Preparing for winter II

annie123

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Just watched the weather and they have confirmed that for the rest of the week, it is going to be cool during the day, chilly by night and with cloud cover. I am sorely tempted to put the heating on tonight. I think summer is well and truly over and we are looking at an early Autumn and the start of an early winter as well.

Try your postcode on netweather 10 days
http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=10day;sess=

Based on a few weather forums I use and the above I'm expecting a nice week (well at least a few days) from next weekend and into the following week.
Netweather give you a feel like forecast, which I like. It takes into account wind chill, warmth from the sun etc.

But like you I am chilly tonight and have decided that I am in appropriately dressed so I have put a polo neck wool jumper on and feel much warmer now:D
Don't you just love the british summer :rotfl:

Carolyntia

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

mmmmm, think a couple more may be needed - I'm sitting around 170 just now (also me only)!:o

Seriously, I am a bit paranoid in that dept - without TMI I have a medical condition that does mean I would hate to be stuck without any and I think that makes me lean towards having too many!

I know the feeling Rising had the same problem until I was finally diagnosed with lactose intolerance - took ten years though. When I moved here a year ago my removals men took the mickey out of me for the amount of loo roll - took a year to get through it all - still got a huge stash of kitchen roll though

MrsRogers

Evening all

Hope you are all enjoying your bank holiday weekend. well its taken me over an hour to catch up on the thread :eek:

Glad everyones preparations are coming along. I managed to get a couple more things ticked off today.. here is my updated list below

I am off now to make chocolate sponge pudding (microwave) and custard. Its started pouring here again and we love comfort food when its like this..

Winter Preparation 2011/2012
General
• [STRIKE]Buy Hats gloves & Scarves Cat
• Buy Hat glove and scarf Ant
• Hot water bottles washed & stored away[/STRIKE]
• Thermal blinds hallway
• [STRIKE]Purchase an extra fleece blanket for our bed
• Purchase flannelette sheets for our bed
• Purchase flannelette Pillowcases our bed[/STRIKE]
• Purchased 100 tealights aswell as lots of festive ones for xmas & matches
• [STRIKE]Stock up on lots of medicine for winter ailments [/STRIKE](see sub list)
• Dry Clean my black wool coat
• Purchased new slippers for me
• Check winter socks me and Ant
• Get my UGG boots out
• Buy waterproof snow boots me or Short Wellies and liners
• Buy Wellies Ant
• Curtain Pole Back Door
• Curtain for back door
• [STRIKE]Buy 2 x plastic box for car boxes[/STRIKE]
• emergency box for car x2
• buy snow shovel
• stock up on salt for paths
• [STRIKE]Buy Wind up torch[/STRIKE]
• Insulate the attic hatch
• Fleece Jumper / zip top for me & Ant to layer up with
• Repair guttering side of house
• Service boiler
• Cover Outside table and chairs
• Radiator Reflectors.
• [STRIKE]Sort Food store cupboard out[/STRIKE]
• Stock up loo roll
• [STRIKE]Outside pipe insulation
• Hand Warmer[/STRIKE]
Pantry List (Ever replenishing)
• [STRIKE]Bread Flour 3 bags min
• Dry Yeast
• Tinned Beans
• Tin Toms
• Tin Custard
• Dry Milk
• Sugar x 2 bags
• Packet pasta n sauce (emerg) x 6
• Rice
• Pasta
• OXO / Stock cude
• Tinned Soup (mix varities)
• Savoury Rice packets
• Tea & Coffee
• Hot Chocolate
• Corned Beef
• Tinned Tuna[/STRIKE]

Medication List
 [STRIKE]Cold & Flu Tablets[/STRIKE]
 Vicks Vapour rub
 [STRIKE]Strepsils
 Paracetamol
 Sudafed
 Cough Medicine (Chesty & Tickle)
 Vitamin c
 Prescriptions
 Tampons & Sanitary Products[/STRIKE]
Car Box (2 of everything)
 De Icer
 Sraper
 Socks
 Bottle Water
 Cereal Bar
 Extra Jumper / Blanket
 [STRIKE]Torch (battery & windup)[/STRIKE]
 Mobile car charger

crumblepie

wilding_arms wrote: »

My biscuit recipe (FYI I'm a real-life redneck Southerner)...
2 cups - that's about 8 ounces - plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
60-odd grams (about 1/4 block) shortening or butter
1/2 cup buttermilk - that's, umm, scant 1/4 pint - or milk with a splash of vinegar to curdle it (you can also substitute lemonade, that's UK lemonade, like Sprite)

Preheat oven to 180C. Sift flour and baking powder together. Rub in the fat. Bring together with buttermilk - press it together until it sticks in a ball but do not "knead". Add water by the teaspoonful if needed to stick.

Turn out on a floured surface and roll to about A4 size. Fold and roll again to same size, then once more to about 2cm thickness. This helps your biscuits get some air to get the "cat's head" (that means they fluff up to the size of a cat's head while baking).

Cut with a biscuit cutter, or if you don't have one, the open side of an empty veg tin. If you don't hear/feel a "swsssh" of air coming out when they cut, then start the rolling again because they won't puff high. Bake on a sheet for 12-15 minutes until brown on top. Makes about 10 biscuits.

Made a batch of these and scoffed most of them with home made jam. So I'm happy to confirm I like them They are scone like in texture and as quick to make, so when there's a foot of snow on the ground I know I can whip up a batch quickly.

Cornbread next to try, but I have to shopping first. On the stashing things away front I need to get cold and flu stuff. I've already got sniffles and not much in the way of medicenes....I'm sure a biscuit/scone and jam will have to do instead.

miss_emmajane

I love this thread, so far I have bought candles, fleecey blankets and warmer pjs Shall be getting 'serious' with it this coming week though as the weather where I live has been awful the past week, feels like winter already!

lovesabargain123

nicki wrote: »

Winter is definitely on its way, the Holiday Grand Plan on organizedchristmas started today This week is list week so I'm in my element :rotfl: I will be organised & sorted, not only for winter but Christmas as well. Now to go through this thread with my notebook and make sure I've not missed anything, ready for when I've been paid

Is that this site http://christmas.organizedhome.com/ just had a google...

I love christmas and am a bit of a organised freak so this would be great :j

rolo-polo1965

Mad4camping wrote: »

Hi sorry for late answer.

In my freezer I have a fast freezer slim draw. So on some grease proof paper I space out the items carefully so as they don't touch then i cover it with a sheet of grease proof paper again, if i'm lucky I can do two layers. After a couple of hours or over night I then just pop them off in to a zip lock or tub and its all loose then when I come to use it, no waste from defrosting to much..I use this method for everything from berries to veg.. hope this helps you

Thanks, thats great!

kmiller4

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Kathy we have allot more than powder here, we have gels, liquids, tablets and liquid pouches to name them. Then we have the conditioners which come in an array of gorgeous scents. We have scented ironing water, colour catcher sheets. We have allot of laundry stuff here biggest one which you will know is Proctor & Gamble who make Ariel, Daz, Bold and Fairy with Lenor as their conditioner. Unilever is Persil and Surf. I know you still have the Tide powder though!

Now isn't it funny that we have Proctor & Gamble as well who make all kinds of laundry products in the US but none of the names are the same. You are right about the Tide-- but it is very spendy. With DH unemployed I try to save money where I can so I thought I'd give the homemade a try. It worked OK-- was cheap and one batch lasts forever-- so I'm going to stick with it unless I can get a fantastic deal on the store bought detergent.

boultdj

tugrin wrote: »

Jealous making time (sorry) my lovely neighbour has just come round with 6lbs of cooking apples and 3 lbs of plums! I am a lucky girl!! And I have frozen 2 lbs of my own runners in single portions today too!
Any one know any good plum cheese and plum jam recipes?
Bramble - my friends used to keep their dog food in plastic dustins with the screw on lids - good against mice but not so brill if there might be rattus rattus around (and with a cold winter in the country they seem to appear quite close if you are in the country)

Very easy one, work's for plum's or damson's, wash plum's and remove any stork's, put in a pan with 1/4 pint of water and gently cook till fruit is very soft, then put mixture through a seive, leaving the stone's behind, weigh the resuting pulp and add the same amount of sugar, bring to the boil and start checking it's reached setting point, and that'd your plum cheese done. hth

boultdj

Nice to see you online Kathy, hope it's starting to calm down were you are.