Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

meritaten

I tend to knit baby clothes but crochet blankies. ALL the grandkids have had at least one crocheted for them. a single one for their beds (the two grandkids with ASD had extra thick ones with a double hem around them for the weight) and they usually get a smaller 'snuggle blankie' for watching tv under. I am by no means an expert with crochet - I can do doubles and trebles and that's about it. crochet patterns are like greek to me!


I loved that blankie in the pic! GQ - you should be so proud!

[Deleted User]

iamsalt you are so right ,I was only saying on Sunday that shopping now seems to have become a hobby for so many people .its as though they think
'Oh its Bank Holiday lets go food/clothes/furniture/electrical/shopping'.

I know a lot of people work often long hours, but so did folk when I was small,often longer hours than now.It seems the bigger the stores provided, the more people feel the need to walk around in them :):)

I grew up with shops being shut on a Sunday , (and half-day closing)not a bad thing, as people in those days visited their families on Sunday afternoons, or worked in their gardens (not many patio's around in the 1950s ) and not many folk sitting around doing nothing either.

I wouldn't like to go back to those days of austerity (nothing like the austerity talked about today ) but some of the things that are considered 'leisure' today usually involves spending far too much of what you can't afford, on things, you neither , if you were honest, don't need, and end up binning anyway.

I had to take my DDs dead and past it microwave to the tip yesterday for recycling in the metal bin I was amazed at the stuff folk have chucked away.fair enough if its electrical and beyond repair but there were countless BBQs that seemed to have just been left out in the winter,got rusty and binned, probably to buy a new one this year.

In Dobbies they have BBQs that cost as much as a new cooker on sale !!!! This world has gone mad I think.So much stuff is thrown away and wasted.Countless garden chairs and loungers and I was talking to one of the chaps at the site and he said that it was almost obscene what was binned at this time of the year when the sun brings people out into their gardens and then onwards to the garden centre to buy more throw away stuff for next year .

GQ I too can do almost anything bar crochet I have tried countless times but I just can't do it so I leave it for my oldest friend who sits there wringgling away with her little hook and producing amazing stuff, bless her, she even tried and gave up with me :):):)
But I can make a nice cuppa and a decent cake so different strokes for different folks I think :):)
Today I am looking after my DGS again Yesterday we went off down to see my eldest DD in her caravan at Deal had a cupppa, then went to St Margarets Bay and the boys skimmed stones towards France in the distance :):).

A cup of hot choclate and a walk along towards the white cliffs was lovely as the weather turned really calm late afternoon.The three boys enjoyed themselves and ran around on the pebbley beach.We sat and chatted about how many boats and planes had probably ended up in the Channel before us, and about swimming it and how you had to cover yourself in thick oinment to keep warm in the water .The boys are at an age 11,14,and 15 when where ever we go we natter about what we can see, and its lovely and they learn so much and enjoy just being lads on a beach.As my DD says
'You give them time and memories Mum, not money and that will last them longer'.

I don't know who enjoys it more me or them :):)
The youngest was so thrilled as he found a fossil on the beach of a tiny creature which he will take into school next week.

Not sure what we will be doing today but if the weather is nice it may be the country park with a football,cheap as chips and just as nice
Have a good day everyone what ever you are doing
JackieO xxx

silvasava

So agree with you Jackie - someone quoted a few years ago that shopping is the new religion! A good rummage round the tip can turn up gems! Freezer baskets & cooker racks re-purposed for starters.
Have a lovely day with your DGS - they are so lucky to have a Nan like you
Enjoy the day everyone x

Ps: Jackie - do you remember du Lundi Body Mist - the 'posh' deodorant!

janb5

Just in case any newbies havent seen the original post, we are all having a Meet up at my house in Bromley on that day and I am providing lunch in the garden( yes the sun will shine- it has been booked!)

I am charging £10 per person and the monies raised will go to my grandson Charlie who has SMA Type 2.

I already have confirmation from several people so if there are any more interested people, please PM me. I am very close to Bromley South station and 16 minutes from Victoria. xx

Susan1962

Have been having a massive clearout of clothes and kitchen stuff. I found two random plastic chinese soup spoons. A bit dingy to donate but then I put on my "MMM" hat and realised that they were perfect for measuring out baking soda and washing powder instead of the scoops. I keep the powders in big tins and the spoons fit in neatly - I'm happy to re-use them and they're not going to the rubbish bin.

camelot1001

Jackie, you're quite right about the shopping, so much to see and do in this country but folk like to be harrassed with crowds and queues for parking etc. I get really annoyed with people taking young children to the shops when they should be outside enjoying the parks, rivers and sights. Too many children being moaned at for not behaving, poor souls.

I wish our tip would leave things out, I do sometimes get things but have to ask and sometimes they say no, it's recycling at its most basic and I wouldn't mind donating to a charity. I may suggest this to our local council but can't see it happening.

Well done Susan for finding a new use for your spoons, how fancy having chinese soup spoons for your laundry powder!

babyblooz

Just been out in the garden and realised how wonderful Mother Nature is! Several of my nice plants have had babies that have seeded themselves and started growing away without me realising it. Mr. Babyblooz has been instructed to pot them on and by next year they should be a good size to donate to the school fair.

I love getting stuff for free!:beer:

fuddle

Allotment is ours till 31st September. Official wording is that those who have a plot should be offered a new one on the new site but planning permission has not yet been granted so no one actually knows how many plots there will be. House building at it's best. Anyway. We have the plot, it isn't too overgrown and has blackberries, strawberries and rhubarb. We have brought some rhubarb home so I fancy looking at a rhubarb curd. There's loads more.

So we've rescued all the wire, string, pegs, canes and bird scaring CD's. There's a chair and DH is hopefully going to bring some pallets for a compost heap as it's a requirement for tidiness. I know we won't get anything back. The girls have their plot marked out. We will be back again tomorrow to dig over the plots.

There are leeks in place. They look quite big but look like there's a seed developing at the top. I haven't dug them up yet but if they look ok when I do are they safe to eat?

Ok, so I have bread to make, my meat to cook, cool and slice and wash and prepare the rhubarb for curd making.

I also have to finish my crocheted phone holder/charging sling. It will house my phone over the end of my bed. As we have the smaller room my bed is wedged against 3 walls so I have no means of keeping my belongings next to me at night.

Busy afternoon for me.

vhalla1478

Good Afternoon, Folks,

It sounds like everyone is beavering away productively. Fuddle, is there any chance of your posting the rhubarb curd recipe, please? I don't need to grow it because I'm given so much by my next door neighbour, my DS and my friend who has an allotment, so I'm always looking for new ways to use it.

I was really busy yesterday (and today) with the painting and the garden so I cooked this; its one of the quickest recipes on the planet, as well as being exceptionally tasty and nutritious.

Seared Encrusted Tuna Steak with Fresh Coriander and Basil - Serves 4

NB it should be served rare or it will taste like tinned tuna, and from a 'foodie' point of view there is no comparison in the taste. To be MMM I only buy it when it's on offer.

Small dried red chilli, tbsp. coriander seeds, half clove garlic, good handful basil, picked and finely chopped, good handful coriander, picked and finely chopped, salt and freshly ground black pepper, juice of one lemon, 4 tuna steaks about 2cm thick.

Grind the chilli and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar. Add the garlic, basil, coriander and lemon juice to taste. Mix together and season. Lay out the tuna steaks on a tray, season both sides and rub the herb mixture on to each side.

Heat a frying pan or a ridged griddle pan until very hot and rub it with a small amount of oil on a piece of kitchen paper. You are searing the tuna so that it toasts, fries and browns(about 45-60 seconds on each side) -I always press mine down with a fish slice to get an even colour. serve with salad and boiled new potatoes and a wedge of lemon, or try some marinated sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil in a salad.


Right, I'm back on that rug of mine!

Viv xx

GreyQueen

Well done on the allotment, fuddle, may you enjoy it thoroughly. If you like beetroot, you can plant some now, plus some varieties of carrots, dwarf and runner beans and saladings.

Re the leeks, those are 2014 leeks going to seed. They don't become poisonous but the centre part of the stalk becomes tough. The best way is you to imagine the leek sliced and cooked. The white part of the leeks would normally be slightly-glassy and tender, but at this time of the year, the going over leeks are tough, and the centre part of the plant (right up from the bulb) will be tough, so when you look at a cooked section, the outer layers will be doing the slightly-glassy thing and the inner core will be pure white and tough as old boots.

Might be soup-able, if that's a word.