It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

OrkneyStar

Bluegreen143 said:

@OrkneyStar ironing nappies!!!!

I must admit nothing gets ironed here except DH shirts for going out, but he does them himself, just as he needs them. 

DH works a manual job with uniform/PPE which doesn’t need ironed, and I stopped ironing DS school shirts as they wear a knit v neck jumper over the top every day so you can’t actually see the shirt anyway 😂

I don’t buy clothes which need ironed for myself or the kids as we are quite casual/practical in our tastes 😂

I certainly didn’t iron baby clothes and sleepsuits but I knew many who did.

I very, very, very rarely iron. I appreciate some folk have to for work reasons etc. I definitely didn't iron baby clothes either, the odd item as he got older. My iron has been in hiding for a year at least. 

OrkneyStar

On the soup front, my go to soup is lentil and carrot. A lot of folk swear by ham bones, but I find Knorr Ham cubes work well, onion, carrot, lentils, water, taste as you go.  I actually under salt a bit, as we don't like too much salt, and it's easier to add back than take away (though if you it get's too salty then half a peeled potato added in can remove some of it). I like it partially blended, DS likes it blended, and DH prefers it non-blended!

Siebrie

When I have something small to iron (dds' T-shirts, mainly) I put it neatly on our dining room chair, put a flat cushion on it, and sit on it. I can continue doing whatever I'm doing (working, eating) and afterwards, the T-shirt is ironed

euronorris

Well, I remembered most of my lunch today, but forgot some bread for my tomato soup. So I finally ventured to a local shop on my lunch (not done that before since I moved to this company). Lovely walk. And there I am going 'oh, that's a chestnut tree, that's an acorn one, oh there's a cherry tree, and an apple tree, some blackberry bushes and oh my gosh, a sloe bush!' Lol.

There was another tree, fruiting, but I didn't recognise what it was, so going to see if I can find the answer online.

PearlRose

Good afternoon everyone. Any tips on how to store vegetables and fruit in a fridge? I'm trying to reduce the top-up trips during the week, so hope my veg and fruit will last longer if I have better ways to store them. 

Bluegreen143

@PearlRose

Salad and any kind of leaves inc fresh herbs = chop/tear as desired, wash, spin dry very well, put in a tub with some kitchen paper (this absorbs extra moisture. Salad can keep for about twice as long like this! I tend to add other dryish ingredients like spring onions and sliced radish at this stage, and even grated carrot/beetroot - the kitchen paper absorbs extra juice and the lettuce doesn’t go slimy. Means you have prepared salad whenever you want it so it’s more likely to get eaten 😉 

Root veg and brassicas like broccoli I find store well anyway, but keep carrots in their plastic bag, they go soft otherwise.

Soft fruit will never keep very well but when I used to only shop weekly, I’d just eat that first and by the end of the week move onto the apples and pears and satsumas.

Katiehound

PearlRose said:

Good afternoon everyone. Any tips on how to store vegetables and fruit in a fridge? I'm trying to reduce the top-up trips during the week, so hope my veg and fruit will last longer if I have better ways to store them. 

In the past I have used Lakeland's 'Stayfresh' bags which absorb  moisture. There were much cheaper versions available in the 'cheapie shops' which worked almost as well. (the bags are shades of pale green whatever brand.)I haven't looked to see if they are still available having bought up quantities of MrT's own brand- clearly a cancelled item sold at a silly price after trade name inked out!!.
 
A real 'no no' is to leave the produce in an ordinary plastic bags because then they sweat- things like carrots for example- yet again mine have started to go off in a few days. This is probably because they are washed variety. My fridge seems always to be very moist- wish it wire shelves so that air would circulate.

Mushrooms better in a paper bag

Prepared salad leaves- keep in bag but eat promptly. 

I am inclined to leave apples in their crinkly plastic wrap because they do keep better, sometimes for weeks in the salad drawer.

Brambling

PearlRose said:

Good afternoon everyone. Any tips on how to store vegetables and fruit in a fridge? I'm trying to reduce the top-up trips during the week, so hope my veg and fruit will last longer if I have better ways to store them. 

I have some lok n lok type boxes with a 'rack' in the bottom, i add a folded old tea towel under the rack and it soaks up the moisture.  Vegetables even mushroom keep for a longer in these.  I picked mine up in a sale

Spendless

I do a layer of kitchen roll at the bottom of the salad drawer and have veg and  salad items in there. I take everything out of its plastic wrapper and wipe anything down that is moist. If it's induvial leaves rather than a whole lettuce I keep them in a tub with some kitchen roll on too. Potatoes and onions are kept in specific bags/storage containers I've had for years in a cupboard that isn't opened a great deal. 

Katiehound

Spendless said:

  Potatoes and onions are kept in specific bags/storage containers I've had for years in a cupboard that isn't opened a great deal. 

yes I keep my onions & potatoes that way but they are not supposed to be near each other- (mine have to be, constraints of space)
 

Why do you separate onions and potatoes?

Sure, spuds and bulbs are tasty when combined together in meals. But they should actually be stored far away from one another. Why? Your onions produce and emit ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process and can cause nearby potatoes to rot and spoil more quickly.