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PLANNING HERB GARDEN PART 1

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  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Good morning suggested a few times on this forum. Only a good idea but suggestions and simple food solutions.

    When you live like me and you are plus also @Victoriad . Remote places you can not say I fancy this tonight. Because the nearest shop is a mile or two away, have to plan meals and ecominise.

    Make use of the produce you have got. Make use of the time you have and also most importantly no food waste.

    Big one for me is money saved. All my friends laugh at me well any I have.

    Who is laughing now as they all go to the food banks for tins.  Moaning and complaining.

    Yet I am here making my own spice mixes, growing, herbs. Doing fabulous food on next to nothing.

    Understand if I can do it so can they.  My disability not good some days but, what the heck strive on, struggle on and good luck to anybody like me. Who wants to learn to cook and be efficient. Take care of themselves and try not to worry about where the next meal is coming from.

    Because I do and have plans this week now what am eating tomorrow plus rest of the week.

    Try to show my sort of friends who listening no one.  There are the problem. Have tried goodness have tried. All there want is easy. Good bye to them and I hope better friends on the way.

    Did soup last night simple stores using of. Thank you for common sense. Saves fortune on tins of soup when make my own.

    Lovely.  More to save and use for anything I want. More money in the pot to use.

    Take care . Meant to ask hope you are OK and speak to again anytime. You wish to.
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  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    hi @thespiceman I am surprised that the lack of skill people have in general for cooking, my children were taught in the hosue so it matters nothing at all what they learn in school, but when they came back showing me what they were learning in school I was appauled.

    What kind of soup did you make? I make soup often vegetable, carrot and parsnip, leak and potato are my free soups, if I make lentil or make any of them cream of soups it costs money so I tend not to bother too much.
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Basically all my soups are from the Med . Italian based. All from Southern Italy areas. Such as deep South like Puglia or Calabria or other regions of Italy.

    In Tuscany the North and Lombardy. There use beans and pulses very much in the cuisine.

    A lot of my recipes are using vegetables. Always start with the veg when buying food. Then meat or fish to go with it.

    So hard to explain to many people especially us Brits.  That vegetables are the star of the show.

    When taught not listen but learn from friends who were Italian or Greek or Spanish. Buy next to nothing in their trolleys. Realising hang on something wrong here. Me spending a fortune on loads of meat, yet nothing filled me up.

    Having a business at the time, they all market stall holders. Sometimes inviting me back for a feast. Yet nothing was more happy than seeing these people. These amazing people cook, simple, cheap food.

    The times I used to go around, being taught and being listened. Learning still am.

    From the Nona's or other relatives or friends who show me. Proud to show me. Simple food. Always love these people always will.

    Simple soups done a few on the forums.  Under Coffee Lounge if you care to look.

    Guide to Italian Cooking I think.

    Did my home made tomato soup last night with a twist of course.

    Basically so simple laughing really.


    In a stock pot  Olive oil with onions, garlic, Passata, a Jar Roasted Peppers plus the vinegar. Drained SunDried Tomatoes.  Stock cube.
    Paprika, Smoked Paprika to taste add in Chilli's to taste. Tomato puree, a squirt.

    Plus sweetener.  Diced Beetroot. Seriously works, Beetroot diced as a root because sweet when cooked. Put in what I could usually those cooked packs. Two or three put in.  Seasoning use Worcs Sauce just a dash for the onions mellows them and makes them sweet a bit.

    Herbs Basil . Simmer long time like a couple of hours on the hob. Always a good hour or two . Cool down blitz up. 

    Another good herb is Thyme or Rosemary. Even Oregano bit strong though.

    Serve with bread. Have three tubs already blitzed up. Tonight Meat free Monday.  Always.  Any veggie lingering in the fridge used up.

    Remember can freeze this, in Zip bags portions labelled. Saves space.

    Hope any of this helps.  Great to meet you . Speak again.
    Community Champion
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  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    as I said in previous thread, I was trained in a kitchen and my father and cousins had a few restaurants mostly med based but Italian was the main cuisine (half my dads side of the family) veg and seafood are the main things I use as it is free and I pick it my self in season or catch when in season.

    In our kitchen at home it was always full on, but when I go to other peoples house it is quiet or as if you should not be in there. when we used to visit family we would all be in the kitchen shouting about something and pinching food but I never saw it at friends houses, but there is a huge difference in what different cultures do to what happens in this country. It seems to be people are afraid of food here and cooking seems alien to them.



    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Great from Italian back ground.  Really fantastic, I am always amazed and shocked my self when used to visit friends the lack of organisation and the lack of well it is food so what.

    I had serious problems no money sometimes so days because of alcohol but also because being told to be fit for work. One year unfit for work. Ridiculous and silly but , no money. Mainly because of switching to one benefit to another.

    Long times waiting.

    Thank god for the Cucine Pavore the recipes so simple, so cheap so easy.

    Got Meat free days and use the food I have left this week. Make it go further.

    You know you are on the right track when a friend calls. Spent all his money on food got fridge, freezer. Stores and is buying take outs. Hang on you just spent a fortune on food.

    Understand he calls my house has a look what are you having. Pepper Pasta or having Zucchini with Pasta.

    Laughs at me but I am the one who is saving and being fit mentally and also physically by eating this really lovely tasty food. 

    Here is the cruncher goes on holiday cannot afford broke when back home. Rings me for assistance. I say sorry have to consult my financial advisor.  Who is that me of course.

    Had to smile another one of my so called fairweather friends turned up. Used up all his meat. I only bought so much he howled no money for next week.

    I still have months meals . Hang on he exclaimed you bought same as me. Yes I did but with two or three veggie and seafood like Tuna or Prawns or Salmon.   Plus Sea Bream and Trout or other fish I can get.  Pads out the weeks.

    Use Tins Tuna By way great little store cupboard standby in Sunflower oil. Cannot get Olive Oil ones. Farfalle with Peas or Spring veggies brilliant.

    Thanks for sharing stories always appreciation from a I hope a friend who very happy to meet you.

    Take care.
    Community Champion
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  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    @spiceman I live beside the sea so we catch our own food, I got a shock when a friend asked me to get some fish from the fish counter up in town and they were asking £3 for a mackerel. We normally catch about 40 at a time which I bring back and freeze. Pollock for a portion, not even the whole fish they were looking at 3.50 it must cost folk a fortune buying seafood from the fish counters. You can always bulk out meals using pulses and beans, if you make things like bolognese, lasagne moussaka etc best thing you can do is add a cup of porridge oats in with the mince beef, it bulks it out but also adds fibre to the dish, 1 cup is an additional portion and once mixed through gives it a slightly creamier texture. But every bit helps.

     1 courgette plant gives me about 20-30 courgettes (zucchini) but I also have plenty of dishes using courgettes. Unfortunately they need an oven so maybe not great for you. Maybe you could ask a friend with an oven to do a few for you as they cost little to make and can freeze them.
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Sorry got to you late been outside doing herbs, this issue with fish is ridiculous

    All the fish I buy is afraid frozen except Salmon. Not because I wish to but because of price. Costs of a bag of Frozen Mackerel is about £3.

    Same with Pollock and Coley if I can find them.

    Sea Bass as well sorry want to buy fresh but prices not good.

    Love the fishermen and the community do anything to support much as I could.

    Had arguments in certain supermarkets with the fish guy because they sell all the same stuff.

    I pointed out loads of fish like Sea Bream like Bass but will not sell it at all. Some I have seen too expensive.

    Like Trout. Same thing. One time in the supermarkets had Hake in I was only one buying.

    Then if ask for it to be filleted and all the rest gutted can not do it.

    One certain supermarket refuse to do it. Had bought all their fish for years now not doing it.

    So frozen sorry to say. Just defrost and use from fresh.

    My food is simple and cheap.  Will look at alternatives to garden such as certain vegetables.  Potatoes in bags grow them . Slit a compost bag add potato. Then further down another.

    So and on. Thought do this give it a try some time.

    Thank you very much food ideas.

    Speak soon again
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  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    @thespiceman I grow potatoes in pots a lot easier to manage than digging up the back garden. Allow a potato to sprout then cut into 4 pieces making sure there are sprouts on each part put it in the pot. Only fill the pot 1/4 way put the pieces in and then cover with soil. Allow them to grow then add more soil and keep doing this till the pot is full then leave to grow. doing it that way gives a lot more potatoes.
    Use grow bags for tomatoes and strawberries as well.

    The fish I catch here fresh water trout, salmon and eels. From the sea pollack colefish, mackerel, conger eel, rays, ling, cod and we also pick mussels, clams, razorfish and whelks so it makes a huge difference for a family of 5 to be able to get so much for free.

    I do understand why the prices are so high but it does make it difficult for those on a low income to afford.
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Thank you for advice great tips, thought have ago at planting potatoes. Make some thing of my little garden. Not an allotment.

    Tubs or bags or anything. Easy.

    Fish as say love my fish. Fantastic for to and have it all.  Shame on this country not doing enough to support communities.

    Know Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall trying to much as he can to identify and help the  communities.

    The fish quotas.

    Went in yesterday supermarket got all they have is Cod and Haddock and the Salmon.  In those little plastic containers and cling film etc. Not good, had and like fish but get it . You have to pay a price.

    One time where I lived met a fish guy. Great good fish, all he did was bump up the price.  Came by my house and offered me fish at such inflated prices had to refuse.

    Understand I have fond memories of going to the trawlers, when they landed. With my grandma who lived by the sea. Having fresh cod and nothing like it at all.

    That is when it all started for me. My love of fish, like still Haddock, now tastes have changed to Coley or Pollack.

    If I can get it, mainly frozen.

    Hope you are well thanks for being a friend  

    Thanks  Take care
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  • Gaina
    Gaina Community member Posts: 133 Pioneering
    Being out in the garden is so good for mind and body, I love mine. Dad does the heavy stuff and I enjoy the maintenance like watering on a nice evening such as this evening and dead-heading when necessary.

    If you think it's something you might enjoy then this website may be helpful to you of you're looking for adapted tools etc.


  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Gaina Pleased to meet you thank you for this.  Understand much appreciated.

    This is what I like about our fantastic community sharing information.

    Knowledge and advice.

    Have a disability and struggle with it. Yet doing gardening like herbs easy to do.

    Used to volunteer but had to stop disability effected my work in the garden.  The garden staff not being am afraid sympathise to my needs and had to stop.  Among other issues. Was there to volunteer not be talked to like that. Just being honest.

    Thought had to be others like me with disabilities.  Wish to do garden but not know where to look.

    Some times I thought need help and advice on how to do things safely and easier.

    @Victoriad   My good friend been giving me excellent advice on information.  Plants and certain herbs. Used to know but have forgotten. Have Mental health as well.

    Looking at the website lots there to look at.

    Created my own herb garden now and thanks to every body contributing.

    Hope others inspire.

    Take care

    @thespiceman
    Community Champion
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