Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

bargainhunterss

JackieO wrote: »

here is a recipe I use for making my DGS choc chip cookies.By the way I don't buy the dr otk*** packets of chips. I buy an ordinary bar of supermarkets milk or white chocolate and bash it with the steak mallet (techy term )until its reduced to chip like consistancy that way I can use half a bar in the mix and have the other half for next time .at 80p a bar you get twice the chocolate for half the price
anyhoo
4ozs marg
3 ozs soft light brown sugar
two tablespoons of golden syrup
6 ozs s.r. flour (i guess you could use G/Free if you need to )
4ozs choc chips (or in my case bashed chocolate )
two tablespoons of milk
heat the oven to 180c gas mark 4
grease baking sheets
In a bowl cream marge until soft and fluffy, add sugar and cream together, (I like to add a dash of vanilla essence at this point but you don't have to)
stir in the golden syrup and chocolate chipssieve the flour in and add the milk and mix until its a big sticky bowlful. get a dessert spoon ,or a large teaspoonful and splodge on the greased baking trays leaving room for them to spread slightly (I flatten them slightly at this point) bung in the oven for around 8-10 minutes .just as they start to turn golden hoick them out and leave on the tray for a few minutes to set then ease off onto a wire tray until cool then box up.This mix should make around 30 odd choc chip cookies and all little boys (and big ones ) love them.They will be cooked and slightly chewy to eat and no different from the ones people buy in tescos at £1.00 for five ,apart from the price, and amount of cookies :):)
All of my grandsons love these ,even the grown up ones :)
I am too old to change to metric so all my recipes are in lbs and ozs :):)

Thanks JackieO, I'll definitely be trying this recipe, it sounds delicious!

[Deleted User]

re the jeans I have an old pair of one of my DGS that I keep for patching with I mended DGS Bens River Island skinny jeans for him as he loves them ,but the errm crutch had parted company.He took them back to Uni with him and isists I don't need to buy him any new ones as they are fine.
I'd probably buy a cheapo pair of kids denims for patching if there are no available outgrown grandchildren's ones. The patch came from the back pocket of an outgrown pair and the two legs were made into pull-string bags to store long rolls of Christmas paper .I waste nothing if I can help it :):):)

iamsalt

Hi, just a quick pop in as work is very busy.
Vulpix - the gooseberry will have been got by the sawfly catapillars. I had to pick them off by hand and ....not for the squeamish....drop them into a pot of water with washing up liquid in. Once they had passed away I rinsed and popped them on the bird table to feed the robins etc.
S x

FairyPrincessk

If anyone isn't feeling up to bashing up the chocolate, the bags of chips in Ald! are considerably cheaper than the Dr Oat version. Still not as economical as buying a bar but I find it helpful not to have leftover chocolate sitting about.:EasterBun

fuddle

Brave lady silvasava you're feeling the fear but doing it anyway. I have mentioned before that I am eager to get my sealegs on (or rather my moseying around the harbour legs!) but still scared and money isn't able to let us buy even a little old thing to do up but one day we both hope for fun just off our shores. I admire you for being a bit apprehensive but not letting it stop you!


We are camping by the sea this weekend and intend on taking the dinghy for the girls but as there are huge jelly fish by our shores at the moment we'll have to assess the situation when we're there.


your rasps are looking great. Ours are coming to the end of their fruiting season now but the blackberries will take over. Our strawbs have ended too but I will be looking for runners to start a fresh.


I am now a member of the allotment association but I have found out that there are 109 new allotments planned and currently 124 occupied on the plots currently. We'll just have to see how this plays out really. If I don't get a plot I will be having a few raised beds in the garden as I have well and truly got the bug.


Autumn meal plans are very much figured out and I am now concentrating on building stocks of what ingredients they need. I am also beginning on gathering tinned stocks as per my winter preps.


For the first time ever I think I am looking forward to having my girls for the summer holidays. We've got a lot planned in our local area and looking forward to being as busy as we can without spending money!

misstara

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

If anyone isn't feeling up to bashing up the chocolate, the bags of chips in Ald! are considerably cheaper than the Dr Oat version. Still not as economical as buying a bar but I find it helpful not to have leftover chocolate sitting about.:EasterBun

I have twice bought chocolate recently to bash up to make cookies and then eaten it all still haven't made cookies. Am probably less likely to eat a bag of chocolate chips (although it has been known ) so might go for them next time I'm in Aldee.

I bought some rhubarb last time I was in Aldee so cooked it last night and then boiled down the cooking water with sugar to make a lovely rhubarb syrup. Has some with my porridge this morning and it was yummy.

I went through old paperwork last night and have managed to minimise a lot of it. I'm taking some of it up to work today to shred and will take the rest next week.

Vulpix - hope all goes well at the hospital today

[Deleted User]

I made a batch of choc chip cookies at lunchtime today and gave the half bar of chocolate a good wallop with the rolling pin :)
DGS Mikey came in from school and polished of a decent handfull I make them slightly smaller so he thinks he is getting more than he actually does IYSWIM about the size of a gingernut biscuit
DGS Danny is coming to cook me his favourite dish tonight Chicken Fajitas and he's insisted on bringing all the ingredients as a treat:) so no cooking for me tonight :)One of the perks of being a Granny, when they grow up they return and treat you :):)Well worth all the cowboy forts I used to make for him and his pals with mashed spuds and sliced up sausages
Cheers everyone
JackieO xx

RicardaRacoon

Evening everyone

Can I join in as well? I've just started reading, will take me a while to catch up but I expect loads of good ideas.

Already found the first one, right at the beginning of the tread someone writes about making buntings. So that will be my sisters birthday present. Will only need a ribbon for that, rest ist all in my fabric stash and "Miss Bird", my trusted but a bit stubborn 60 year old sewing machine is waiting for some more work anyway.

Jackie, can't you buy a pair of normal jeans and make shorts out of them for one of your gs and use the cut off legs as patches? That would be win-win.

I bought blueberry yoghurt today and froze it in ice cream lolly makers. Frozen yoghurt for a fraction of it's regular price and it can't melt on the way home from the shop...

Have a nice evening everyone!

mumofthetwins

Hi guys ..
I've been busy as its boot sale day again today (also formally known as one of my old days off ) at least it was a NSD today though

I've used some of the food brought hoe from the burger van for dinner tonight and have burgers and bacon left for tomorrow ��
I've cleaned and fixed up our BBQ ready for Saturday (fingers crossed for the weather) and have top to toed the house including all windows inside and out .. All this after a 5 o'clock start this morning .. Yay
Well knackered now so time for bed ...

Lisa x

Bluegreen143

Husband is working on part two of the speakers/cabling (downstairs). Anyway, just had a funny moment. He's doing something clever by running the cables through the curtain pole to avoid them being in sight or having to be put into the walls. I was watching him thinking how clever he was when he put the pole back on the wall with the curtains on back to front (so white lining facing the living room). For some reason the sight of all his careful work with back to front curtains sent me into hysterics. Easily fixed though and he had a good laugh too

Just about to rustle up something for lunch tomorrow at work. We have a toastie maker so I might just grate up some cheese and take in with some bread and salad for the side. I'm also defrosting some ham for DH's sandwich. We've been very good this week with food the challenge is DH likes to go shopping again on a Friday to get beer (which I don't mind) but then he gets loads of snacky rubbish we don't need...