Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

foxgloves

The community lunch sounds lovely, @Suffolk_lass. You are much more sociable than me! I do like how bee-keepers seem to support each other. It sounds like quite a little community in itself.
F

rtandon27

@Suffolk_lass - when you've recovered from your hectic day, could you explain what frost-catcher's are? - I've even done a quick g00gle search - and the answers are decidedly not enlightening!

KajiKita

rtandon27 said:

@Suffolk_lass - when you've recovered from your hectic day, could you explain what frost-catcher's are? - I've even done a quick g00gle search - and the answers are decidedly not enlightening!

Thank you for asking. I’m wondering too … 🤔

KK

beanielou

As was I! 

rtandon27

Everyday is a school day chez SL!

Suffolk_lass

Frost-catchers are little, low-powered heaters that you leave on to stop your pipes freezing in places like community buildings. They also just take the chill off, preventing damp and mould, if used. I might have a photo...



The ones we have are called Frost watcher and Frost guard (brand names) but the generic is a frost catcher.

I also have three of the tube-style ones that do the similar thing at home (not this brand but this type of thing) - one in the tool shed with the fridge freezer, one in the greenhouse and one in the motorhome (the last is screwed to a plank, the others are wall mounted, again on planks or posts). I think these are marketed as greenhouse heaters. They are a great way of stopping unlagged pipes bursting, if you can't get to them easily to insulate them - such as in the space between the wall and the roof-slope at my Mum's house.  With a fused switch they can also be used in a cold spot and just turned off or on as needed. People really noticed the difference, with three women remarking that the hall felt much warmer and more welcoming than normal. I mentioned the lobby and toilets, and they said, yes, that's it. The musty smell had gone completely.

Here endeth the lesson...

rtandon27

Oooooo - I never knew! - fascinating, thanks for the lesson SL!

KajiKita

Ah … 😊 Thank you. I had come across wire heated lagging before for pipes, but not little background heater units like this. 

KK

Suffolk_lass

Good morning. An extremely late start after we sat up and watched 6 episodes of the Traitors last night!!  At least it is Sunday and a slow day is planned. It was 02.00 when I got to bed - I may have to have a little sleep later! It drew us in, in a way neither of us had expected and we might have to binge it 3 episodes at a time going forward.

This week is likely to include a bit of shopping. Mostly there is no bowl fruit so that needs a refresh. And cat litter still needs a top up. One or two store-cupboard things are used or on the last one. I think we will also resume a bit healthier eating after both looking fatter this month after indulging over Christmas. I finished the pistachios yesterday (I love them) - better than chocolate or biscuits! A large amount of snackage is stored in a plastic box and we agreed to use smaller snack bowls from now on and cut out the sweet stuff. There is one pack from the tea hamper my Sis sent for Christmas that remains unopened but we defrosted and eat the cakes over the last two days. 

Food plan-wise - today we will have four of the venison meatballs Mr SL made up, and I shall make Rosanna sauce (named after the chef who taught me) using a jar of home-bottled tomatoes, to mix with the meatballs and he will make some mashed potatoes to top it with. For lunch we will have (HM) soup with the remains of Friday's lunch chicken casserole sauce added to it. That can be had with toast (he's just had a hobbit breakfast of toast!)  a bag of crisps (I think that will finish them off too). Stepping slowly towards diets... I always think New Year is the wrong time of year to start resolutions - after the leftovers have reached a sensible level is when to go for it IMHO.

I have got some mince out of the freezer (about 220g) and will make a ragu with that later, and add the last two venison meatballs to it to have with pasta or turned into chilli with lots of beans - I have frozen broad beans and borlotti beans I want to get used, and plenty of pantry-stored squash to schedule in - pumpkins, Guatemalan Blue (Banana) and butternut, as well as all the bags of prepared courgettes in the produce freezer. I seem to have more jars of tomatoes and fruit than ever before at this time of year so let's use the stuff and clear some space!

The woman I organise the lunch with has messed up her own diary and can't do February so the woman I was supposed to be doing last Friday with, is going to lead and I will do it with her. I will just do a pudding. I might make bread pudding and brownies, so there is a choice. Proper bread pudding with custard is perfect if the weather is cold, but some won't want that. Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. Coffee and a small breakfast (yogurt) given it is mid-morning are calling me!

Have a good Sunday everyone!

Watty1

heated lagging and background heating - I'm off to google   what an education.