If things get tougher?

taurusgb

bellaquidsin wrote: »

Ooo Kittie, bread made in the Remoska, I've been wondering about that. I have the medium sized Remoska, would that be big enough? If so could you please post your instructions?

Thanks in anticipation,
Bella.

Hi Bella
I haven't tried ordinary bread in my (new) remoska yet, but I have tried focaccia and it is fantastic.... I just mixed the dough in my panny, then pressed it into shape in the remoska pan, put the lid on and left it for a couple of hours, then turned it on and WOW it tasted fabtastic. Was also more money saving because I didn't need any oiled cling film to cover the dough whilst it was rising.

Sarahsaver

Tashja wrote: »

Hi all

Things are getting tougher but I am hanging on in there and getting some food stocks together

At the risk of sounding slightly daft please could someone tell me what a Remoska is ??? Just looking in to various ways which I could save electricity and gas.

T xx

go to www.lakeland.co.uk and they sell them.

[Deleted User]

taurus that is the bread I made. I think it took 1lb 2 oz flour and any old recipe will do. I baked 20 mins and it was awesome. I am completely happy baking hm rolls in it now and it was great for cooking that part baked bread that was on offer in tescos. I just tore them in half to fit the pan

I was thinking about the things I do automatically and this morning there were 2 things that were energy saving: I have a small portable induction hob and I pulled it out and made soup on it. The whole cooking process started immediately so the total time was 20 mins cooking. On the gas hob it would have taken a fair bit longer because the pan has to heat up first. I wanted to steam broad beans for salad, for 10 mins so used the steamer on top of the soup

I had some clean washing up water in the sink bowl so I left it in to rinse my hands, just to get the sticky off after doing veg and later, fruit. I think in the past I would have just run the tap

Timers are also important: I set the induction hob on a timer and it turned itself off. If I don`t use a timer then I cook longer than needed and so I waste energy

remoska was from lakeland and I have the standard one. Everything I have cooked in it has turned out to perfection. I may just put a socket timer on this because it only has an on/off switch, for safety and energy-saving

exlibris

Sarahsaver wrote: »

I dont think i can go to 30degree washing cos my boys wet the bed and low temp washing doesnt get rid of the smell of wee :eek:
For the same reason unless its a v hot day I can not get the undersheets dry on the line, so still use the drier for those.

My boys wet the bed until they were 7 so I can sympathize. (medical connections I understand)

I used mattress protectors, a bottom sheet and then a layer of waterproof material (plastic then but there may be more modern stuff now) with a smaller draw sheet where they lay. (old cut down material). Most times only the draw sheet was wet and needed changing daily but they were much smaller than a full sheet. We had no pull-ups etc so I had 2 pairs of PJs to wash daily as well.

HTH

champys

taurusgb wrote: »

Was also more money saving because I didn't need any oiled cling film to cover the dough whilst it was rising.

taurusgb - I do not know what the trick is with using oiled clingfilm, but whenever I have tried it to cover rising dough it sticks to it and I can't get it off, however much I oil it. I have since devised a system where I place a piece of chicken wire in a low-ish arch over the baking tray covered with a damp tea towel while the dough rises. Come to think of it, that is money saving too!

[Deleted User]

elona wrote: »

What about the old idea of "hay box " cooking?

Get a pot of stew or soup etc really hot at the start of cooking then put it in a cool box lined with polystyrene- or wrap in a blanket with a "space blanket" on top, tightly bound - eave for about six or eight hours and it should be cooked.

It is like a non electric slow cooker.

We have been having a couple of power cuts where we live so I have ordered a set of 10 solar lights from Woolworths (in the sale at £19.99 instead of £80!) The lights can charge up outside then be taken inside as nightlights if needed. Should be cheaper than torches and batteries and safer than candles.

I can remember using this method back in the early 1970s when we had so many power cuts It does work very well.I used a cardboard box fully lined with screwed up newspapers .and packed the papers as tight as I could all around my casserole dish, then I put a folded up blanket on the top and around it an old duvet .My neighbour said if you can't feel any warmth on the outside then its working o.k.
I used to make a large casserole to last us two days.

Sarahsaver

My older ds it is medical , he has a bladder scan soon :eek:
Due to his eczema and athsma his waterproof undersheet cannot be plastic (makes him too hot and itchy), the only thing I have found doesnt aggravate him is an organic cotton coated rubber sheet which as you can imnagine quite hefty, and itself cost a bit. Just as well we get DLA for him really! The DLA barely covers the additional costs involved with a child with special needs really. i wonder how they work it out1
i know though that washing is cheaper than using pull ups and we have been told not to use pull ups anyway by the nurse and doctor.

Primrose

Could cut back on wine which would be a hardship as a relaxed meal with a couple of glasses is one of the day's pleasures.
Stop taking a daily paper and read it online - another hardship, as now I'm retired, having a leisurely breakfast with the morning paper is something I previously never had time to do.
Already grow as many veg as our garden has space for and eat less meat & more pulses, wear thicker sweaters & turn the heating down, have energy saving light bulbs & cavity wall insulation so have already done most of the obvious things.

katieowl_2

Re turning the AGA off, if you have a Stanley you KNOW how hot it makes the house....we were also running a fan all night in our bedroom (the room above)

I took a good look at my alternative cooking methods...apart from the barbeque and camping gas....I've got an electric deep fat fryer (Chips, samosa's and made some fab curried cauliflower fritters last week) An electric slow cooker (I was given this and haven't actually used it yet) a microwave that has a grill and electric oven facility (not much use IMHO but it's there if I need it)

I figured I just needed to think outside the box a bit - The family have loved all the food so far!

I cooked some raw beetroot in a foil package in the gas barbie last week which worked perfectly well (it was a Jamie Oliver recipe)

The only thing I was missing that we needed was something to make toast, and I bought a four slice Sainsbury's basics toaster for about £6.50. I stood with the stainless steel one in my hand that cost £29.99 and figured, that a white plastic one and £23 in my pocket was a better deal :money:

It hasn't been much of an ordeal so far...

I'd consider getting a gas hob indoors, but I'd need to move a seriously large piece of furniture to do it...and because we were trying to sell - I was trying to keep the place as tidy as possible...:rolleyes: fat lot of good!

katieowl_2

ceridwen wrote: »

C..r..i..k..e...y! Now that is what I call moneysaving! Whew! Wondering if you have contemplated a solar oven then? I was thinking "if the worst comes to the worst..maybe I could have a go at making one of them". I wonder if they work in this country - with our lower level of sunlight. I know Californians, for instance, use them. I have seen them mentioned on various survivalist websites and they feature on the YouTube clip about the Dervaes family I mention in my entry on my blog today. I think its always worth thinking of ways one can take oneself "Off the Grid" these days.

Oh that Dervaes website is FAB...isn't it? I've been looking in on it regularly, and admiring their chickens!

I guess a solar cooker would work here, if you had a sunny enough spot for it. I bet one would work in a car parked in the sun...you know how hot a car gets!
OH and I wanted to go off grid when we moved, but my son went :eek: at the thought of loosing broadband. At least when we do move (in two years after his A levels) we can now do exactly that if we so choose (it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good LOL)