've become!

I've cleaned the house and the washing has just finished in the machine so that will go up outside today and I'll go on the bus to the local centre to get us some supplies, the fridge is pretty empty. We went to the local pub for supper last night which was very pleasant given how tired we both were, came home, watched TV for half an hour and were fast asleep by half past nine, lovely! I even got a cuppa in bed this morning which was blissful. Have yourselves a good day, Lyn xxx.

Prinzessilein

Afternoon all!


I have been out this morning - first stop was the bottle bank. (I wish there would be more banks...so that they could be more accessible to all!...if they WANT us to recycle our glass then either give us a dedicated bottle receptacle at home or build twice as many banls....I am only moaning because in Germany recycling is made much easier!)


Anyway....the trip to the bottle bank got me thinking...I was only dropping off some bottles. The other glass I have would be jars - mainly jam or pickles....and those I wash out and re-use.....And then I got to remembering days long gone by. The old days when there was a Saturday Morning Picture Show at the local Odeon. You got a news reel, a cartoon, a serial and a film all in the one morning show. The best bit was that you could get in for free if you brought along an empty jam jar! (There was a big factory nearby and they would pay the cinema for all the jars collected) - I remember the queues of youngsters all carrying assorted jam jars!


After the bottle bank I went to M&S...picked up a couple of nighties...not the cheapest but they are pure cotton and this is best for my poor skin in the heat. (I am expecting a hot summer!)....grabbed eggs and milk whilst I was there....and a packet of 'biscuits for cheese'


Then I stopped off at the market on the way back home....Always worth a look at the market....especially the fruit and veg stall....I found some lovely plums today...a really big bagful for just £1...I sorted them into 3 piles when I got back...'squishy and to be eaten today/tomorrow'...'good to keep a few days'...and 'probably will need to be stewed/baked'...so it will be plum-based puds for a few days!


I also picked up some green beans and broccoli...so that will mean no more food shopping needed until well into next week.


Exhausted now...so will settle down with a DVD and my knitting basket.

THIRZAH

Prinzessilein

We do have a doorstep glass collection. It's about time all local authorities collected the same things for recycling. Every one seems to different and in a different coloured bin just to confuse me when I visit DDS.Here we have collections for glass, card, paper, plastic, cans plus food and garden waste. If we lived a mile down the road we could put out tetra-packs too but I have to carry ours down to recycling place in the centre of town

The DVD and knitting sound like a good idea.

celtic_moon

Hi again All!

Welcome to the newbies, it's great that we are getting so many lurkers posting! :j

I have been reading along as usual - nearly out of data on my phone now though so I am suffering withdrawal symptoms from not being able to check this thread several times a day. It resets again next week - can't wait!

I cannot make a meet up either - too far and expensive but I hope all those who do have a fab time!

I have said previously that having to be more savvy with our limited cash has shown us our true friends. Like others have mentioned, one I thought was a forever friend is nowhere to be seen. When I stopped to think about our friendship, I realised it was rather one-sided all the long.

I too am a teacher and I left my last full time teaching job (and last self employed contract) due to the propensity for demanding we sign papers that we shouldn't! I am a fully qualified post 16 (adult) teacher and I delivered courses to long term unemployed and below GCSE workers where there is currently A LOT of funding available. I am well aware that there are those who can teach and those who pretend - rather like a lot of jobs. But when they can get away with paying you a salary of £16k for a 74 hour working week - it's time to say no as you will get £22k for the same hours on minimum wage. They get around it by saying it's a 37 hour week job - this is 37 hours of TEACHING a week. ALL prep, marking, exam prep and paperwork has to be done at home which doubles the amount of time required to do the job. It's terrible!

I am doing some hours teaching kids who are struggling and I support HE students with additional needs - take notes, help with research and report writing etc. I am quite worried how this will all change in light of the election results - it forms the main part of our income at present! I am thinking that I may start applying to supermarkets and the like BEFORE there is a glut of people on the job market

On a more positive note, we are back on the MMMing wagon properly - like Cheerfulness, I am fed up of the budget but I cannot increase it at the min. We are looking at things differently - food, possessions, gift items etc so we can pazazz things a bit. I keep counting my blessings and I know it will get better as our business increases - although a lottery win could be useful in the meantime

We have some friends who are happily passing on anything they don't use to us. Whatever we don't want/need we find a suitable home or give to the cs so everyone is happy!

I have started making my own breakfast granola - it's really nice! I am quite pleased at how easy it is and how you just chuck in whatever you like/have in - once you have the oats and honey bit....

I am looking at making some new clothes for myself - the stuff I am seeing in shops (charity or otherwise) is not making me feel bright & cheerful so I will figure out a couple of simple patterns and go from there - fingers crossed!:) If anyone has any simple patterns please shout. I am going to look into pinterest next time I am online.

Sending you all much sunshine and happiness until next time!
xxx