Preparing for Winter V

katiepants

Last night I made a huge pot of this: https://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/recipes/chunky-chicken-potato-soup/

I haven't tasted it yet but it looks and smells absolutely devine.
I also made a batch of bolognaise. The issue I have now is that I have run out of space in the freezer. Oops!

Also, I woke up this morning with a headache (stormy weather), and realised that we don't have any paracetamol in the house. Must make sure I stock up!

Eenymeeny

That recipe looks lovely katiepants. Thanks for posting. Also a nice website, using good healthy ingredients. I'm sure that we can all find budget friendly recipes on there that will be useful over the winter
Paracetamol: I remember my son remarking that it was quite a shock after he'd left home to realise that he had to go out and buy some when he woke up with a hangover! (I always keep our first aid drawer(!) well-stocked, although I must admit that fortunately there isn't a lot of call for crepe bandages and eye patches these days! )

fuddle

Katiepants if you have a condition that you feel makes you a candidate for the pneumonia jab have a word with your GP who can ask the nurses/reception to give you it if s/he feels it's appropriate. The P jab isn't age specific. It's supposed to be used according to need. I got mine when I was 38.

Pooky

Last year was the first year I really suffered from SAD but I've been taking vitamin D supplements this year and feel much more energised and looking forward to the months ahead. DH was given very high doses a couple of years ago as his levels were right down and now the Dr has him on a maintenance dose - it really has helped in a number of ways (vitamin D is great for digestive issues too and taking it has cured my reflux).

I'm getting a bit twitchy as I can't make a coal order yet. Normally it would be stacked in the garage by now but the garage is chock a block full of DD1s furniture as she's waiting to complete on her new flat. She should be a home owner as of 2 weeks time and I can start getting myself sorted.

Going to the allotment this afternoon to see how it faired in last nights winds and I think the runner beans will come out because we're expecting another big blast on Sunday...they'd all but finished anyway.

katiepants

fuddle wrote: »

Katiepants if you have a condition that you feel makes you a candidate for the pneumonia jab have a word with your GP who can ask the nurses/reception to give you it if s/he feels it's appropriate. The P jab isn't age specific. It's supposed to be used according to need. I got mine when I was 38.

Thanks, I did ask my Asthma nurse and she refused, but could mention it to my GP. I'm very prone to chest infections and was hospitalised with Pneumonia 2 winters ago. V scary.

[Deleted User]

A much nicer day today but last night was 'interesting' and the first sign that winter is 'a coming'. Have found my warm jumpers and am wearing one now as the temperature is dropping, we've been around 18 for most of the day so comfortable BUT as the afternoon wanes it gets chilly but we've not been tempted to turn on the heating yet thank goodness. Having liberated my cookery books yesterday as dear old He Who Knows has built me two nice new book cases I cooked a vegan green veg biryani for lunch which was rather nice and I'm wanting some warming stews and casseroles and am having a browse to see what I can find that is a new recipe for us, I like our favourites but it's nice to ring the changes isn't it?

mardatha

Hit a high of 11c here MrsL and the first snow has fallen on the Cairngorms already..

SpikyHedgehog

katiepants wrote: »

....Think about how I can make winter mornings more bearable for myself. I'm thinking that preparing everything the night before would help so I can stay in bed longer, and maybe putting clothes on radiator so they are warm by the time I get up...

I think that's it for now but will read this thread with interest.

I really don't like coming home to a dark house (there are street lights all over our close, so unless there's a power cut, it's rarely dark outside, but coming into a dark house with all the curtains still open from the morning just reminds me of coming home from work when my ex should have been home already and seeing the dog looking at me sadly from the window as ex had been at the pub all day and was still there... ) so I have a plug in timer switch in the hallway with an old plug in nightlight set to come on before we get home, and in the mornings before I get up. I was surprised at how much difference it meant to me in the mornings as well to have the cosy little light glowing gently at me.

There are SAD alarm clocks now - dunno how they work as I only found out about them today https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/mind/best-wake-up-light-alarm-clocks/
- but could be worth a look at?

I put DS2's clothes in the airing cupboard to warm them up, as his room's so tiny that a radiator rack would get in the way. DS1 puts his underwear on his radiator which is twice the length of the 1 in DS2's room.

We got our daylight lamps from Lidl, about this time of year but a few years ago.

Flu jab booked for next Saturday. Hoping I've got rid of this stupid cold by then though! Oh, the joys of working with small children who cough all over you, and having wretched asthmatic lungs. I'd feel fine if I didn't have to keep breathing

[Deleted User]

katiepants great recipes and I have bookmarked the site. Now any ideas how I can stop sparking like the national grid when wearing my jumpers I seem to pick up a lot of static electric :):)

PipneyJane

Pooky wrote: »

Last year was the first year I really suffered from SAD but I've been taking vitamin D supplements this year and feel much more energised and looking forward to the months ahead. DH was given very high doses a couple of years ago as his levels were right down and now the Dr has him on a maintenance dose - it really has helped in a number of ways (vitamin D is great for digestive issues too and taking it has cured my reflux).

I'm getting a bit twitchy as I can't make a coal order yet. Normally it would be stacked in the garage by now but the garage is chock a block full of DD1s furniture as she's waiting to complete on her new flat. She should be a home owner as of 2 weeks time and I can start getting myself sorted.

Going to the allotment this afternoon to see how it faired in last nights winds and I think the runner beans will come out because we're expecting another big blast on Sunday...they'd all but finished anyway.

Pooky, I have the periods-from-Hell due to being hypothyroid and I’ve found taking Vitamin D really helped with those. My periods are more regular and my cycle longer when I take it. (It’d dropped to 21 days before I started on Vit D. On Vit D, it recovered to 24 days.)

Re the coal, can you order it now for delivery after your daughter’s completion date? That would put your mind at rest.

We’re off to France tomorrow for a week, so this afternoon I’m going to harvest the last of the tomatoes, give them a good wash and shove the green/unripe ones into the freezer in a bag, to be made into chutney at some point in October. Any ripe ones will be frozen separately, to go into tomato sauce at a later date.

I’m also planning to harvest the last of the basil and tonight will make a huge batch of pesto. Any pesto doesn’t make it into dinner will be frozen. Hopefully the perennial herbs will survive until we get back, but I may have time to freeze small batches in bags as a precaution (sage, marjoram and tarragon). I used to have bags for them but they were sacrificed when the fridge/freezer died.

The potato plants have died off but I’ll harvest those - and the carrots - when we get back from our hols. Any suggestions for storage? This is the first time I’ve grown carrots.

- Pip