Sunday 14 December 2014

Not cooking

Hello and good evening. It's cold and blustery outside, but me and the pets are cosy. I have got my many layers on, and I'm treating us to a bit of heat, one bar on the gas fire is on. I made an adjustment to my clothing to enable me to take this photo. Remove dressing gown, a sweatshirt, and a fleece, and put on my nice new to me Christmas jumper, or sweater if you so prefer. It's black and white, size 12, and a perfect fit. I went round to my friends house this morning for coffee, she saw me in the street a week ago and said you must come round for a catch up. Today I had a spare hour. As I got up to leave, she left the room and came back with this, said she had only worn it twice and didn't like it, and I could have it if it fits. Yep, just my size, perfect. I'm so pleased, it's lovely. Nice friend I've got.

I was half way through my dinner tonight when I photographed it. Another no cooking day. Spinach, cous cous salad, beetroot of course, a quarter of a quiche, and grated cheese. Lunch was the soup warmed in the microwave. I think I can afford a bit of heat if I am not using the cooker very much.


I had an idea the other day, when I boiled the eggs. Why not used the hot water to wash the pots. It came to me in a flash, don't pour it away, put the dirty pots in the bowl with some cold water, top up with hot, and a splash of soap. Probably only saved a couple of pennies, but it all helps. I don't wash up very often, mostly I rinse with a brush under a dribbling cold water tap. Don't fry food so there is hardly any grease on the plates. I used to pile them up and do a load in one go, not any more. Now everything gets rinsed as soon as it is finished with. At this rate a bottle of wash up liquid will last me about a year. 
Time to switch the gas fire off now, we've had our rations. Might have an early night. Cheerio, catch you tomorrow. 

21 comments:

  1. I use mine in the summer to water the plants and I keep it to flush the loo. My eggs come straight from the farm so are covered in chicken poo and as I don't wash them before I boil them this wouldn't work for me but a good tip nevertheless.
    Arilx

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  2. Nice jumper. - I have always used my egg boiling water to do a little washing up with. Never even thought of mentioning it on here. I also rinse dishes straight after use and save a little on the washing up liquid. Mind you, I don`t even use commercial liquids anymore. I make a large batch of soft soap once in a while and use that to do my dishes. It saves me money and uses up the scraps of left over soap I`m left with that are too small for ordinary body scrubbing.

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  3. Lovely sweater (jumper). Black and white is a classic and will go with a lot of things. Very nice friend you have to give you such a beautiful gift.

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  4. Your jumper looks very nice.
    Twiggy

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  5. How cosy you look!
    Nice friend yes, but that's because YOU are a nice friend too.

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  6. It is so nice how grateful you are, you got a jumper and shared coffee with your friend, it is so nice to chat and have coffee and share things. It doesn't cost much, does it? And then I read you gave your book to the old style house. I think if we all lived like that, life would be much better, less money needed and no waste of material goods.
    I wish you all the best for the festive season and New Year. Thanks for your positive blog.

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  7. I think it looks lovely. Congrats!

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  8. Nice jumper, it suits you.

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  9. I use my boiled egg water to wash the dog bowls. I too am living in hand me down winter sweaters which have barely been worn.

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  10. Yep, I use my boiling egg water for pot washing too. After having no hot water for over a month I have got used to rinsing all the posts with a bit of cold water as we have finished eating/drinking from them and then stacking them by the sink, only when I have enough for a big bowlful of pot washing at the end of the day do I wash them properly in hot soapy water.

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  11. We find that the fan heater is more economical than the central heating, just using the heating for an hour before bedtime.
    Thanks for the comment on the winter heart Ilona and no I don't exhibit, I make them just for the pleasure.
    Happy Christmas now in case I don't get around to it before the day.
    Hugs
    Briony
    x

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  12. I always use leftover boiling water to pour over the dishes. Each morning I boil and egg and the boiled water goes over them, likewise the leftover in the kettle from my coffee water. Gets them clean before I even get there. I rinse my dishes before they go in the dishpan, so the boiling water does a great job.

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  13. I just realized that there's your artwork over the fireplace. That landscape is really really excellent.

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  14. The jumper is lovely on you. I always use the water out of my hot water bottles to do the breakfast washing up. The water stays warm until morning and as it's been boiled before filling the bottles and then sealed all night it's fine for washing dishes.

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  15. love the jumper. The wall hanging over the fireplace is superb, one of yours?

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  16. That's a great jumper Ilona, it really suits you. I borrowed a Xmas jumper from a friend to wear to work on Friday when everybody eas wearing them to raise money for charity. I made donation to the charity but the didn't buy the jumper- they were too expensive! I wouldn't wear it enough to justify the cost of buying one, so my friend kindly lent me gets. Wasn't as nice as yours- will have to move closer so we can share clothes, lol!

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  17. Nice jumper! Glad to see you enjoying your textile art too!

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  18. Read often about pensioners who say they can either "heat or eat", whilst on a pension. As this is what you have to do too I wonder how you can say its "a brilliant life, on a pension" when obviously the pension isn't enough to live in comfort and dignity.

    Surely you should be campaigning for an increase in the state pension instead of suffering it and saying it's fine. You would be a good campaigner I'm sure.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe I'm not explaining myself well enough, or you are not reading my blog properly, for you to think I am not comfortable, have no dignity, and am suffering.

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  19. Hi,the classic design and pattern of the new to you sweater could have come from Nordstrum-such a lovely warm gift.Noticed you hung the textile art above the fireplace and think it looks great there adding a shot of colour.Am washing dishes by hand to save some pennies,though we have a dishwasher.I water down the dish soap too and try to do dishes after every meal because a messy kitchen drives me round the bend.Our weather has become somewhat mild for this time of year and the snow has melted unusually so.Stay cozy, regards, DestemoA

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  20. Well said, I like your style!

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