When things hit rock bottom the only answer is to fight the way back up...

moneymanager

You'll have to put up some of your recipes.

I often find that slow cooked meals end up all the same colour...or is that just want I cook? :rotfl:

I tend just to do stews, casseroles or slow cook beef in it.

GeorgianaCavendish

Hidden, do you ever do porridge in the slow cooker? I keep thinking how amazing it would be to wake up to delicious creamy porridge on a cold winter morning and would be tempted to buy one just for that, but my uni housemates tried a few times and ended up with a rock solid oatey biscuitey thing burnt to the bottom of the slow cooker :rotfl:

Hiddenidenity

Moneymanager I was like that at the start because I just stuck to stew/joints. Now not so much because I do lots of things. Chicken/Lasagne/Soup/Fajita chicken erm ..

GeorginaCavendish I do but the only time it worked in the bigger slowcooker was when I made way too much! I have a small round one now too (about £8 in Argos) that I use for cake or smaller amounts of things, butter the inside of the dish then put everything in (we are dairy free so I use rice milk) leave on low for 6ish hours.

ETA I never get 6 hours sleep but if I did I'd use a plug timer to set it to come on 6-7 hours before I knew I got up

mizmir

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

'Normal cake' works but google Slow cooker Lava cake :drool:

But yeah your normal cake recipe works too.

Oh wow! That sounds amazing!

mummytogirls

Another slow cooker lover here , never made a cake though! Rice pudding is a nice one to make in it xx

Hiddenidenity

Meal plan- tonight is obviously the chilli in the slowcooker.

Friday - Chicken Fajitas, salad
Saturday - Sausage casserole, mash, yorkshire pudding for DD (she won't eat mash)
Sunday - Roast dinner (Chicken)
Monday - Chicken Curry, rice
Tuesday - Make burgers with half the mince - burger, wedges, salad
Wednesday - Spag bol (Maybe make garlic bread)
Thursday - Pulled pork/Jacket potato (any filling they choose)

Breakfasts - Toast, Pancake, Cereal
Lunches - Soup (Chicken and veg), Egg/beans/toast/sandwiches/salad/pasta
Snacks - Think we will make flapjack, biscuits, brownies the obvious fruit/crackers.

The weather looks like rain all week yawn..
Shopping list done, need nappies and rice milk too still aiming for £30 max! That means no diet coke

Might have another try at making yogurt but maybe not :rotfl:

carolbee

Cake sounds lovely, do you have a favourite? Would love to try it. Have been following your story, much admiration from me.

Eager_Elephant

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

The water is fixed! Thankfully hence the shower at 2am :rotfl:

As for tax credits I think now I understand.

April 15-16 OH earnings where under £9000
April 16 OH earnings where estimated around £10500
September 16 He changed jobs and we changed to full time and earnings estimated £18000.

So even though we updated them we'd already been paid too much between April and September because it goes off the whole years earnings. I think! I'm sure that's how he explained it, I was worried because I probably over inform them of changes rather than not tell them something

Sorry I didn't get a chance to come on last night and just catching up now.

As I was reading I was going to post exactly this explanation ( well not the amounts obvs as I don't know them!!)

Its the only benefit worked out yearly and not weekly - this is how so many people end up with overpayments.

So you might have been entitled for the first 6 months of the year but if the yearly income increases in the latter part of the year you might have to pay back some or all of it:mad:

In Universal Credit areas, the child element is paid in that rather than Tax Credits and that is worked out monthly which is much better than yearly.

db2016

im popping in on the slow cooker talk lol.

i've only ever used mine for a curry, and i put in chicken or beef, a jar of sauce (if i dont make own) and onions and mushrooms.

but i always need to use cornflour to thicken or leave the lid off for 15 mins before dishing up, to allow the water to evaporate... else it turns into more of a stew.. any tips? is it because the veggies are in (and most veggies are high in water content, and waters it down?)

Hiddenidenity

Debt 04/08/17

Council Tax [STRIKE]£2092.71[/STRIKE] £1620 (£90 paid)
Fine 2 [STRIKE]£200[/STRIKE] £30 (£5 paid)
Aunt £1000
Mum £340 + [STRIKE]£87[/STRIKE]
Step Dad £1000
Friend [STRIKE]£1379[/STRIKE] £1360

Total [STRIKE]£6098.71[/STRIKE] £5350 (£748.71 paid)


Rent arrears [STRIKE]£3381.28[/STRIKE] £3020 (£361.28 paid)

Debt + Rent [STRIKE]£9479.99[/STRIKE] £8370 (£1109.99 paid)