Frosty Frugal Day!

Nice bright sunshine today, but cold and frosty....the ground stayed frosty white all day, so no playing out in the garden.

A day of the dratted housework and fidgeting about indoors.

I tackled the last of the stored apples.....about time too, many were happily rotting away.

Still...lots of good apple there, so chopped away at the bad bits and saved the good.

Enough to make a couple of apple crumbles, one for us and one for a friend.

Not very pretty 'Country Living style' dishes....but sturdy and practical...and the crumble will taste just as scrummy. The dark brown bits are caramelised 'dark.. dark' rich yummy sugar....I used up what was left in the packet....just love that dark rich stuff.
Just need a bit of custard!



So Hubby P's dream dinner ....pie.
And cheap and cheerful....nice and frugal.....good dinner with lots of roast veg (carrots and parsnip), peas and a heap of mash. Good warming stuff.





I managed to get a few seeds sown, ready for the early Spring.....I am hoping like mad we have one.....t'would be so nice to have a long warm Spring/Summer.
I've just put a few seeds in little tubs....trying not to end up with far too many seedlings. I sowed some tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers,onions, and leeks. They are just in the window bottom, fingers crossed they do ok.....I can keep them going indoors until its fit to plant them outside.
I know its early but I want to make a good start.

And Nuts!


Finally Hubby P got his Christmas nuts!
I wouldn't buy any over Christmas.... they were just too expensive, but they have been reduced a little each week until this week they were down to 30p/bag.
So Hubby P got his nuts!

Hope you had a good day.... the sun is getting brighter each day....soon be fit to play out!

I'm Carbooting again tomorrow... fingers crossed for the sunshine!

xx take care xx

New Year.....New Projects!!

Just had to share this lovely photo with you!

Isn't he a magnificent Chap... or perhaps she's a Lady?

Her/His colours really were so bright.

New Year....New Projects!

And as the day was dry and fairly bright we made a start. The project is to clear the old pond (nasty smelly job)....it leaked and was just so overgrown, and the surrounding area.... move some sheds about....make a largest space ...in which to build a new summerhouse/shed type thingy.

Sounds easy....

Richard made a start on the pond....

Liz was at the forefront helping with the digging.....lots of tasty worms!



Such a mucky job!
Eventually they got the pond liner out.... now I am left with a big hole.....the garden looks like the Somme!
At least we got through the day without any incidents....just achy backs.
As you know Hubby P does have a history of spectacular injuries... something to do with his enthusiasm for playing with big boys toys......or/erm should that be tools!
I've found encouraging Hubby P to let the younger ones.... Richard and other various sons 'have a go'....
cuts down remarkably on the 'incidents'..... !



Unfortunately we disturbed the frog.... it was in the pond... Richard carried it off and found a suitable damp patch of garden to 'relocate' it.


Anyway Hubby P's day ended well ...we had to shop....and we scored!
Asda was 'Whoopsie-ing' on the bread produce...so we filled a good shelf of our freezer with 10p pies. Can't be bad....Hubby P loves a pie!

Hope you had a good day.... xx

A Thrifting Day....Snuggled By The Fire.

Well what a dreary day....no playing out in the garden today.

But I'm not going to moan... its January for goodness sake! January weather and all that!

A day for snuggling in front of the fire and planning for the Spring....I was very good, had a browse on Ebay but just bought what I needed.....Leek seeds and some pretty colourful Chard seeds. Its about time the Leek seeds were started, and I shall sow some Tomato seeds soon.....Spring is around the corner.

I had a good sort out of cupboards, which involved me emptying the contents of the Hubby P's shelves on to the bed....a huge pile of clothes.... and 'suggesting' he sort through them 'like Now'!

He has been promising to do it for weeks...there were so many old tatty unworn clothes, just taking up space. Many were old ink stained work clothes (Hubby P being a Printer), T shirts with baggy necks, things that he swore must have 'shrunk in the wash'.... although I think myself it has something to do with the 'maturing' of his waistline!

And well... the underwear drawer.... well we wont go into detail about that....needless to say a little trip to Asda and a couple of packets of new 'smalls' did the job.

At least now he can get run over by a bus, and we wont be embarrassed! lol!

Needless to say the old tatty clothes couldn't be just thrown away.....lots of useful.....if not pretty fabric.

So I spent 20 minutes roughly cutting them up....removing, and keeping any buttons and putting aside the decent sized bits to use as rags.

Hubby P is forever asking for 'a bit of a rag'.... cleaning the car/van, painting, engines, restoring bits of furniture...all seem to need rags, so my rag bag is a vital bit of kit.

I ventured outside briefly to say Hello to the chickens, Hubby P had fed them this morning and said they weren't for venturing out in the miserable wind and rain.... not adventurous sorts really!

All except this one..... she is out whatever the weather.....an All Action, Outdoorsy sort of Girl.....we call her Liz after my Outdoorsy kinda Sister!

Here are the others ....huddled in the comfort of their shed, watching the rain through the open door.



Liz busy scratting about....she likes a nice worm....the chicken.....not the Sister....although I don't know....she makes a habit of exploring wild places like the Amazon....no Mac Donalds there!

Well .... the day is just getting darker and darker....back to the fireside I think, and some of Hubby P's trousers to mend!

Gosh....I'm just Girl who how to live it Large!!

xx Take care xx Bye for now xx

Thrifty Ways and Waifs and Strays!

Hello there .... Here's to a happy, sunshiny ... contented 2011!

Notice I didn't say prosperous or rewarding... I think we are all going to have to be more frugal than ever.... but hey....what the heck...we are all here to help and support each other, hopefully we have our health and with a bit of luck we may get a bit of sunshine....soon!

Best and Brightest and Cheery Wishes to you all.....I'm determined to step into this new year with a positive attitude.

Frugally Snippets.... well the dark damp days have me huddling by the fire, too cold to sit in the other room where my sewing machine is. So I set about hand turning the edges of some towelling fabric I had put aside for teatowels.

I don't know about you but I seem to go through teatowels like nobodies business. They soon get stained and go raggy.

So this jazzy pink towelling was ideal...it used to be a curtain... in the bathroom, if you remember...well I got fed up with it as a curtain, gave it a good boilwash and put it aside for teatowels.

I found this super sexy retro-y paisley towelling too ... twas a pair of curtains, just love this fabric, so it too became a couple of teatowels then I can see and use it daily!

Of course to try and recoup the some of the pennies spent on feeding the fabric addiction, I put a couple of the teatowels on ebay ... you never know someone might appreciate them.

Another project....this time to use up a bagful of those little skeins of tapestry wool, all oddments... not enough to really use in a tapestry project so I'm in the process of crocheting them into one of those twirly whirly scarves. I can put it away when its done....a little present for someone next winter.

Take no notice of Charlie Cat....he commanders all the furniture....and refuses to move, or even open his eyes when in the middle of a photo shoot!!


The Family has grown again..... how could we refuse a crust and a warm fireside to these Waifs and Strays!

Found at the carboot sale looking lost, abandoned and unloved!




This is Mummy Bear with her pretty little dress and sparkly necklace.

And a well loved little lady.....hand stitched no doubt with great love for some special little Girl.

I introduced her to Mucky Madge.....do you remember Madge, she too was a carboot waif. They are getting on fabulously, lots in common.

I think maybe we will find a new home for the new girl....the toy shelf is getting rather full of the 'waifs'.... but at least she's not ending her days in Landfill.

Mummy Bear on the other hand has fallen right on her feet..... and right into the arms of the

resident Hero!

Remember Sam?

Sam was also a 'Waif' and became my companion and co pilot extraordinaire, he travelled everywhere with me in the car. One night some 'naughty boys' stole the car and set fire to it. Sam was in it and helped beat out the flames to save what he could of my much loved Morris Minor car.

As you can see he still has the scars and injured arm. He received a bravery medal which he wears with pride on his waistcoat.

Well.......!? He and Mummy Bear!!!! What can I say!

I'm telling myself the twinkle in his eye is one of support and friendship ....but you and I know what these 'All Action' men can be like!

Chin up ...... I'm sure some sunshine will be on its way soon!

xx Take care xx

Bright Blessings....Welcome to the New Sun!

Bright Blessings....... the year is turning....what will this new sun bring?

Just look at the lovely pink glow of the sky... this was taken about 3.30pm... just as the sun was setting on the shortest day.

This is the view from my doorstep.... the 'tower' is an old windmill, now home to bats and owls...and the odd pig!

What have you been doing today?

Its been too cold to venture very far....so baking seemed a good warming occupation.

Pies for tea.

And Gingerbread biscuits.... I haven't got any 'shape' cutters, Gingerbread men and the like... I fancied a Christmas tree shape.... must lookout for some. One will turn up at the car boot sale ... everything you could possibly need turns up eventually.

A little more Yummy Treacle toffee.... for gifts.

This afternoon a surprise bunch of the most glorious Holly from a friend... I've never seen so many berries!

I wired it up into swags and pinned up above the beam with my lemons.

I gathered some together in this pot.....this seems to be a less 'spike-y' sort of Holly... so many berries.

Do you like my new chenille style tablecloth? Its just one of a pair of old curtains....but it looks the part....very festive.

So glad I got my stack of logs in....and they say we are in for more snow!

xx Take care xx bye for now xx

Snow Bound Bits Of This And That!

Well..... how are you all coping with the weather.... isn't it just beautiful! The sunshine on the snow this morning is just lovely.

Shame its such a pain too.... its okay so long as you don't have to go anywhere or do anything!

We have had a fair amount for Anglesey.... usually we get very little or miss out completely, but its had us 'snow bound'!

Our big 'useful' van we bought for carbooting is useless in the snow.... so we've had a few days mooching around at home.

Gave us time to appreciate the glorious spectacle....... the wonders of the snow, and care for our little birds. I've been putting lots of high energy foods out for them... peanuts and suet etc alongside their seed.

Mr Robin looked rather colourful and smart against the snow.

Its amazing how it sticks to everything..... coating everything in its path.



The back of the house must be a bit more sheltered, it seems a bit less snow-y.

I've started to think about Christmas..... not that we make a lot of it here. I think really we celebrate the season rather than the Christian aspect of it. We use it as a time to reflect on the year and spend time with each other..... gifts are are simple and often homemade.... a nice gentle time.




I managed to get some choccy treats made for presents..... always a winner.

On the thrifty/wholesome cooking front ..... its soup all the way!

My Girls... the chickens....need their warming 'mash' too, lots of nice veg peelings boiled up and mixed with a handful of porridge oats.

Ummm Yummy!

Not having a tree this year... I will only have a rooted one if I do have one, so that it has a chance of living on in the garden..... but they are so expensive I really couldn't justify the buying of something that was simply to be used for a few days.... and simply an ornament at that .... I know I sound a miserable Old Crone!! haha!

I would much rather have something that represents 'us' and our life here... a bit of greenery that we have grown in our garden... to celebrate our life and family.

I found some nice Holly.... buried under the snow! Gave it a shake off and together with some prunings of the Bay tree.... brought them inside.

Looking around the place for other natural materials......... I should have been more prepared and dried some seedheads from the garden .. but well .. I didn't! so I found a few dodgy looking lemons, sliced them up and dried them in the oven.

I found a jar of cinnamon sticks in the cupboard and some pretty, festive red ribbon.

Sat and watched an old film and strung them together.

They look rather festive hung along the beam of the inglenook.... and they smell good too!

I'm hoping we can get the van out today... provisions are running low.

xx Do take care in this slippy, slushy weather! xx

Keeping A Girl Occupied On A Winters Day!

Another cold day..... too cold for me to want to be out and about.

I've been quite happy pottering about the house.... bits and bats of jobs, and happy family to visit.

I eventually got the 'summer' lightweight curtains washed and ironed and put away ~ somewhere 'safe', ready for the sunshiny weather returning in Spring.

Lets hope I don't forget where the 'safe' place is... like I did with the last set of Winter curtains... and have forever lost, resulting in me having to make some more for this Winter!

Anyway not very exciting but its a job done....

Poor Hubby P has the most dreadful poorly chest..... yet off he went today to earn a crust, I think lots of us have coughs and colds....

What we need is something soothing, something to sooth the throat and warm the cockles.... I looked in the store cupboard to see what I had....

Uummmmmm.... the makings of Treacle Toffee!

I know its well past Bonfire Night when its traditionally made, but I am sure its really a

Winter-y sort of thing... got to be good for coughs and colds.

I just made two little toffee tins of the delightfully rich stuff .... full of proper ingredients like real butter and rich dark sugar, non of your nasties in good old Granny's toffee.

Although you 'score' it well it never breaks as it should does it!
So I put all the odd shapes in an old sandwich tin .... a kind of help yourself tin.

And wrapped the larger pieces in greaseproof paper .... these can be sneaked into a pocket when venturing outdoors in this chilly weather. I'm sure I will need a stash on Sunday when we go to the Carboot Sale.

A sweet little stash on the dresser!

And for Hubby P ..... coming in from a long cold day....

his absolute favorite...... Shepherds Pie!

xxx Take care for now xxx