make do and mend for tougher times

westcoastscot wrote: »

Perhaps we need to bring the discussion back around to how to survive the changes?

We save quite a lot on the price of cooking fuel by using modern hayboxes for anything that requires long/slow cooking.

We've made several types for different purposes. Probably the easiest ones are polystyrene boxes used in combination with survival blankets: you can use these with fleece blankets or quilts to protect those if you drape one of those round a pan (mustn't be too hot). We also had some offcuts of radiator foil that we used to line the boxes to reinforce the insulation. Bubblewrap also works well to fill voids in the box.

We had fish delivered in a long box a few years ago and we're still using that box with a big, shallow casserole. We make yoghurt and small amounts of stew in a double-handled saucepan that fits inside a smaller deeper box.

You can see a range of sizes of polystyrene boxes here (I have nothing to do with this or any other packaging company): Polystyrene boxes, fish boxes and thermo. You can collect lots of the shiny survival blankets as discards at any 10K or similar race or they're available with the camping equipment at Poundland.

You bring a casserole/curry/stew up to temperature on the stovetop, then, instead of putting it in the oven, you put it in the polystyrene box (suitably wrapped) and leave it for a few hours. Unlike a slow cooker, it doesn't consume electricity. I have checked it with a digital thermometer and it keeps its temperature for a surprisingly long time.

Instead of manoeuvering a hot pan into and out of the deeper part of the box, we find it easier to:
turn the lid upside down;
put a survival blanket over the lid;
put a little heat mat/diffuser on top of that (will be underneath the hot pan to prevent it from melting);
put the hot pan (with contents) on the heat mat;
bring the survival blanket up and round it, like a sweet;
put the box over the lid and leave everything to cook.
Later, remove the box, move aside the blanket and it should be easy to move the pan.

You need to be confident handling hot pans to do something like this and it shouldn't be attempted by anyone who is unsteady or doesn't have reasonable dexterity. You can't use this as a substitute for roasting. However, if you can manage this, you can use it to make lots of things that range from yoghurt to stews or curries.

I have way back used hay boxes but only filled with straw. Thanks for the info I have put it with my emergency cooking info - I have a box and straw to make a hay box, will add survival blankets, actually ordered a few of those foil curtains from halfcost and have a couple spare so will put them aside for this.

Possession wrote: »

Happy halogen-ing everyone who bought one. I have too many things in my kitchen already so I am passing, but I look forward to hearing your halogen cooking adventures for future reference.

I've just seen there is a new revised edition of this book, with new recipes:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Feed-Your-Family-Day/dp/0007485654/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344355087&sr=1-1
Might be useful to someone.

I have one similar How to feed your family for under a fiver pub 2010 which I picked up in charity shop for 50p some nice recipes and they explain about where to buy,how to shop etc. Like most of these books useful but if you try you can do it cheaper but gives you a good jumping off point.;)