Preparing for winter IV

singlestep

I must confess that I've fallen off the OS wagon over the last few weeks and have been overspending. However, I managed to defrost the freezer at the weekend and it's all ready to be stocked up. Now it's gettting a bit chillier, my summer food addiction - bread, tomatoes and serrano/iberian ham (bought when on offer) - just isn't cutting it.

When I'm off next week, I'm thinking that I should cook a big batch of something different each day - nine days, including two weekends - and put most of it away to freeze. It's getting to that scary part of the year (which should only last until ... May? ) when it feels like I have no life. If I do it now, it means that I can probably get away with real cooking only at weekends between now and Christmas.

The old standbys are:

• soup: mushroom, lentil and bacon, leek and potato, carrot and coriander, chicken broth, Scotch broth.
• stews, curries and chilli, bolognaise
• shepherds' pie and cottage pie
• variations of tomato sauce

I am a fairly limited cook but want to expand a little on this. I think I need to have a good look on some of the other threads for ideas as I can't eat cheese or eggs.


I've got a list of things to do - friends and family to see, clothes and first Christmas presents to buy while I've got time, winter kits to seek out, dust off and have handy. Have to have a strategy in place should work be cancelled or I be late and I have to update my work contacts to take account of people being off or moving on. I also have to make sure that I get a prescription I need to get direct from hospital rather than GP - almost forogt about that one.


A colleague of mine - she's temporary - has come over from warmer climes to work with us for the next nine months and she's already suffering due to the 'cold'. Since nobody else seems to have done it, I'm going to put together a winter survival list for her, too.

bossymoo

That's a good idea! I'm off for a week too. I have a second freezer, switched off. So might do some batch cooking and flick it back on! Thanks for the suggestion!

SpikyHedgehog

unixgirluk wrote: »

Thats my worry about hanging about waiting on public transport. I am in a temporary job at the moment and if I am off I don't get paid. I wasn't well on friday and really wanted to come home (OH kept asking what was wrong.....er I'm not well!), but I wouldn't have been paid! I'm off today but that was booked off to go with OH to see about his op. Again I don't get paid if I book a day off but I've tried to make it as productive as possible. Went to Holland and Barrett and got high level Vit C and B12 to boost my immune system and hopefully ward off the persistent colds I seem to be getting.

Oh, I'm the same... If I'm ill for more than 4 days, I'll get SSP, but I'll have had nothing for the 4 days, & if it's DS2 who's ill, I get nothing. It's scary! Make sure you're eating properly & getting enough sleep, as well as keeping warm - when I've been worst with my asthma, it's been when I've been run down as well as cold.

PRINCESSX87, can you get tins of beans, soups etc in? & I've got a few dried packets of instant meals - well, add water & cook for 20.minutes - that don't take up too much storage. & I'd try to find storage places round the house - under the beds?

MrsCD

Just popping in to mention that if you use matt paint on walls instead of satin paint, the walls can 'breathe' and get less condensation. A friend of DH's told me this a while ago and I forgot to say Hope this helps someone.

sophsnan

darkrev wrote: »

asda do their own version called snowtrax very simmilar product. not sure they are available yet but they will get some in as you can still see where they were online so the shops should get stock soon you could ask at your local store

Asda own version snowtrax are in the stores atm in my local store they are in baskets near the de-icer and bags of salt HTH

jackel

Many thanks Darkrev, Popplewell and Sophsnan for the additional help re yak trax(type)footware. Really appreciated.

Spikey - Do tell - what do you do with the snail ? Wanted to ask before but didn't like to show my ignorance !

jac xx

kladoink

Oog wrote: »

Hi,
I've been reading this thread for a while and just wanted to post some about the 'polar' fleece material I ordered from fabricland.

I ordered an entire 50m roll of black to do cheap curtain linings (as I have large bay windows that have a 3m drop and need at least 8 pairs :eek:) and it came the next day so I was very pleased with the service. Just need to measure and cut them, now...

They have some really nice patterns,too, if you wanted fancy winter linings!

Hi all, long time lurker here :wave:

Oog, just wondered what the delivery charge was on the fleece?

And also, how are you attaching them to the curtains? I am in the same position as you - large bays with a 3m drop, so am seriously considering the fleece. We do have secondary double glazing but the cold air still pours off the glass.

Thanks!

annie123

Don't drive in Ugg boots even if they are warm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216670/Teacher-49-crashed-oncoming-vehicle-Ugg-boot-got-stuck-brake-pedal.html

ginnyknit

that was about 10 minutes from our house Annie, on the direct route to the hospital.

mineallmine

I started thinking about gloves for my OH and realised he doesn't really have any thick ones. After reading the bargain ski gloves Confuzzled got from Sport Direct I managed to find these which I just posted on the Grabbit Board, mens gloves for £1.29p:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/56488529#Comment_56488529

To be honest I think they're fairly unisex and a bargain for £1.29p

Thanks Confuzzled