The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

[Deleted User]

Amazing things peas they've popped out some tiny vestigial leaves on the cut stems this morning and some peas that obviously hadn't had enough light to germinate have popped up new shoots in the old container.  I've always thought alfalfa and mustard and cress were the easiest prepping way of getting fresh vitamins in the winter but although the dried peas take longer to give a crop if they do it twice over they are really a useful thing to have in for  sprouting.  These are Morrisons dried Marrowfat Peas which come in at 75p for 500g and a 3oz (dry weight) portion soaked in cold water for 24 hours and sown in a plastic container that previously had veg, mine are the dark brown long ones that come with 4 large mushrooms in them, covers the surface completely and has given on first cutting enough chunky pea shoots for a decent salad and a stir fry I'll see what the second growing on again gives me, useful if the weather is bad and you can't get out or if deliveries can't get through because the roads are blocked and nice in their own right, crunchy and sweet.

greenbee

Polly - what a wonderful memory, and thank you so much for sharing. It's so easy to dwell on negatives rather than the good things, and it's so nice to hear such an uplifting and loving story - particularly now when covid, brexit and January are combining to make things particularly tough for a lot of people. 

I'm sprouting alfalfa, radish and broccoli seeds over the winter for salads. The advantage is that there's no need to clutter the kitchen up with seed trays and compost. I start the jars off at intervals so I always have some ready for salads. On days when salads are appealing, unlike today which is definitely a soup day!

maryb

I'm about to start some coriander.  It grows really well on a windowsill and adds a lot of flavour to more varied dishes.  (And I need it to make more kimchi)

greenbee

I'm not crazy about kimchi @maryb - but that may be because I'm currently using stuff from a jar from the supermarket! I do like sauerkraut, and I've been getting one made with turmeric and cumin. I haven't had the energy to make my own yet, but at some point I'd like to give one or other of them a go. Fermented foods are so important for health generally - I try to include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi in my diet fairly regularly, but at the moment it's all commercially produced. However, I'm in danger of running out of sauerkraut and kimchi as I haven't had a supermarket delivery for over a month and am on my last jar of each!

maryb

I'm reading more and more that it's one of the better ways to preserve food from a health perspective. 
Anyway I'm having fun playing.  I bought some  knife guard gloves and am now brave enough to use a mandoline.  Just as quick as a food processor and I think gives a better result

greenbee

Good luck with the mandolin! Fermented foods are great for gut health - and in general the more variety of plant foods you can eat the better as it encourages more varied gut bacteria. 

daz378

The other day   I had  puddles on my kitchen floor  and I live 50m high    , through a leaking window, which was due to be inspected the previous day,  the leak    always heads straight for my fridge  , which cant be good, complained day after  given assurances, someone would ring, so I will ring Monday, saying I will be sending video evidence   to my local councilor,  but I'm halfway through an 8 day work run. On a 9....6 today, clients heating as broke, thankfully  we have back up radiators..been a trying week. Stay safe

machasraven

We have now made wooden bases for all the items in the workshop and my OH is going to make a metal base for the cooker in the kitchen. We have water seeping up through the open fire  but hopefully with using it the water so far is being kept at bay. outside the concrete is bowing up due to the amount of water under it. We are watching some seeps near the house.
We have 6 pumps here trying to keep the flood water at bay but as it is groundwater they are just holding it and cant stop it as there is water coming out as fountains on the kerb opposite and the houses over the road have rivers coming out under them. We have so far fared better than others here - the have had to have higher floors put in so the water flows under. 
Everyone here is so tired as we are now waiting due to the weather forcast for snow and rain coming in and knowing that in 2-3 days we will be back to panic stations.
I cannot thank the Fire Brigade enough as they are the ones who stopped everyone flooding totally and they have said they will be here for at least the next 5 days.

greenbee

machasraven - I have seals that I can put over the vent to the fireplace (the vent is now sealed as I have a stove instead of a fireplace. You can probably get next day delivery on amazon 

[Deleted User]

Red letter day today OH has just had the call from the GP surgery for his first vaccine on Thursday at lunchtime, the best kind of prepping imaginable at the moment and with that he was given the preliminary date for the second dose in April.  I truly feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I've been more concerned for him than I have for anyone and it is truly a wonderful feeling.