Preparedness for when

siegemode

Maryb, GreyQueen, jko and Nuatha, DawnW :beer: thanks for your input, I knew in my heart it would/could be a good investment and although I love my wooden spoon it is health issues that will spoil our relationship. I absolutely love baking and I know it will become invaluable especially as time progresses. I had a foodprocessor also purchased from Sainsbobs at 70% off 18 mths ago. When I got it out it all seemed so fiddly and a nightmare to wash and assemble so it went back in the box and was given to SD last November unused. I also have a breadmaker, but rarely need it so its boxed and stored since teaching OH how to make bread. Many things we think we need often lose appeal or turn out to be more hassle or take up room or are just plain unnecessary. Our microwave died and we decided to pospone replacing it and have now got used to not having one and barely miss it.

I put the Kenwood by with customer services to buy myself time to make a rational decision rather than being childlike, excited and impulsive. It seems so much money to spend on one thing and scares me somewhat. I knew I'd get some help here

I was only commenting this afternoon to OH that we were so lucky not to need or want anything and were no treally the ideal consumer:o . Minutes later I remembered we were about to run out of something and suggested calling in at Sainsbobs before we got home to save a trip out tomorrow. Five minutes later I go into Sainsbobs for 1 item and I just couldn't resist a wee peek down the clearance aisle , must of been fate. There it was screaming “look at me, you know you want me I'm such a bargain. Just think what we could achieve together”:D. Another voice was going “you know you would love one why not go for it:D” Next came, “Are you sure, how can you justify spending that amount ?”

As I sat this evening trying to decide whether it was reasonable to spend so much on one thing my OH offered to take me down to get it. (lucky Sainsbobs is only half a mile down the road). He was clearly convinced it was a good idea and trusts me with my bargains and thrifty ways. (think he maybe using it too, after all its got a motor:rotfl:)

So now I'm the proud and very excited owner of a Kenwood Chef Classic . 1 bought a door mat on a separate transaction for £3.50 and got a till spit for £7 off a £70 spend so together with £10 of nectar points it cost £102.99:j . Tomorrow will be a day of discovery and baking so I fear I might be a little busy. Last time I got excited was over a twin set of circulon skillets down from £65 to £16 when they fell into my virtual basket as I was ordering from Ocado . I find myself grinning everytime I use them. I believe in investing in good kitchen stuff because of my love of cooking, but can only afford and justify the spend if it's a mega bargain.

I now need to save up again for a Kelly Kettle since I am still waiting to get one, but in the mean time at least we have a couple of gas stoves and Trangia's.

System

I'll be keen to hear how you get on with your new workhorse siegemode as I rehomed my old handmixer, blender and breadmachine prior to my move..... I would like to replace them all with the one item if I can so please keep us updated. I've just used all my nectar points to buy a slowcooker for a fiver, but I do have some JL vouchers tucked away from a complaint that I am holding onto while I decide how best to invest them.....

GreyQueen

Oh happy day, seigemode, and may you and Ken have a long and happy working relationship.

Know what you mean about not missing the microwave. I was given one by somebody who moved, spontaneously as it wasn't something on my wish list. I did use it, but not very much, and it hogged 50% of my available counterspace in my tiny kitchen, thus making everything difficult.

I rehomed it, and a goblet-style blender, via a giveaway board at my workplace and have a stick blender for those occasional jobs like smoothing a soup, which was all I ever used the goblet for.

I think with appliances, it's very much horses-for-courses, isn't it? I bake bread rolls by hand once a week, it's no biggie, but SuperGran got my a humungous breadmaker thingy, size of a footstool, left unsold after a church jumbly. No way did I have space for it so it went via Freecyle, as did the slow-cooker. They were things I thought I would use and didn't, or didn't enough to justify their space in this tiny home.

Yesterday I added an FB pie to the stashette. My plans for this month mostly involve living off existing supplies, but I do intend to replenish them as I go, to preserve the rotations. I do get a childish satisfaction out of playing shops with my Armageddon Cupboard.

I wonder if those who are presently in dire need and being helped by food banks etc will develop their own version of the Armageddon Cupboard when things pick up a bit? I'm guessing that would be a life-changing experience.

Today is Tuesday. You know what happens on Tues evening? Archery Club - twang!

BigMummaF

Anyone else watch ch5 last night, & the "debate" concerning Benefits? Although some interesting points were raised I felt the programme was a tad jumbled but--what was really interesting--was the opinions of the two female panelists who were token representatives for the 'hard working families'. Anyone care to guess who they were
Eggweena Carry & Mzz Katea Oppkins no less & Boy! are they so not living on Planet Real :mad:

Eggie is the one who recently accused food banks of being responsible for small shops closing down & is totally convinced you roll through the doors of said bank & peruse the shelves like you would any $upamarket :mad:

The other could only keep repeating "get a job" over & over again, even though several of the audience had mentioned mental health issues. She also accuses the unemployed of job snobbery & feels they should do anything that is available to earn their keep, like "immigrants do".
Really?
If she was involved in a car accident outside her silver palace & had to deal with injuries that meant she was unable to carry on in her chosen career (whatever that is now..I ain't godda clue what she does apart from think she's the only one whose POV are relevant) would she go wiping backsides of the EMI residents for £6:81 an hour? HA..course she would..my eye :mad:

System

Just taken delivery of two books from The Book People for a fiver each....
Preserving Month by Month by Oded Schwartz - turns out to be a hard backed spiral bound folder rather than the book I was expecting, but is tabbed in bi-monthly sections, with additional techniques and a year round/exotic section for sausages/fish/fruits/veg/oils etc..... plus times and temperatures for oven drying fruit and herbs etc.... so much more than the usual array of jams/jellies/chutneys etc that might help to add some variety to the storecupboard supplies if the weather ever improves enough to provide a glut of anything or if the YS come up trumps where foraging has failed..... a good source of preservation knowledge anyway that may be useful.
The other is The Lost Art of Having Fun by Gyles Brandreth and family - 286 games for all ages/abilities other than card, board or console games. I've not delved much into it, but thought it worthy of a place on the bookshelf just in case....

Karmacat

GreyQueen wrote: »

Although the onion sets are out now, and I bought mine in the first week of January, they won't need planting for another 6-8 weeks or so. Just buy them to make sure you have them and don't find that when you're ready to sow that there are none available.

I once attended a talk given by Bob Flowerdew and one of the audience asked if you could plant parnsips in February? Mr F said you could. They wouldn't grow, but you could plant them if you liked.:D

The danger with having seeds, or onion bulbs, sitting in cold soil is that they may rot rather than just sit there waiting until the soil temp is high enough for them to grow. One way around this, rather than obsessing about calendar dates, is to watch for the point when annual weed seeds start coming up like cress on your cleared soil.

This means that the temp in the soil is high enough for germination and is a good time to plant your veggies. Most of us aren't in the same parts of the country, and even within areas, there are microclimates, so trying to plant by the calendar isn't helpful.

Excellent advice, thank you!

Especially interesting about watching for the annual weed seeds, because whats happening in my garden right now is that underneath the big old quince bush (and because of my virus last year, I never collected the quinces ) there are dozens of little seedlets - nowhere else, just there. Do I have baby quince plants, does anyone know?

grandma247

Those of you that do not want children are to be commended for knowing your own mind and sticking to your decision. My oldest and his wife have no children from choice although his wife has grown ones from her first marriage. A long time ago (they have been married nearly 18 years) we had a conversation and she said she worried we might be disappointed that they would not be having children.

I told her I was proud of them for sticking with what they wanted and not taking any notice of those who kept asking when they were going to have some. They are still very much in love and a child would most definitely get in the way because they only have eyes for each other.

I never ask people if they are going to have children because I think it is rude none of my business anyway. If they have children they are always quick to tell you all about them.

westcoastscot

Missed the talk of Kenwoods - am I too late to put in a vote for my favourite?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-Prospero-Compact-KM265-Litre/dp/B001HZVZQK

It's a brill wee thing - I was always a fan of my old panshion and wooden spoon but arthritis has seriously cut down the amount of baking I can achieve. The Prospero is fab - as well as a mixer it has a great dough hook, a blender and a food processor as part of the package and has really saved me in the kitchen! Cheaper than the usual Kenwood too, and a bit more kitchen-friendly in a small kitchen as it sits in a corner.

Edited to add it has a metal bowl too
WCS

westcoastscot

Greeninkpen (love your name!) - liking the sound of the first book - shall look out for it, thankyou. I love spiral bound kitchen books - just made to be used rather than looked at!

Frugalsod

siegemode wrote: »

Ok, so I have a dilemma:o
A little off topic admittedly but I know someone will help.
I have on hold a Kenwood Chef Classic at Sainsbobs for the princely sum of £119 down from £299.99 and as excited as I am it is a huge sum of dosh. I could get it with savings and a little juggling with the food shop. I have the space (just) and it would be well used as I love baking but have probs with hands and wrists and limited energy. The question is do I need it, like really need it or am I being too extravagant on one item. The possible attachments are £40 upwards and the other thing making me hesitate is the fact it has a plastic bowl (not a lover of plastic bowls). I have always relied on my trusty wooden spoon and shunned mixers unless I am forced to unearth an old hand mixer. Trouble is how long can I rely on my health. Another thing, it's electric instead of calorie powered and will likely increase the consumption of calories. Oh dear sorry to waffle so much but what would you do. It is connected with OS and prepping in a way, honest:o

I think that the point is will you be able to use it enough to justify it. I have an expensive version and use it most days. Tomorrow I will be making soup in the liquidiser and crumble mix in the processor. In the next week I will be making some bread, pasta, some pizza bases and grating some parmesan for my mince meals. I reckon I use it between 4 and 8 times a week. So even though mine cost me £700 and I spent more on accessories I reckon it will have paid for itself in another 18 months or so. Work out what you can do with it and then work out how much you can save if you make various meals and bits from scratch. It will be a lot more than you imagine.