Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Bubblesmum

Morning all

Just wanted to share with you a Nig3ll@ Receipe that I used last bake off Wednesday to use up peanut butter in y cupboard

50g of soft light brown sugar ( I used dark)
50g of caster sugar
50g of unsalted butter ( I used st@rk)
1 egg
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g peanut butter ( I had under 100g so I used up ground almonds and glac! cherries to get to the weight
100g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cream the sugar and eggs
Add the egg
Then honey vanilla and peanut butter
Finally flour bicarbonate and salt.

It makes a stiff batter.

Using a dessert spoon I made 12 very yummy cookies ! :T

Floss

Fuddle have you thought about an etched glass / frosted finish for the glass panels? You could use stencils & I've seen the spray in BnQ.

fuddle

Thanks Floss. The panels aren't glass. It's wood under there. I just painted the panels the same as the drawer fronts (left over paint from the kitchen redo) Given the wardrobe was slightly darker than the newly sanded drawers I thought I had best tie them in somehow. I just think the grey surface needs something to make it pop. What I just don't know. I'm thinking maybe floral but it's quite a Danish feeling room so I doubt it would go.

Nice to ponder about something and nothing though

I will post the cardi for you fpk
it's a drops pattern so will link it all up too. Please do post a picture of your rescued dresser

mcculloch29

My DS31, (32 on Thursday), who is known as Dr C on MSE due to his very close resemblence to Dr Christian Jessen, moved out recently, and a lot of my stuff that was hidden behind his came to light.

My Boyes Knights Castile soap to do laundry gloop! Yay! My Poundshop pack of disposable rubber gloves! Double yay!
Yesterday in the outhouse, it was a full bottle of Weedol Max weedkiller along with a full bottle of Wilko weedkiller that emerged.
Overjoyed, I sprayed the bindweed that is the scourge of my front flowerbed. It was zapped with Roundup two weeks ago but seemed to be shrugging that off.
Overnight we have gone from green bindweed with a few yellow edges to withered yellow.

I used the tumble dryer for the first time in weeks as I had my super-heavy bathrobe to wash. In it were a load of Dr C's clothes. He was very happy to be told of their location!

The bathrobe was a competition prize from British Forces TV 23 years ago and still looks fantastic, it's the type you get if you are lucky enough to stay in a luxury hotel. It will see me out.

I tried a new to me Jack Monroe recipe on the recommendation of another Forumite, the pasta with mandarins from her first cookbook. I prefer the Creamy Salmon pasta with a chilli lemon kick, but this mandarin one is pretty good too.
Both have yogurt and onions as the base for the sauce and are therefore very similar recipes, but with quite different flavours.
The salmon one is for adult tastes, well it is with the amount of chilli I use!

mcculloch29

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

Have a nice cuppa and a biscuit now and trying to decide what to do this afternoon. I've made it in a proper tea cup with saucer--all unpacked now that we've got the dresser finished. It reminded me of someone on the OS boards who has an Emma Bomback quote in their signature about burning the rose shaped candle. Think that might be McCullough but not sure!

It's me - McCulloch, but I'll forgive you the Norn Irish spelling as I rather love it over there in Norn Iron.
Glad you are using your proper cup and saucer, if it's never used, then what is it for? Clutter for those who have to clear up when we are gone?
(Reminder to self to use or dispose of J.O. steamer for veg, sent for review some years ago but rarely used.)

FairyPrincessk

Apologies McCulloch! Still, good of you to take it in the right spirit.:o

And the dresser--it still needs a second coat of wax on the top part and a shelf or two (at the moment there is a shoe rack in there!) You can also see the reflection of a curtain made from an old linen table cloth I picked up for a pound.

FairyPrincessk

Apologies for the size! I don't upload many pics.

VJsmum

Great makeovers, Fuddle. I especially like the shelf. I have thought about going on a "making furniture out of wood pallets" course at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) - partly cos i just love CAT!

I have been gradually turning orange pine into white (for us), or "marvel" blue (for DD) - as I am getting better so i am venturing to more "public" furniture rather than just bedroom. i have a G plan nest of tables which, though sturdy, have seen better days finish wise. I am going to try doing those next.

Fuddle - what did you do to get the finish on the top of your CoD?

Having a "make do" week of food - using up freezer stocks. Today i am doing a 5:2 "fast" day so I've had veg soup for lunch, which will be followed by veg curry later - both from the freezer.

Minimising / Kondoing is ongoing (i am a poet ) - anyone have a favourite "anti consumer" or "minimalist" blog? I have seen miss Minimalist, the Minimalists, The Joy of less, and a few other well known ones (so well known, i've forgotten them ) Just wondered if people have faves.

I am thinking about the c word and how to deal with gift giving and receiving. As my birthday is at that time too, it needs considering.

iamsalt

Wow, what gorgeous work there everyone. I am so impressed, and inspired.

Question for those who know....I have finally started redecorating the hall stairs and landing, well filling and sanding for now. The paint was bought last year half price, and has been waiting ever since. I want to do the woodwork too, gloss or eggshell, but how do you not get paint on the carpet when doing the skirting board? I have always decorated in rooms where the carpet has been up or there is no carpet. I am a bit messy at the best of times and I want to not spoil the carpet which is in good condition, nor do I want to get fluff on the fresh paint. any advice?
Thanks s x

[Deleted User]

Wonderful makeovers of furniture guys, really beautiful things you've both made, hats off to Make Do and Mend Innovativeness and you clever fingered girls who make old better than new!!!

VJsMum I love CAT, we found it in the first year it was running back in the 1970s and have visited a few times since then,I was struck even then by the sheer sense of what they were doing, in part it's why we're almost Tom and Barbara Good crossed with Little House on the Prairie, it's a good life though and we enjoy it so much.