Morning all


Well life thickens as it does, Have needed to go to the vets a lot this week cats are getting older and health needs are rearing there very ugly heads.
I have six furry free loaders. Don’t get me wrong they are very much loved and wanted but gee their bums lol.



My eldest Dora is thankfully in good nick went and had a check up and we believe she has the very early stages of arthritis.



My other girl Clover (youngest) has a bladder condition that gives her permanent cystitis so I need to order pills on line. Thank god they are not on prescription! So easy enough for me to do.



We also have my old boy Bramble who bless his is a scrawny thing with a heart murmur and a thinning coat. He always looks puzzled by life and has the sharpest claws I have ever encountered. Well last year he developed a sarcoma and we had the affected area removed but it came back so we had the ear amputated. The sarcoma was called something unpronounceable and apparently as a rule only dogs get this on their spleen! And to top it all I needed to take him back to the vets yesterday he had a serotonin growth on the side of his cheek and the Vet said this is what horns are made of. Tell me she said does this cat ever get anything normal? lol nope not our Bramble!



Then there is Autumn who’s markings made me think of falling leaves she is my golden eyed VERY independent miss, she is not so well. Her Hyperthyroidism has escalated and we need to try and get 2 pills a day down her, which is proving to be interesting and to put the icing on the cake she now has the onset of renal failure and needs to go on a special diet, at £30 per week this coupled with he fact that my clan are getting older. There are 6 of them and diets have now to be changed so that’s about £20 per week for them. Seriously though I am looking very hard at what deals are about and what they will eat.



I am thinking I need to do some serious math! Lol As I am getting married next year and to top it all the insurance will not cover the roof. It frighteners me as to the potential cost. We are at the moment talking to the building council as to the builders liability, long long story but believe me I want to yell and kick arse but will go softly as that’s the best way to do it for now.




So looks like another VERY homemade Christmas again this year but within limits. Last year I crocheted me Butt off for people and (I know you shouldn’t expect a thank you) not even an acknowledgement of thanks.

So will sew gift bags and see what they have in the budget section of the charity shops and car boot. And make an adult jamboree pack.



On a brighter note we are having a fab make do and med session in the garden. The fence is being painted with a nice rich brown colour and Dad had painted up the hanging basket brackets and stand for the sun brolly. That one needs fixing but a bit of wood and a screw and job done.

I am hoping there will be enough paint over to freshen up the wooden furniture we have as well fingers crossed.
Refreshed the hanging baskets and planted some seed in them that we have had around for god knows how long but what the heck see how it goes. Dad said he would pressure wash down our very very small patio area so should brighten it up with a good bit of effort.


The pippin apple tree I bought and popped in a planter has flowered and looks like it will bear us some fruit and the herbs are going on well. Planted some nasturtiums and they will be good in a salad and bring wonderful colour to the garden. Not only that I love the idea of them self seeding as did the wild geranium I brought from the last house. Hoping that the packet of “love in the mist” when scattered will do the same. Such a pretty pale blue flower and is one of my favourites.






So that’s it for now just need to get arse into gear and go forth so to speak!
How’s life in your world?
Chat soon
xxxxxx

Well the man will come to see about the sieve, i mean roof that we have a problem with.

So fingers crossed for that I also have a million and one phone calls to make today.

Will write an update soon as we had a girls craft day out and my sister came briefly.

Hope you are all well

chat soon Rachel

I cant stand the rain...

Update

We finally got to speak to someone who said do this and they told us to speak to another someone. We waited for a call back.

Hello" said a voice " We can come to you next Wednesday" when we made the call it was Tuesday.

"Dad said " hmm not happy, "we have a leek" its the roof. " what if it rains?

"Sorry said the girl Wednesday week, but if there are any cancellations or we can fit you in earlier we will"

"Dad went and made a call to someone else. lovely friendly and genuinely helpful someone else. We get a call back from ms a week next Wednesday. Her voice was dripping with insincerity and said

"we can come late Monday morning"

"we will take it said Dad".

There were suggestions of use getting a builder in and invoicing us and we send to the insurers and all the faffing around that goes with it. To be honest that made us more nervous as the initial conversation with insurance person made it sound like we were covered for naff all.

Watch this space as next week I show you how to live in a sieve and all the fun decorating you can do!

IT’S MEANT TO STAY OUTSIDE!!!!!

Yesterday we had rain, nothing unusual you think, me thinks the same as well. Anyhow I was sitting at the computer last night and I heard a tapping sound. Couldn’t make it out and thought that Dad may be clipping his toenails and they were hitting the hard floor, so never thought about it again.
Time came to go to bed and I was pottering sorting out D.B’s supper prepping meds nothing wild and after I got into bed I heard it again. Tap, tap, tap; we have a leak in our bedroom roof at the juncture where the fitted wardrobe ends. I am sick of this. The builders work is shoddy at best and there have been so many people through this house to try and get them to sort there act out. The organisation that deals with shoddy building work has even been in and said to them. “You may have built this to a standard but not to our standard. What he meant was that the house has been built to the minimum standard possible. This isn’t necessarily a good thing. I feel cross defeated resigned and couldn’t give a F**K. So now we have get the local housing company we have shared ownership with involved (I, We have little or no confidence in them) and the builders as well! I thank god that we are insured (but hopeful as I need to check) that the housing company are responsible for outside maintenance. However something tells me it’s only going to be sweeping up and keeping things tidy. We shall know more later today. Something has to change and not for changing sake, it’s deciding what.. What angers me even more is this is a new build I saw it being constructed. We were so please about each new brick and piece of mortar that was put in place. This has to be our forever home there is no money ever again to move. We were part of a compulsory buy out when our old was being regenerated. We were told that there would be help and we would get a fair price we got neither and had to hire a negotiator to work on ours and others behalf. There was me my father and my disable partner. No way of getting a mortgage and believe me we tried even the less then friendly places. We had to scrap for this one as well because some thicky in social services said that we would have to wait till it was built to see if it was deemed suitable for my Partner. Wouldn’t listen to the fact that we had had a big pow pow with all sorts of people regarding this. I never ever want to move again the thought leaves me cold tired and a sick feeling in my stomach.
Hate seeing dad vexed particularly in this period of life when he should be able to go easy and not worry
Last thing we need as D.B has an assessment not only that there is a carer in to help him shower and one in to sit with him whilst I go and do some bits.
Right need to get a move on
Chat later
xxx

Recipes

I was surfing the net and I came across these versions for potato pastry as well
Potato Pastry

Posted on 8th July, 2011

Potato Pastry is used in a variety of recipes.

Potato Pastry (for savoury dishes)
8 oz mashed potatoes.
4 oz flour.
1 oz cooking fat.
½ teaspoonful salt.
Method-Mix the flour with the salt. Rub in the fat and work into the potato. Mix to a very dry dough with a small quantity of cold water. Knead with the fingers and roll out.
——————————————————————————–
Potato Pastry (for sweet dishes)
8 oz flour.
4 oz mashed potato.
2 oz fat.
½ teaspoonful salt.
Method-Mix the flour and the salt. Cream the fat and the potato, add the flour, and a little water if necessary, to form a rather stiff dough.

Or
Potato pastry
Treat this as you would short crust pastry and is adaptable to sweet or savoury dishes best to roll it out when it is completely cold so I would give it about an hour in the freezer.
10oz or 350g of self raising flour
If not use plain and pop in some baking powder. The ratio I use is 3 teaspoons to every 8oz
Pinch of salt 8oz or 250g block marg
60z 150g cold mashed spuds no need to make this fresh leftovers are just fine to use as well.
Make the pasty with the rubbing in method either by hand or processor. Add mash and mix together. If you are using your hands a fork will be helpful; at this stage kneed it into a ball.pop it in some cling film and chill.

Yogurt bake.
One carton of plain yogurt (I use Sainsbury basics at 45p)
2 eggs (aprox 10p each)
2 teaspoons of grain mustard. I use Aldis at 45p for a reasonable sized jar so possibly 4 p in total
Seasoning
Mix the above together very well
If you want you can grate some cheese on top
This is wonderful poured over any leftovers you have and baked in the oven at about 200c or until set can be served with extra veg potatoes and/or salad. Wonderful for using up your odds n ends

The above can be used in what I call a poor man’s feast.
Part boil some spuds if you haven’t any over whether they are roasted or boiled slice them up
Fry off some onions/leeks/celery very slowly add to it some scrap bacon/chicken/ham or a mix of.
Make the yogurt mix and then begin to layer starting with spuds first then some filling then pour a little of the yogurt mix on it and keep going till you have a layer of spuds left and either sprinkle with cheese or use some of the sauce mix and pop on some herbed bread crumbs.
Bake at 200c or until you like the look of it.

what recipes do you have that helps save a penny?

Chat soon
Rachel

What really matters?

Saturday 25th 2013

It’s been a long day and I fell asleep in front of the telly about 8pm and woke about 10pm ish feels like I have drunk from Morpheus cup. I am now off to wake D.B and see how he is. Not been a good day for him heads been spinning and he’s been sleeping although he did managed to watch the grand prix, so I’m pleased about that.
Today there were 4 loads of laundry and a abed to change. Lunch to prep (roast budgie) and clear away, meds to give and cats to feed. I even scrubbed out downstairs loo with an inch of it’s like and decide to put the cake stand in there and use it as storage for the magazines. It Looks fab. I emptied the fridge and to my shame had to throw things out.
I have also spent another day of successfully ignoring the mountain of paper work I have to sort. If procrastination was an asset I would be world leader! :$ But its good things are beginning to have a home and I am feeling less overwhelmed. Not that I was a closet hoarder as you see in telly programmes. I can only imagine the distress it must cause to the person concerned and their loved one. However it was becoming a problem for me.
Dad fixed up the half welsh dresser for me. Its modern and practical no redeeming features but I have decided to paint it and the set of drawers it’s resting on a good jolly colour to blend it in. Dad has finished the set of drawers and it a lot better.
Bank holiday Monday
Was a busy start to the day needed sort laundry and prep brekkie. Dad was sweet and finished off the chest of drawers I have bought. This turned out to be a monumental disappointment , no not what Dad is doing the drawers themselves but I have learnt not to be so trusting and am unlikely to buy from that source this type of thing again.
I was going to spend the afternoon in the garden today but rain put pay to that. So went wild and slouched in front of the telly with tea and crochet. Fortunately there was a film I like with John Candy in it on so settled to that and zonked out after.lol
chat soon
Rachel

Well the extra pennies that I had have all but gone not overly disappointed ad I used them well and the house is up and running much better than it has ever been. The last will be delivered today a set of drawers and the odd top half of a welsh dresser that I will use in the spare room for all the c.d’s and bit regarding the computer.
Today will be a day of pottering Dad is off to his group and D.B has a helper this morning. I need to go package up some bits for someone. Have been meaning to do it for yonks, so I can drop it off at the post office either today or Saturday.



I have been trying to avoid the c word (Christmas) but I know it will loom all of a sudden and I was almost caught out last year no fun crocheting to a deadline so won’t be doing that again need to work out what people will get and stick to it. I’m known for going off in tangents. Seems it’s not just in conversations but life the universe and everything in it.



Had a good chat with Dad the other day he to apparently has been reviewing his budget and decided to make some cuts. For example we would get out bins cleaned once a fortnight the cost £3.00 equals £78.00 per year we now have a pressure washer so will do it ourselves.


We also like to go for a coffee when we are out. There are not many vices we have. Neither of us drink, smoke or attend a night club or anything similar so this is a doable treat. However we did decide to see what other coffee shops are about and the cost. There’s a new one out there to meat out shrinking funds I am sure just need to do a bit of research. I also suggested that the good weather is coming soon and a takeout would be cheaper and there are plenty of pretty places to sit dad seemed good with that. I know we could take our own and save a few but with the way life goes of late this is the less stress option.



What I love to do though is pack a flask a sarnie and a book to take myself of for a few hours to Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park run by the local council and makes for a very cheap day out. I don’t normally go to the house but I hear that there are concessions and the like so I will make some enquires. Last time I went they were refurbishing and that was years ago. So long ago in fact I remember the filming a skit for “Russ Abbots Mad House”


I like Walking to the ferry and my fare over and back (£3.00 I think) and making sure I have bus fare on the way back as sometimes I over do the walking and my back gives in!


Did a little food shopping yesterday and Sainsbury’s had some plants in for £3.00 each so we bought a Passion flower. Had one before and it was beautiful covered oodles in a short space of time and I love it when climbers intermingle as you know we have a honey suckle and a rose that is slowly taking off. One rose I do want to get is called rambling rector meant to have masses of blooms and a beautiful scent. If it encourages the butterflies and bees I’m all for that. Anyheeeeeew I digress noticed food has shot up again in price and after chatting to the butcher about my meat order and relaying the conversation back to D.B he said sorry luv no can do this time round I agreed with him and said how about we just do a general meat shop there and call it quits for this month. He agreed and that’s what I will be doing. Anyway back to the supermarket sausages of any worth were £2.99 a unit. So hence the convo re the butchers.
Part 2 Sat 25th may 2013

Went into Sainsbury’s for cat food and came out a king’s ransom lighter but we were shorter of more than I thought and before I knew it my wallet was gasping on the floor. Ta Ta pennies I knew you well.


So I think I will pop on the slow cooker today and take out the very last of the lamb and casserole it with the other bits I have in the leftover shelf of the fridge. If they don’t like it they have the following options. The chippy down the road or starve I’m cool with either lol

Found an old faithful cook book the other day about how to use up your leftovers and be creative so I am thinking will share some as they are darn good and cheap, and I love cheep . it’s like a hug you get a good return and makes ya feel better!



Last of the furniture arrived yesterday tatty top half of a welsh dresser and a set of drawers. The dresser (shelves) will need a bloomin good scrub but it means I can get all the odds n sods kicking around the room up out of the way and if it still looks tatty then out comes the paint! There are a couple of places in town that sell project sized tins for about a £1 and as I only need a little will do that because I am not willing to pay out for something and then watch the remainder go off there is no saving there. I may go wild and paint the “ikea” like mini sets of drawers I have as well whilst I am at it. Might even put on the knobs I saved back from an old set of drawers. I know no stopping me! Lol.



On Friday I made a tentative step into sorting out the paperwork pile up I have by buying some folders to pop it in. Don’t knock it, it’s a start just need to actually do it now lol


Right me lovelies that’s it for now will post recipes separately. Tell me what’s going on in your world hope all is well with you and yours
xxxxx