Preparedness for when

westcoastscot

Mar it's definitely been feeling autumnal here since mid August - we had a beautiful day yesterday but paid for it with a coldish night. Everything is dying back in the garden - I have to admit I'm a winter person though, so for me its the start of my favourite time of year.
Depressingly my arthritis is worse in the mornings again, also - had hoped this year it may not be so bad. Not to worry though.........could be worse!

BessieBooBoo

Hello all

Diddled about on a prepper site for uk this am.

Enough to make your hair curl, but, tons of advice on there too. Don't venture on there Fuddle, until you have some preps under your belt, or anyone else of a nervous disposition....:D

Wanted to update on veg from James W*ng seeds:

Rat's tail radish - only 1 of 8 flowered, but, that one is producing tiny green tasty 'radishes' now. Cabbage whites managed to ravish them despite netting. I meant ravage!

Electric daisy's = humpf. Slugstrastrophe!

Chinese chives - survivors, nice, like green grass at the moment, good to add to e.g. omelettes

Purslane - another good survivor, not nibbled yet (by us or pests), but a little unsure of use apparently harvest evenings not mornings as it's less bitter.

Haven't planted others yet as it's now the wrong time of year, but, hope to do so in early spring next year. I got his book on unusual veg as a birthday treat 'Home grown revolution', but pricy at £20! Plus, more of his seeds, as it struck me that a lot of his stuff is unrecognisable as food crops. What an excellent way to grow food without most people knowing what they are!

Would like to think that:

a) Far less attractive to thieves
b) More pest/disease resistance (some are!)
c) Grow unobtrusively or hide in flower borders - guerrilla gardening comes to mind
d) Variety of fresh vitamins, minerals, etc. might be a bit more than usual veg.?
e) What if some of our 'normal' veg struggles in future e.g. climate change, pests increasing - may need an alternative..

However, I think the more exotic ones may need greenhouse protection as well as some netting!

The other ones I was treated to are:

Dahlia 'yams' - apparently the long lost Aztec sweet potato
Anise (Anise hyssop) - herb tastes like licquorice
Cucamelon - (grape size look like watermelons, taste like cucumber with citrus)
Eucalyptus lemon bush - herb, lemon sherbert taste
Sea kale - veg tastes like white asparagus
Queensland arrowroot - tastes like Jerusalem artichoke
Quinoa - taste like couscous
Goji berry - apparently a cross between tomato, cranberry and malt, not for making sweet dishes

Seed packets contain a recipe suggestion inside, but, now I have been let loose on his book too... More winter reading!

OH thinks I have gotten slightly carried away, might be right, but Mr Wong has a point in that we all continue to grow the same veg, even though we are more adventurous in what we buy to eat. So why aren't we more diverse in what we grow?

Food for thought (sorry!)

BBB

boultdj

Don't forget 'old fasioned' veg like salsifa[sp?] BBB, which thrive in our country, the top look's like a weed, but it the root you eat.

RAS

My first "political" memory was "daddy what is a world war?" during the either the Bay of Pigs or subsequent Cuba missile crises. Quite a lesson for an infant schoolchild.

Did not know what politics was but realised how very different the world had been for my parents who were barely older than me when WW2 started. Also knew they had both got through it.

Compared with the domestic problems we had at times the 3 day week was a doddle; particularly as mum had insisted on maintaining an open fire place so we could finish off cooking and had some glimmering light. Home work was done by candle light.

Amongst my student friends SHTF was alive issue; we knew the most useful bit of advice in the Government book on nucleur war was to paint the windows white and had worked out where the bulk food stores were (until Maggie changed the rules the Government stored certain foods for 6 months before they were released to the wholesalers).

So I supposed we've been here before and nowt really happened and until something does happen it is not worth worrying about. Just make basic sensible decisions that would be useful if you were made redundant tomorrow etc.

7_week_wonder

fuddle wrote: »

What happened with the oil in the 1970's? Showing my feeble years now aren't I. Born in '79.

1973: First oil shock. Yom Kippur war between Israel and Egypt and Syria, lots of political fall-out resulting in OPEC/Saudi Arabi cutting off oil exports to USA which lead to a quadrupling of oil prices in USA

1979: Second oil shock. Shah of Iran deposed, new government chocked down Iranian oil production. Despite Iranian oil only being 5% of global production Iran's actions to global oil price going up by 150% and prices at US petrol stations tripling

Puts head back below parapet and resumes lurking whilst ordering Last Light from the local library!

BessieBooBoo

7_week_wonder wrote: »

1973: First oil shock. Yom Kippur war between Israel and Egypt and Syria, lots of political fall-out resulting in OPEC/Saudi Arabi cutting off oil exports to USA which lead to a quadrupling of oil prices in USA

1979: Second oil shock. Shah of Iran deposed, new government chocked down Iranian oil production. Despite Iranian oil only being 5% of global production Iran's actions to global oil price going up by 150% and prices at US petrol stations tripling

Puts head back below parapet and resumes lurking whilst ordering Last Light from the local library!

Hello 7ww

Don't be shy, feel free to post, we are all friendly here, if suffering a bit from insanity (frog like or bat like).

I've read that, interesting to speculate how people react in a SHTF moment...

BBB

pineapple

ragz wrote: »

Could take potassium iodide instead, I think it is good for radiation too?

I don't think it is recommended for long term term use unless under medical supervision for a specific health condition.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/iOSAT-Potassium-Iodide-Tablets-130/dp/B00006NT3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378469800&sr=8-1&keywords=potassium+iodide
http://www.medicinenet.com/potassium_iodide-oral/article.htm
Use in a nuclear emergency is covered here.
http://www.fda.gov/drugs/emergencypreparedness/bioterrorismanddrugpreparedness/ucm072265.htm

[Deleted User]

Woke up to heavy rain this morning (eased off now, but still raining). I guess autumn isn't far off now.

mardatha

Am sure I used to do something with hyssop but cant mind what it was! lol aren't I going to be handy post sh*t ?

ALIBOBSY

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

Thanks, BB, I'll keep my eyes peeled for something similar. I keep paraffin anyway for the Primus so may as well have a back-up lamp, although intention is to use the solar-powered/wind-up first in emergencies. What a lot of posts today! We have loads of elderberries around here so any good recipes would be appreciated
Spent part of today in town and found a new outdoor shop I hadn't seen before - prepping manna, loads of stuff and could spend a small fortune I don't have but did pick up some half-price trekking socks, bugging out for the use of :rotfl:
Haunted the charity shops too but nothing useful today.
Right, off to stimulate my liver enzymes..

I remember seeing a redcurrant and mint jelly recipe a few years ago and am wondering if you could make something similar with elderberries? I reckon it would be great with Christmas dinner in place of cranberry or apple sauce.

If I can find the recipe will post it here.

Otherwise you are looking at jams/jellies or cordials or wine really.

Ali x