Preparedness for when

ginnyknit

Nuatha whilst I don't understand all the info you have posted I think its time I investigated my options further for some kind of alternative power sources mainly due to cost of 'leccy. I think a small investment now for solar chargers will pay dividends later, the more I usage I cut down the better.

WCS, I have to agree I dont see any upward trend for anyone at present. My son is in debt management and is very busy. He has his own team but has had to work late every night this week just so he can go on holiday. Everywhere I go I see signs of shops and business's hitting the pan, shopping is a nightmare and petrol is tightly rationed in our house.

I will be considering giving up on tv because the licence is just ridiculous and the money could be used elsewhere.

the_cake

Huh. Have just discovered that our MP did not bother to turn up for the Syria vote yesterday; emailed him to ask why .....

ALIBOBSY

the_cake wrote: »

Huh. Have just discovered that our MP did not bother to turn up for the Syria vote yesterday; emailed him to ask why .....

I'll bet its easier to just not be there, than to explain the way you voted in a crucial vote.

Ali x

GreyQueen

nuatha wrote: »

You've Derby oatcakes as well as the Scottish kind. Crumpets, muffins, pancakes, drop scones, potato scones, girdle scones, Gypsy toast, toasted cheese sandwich, cornbread, upside down pineapple cake, tarte tatin (though the later two will depend on the handle material and the size of the pan). A skillet is the best method to cook steaks, pan roast chicken and you can even do a full English in one
Seriously its my most versatile pan, the key thing is to season it well and never use detergent on it.
Well done on your find.

Seems that I have accidentally stubbed my toe on the universal cooking solution.

And all for £3.50. Its base bears the legend "Lodge USA 90G". Dunno what that means because it sure as heck isn't 90 grammes. If this was imported in someone's luggage, I bet they paid extra charges for the weight.

FPK, there is a nat gas pipeline coming out of Russia and has been since 2007. It's the Nord Stream, run by Nordstrom AG and the majority owner of the company is Gazprom, the Russians' state gas company. Since the gas is originating in Russia and coming into Western Europe serving Germany, France, Nederlands, Denmark and the UK, a certain Mr Putin does have some control (not exclusive, but considerable) over we get to heat and light our homes in Europe and the UK. And how much we pay.

Or Qatar gets its way in building a nat gas pipeline across Syria to join up to existing pipelines in Turkey to export its gas to northern Europe. Assad won't have it. So they're funding his enemies to the tune of billions. Read about it here : http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-16/mystery-sponsor-weapons-and-money-syrian-rebels-revealed

Would Russia be happy for this pipeline to go ahead and compete with the Nord Stream? Price competition. It's always about the money..........

ALIBOBSY

Been out in the garden, but its starting to rain so had to come in-need to sort tea anyway.

Got our new chickies today. We had, had 4 about 5-6 years ago. Lost one in that really cold winter a few years back (despite putting blankets over the coop and extra straw and newspaper at night). The number of eggs had dropped in the last 2 years especially and sadly we lost 2 more over the same period-one just a couple of week ago. TBH all ours have looked great and healthy, then just dead the next day, we keep regular checks etc. but ev1 I know who has chickens reckon they sometimes just "go" without explanation, and that on the whole they aren't that long lived. Just hope they had a better life with us than farmed birds would have.

We had decided to get 2 more a few weeks ago, then once we lost Bluebelle we felt bad for Rocky left on her own so decided to go for it as quickly as possible. OH decided we would get 5 and have a full half dozen, so will be able to up my baking levels again lol. Been out this morning givng the coop and run the once over-would have done this before winter anyway. Had a really deep clean and tidy.

Then picked up the new ladies, they must like their new home as just been out and "daisybelle" was sitting and has already christened the laying box :T.

Was a few little rumbles with our "old lady" telling the new girls "this is MY house ladies", but they seem happy as now-except for the rain.

Yay I love have chickens.

Ali x

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

Seems that I have accidentally stubbed my toe on the universal cooking solution.

And all for £3.50. Its base bears the legend "Lodge USA 90G". Dunno what that means because it sure as heck isn't 90 grammes. If this was imported in someone's luggage, I bet they paid extra charges for the weight.

Lodge is a good quality brand, iron handle means there's no problem with it going in the oven. You could christen it with a magic grocer tarte tatin

I reckon it would be kinder to hit a burglar with my broadsword than my cast iron frying pan

suburbanwifey

RAS wrote: »

If you want a little inspiration read http://www.judyofthewoods.net/ - particularly the section on simple living which is anything but simple and as Judy says somewhere in her writings far from cheap.

Thanks for that link! very interesting. I've just downloaded the forgaging app onto my iPhone that is on here site. Will be great for when out in the forest foraging!

RAS

nuatha wrote: »

Lodge is a good quality brand, iron handle means there's no problem with it going in the oven. You could christen it with a magic grocer tarte tatin

I reckon it would be kinder to hit a burglar with my broadsword than my cast iron frying pan

I had two, bought as a new student and the smaller one is still going strong.

Some birk used the larger on as an alternative to a hammer and cracked it! But I have another 12 incher now. Never use anything else.

Both blackened and occasionally re-seasoned or given a very light coat of oil (on the underside usually) to see off rust.

GreyQueen

nuatha wrote: »

Lodge is a good quality brand, iron handle means there's no problem with it going in the oven. You could christen it with a magic grocer tarte tatin

I reckon it would be kinder to hit a burglar with my broadsword than my cast iron frying pan

:j Oooohhhhh! Deffo need to play with the new toy, then. That's one of the things I adore about chazzers, you never know what will crop up.

A friend of a friend had a broadsword stolen in a burglary. That sure as heck made for an interesting insurance claim/ police report. Never did re-appear and it was a unique object. Still, insurance paid up and the swordsmith got another commission.

Just been checking my MP's voting record and they sided with the gubbermint as per usual. Little toad.

ALI, one of my rellies who has something partway between a large garden and a small smallholding reckons that watching her chickens is better than a soap opera. One of the juvenile cockerels got uppity one day and decided to fly spurs-first at her hubbie's face. Drew blood; birdy was subsequently invited to Sunday dinner.

In fact, you might say he played a central role, mwha ha ha!

Re CAT, the first time I was there I liked it a lot more than last time. What they used to have seemed a lot more like stuff a hobbyist with a few tools and a bit of skill could put together in their shed, such as black painted domestic rads mounted onto a roof to hold water to heat up in the sun. Bit Heath Robinson, but stimulating and accessible. Sample beds about how the same crops were producing under different regimes of manuring etc. Bicycle generators which you could ride on to power TVs.

My last visit found it a lot more slick and professional with fewer things which the average bodger could reasonably achieve in their back yard. For me, a bt of the magic had gone.

My domestic go-to weapon of choice is my wooden rolling pin. It was handmade by moi on a green woodworking lathe (powered by a bungee cord lol). You don't get much more old style than making your own rolling-pins, do you? :rotfl:

Perplexed_Pineapple

GQ, Lodge is an American company, I came across them when I was researching Dutch ovens (no not that sort!). They wouldn't measure the weight in grams anyway, they use imperial. 90G sounds like a gauge but 90G as a gauge measurement would be wafer thin which your pan clearly isn't. Bargain for £3.50 anyway.
The average house is full of potential weapons but I'd think a good sized iron skillet would be too heavy to be much use unless you have muscles like Popeye.