Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

fuddle, there are palm oil free PNBs, such a Wh0le Earth (sold in Tosspots). Not every version even of that brand is palm-oil free but there ones which are have it in a prominent bubble on the front of the label. I've got some in use right now and it's good stuff. HTH.

I'm very chary of alcohol, even social drinking, because there is alcoholism a couple of generations back on one side of the family. I have also seen any number of lives ruined by booze. And I do mean ruined literally, not metaphorically; careers and reputations destroyed, custodial sentences, people killing people by drunk driving, criminal convictions for alcohol-fuelled assaults.

I had a glass of wine on Xmas day, another of New Year's day, a sherry most nights over the week between those two dates and the entirity of my alcohol consumption since then is one-half pint of organic cider at the pub a couple of weekends back with a meal out with friends. This pattern is typical of me. My doctor was once asking a few lifestyle questions, asked me about smoking (never) and drinking (relayed as above) and informed me that I'm what is classified as a virtual tee-totaller.

Heck, there's a bottle of red wine in the kitchen cupboard, been there about 9 months, may have someone around who'd like to drink it some time this year...........:rotfl:

fuddle

me too GQ. To register with my new doctors I had to have a check up. when asked did I drink or smoke and replied no to both I was looked at a bit funny. Cue more probing that gave I haven't even tried smoking because growing up in the stench made me hate the stuff and my mother has cirrhosis. That was accepted but why not my initial word? Such a sad state of afffairs to feel in the minority where addiction is concerned.

That helps GQ, ta. I should have known really as it's the cheaper version bit still. It made me look at my 'jam'. it consisted of fructose syrup, geletin and fruit concentrate. I need to pay more.

moneyistooshorttomention

Try getting into the over-60 age group in this country and then you get looked at in astonishment whenever anyone medical asks you if you are taking any drugs (as in medical drugs) and you say that you aren't:D

So - that will be me then GQ - a "virtual teetotaller" from here on in:rotfl:. I think future consumption should boil down to a couple of glasses of wine once a month at book club and maybe a cool half pint of lager after a walk on a hot day and that will be that (bar visits back to home area - where it might be a bit more). Well - one of the (positive type) reasons for coming to Wales was to get healthier after all:rotfl:. Guess the clue is to never let myself buy any for home consumption - as the social life here involves very modest booze consumption indeed (being much more daytime-based and far fewer attending meetings and the like). I think I've moved to an area of "larks" not "owls".

****************

Re healthy jam - and there are two options available:
- go to a health food store and they have jams without artificial ingredients or sugar in
- make your own - as in one of the fashionable chia seed jams (though these can only keep for a week or two in the fridge).

But - yep both options do cost a lot more than buying supermarket standard jam.

Nargleblast

Fuddle - make your own jams and marmalades. Doesn't have to be expensive, particularly when you get a glut of fruit. Your home made stuff will just be pure fruit and sugar, no chemical nasties, and will probably have a higher concentration of fruit than commercial jams. You don't have to buy special preserving pans or equipment, a large saucepan will do enough for three or four decent sized jars. I think there is a Preserver's Year thread on OS, showing you what is in season each month. We never buy commercial jams now.

[Deleted User]

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I never used to drain my waterbutt in my last house and didn't have any problems

It depends on the waterbutts. We have no outside tap (eco stuff) and any water we need outside comes from the butts. I have two ordinary b and q butts that I never drain about 250 litres in total, then two years ago dh put in 3 more waterbutts but they had to look good and be a feature, Two are each 550 litres and one is I think 300 litres. They were very expensive and have brass taps. Freezing into a lump inside would obviously crack them, so I drain them in autumn via a hose into the rainwater harvesting system, then I leave the hoses in place all winter, so rainwater drains out. Even last year all the butts almost went dry. It will be better this year as I have spent a lot of time making the back drought proof

I bought shelled peanuts and will make peanut butter next week, no added salt or oil. I had the last of my jar on a slice of sd and had a smaller sd with a jam and didn`t get any tummy rumblings until 12.30 but was crafting so didn`t think of snacking

Fuddle you will enjoy playing with sd, just always remember to save a little in the fridge. My sister bakes hers in the remoska and I have made flat breads in a frying pan in the past

Incredibly blustery today and there lies the danger of being on the motorway. Felting needles came today and I have spent a lovely relaxing morning finishing my needle felted hare. It looks fab, really does and will go to dd as a present to accompany some cash for her birthday. It looked feathery until I had the brainwave to go around with little sharp scissors. I am hooked on this craft, love it

oh yes, another thought re gerd. Try finding absolute triggers eg I didn`t use bell peppers for weeks as I was suspicious then one came in a veg box so it was used, it was a huge trigger, almost instant. Same with bananas and chillis

Oh heck, I see two apple trees have blown over down the field behind me. Shame, they should have done a wassailing

What now, time to kill and I feel really good, this new ayurvedic regime is agreeing with me, loads of energy, unusual for this time of day. Maybe I will re-learn how to do cover stitch so I can finish those hems, just got to use the right differential feed as the dress fabric is very stretchy and I don`t want any gathers

ivyleaf

Just thinking, over the years I've tried a lot of different types of alcohol (especially when we lived in Germany and it was duty-free at the NAAFI). The only one I've ever felt I could get addicted to is red wine.

Luckily OH doesn't like it anyway, so we never buy a full-sized bottle. I buy the mini-bottles that contain one glass, maybe two a month. Sometimes I drink the whole glassful, but often I've only bought it to use half of it in cooking, and then I drink the leftover half-glass with the meal.

I don't think I mentioned yesterday that the kitchen timer has unaccountably disappeared. It's a magnetic one that lives on the fridge door. Without it, I absentmindedly boiled an egg for 40 minutes yesterday

OH has had to learn very suddenly how the alarm facility on his phone works

I'm sure the timer will eventually turn up somewhere really silly and I'll exclaim "Oh, now I remember! I had it in my hand and then remembered I had to do so-and-so, and must have put it down."

maryb

I never do dry January as my DH and my best friend both have birthdays in that month so I don't set myself up for failure. But I am going to give up alcohol for Lent. I've done it before but only got as far as Mothering Sunday/Laetare Sunday (fourth Sunday in Lent) when you are allowed a day off from Lenten restrictions. Trouble is, having fallen off the waggon, it's very hard to climb back on. I like the idea of doing it in Lent because it seems to tie me in with very old traditions which I think a lot of people still feel a connection to - look round any office and there is bound to be someone talking about giving up chocolate for Lent even if they are not regular churchgoers.

Anyway, if you need your quota of doom and gloom for the day, have a read of this

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/12138466/when-is-the-next-financial-crash-coming-oil-prices-markets-recession.html

[Deleted User]

I don't do alcohol in any shape or form, haven't for years and I've never smoked either both my parents did and I have always HATED the smell, makes me heave if I walk in the street and someone is smoking ahead of me. I don't do much by way of sugar or sweeties either does that make me boring? or just different to some folks? We've just had blood tests at the GPs along with all the other over 65s for cholesterol, pre diabetes and several other things too so I'm waiting the outcome of that with interest although they said if there was no problem we'd not hear anything. We have a pretty healthy diet with very little processed or premade foods so I'm happy with what we do eat, we'll see what TPTB feel!!!

[Deleted User]

The weather has turned crap again, here.

Raining heavy, and blowing a gale.

calicocat

Hi folks...still about, RL been in the way of surfing on here again.

Well......my dry january lasted until the 20th I think.... :rotfl: Better than nothing I guess.


Life is a changing this end. Me and he who knows less are not getting along at the moment, so have been busy with friends and having a good time to ignore it all for a couple of weeks.

The oddest thing is......when chatting to one of the student nurses last week, he was telling me about his housing needs bal bla bla......so.....totally out of the blue......I said he could lodge with me for the 6 months to a year he is looking it... :eek: :eek: :eek:

:rotfl: :rotfl: I have absolutely no idea where that random thought came from.

Anyhow, up-shot is, he's very keen on the idea it seems as wants a quiet life to save for a house deposit.

This means that if the SHTF with the job front in the next 3 months, I will either have more money in the bank, have replaced some appliances that could do with it, and the plan is to get more pots and garden sorted for growing more food stuffs with the extra dosh. Seeds bought today, so excited to get back in the garden :T. What's left of it after all this horrid weather.

It's all a bit scary really, but it's not a life sentence, and he seems a very nice chappie.

So....in an attempt to get sorted tidied house up. then started taking stuff out of the room that will be his if he decides it's for him, and now house is all disorganised again. Am going to have to get some boxes and just shove some of the stuff in the loft. It hasn't all been bad as I have thrown un-needed and hoarded stuff (clothes) out.

Hope all is well with folk on here,will try and do a bit of catch up later.