It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

Foraging is great fun but some people get embarrassed by it. One day I took my retired parents upto on the Sussex Downs near whey lived as my mum wanted some dried cow pats for their tomato plants. We took some large plastic bags with us but my Dad was hugely embarrassed by our antics and walked away, pretending he wasn't with us. Some people went up to him and asked "Do you know what those ladies are picking?" "I don't know - wild mushrooms perhaps?" he replied. They came over to us and asked if they could have a look in our bags. "Wow" they exclaimed "What big wild mushrooms!". They obviously couldn't differentiate between dried cow pats and mushrooms and probably went off and told all their friends what terrific mushrooms they could find up on the Downs. If they returned to collect some, I just hope they enjoyed cooking them :rotfl:

kezlou wrote: »

I used to and still get called an earth mother. My family used to think i was especially when i breastfed both of mine.

Don't we live in a strange society? What could be more normal? My four are all grown up now but when they were tiny I used to have to sneak into changing rooms in stores to breast feed as there were no parent and baby rooms, the only provision was perhaps a smelly changing area in a public toilet. I also used cloth nappies on mine and they haven't grown up bow legged :rotfl:The only time one of mine had a nasty nappy rash it was due to that soap powder that allegedly washed 'whiter than white' or so the slogan went. If I could change one thing from those days, it wouldn't be that I had more money. It would be that I had spent less time on the housework and more time playing with the children.

Charis

seabright wrote: »

An idea that I used last year for my daughter (she was about 9 months old then) was to use lots of wild fruit & berries to make desserts for her.

I collected windfalls, blackberries, wild plums - anything really, and put them all into the slow cooker with a handful of dried fruit and some cinnamon. Left it overnight to turn to mush and then froze it in small batches (I used silicon ice cube trays). It is really delicious and I am really quite pleased when she doesn't want to eat it all! To ring the changes I mix up a paket of Basics Custard Powder (7p!!!) and do a half and half mix with the fruit.

Thanks for that idea have 10month old who might love that.
I dont have a slowcooker could i do on hob or in casserole dish.
was planning on doing jams,crumbles and tarts with my finds but kids size desserts sounds and winner as was planning on batchgcooking one bog meal into child size readymeals take pressure off in week as me and hubby spicy addicts so often do something different for girls.

Mine like chopped cherries mixed in with greek yogurt.

on slowcooker idea is it worth it as hubby thinks might be another gizmo I might not use but thourght it be good for stews and soups in winter as can go on school run and come back to cooked dinner know some people swear by theirs.

I think this board has good mix of people and although we all live in diffrent parts of uk, have different family we all have fastastic ideas to share now got lots of things I wnat to try.
As no matter what your circumstances especially at moment wehn economy rubbish, payfreeze, rising cost of living everyone wants to save money.


I think oldstyle is getting best value from life not living on miserable budget.


I guess from previous posts of breastfeeding/cloth nappies might come accross as extreme money saving or deranged hippy my mam so findly calls me but she moans about money but can be so lazy and snobby with food.
Because im at home i aprreciate easier for me to cook.
My mate moans about money but she rarly cooks when she could batchcook and freeze on weekends and says she doesnt have time to forage, shes always out shopping or pubs.

Hubby used to be embarressed by foraging but this year hes wised up as he adores cherries only discovered this year plus they so pricey in shops.
sister says they have windberries in wales which like blueberries but but would be special effort to get there.
Blueberries are silly prices occasionally you can get reduced.

My other mate is doing a swop wild cherries for plums and apples from her garden which sounds fair.

Off to pick more more plumbs later.

off to dreaded sainsburys as we off to lidls tommorow and certain things sadly cant get in lidls like spices/curry powder really wnat to spend 100quid max this week as we completly out and run out of basics like tinned tomatoes/passata ect.
Milks a bug bear wish I had room for a cow and chicken in garden but think landlord throw a fit:eek:

tr hope things pick up soon sales can be hard.

I think moneys awquard subject people get embarressed annoys me mum thinks we better off because hubbys on higher salary than hers as they spend loads more than we do.

Re money and feeling embarrassed - your life is YOUR life. Not theirs. Ignore other people and be true to yourself and your family. Nothing else matters

M&S website do DD bras and saves you trailing round shops..