The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

thriftwizard

I've just been up to our little town centre for some everyday supplies, and it's madness up there! Rumour (just rumour, at this stage) has it that some of the kids at the local secondary school have tested positive after returning from the school's annual ski trip, so several local businesses have just been forced to close down as their workers, the kids' parents, are obviously contacts. To say that panic has broken out is an understatement. I went into the supermarket and there's no pasta, rice, noodles or tinned tomato products to be had, and one lady was standing in the aisle, brandishing a list, with an empty trolley and tears running down her face. However, there was still plenty of bulgur wheat. 
Thanks to this thread & a certain amount of experience of life in general, I'm not worrying for us as we have plenty in. I don't think I'm particularly at risk despite my health challenges last year, which hopefully are behind me now thanks to the marvels of modern medicine. However I'm deeply concerned about my 94 y.o. mother, who relies on carers coming in twice a day, and a "meals-on-wheels" type service. She doesn't cook... so it's no good stocking up her one and only store-cupboard. She can no longer lift saucepans safely, and there's no way we could fit 2-weeks worth of frozen "ping-cuisine" meals into her freezer, even if the suppliers still have any in stock. And that's not even considering what 2 weeks (or more) of isolation would do to such a social bunny; a couple of years ago, she survived an attack of C. Difficile, but nearly didn't survive being in isolation & barrier-nursed for 4 days. My brother & SiL live close by, but I suspect their lifestyle - in & out of the local schools, etc. - mean that they'll be self-isolating quite soon & Mum will have to fend for herself. Yes, she's much tougher than most, in a very genteel & gracious way, of course, but I honestly doubt she'd get through with just the TV for company & the odd tin of sardines - which she'd struggle to open anyway...

Thriftygifty

My Dad has just had a letter from the doctors asking him to go for a 50min appointment for his diabetes, He has COPD and is on oxygen this seems like a great idea hmmm ridiculous. 

dandy-candy

thriftwizard said:

or tinned tomato products to be had

Funnily enough thats something that had sold out at the supermarket where DD works. I probably only get through a few tins a year, i can’t imagine that being on my essential list. 

DigForVictory

Unless they're already in self isolation, I will be visiting my parents next week. Scrubbing like a Macbeth as I go, but I want to see them (as they say they want to see me) and it gives me a chance to check their storecupboards.  They're both pretty robust (for a very finite value of robust) and have survived this long, but I do worry my father is a bit blithe about risks... 

euronorris

dandy-candy said:

thriftwizard said:

or tinned tomato products to be had

Funnily enough thats something that had sold out at the supermarket where DD works. I probably only get through a few tins a year, i can’t imagine that being on my essential list. 

I use tinned tomatoes frequently. I use them in my spaghetti bolognese recipe, which I make often, and also make my own pizza sauce.

euronorris

Just been having a bit of a tidy and rearrange of the little freezer, and the big one. Taking inventory as I go. Got pooped half way through, so will do rest later. Wanted to ensure I had enough space for the frozen bits I ordered from iceland, coming tomorrow.

Greenglockenspiel

dandy-candy said:

thriftwizard said:

or tinned tomato products to be had

Funnily enough thats something that had sold out at the supermarket where DD works. I probably only get through a few tins a year, i can’t imagine that being on my essential list. 

I use tinned chopped tomatoes all the time as they’re so versatile- I make my own pasta sauce and also use them as a base for a lot of curry sauces and gravies/in casseroles. Not to mention making tomato soup without the excessive salt of ready-made soups. Obviously this can all be done with fresh tomatoes but it’s much less time and effort and I don’t think it costs more, plus lasting ages in the cupboard if your menu plan changes.

pineapple

euronorris said:

dandy-candy said:

thriftwizard said:

or tinned tomato products to be had

Funnily enough thats something that had sold out at the supermarket where DD works. I probably only get through a few tins a year, i can’t imagine that being on my essential list. 

I use tinned tomatoes frequently. I use them in my spaghetti bolognese recipe, which I make often, and also make my own pizza sauce.

I use cartons of Passata in preference to tins of tomatoes and just bought a load. I always end up wasting some though so will freeze any leftover in ice cube trays.

Si_Clist

I don't know who the author is, but for what it's worth ...

"The following was sent out by a friend at Plymouth, who has a biological focused PhD and explains in simple terms why the Health authorities are banging on about using ordinary SOAP to reduce the risk of catching Covid-19.

So there’s lots of people from the Health Service telling everyone that washing your hands is the best way to defeat Covid-19, but lots of people (most?) seem to think that this is a bit silly. Like how can washing your hands be SO important, and how can it defeat a virus that’s causing so much havoc worldwide?? Well here’s the science bit, because I’m a nerd who likes to know “why” something happens.

The outer wall of a virus is made of lipids, they’re kind of like oils or fats, that’s a simple way of putting it. It’s called a lipid layer. Behind the lipid layer is the virus, it’s made up of proteins and RNA, which is kind of like DNA and it’s what lets the virus replicate. That’s really it, it’s that simple (unless you have a PhD and there’s a few on here with them, but this is for the rest of us who are a bit thick!). So, what about the washing of hands with soap?  Here’s the part that nobody is being told, but it’s important (it’s especially important if your a nerd. Soap is made up of loads and loads of lipids, it what makes soap feel so soft and smooth.... When you wash your hands really well you get all these lipids on your hands. So if you have Covid-19 on your hands the lipids in the virus wall start to break down, because the lipids in the virus lipid layer are soluble in the lipids in your soap on your hands.

So when you break down the lipid layer you end up destroying the proteins and the RNA. It’s kind of like years ago when your Dad used to clean a paintbrush with turpentine, it’s because the paint was soluble in turpentine.....it’s really that simple. Also, people are searching high and low for antibacterial soap....don’t bother. This is a virus, not a bacteria. Also, antibacterial soap is really just expensive soap. I’ve attached a pic of a virus, it’s a flu one but it doesn’t really matter. Break down the lipid layer with lipids in soap and you’ll kill the virus.

You’re welcome. Feel free to share."

[Deleted User]

If you have gaps in your preps NOW is the time to remedy it, don't wait do it today.