From debt to freedom...

janb5

I must admit to being quite envious reading your posts and the proximity to the countryside and the sea.  Yep all my recipes are in imperial which gives a big clue about my age!  I promise not to hijack your posts HSL tho`!
I discovered loads of ood chocolate chips so intending to amalgamate them for when I next use icing.
I guess you`re still sleeping badly by the timing of your posts...such a giveaway-and hope your sleep patterns return to normal soon.

Sun_Addict

Will have to try that banana cake recipe jan, I have all the ingredients except for bananas

janb5

It`s super reliable SA..I only give people ones I can safely say work.  No good spending out out for ingredients when the recipes don`t work!

savingholmes

Sorry you can't be with DD1 on her birthday. My DS was on the other side of the world for his 21st and 22nd birthday so can empathise. Hope you are staying well. The walks sound amazing.

Cherryfudge

I'm glad the sea was still there.  
I hope you manage to be in touch with your daughter in some way for her birthday. Can you get a video call going?
That ginger recipe looks tempting!

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Jan, SH, SA & Cherryfudge.

Love the recipes Jan 🙂. Tried the ginger one last night which went down well 🙂.

Thats a good idea Cherryfudge, to do a video call. Will get one of my technically savvy teens onto that job! Thanks SH, it is a weird feeling not being with them.

Yesterday was much more productive than Sunday.  I got 3 beds changed and all the bedding washed. Even got a curtain washed, but need to do the other side today😊. Wasn’t quite enough room in the machine to do both and the bedding yesterday!!

I made myself sit down with the budgeting notebook and double check every transaction. I know it might seem a bit belt and braces but I’m finding it helpful to record spends on the spending tracker app and to record in notebook form.  The food spending has definitely increased over the last couple of weeks, owing to not being able to buy usual brands ( cheaper) and having to buy what was available. 

It was much colder here yesterday so just me at the allotment. I got a bit more chopping done, this time chopping down blackthorn saplings that had self seeded in the growing areas. Chop by chop the allotment is taking shape😀.  Today looks a little warmer so hope to pot up some tomato seedlings later.  The butternut squash seeds have germinated as have the cauliflowers,  so my window sill is now looking like a miniature forest😄. 

Have a good day everyone.

Cherryfudge

Re the video call, we use an app called Zoom which allows multiple people to join in. I meet up with friends on it now as well as family. It took a bit of playing around with it to get it working and it's a slightly different interface depending whether it's by phone or laptop, but works on either. Someone sets up a meeting and sends the other invitations with a meeting code so they join the right one. (I don't know how secure it is but I've nothing to hide and wouldn't use it for info that needed to go securely). You can get half hour meetings for free but there's also a paid version.

I know there are other options but I've not tried them so I can't give a comparison.

I wish I'd thought to plant butternut squash! I might have a look to see if it can still be done. Are they difficult?

Honeysucklelou2

I think butternut squash should be fine. I’m treating them like courgettes which can usually be sown into April. The seed leaves certainly look the same!

Thank you for the tips about Zoom🙂. Will have to give that a try.

Honeysucklelou2

Payday today. I’m glad I took the time to go through everything yesterday to make sure I know where everything is going. The council tax bill is shockingly high, so need to chat with DS1 again. He is now furloughed so on reduced wages. 

DD2 has been really helpful today and ironed a whole basket of bedding🤩. She also helped me with tea  🍝so feel like I’ve had a holiday today !  I’ve been able to pot up the tomato seedlings. These seedlings are from the packet I sowed liberally thinking it was old seed and expecting few to germinate!! Took quite a while to pot them all up!

Cherryfudge

I think I need to look for butternut squash seeds! Will have a think about where I could sow them first, though. We have a garden but not vast acres.