Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

MTSTM, spinach beet would be a good one, planted in clumps. It's a hardy perennial and doesn't look particularly edible. And chard. I noted from a novel set in a futuristic world that the natives had hidden their cultivated areas to avoid exposing their settlements to observation from the air. Examples were planting things in small irregular clumps and dispersing them among non-edible plants. Bit like hiding the cannabis plants in the field of something else, I guess.

The traditional cottage garden mixed veg with flowers and fruits. My burgeoning blackcurrant bush is up to its eyebrows in a mixed flowerbed of marigolds, common fumitory and small sunflowers and misc annual plants. Nearly all the fruit is hidden. Lots of people don't recognise fruit bushes and the blackcurrants, both red and black, plus raspberries are a bit furtive with the placing of the fruit on the stem anyway.

I'm a raving fan of common fumitory as its rather attractive, a bee-magnet and delicate, with its ferny sappy stems holding themselves up on other plants. You could hide quite a bit with this airy annual herb without smothering it. It has been used medicinally but is definately in the OMG category as the stems contain fumarin which paralyses the respitaory system - an overdose is always fatal.

ETA sb44, what about tinned fish, especially the smaller tins, to be eaten in one sitting? Things like sardines in oil (the oil would be useful for calories and the fish in oil has longer dates than the fish in tomato sauce, I notice. Fish is excellent for health, tasty, is eaten cold, the small tins usually have fingerpull openings, too. You can mostly get sardines just under 50p/ tin.

sb44

Speaking of bees. We have a few going in and out of the air bricks just under the eaves of the house.

They can't get inside the house so I don't really mind them at the minute. They seem to be visiting a few houses in the street, all going inside the air bricks, they are small white tailed bumble bees.

sb44

ETA sb44, what about tinned fish, especially the smaller tins, to be eaten in one sitting? Things like sardines in oil (the oil would be useful for calories and the fish in oil has longer dates than the fish in tomato sauce, I notice. Fish is excellent for health, tasty, is eaten cold, the small tins usually have fingerpull openings, too. You can mostly get sardines just under 50p/ tin.[/QUOTE]

Yep, we have some small tins of tuna, the 3 pack ones from Home Bargains. They are ideal as smaller than regular tins, so could be eaten from the tin in a sitting.

However, there is no way I could get my husband or teenage daughter to even try any other tinned fish, they would both start heaving! :eek:

I did think about the sardines if only for myself to try the other week. Bought some in brine so the dog could eat them if I didn't. She had one mixed in with her biscuits which she did eat, couldn't get to eat any a second time though. I mixed mine with some sweet chilli sauce and forced it down. Won't be trying again.

Frugalsod

sb44 wrote: »

As well as rice, pasta, tinned veg etc I have decided to buy some calorie laden foodstuff, this is a typical list for one week, doesn't include veg etc.

A lot of these are things I wouldn't normally buy as I have the time to make meals from scratch at the minute, of course that would change if the SHTF, especially if we lost power.

I will have about 20 gas canisters (although that wouldn't last long) to go with the 2 portable gas stoves, a tealight type burner stove (that uses surgical spirit in the burners etc), made a penny stove and have a rocket stove in the back garden.

The canned food seems fine. I would add baked beans as good protein and cheap.

As for cooking I would look into solar cookers. You may not get a lot of sun but if you do it is handy. I have a solar kettle and use it as much as possible. Now it will never save me a lot of money but it does mean I think about hot water and what can be done. I have ordered a fancy solar barbecue with heat brick so might try baking bread in it.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/707808908/gosun-grill-a-break-through-solar-oven-that-cooks

and am looking at this for camping.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/707808908/gosun-stove-portable-high-efficiency-solar-cooker

jk0

Just been reading this on Zerohedge:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-06-20/meanwhile-greece-quietly-printing-billions-euros

It just occured to me that if the ECB wants its money back from Greece, all it has to do is declare the Greek Euros (Y-Suffix) worthless. Am I wrong?

nuatha

sb44 wrote: »

Anyway, foodstuff, mostly from Lidl, what do other members think. Don't forget this is just the base of the meals for one week. We wouldn't buy most of it normally but, come the crunch and food wasn't being delivered to local shops etc, we would have something to eat. We have tried all of it, except for the Bockwurst.

Idea for 7 day basic meals to build upon.

All tins and jars

Jar Bockwurst sausages £1.39 Lidl

Large tin Chilli Con Carne £1.99 Lidl

So basically, as a last resort and without wanting to use much fuel to cook, I plumped for this lot, plus you could eat all of it cold from the tin (god forbid if needed too).

I'm less keen on jars in my supplies, just due to the higher weight and breakage risk.
Many years ago I used to enjoy Walls tinned sausages in lard, I've seen a Westlers version that I mean to try.
We're fans of Asda's Smart Price Chilli, at 55p for a A1T tin (approx 400g), it isn't as good as homemade but its fairly tasty.

I've looked at several retort packaged means. Ready to eat, in a plastic bag, from lamb shanks in rosemary and mint gravy to chicken in sauce, several curries and even a chilli con carne. So far they aren't up to the standard of tinned/frozen alternatives but they are improving. The most common example of this packaging is the Uncle Bens ready to microwave rice.

Lots of calories in most of the food which would be needed to just keep the body running.

Aside from the fact that you will be doing more physical tasks, stress itself can consume extra calories.

Is it worthwhile stocking up on these type of things in bulk, ie for at least 6 months?

I have enough of these items for just two months at the minute.

I'm not a big fan of keeping substantial stocks of things that aren't part of our regular diet - life can be stressful enough without adding a substantial change to the diet.
Having said that, I've recently been trialling various one tin ready meals, without a great deal of success. I'm seriously considering going down the pressure canning route, in particular because the retort packaging is now available for home use.
I also need to review stocks to include more vegetarian options.

Bugging out is no longer an option - MiL made it home from hospital a couple of days ago, has limited mobility, she's managing to walk very short distances using a zimmer frame. Our bugout location is not wheelchair accessible, so for the forseeable future SHTF will mean we relocate to her location, and I'll need to adjust stockholding accordingly.

sb44

nuatha wrote: »

I'm less keen on jars in my supplies, just due to the higher weight and breakage risk.

I've looked at several retort packaged means. Ready to eat, in a plastic bag, from lamb shanks in rosemary and mint gravy to chicken in sauce, several curries and even a chilli con carne. So far they aren't up to the standard of tinned/frozen alternatives but they are improving. The most common example of this packaging is the Uncle Bens ready to microwave rice.

I'm not a big fan of keeping substantial stocks of things that aren't part of our regular diet - life can be stressful enough without adding a substantial change to the diet.

Just did a stock check and I only have 4 jars, thought I had 8 for some reason, must be because we haven't tried them yet, so will be buying mostly cans.

A lot of the ready to eat meals in bags are quite expensive so will be avoiding those.

You say about not keeping stocks of things that aren't part of your regular diet. If that were the case in our household I wouldn't have anything in!

We hardly ever eat any canned food. I may get the odd tin of tuna, corned beef in winter to make a hash and maybe a tin of the chicken in white sauce as a last minute meal idea (perhaps 4 cans of that over the year!).

sb44

Frugalsod wrote: »

The canned food seems fine. I would add baked beans as good protein and cheap.

As for cooking I would look into solar cookers. You may not get a lot of sun but if you do it is handy. I have a solar kettle and use it as much as possible. Now it will never save me a lot of money but it does mean I think about hot water and what can be done. I have ordered a fancy solar barbecue with heat brick so might try baking bread in it.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/707808908/gosun-grill-a-break-through-solar-oven-that-cooks

and am looking at this for camping.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/707808908/gosun-stove-portable-high-efficiency-solar-cooker

Yes, I have beans, plus beans and sausage (yep, I know, but I am talking literally SHTF scenario here, ie you will eat any old carp to stay alive!).

I was looking more at meat based foods etc.

Thanks for the links, I will take a look now. I had never heard of a solar kettle, not sure how long it would take to boil in this country though if we had lots of cloud cover or it was in winter.

armyknife

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

.....

So there are extra costs imposed on many people by necessity for being in the pensioner agegroup BUT the extra costs from having children have been voluntarily chosen (as no-one is forced to have children these days - but no-one can escape getting to old age).

I don't see it that way myself, children are the vector through which society perpetuates itself, so I think we all have an obligation to ensure children are cherished and nurtured.

They're literally the future and will be the ones paying for our pensions, just as we've been paying for the pensions and help given to our older fellow citizens.

Frugalsod

sb44 wrote: »

Thanks for the links, I will take a look now. I had never heard of a solar kettle, not sure how long it would take to boil in this country though if we had lots of cloud cover or it was in winter.

It takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours to get about a pint of water boiled. As the container is insulated you can use it in the winter as well. You just need bright sunlight. Cloudy days do get it warmer but not hot enough to boil. Since I then keep my coffee in an insulated mug it can take several hours to drink anyway. More than long enough till the next batch is ready.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SunRocket-Solar-Kettle-Camping-Thermos-Disaster-Preparation-Emergency-Kit-/161217900943?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item258955f18f