Preparing for winter II

Red_Doe

There have been a few newspaper reports that say experts forecast more of the same as last winter. I was snowed in too, for quite a few weeks, and even though I usually stock up we struggled. Won`t hurt to be prepared for the same again this year, and if it doesn`t happen, the food will still get used.

HoneyBee83

Ahhh thanks for that Red Doe . Glad it wasnt all in my head!
Think i'll double amounts of batch cooking and buy extra veggies (not just yet tho) and freeze them. Just worried about running out of milk/bread and other essentials as my freezer isnt the biggest,worth investing in another i think.

mardatha

Better get a bread maker or learn how to bake bread - then you won't be reliant on a freezer that might go off when you dont want it to! And get an emergency tin of powdered milk to store just in case.
We get snow every winter, & we only have one main road near. They shut the snow gates so often last year it made people dizzy.. and the snow got to over 4ft at one point, and lay for 5 WEEKS. I love snow but even I was getting sick of it. On the plus side, the social life picked up as the whole village was out every day with their shovels trying to find their cars :rotfl:a few dug out the wrong cars by mistake

muffin_man_7

it felt really cold this morning checked out side temp it was only 8c and just checked again cos i've got to go out and it's only 10c ii think when i get back i will be sorting out thermal curtains fore temp starts dropping inside too we had snow days before christmas last year i hope we have a white christmas this year
thanks mardatha for the reminder for powdered milk kids not keen but for cooking it's good and i'm ok with it in hot drinks don't have much luck if i make up a pint of milk it never seems to dissolve properly as you probably get to use it a lot more than me may i ask do you make up as a pint or just put a couple of teaspoons into mug of tea/coffee? a lumpy pinta might be why kids not keen any tips will be gratefully received thanks gotta go wrap up now i always feel cold these days don't know why ? be back later

Mamzie

Good Morning everyone

I've heard that this year is going to be worse as well!!!

It is soooo cold here. Dd wore her new fleecy suit last night, and reckoned it was the first time this year she had been warm all night, lol, def a mini drama queen. We were virtually cut off last year except for 4x4, for over 3 weeks. Kids school was closed for 4 weeks extra in all...

This year I am determined to be better prepared as we are having a winter baby, due on Boxing Day but will be planned early for November. 3 years ago my friend had to have her ds in the gps surgery, with a local mw and gp walking in to meet her there !!! So I made dh get an old landrover for this winter.

This is a video made of our town last winter, but in the first week while things were still kinda under control, the snow actually got much worse than this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9WMZFVttYo

NualaBuala

I don't set much store by long range forecasts but I think it's better to prepared one way or another. It's not like the food would go to waste, is it?

I'm not keen on powdered milk either (but would use it if I was really stuck). The Mr T Value UHT milk is fine but takes up more space. So I will be storing some of that and some soya milk.

It's worth keeping foods that can be prepared or eaten without using electricity. My oven is electric so couldn't make bread if the power went so if I will keep a supply of crackery-rice-cakey things.

I will stock up more on dried fruit and tins of tomatoes - they get eaten all the time anyway and I will save money by buying in bulk.

There's more but brain won't work till I drink more tea.

HoneyBee83

mardatha wrote: »

Better get a bread maker or learn how to bake bread - then you won't be reliant on a freezer that might go off when you dont want it to! And get an emergency tin of powdered milk to store just in case.

Its a great idea...but its only my daughter that eats bread (i have to be careful with wheat and yeast ) i dont really wanna spend out for something thats only gonna benefit 1 person...unless i see a second hand one going cheap cheap cheap! I tend to buy bread and split the loaves then freeze,nothing gets wasted then.
Powdered milk is something i hadnt thought about :D Thank you,not sure about DD drinking it but would certainly be fine in my hot drinks.

Mamzie

If it was just for your dd, you could just buy in a few of the ready made up flours, then you just add water to them and don't even need a bread maker. They make quite nice mini loaves and rolls, hth.

mardatha

I mix up powdered milk in a milk carton or bottle and shake it until my ears drop off. It's great for making real milk go further - ie means you can have tea with real milk and cauli in cheese sauce etc with the other stuff. Also I made a pot of gorgeous leek & tattie soup with powdered milk the other day - you cant taste anything different.
It's important to have 2 ways of cooking though, dont rely soley on gas or electic. These new Bistro Calor gas stoves are very very safe and steady and easy to use in a power cut... or at the very least get a Kelly Kettle. These are magic and will give you hot tea and supernoodles or cuppa soup

NualaBuala

I have a gas hob and electric oven ... if I can't use them for some reason I will live on baked beans and spuds cooked on the open fire. Yummy, I could live like that all the time.:D