Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vulpix

Not been on for ages and now I am hogging the thread.

Sorry forgot to say yikes nurse maggie.Do you plan to stay in the same area? I can't drive for a while but would be willing to help as I think we are not too far apart.Vx

candlelight_2013

You sound good Vulpix, may your recovery be speedy and painless.

Nursemaggie, that is bad news, I am so sorry. Will you be sorry to leave your little home? They haven't given you a great deal of time to find somewhere else. Sending you a hug and wishing you well, hoping you find somewhere soon.

Candlelightx

vhalla1478

Evening Everyone,

Just back from consuming birthday cake at DS's and also helping GS2 with his French homework. Certainly full of children tonight, Vulpix, and a happy evening with us all singing 'Happy Birthday' to my DS.

I really ought to be washing the dishes but it's so cosy in here with the curtains drawn, and the fire on, and talking to you all is so much more fun!

Nursemaggie, I do hope it is going to be easy for you to find a place that you can call home again; but such short notice for you and your family - were you expecting it?

As promised, here is the fish recipe - one of Nigella Lawson's - so easy and tasty, although it looks like you've spent hours preparing it - my kind of recipe!:rotfl: Although it specifies monkfish, I really cannot see any reason why any firm, white fish wouldn't do. In fact, next time I make it, I'm going to use cheap frozen haddock fillets (from Aldis/Lidl's - can't remember which one now) as the Parma ham adds plenty of taste to the dish.

Monkfish wrapped in Rosemary, Lemon and Parma Ham - serves 2

2 sprigs rosemary leaves, stripped and chopped, zest 1/2 unwaxed lemon, 2 monkfish tail fillets (approx. 150g each), 75g Parma ham, finely sliced, 1x 15ml tbsp. olive oil, radicchio or other red leaves to serve, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice to serve.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees/ gas mark 7.

Scatter the chopped rosemary and the lemon zest onto a chopping board and then roll the fish fillets in the mixture. the dampness of the fish should make everything stick.

Wrap the fish fillets with the ham rather as if you were putting on a bandage, letting the pieces overlap a little so that the fish stays covered.

Drizzle the oil in a shallow roasting pan and place the parma ham covered fish in the tin. roast for 15 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.

Take the tin out of the oven, transfer the fish to a board and let it rest for 2-3 minutes, while you arrange a bed of red leaves on a serving platter (dribbling a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice over the salad). then carve the fish into chunky diagonal slices, taking care to keep the ham in place around it, place these on the leaves and serve immediately.

Right, I must go and do the washing up - no excuses!

Have a happy evening, Folks.

Viv xx

dND

nursemaggie wrote: »

After we had decided a few weeks ago we would stay put until DS has finished his OU degree, starts in January, we had notice to quite our house by 31/12/2015. As so many things close between Christmas and New Year I guess that means we will have to move just before Christmas. Have cancelled Christmas!

dND as green lentils seem to be fashionable right now I am sure you will find lots of recipes on line.

Thank you nursemaggieI didn't realise I was ahead of the trend :rotfl:

I do hope your house move goes smoothly; that's very short notice and very Scrooge like just before Christmas when in reality with the holidays there are less true working days in December.

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

Its been very busy here so even when I get a moment to read along my brain just can't find the energy to string words together for a post.

NurseMaggie, I'm very sorry to hear about the unpleasant timing and quite frankly ridiculous notice. I hope you and your son will be able to find somewhere suitable in the given time frame. Hopefully with a more responsive agent? And after you've sorted so many problems on this property too!

dND--We buy green lentils expressly for Delia's Chilladas/lentil rissoles. I add about twice the amount of seasoning she does, but it is a very good base recipe. You can easily find it via googling, so I won't re-post.

Vulpix I'm so pleased the OP has been successful and also pleased that you have support around you and are able to take time to recover--even if your windows might be uncomfortably clean. Still it must be hard to sit still with so much going on around you.


Well tonight is the night I official join the WI. I took away the membership form last month but was advise to wait to join this month as the price drops. I'll have to slip out of the meeting early tonight (the meeting ends just minutes after one train but almost half an hour before the next) as OH leaves at an unsightly hour for his school trip tomorrow morning and I'm teaching, so I'll need my beauty sleep...or at least my brain sleep. I've got an even busier two weeks coming up, so I may be scarce for awhile yet.

As for MMM? Well, I guess I'm making do with my routines, trying not to spend on convenience while still minimizing effort. That is good enough for right now!

candlelight_2013

Morning all,

Having a day at home awaiting a delivery.

I have cleaned the little window panes in the internal doors, I saw the sun shining on them yesterday and they looked rather dirty.

My lovely friends who have an allotment brought us a whole tray of apples earlier this week. I cooked 3 the other day for me to have at breakfast with yoghurt. I have no idea what variety they are but they are sweet (just a little tarte) so no need to add sugar, which is very good because I am diabetic.

Anyway I have cooked several more this morning and I am going to make a pudding with a sponge topping, and I am also going to make a ginger cake. This is a Wright's cake mix and it is lovely, you just add oil and water. I wouldn't normally use cake mixes but these were on offer at Lidl some weeks ago and I thought I would try them.

Himself has decided to part with his desk chair from the little bedroom because there isn't much room now DGD1 is living with us. He had to move his wardrobe out of the spare room to make room for all her stuff. He didn't mind but it didn't leave much space in the little room. It is a lovely wooden round backed chair so he is taking it to the Hospice shop tomorrow. I am surprised because he doesn't easily part with possessions. Whatever we donate it is usually to our local Hospice shop.

I don't think I have mended anything, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad is it?:):)

Have a good day all

Candlelightx

[Deleted User]

Hi chums ,been peeling apples all morning and stewing them gently in honey just waiting for them to cool down so they can be packed away into the freezer for cold January days when a pie, or crumble and custard is the comforting food to warm you up. DDs 'blankey' border is almost done I hope to finish it off this afternoon.Then I will have to start of DGS Henry's Liverpool football blanket which is in nice scarlet and white.
Winter is on its way as its getting a bit nippier in the mornings now
Hope everyone has a productive day
Cheers chums
JackieO xxx

Bubblesmum

candlelight_2013 wrote: »

VULPIX so glad to see you are home. Look after yourself and we will catch up with your news when you are feeling better.

Hugs if you need one

Candlelightx

:j:j:j:j:j:j:T:T:A:A:A:A

meritaten

hi all
my best wishes for a speedy recovery Vulpix, and hope things get better for you Nursemaggie.

not entirely sure which category this comes under - but, its my dgd's first birthday at the end of next month and she adores CBeebies. so I looked online for some of her fave characters, Twirlywoos, Bing etc. and was horrified at the prices being charged! so looked online again and found free knitting patterns for them. having checked the colours, I already have most of them, just need to buy a couple more and I am good to go! have over a month so hope I can do about 5 characters for her!

btw - my new BFF is my slowcooker! I love it - made lots of things already

nursemaggie

Thank you Vulpix I think you need to rest first. We did think the house was going to be sold a couple of months ago when someone came to value it. We breathed a sigh of relief a bit too soon.

We decided we will try moving into Manchester, better for my regular hospital visits and will be better for DS to find a job. Transport is not too good here for getting into Manchester first thing. Buses don't run early enough and the trains into Manchester are already so over-crowded people are often late to work because they could not get on the train.

We have been looking for somewhere to live and it looks like we may not be able to find anywhere we can afford the rent they seem so high way over the limit for housing benefit for not particularly nice houses.

The notice is slightly longer than they are legally required to give us but as it includes Christmas that will shorten it buy about two weeks. If we decide to stay in the same area there is a house just across the road to let the people there moved out last Thursday. If the landlord is selling up his timing is very bad as there are three identical houses for sale within about 20 metres and hundreds for sale in the immediate area. All of the others are in much better condition than this.

How lovely meritaten to be able to knit your DGD's favourite characters.