The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Nargleblast

Grana Padano is a cheaper substitute for block Parmesan and tastes much the same (disclaimer - I am not a Parmesan  aficionada but it tastes ok to me).

euronorris

I don't eat any cheese at all (it makes me sick), but both DH and DD love it. So I just get what they like and stick to that lol.

MingVase

I'm the same - cheese smells like vomit to me. Godawful stuff.

annieb64

I also freeze the rind of a block of parmesan and add it to minestrone 

Thriftygifty

My home is under attack.... I decided to clear the larder out and take stock. A couple of years ago whilst cleaning I noticed that there were tiny mites, I deep cleaned and seem to massively reduce numbers, all open packets were moved to containers, I thought they were outside mites of some kind coming in as there is an air vent in there. Then a couple of weeks ago I moved the toaster to clear the crumbs a job which had been neglacted for sometime there were I am ashamed to say a number of mites under it blughhh. These same mites appear on windowsills occasionally throughout the house, I stopped having wooden boxes as they seem to like those, I had a metal peg bucket with wooden pegs again they were in there stored under the stairs... What are they?! How do I get rid of them? To make matters worse I just checked on a half pack of homepride flour with the clip top lid and it is crawling with weevils of great size blughhh will they have come from the flour or gone into the flour?! Is the new sealed box of homepride OK that was next to it? Can these mites or weevils eat through plastic bags that pasta, rice, stuffing crisp bags are sold in?! Do I need to put every item into a plastic box regardless of if it is open or not? 

MingVase

I'd take every single thing out of the cupboards thrifty, bleach the lot, start again. I've only ever had mites many years ago and still shudder.

Preppers, things are getting really "interesting". Warnings from reputable sources of soaring inflation and shortages to come this winter. I'm filling the freezers this weekend and stocking up on vitamins and supplements.

Thriftygifty

MingVase said:

I'd take every single thing out of the cupboards thrifty, bleach the lot, start again. I've only ever had mites many years ago and still shudder.

Preppers, things are getting really "interesting". Warnings from reputable sources of soaring inflation and shortages to come this winter. I'm filling the freezers this weekend and stocking up on vitamins and supplements.

My larder has long shelves - on one end was the live flour with another open hp clip lid they have gone in the bin. The new hp flour that is sealed that was next to live flour - safe or bin? The stuffing was next to the flour - keep or bin? Down the other end I have new packets of pasta - keep or bin? I have read online that they can chew through plastic 😭. I am presuming tins and plastic peanut butter jars with plastic lids will be safe?  

pineapple

GaleSF63 said:

prepareathome said:

pineapple said:

I'm the other way round. I've never thought of having an electric one! You can find excellent manual can openers these days - nothing like the instruments of torture some of us were brought up with.

I still have one of those (well hope I do must check the drawer I keep it in) - still has the sharp lethal point at end.  Many years old but I keep it as it's my true emergency option if now power so my Kenwood Electric Can Opener won't work and the new hand operated ones just wander around the top of the can, or fall to bits (both has happened over the years).    I have watched quite a few You Tube videos of people being creative if they find their can opener, be it power by electric or hand, is broken

Recently I had a tin of corned beef with the key opener, and of course the metal strip broke. I discovered that the metal of the can is sufficiently thin/soft that a pair of kitchen scissors could cut it quite easily so although I'll try to be a bit more careful with the key in future, at least there is an escape route and I don't have to stop buying corned beef.

I just can't get on with key openers. They ALWAYS break and I always end up hacking at the can!

pineapple

Toonie said:

Oooh, now that I've seen lebkuchen mentioned I'm thinking of German Christmas treats (my Mum was German). A bus ride away we have the warehouse for a shop called the German Deli. I always used to buy my Mum something from there for Christmas as a special treat. She passed away in January and so in her memory I will buy some Pfeffernuesse and enjoy them on Christmas Eve with a glass of Asbach German Brandy.

I love Italian treats like Panforte (not Panettone). Great reminder I need to try and source some!

pineapple

Well I'm please to report no fuel panic locally. Garage in local town has full pumps and no queues. Just a spend limit of £40.