Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

nursemaggie

camelot1001 If you have a downstairs loo I would be tempted to use that until it is fixed. I would not have a bath. Do stay safe!

Ches

Courgette Moussaka

Finely chop an onion and place in a pan with 500g of mince. Cook gently until meat is browned and the onion has softened, stirring regularly.
Add 400g can chopped tomatoes and crumble in a beef stock cube. Stir and continue to cook for 10 mins.
Peel and finely slice 2 medium potatoes and par boil for 5 mins. Drain.
Slice 2 courgettes. Put mince in a 9x7'' ovenproof dish and top with the sliced potato and courgette.
Whisk together 300g of Greek yoghurt and 2 eggs until smooth and pour over the top of the moussaka. Sprinkle with grated cheese and cook in the oven for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling.

pinkparrott

Fairyprincessk that's for the lavender lemonade , I've done vanilla sugar but not lavender before - sounds lovely,so will give it a try out on the kids as at !east I'll know what's gone in to it.

dND please an you share the recepie / method for making the courgette chutney/marmalade as that sounds lovely too

celtic_moon

Hi All!

I have been fervently reading along with all of your posts (did I mention I am addicted? :rotfl: ) and I am really jealous of everyone harvesting their goodies! I used to have an allotment as we have zero outside space in a top floor flat and only one windowsill that successfully grows anything. I had to give it up when I retrained as a teacher as I had no time - and still don't really!

I am pleased to say that we are still teetering - we haven't managed to creep away from the edge yet but neither have we fallen off the edge into the abyss so I am staying positive! Thank you to everyone for thinking of us and if you wouldn't mind keeping your fingers, toes, eyes crossed a little longer.......

I especially enjoyed the stories of everyone's weddings! It brought a much needed smile to our faces as we remembered our own. We had 2 ceremonies (cos we are greedy! ) a Druid handfasting in May 2013 - 150 people in a field with lots of homemade soups, stews and curries afterwards = cost including dresses and kilt etc £1100 and then a registry office do - 50 people with a sit down meal afterwards = cost £500 so £1600 in total!

Our registry office do has gone down in the family history as some of my OH family are quite 'well to do' and were less than impressed with a reception in a pub afterwards but..... We got legally married on 21st December 2013, a gloriously sunny Saturday morning, in the 10.30am slot before the price hike from £49 to £250!!!!!! Then we had the 3 course Christmas menu at a carvery right on the river (we got married in Liverpool as it was my first time down the aisle) for £8.49 per head and all of our pictures look like we are on a cruise somewhere! Even the 'well to do' lot were impressed......

Two different friends did the cake for each ceremony and many pitched in with the food at the handfasting and both ceremonies have been talked about as being the best people have been to. I have to admit that the best weddings I have been to have been the small, intimate, full of meaning ones - not the flashier ones.

The talk of years gone by reminded me of my mum teaching my, then 3yr old, sister to 'pay the lady' so we could get 3 loaves of bread during the bread strikes of the late 70s as it was '1 per customer' so we each paid separately as there were 5 in the family and Dad had butties for work too. The night before payday was egg and chips and fill up on the bread.... I still enjoy a good plate of egg and chips!

We have done lots of minimising of the freezers and recycled a hifi system from the in-laws - I can't believe how much good stuff they bin :eek: Each time we go to visit I dangle the OH in their bins by his ankles to retrieve items I can reuse/rehome/charity shop. MiL gets 'bored' and changes towels, knives, furniture etc when she feels like - I think she does it so we will go and visit more to retrieve said items out of the bins...... I am about to re-purpose some 'religious' jeans into shorts and then use the legs to repair said shorts and another pair that are also finding religion....... tis the curse of those of us with thighs.......

Sorry for the long post but thanks again for keeping me going and next time I get internet access I will post a recipe link for the homemade granola I have been making - tis fab!

Take care of yourselves xxx

Lynplatinum

Evening All

Isnt the internet great??!!! :beer: I can still keep in touch - even tho I am on hols - am gonna be here till Aug 4th - dread to think how many pages I would have to catch up on! :rotfl:

Although this is the OS thread we have to acknowledge that some things modern are good. For example how we support each other on here! :A

So, in support of Celtic - keep going girl!! It might seem as if it is a long road ahead but it might be worth a glance over your shoulder to pat yourself on the back for having come so far already!! (I always keep my students first few bits of work with me, then, later, when they become despondent, I take them out and show them just how far they have come! They are usually really surprised!)

Vulpix - hope you enjoyed your craft group - when I went to the one here they were very friendly! And kind in that they didnt look down on what I was doing

dND - oooooh is that how you make vanilla essence? I never knew! Now I think about it - the thing does smell alcoholic!! However, I make my own vanilla sugar - think the pods must be about 7 years old now but they are still functioning!

Well I went shopping in holiday/ Sl!mming W!rld mode. Now I love their food and my friend has left me their latest book to try the recipes from! But buying all that protein (chicken; bacon; salmon) has caused my bill to rise to £26 today!! :eek: :eek:

However, it included things like decent ground coffee + strawberries + mushrooms !!! Still it should last me for the two weeks (other than milk). Also I have my 'century saver' monies at home which currently stand at about £40 or so - which I usually bring on holiday (the change comes in handy for car parks down here!) so I can replenish my bank account with this! (I forgot to bring it - dont know why!)

Went to see the sea again today - this time to a harbour called Charlestown - where 2 tall ships are docked - such beautiful things! And then an ice cream and a walk along the harbour wall. I feel truely blessed today! dog is a great companion but as Charlestown would be mostly on the lead - I took her for walkies first today!
Will be back in the land of the frugal tomorrow as hoping for an NSD day (apart form already budgeted for petrol to go and see the sea!)
Nite all

[Deleted User]

dND the weather over there is pretty warm at the moment my brother Davy lives about 10 miles from Ruffec and says its just not comfortable at all.
They do have a pool on their property whic he and his partner Sandra seem to be living it at the moment just to try and keep cool He has lived there for 12 years and says he thinks its the warmest summer ever.

I'm trying to minimise some of my junk today as tomorrow I shall be going through my DGS's bedrooms loading up bags for the tip as their Mum wants them to have a good clear out of stuff (lots of paper stuff lying around )

Old school books that's no longer needed etc :)plus a collection of smelly trainers that need binning :):) But the boys will help and we will soon get it shipshape.I am in a decluttering mode today :):)

vulpix

The craft group was fine.I was the youngest by far and I'm 56!

Although I can sew well I am in awe of some of the things they were making.They buy patterns and kits though.With my sewing I like to make my own designs and design something to use the materials to hand rather than buy it.

I find the trouble with making things is what to do with them afterwards.I enjoy making them but I don't want every wall in my house covered in cross stitch and tapestries and other makes everywhere.And it is not a cheap hobby.

Fairy P,you can get a train to my village from Piccadilly station.Groups on a Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday night,costs £1.Everyone very experienced and happy to help newbies.

Today I will tidy the house make tonights meal because i wont want to later and then paint the ceiling in the sittingroom and if I am up to it start the walls.If I write it here I will have to do it.Got the carpet man coming to measure up on Thursday.

Laters V

FairyPrincessk

Vulpix which station are you at (feel free to pm if you don't want to say publicly). I might look into that in August when we're back. I've also got quite strict ideas about what I'll make. I do buy patterns but not kits-- I tend to only make things I'll wear or use I'm not really into 'decorative making.' I could probably do with a bit of feedback on my knitting--pretty sure I've made a mistake somewhere in this piece but can't seem to work out where.:D

camelot1001

Nursemaggie - The bath is downstairs, shower upstairs. It's safe to use but will be better when fixed - it has been there for about 60 years!

Not much MMM going on apart from making dinner later, I am going to try to lift the rest of the broken slabs as the builder has a big trailer here full of rubbish, I don't think he will notice a few bits of concrete!

Vulpix, your craft group sounds really good, I would love to go to something like that but round here they are only on during the day. Maybe as the darker nights approach something will come along. I would love to be able to do things 'properly', whatever I make is a bit thrown together.
Lyn, you sound to be having a great time, hope you enjoy it.

silvasava

Afternoon All

First of all - Lyn, sounds as if you are enjoying your 'working' holiday do hope the weather stays dry for you.
Celtic - everything crossed for you x
Camelot It will be lovely when the builders have finished & I'm sure they won't mind you putting a few bits in their skip as you're probably paying for it anyway!!

Just nibbling round the edges of MMM - DH & I checked the lifejackets that came with the boat which entailed blowing them up with a compressor & seeing how long before they deflated. I've got a new one so thats OK anyway but after my dunking it made me very aware that the ones that came with the boat might not be up to the job. One deflated so thats going to the tip & one I didn't like the look of so it'll go with it & I've just bought DH a new jacket and two replacement cyclinders for mine & the spare jacket. Not a big job all in all but time consuming! I've managed to get rid of two pieces of worktop yesterday and this morning I've picked the last of the blackcurrants & gooseberries (only one bush of each - enough for us) I've blanched & frozen some green beans & re-done the jam. I had a lovely recipe from Mrs L for Rhubarb Breakfast Jam but I'm the only one who likes it as its on the 'sharp' side. I'd made a load & still had 4 jars left so I put 2 of the jars in with the Rhubarb & Ginger & re-boiled it. Proper consistency now & VERY tasty!
Made the bed up for my visitor at the weekend so I only have a couple of jobs left on my list - phew!
DS2 has just arrived for a chat & a cuppa so I'll catch up later