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4:15 pm
Improver
Tue 18-Aug-09
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I am sitting here listening to my jars of pasta sauce popping ,or rather the lids are popping, as they cool down. I can't believe how much satisfaction I get from creating my own sauces etc, and bottling them, saving money in the process. We need a 'Today I ...............' as well as a 'today I planted...' and a list of things to do, so we can record our pride and achievements!
For me todays would be:
1) created 8 jars of pasta sauce from 6 dented cans chopped toms, 1 labelless jar passatta and lots of onions, garlic and seasoning, costing a max £1.88 for the lot!
2) Made a big batch of Jamie Oliver's curry base, again about 8 jars, haven't worked out the cost yet.
3) made 20 Christmas cards to sell at work, costing on average 25p each selling from £1 to £2.50 each.
4) Bottled my blackberry Vodka, one small sip shows it's a bit rough yet. I have high hopes though!
Not a bad days work.
7:04 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Crikey, you have been busy, I bet you have brightly burnished halo! Well done.
I'll try that again!
10:38 am
Expert
Wed 23-Sep-09
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Tonight I'm planning on making a big batch of parsnip soup, in between watching HFW's new series that is!
I'm going to make a special small batch for my friend that's going to be pink, as she loves pink. Add some ruby chard to the veggies in the stock will do it! Can't wait to see her face when she gets pink soup. 
11:40 am
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Wow Suky - that's very canny using dented tinned tomatoes to create your own pasta sauces. I agree with TA you've done loads!
Pink soup sounds fun, Ruth. Are they your own parsnips? Mine went in a bit late so have left them in the ground to get a bit bigger.
4:58 pm
Expert
Wed 23-Sep-09
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Sadly not my own parsnips, all mine failed totally even with multiple sowings. 
I picked up several bags reduced to 25p at the end of the day so will be using these. Yum!
5:09 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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My seeds took ages to germinate I'd almost given up on them and then spotted some teeny seedlings peeping through.
I read somewhere that the seed needs to be really fresh for parsnips so I'd bought a new pack.
7:00 pm
Improver
Tue 18-Aug-09
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fn said:
Wow Suky - that's very canny using dented tinned tomatoes to create your own pasta sauces. I agree with TA you've done loads!
My colleague in 'crap corner'* told me the cans were all blown and she couldn't sell them. I pointed out that 'cos they were 'well bashed' the metal was distorted and they wern't blown. I got them all for 10p each. My pasta sauce is never the same twice as I just chuck in what I have to hand. This batch is like a buttery Ragu
* crap corner is where everything damaged ends up for disposal or reducing. Not a nice place to work but it's good to make friends with the person who runs it 
I get all sorts of stuff that would otherwise be thrown out.
8:30 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Parsnips are an absolute pain for germinating, they always take ages. Three germinated this year but one of them is huge. I found we get a far better germination rate from Hamburg Parsley and to be honest I can't really taste the difference, maybe someone with a more discerning palate may do and another advantage is the parsley leaves at the top - although this is rather strong so go easy on it. Whoops nearly forgot they are not supposed to be as susceptible to carrot root fly as parsnips either.
11:12 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Ruthdigs said:
I'm going to make a special small batch for my friend that's going to be pink
Ha ha - I totally misread that, Ruth, and wondered what was going to make your friend pink! Some guilty secret, perhaps?
Imagine my disappointment when I realised . . . . .
Never knowingly underfed
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