A Simpler Life 2018

Katieowl

maryb wrote: »

Well I managed to get some Himalayan pink salt in TKMaxx while I was out. Quite amused to see on the label 'made in France'

Also bought a shampoo bar in Lush HOW much????? Won't be doing that again in a hurry - shampoo bar/soap making may be one of my new hobbies

The health food shop in town has got new owners so popped in to see if they did Ecover refills. They don't but they said it was something they would think about so that would be good

While I was in TKM I happened to see a Bodum teapot for loose tea with a silicone insert and a plunger for £9.99 They sell for £38 in John Lewis (though they have a steel insert rather than a silicone one). But I thought at that price, why not try it?.

Bit disappointed to be frank. The holes in the insert don't go all the way down so you are left with water in the bottom of the insert even after pressing the plunger. And because the holes only start halfway up, it takes ages to fill the teapot. But it's a nice pourer so I will keep it

BandM do pink salt BTW it's usually very cheap! First pack I bought in a health food shop told me it was 350 million years old, but best before the end of September!

[Deleted User]

Have a look for handkerchiefs on E.Bay FUDS there is a pack of 20 mens plain white on there for £4.99 and 99p postage. That's going to be far cheaper than buying them in a shop.

simplelivingislandlife

fuddle wrote: »

No they're not cheap but they do last ages and I do like Lush ethics.

Can I ask, having never bought them before, where would I get cloth hankies from? I've has a cold for about 10 days and I'm ashamed of the paper waste I have produced. I have laundered umpteen times in that time so it makes sense to switch.

Maybe not quite what your looking for Fuddle but my other half chops up undies which he doesn't like the fit of and uses them. We have quite a few lovely tartan hankies because of this!!

GreyQueen

Unopened packets of hankies, ladies and gents both, turn up at charity shops fairly frequently, that's where all mine come from. Tip to the wise; don't have any truck with so-called 'cotton rich' hankies, only 100% cotton are nice to use.

elmer, Bea Johnson of Zero Waste Home fame has a book out of the same name, been out a few years now, my library stocks it. There are a lot of great blogs out there, and a website which I read every few days: https://www.treehugger.com has short articles of many areas of interest to the simple living eco-minded amongst us. HTH.

maryb

Katieowl wrote: »

BandM do pink salt BTW it's usually very cheap! First pack I bought in a health food shop told me it was 350 million years old, but best before the end of September!

That's an absolute classic:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I've just had an idea that might simplify feeding us in the future. I've been a collector of cookery books for years, all sorts of cuisines and I've gotten muddled in my approach to food along with a decided propensity to grab up YS bargains because they are 'good value' and then finding them out of date at the back of the fridge shelf a week later. Not good!!!
What I'm considering doing is to spend the meat allowance each week on a joint for a roast on Sundays and then do the old fashioned thing of cold with bubble and squeak on Monday, re-heated in gravy/shepherds pie on Tuesday and scraps in a curry on Wednesday etc. many uses for cold cooked roasts and I have a whole shelf full of wartime books to garner ideas from that only use small amounts of meat. I think that would simplify not only meal planning but shopping too and cut down on wastage and over consumption. I'll work out a weeks worth of meals for a beef joint, a pork joint, a leg of lamb and a gammon joint and see how things work out, worth a go I think.

simplelivingislandlife

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I've just had an idea that might simplify feeding us in the future. I've been a collector of cookery books for years, all sorts of cuisines and I've gotten muddled in my approach to food along with a decided propensity to grab up YS bargains because they are 'good value' and then finding them out of date at the back of the fridge shelf a week later. Not good!!!
What I'm considering doing is to spend the meat allowance each week on a joint for a roast on Sundays and then do the old fashioned thing of cold with bubble and squeak on Monday, re-heated in gravy/shepherds pie on Tuesday and scraps in a curry on Wednesday etc. many uses for cold cooked roasts and I have a whole shelf full of wartime books to garner ideas from that only use small amounts of meat. I think that would simplify not only meal planning but shopping too and cut down on wastage and over consumption. I'll work out a weeks worth of meals for a beef joint, a pork joint, a leg of lamb and a gammon joint and see how things work out, worth a go I think.

This sounds like a great idea! Especially if you can get the meals out of it. We have family meals around my parents on a Sunday and depending what is it there is always spare so we share it around the non Vegans and make curry's ect the day after. My other half bought us a turkey crown two weeks before Christmas on a YS (it was £1.25!!!!) stuck it in the freezer till Christmas eve and managed to get our Christmas Day Pizzas, Curry, Omelets and a pasta bake out of it!! Was so happy.

I've also got quite the collection of WW2 cookery books (and gardening) which I'm hoping to start using as the recipes just sound so simple and great. Some of them sound like they could curdle my stomach but I'm defiantly willing to try. I've also been tempted over the years to try the WW2 diet for a couple of weeks and see how I do. Maybe I'll pick a month this year and just go for it!

RicardaRacoon

Evening folks

Just been to the recycling centre, got rid of some paper, cardboard and cans plus a couple of things I have decluttered over Christmas, so my basement is now nice and tidy.

Interessting to see that I am not the only one intressted in WWII cooking. Some things are just plain strange but there are also some really great tips. For example I started stretching out dough for savoury pies and quiches with potatos, tastes really great and saves on fat which is a bonus when you try to eat healthier. Only thing I found out recently is that you can't prepare it the night before and store it in the freezer, as it gets an uggly grey colour and gets slightly rubbery. Still tastes the same but definitively doesn't really look nice..

MrsLurcherwalker, great idea with the Sunday meat being stretched into the week, I guess with some clever planning you could make things much easier for yourself.

maryB,a solid shampoo from Lush lasts me for about 75-90 washes and I have relatively long hair. Most of the shampoos I used before were more expensive when I broke down the price to how long they would last. Plus in my case as I wash my hair daily it saves on about 10-12 shampoo bottles a year.
I guess the idea with the bodum teapot is to trap the leaves at the bottom underneat the holes so that it stopps infusing the water. But it is indeed a bit unpractical to use and I prefere to just take this plastic thing out of the pot as soon my tea is done.

Have a nice evening everyone!

Nonnadiluca

Fuddle, I made hankies from an old cotton pillowcase and used pinking shears so no sewing involved! I gave some to my 9 year old grandson when he had a cold and he loved how much softer they were than tissues - he asked if I would make him some!

LameWolf

fuddle wrote: »

Can I ask, having never bought them before, where would I get cloth hankies from? I've has a cold for about 10 days and I'm ashamed of the paper waste I have produced. I have laundered umpteen times in that time so it makes sense to switch.

Our last ones came fom JL; prior to that, I've had some lovely mens hankies (I don't bother with ladies ones, Mr LW and I share) from a street market in Maldegem - not very helpful to you, I know.

GreyQueen wrote: »

Tip to the wise; don't have any truck with so-called 'cotton rich' hankies, only 100% cotton are nice to use.

And that's the truth; we have some that are poly-cotton, and they are kept for when we both have colds and go through them faster than I can wash them.

Does anyone else have a problem with Lush in that the smell in their stores in overpowering? I have to hold my breath if we just go past their door - I'm certain I'd pass out if we actually went in.