Preparing for Winter V

Greenglockenspiel

I use orgran egg replacer from Holland & barrett- it’s vegan but works the same way as eggs in baking and is also a shelf stable powder that you just add water to. There’s also aquafaba aka the water from chickpeas/tinned beans which many of you probably already have knocking about!

Jazee

I now have a tub of ice cream defrosting to make that chocolate cake later!  Normally I use apple sauce instead of eggs in cake mix.

Primrose

Interesting use of apple sauce substituting for eggs in cake mixes.  Have never heard of that.  Does it work well?  Presumably the Apple flavour disperses throughout the cake and doesn't leave any particular Apple taste.  I Imagine that would have worked well during the last war when eggs were severely rationed?

[Deleted User]

Yes, it makes a nice moist cake, it's an American thing and sometimes used in vegan recipes instead of eggs.  I've not noticed any apple taste in the finished cakes either.

MingVase

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-germany-suffer-alarming-jump-new-covid-19-cases-second-wave-spreads-live-updates

Summary:

• China reports another 105 new cases
• Hong Kong suffers new COVID record
• Japan reports another 1,200+ cases
• Melbourne suffers new record
• Germany sees cases at 6 week high
• Dutch gov't declines to advise face mask wearing
• Local lockdowns reported in parts of UK
• Poland suffers new daily record

[Deleted User]

In squirrel mode because the garden is producing so much but all at the same time so the dehydrator is going full pelt most days and today has a tray of cherry tomatoes for sundried to store in oil, 2 x trays rhubarb and 2 x trays of runner beans.  I've also put a big bag of French beans into the freezer.  Winter stocks that don't need power to store make me feel more secure.

Greenglockenspiel

In addition to rebuilding my stash, I am trying to get things around the house that need a tradesperson sorted and out of the way in case of a second lockdown later in the year, to make the most of the relative lull. So far we have recently had a new flat roof as I mentioned a few pages back as well as some other repairs. We’ve also started looking at getting a new carpet fitted in the next few weeks. Next on my list to arrange: get new energy efficient front door fitted (current one has a gap all around!), get an electrician in to do several small jobs, get a quote for cavity wall insulation, and book a boiler service. I might also look at whether we need any repairs/replacements to gutters.

boultdj

Yes we've had some jobs done as well, fitting you in is a work of art as some of them are booked for weeks in advance, or in the case of the work we've had done, playing catch up, as our work was booked end of Feb, was due to start the week lock down was brought in, also got a gutter clean booked for mid oct, as there are a lot of trees round us and we don't want blocked drains or gutters giving us any problems.

Laura_Elsewhere

Thankfully, My Intended is exceptionally handy at DIY - but the building our rented flat is in is covered by a building management company who are a bit of a pain to wrestle with... I have to start tackling her about the gutters (cleaned once in 6 years...) soon, and am not looking forward to it! Mind you, we are above most of the trees here  

But M-I is going to be hors-de-combat for medical grounds soon, so if it needs done before about mid-September then either I need to get him to do it this coming week, or I'll have to do it!

Greenglockenspiel

Oh yes OH has also been tasked with painting most of the house, building my ideas for storage and boarding the loft 😁 but those can be done lockdown or not as long as we have the materials! He was a bit antsy that I booked a plasterer at short notice, but you’re right that it can be difficult to get availability so I wanted it done while I saw a window of opportunity!