How long can I make £187.15 last?

mumtoomany

Oddly the only two handed down pieces of equipment in the kitchen, both came from my dad. The other being a cutter for crinkly chips. Nothing of my mum's at all. I can remember being about seven or eight, the glass in the thermometer was loose and sliding up and down. I can remember watching my dad gluing it into place with araldite. Having calibrated it first in boiling water. That was about 55 years ago. The araldite replaced the matchstick that had held the glass in place since he was a child. The blue is still there now. He often made sweets for us, and crinkly chips. 

Walking to the garage is as much to save money as get exercise. In the previous house I did all the shopping on foot, pushing it home on a baby buggy. That was a four mile round trip, each week. Too far now as the supermarkets are eight plus miles away. 

Making parkin now, for later in the week, if I can hide it long enough! Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

beckstar1975

Ooh I made one yesterday that's maturing @mumtoomany but I'm not sure it's moist enough and it included a whole lemon's worth of juice and zest which has really affected the flavour.

What recipe do you use?

mumtoomany

Recipe?? That's a novel concept. Today I put 300 gms cooking spread/margarine type stuff, Morrisons, in a pan with what was left of a ton of very old syrup, the remains of an equally ancient tin of black treacle, slightly more treacle than syrup, all the demerara sugar that was left. The sugars came to about 435 gms. Melted these in a pan. Added them to 400 gms self raising flour, all the oatmeal that was left, about 120 gms, and a good amount of ginger. Then mixed in a egg, some aquafaba, 'cause I'm short of eggs and a slurp of milk. Mix all together, then put into two cake tins, cook at number 3, till you remember to take them out, about 80 minutes. 

Parkin tastes good. No I didn't manage to hide it. Tea was the ham i made, served with chips, cauliflower and French beans. 

Back tomorrow, hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

sillyvixen

I Have lots of kitchen bits and bobs from my mother and grandparents! My favourite pan was my grandmother's, I have loads of dishes and bowls from my grandparents. Actually my dining room is kitted out with their furniture (chairs have been covered to match my colour scheme). When my mother died and I took on the task of doing Christmas dinner, my dad asked if I needed anything from the kitchen, I asked to borrow a couple of lidded dishes for veg and a gravy jug. I expected to help myself to the 2 lidded dishes and mismatched jug we always used for Christmas at my parents house! No dad wanted to find the stuff himself,as he hadn't sorted the crockery cupboard yet. I was given a couple of vintage covered dishes and matching gravy boat and saucer, royal dalton, mint condition.. A wedding present that had never been used! I was blown away! He found them and gave them to me as he would never use them - I also got 6 wine glasses (dad got her 12, hand blown and made to order) we only use them at christmas as they were only used at family Christmases. I managed to buy a matching lidded dish for £8 on eBay as we needed another. 

mumtoomany

Hi @sillyvixen, lovely memories for you there. We also have a hammer that was my grandmothers, not used in the kitchen. She had all her own tools, all monogrammed with her initials, to stop her boys "borrowing" them. Very forward thinking, and independent lady, for someone born in 1900. 

Tea today will be spaghetti bolognese. Easy tea, and I'll make extra for chilli next week.

Forgot to mention earlier, the park in recipe is, very, likely based on the BBC good food one.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

beckstar1975

Ha - we're having bog too but we found a bag of veggie sauce in the freezer. I'm still feeling rough and DH seems to be suffering in sympathy (I think my inertia is rubbing off on him, doesn't occur to him to get up and go/do on his own, drives me a bit mad)

I used a Nancy Birtwhistle recipe which I think was based on an old English one, I'm refusing to open it until I can taste again

weenancyinAmerica

@mumtoomany - clever grandmother there. I need to try it here with 4 roommates who borrow things and don't return them.

mumtoomany

Hi, @weenancyinAmerica. She was quite a woman, commanded a presence, and had a mind of her own. When told, during the 1940's, that she should not be doing her washing on Sundays. She replied that if men saw fit to fight wars on Sundays, God would not object to her bit of washing. Fondly remembered by all who knew her. She taught all her children how to knit, and made them knit their own vests. My dad then taught my sisters and I how to knit. 

So lunch yesterday was HM pea and ham soup, with HM bread rolls. Tea was spaghetti bolognese, desert parkin. 

Today I may do a pie. The last of the chicken I cooked last week, (it's been in the freezer since then) and some of the leftover ham. I need to check what vegetables we still have in the freezer. I think we may be running short. We've swapped to a smaller, cheaper to run, car. The diesel drinking minibus is now on SORN. Unfortunately due to a mix up with the seller, we have no log book yet, it's in the post. Therefore we cannot tax the car! When the log book arrives we're planning to tax it from 1st December. This means that we will be without a car for the next couple of weeks. We can borrow one of the children's if absolutely necessary. This could make shopping more interesting!! 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

mumtoomany

Well, I've been through the hall freezer and i have enough vegetables in there for 14 portions each for seven of us. This is for veg like cauliflower,  peas, corn, etc. Also lots of parsnips, peppers and a few mushrooms. I also have cabbage, lots of kale and loads of leeks growing. Tomorrow we are going to the chemist to get a prescription filled. I may call at the other petrol station, they sometimes have sacks of potatoes and carrots. If i can get one of each of those, I may manage till the end of the month, with milk bought locally.

Tonight, tea is chicken and ham pie, carrots, cabbage and potatoes, with gravy.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Floss

MtoM, have you checked the DVLA website? You can change ownership of cars online in 2 minutes, and can pay road tax then too, then the new logbook comes in the post so no need to wait.