From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

beanielou

kayannie said:

I've started making Welsh cakes again recently - the ingredients are relatively cheap & don't take long to cook. My mum was Welsh & I still have a few of her hand written recipes, including her Welsh cakes. I don't really need to look at the recipe but I like unfolding the piece of paper she wrote it on & reading her writing. I always add mixed spice for extra flavour though.

Re M&S clothes - I remember when they proudly boasted that their clothing was all made in the UK. I'm so ancient that no-one else can probably remember that!

KA

I can certainly remember. My home toon used to have a factory that made things for them & the factory shop was fantastic. 

Greying_Pilgrim

kayannie said:

Re M&S clothes - I remember when they proudly boasted that their clothing was all made in the UK. I'm so ancient that no-one else can probably remember that!

KA

Regretfully I am ancient enough to join you on that memory step kayannie 🤣  The brand name was St M1cha3l, and it used to stand for something......  IIRC the brand name for alot of stuff from Woolies was 'W1nfield' too.  Not quite as good quality, but then the cost was lower too - and stuff still lasted.  I think all my mum's 'Home Economics' school books succumed to mould and damp 🙁  But I still use the (battered) B3r0 cookbook that she bought me - mine is a 'modern' edition, she had one of the early (slimline) editions from the 1960's (smiley gal with a cornishware mixing bowl on the front).  But I think she did always use the B3r0 recipe.  I'd (personally) always add in spice, and not bother with a sugar dusting.

badmemory - yeah, it's typical that the 'negative' voice trumps anything 'reasonable' isn't it?  The factories that used to supply the high street were proud of their product (rightly so).  We had a factory locally, and even now (although it's happening less and less), you will see a death notice that includes that the person - often female - Ex of [insert one-word factory name].  Everyone 'knows' and knows why they are still proud, in death as in life, to have worked there.

rt - I don't think things have got worse really, it's just that there are a broader range of choices and a bigger pool of people to be influenced.  I'm clinging onto the hope that all this is 'the school experience' and LG will eventually come through the 'sausage machine' and turn out to be a spiffy person, regardless of it all.  At the moment they are a bit shy in the presence of 'those that shout the loudest', even though they realise (often) that the shouty-one isn't always right/fair/kind....etc etc

Right, May 4th.

I have put a wash on as the weather is now showing no rain and there is another reasonable breeze, so I've stuck a load on.  Again, I am aiming for 'mostly dry', because that will take me closer to moving through the laundry pile than if I don't pop a load on.  

LG is tidying their toys up and I have promised we will make Welsh cakes in a bit 😁

I suspect tea will be pizza and oven chips, and lunch may be soup.  I am just sat here listening to the birds - a wren is extremely vocal.  When LG and I walked to school yesterday, a wren was singing it's song atop the school fence, I stopped and pointed out where it was to LG, but you couldn't miss it's song.  It was as if it was welcoming the children into school - or was it imploring them to be kind 🤔😁

Right, best get on.   LG is out tidying me at the mo 🤣

Greying X

EssexHebridean

Might be worth teaching LG a bit about all the great things sugar does for the body - find a good source online, someone like Hazel Wallace or Pixie Turner night have resources on their websites, or Maeve Hanan perhaps (she goes under DieteticallySpeaking on socials, but not sure if she uses that on FB or not) - they are all trained nutritionists/dieticians. As a starter for 10 - with all these people trying to “cut out sugar” it’s a good job that our bodies can find it from all sorts of other places, as our brains literally can’t function without it! (There’s a retort for LG - “oh, you’re not eating any sugar? That explains why your brain’s not working well then…” 😆 - maybe in a few years they might be brave enough for that one!) Definitely don’t allow the sugar police - no matter how diminutive their status - to rile you on this - if you were trying to feed LG a sugar-free diet you’d be doing a far worse job than your current balance! 😁 Another useful phrase t explain and teach might be “the dose makes the poison” for dealing with the current trend for claiming things to be “toxic” too. 

I’m another who recalls the MAndS and Woolies own brands - remember those bright green carriers with the gold writing? For many years alongside the A1 near the M1 junction in Yorkshire there was one of their old lorry trailers - just sitting in a field. Must have been there until around 7-10 years ago we reckon (can you tell there is a difference of opinion here over exactly when it disappeared?!) - it was quite the icon to look out for as we travelled north though! 

Greying_Pilgrim

EssexHebridean said:

Might be worth teaching LG a bit about all the great things sugar does for the body - find a good source online, someone like Hazel Wallace or Pixie Turner night have resources on their websites, or Maeve Hanan perhaps (she goes under DieteticallySpeaking on socials, but not sure if she uses that on FB or not) - they are all trained nutritionists/dieticians. As a starter for 10 - with all these people trying to “cut out sugar” it’s a good job that our bodies can find it from all sorts of other places, as our brains literally can’t function without it! (There’s a retort for LG - “oh, you’re not eating any sugar? That explains why your brain’s not working well then…” 😆 - maybe in a few years they might be brave enough for that one!) Definitely don’t allow the sugar police - no matter how diminutive their status - to rile you on this - if you were trying to feed LG a sugar-free diet you’d be doing a far worse job than your current balance! 😁 Another useful phrase t explain and teach might be “the dose makes the poison” for dealing with the current trend for claiming things to be “toxic” too. 

Yes, I'm in the school of 'a little of what you fancy', and sweet treats fall in that category.  We're more likely, as  a household to have a piece of cake over a bag of sweets, and a pudding perhaps over a bar of chocolate - but not 'all the time', and if it happens that there has been a bit of an imbalance - perhaps LG has been to a birthday party, we dial back slightly, and then go back to (our) 'normal'.   I don't think any foods are 'banned' in our household 🤔Like anyone else, we have our preferences as well as likes and dislikes.  From what I gather, this child certainly isn't 'sugar free' themselves, they just like to find fault with everyone else - about everything.  

School tend to go through cycles - pushing the 'sugar is bad' message when the community nurse comes in for a session on teeth care for example.  I don't know if the lunchtime staff do make any comments about lunchbox contents - I suspect not, as there are some 'interesting' choices.......  But of course, that is a two-way street, I'm not sure I want someone who is not a qualified nutritionist commenting on LG's lunch - they are bound to pick a day I've included a modest square of HM fruitcake..... 😉🤣 Overlooking the fact that had I coughed up £2.50+ for a school meal, LG could select chips and cake/biscuits, seemingly every blessed day......

Well, given the conversational topic, I don't think I should own up to LG and I making Welsh cakes this morning 🤣 But we did.  LG did very well with the measuring, rubbing in and rolling/cutting out.  They wanted to cook them too - and had a go.  We could do with a small silicone spatula for this job (I shall get one), LG found it a little difficult to use the table knife I was using.  However, none were burnt and none were dropped 😁👍  We have sampled the results for elevenses and deemed them - "very good".  Considering I eye balled it, the spicing was just the job, lovely and aromatic.  Now our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to have welsh cakes left over for when DH comes back...... 😉🤣

Greying X

kayannie

Welsh cakes warm from the pan are the best, and one is never enough! I use a plastic fish slice for turning them & removing from the pan.
KA

Greying_Pilgrim

Good evening MFW'rs

Lunch was all slurped up - I went for Four Corners Lentil Soup in the end, although I added in mucho more veg - celery, carrot and swede off the top of my head.  It was closer to a version of veggie harira, but without the chickpeas.  DH had a couple of welsh cakes for 'afters', and deemed them lush, giving LG free reign to make them again 👍😁  kayannie - we were making them in our little omlette pan, which is the only frying type of pan I have currently, so there wasn't much room.  We managed OK, but a slimline/small spatula would make the job easier.  As it was, LG coped better than I hoped with just a table knife and (clean) fingers.

I'm thrilled as to how dry the clothes washing got.  I brought it in just under an hour ago as it has clouded over, but my goodness, it got just enough breeze to dry, plus much of it caught the afternoon sunshine and it retained that warmth that only fabric can - sometimes you achieve it with ironing, but sunshine warmth is the best imho.  Yes, it's now on the airer, but I'm not (I don't think) introducing excess moisture into the house iyswim.  

The pizza dough is proving.  The tommie sauce is defrosted.  I will grate some cheese just now and chop up the black olives.  

We've achieved a nsd today - but to be fair, some would deem our BH Saturday ultra boring, so I'm not sure there is any merit in mentioning it - I suppose MSE is more forgiving.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

line dried washing
using up the last of a (HUGE) swede in a lovely soup for lunch
a 'pottery' day that has earnt income/tidied/fed us/maintained assets etc - not to be sneezed at

Ta for popping in and supporting Family Greying  - it is appreciated.

Greying X

themadvix

I think you need to reframe ‘ultra boring’ as self-contained contentedness’ - it sounds like you all had a nice day, spent at home in each others’ company.

Greying_Pilgrim

themadvix said:

I think you need to reframe ‘ultra boring’ as self-contained contentedness’ - it sounds like you all had a nice day, spent at home in each others’ company.

Ha ha - Morning tmv!  Totally agree with your reframe 😁👍 It was a perfectly good day by my standards, but I can imagine it would have bored the socks off some of our school peers - didn't involve a theme park, meals out, travel 🤣 DH still isn't feeling 100% so was tuckered out by the time he came home after working the morning.  He did complete a couple of 'household' chores (in the 'stuck like a limpet' company of LG 🤣), and used some gifted components to carry out some maintenance; so by MSE standards, the day was spiffing 😁

I'm the only one out of bed this morning 😁 I have done a load of washing (workwear) and pegged out.  We're forecast to have sun and then it will get a bit breezier - I'm hoping that combination will get the washing mostly dry - sun alone is unlikely to do the job.  

I have munched on a low-cost version of avocado on toast.  Mine involved a 30p avocado and wholemeal sliced, rather than artisan sourdough, but it was delish and I was able to sprinkle chipotle flakes all over it too.  No-one else in the fam. is really keen on avocado, so it is something I can eat by myself, guilt free 😁

Initially I put the radio on whilst I was making my breakfast, but then I switched it off and just threw the window open.  Absolutely marvellous birdsong, amongst the more pedestrian cheeps and tweets, we have a very vocal wren (again), a melodious blackbird and for a very short spell, a thrush - I think.

Right, not too sure what is on the agenda for today.  Depends how DH is feeling I guess.  I'm not too sure he's getting too much of a sleepy lie-in.  LG has sought him out......

Greying X

northwalesd

Sounds idyllic GP.

Cheery_Daff

Love your descriptions of everyday family contentedness GP 🥰🥰 I'm currently sat in the garden with a cuppa - I was about to put on a podcast while I do some gardening, but like you I have a rather melodious blackbird at the minute (and some curlews) so I might just listen to them 😊

Less enamoured with the pheasant who woke us up at 4am shouting in the garden 😂 We like having him hanging around, but 4am under the bedroom window was a bit much 😂 I had all kinds of dreams after that - notably a school having arranged a pick up of Duke of Edinburgh expedition kids at 4am right on our driveway. I was so cross at such a ridiculous arrangement - why that time in the morning, and our driveway isn't even on a road! - that I even wrote a letter of complaint to the school 😂😂 (in my dream, of course)