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Monday, 7 April 2014

How do you like your coffee, white or black?

Howdy. Me again. You probably guessed it was me, not that there is anyone else here, and Nellie is no where to be seen. The camera came with me to the craft club this morning, and I took a few snaps of these lovely cushion covers. The lady who brought them made them quite a long time ago, she was looking through a book to find the instructions because she wants to make some more, and can't remember how she did them.  Aren't they just fabby. They look very complicated to make, I certainly couldn't work it out. 


Amazingly beautiful.

This afternoon I went to do a bit more gardening at Helen's house. Clearing rubble away and straightening some paving slabs up which were out of line. Heavy work, got me quite a sweat on. Afterwards I did my usual call in at Tesco, and Spar shop. Gave the Co op a miss, I've got plenty of food in at the moment. This yellow sticker hunt is becoming quite addictive. So what did I get. Greek yogurt down from £1.89 to 62p. Coleslaw, 67p reduced to 30p. Spinach £1 to 41p. Two packets of Welsh cakes were £1.75p each, reduced to 20p each. They are a bit like Eccles cakes. A cauliflower, was £1.16, now 60p. I am up to my eyeballs in yogurt now, got to get some eaten.

I had a nice surprise when I went in the Spar shop. As I handed my 40p over to pay for the Welsh cakes I mentioned that I like their reduced stickers. The young man at the till said, 'so do I', he said 'I try and live only on reduced food'. I was amazed, here is a young man with his head screwed on the right way. We then had a conversation about living within your means. Usually young people haven't got a clue what I am talking about, but this chappie was as enthusiastic about finding bargains as I am. He was like a younger version of me, ha ha.

I did an experiment, how many mugs of white coffee do I get out of  a 500grm carton of Coffee Mate? It says on the side that you should put two teaspoons in a mug, I say that is too much, I put one teaspoon in. Using this is by far one of the cheapest ways of whitening coffee. I counted out 118 teaspoons. And of course it has a long date on it so it will last ages.

I have been using this for many years. I tried the cheaper versions of dried milk but didn't like them, they go lumpy when you mix it with water. Coffee Mate has a nice taste and stirs in evenly with no lumps. I also put a  small spoonful in the water when I cook my porridge in the mornings, makes it creamy. Give it a try if your milk goes off before you get round to finishing the bottle.

I'm getting some very nice emails from my readers, thank you for taking the time to write to me. And thank you for the free coffee you sent. I'm chuffed.

Talking of spinach, howzabout a bit of Popeye. Rememmber him? From 1948, a year before I was born.



Catch you tomorrow.

19 comments:

  1. I can't imagine the hours that have gone into those beautiful cushions!
    Jane x

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  2. That patchwork is Cathedral Window and there is a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWQJG4GsAls. Lovely isn't nit.

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  3. Cushions are amazing ... so pretty.

    Vicky x

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  4. We eat a large bag of spinach a week - not loads between 3 of us but I hope it is better than nothing. I like it and its versatile. Good on that young man..I admit to never even heared of a yellow sticker until a few years ago and I am 40 now. Good for him. I was wondering what is a Welsh cake? Are they healthy/tasty? Debbie

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  5. Oh gosh, forget to say - those cushions!!! Amazing talented lady. Debbie

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  6. I can't figure out those cushions either, very intricate and VERY beautiful.

    My son is another who is very good at searching out the bargains and yellow stickers. He likes to eat very healthily and is always on the look out for cheaper ways to do this.

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  7. Look for cathedral windows quilting tutorials on you tube. It is time consuming but not difficult to do x

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  8. The cushions are beautiful, and Popeye was pretty good, too. I haven't seen one of his cartoons for years!

    Margaret

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  9. I was also born one year after that cartoon! I wonder if we look as antiquated as the film does. LOL I didn't have to grocery shop last week. Tomorrow I'll pick up a few items on sale. Just 2 - grapes and lettuce. I'm trying to eat out of my freezer. So many good bargains in there. I do have a hankering for eclairs though. At 3.49 for 2, they are dear. But, sometimes a girl just has to give in to chocolate.

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  10. Divine
    Its a quilting pattern called 'Cathedral Windows' Its on my'. oneday' list

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  11. I think this technique is called Cathedral Windows, and googling those words will come up with many articles and videos, e.g. http://godscountryfarm.com/quilting/
    I had come across this some time ago, and yes, I too had thought "way too complicated for me."

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  12. This is a link to Cathedral Window quilt done on the sewing machine: http://hyena-in-petticoats.blogspot.com/2007/08/cathedral-window-quilt-tutorial.html. Then you would apply decals to each intersection which I think is a great way to finish the corners. It takes a lot of fabric, but the quilts are so beautiful.

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  13. I'm not a crafty person but those cushions are gorgeous! I have black coffee after a while of drinking black the smell of milk in coffee made my tummy squiffy.

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  14. the secret of dried milk is to make it up the night before and pop it in the fridge , it looses that slightly powdery tinge that way

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  15. Those cushions are beautiful. I stretch my coleslaw by putting a couple of large spoonfuls into a bowl with some grated apple and carrot (this is a good way to use up slightly soft apples and carrots) with a tiny bit of lemon juice and a spoonful of mayo and/or natural yoghurt. A huge tube (500g) of coleslaw is only 69p in Aldi and I can get several meals out of it this way. I don't like dried skimmed milk. It really upsets my stomach for some reason, but I hadn't thought about Coffee Mate.

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  16. Beautiful cushions. Cathedral window quilting I think, although I am no expert. My friend has done something similar. X

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  17. Such pretty cushions. I love the blue ones.

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  18. Fab cushions - on my to do list of quilting :)

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  19. I rarely drink coffee, but when I do I usually make myself a cup of Turkish/Arabic coffee, made in a proper little Turkish coffee pot or my old fashioned stove top perculator. This coffee doesn`t need milk, but it`s far too bitter to drink without a tsp of sugar per cup.
    Those cushion covers are amazing, but they do look time and fabric consuming. I wouldn`t have the patience for such elaborate work.

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