Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

silvasava

Nursemaggie - try slim leg trousers/jeans (not skinny)- I have a similar problem & can usually get something decent in Adsdar or Sainsbugs as they have a good range of leg lengths.
Where's Vhalla - is she away and I've missed her post?

FairyPrincessk

Just popping in for whoever has the extra patterned socks--They're great for making soft toys. I made a squirrel out of some stripey brownish ones and I've seen brightly coloured cats, giraffes, mice, owls, snakes, raccoons and dinosaurs. This page has instructions for cats and dogs:

http://starshapedandshiny.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/sock-cats-and-dogs.html

I think I got my squirrel pattern from a magazine. If you fill the bottom with rice/lentils/sand you can use them as doorstops, pets often like them for toys as might children.

HTH.

vulpix

Lyn,thank you for your kindness,I feel better already,I was thinking it was me being a time waster.Hope you are not getting a cold.Since I stopped working with children a year ago Iv'e not had one .I always had one every few weeks for 18 years.With regard to kitchen equipment I have a thing about bowls in particular.If I was ever called upon to cater for a large party i would have enough !When I had cancer and was much bigger and felt rubbish I gave away my cake making tins.I thought I would always feel like that and would never make a cake again.I regret it now.I don't make cakes anyway as I am trying to lose a bit more weight,but still regret it.
iamsalt I would get the stuff from storage pronto.Sell what you don't need
or donate it.I can think clearer when the decks are clear so to speak.I am moving house and have been selling and getting rid of stuff for ages.I am not making a fortune but nice to have a bit of spare cash and nice to know things have found a home,elsewhere!
nursemaggie,men and attachment to "stuff"can't say junk 'cos I have just confessed to a crockery habit.I accidently broke a hideous mug of OH's ,secretly rejoiced and he scoured the internet and bought another one!I am sure you have tried running a line of stitches down both seams on the thigh of your trousers.
Yesterday I made a superking duvet cover into 2 singles and so far made 2 pillowcases too.The bed has gone and I will never use a superking duvet again,I found it so difficult to change it.We have a superking bed but use 2 single quilts,great,no quilt hogging and we can have different togs.
Gotta get my act together.Going to the hospital to get the results of the cat scan on my back.Will food shop whilst we are out.
Laters Vx

lindadykes

Meritaten - when my girls were little I always just smooshed up a bit of what we were having rather than buying those hideously expensive baby food jars. Even if we were having chilli or something like that I would wait till the end of cooking to add any hot spices but remove a portion for baby before then. They grew up to be very unfussy eaters willing to try anything. (My pet hate is fussy eaters!)

Trying to live from the freezers and stores at the moment as we have lots in store and really need to stop mindlessly adding to it. Planning on an old North Eastern traditional dish for tea tonight - Panakelty.

This is one of those regional dishes where every family has their own way of doing it (and every one is "the authentic" one!) My mam always made hers with corned beef and sometimes the addition of bacon using just potatoes and onions never any other veg additions. Others however make it with sausages or left over meat, some add carrots and I have even seen tomato added. Due to this variation it is a very versatile dish and great for "making do". I have some beef and chestnut sausages in the freezer as well as quite a bit of Stornaway Black pudding so I'm defrosting the sausages and a couple of slices of black pud and will be using that.

Panaklety Recipe
(Quantities don't matter - use what you have)
Sliced potatoes
Sliced onion
Sliced carrots (optional)
Some form of meat protein - (corned beef, sausages, left over roast, bacon black pudding - any or even all of these!)
Stock - (can be made with a stock cube. My mam always just used water mixed with the old fashioned powdered bisto. Like my mam I like the gravy to have a bit of thickness to it so either use bisto powder or as I have none in store today I will be using some cornflour and gravy salt mixed to a paste and then topped up with more water.)
Begin with a layer of meat, then sliced onions followed by sliced potatoes. Repeat ending with potaotes. Pour over your "stock" - then cover and place in a low oven for 2-3 hours. Remove the lid for the last 30 mins to allow the top layer of potatoes to crisp. Enjoy!

nursemaggie

silvasava unfortunately they don't do slim leg trousers in 25 inside leg. They tend to be in regular fit and long length. Some only come in long length. Sainsbugs trousers are are miles too long I need to cut about 10inches off them and the crotch is somewhere around my knees.

There is not an Asda anywhere near us. I tend to find there short length trousers are made for teenagers rather than a woman of nearly 70. Most short lenths are 27 these days far too long.

lindadykes

nursmaggie came across this tutorial for altering the thigh area of a pair of jeans. It might be woth a try.

nursemaggie

Thanks lindadykes for trying my problem is no where near there it is the back of my legs going up to my bum. There is about 6 inches of surplus materiel across each leg.

vhalla1478

Hello Everyone,

I'm still here - like a bad penny, I'll always turn up. I haven't had time to read everyone's posts yet; that's my evening treat, catching up on all your MMMing.

I had a wonderful weekend with my DB; got wined and dined etc., and we're making concrete plans for holidays; the destination is probably going to be Bruges, Ghent etc, but the timing will be last minute because of his job, so am looking on sites for the best deal. He is also MMMing and very sweetly topped up my liquid handwash in the bathroom with water -' to make it last'.

I'll do a recipe later, but just have to report I'm ridiculously excited because the first seeds I've ever planted in my (long) life are sprouting. I'm so proud of myself that I've written them all down to tell you - yes, it's sad, but it's great to find out you can do something!

The ones coming up, up to now (about two thirds of what I've planted) are ; poached egg plant, Californian poppies, angel choir poppies, aquilegia, Iceland poppies, red lettuce, perpetual spinach, kale and leeks. I shall be now peering anxiously everyday to find more!

Have a great day, Folks, back later.

Viv xx

iamsalt

Thanks for the warm welcome and ideas with the socks and the encouragement about sorting through the storage unit. I have a few nice pieces of furniture in there which will go in the house once I have helped him with his 'stuff'. There is an increase in stuff being added to the house as his dad is moving in with his very strict girlfriend (is it still the term when they are in their 70's?) and a lot of things are 'checked' before they are disposed of as a number have memories of his late mum.....this includes a broken pressure cooker!!!

What I have managed to do while on teleconference (working at home is great) is throw out 3 holey socks of mine and pair most of the others up, and find an espresso cup set to be eebayed.

Popping down to my greenhouse to plan what needs potting on or planting out.....that's my 'commute' wind down time after work and then I shall sort through a utensil pot and transfer what is kept into one which belonged to his Mum, and is much nicer than the one used now.

cheerfulness4

Your garden is going to look gorgeous with all those growing, Viv. The angels choir will benefit from a few twigs popped among them to give a little support. I use to use the prunings from shrubs.

I was considering trying a few plants outside like sacrificial lambs to test the weather but after hail stones hammering down twice earlier I don't think I'll bother. A few more days won't hurt.:)