The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Karmacat

Toonie said:

Sadly DPs Dad passed away over the weekend and we've been sorting out the house. Being mindful of creeping food costs I decided that it would make sense to bring home food that we would eat so our cupboards are a little fuller now (and I'm sure FIL would have approved). We'll be spending the next couple of months sorting out the house and then getting it ready for sale. 

Sorry to hear this, Toonie, and of course you bring home food, kitchen goods and whatnot.  Hope your DP is coping.

LadOnTheHill

Zander are definitely a thing in canals. I suppose it depends on where you are, and whether or not someone has chucked a few in to get some breeding stock going. 😐

I'm definitely thinking about the price and availability of energy with regards to prepping. I'm looking more towards storing food at ambient temperature, such as through canning or freeze drying, and also cooking methods that use less energy. Anything canned will already be cooked and only require reheating.

I did once try cooking potatoes in a thermos flask, and it was a partial success. Not as easy as rice, they needed to be small chunks and also needed a larger thermos than I had (or less potato). Another thing to consider is how many calories you get versus how much energy it costs to cook the food - it's worth turning the oven on for a roast joint, potatoes, loaf of bread and Victoria sponge, not so much for just one item. 

Nonnadiluca

DD was without a cooker for nearly three months and, apart from coming to mine a couple of times to use the oven, she fed a family of four using two slow cookers and a microwave. It's amazing what you can cook in a slow cooker! She now has a swanky, double oven cooker but did her jacket potatoes yesterday in the slow cooker and will continue to use it for many things as it works so well and saves money. It's really good for heating things up, much better than the microwave and cheaper than the oven.
I cook several things while the oven is on, saving time and energy; for example, I made a pasta bake and a vegetable biryani, had the pasta bake that day and heated the biryani in the slow cooker the next day, just added a bit more stock. I'm now meal planning to make a couple of extra meals, or roast a tray of vegetables, when the oven is on for the weekly bread bake and the weekly pizza. It won't go on apart from those times.

MingVase

I lived without a cooker for 6 weeks when we moved to a house without gas. The council said oooh yes its got gas, and I lugged a huge heavy gas cooker in the van then up a lane to find out  there was no gas within 20 miles.. It's amazing how much you can do in one pot. Just tell the kids to pretend they're  camping

elaine241

I have started putting the cooker on to cook several things rather than just the evening meal. My sister has batch cooked and put meals in the freezer so she can just defrost whilst at work and heat in the microwave. I think a freezer would pay for itself as you can take advantage of bargains, any home grown/foraged produce and freeze individual meals. Unless like me have the power flex chewed by mice and loose everything!
I am looking at storing stuff at room temperature through canning , bottling and preserving different ways. I opened a jar of bottled tomatoes from 2 years ago and they were perfectly fine. I made pasta sauce from all home grown ingredients but used all of that up very quickly. I will be making a lot more this year!
My mothers day present is to get the big veg plot set up with paths and raised beds so I can keep on top of it. The one in the garden is set up like this and it is so much easier. I will have my bargain little plastic greenhouse in the garden and if £ allows invest in a bigger one in the garden on the farm yard. Then if the situation continues I will have the chance to keep growing food.
I will have to do a inventory of my pasta, flour etc. I have just added packets when I go shopping. There were bottles of sunflower and veg oil, flours, pasta in Lidl only thing missing was the cheap spaghetti which I have stocked up on. Off to B*okers today to set up my account for wholesale groceries. The offer is there for local prepping thread members to come with me or borrow my card.

Toonie

Thanks @Karmacat He's doing OK though his sister is being a bit of a pain as she goes off on tangents and gets ideas in her head without thinking them through (she decided she wanted to throw everything out that wasn't needed (food, tea, coffee etc) and was going to shut off the gas and electric! Thankfully DP stopped her!).

My housemate and I were without a cooker for a good few weeks several years ago. At our disposal we had a grilling machine, a slow cooker, a microwave, and a kettle. We were absolutely fine. The more difficult time was doing without the fridge freezer when it went on the blink over Christmas one year but luckily we were close to shops so could manage with daily trips and a tiny beer fridge for milk and cheese (our two essentials).

Broomstick

Toonie, sorry about your FIL.  If you haven't already done so, make sure that all the meters are read.  With those readings, you (or the executors, if you are not the same person), should be able to put the utilities bills that were due up to the day he died on hold until the estate is settled.  I found that the bereavement teams attached to the utilities companies I was dealing with were really supportive and the system was designed to help (never thought I'd be saying that at the moment!).

Si_Clist

Nonnadiluca said:

... but did her jacket potatoes yesterday in the slow cooker ...

Ooooooh.  How do you do that?

euronorris

Sorry to hear about your DPs dad @Toonie . Hope your DP is holding up OK x

euronorris

You can even cook things in the toaster. Sometimes you need one of those reusable toaster bags (can do things like fish fingers). And without the toaster bags, you can put ham and cheese in a wrap, fold it up and toast it. Ham and cheese toasted wrap!

@Si_Clist I prep the potatoes as standard, then wrap in foil, put in slow cooker on high for 4 hours. Done. Once cooled, you can freeze and then lift out another day, defrost and then reheat in microwave.