Preparedness for when

bluebag

GreyQueen wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

But does using the kitchen count as "on the land"? I'm sure a legal eagle could make a case.

I don't have the nerve to do HH's melt-the-wax-straight-in-the-pan technique from her blog although she did counsel you not to do this at home. I got my big lug-eared stainless steel pot (£1 from a boot fair about 20 years ago, it's great) and just set 3 standard size food tins in it. They needed to be at least half way full with shredded wax to sit upright in the 3 inches of water at a rolling boil.

I have a 1950s tea tray, very strong and with a deep lip, on a newspaper, beside the stove and the cartons and tubes are sitting on that. Apart from the wicking, I bought nothing in, which is how I like to do my crafts.

I have one tall pinky-red UHT candle (with darker red infill) plus one slightly shorter one, ditto infill. One stubby green cylindrical one (white infill to come) and one taller cylinder in plain white. The third cylinder is taller and I've been tinting white wax with a little plum coloured wax so expect it'll be pale pink when it is unveiled. I've stopped now and hope the white wax left is sufficient to top up the slumpies tomorrow.

All in all, a great way to spend a chilly rainy afternoon.

Sounds a lot of fun, I have found jumble sales the best place for candles. I got 24 large beautiful gold ones for 50p I don't know how many years ago, they have been our Christmas candles every year since my girls were small. But I have literally had carrier bags full of all sorts of colours and types for pennies. No one wants the bent or broken ones except loons like us.

GreyQueen

bluebag wrote: »

Sounds a lot of fun, I have found jumble sales the best place for candles. I got 24 large beautiful gold ones for 50p I don't know how many years ago, they have been our Christmas candles every year since my girls were small. But I have literally had carrier bags full of all sorts of colours and types for pennies. No one wants the bent or broken ones except loons like us.

I got some of mine from freecycle the other year. They'd been those big multi-wicked ones and the wicks had sort of disappeared into the puddle of wax the size of a dinner plate.

I shall be after some more, I've really enjoyed myself. And who are you calling a loon, missus?!:p I could have been in the precinct spending money I don't have on things I don't need with all the other sheeple, y'know.:p

Looning and proud of it.

[Deleted User]

Here's a thought.

Why not go back to the olden days, with your candle making.

Pop along to the local butcher, and ask him/her for some lumps of animal fat (they must throw away tons of the stuff) and make some tallow candles.

GreyQueen

Because I know fine well that tallow candles reek something rotten.

I also know how to make rush lights if we need to go really OS.

First, find a boggy bit of ground and look for the soft rush. Cut some stems and retire to a nearby tussock to carefully peel away the green rind from the inner, which looks exactly like a strip of polystrene.

It's burnable, in a slow and modest way, and was used by the peasantry in rush light holders to light indoors. Candles were expensive, hence the phrase that something Wasn't worth the candle i.e. not worth staying up and burning candles over.

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

Because I know fine well that tallow candles reek something rotten.

I was kinda hoping you didn't know know that.

bluebag

Ohhhhhhhh, I'm just feeling a bit better and ya'll mention tallow, bit stomach churning. I did understand that the very best candles were beeswax and only used by the very rich and the clergy.

ginnyknit

I have dressed rabbits, fish and birds and don't think bigger animals would bother me, in fact I would love the challenge and the meat

I did not enjoy pheasant as the craw was full of the things I most detest on the planet - maggots :eek: I have handled most domestic animals, some farm animals and many exotics without a worry but wriggly things make me hurl, I am in fact gagging as I write this _pale_

GQ thats strange I am just about to buy 'driving over lemons' from am*zon! I saw Rick stein interviewing the writer at his beautiful home and decided I must get it.

I love making candles and use a tin stood in my Maslin pan so I can get my hands in easily with the oven glove on. The best candle I had was a gift from Past Times, a beautifully scented medieval copy ( I dont do scent other than fruity one but this was amazing) and it kept melting down and I kept re- building it till it finally wore out.

2tonsils

I can clean most things, fish, birds, rabbits, whatever. I am quite happy to kill them if need be and I am a very good shot. Have just got a lovely powerful air rifle for my Christmas box and have permission to go on our friends land anytime to shoot.

I am not squeamish, was brought up with game and animals for the table as my father was a game keeper when I was little. Lambs, sheep and goats are still slaughtered in the traditional way here in the village, strung up from a tree so they are properly bled. Dreading it this year as the tourists will be horrified...they usually miss it but Greek Easter this year is after the tourist flights start....

Wild boar is still hunted for meat in the winter months, when the butcher has it in the head and pelt are hung outside the shop to show what he has in. The tails and heads are left on lambs to prove to the tourists that they are not greyhounds for sale.........

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

From what I've seen pigs, deer and probably coos require being hoisted to be bled out and dressed out. Pig killing was tradionally a messy time. If you read that book Driving Over Lemons, I'm sure there's an account of trad pig slaughtering in there.

With porkers you have to scorch the bristles off, I do recall. It's a big job.

Its not that long ago that many families kept a pig or two, it was still happening in the early 70s in this part of the world.
Father was a butcher and on some days off would be "The Pigman."
Slaughtering shouldn't be that messy, at least in the hands of some who knows what they are doing.
Block and tackle used to be a fairly common tool, having sufficient height to hoist the carcass shouldn't be that difficult to achieve (tripod wigwam frame) but singing the bristles off is a horrible smelly job. (I remember Weezl and the pigs head tale, at least she opted for shaving the head, at lot more pleasant indoors).
Pork is the only meat that I can think of where the norm is not to skin the carcass before butchering.

bluebag

2tonsils wrote: »

I can clean most things, fish, birds, rabbits, whatever. I am quite happy to kill them if need be and I am a very good shot. Have just got a lovely powerful air rifle for my Christmas box and have permission to go on our friends land anytime to shoot.

I am not squeamish, was brought up with game and animals for the table as my father was a game keeper when I was little. Lambs, sheep and goats are still slaughtered in the traditional way here in the village, strung up from a tree so they are properly bled. Dreading it this year as the tourists will be horrified...they usually miss it but Greek Easter this year is after the tourist flights start....

Wild boar is still hunted for meat in the winter months, when the butcher has it in the head and pelt are hung outside the shop to show what he has in. The tails and heads are left on lambs to prove to the tourists that they are not greyhounds for sale.........

Oh my, you had better get a supply of smelling salts in for the squeamish among the visitors.. grief, I know a few people who find it hard to handle skinless, boneless chicken breast from a supermarket. Witnessing goats strung up and slaughtered may bring on an attack of the vapors big time.