Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

charlies-aunt

Making-do : I save all the left over bits of wax from tea lights and candles to make HM firelighters for our open fire by melting the wax in a metal tin in a water bath and dipping in wombled pine cones from the local park.


They look decorative piled up in a big wicker basket on the hearth and it only takes a couple to get the fire going.

plumduff55

Hi, Thanks to DawnW, Ches and Lynplatinum I have conquered the flat scones problem and for the first time ever baked nicely risen scones 😃😃😃.
I did everything suggested, hotter oven, patted rather than rolled to about 2cm thick, not twisted when cut and whatever it was - it worked. I used the Paul Hollywood recipe again but reduced the liquid a bit and added a touch more baking powder. I take baking to Mum's every second Saturday so will do another batch next weekend and hope it passes inspection by Mum.

Not much MM&M going on here just now, weather has been so miserable I've just been sat knitting and watching tv. I did go for a walk up the country park yesterday and my face was frozen stiff by the time I got home. I could say I was minimising fat with all the walking but that's not strictly true as I've not lost any weight :mad:

Goodnight xx

Lynplatinum

Evening All

Oh dear Dizzy hope woof is not too distressed and heals well.
Wildthing - glad you are feeling a bit better - I have a DVD player and there are some films I ve got that are known in our family as 'ill films' i.e. they cheer you up - for example 'Galaxy Quest' (we are all sci fi nuts here) or the 2 first series of
Whooo hooo Plum duff - glad they went well - but I too have been to supposedly posh tea houses only to have microwaved soggy scones with too much bicarb in -YUK!

Well had a good day here - set myself the goal of doing a quick house clean in an hour - achieved! (Am v decluttered BTW) Then walked 25 mins to the Seed Swap that my friend organises each year! Brilliant idea - if you have never been to one usually orgainised by the local gardening club. If you have seeds to swap - entry is free - but if not entry is £1. Seeds can be self harvested or unused packets but all go for 50p! As am moving did not buy any this year but still had delicious HM soup and bread for lunch for £1!! Also had wonderful looking cakes for £1 per slice but I resisted - I also chatted to a very lovely lady - who operates on the frugal lifestyle.
Then walked via T!scos to pick up something for the Baby Shower DIL is having on Sun. She has LOADs of stuff for babe and needs no more. Managed to get something in the sale for £5 as have already given stuff. Horrible American idea IMO - seems v mercenary to me :mad:. However, this is the first one I have ever been to so will support DIL and keep trap shut - and, who knows I may be pleasantly surprised.
Then walked home and watched Sharpe while taking up some jeans gifted to me (I have toned up and so were dragging on the ground!)
Also made a kinda potato dauphinoise + baked tomatoes + a HM beefburger from freezer and then used oven space to cook a HM apple crumble (apples were YS on Tues for 14p!)
So although I have paid out today - it was all v low cost! :j
So:
Make do: Foods from stocks already here which will last me for a couple of days + desert for 4 days
Mend: Jeans + cut up an old PJ top for rags
Minimise: Fat - hopefully as it was a long walkies! + food stocks + mending pile!!
Phew - if I can do the same tomorrow it will be great!
Nite all

ancientmum

Thank you for the replies about using old candles. I do not have an open fire, but that idea sounds lovely. I will try mixing up the bits to make a new one.

Hard_Up_Hester

Yesterday the only MMM I managed was to sew a button on my black work cardigan, but as I had six DGC in the house 10yo, 9yo, 8yo, 18mo twins and 15mo, I was pleased I achieved anything.

Today I'm making soup, using up all the veggies in the fridge, this will do for my lunches next week, making banana bread to feed to any passing DGC and I'm planning on clearing out one kitchen cupboard, I may do more than one I'll see how I get on.

Floss

Re: candles in glass jars - if you put the "dead" candle & jar into the freezer for a day, the leftover wax comes out cleanly to allow refill & reuse of the glass jar with remelted wax & a new wick.

FunBrum

Floss wrote: »

Re: candles in glass jars - if you put the "dead" candle & jar into the freezer for a day, the leftover wax comes out cleanly to allow refill & reuse of the glass jar with remelted wax & a new wick.

Thanks for that tip floss I'm going to do that!

lynplatinum the seed swap sounds great! I wonder if there is one by me?!

House-sitting until Tuesday, so im[Bmmaking do/B] with the food I have bought with me and no running to the shops!
I'm cooking a huge Gannon that I bought and froze just after Christmas. £9.50 reduced to £2.50. I'm planning on stretching it along with 2 spitroast chickens my sister has given me from her restaurant. There is also mixed salad and veg given to me, so I'm sorted for the week!
Today I'm making, Gannon, potatoes, cabbage, peas and carrots with a nice parsley sauces.
Tomorrow I will do pasta bake, using chicken and Gannon in a pasta sauce. Gannon and or chicken salad and then make a chicken casserole and I can slice the left over Gannon for sandwiches.
I'm sharing the meals with a friend and one of my son's who is popping in for lunch today, and will be dishing out the other meals as they are cooked. I love being able to cook with things other people don't want and would otherwise be wasted!
I'm minimising the weeds in the garden that I'm house-sitting today. It's only a small front and back garden, and won't take long but every bit helps and as my friend can't bend, it helps him!
No mending today....I haven't got anything with me at the moment!

HOWMUCH

Hello folks I'm having a relaxing day just knitting and listening to the radio, just had lunch which was pink tinned salmon I'd got for £1 used some of my YS wholemeal bread and my 1p cucumber. I've found that the tin will last us 2 days DH has 2 rounds of sarnies and I just have the 1. I'm using some of the chicken again for evening meal today with the last of the veg I got last weekend. I've got a rice pudding in the slow cooker which we will have tonight and then it will be put into plastics and froze. Oh keeping some back for tomorrow night.
The weather last lovely and sunny this morning but we've just had a snow flurry.
Hope you all have a nice Sunday x

elona

DDs are clearing out the shed and garage for me and getting rid of a lot of stuff.

I plan to go through my wardrobe tomorrow and put skirt etc and other things I do not wear into a salvation army bag to be picked up on Tuesday.

Gave dd some home made food and fruit to take back home then popped into the supermarket to look for bargains. I got lamb that should have been over £6 for £2. Also four chicken thighs for 40 pence a pack each and a couple of green peppers for 20 pence each. The meat has been put in the freezer

We now have a footbridge so I can walk to the lawyers tomorrow morning with the signed documents.

mrs-moneypenny

Afternoon all
DD3 has just been round with her work trousers that split on the gusset seam so I got the sewing machine out and mended them for her.
We're putting a DVD on now so I'm going to get the mending pile out and tackle some of the bits on it.