Struggling along as best I can

Makingabobor2

Tried the granola. Used a mix of honey and maple syrup, as I didn't have enough of either to make the required amount on its own.  Oh my, how tasty. Definitely far better than any bought granola, and you know exactly what's in it.  Thanks so much for sharing it. Will be lovely tomorrow morning with some fruit on top. 

nannygladys

Makingabobor2 - I'm pleased you tried it, I've made it a couple of times putting different bits and bobs in and each time it's been tasty! and like you said you know what's in it, and that is important to me as well.

nannygladys

It's been a few days since I posted and its because I've been busy with bits and bobs. All good things and mainly family things which are the best.

I made some scones the other day because I had some buttermilk from making butter. The sultana ones were fine and just what you would expect and some cheese scones that were really tasty and very morish (well to me because I love cheese!). Most of them I have frozen before I ate them all but I may be making more cheese ones as they would be lovely with soup or stews!

I also made a loaf, well the bm did and it was nearly as flat going in as it was coming out  . Now the bm is very old and given to me by my dd years ago, so I'm not sure if it was because the yeast was stale, the bm getting old or perhaps the bread flour, so I'll have another go and see how the next one goes before I think about buying a new bm. Making bread by hand is not my forte as I have tried many times, not sure if it is my kneading technique or that the house is too cold for proving, anyway hopefully I'll have better luck next time in the bm.

Moneywise I'm doing really well with not spending, I've been eating from stores/pantry and only buying what is absolutely necessary so I'm still in the black so I might even have a little left over when I paid next week!! Xmas will soon be here and my food shopping will be done in Tesc@  as I have a years vouchers to spend, all £20 of it  Its a good job I won't need much. In the New Year I'm going to boycott sm's as much as I can as I want to support local growers and producers as much as possible and of course I'll be growing as much as possible next year, I have a small garden savings pot so should be able to invest in another raised bed and compost and I have enough seeds presently, but I'll probably need more no doubt!!!

I'll also look into a few MSE challenges to have a go at next year as well, not sure which ones but they will involve saving money some how. I'm off to watch the youngest dgd in her nativity at nursery tomorrow afternoon, and on Wednesday afternoon a Christingle at another dgds school, so I'm really looking forwards to them as it's the start to the Christmas celebrations for me .Anyway I'd better go and have a quick read around the boards, put pooch out and get to bed, as I have to be up early tomorrow as well.
Nannyg
 

kayannie

I made a loaf of bread in my bm a few weeks ago after I hadn't used it for about 3 months. I used an opened packet of yeast - although it had been in an airtight container, I think it must have deteriorated as the loaf of bread just didn't rise very much. I threw the rest of yeast away & since then I've made several more loaves using freshly bought yeast & the bread has turned out perfectly.
KA

joedenise

My DH makes sourdough so no yeast needed however he made a loaf a couple of weeks ago and it was really flat and spread rather than the usual rise.  He thought it might be the flour as he hadn't made any bread for a while so bought a new good brand of flour (rather than the SM he'd used) and that seems to have done the trick.  So if you're using old flour it might be worth trying a new bag of flour.  You can check whether it was the yeast by putting some into warm water and sugar and seeing if it becomes foamy once left to sit for about 10 minutes.  If it doesn't then best to use more of it or buy some fresh.

nannygladys

kayannie & joedenise - thanks for the tips Im going to ditch the flour as It was opened a time ago and check the yeast as it was a fresh tin in date, so should have been ok, but I'll check first and go from there.

nannygladys

Another no spend day for which I'm grateful!
I took the pooch a walk/run over the fields this morning and both of us enjoyed it although it was wet and boggy, the weekend footballers will be a bit wet/muddy when they play!
 and this afternoon I watched my youngest dgd in her nativity play at nursery. She clapped and did her version of singing whilst the older ones did the actual acting, it was so lovely to see and there were no mishaps, and a little boy who played one of the shepherds was so funny!!!
Tomorrow will be dog walks, dgds Christingle service oh and fat club early in the morning.
That's about it 
Nannyg

Makingabobor2

I love a Nativity play with the little ones

nannygladys

Makingabobor2  - I do as well and as a retired person I can attend them all!!!! well nearly as the parents gets first dibs at the invites of course!

nannygladys

Loved the Christingle service and learnt all about it, afterwards I was able to bring both dgds home so they an early tea. I'm picking them up again tomorrow from after-school club as my dd is working a late shift and my sil doesn't finish until 7pm.

Last night I was looking at the local fb page and came across a gentleman who lives not far from me who sells honey, anyway long story short I went to his house this morning and bought three jars, one for me and one each for my dds.
Apparently he has bees on the local allotment site  (not the same site as mine), in a nearby village  and in someone's garden, so all local stuff, in fact as his lottie is so close to my house, his bees may come over to feed in my garden!!! It would be nice if they have been

I bought some new yeast and flour to try my bm out again over the weekend and hopefully it'll work. If it fails me again, I'll have a go at making it by hand but I'll try no knead ones first! I'm really hoping it works though, as I don't really want to but another just yet.

Thats about it for today. I'm just about lasting moneywise but I haven't much left in my purse, but I should be alright - hopefully fingers crossed!!!
Nannyg