really old style living?

Winged_one

Do you know, I never thought of tealights for keeping food warm (or even warming it up)! I even have 2 of those yokes like in Indian restaurants (a 1 and a 2 light holder), and a gas hob too (so even if gas went out, I could put tealights into the space? yes/no?). And lots of tealights!! LOL!

DH and I were chatting last night, both jealous of SIL and her HUGE house she is planning in the depths of the countryside, and on the subject of getting our own place (in the depths of the countryside) at some point too. But it will probably be a case of DH living and working there, with me still working FT in my office (can't afford to give that up until I have earned a decent pension to keep us both, as his is not getting anywhere at all!) and either travelling down at weekends or having a lovely commute every day....

Either way, we are still doing as much proper "OS" as we can. And I still dream of my Hilux in the future (DH just wants a 4x4, but I reckon a Hilux would be better with the flat bed option on the back, but also having the cover for the flat bed). I have a bunch of my books with me today to photocopy bits for SIL to think about (they haven't done a lot of thinking about lots of stuff for the house yet, so I am sending her some and offering to let her loose on my library when they visit if she wants! Not trying to scare her entirely off with everything at once !!!).

Winged_one

OK, I've read back a bit to catch up, and I reckon that I could try Mardatha's trick of 9 tealights, but running around one of the rings on the gas cooker (saving the need for additional wood, grills etc)? Must try it some day that DH isn't looking!!

mardatha

Ooooh now there's a good idea yes. When I found out about it I had an ceramic hob so I didnt try it. Now I've got calor gas I dont need tealights for cooking ....but I've still got hundreds stashed away for powercuts!

mardatha

DD&D, this is what I wonder as well. If everybody is rushing to get woodburners, when the power does go off then everybody will be clamouring for wood to burn in them .. The price of logs will go sky high, and people will trample and destroy woods looking for free fuel...which will mean the landowners stop all access. Then what ?
It makes much more sense to me, to get a multifuel stove in the first place. Then you can burn coal or wood or peat or even rubbish.

annie123

I've just lost my post :mad: going to make a cuppa then try again!

maryb

Ceridwen a polite brush off might be "Oh, just something for the kids' habitat project at school". That way you won't be alerting them to the fact there is something worth picking for food (they used to call it the nature table when I was at school - conkers and acorns in September and catkins in February. Showing my age)

csarina

mardatha wrote: »

DD&D, this is what I wonder as well. If everybody is rushing to get woodburners, when the power does go off then everybody will be clamouring for wood to burn in them .. The price of logs will go sky high, and people will trample and destroy woods looking for free fuel...which will mean the landowners stop all access. Then what ?
It makes much more sense to me, to get a multifuel stove in the first place. Then you can burn coal or wood or peat or even rubbish.

Our new stove is a multifuel we can burn anything except anthracite which burns too swiftly. We tend to start the stove off with wood then when its burning put some ordinary house coal on, we are in a rural area so no smokefree for us, then a couple of bits of wood on top and that will last us for the evening.

The fan send the heat out into the hall and not up to the ceiling, saves us putting the rad on in the hall......

mardatha

LOL annie !!! Csarina, we use smokeless eggs, because ours heats 6 radiators and OH reckons the eggs are the hottest+ longest burning. With house coal our doors go black and it doesnt get so hot. But all stoves will be different I think.

annie123

Ceridwen.......I think you could be mistaking exchanging pleasantries for something more sinister.
I live in London, cant get more urban than that! and I always say good morning/afternoon to anyone I meet when out foraging, just seems polite.
I have often asked where xyz came from if someone has something I didn't know was available in the area and have only ever had helpful replies, sometimes with recipes and likewise when I have been asked where I got xyz from, I try to be as helpful as possible.
'Free food' is for everyone I think
You never know, they may know where something is that you don't so could be to your advantage to be helpful;)

I've got to the stage where there are not enough hours in the days or days in the week at the moment. Got what is hopefully the last batch of tomato sauce simmering, I've used 25lbs of home grown toms so far, and the freezer is bursting and still got loads of toms to come yet!

As it looks like this will probably be the last of warmish dry weather this week, in between blanching, simmering, housework etc I am sanding and undercoating the outside windows or at least the bits I can reach from inside as I dont 'do' ladders outside (we're on the 1st floor)
Hubby has spent the last few weekends removing the old damp rotten bits of wood and treated and filled with new bits of wood and filler and a very good job he has done too, so at least our windows in the living room will be waterproof for winter.
Unfortunately he has found 2 others that will need doing next year, just as well he's very good at DIY

I've got a big pile of fleeces/blankets to add linings to some curtains, and more window quilts to make.
Still lots of Xmas pressies to make, given up on the socks for men idea, used a pattern that needs 2 needles and has taken more 6 evenings to knit 1 sodding sock! not of any use to anyone I know and as it used 3mm needles its not getting a matching one.

Best check on the big pot of sauce cooking.

mardatha

Oooooo the well known "sodding sock" pattern .. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
I wanted to ask if anybody in here has ever tried more traditional methods of curing meat ? Ie when you read the James Herriot books, the Dales farmers always have hams hanging in the rafters and I just wondered what that would be like ? (as in taste, not as in decor)