As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

purpleheather2810

I keep a fairly well-stocked cupboard most of the time. Occasionally we will have a "lean" month and run the cupboards down a bit, but that's what it's there for. We will then gradually stock back up again. However I still don't always get it right - I find that I struggle to use some things up before their BB date and am always shopping for more pasta and rice! One day I will perfect the store cupboard. In the meantime I have too many ground almonds and green lentils.

ETA: I keep a carton of UHT in just in case. I wouldn't use it for cereal, but it's fine for porridge (for those that don't use water), cooking etc. During the winter I'll probably keep 2 or 3.

I don't live in the countryside and I have never felt the need to stockpile before (eg in Winter) but it was incredibly difficult and treacherous getting around last winter - trying to get to work and school which were "open as usual" was enough of a battle. So I do think that even though we have several supermarkets within a few miles of our house I wouldn't want to have to visit them unnecessarily.

bargainhunterss

LittleBrownFrog wrote: »

I buy moo! semi skimmed and can't taste the difference between that and fresh milk. Other uht milk tastes bleugh to me though.

thanks! is that brand generally cheaper than the fresh stuff then?

bargainhunterss

purpleheather2810 wrote: »

I keep a fairly well-stocked cupboard most of the time. Occasionally we will have a "lean" month and run the cupboards down a bit, but that's what it's there for. We will then gradually stock back up again. However I still don't always get it right - I find that I struggle to use some things up before their BB date and am always shopping for more pasta and rice! One day I will perfect the store cupboard. In the meantime I have too many ground almonds and green lentils.

hmmm...could almond flavoured lentils be on the menu then, lol!

mardatha

I dont live too near any shops, and have bad winters, so that's why I started the stash. It makes a huge difference in snow, not having to struggle out - and quite often being snowed in anyway.
But then I read in here a while back, people talking about a short power cut in London . Traffic lights were out; shop doors didnt work and were jammed shut; shop tills wouldnt open; petrol pumps were out; bank ATMs out....
So why not start a wee shop in the privacy of yer own home ? - Fill a cupboard with tins, rotate them, put new ones in at the back and take from the front. Have some extra bags of flour and sugar and salt and rice and pasta etc. There's nothing to lose and at the very least you will have got them at a lower price !

freudianslip

yeah, actually I would like to know that too. Is UHT generally or vastly cheaper than fresh milk? Is there any health draw backs from drinking UHT?

Apart from the taste which, when the chips are down, I'm sure you would get used to is there any reason why I shouldn'tturn to the UHT stuff if it is vastly cheaper?

LittleBrownFrog

bargainhunterss wrote: »

thanks! is that brand generally cheaper than the fresh stuff then?

No ... it's more expensive (about 79p/litre I think - haven't bought it for a while).

purpleheather2810

bargainhunterss wrote: »

hmmm...could almond flavoured lentils be on the menu then, lol!

Hehe!!

My stock recipe for green lentils is sausage + lentil casserole with lots of garlic. So that will be on the menu again very soon featuring t finest toulouse sausages (my favourite!). My girls don't seem to like green lentils very much so they do present a challenge!

The ground almonds were bought to make a gluten-free cake but I didn't make it in the end. I do have a traybake recipe featuring them which I do make from time to time.

purpleheather2810

Yes Mardatha you do make a good point - cities can suffer too and people are not usually as well prepared! The safe walking route to our local centre is via a footbridge over a busy main road and they NEVER grit it. It is like a death trap! So those shops are out unless you take your chances on the main road or get your rock climbing gear out. That's also the way you'd have to walk to lidl unfortunately...

mamaninie

Right, I am really struggling with the wholemeal bread - my last loaf was utterly inedible. I've now acquired some non-nestle milk powder from Lidl (£1.68) and I've got Grandma247's white bread on the go, with only 1/2 tsp of salt as we are very intolerant of salt in this house Fingers crossed.....

Is it better to mix the wholemeal flour with white flour for a more edible bread? if so what proportions?

Also, how do the economics of home made bread work for you? the yeast is quite expensive and the cheapest strong bread flour I have found is Lidl or Asda for 65-68p for 1.5kg - brown is over £1 everywhere - although Sainsbos have got Allinson brands on and 2 for £2 at the moment. - so where do you get 125g packets of yeast from as a quick google told me these were available, but not on the high st - is Doves quick yeast the same as Allinson Easy Bake and where do you bulk buy the flour as I can see that is the only way to make the economics outweigh the effort and the electricity costs.

lots of questions - do your best!

saveabobortwo

ill stick to my stockpile plan b:rotfl:.today iv hang some washing out on the line to dry to stop using the tumble dryer to save . iv hoovered putall the rubbish out for the bin men. cleaned out the bath, bleached the kitchen sink . dusted the bedrooms and polished 2 mirrors i shall have a quick cup of tea wish you a good day and then start frying up some mince and onion and boil some potatoes and make a shepherds pie for tea have a good day xx