Very Bluepeter

For all of those that don't know, Bluepeter was (is?) a children's TV show over here and most kids watched it back through the 60's, 70's and 80's and beyond. It specialized, among other things, in making things and mums were pestered for old cereal boxes, toilet roll tubes, coffee jars, washing up liquid bottles, sticky back plastic and double sided sticky tape and countless other things.

This was the famous advent triangle something or other (what the hell do you call it?)

I did give it a go once, but not with any great success.

I was an avid watcher and made pretty much everything on there that it was possibly to make. I remember countless coffee jars with decorated lids, filled with cotton wool balls that my poor grandmother used to get from me every Christmas. The problem for me, was that usually I didn't have all the correct materials and had to make do (nothing's changed then) so nothing ever really worked all that well. Still the fun was in the trying.

So it was with a feeling of deja vu that I set out to the woods today to collect 'green things' to make my frton door Christmas wreath. As usual I didn't have any of the correct materials and reckoned I could use an old wire coat hanger as a base and make it up beyond that. It was quite hazardous up there on the top of the hill in the woods, I did slip once and got a bit turned around in the trees, but managed to come back with a bag full of something or other.

Anyway, long story short, some very pricked hands later, I came up with this. Be kind, it is very very home made looking and I never claimed to be artistic, but it did cost me £0.00 (yeah, go on, you can tell can't you?)

10 minutes in the rain and it will probably be a bedraggled heap, fit for the bin, but the fun was in the trying.

I then used the leftovers to try and make a table candle thing. It is when I realise how hopeless I am when I find myself just shoving things together on a plate and hoping for the best.

So a bit of crafty fun was had, no money was spent and I have something that may last a few days at least - watch this space!

Nearly missed it!

Very nice to hear from so many people yesterday, new and old followers alike. I loved the desctiption from Jane and Chris that blogging is like a frugal coffee morning with friends coming in for a chat. It's so true. I have tried to reply to everyone who commented, just to say hello.

A year ago this week (last Monday I think) was the day that I got the keys to this house! So I have owned it for a year now and how brief that is, yet it feels like it has always been my home, I just didn't know it.

Although I got the keys a year ago, I didn't actually move properly until mid-January. I use the Christmas holidays to get started on cleaning, wallpaper stripping and painting, and slowly my home was born.

Living room before and after.

I would like to say that I knew the moment I walked in that this was the house for me, but that would be a lie. Usually I am good at seeing the potential of a house, whatever the state is, but this one was a stumbler. I knew it was right on paper, it had everything I wanted, but on the two viewings I had, I was unsure. Empty, uncovered floors, grubby and cold, it seemed pokey and empty of life and on both occasions I went away unsure and slightly disappointed, but then would look at it on paper again and realise that it actually ticked every box. I loved the views, loved the location, but the garden was empty and lifeless and the house seemed totally without love.

Kitchen before and after

But once I got my own stuff in, begun to get the dingy wallpaper off, and my colours up, give the house some personality it began to transform into my home. In the last 20 years since I left my parents house I have lived in 9 houses/flats and this is the one they were all leading to, the one I call my forever house, (unless life takes unexpected, exciting turns)

Bedroom before and after

I have worked really hard, every room has been done (except the bathroom) on a shoestring. I have done all the work that it was possible for me to do, alone and only called in help on really difficult or dangerous stuff. I am proud of the things I have done and if you knew how little money I had really spent you would be very surprised. Paint, elbow grease and a strong back don't cost much money. I have begged, borrowed, stealed (well free-cycled), I have used imagination and I have spent hours working on a project rather than buy something new.

Garden before and after

It is fun to look back on what I have done to the house, I am not done yet, the bathroom never gets photographed because it is SO hideous, but one day I will re-do it all myself (give me strength!).

I have big plans to convert the garage into a room one day, but it will be years until I do, woodburning stove would be a dream come true too.

But I keep my eyes and ears open for good deals, ways of learning new skills and cheap or free items to help me on my way. let's see what my second year here brings......

Stats

5 foot 7, 13.5 stone, gingery-blonde hair, green eyes..........


No, not my stats! My blogs stats. Yesterday I had 1250 page views, an absolute record! It just shows where peoples interests mainly lie, when it is a baking/cooking/crafting day I seem to get more page views and comments than at any other times. The least come when I am having a rant about something - well I can't blame you for that, hahaha.

It got me thinking about you, my readers.  I am thrilled that so many of you enjoy what I write and I wonder what you are all like, what drives you to blog or read blogs. I have begun to form a mental picture of many of you, the ones that comment regularly anyway and sometimes when I write, I know that something might appeal to a particular reader, even just a particular sentence. I can't claim to know you, but I feel like I know an aspect of you based on your reactions to things I say - and of course reading your blogs, which I keep up with regularly (even if I don't always comment, blogger is SO difficult with me leaving comments, sometimes it takes me ages and in the end I give up).

The interesting thing I notice is that by far the largest percentage of you are women, both my followers, those that leave comments and those that blog themselves. We men are definitely in a minority in blogland (certainly on the subject matter that interests me at least). Maybe if I was following blogs on car maintenance or Samantha Fox (there's a blast from the past) there might be more fellow men bloggers. Is it perhaps because women are naturally better with money, or at least more inclined to show an interest in the household finances? More interested in sharing cooking and recipes (this is very likely) or just more interested in blogging. Women, I am told, are much more inclined to share feelings and all our blog territories dip into feeling sharing now and again.

Oh well, this humble man is thrilled by all of you who read, share and take time to enjoy this blog: men and women, students, nurses, bio chemists, dry cleaners, school teachers, retired, grumpy, happy, ex-lorry drivers, Brits, Aussies, Texans, Irish and everyone else. Leave me a comment, it thrills me every time.

Christmas Baking and crafting

Today has been a lovely day. You will all be pleased to know that I very slowly got my car back into my driveway. I did wonder about the folly of this halfway up the hill as the wheels began to spin and then along the ridge where there were cars parked on both sides and my car was sliding a bit. But I went about 1 mile an hour and once it was in the driveway I was content to be snowed in for the weekend. Snow is still here, even though a mile down the road there is nothing.
So what did I do while I was snowed in? baked of course.

The star of the show had to be the simplest. My mincemeat ice cream!
To say that this is absolutely gorgeous is an understatement and I kid you not, it took 10 minutes to make (plus three hours in the freezer of course.)
Separate 4 eggs and whisk the whites, add 100g caster sugar. Whip 300ml of double cream and then fold together the cream, eggwhite and egg yolks. Add your flavour, which in this case was just 100ml of my home made mincemeat. It is a no-churn recipe so that really is it. In the freezer and it is beautiful. It will become a staple in my freezer now, I know and way cheaper to make than even a mid priced ice cream. I reckon less than £2 for a large tub in the end. I will experiment with all sorts of flavours.

Next was my mince pie marathon. I think I have got the knack of pastry a bit more thanks to all your helpful hints. It was good, rolled out fine, no tearing and tastes good with a good texture.

I made 35 mince pies, some with proper lids and some with stars. I actually prefer the stars because they are prettier and actually taste better.

3 batches later and they are all done.

I've popped the majority in the freezer for Christmas, tasted 2 (very very nice, great home made mincemeat) and kept 4 out.

My final bit of baking, as the oven was on, was 12 bread rolls.

A feast fit for a king, even if I do say so myself. Eat your heart out Enid Blyton.

I wanted to dry some orange slices to hang as Christmas decorations, but no way was I going to put the oven on for 3 hours to do it! So I spread them out on grease proof paper and tin foil on top of one of the radiators. Days later, they are nearly dry.

Now that they are nearly dry I have just popped them direct onto the radiator to finish them off. These will get some ribbon or rafia threaded through them and will be hung on the tree, or on a present or somewhere.

Happy days.

Snow, snow snow

Thank you all for your kind words yesterday after my little mishap. I spent the morning shoveling snow out of my driveway and spreading some sand. I am hoping to be able to get my car back into my drive later, if I feel confident, and then I can leave it there until the thaw.

I woke up to a very pretty scene this morning though.

What animal do you think left these very odd, long marks, they go all the way along under the window and across the deck. 

As the sun rose over the hill

Early morning visitor, looking guilty.

I do love how breathtakingly beautiful the snow is, but it is a pain in the arse at the same time!

Snowed in and a nasty experience.

I guess I am snowed in. It has not even been especially heavy, but when I drove back today I just made it up the hill and then as I approached my house, my car went into a slide. It was SO frightening. I lost complete control and my car slid down down down the hill and into the neighbours wall. Don't worry, nothing broken on either me or the car. By some complete miracle my car had no damage at all, simply because of the angle it came in at but I couldn't move it and it could have been so much worse. It wouldn't reverse back up the hill and in the end I had to go forward and let the car slowly slide to the left and back onto the road. It then went into freefall down the hill and, again, by some miracle there were no other cars parked on the road. At the bottom of the hill I managed to turn it around and slowly get it back to the top of the hill, roaring in first gear. I have dumped it now and daren't use it again until the snow is cleared. Sadly gritters never make it onto my road, so I will be busy with a shovel tomorrow morning. Luckily I don't really have to go anywhere - it's a good job!
The important part is that no-one was hurt and my car is fine. But I was a bit shaken up by the experience and had to have a glass of limoncello to calm my nerves, haha. The thing is that I probably need new tires. I was told on the last service that the tires would soon need replacing. It is somewhere that I need to find the money, because safety is worth way more than cash.

Bingo

What is it about Bingo adverts? Every time I turn on the TV at the moment there is yet another different online bingo advert on promising you huge winnings if you just invest your hard earned cash in their website. This is where the money must lie because there are so many of them and they are all spending  thousands on advertising. They make it look fun, exciting and social, where the reality is a bit sad and lonely with a sense of clutching at straws.


I think I'm going to start my own online bingo guide, it would go something like this:

88, two fat ladies. You can get nicely fat with good honest home cooked food, no nasty 'extra' unexpected or hidden ingredients. Eat like a king without it costing a kings ransom.

Legs 11 - save petrol and get a bit of free exercise using your legs. Go for a nice walk, it's free and a lot better than playing online bingo!

Heinz varieties, 57 - Not every meal has to be a gourmet feast, beans on toast will do just fine.

61 Bakers bun - Bread is going up and up in price. Invest in a bread machine and start making your own, it doesn't have to cost the earth if you get it on ebay and you will soon be reaping the rewards. A loaf of bread in my machine costs pence and is delicious. If you have more time on your hands, make bread from scratch with your hands. I have not bought a loaf of bread for years.

Bingo - Here's my way of gaining those winnings, stop shopping for needless rubbish, stop using money (or the promise of gaining more money) to entertain yourself. Find a low cost hobby or even better a free one. one that is more worthwhile than online gambling and then use that money you saved to free yourself from debt.

You think that would go down well as an advert in the Coronation Street advert break? What would your advert have?