Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

[Deleted User]

He Who Knows starts basil seedlings off in a flower pot on our back windowsill and covers the pot with a poly bag to keep them warm, when they germinate and have their first set of real leaves the only way we've successfully grown basil is in the polytunnel planted direct into the soil. It grows to 3 feet high and produces masses and masses of leaves, I pick the leading tip out first in the summer and the lateral buds all produce more branches and leaves. We're still picking it in September most years. Never had any success growing it from seed anywhere else, indoors, in the garden or in the greenhouse, it's just not warm enough in the UK for it to thrive.

lollyfin

Thanks silva it sounds lovely and is going in the plan for next week.
And now I have to go and look through all those yummy recipes that I didn't know were there:T

wildthing01

Hello, hope it's not too late to start joining in with this thread - have been lurking for a while and mainly posting on NBI thread, but now that am getting to grips with NBI, I want to focus more seriously on MMM - I do do quite a bit of this anyway, but do tend to have lots of 'mend' stuff sitting around that takes me a while to get round to doing, so hoping if I join in here, it will motivate me to get on with it!

So to start today, I've 'made do/mended (pre-emptively)' 2 pairs of DS's school trousers - they tend to go at the knees with alarming frequency, so I've started saving his last year's trousers, cutting patches out of the lower legs and bond-a-webbing them onto the inside of the knees of his new trousers as knee reinforcers, to stave off holes. They are invisible on the outside and seem to be working so far - did the last two pairs today.

Plus took up the hems - he's kind of between sizes at the moment - the old ones look ridiculous but next size up is a bit too long, so have stuck up the hems too. When he grows some more (which is happening far too quickly), I'll just pull the hems down, wash the bond-a-web off and iron the crease flat. The top halves of last year's trousers will (at some point) get made into school shorts for the summer months (he's tall but slim, so they'll still fit at the waist).

I'm also busily minimising DD's birthday cake from earlier this week as the icing is starting to go a bit soggy now - but am also in process of baking another smaller one for her small birthday party tomorrow. Need to get up off my bum and go and ice it!

mrs-moneypenny

Evening all
Minimised the patchwork stash by making another 9 squares ready to sash.
We've watched a couple of DVDs that are now going to the CS, and are currently minimising a bottle of Christmas beer each.

Hope everyone is well and staying safe in the wind.

lollyfin

The more the merrier wildthing
Today has been more making do and minimising food. I had apples that we're going soft and not very pretty looking so I made apple braid for the first time today, wow is it tasty, apple crumble and apple turnovers with the remains of the pastry from the pie we had. I also got another 2 portions of food for the freezer and 2 portions of mash as well so am very pleased with that.
I have DGD today and took her to the library for a new book and got about 2 seconds to myself to notice they have the frugal cookbook and the thrifty cookbook have any of you tried any recipes from them and would it be worth borrowing them.

HOWMUCH

Welcome Wildthing01 to MMM. I've only been knitting today, the bad weather they'd forecast did arrive we've had strong winds and snow. So I was very glad we went shopping on Thurday not only cos I got so many YS that was an added bonus but more so the rubbishy weather today.
I've managed to buy a tall upright freezer second hand and I'm hoping to sell my large chest freezer on. Since DD gave me the fridge/freezer I've realised how much easier drawers are and packing in plastic take away boxes fit so well. I'm sure I will get more into the new to me freezer, just hope this lady who's wanting a chest freezer wants mine, it's only 4 years old. We have had the rest of the cottage pie today from Thursday, so that's 2 make do's.
Does it count that I've minimise the size of my freezer lol.
Lynn that idiot of a driver story made me smile, Silvasava if you are going to FF next week they also do sugar at 39p a kilo I got 4 packs ready for jam making later in the year.
Well that's it for now folks here's hoping you all have a nice Saturday evening.

HOWMUCH

Lolly I must go and rejoin the library ours in the next village closed and my cards have expired. I was told last week there's one still in a village not too far away just hope they'll let me join.

misstara

Evening all and welcome wildthing :hello:

Finally managed to minimise the DVD collection today except well...OH was determined that he would watch most of them again so only a few have gone into the charity shop bag. At least they are now all organised and I plan to go through them again in a few months time and any that still haven't been watched can then hopefully go out.

Tea tonight was a YS gammon joint out of the freezer, very yummy and leftovers for tea tomorrow night. Went food shopping today, no YS bargains to be had except some daffodils, don't know why they were YS as they had not even started to open. Love daffodils give a bit of colour to the flat and make me think of spring.

Lynplatinum

Evening All

welcome wildthing - met you on NBI thread and these 2 are very complimentary!!:D Enjoy!

bigstu25 - if you go to the yop tabs on the site (the ones in black) and go to reclaim page - it shows you the PPI page - there it tells you how to claim (their letter worked for me) and explains if you are likely to have a claim. Personally, but I emphasize I am NOT an expert it sounds like you might well have a claim but only for the PPI. Give it a go and let us know how you get on BTW welcome to the old style MM&M thread.

Make do - for both food and entertainment as ate from cupboards and went for a walk in a big park in MK with my friend! Cold and sunny - one of my favourite walking weathers!! Also just watched a really good film called Now You See me! - where 4 magicians end up giving lots of money back to people who have been swindled - Woody Harelson was in it - not my kind of attractive but a brilliant actor!Very much an action movie tho!
Mend - woke up in a right old strop with life the universe and everything (several things I did nt want to do needed doing + have had to deal with idiots who cant be bothered to do their jobs properly!)! but I managed to mend my mood without resorting to calories contained in chocolate!! Got chores out of the way/rang friends/went for walk with one of them/ had a long chat on phone with another friend. Feeling virtuous and counting my blessings! Thanks to friends :A
Minimise - gone through yet more books and clothes and been even more ruthless - whatever I havent worn unless I absolutely love it - its gone in CS bag. Gone through old course material and kept, for example books with quotations, poems and extracts of writing in but thrown out old tutorial books and Tutor Marked Assignments!!
Phew!
Nite all
PS have sent e-mail to Viv will let you know!

Hard_Up_Hester

I have a stinking cold so I'm not doing much but, I mended a pair of DGS's trousers, minimised more yarn stash by doing some crochet, made do by eating out of the fridge & freezer.
I've also defrosted another box of cooked sliced ham left from Christmas and that will do for today's lunch.