Akasully2 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I'm feeling pretty p'd off at the moment and it is tainting everything. I am sure it is a phase I am going through since moving into our long term rental and hope it passes quickly. I am feeling dissatisfied and grumpy. I am finding it hard and frustrating living in a house that looks fantastic but actually has had little maintenance spent of it over the years. Fittings are old and some of them do not work as they should. We have had three repair guys out in the first two weeks of being here. I think more are due to follow. What has this got to do with stork marg I hear you say, well my cooking it going down hill too and this is really p'ing me off. The oven has cremated several things I have cook and my cakes have gone flat. The oven is more like a grill at the top and bottom of the interior and has burnt things when placed too high and also too low in it. The middle seems to do very little even though it has a fan. I made flapjacks that burnt and stuck onto the bottom of the baking parchment because they were too low in the oven! When I tried to get them out of the tin they didn't hold their shape and fell apart and now resemble granola. This, together with the flat cakes, I am putting down to the change in the fat used. I have looked round for a Stork marg alternative, i.e. one with a high vegetable fat content which is suitable for baking but obviously the one I chose (Meadowlea) wasn't suitable. I prefer not to use butter as I find it makes sponges heavier and even more unhealthy. Can anyone suggest an alternative? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odies Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 No sully, I always have the same problem when I try to bake in Oz, in the end I used the cheaper butter. I am told <waiting to be corrected here> most buy cakes etc, or use white wings packets, I think that is what the packets are called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sideshowdeb Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I feel your pain.... I lived with an oven that hated me for 6 years and I was beginning to doubt I had ever learnt to bake. Amongst other things the seal wasn't sealing and the temperature was quite unreliable. I found an in oven thermometer helped a bit, as it was often way off what the dial was set to. Hope you manage to get the house sorted and shake off your little cloud. I'm sure one of the wonderful bakers will share their favourite stork alternative soon :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beandownunder Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 aww where's Peanuts when you need her? I'm sure she could have given you some top tips for Aussie baking :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odies Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 miss her too , Bean x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJT Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Good morning Sully You are bound to feel grumpy, you have just gone through a major life changing event and now settling done to the "norm". It's made worse as its not your house and you are governed by what your landlord will and won't do for you. I found after the big move, that because you are out of your comfort zone, the little things, get turned into really big things, no matter how small they seemed. My oven is useless as well and that is my excuse for lousy cooking (except that unfortunately I was a lousy cook back in the UK with a top of the range oven) but that is my excuse for now and I'm sticking to it. Can't help you out with the stork question, as I don't bake, but going slightly off topic, there was a post on Facebook the other day that marg, is literally one chemical away from being plastic, and that it was a product first made for something to do with turkeys!! so apparently butter may be better for you in the long run!!!! Hope the kids have fun back at school, Emily was up, washed and dressed by 6.50, so I know she is looking forward to it and see you Wednesday. XX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walkabout Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hugs Sully , a totally normal reaction I think! we spend so much time thinking about, organising and planning to get over and then to get settled in a house, school, jobs etc that once things all start to calm down its not surprising that we feel a little lost and unsure of ourselves. (well I know I did anyway!) I dont really have any advice on getting past it, only that with time, and as you get more settled, it does get better and it does pass. I would estimate that I probably had a month of feeling quite lost. My oven is also rubbish, burns everything on the bottom whilst leaving the top undercooked, I have learnt to adapt to it and it has got better, but I am looking forward to being able to get my own oven eventually! We have actually found renting here really tough, which was not something that I was expecting! I think after years of owning your own place its really hard to be at the mercy of a letting agent and landloard, however good they may be. On the plus side its great that when something goes wrong you dont have to pay out for it but on the down side you are stuck with how the landloard wants to fix it, which may well be totally different from how you would like it to be (our kitchen tap for example was brand new when we moved in, but is totally useless, doesnt fit the sink and is almost impossible to use well - drives me nuts, but it is a tap and it does work so cant get it 'fixed'). I personally also find the rental inspections every 3 months very stressful, but I know others that dont find it that bad. Hang in there, accept that its OK to feel like this for a bit and know that it will get better with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikkis2000 Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hi Sully, The oven design round here doesn't seem to be great. We too have the grill effect at the bottom and I burned several things before I had a little brainwave. Ours came with a fairly heavy duty grill pan that sits in the shelf grooves. I have put that on the very bottom shelf so it's almost like an oven bottom. It acts as a barrier between the element and the food and does seem to limit the cremation factor. Marg wise - Have you tried Western Star Supersoft? I made some cupcakes with it and whilst not perfect, they weren't too shabby. Chin up - like SJT says you are probably going through that settling in phase. I'm guessing that OH is out at work now and the kids are at school so you have quite a bit of "head time" which probably doesn't help either. When you have these moments just keep in mind why you came here and go for walk on the beach or something - never fails to put me in a good mood! N xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Revert to butter. It isnt unhealthy at all - in fact processed fats in marg are worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Margarine was made to feed/fatten Turkey's as I understand it!? Butter all the way, natural! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I use butter always, tastes better and easier for your body to digest. I must be the odd one oe out, our kitchen is pretty new and the oven is great compared to the one I had before we came. I totally get the niggles about being in a rental though, our toilet(we only have one) has this bad brown staining on the bottom below the water line, we didn't look in the toilet when we first viewed the house so didn't notice until we got the keys. We queried it and were told its just because its age so they won't do anything but in the mean time I have tried everything and nothing gets it off and we are stuck with a bog that looks like we haven't ever flushed it:skeptical: I hope you find an alternative for baking Sully and feel better soon x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted July 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Thank you all so much. You have cheered me up by just understanding my situation and offering words of support. Thank you. The boys went back to school today and this has given me some time to start getting my head round all the jobs I need to do without trying to entertain them or stop their constant bickering with each other. Whilst I have this long list of jobs to get sorted, I actually started the day by going for a jog/walk by the Ocean. I put my ear phones in and cranked up the volume to the Foo Fighters and had to stop myself from grinning like a nutcase. In my world I felt free and energised but to others I just looked like a middle aged woman grinning to herself, care in the community! I even saw a rainbow which pretty much summarised the mood; it may be raining but the sun will come out soon. So it is 11:40am and I haven't even started the jobs yet. I think I needed a bit of me time before starting the grunge stuff. But the music is playing around the house and the bathrooms need cleaning. Our loos have that brown stain at the bottom too. Vile. As for baking, thanks for the tips and for the support of using butter. I will use it next time and see if this sorts out the cakes. I have noticed in the supermarkets that there is a lack of bread flour. I was looking for whole meal and yeast for bread makers, couldn't find it. Lots of packet mixes though. Odd. Thank you again PP friends. This is just what I needed. X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I bought a kilo block of fresh yeast sully if you want some and also a 15 kg sack of strong flour. Was at European foods and had to spend over a certain amount, its a bulk supplier. They had other types of flour too if you intend making A LOT of bread :-) On the toilet subject, seriously considering putting a new one just so visitors don't think my hygiene standards are poor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted July 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Blimey, that's a lot of yeast. What are you planning on making? As as for the loo, I reckon it's cheaper to take the bulb out of the ceiling light so no one can actually see down the pan. Saying that though, you might get left with more than you started with, if you get my drift. When I met the owners they told me that a man from the council was due to arrive when we had tenancy, to inspect the pool. She waved the letter under my nose and said I should expect him. I put the date and time in my diary. So here I am, waiting for the guy to arrive and wondering why he was sooo late. I thought I should check the letter again in case I had the wrong date. No, the day and time were correct, it was just the year that was out. It was dated 2011! One of us us going do-la. I hope it isn't me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odies Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Just a thought Sully, have you tried Flora ? I have started to use it in the uk and must admit I do like my cakes. Also heard from someone who says try Copha. Have you all tried the coca cola trick down the toilet a few times , leave overnight. and vinegar. worth a try. nothing worse than a bad looking toilet other than an oven which will not cook..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocolevi Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I can't imagine it being you Sully x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 An alternative to margarine you say? Sure, here it is; As for the loo, vinegar and bicarb all the way. Add a cup of distilled or white vin to your bowl then don some gloves, grab your brush and tip in half a cup of bicarb. It will fizz and you need to use this effervescence as you scrub but it should make it a lot easier. If it's limescale then empty the bowl with a big sponge until there's nothing left. Tip in the vinegar so the stain is submerged and leave overnight. For grumpiness I recommend the following; a glass filled with ice 4oz Gin (Tanqueray is my fave) 1oz Noilly Prat (Never Cinzano) Angostura Bitters Pour gin over ice, add NP. Shake. Strain into glass. Add 1 drop bitters and lemon zest. Alternatively, I was thinking of taking a moochie up to Rob's Dome in Hillary's tomorrow to say hi, join me (and anyone else if they wish of course, we wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea), for coffee and cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odies Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 best answer yet Sully ! enjoy your coffee at the Dome Porty. I will be along soon there to Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82rhoads Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I heard the fact about margarine being a close relative to plastic a little while ago and it's now made me more paranoid about eating that than having butter! we buy the tasmanian butter from woolworths...very nice. Regarding ovens....yep, ours is shocking too and it takes a blooming long time to bake things even though it's a new one! Our girls tend to bake using 'Greens' packet mix which is fun for them to do but not that satisfying for adults to bake with. It's a big ol' move that we've all done and I agree that there's always something, even small things that can tip you over. The crows do it to me!! cheers, Darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 (edited) will have to try those tricks but not relishing the thought of emptying the bog water with a sponge:err: Sully I bought the fresh yeast as I prefer it to dried and haven't seen any anywhere else. I have made bread a few times and made croissants and pain au choc with it the other day, still got tons though. It only cost $4 too Edited July 21, 2014 by nikkiwd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 will have to try those tricks but not relishing the thought of emptying the bog water with a sponge:err: Clearly you've never lived in a male only house share whose diet for three years comprised Guinness, sausages and kebabs. After that even a weeks work on a maggot farm seemed surgically clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I'm feeling pretty p'd off at the moment and it is tainting everything. I am sure it is a phase I am going through since moving into our long term rental and hope it passes quickly. I am feeling dissatisfied and grumpy. I am finding it hard and frustrating living in a house that looks fantastic but actually has had little maintenance spent of it over the years. Fittings are old and some of them do not work as they should. We have had three repair guys out in the first two weeks of being here. I think more are due to follow. What has this got to do with stork marg I hear you say, well my cooking it going down hill too and this is really p'ing me off. The oven has cremated several things I have cook and my cakes have gone flat. The oven is more like a grill at the top and bottom of the interior and has burnt things when placed too high and also too low in it. The middle seems to do very little even though it has a fan. I made flapjacks that burnt and stuck onto the bottom of the baking parchment because they were too low in the oven! When I tried to get them out of the tin they didn't hold their shape and fell apart and now resemble granola. This, together with the flat cakes, I am putting down to the change in the fat used. I have looked round for a Stork marg alternative, i.e. one with a high vegetable fat content which is suitable for baking but obviously the one I chose (Meadowlea) wasn't suitable. I prefer not to use butter as I find it makes sponges heavier and even more unhealthy. Can anyone suggest an alternative? OH uses Flora original for her baking, works a treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I used a Brillo pad on our toilet, got 90% of it off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 We got the brown marks in the toilet it must be everyone toilets that are like this this, Oven in holiday rental could not use it burned every thing. Been told they might fix lock on bedroom if they dont and we close door we can not get in. Can not wait untill we buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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