Preparedness for when

Rosetta92

GQ Get some couscous for these situations. Just add boiling water, stir, wait five minutes for the grains to absorb water, and its ready to eat. I buy the AH (famous chef) packets whenever I see them on a deal. Wild mushroom is lovely, as is the Morrocan Spice one. You can also get regular couscous and add your own flavours, perhaps some herbs and veg. It's also makes a tasty carb part of a meal when you're in a rush/ have no energy to cook. And the leftovers make a great salad base for lunch.

Hope this helps.

R

RAS

GreyQueen wrote: »

I can see a weekend which will include some experimention. Can I ask about "potato purls" as this is a new one on me? I'm wondering if these are a purchased product or something you'd make at home?

Its the official words used to described instant mash potato!

The best stuff is not the posh versions which have all sorts of other additions but basic plain budget instant mash which makes up much more easily with boiling water (and is less lumpy).

I use it for potato cakes flavoured with foraged herbs, hash, and for thickening soups. You only need a teaspoon of two added to the soup mix before you ad the boiling water.

GreyQueen

The things I learn on MSE; thank you both.

I also have some bulgar wheat which is a nice staple; stores dry, you cover it with boiling water, it absorbs it and is then ready to eat. I've not tried cous-cous so shall get a little bit and see if it's edible.

Bulgar wheat is a great base for a salad-y type dish, tastiest if you add the juice of a lemon before the boiling water but if SHTF I wouldn't be fretting about not having citrus fruit. Once it's plumped up you can add all sorts of bits of veg, herbs, even fruit. Everyone I've served it to has come back for seconds and it sits around happily for several days if kept cool.

Around here (we're very provincial) I get it from the health food shops but I guess more exciting areas may have it on the supermarket shelves.

OK, going to work, see ya this evening. GQxx

ETA Take care of yourselves in NI, Sunshine and Craigy and anyone else affected. I was listening to the weather this morning and thinking of you out there.

2tonsils

I thought you might like to read this...its a list of the money restrictions the government in Cyprus plan to bring in to stop the banks collapsing.. read this and remember that they are talking about the money people have in savings and for their day to day living in the banks....

It's a remarkable set of restrictions on the usual nuts and bolts of the financial system - particularly given the final point:
•Restrictions in daily withdrawals
•Ban on premature termination of time savings deposits
•Compulsory renewal of all time savings deposits upon maturity
•Conversion of current accounts to time deposits
•Ban or restrictions on non cash transactions
•Restrictions on use of debit, credit or prepaid debit cards
•Ban or restriction on cashing in checks
•Restrictions on domestic interbank transfers or transfers within the same bank
•Restrictions on the interactions/transactions of the public with credit institutions
•Restrictions on movements of capital, payments, transfers
•Any other measure which the Finance Minister or the Governor of Cyprus Central Bank see necessary for reasons of public order and safety

boultdj

Humm, intresting to know how easy cous-cous & bulgar wheat are to cook, must add it on my to try list.

4-5 inch of snow here, glad I'v spent the morning waterproofing my new shoe's, with the occosional helping paw of adopt-a-cat.

boultdj

Flaming Ada! Poor devil's,how the heck are they suposte to work with that lot of rule's, thank's for letting us know 2t.

ALIBOBSY

Some sites seem to be suggesting the troika are rejecting the latest offers and still pushing for the "haircut" plan.

Those measures 2T has posted look like a desparate attempt to stop a run on the banks to me.

2T any signs of people in Greece itself pulling money out of the banks?

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

Now the Cyprus gov have issued a statement that includes the following:-
"Undoubtedly, there will also be painful aspects in any decision taken, but the country must be saved".

Sounds like the haircut is still on the table then.

Ali x

maryb

I don't anticipate any spillover effects here from whatever happens in Cyprus but it made me realise I have allowed my cash to dwindle to nothing. Normally I like to keep a couple of hundred in cash on hand. I have also started running out of the occasional item I normally keep in stores. We haven't run out of logs (just as well) but it's been such a horrible winter we've made inroads into what was supposed to be for next winter (I like to have a year in hand to allow it to season).

Makes you realise how easy it is to become complacent and take your eye off the ball. I never regretted having a month's worth of cash in the house back at the height of the credit crisis. I was working in the City and hearing all sorts of rumours. And as we now know, NatWest came within about half an hour of having to shut its doors.

There's a newspaper report of a little old lady in Cyprus who for months went to the bank every Friday and took out all her money. Every Monday she went back and redeposited it. When asked why, she explained that her son was an economist working in Russia and he had told her that if anything happened to the banks in Cyprus it would happen at a weekend. Everybody laughed at her. But she now has access to all her money and won't lose anything. Because it did, indeed, happen over a weekend

2tonsils

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Some sites seem to be suggesting the troika are rejecting the latest offers and still pushing for the "haircut" plan.

Those measures 2T has posted look like a desparate attempt to stop a run on the banks to me.

2T any signs of people in Greece itself pulling money out of the banks?

Ali x

Most seem to have already moved it out of the banks here some time ago...or have used it all up on paying the new taxes. We drew out our last euros and paid bills with it earlier this week. We now only have a little sterling left in the bank here. We do have lots of supplies in though, food and fuel and meds just in case.

I really feel for the people in Cyprus as their money is being controlled. You have to think how you would feel if they were taking control of your money in the bank? I have to admit, I think the banks are already empty and the money long gone to God only knows where....and I think that may be true of the Greek banks as well.......only time will tell.

There is a branch of the Cyprus branch here in Corfu and the ATM is empty. People can't get any of their money and are trying to get their wages/pensions paid in cash this month so they have enough to live on and pay bills. I read of someone down to their last 20 euros and they had to decide on fuel to go to work or food. It is so sad! Policemen and military have also got accounts at the Cyprus branch here as it used to pay a little more interest than the others.

The Cypriot govenment wanted to take all the pension/health funds but Merkel said no.......the only time I have ever agreed with the awful woman! I have no idea how this is going to end, but I hope for the people a solution can be found. There is also the scramble to take the oil,gold and gas from Cyprus of course.....