2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

MrsCD

@Cherryfudge
You might be interested in the Prepping and the Preparing for Winter threads.
Last year when storm Arwen hit, our electricity was off for most of the weekend. We were surprised at how quickly the rooms got cold even with curtains and blinds closed, so that's part of my prepping this year - looking for warmer clothes that are practical in the house etc. and how to keep the heat from escaping. 
We managed ok with our two camping stoves and had plenty of hot drinks and warmed up soups, beans, eggs etc. Our dd has a gas hob so even though her electric was off too, we had a Sunday dinner of tinned veg and potatoes, ready cooked chicken, heated up in gravy, and Yorkshire puddings whipped from the freezer, heated up between the hob burners! We could have done it on camping stoves, but the 4 gas burners made it a bit easier. Any hot water left in the kettle was stored in a flask for later.
It just takes a bit of thought about what food you like, how you could heat it plus water, and how you could light your way around the house. We have lots of torches, and some tealights, put in deep holders for safety. Unscented candles are less likely to give you a headache than the scented ones after a few hours in my opinion.

Cherryfudge

skogar said:

Cherryfudge - I wondered if we might see planned power cuts similar to the ones in the 70s where the electricity goes off for some hours at a time. If so fridges / freezers would be OK. In the 70s essential services like supermarkets did keep power. I am too young to remember those power cuts but instead remember regular fairly long rural powercuts. Although the village getting cut off due to snow was unusual it was always a possibility in the winter.

Does the top of your log burner get hot enough to cook on? We had a solid fuel boiler with an oven that could be used for cooking and used to boil kettles of water on the top normally. It was possible to cook on the top with normaaly pans with care (no temp regulation apart from position!) A big treat were "singing hinnies" split and buttered cooked on the boiler top. If you haven't tried cooking on the top of your stove it may well be worth having a try before there is a power cut to see what is possible. If it gets hot enough you will have plenty of options. If not then perhaps other options like jacket potatoes in the stove itself might be possible.

If power cuts are planned then it gives options like preparing flasks of hot water for drinks etc. Unfortunately we no longer have a wood burning stove but do have a trangia and also a fondue pot for the true 70s experience!

I found this article on the likelihood or otherwise of power cuts. How it will stand the test of time remains to be seen - I think it says about a one in ten chance of gas power cuts, which isn't massive but also means it's a real possibility. that's all else being equal which of course it never is.

I just about remember the power cuts of the seventies, in terms of delays to our evening meal as far as I remember. My parents had been through the war and were resourceful people so I don't think it was insurmountable, and as a child it wasn't my problem so I didn't appreciate how much reorganisation and inconvenience it must have cost adults.

The top of the log burner gets much too hot to touch and the guy who installed it warned us not to store wood alongside as it could catch fire, so I expect it could be used for cooking. I'll try a pan of water on the top when we first light it. I'm extra glad we had the chimney swept!

Singing Hinnies sound delicious!

I also remember when our cooker had a disaster and we were limited to the microwave for a while one winter - our fourteen year old eventually dragged the barbecue to the back door and tried cooking on that but as it was November, it was a struggle!

Fashion-wise, I've fixed a rash of small holes in the back of a tee shirt of DH's. Of course tee shirt material likes to show every stitch as a pucker so these aren't invisible mends but they aren't too bad. The idea was to see if I can copy the front logo over the stitching, possibly scaled down, as the position of the holes lends itself to looking like a design feature (and how often does that happen? ) Now will I get any further with it or will I have to let DH put it in textile recycling?

Cherryfudge

MrsCD said:

@Cherryfudge
You might be interested in the Prepping and the Preparing for Winter threads.
Last year when storm Arwen hit, our electricity was off for most of the weekend. We were surprised at how quickly the rooms got cold even with curtains and blinds closed, so that's part of my prepping this year - looking for warmer clothes that are practical in the house etc. and how to keep the heat from escaping. 
We managed ok with our two camping stoves and had plenty of hot drinks and warmed up soups, beans, eggs etc. Our dd has a gas hob so even though her electric was off too, we had a Sunday dinner of tinned veg and potatoes, ready cooked chicken, heated up in gravy, and Yorkshire puddings whipped from the freezer, heated up between the hob burners! We could have done it on camping stoves, but the 4 gas burners made it a bit easier. Any hot water left in the kettle was stored in a flask for later.
It just takes a bit of thought about what food you like, how you could heat it plus water, and how you could light your way around the house. We have lots of torches, and some tealights, put in deep holders for safety. Unscented candles are less likely to give you a headache than the scented ones after a few hours in my opinion.

Thank you, I need to have a proper explore of those threads. We don't have a camping stove so we'd be dependent on the wood burner, but I did find some things on the internet about how to use the top of one for cooking, including an advert for a very tempting magnetic toasting fork that adheres to the top of the log burner so the toast hangs over the window. One of those nifty gadgets that I can do without but am drawn to!

Today I've added oats to my 'war chest' list as I usually soak them in the form of overnight oats and that way they need no cooking. So I may end up getting dried milk to mix with them.

I bought tea lights recently but you are right, I need to check I have deep holders for them in case I get called away from the room or if the baby or the dog come to visit. DH struggles with the smell of scented candles so ours are mostly plain ones.

MrsCD

If you're thinking about a camping stove, I just bought another one from Black's for £15 in their sale. If my dad needs to borrow one, at least I'll have a spare!

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, I remember the power cuts in the early 70s and I think the 60s as my Dad was a power worker and the shop steward so we always had advanced warning of cuts, as did everyone in our street . We had gas fires and a gas cooker so it just meant keeping torches and candles on hand. I have a log burner so I am not too stressed about keeping warm and have a gas hob so I would be able to rustle up a pan of something to eat and heat water etc unless we get a gas cut at the same time then I would have to crack out the camping stove which is doable but a bit of a faff. I like the idea of a bbq but that would be even more of a faff but when needs must you just have to get on with it
Take care everyone

PipneyJane

What’s a “triangia” @skogar?  I’ve never heard of them.  (I have a fondue pot.)

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

Just so everyone is reminded- never ever ever use a bbq, disposable or not, indoors or even near the back door, even when it’s right out!

charcoal gives off deadly fumes during use and for hours after it’s out- please make sure everyone you know is aware of that- i have dreadful fears that people in flats will use them “outside” on a balcony thinking that’s safe, or people will move a bbq to just outside the back door etc…

if you use them, keep them well away from doors or windows!

maryb

Cherryfudge that was an interesting article, thank you.  But on reading it, it assesses the risk of electricity power cuts as 1 in 10 not gas and there would have to be overwhelming stress on the electricity supply before the three stage gas emergency protocol is invoked.  So very unlikely though not impossible if we have another very cold winter 

diminua

MrsCD said:

If you're thinking about a camping stove, I just bought another one from Black's for £15 in their sale. If my dad needs to borrow one, at least I'll have a spare!

Thanks Mrs CD.
I'm all electric, so am definitely in the market for a little camping stove as a back up. As long as I can make tea, heat soup and fry eggs I'll manage! 

I was born a bit before the three day week - and six in the Winter of Discontent. I don't know how much of it really sunk in at that age, I suspect my brother and I thought it all very exciting, if we noticed at all. It must have been much harder for my parents. 

CAFCGirl

This morning I have managed to finish crocheting myself a cowl!

I don't know if I'm currently more impressed at having finished a project or that I managed to crochet - well anything.

I did of course make mistake(s) and added in stitches when I shouldn't have BUT I think I actually like it as it means its tapered so the wider end sits nicely on the collarbone area and covers a little more and its narrower end is under the chin. Thats what I'm telling myself anyway....

Plus I was using aran weight yarn (pattern says DK) and a 6.5mm hook and the pattern says a 5mm so given all that, not too shabby. In a dull lime green type of colour. Will attempt to add photos.
Also supposed to use 100g, but I'd already made one fingerless mitten from the ball, started crocheting and then remembered I'd need to make its counterpart at some point. So its probably about 70g.

And GOOD MORNING.....