A Simpler Life 2018

LameWolf

Siebrie wrote: »

:eek: indeed. I wash them at 60C, and have always been taught to iron them, which I don’t, because I am the only one using them.

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

The ironing is to kill off any germs that linger, the idea being that the high temperature of the iron will despatch anything lingering in hems etc.

We iron ours (actually Mr LW usually does it :A ) because they fit in the drawer better ironed. If there's a stack awaiting ironing though, and one of us wants a clean hanky, we'll take an unironed one.

Re scented washing powder/liquid - we've always used P£rsil Non-Bio powder; it doesn't start my eczema off, and it doesn't make Mr LW's clothes smell "girly" (his word).

Re soap: someone mentioned 1mperial Leather - Mr LW uses that, but when I ran out of my own soap and used his, it made my skin itch horribly. It never used to do that, so I guess they've changed the formulation somehow.
I actually need to source some soap I can use; I always used to get it at the stall at the Farmers Market, but the people have retired and moved away from the area. My stash is nearly gone (I stocked up when they said they were going to retire) so I need to find something that won't irritate my skin.

Wednesday2000

I've changed from doing my monthly budget on my laptop to a notebook and pen instead. It's much easier.:o:D

[Deleted User]

maryb wrote: »

Have you thought of making laundry gloop? I haven’t but lots of people swear by it

Thanks - I might have too. I have found another non scented make that I can buy online so I will try that first.

CRANKY40

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

The ironing is to kill off any germs that linger, the idea being that the high temperature of the iron will despatch anything lingering in hems etc.

The exact same reason why I always iron tea towels....

RicardaRacoon

Morning everyone

It looked sunny when I first got up an hour ago, but now it starts to get foggy... Hope it will cheer up in the afternoon for a walk.

After my kettle gave up the ghost some weeks ago my toaster decided yesterday night that toasting the fuse was much more fun than toasting bread... I already wanted to order a new one but decided to look for a second hand first. Found one a few miles from where I life and basically on my way home from work, so I wrote to the seller if I might have it. It is about 1/4 of the price of the new one I wanted. So while a new one might last 10 years I could as well buy 3 or 4 second hand ones in this time and use them until they die. No loss for me but a small gain for the environment.
I wonder if I should also start looking for a new hairdryer, with the current rate my electronics blowing up this might be the next thing I need to replace...

I've found a good set of actions to take if you want to buy something new.
1. Use what you have
2. Borrow
3. Exchange
4. Buy second hand
5. Make it yourself
6. Buy it, if possible make sure it is sustainable/fair trade/organic

Decluttered and tidied my spice drawer while my porridge was cooking and binned some spice I will never use... Will take the christmas tree down later - and out of the window it will go, quite literally - and put all the Christmas bits down to the basement, so that my spare room / office isn't a mess of storage boxes anymore.

Will go over to my sister later on to watch a movie and pass the time till her two new cats will arrive.They are currently in a foster family who said that they prefered to check on the new owner and would bring her the cats so that they see where they end up. Two of her cats died recently so she decided to look for two siblings to keep her remaining cat company. He likes to cuddle with other cats, but isn't too interessted in playing and fighting, so the two youngsters can do all that by themself and he can join in if he fancies.

Have a lovely Saturday everyone!

Katieowl

RicardaRacoon wrote: »

Will go over to my sister later on to watch a movie and pass the time till her two new cats will arrive.They are currently in a foster family who said that they prefered to check on the new owner and would bring her the cats so that they see where they end up. Two of her cats died recently so she decided to look for two siblings to keep her remaining cat company. He likes to cuddle with other cats, but isn't too interessted in playing and fighting, so the two youngsters can do all that by themself and he can join in if he fancies.

Have a lovely Saturday everyone!

Second hand pets too! the best kind :T

fuddle

Pooky wrote: »

We’ve gone back to basics on food. I suffered from a particularly nasty anxiety bout at the end of October that upset my IBS and gave me a hideous reflux issue. So I’m avoiding gluten (I have a mild intolerance that has increased 10 fold) and dairy and we’ve gone to a meat and potatoes with veg diet, no spice, no sauces, nothing that will set my IBS off. I can cope with pulses but rice is out, Can’t afford gluten free pasta so will go without.

Ditto pooky. My GP told me that there was a chance that I could be aspirating stomach acid into my lungs because of acid reflux. I was put on stomach acid inhibitors but on learning about autoimmunity, leaky gut and poor immunity issues I decided to alter my diet. I knew already that wheat and barley gave me indigestion but chose to still eat a high refined carb diet. Another health scare made me act, get if tge stomach tablets and change my diet.I went on a restrictive elimination diet for 6 weeks and found cows milk also gave me indigestion. I won't ever test grains because I cheated before Christmas and found the stomach pain and bloating the answer I needed to know never to go there again. Aside from the cows milk I haven't had any indigestion. That in itself is reason to continue my wheat, barley and rye boycott. I can manage goats milk pooky. I don't know if that helps. Unfortunately that doesn't help the shopping budget though.

So I too am adjusting.

My sourdough starter didn't work. My GF flour had potato starch in it. The starter separated with the watery layer turning grey. It's gone. I have bought xanthum gum, which I am not very happy about being a simpldon and I have a batch proving as I type although its still using the potato starch flour so I don't hold out much hope.

I will continue to find a way to have a daily loaf that I can eat and the rest of the family will want to eat too but am I 'eck paying through the nose for it. I can do without and will if I can't find a reliable, good recipe.

Katieowl

FUDDLE do try the Dan Leppard loaf....my variation of it makes the best GF toast ever, I just made it more nutritious as I knew my customers would prefer a browner, healther looking bread. I took all the dairy out, I just make it with water...
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/may/23/baking-white-bread

PS I'd give up on sharing though. No need for everyone to eat it! Cheaper for them to have their own bread.

moneyistooshorttomention

fuddle wrote: »

I will continue to find a way to have a daily loaf that I can eat and the rest of the family will want to eat too but am I 'eck paying through the nose for it. I can do without and will if I can't find a reliable, good recipe.

You may be as well to start experimenting with making different flatbreads for yourself.

I'm planning to have another go (after a couple a while back) - when a friend of mine gave me the recipe for chickpea flour pancakes he makes for his wife (who can't eat various things). Duly tried and they worked fine and I think I'd just need to think in terms of adding more flavouring to them and/or having something with them. On my long list of things to experiment with that I'm gradually working my way through. I gather chickpea flour isnt cheap (though may not be as dear as some specialist ones) - but...I don't bother buying specialist flours like chickpea flour or rice flour for instance anyway. If I want a bit of them - then I just whack some dried chickpeas or a bit of brown rice into my liquidiser and blitz for only a few seconds worth really and I have my flour.

I don't know how well standard liquidisers cope with blitzing things like that - but I'd spent years longing for a Vitamix (after finding out all about built-in obsolescence with cheaper ones) and finally treated myself to one. They cost!! and they're blimmin' noisy too (though I believe later models are being made quieter). But, as half my definition of cooking these days boils down to a list of ingredients, followed by the one word "blitz", then I shove the stuff in there and dive out of the way because of the noise it makes and bingo.

EDIT; Quick looksee at Amazon later - and yep. £371.21 for the Vitamix I've got....and, ye gods, I've spotted the quiet newer version on there. Whew!!!! Its about £2,000! Mygawd - and I have the feeling I won't be swopping my "jet taking off" one then....

fuddle

You posted at the right time money. I had just been reading about growing chickpeas in UK soil. Imagine if I could grow my own specifically for making bread. That thought is sending the self sufficient induced endorphins into overdrive.

We'll see. I know gram flour is made from chickpeas but I think it's a certain variety. I'm not sure. I could use it for onion bhaji too. I imagine I'd send my traditional allotment neighbours into orbit with what I do with my harvest. Ha, listen to me. I'm likely only going to be able to grow rice if the rains don't stop!