Vegan Store Cupboard Challenge

ToastLady

squirrelgirl said:

ToastLady said:
Temp suddenly soared from a very pleasant around 25C to 39C yesterday, and forecast is high temps for the week, not normal at all. It was totally draining, so very little got done. 

Toastlady 😮😮😮 where do you live???? That's insane! 🙈 (the reptile in me is slightly jealous! 😉😂) 

Cyprus. Don't be jealous, it's way too hot, isn't usually this bad until July/August. I got up at 04:40 and got on with things whilst the temp was comfortable, was 36C at 10 a.m. (We're 2 hours ahead of UK). So if I write more gibberish than usual, you'll know that my brain has been completely addled by the heat. 😂 I can see salads featuring a lot this week.

Pyxis

ToastLady said:

squirrelgirl said:

ToastLady said:
Temp suddenly soared from a very pleasant around 25C to 39C yesterday, and forecast is high temps for the week, not normal at all. It was totally draining, so very little got done. 

Toastlady 😮😮😮 where do you live???? That's insane! 🙈 (the reptile in me is slightly jealous! 😉😂) 

Cyprus. Don't be jealous, it's way too hot, isn't usually this bad until July/August. I got up at 04:40 and got on with things whilst the temp was comfortable, was 36C at 10 a.m. (We're 2 hours ahead of UK). So if I write more gibberish than usual, you'll know that my brain has been completely addled by the heat. 😂 I can see salads featuring a lot this week.

Epic fail from me then! 😂😂

I didn’t think of  Cyprus! Are you a resident there, or did you get trapped due to lockdown stuff?

ToastLady

Pyxis said:

Epic fail from me then! 😂😂

I didn’t think of  Cyprus! Are you a resident there, or did you get trapped due to lockdown stuff?

😂😂😂 Well, it could have been. You weren't to know that I was up at stupid o'clock (not through choice, just woke up and thought I might as well take advantage of getting on while it was cooler.)
Yes I am resident here, although there are a few trapped here due to lockdown, don't know how many, but one of my neighbours who uses house as a holiday home is stuck here at the moment, but seems quite happy about it. Likewise, there are residents from here stuck in UK, and dying to get back, but no flights, so a bit tough luck until flights start up again, and the dilemma of risking travel.

Pyxis

ToastLady said:

Pyxis said:

Epic fail from me then! 😂😂

I didn’t think of  Cyprus! Are you a resident there, or did you get trapped due to lockdown stuff?

😂😂😂 Well, it could have been. You weren't to know that I was up at stupid o'clock (not through choice, just woke up and thought I might as well take advantage of getting on while it was cooler.)
Yes I am resident here, although there are a few trapped here due to lockdown, don't know how many, but one of my neighbours who uses house as a holiday home is stuck here at the moment, but seems quite happy about it. Likewise, there are residents from here stuck in UK, and dying to get back, but no flights, so a bit tough luck until flights start up again, and the dilemma of risking travel.

Have you had many cases of Covid or did the authorities lock down in time?

ToastLady

Pyxis, I am in the north, total 104 cases, 4 deaths, and no one in hospital now suffering from Covid19. Lockdown was way before UK, and fell within a couple of days of the 1st case announced here. There have been no new cases here in 26 days. Crossing points between north and south are closed, and have been for ages, can't remember the date now. We were only allowed out for food shopping, pharmacy, petrol and doctor/hospital. Further things were you were only allowed in your own district with permission needed to travel outwith, full night time curfew. Things have been slowly lifting and other shopping outlets are opening, we are now allowed to travel, takeaways are now opened, and other things will be opening up on a staggered basis. It's also compulsory to wear a mask when out on the street here.
South side has many more cases, but do have a much higher population. They've had 400 cases, 24 deaths and are still reporting new cases on a daily basis, albeit in low numbers. Things are slowly opening up there too.

It's going to be a very tough year for both sides economically, as tourism is a major source of income. Even when flights do start again, how many people will be willing to travel, or can afford it? I can see a lot of restaurants, bars and hotels failing. On the brighter side, people may want to come, due to the low incidence of Covid19 here, but until things settle down everywhere, it's anybody's guess as to what lies ahead for everyone, everywhere.

I don't know what temp it got to today, but reached 40C just before noon. I stayed inside in the cool with curtains closed and ceiling fans on, and then had a nap this afternoon with air conditioning on. Salad and yoghurt with strawberries is the thing today, although I did make cucumber and sweetcorn soup earlier to have chilled if I don't feel like eating. Maybe I will lose some of that weight which has crept on due to lockdown. 😂

[Deleted User]

I've never been to Cyprus although we were meant to be going next month for a wedding! 🙈 I don't think dh would survive at those temperatures though - he struggles with warm weather here!!! 
Fruit must be amazing there though - citrus and pomegranates are two of my favourites and I'm pretty certain that you must get incredible tasting ones there 😉 
The potatoes were fine - I discovered that I had enough jars but I'll need more asap - I also did a celeriac and half a bag of carrots as they were lurking in the fridge 😉 For dinner I made horseradish mash (I've got a real thing about it at the moment!) with red cabbage relish and chickpeas in coriander dressing. With the leftover mash I mixed it with the remaining relish, some finely diced red onion and some hm mint sauce (raspberry balsamic & chocolate mint) then baked it in the oven. I'll have that tonight with some asparagus and the remaining chickpeas 😁 

ToastLady

Squirrelgirl, what a shame about the wedding, the couple must be absolutely gutted. It's a fantastic island, I absolutely love it here. Times to avoid normally are from mid July / August when it's really hot, I try to go back to UK around then to visit my family. Good news is that temps are set to drop from Friday back to seasonal norm, can't come soon enough. Fruit and veg is superb and mainly seasonal. 
Glad that you got your potatoes all sorted. All your food sounds brill, love horseradish and the mint sauce sounds wonderful. Will be on salads, fruit and yoghurt all week, as little cooking as possible to keep the house cool, and don't really feel like eating in this stupid heat. I feel so sorry for the folk that have to work in it, especially outside.

Wednesday2000

I can't even remember what I made now, thanks for the suggestions, though.

That is far too hot for me, I hate really hot weather. We went to a concert last summer on the hottest day of the year and my phone said it was 40 in there. I felt so ill.

I just had tofu scramble on toast with a side salad.

Pyxis

It’s not so much the heat, for me, as the humidity. I can’t stand it when it’s humid, whatever the temperature.

I think I’d be ok in the Sahara! 

It’s one reason why I much prefer the Spring, as any heat we get usually still has that cool breeze to stop any humidity, and of course the nights are cool.

Hot, sweaty nights are horrible.

ToastLady

Wednesday & Pyxis, you are so right, it's just downright horrible at the moment. Not a breathe of air, whatever breeze there is, is hot, and at night, it is still humid, but the temp hasn't dropped that far down, so air conditioner (AC) needed. Fans just don't do it, they just blow hot air about. I've got ceiling fans in every room, and they are good, but not when it gets to stupidly hot temps, and AC is needed. Electricity is very expensive, only one supplier, so I think it's higher electricity bills compared to UK, whatever, I need to use AC just now, so this month's bill is going to be way higher than usual for the time of year.  Not moaning, just the grass isn't greener kind of thing, much as I love it here, it does have it's downsides.
As I said earlier, no cooking to heat up the house, or as little as possible, but did make up a coleslaw with pineapple (from the freezer), so all salad stuff ready in the fridge, when I feel like eating.

One question I would like to ask is about vegan milk. I have made oat milk and that is fine with me, don't like soya milk at all. I am not vegan, am vegetarian, but sometimes get bloated, so looking for decent nut or plant milks that I can do myself. I really can't buy them here, and suspect that if I ever found them, would be very expensive. Any suggestions are very welcome.