The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

dandy-candy

Dh and I tidied the shed at the far end of the garden and moved some stuff from the garage to the shed. As the garage is next to the house it will be far easier to keep supplies in for winter use. DH is normally a bit precious about me keeping stuff in “his” garage but thankfully he is fully on board with the prepping.
We have tomatoes, onions, lettuce, peppers and cauli on the go. Still waiting for other things to come up. I’m thinking I need to make sure i have more stodgy foods in for winter, I found a huge box of candles earlier which will be great for winter emergencies. I was told by Heinz customer services that you shouldnt store cans of baked beans in an unheated building like a shed or garage, i will keep dried foods in mouseproof plastic crates outside instead.

Chieveley

thriftwizard said:

Interestingly, I've been buying a very similar line of knicks from M&S, the ones with the lace trim. The ones I bought 3 years ago are still mostly fine, which is why I bought more 2 years ago. Curiously those ones haven't fared quite so well in the wash/hurly burly of family life. And the ones I bought last year are coming apart already... I haven't gained a significant amount of weight, I'm still wearing the 3 y.o. ones; I suspect Something in the manufacturing process Has Changed...

I'm with you on the quality of modern undies - my M&S knicks from 2004 (started going away for more than a week = more undies) are just becoming religious so got some from Debenh@ms - the elastic has gone in less than a year 

maryb

Even Sloggi knicks aren't the same quality (and they're not the same price, they're even more!)

MrsCD

Update on the steepy peas experiment. They are now about a foot tall in the kitchen window, but I'm waiting to put them outside until next week as the weatherman said it's going to be very cold at the weekend. I had to put some sticks in for them to grow up, they've grown so quickly! Should I be pinching them out of something?

Thriftygifty

Preps in the Thriftygifty household have gone to erm i'm trying to think of a polite word to use.  Since DH has been home and taken over the role of feeding everyone whilst I rested and now recover I haven't kept an eye on stocks which are now dangerously low, fortunately we currently have deliveries from various places in situ however if there were an issue with them we would have enough for about a week.  I feel though at the moment that I can't think logically and clearly as to what to actually buy, when we were at full prep level the freezer was rammed which was reassuring and got us right through to now but also I didn't like being heavily reliant on it with nothing else as back up, I need more store cupboard meals but also budget friendly that the children will actually eat, we need to restock preps but also preserve money if/where we can.  Whilst the freezer is near empty it seems like a good time to defrost it as didn't get chance before lock down. We have a small backup table top freezer to relocate stuff left in the big one.  The larder will also be fully emptied and reorganised before I get everything back up to a comfortable level. 

I have no intention on taking myself or the children out anytime soon regardless of any lock down easing/lifting, DH is checking his emails everyday for an update from his place of work we are presuming they will get everyone back by the 1st of June but could be a lot sooner (I might actually cry if it is sooner as we messed up his paternity leave).  I have mixed emotions about DH going back to work, I would like him to stay safe with us at home in our bubble, however I also really want him to still have a job and with the way things are looking to be heading more so than ever as we are down to one income, we have had conversations about safeguarding as much as possible, fortunately if he still does have a job he is out on the road a lot and not overly in contact with to many people however he will be touching other peoples belongings which is the concerning part.  We dug out the camping water bottle with a tap on it to fill with water and use as a mobile hand washing station will cold water be ok to wash hands with a bar of soap? any other suggestions on mobile hygiene regime? 

The greenhouse sage continues, there are now what seems a million pieces spread out on the lawn and being washed, we will get it up soon.....hopefully.   The porch is rammed with seedlings which need relocating to the greenhouse. Runner beans will be planted out next week as they are getting to big for the pots now.  Sweetpeas did not germinate other than 4 so bang goes my fresh cut flowers everyday.  Peppers have finally started to come up, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, broccoli, Brussel spouts, french beans all look ok so far.  Lettuce epic fail, I don't know why I have so much trouble with lettuce.  Strawberry plants really happy in new location in pots however wish we had lots more, all fruit trees in full blossom I need to dig the netting out.

What I wished I had prepped for was more supplies for the kids, paint, books etc.  Everywhere cheap seems to be out of stock, I miss H bargains so much!!

jamanda

MrsCD said:

Update on the steepy peas experiment. They are now about a foot tall in the kitchen window, but I'm waiting to put them outside until next week as the weatherman said it's going to be very cold at the weekend. I had to put some sticks in for them to grow up, they've grown so quickly! Should I be pinching them out of something?

I'd leave them alone, I think.  If you start pinching them out you might end up with a pea free bush

mothernerd

MrsCD If you do the peas again plant them in toilet rolls - collect toilet rolls, stand them upright in a container (I usually have an old washing up bowl that is no longer fit for it's old purpose so regenerates into it's new form), fill with compost and push peas in to about an inch from the top (they get lovely strong roots and the toilet roll can be planted in the ground as well). I do peas for pea shoots on the windowsill. I use one of the boxes that you buy mushrooms in (for those of us that can't get them loose), put half an inch (1.5 cm) of compost in the bottom, soak peas and keep them wet, cut to eat at 4 - 5 inches tall (takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the time of year/ available light).
I did once 'treat' myself to some rootrainers (£16 *!**, £16) but for some reason, all my stuff grows better in reclaimed household tat rather than expensive purpose bought stuff. 

boultdj

I agree with mothernerd with the toilet rolls, I also plant runner beans, broad beans and French beans in them as they don't like their roots disturbed.

[Deleted User]

We walked this afternoon and visited the allotment plots on the way out, HWK has cleared almost half of the new one we took on and we now have maincrop potatoes planted along with the courgettes and dug areas for carrots, beetroot and parsnips and the damson tree in situ has lots of set fruit which will become jam in the autumn giving me much more peace of mind than I had before.  We will plant up leeks, purple sprouting broccoli and kale to stand the winter through and we have sweetcorn and tomatoes ready to go in when we know it's frost free and 'hunter' squashes ready to go too,  The greenhouse is planted up with gardeners delight and sungold tomatoes, an early courgette and a climbing cucumber so I hope for a late spring, summer and autumn of being active in 'operation squirrel' and making many preserves, chutneys, pickles, dehydrated, frozen and bottled supplies from what we grow to fill the larder for next winter.  The best kind of prepping there is in my mind!

DigForVictory

My accountant pals, ever a source of lighthearted banter & flippant quips So Utterly Not, have shared this "The Bank of England (BoE) is warning that the UK is heading towards its fastest and deepest recession for more than a century, as a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic "

Himself's great plan for the garden & growing more of our own seems to presume the land needs a year without its topsoil. I think that's insanity on at least 2 points, but at least I got two stonking great clay pots from Tesco (of all places, and at near penny rates for the use & heft) so as soon as I can get ericaceous compost, then two of the three blueberries can be moved up to more commodious accommodation. (I got all Tesco had - 2 pots, and some seriously bemused looks from middleson... And another sack of sugar - hence at least one of the bemused looks as he's sen that last week & we don't eat that much do we  & actually unpacking, that's my fourth, all in the last month.) Ah well, on we go.

I have fruit futures leafing, blossoming, thriving so may be trading jam for spuds! Knew those pesky teeny pots with the pretty moulding from Wares would come up trumps sometime  -when I have to set out a stall of nice presents for Christmas, and treats to tempt an errant appetite, I should be able to wheedle a decent ratio of spud to jam ready to go. (The Kilners are for domestic use only - they don't come back!)