Preparing for Winter V

RebeccaAnn

Onebrokelady wrote: »

Ive normally got eggs at least because I've got my own chickens so can always make a meal from these but it's nice to have other bits as well,I'm also thinking of having a go at baking my own bread and if I'm ok at it I might buy in the ingredients to bake a basic loaf, this will avoid the problem I had last year of going to the supermarket and ending up with a box of egg custard tarts and some chocolate puddings to eat because there wasn't any bread to be had anywhere
I'm actually still so traumatised from that one that I always buy two loaves at a time now and bung one in the freezer,my freezer isn't massive though and is shared with my DD and her boyfriend so I'm limited to what I can put in there,we have a drawer each,he is going to uni in September though so there will be a bit more space then
We have a camping stove and gas canisters if we need them and a stove top kettle,I'm always reassured if I know I can at least rustle up a fry up:)

We live out in the middle of nowhere and bread doesn't last us from big shop to big shop. We were buying loaves at the little village shop inbetween for around £1.50 and often they have none in.

This summer we decided to buy a breadmaker and picked 1 up for £15 off a facebook selling site. It is probably the best purchase we have made in years. We bulk buy a few weeks bread flour at lidl for around 65p and a large loaf only costs us about 44p to make. So the bread maker has already paid for its self when comparing the prices to the cheap versions we were buying before and the bread it beautiful.

Then there is the added bonus of the smell. We set the delay timer so that we come home from work to a fresh cooked loaf which is far better than any room sprays. Roll on the autumn food as I love using bread to mop up stews.

Anyway I am waffling but making bread has been completely worth it for us and there are lotsof second hand bread makers out there that have never been used so might be worth seeing if there are any in your area.

Primrose

We bought a Panasonic bread maker a year ago and it too is one of the most used gadgets in our kitchen so I dont begrudge the space it takes up. We too keep a good stock of variety flours and seeds and my OH who enjoys cooking more than I do has become an expert bread maker, especially of artisan loaves with rye and various seeds. If you like a firmer type of loaf which doesn,t collapse when yiu try to cut it for sandwiches or toast these are the recipes to go for.

it is also capable of making an excellent variety of oblong cakes in it. You just put one of those oblong waxy paper cake cases in the bottom of the tin, dollop the mixture in and set it going.

Both_Feet_on_Terra_Firma

I follow this thread most years but i just wanted to put a warning out there as last year my hubby had a bad cold so he was working his way through the my cold remedy stash he then became really unwell with headaches and got quite aggy so we went to the GP his BP was through the roof and was dealt with but the GP warned that over the counter cold and flu remedies can cause blood pressure to rise and can be dangerous to those who suffer from high BP . I no longer buy these remedies from the pound shop i now only go to the chemist to check interactions.

Primrose

Both_Feet_on_Terra_Firma wrote: »

I follow this thread most years but i just wanted to put a warning out there as last year my hubby had a bad cold so he was working his way through the my cold remedy stash he then became really unwell with headaches and got quite aggy so we went to the GP his BP was through the roof and was dealt with but the GP warned that over the counter cold and flu remedies can cause blood pressure to rise and can be dangerous to those who suffer from high BP . I no longer buy these remedies from the pound shop i now only go to the chemist to check interactions.

I think the medical companies have grown rich on the backs of these over the counter remedies. There,s quite a lot of medical evidence that seems to suggest they don,t really benefit you at all and you're just as well off taking simple paracetamol and keeping hydrated with hot lemon and honey.

Chloepad1

Hi everyone

I'm looking to replenish my woeful winter bed linen. Can anyone offer recommendations for somewhere to purchase some lovely new brushed cotton bedding? Dunelm looks lovely but seems expensive.

Primrose

Chloepad1 wrote: »

Hi everyone

I'm looking to replenish my woeful winter bed linen. Can anyone offer recommendations for somewhere to purchase some lovely new brushed cotton bedding? Dunelm looks lovely but seems expensive.

Apart from charity shops I think Dunelm is probably better value than some. IVe from them in the past and have been satisfied with their quality. They do a large selection of types of duvet too and what I like about them is that all the branches I,ve been to have duvet samples hung up up so you can look and feel and see exactly what you're getting. I don't like to buy something tightly parcelled in a plastic bag and then get it home to find it's not quite what I had envisaged.

You could check John Lewis online but I doubt whether they will be cheaper.

fuddle

Both_Feet_on_Terra_Firma wrote: »

I follow this thread most years but i just wanted to put a warning out there as last year my hubby had a bad cold so he was working his way through the my cold remedy stash he then became really unwell with headaches and got quite aggy so we went to the GP his BP was through the roof and was dealt with but the GP warned that over the counter cold and flu remedies can cause blood pressure to rise and can be dangerous to those who suffer from high BP . I no longer buy these remedies from the pound shop i now only go to the chemist to check interactions.

Yes, I have been told to avoid decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine and the like as they can narrow blood vessels. I can't even have ibuprofen now as they're known to interact with fluid/salt/kidneys) and can cause more strain on the heart. Of course this is just advice for me in my situation. The caffeine in the flu mixture is also off limits.

For me it's paracetamol a good honey and elderberry syrup but to be fair I have done that for the last few years anyway. Thyme tea for me when I get a sniff of chest infection plus essential oils in my burner.

[Deleted User]

Yak Trax are metal spiral 'anti slip' devices that fit on to the sole of your shoes or boots and are really effective in the icy weather. I lost one pair in the bad snow last winter because they just pinged off but we got me another pair of 'walkers' yak trax which have an over foot strap to hold them on. First time I've not been like Bambi on the ice in slippery conditions. Not vey expensive and well worth the outlay if it is snowy or icy.

babyblooz

I've had lovely brushed cotton bedding from Primark and Asda, both seem similar quality. They have both washed and worn well.

Frith

I’ve collected more wood today (wasteland in the village has been cleared with a view to building houses on it - this happens every 5 years or so and planning permission is never granted!)

Son1 sawed up the first load this morning. With this next load, I think we’ll have about a months worth. (We don’t have central heating).

Also chatted to my neighbour and she said I can borrow her jam kettle which will save me having several saucepans on the go at the same time.

We’ve also been doing back to school and college preparations - tomorrow!!! - including hair cut.