Preparing for Winter V

carolbee

I've always read along and done some prepping. This weekend we are building some made to measure shelves in the cupboard under the stairs when we keep our extra food in. One of everything in the kitchen and this is the overspill. Why we have never done it before I don't know! I am to keep 4 of everything as spares in there. Toiletries, cleaning materials loo rolls etc are in garage.

Is it wrong to be excited?

pollys

The weather forecast was good, so we sanded down the shed and the wooden parts of the garage. I started to paint the shed, it clouded over and it is now pouring down.
We will hopefully get it finished over the bank holiday weekend.
Yesterday the joiner replaced the kitchen floor by the back door and re sealed the door (a leak had made the floor very spongy) He also re sealed the porch and fitted a new bath panel.

Winter preps are under way.

Polly

carolbee

As previously posted, just fitted out cupboard under the stairs. At present we keep washing powder etc in the garage. Do you think flour, sugar etc would suffer if we kept washing powder etc in same cupboard?

As we don't live in Downton Abbey, it's only a walk of about four feet from the back door to the garage, it's just me liking 'stuff' all together. And as we live in Kent not out in the wilds of Scotland, not likely said doors would be blocked by snow.

[Deleted User]

If you sealed the washing powder and anything that had a 'perfume' in a plastic bag and used a clip for the top that should stop cross contamination with food stuffs. You could go one step further and put that plastic bagged produce in a lidded plastic container if you had one big enough and stand it on the floor which should keep any 'fragrances' from being overpowering in a small space.

nicki_2

Today organizedhome's holiday grand plan starts... and I'm more than ready to take it all on. I'm feeling really motivated to get lots of jobs I've been putting off done. So today I'm making a big list, then I'm going to make one for my landlady to take to her this week for things she's responsible for. We need electrical work doing and I've not heard anything about it since the check was done (and failed) in July, I don't really want to be decorating for them to come round and start hacking at the walls moving sockets etc.

FairyPrincessk

Hi,

I know some of you will be stocking your store cupboards for winter so I thought I'd pop in and say that Mr T have tins of kidney and cannelini beans for 10 and 13p. At mine they're on an end aisle along with things that are being discontinued. I also saw Allinson bread flour there, but it didn't look like a great price to me. Our local Mr T is bigger than a metro but still fairly small and they rotate stock frequently, so I'm not sure if it will be at all of them but worth a look.

[Deleted User]

Now that our climbing French beans have started to die back we've seen how many pods of mature beans we have that are drying in their pods and it will be a very good harvest this year. I always leave on any pods that I've missed when picking them to eat as green beans, last year I podded out over a kilo in weight and it looks much more than that this year. I dry them in situ until they have gone brown and the pods crispy then I pick them off the vines and dry them on top of the boiler on a tray until they are brittle. Then they get podded out and sorted out, the podded beans get a couple of weeks on top of the boiler on the tray and then get packed up and go into the freezer for 48 hours to destroy any pests that may be lurking and then into a kilner jar for shelf storage. They then get soaked up to go in stews, soups, chillis etc and used just as you would shop bought pulses. It's useful and means we don't waste the crop we've grown even when it's like us old and grey!

fuddle

Autumn menu plan is complete along with shopping list. The frugal meals will enable me to concentrate on upping the store cupboard again. All hail the dumpling. I love this time of year.

I've spent little time at home of late, and I type this sat in my caravan recovering, but I do know that I have a lot of blackberries to pick and the last of the rhubarb. We'll be back tea time tomorrow and although I can't go picking myself my little ones can. I will freeze until I can bake and make.

After this summer of awful infection I cannot wait till the elderberry produce because I need elderberry syrup.

FairyPrincessk

I'm also hoping to make elderberry syrup this autumn, although the plan is contingent on work being slow enough when the berries are ready.

I also need to get the first aid and sickness supplies in order again, switch out damp traps, get the hotwater bottles off the high shelf, air the second duvet and probably wash a few jumpers. My winter preps are fairly small this year and I'm trying to stretch summer out for as long as I can. I'll be doing jam soon, and depending on how that goes will add a savory item--possibly a chutney.

TopsyMum

What a lovely thread,have just subscribed so I can have a proper look back later.
For us I've not done too much prep this year but new duvets ( bought very cheaply in sale) are up in loft waiting,all blankets that we like to have to sit with in evening,on top of bed at night etc have all been freshly washed in the nice weather and are ready and waiting and hot water bottles are purchased and ready to go too.
Need to buy us all gloves and wellies as our old ones are all no longer any good!