What Preps are you doing this week

[dizzydays]

Been working really hard today weeding the blackcurrant bush and round about it - horrible smell of cat pee round there, I really need to get down to that area more.

That's the natural smell from the blackcurrant bush. As a child I used to have to sit 'topping and tailing' the blackcurrants for jam cos my mum wouldnt do it as it made you smell like a tomcat!

[Ferricks]

Ferricks: The book sounds good, care to share title and ISBN please mate

I'll admit I'm a Fungi Fan

it's called (unimaginatively) "The Mushroom Cookbook" by Victoria Lloyd-Davies ISBN 0-86101-961-X It's written around cultivated mushrooms, but foraged substitutes could easily be made and reading through, there is (I think) scope for dried veg substitution / ingredients swap in order to construct recipes from storage. I'm having a play with some of the ideas over the next few weeks and will pop updates into recipes if you would like?

Interestingly, I bought it because my OH loves mushrooms, but on the whole I hate them. ... but they're such a valuable source of protein / b12 etc. that I really want to have them in my diet and ENJOY them - hence the effort I'm going to to develop tasty ways of eating them!

AND - the book's only a fiver and gives lots of lovely information on growing / storing / preparing & nutritional value as well as 100 odd recipes... Now that's value !

[Arzosah]

horrible smell of cat pee round there

That's the natural smell from the blackcurrant bush. As a child I used to have to sit 'topping and tailing' the blackcurrants for jam cos my mum wouldnt do it as it made you smell like a tomcat!

Dizzy, thank you! I had absolutely no idea of that

[nickdutch]

After a period of time of feeling bad because I had very little to contribute to this website, I have today started to learn how to make my own oatcakes.

I have a batch in the oven right now and if they work out according to plan, home made oatcakes may well prove to be a good part of my staple diet. The recipes vary little by little, and don't seem to be at all hard to make.

Provided you are using a nice cheap oatmeal, you will end up with a very affordable food that will probably go with more or less anything.

EDIT>

The oatcakes worked out fantastically. However, it does seem that the thinner they are rolled the better as they bake more evenly.
Looks like I have found myself a low cost staple and that is wonderful.

EDIT>

Ok, have discovered a problem with my oatcakes and that is "case hardening" namely the outside gets done and the inside stays soggy and a home to bacteria. Although I have been using Lard as the oil, as that should help a more even cooking result, it still took 70 minutes at 200 C to dry the biscuits when they were rolled very thinly. the result was closer to hard tack than oat cakes.

Have decided that one of the problems is that I am using breakfast oatmeal (value porridge) and not "proper" oatmeal. Will get some proper oatmeal and see what happens next.

[cedders73]

So this week have been a busy one in term of buying:

-Food (as always) tin and some MRE. Used EvacQ8 for a small order to try their food, the parcel got lost and they have sent a replacement straight away so very good service from these guys.

-Gear:
Just got my Gerber Multi tools back from their UK store, had a broken blade and they send me a brand new one as per they lifetime warranty so I was very glad to get it back. So happy with their service that I ordered a fix blade Knife, a Machete and a set of accessories for the multi tools and got a Tempo Led torch fro free!!
Extra set of field cooking tin for the kid.
Raided Poundland for some Paracord, Glow stick, Ground sheet, Survival blankets, Survival shelter, space saver 10L water containers and some rechargeable batteries (my kid use these for it's game and headset and are very good for £1 per pair).
Nomad batteries charger, very good little kit...need the solar panel bit now.

Plan to buy next: Lifesaver bottle, a new BOB
Plan to start doing: would like to take on archery and clay shooting, both good sport and might be useful skills to learn

That was a busy week, will have to slow down or my better half will kill me

[junmist]

when't out and got two wild carrot plants this is so that I can Id them if I see them in the wild and so that I can see what they tast like. That is if I can keep the horses away from them

[23pioneer]

just bought a thousand litre water container for 40 quid bargain

[Paul_H]

Went to the pictures last night and went into a new 99p store that has opened on the retail park so had a look in there normal array of cheap camping bits and bobs but also saw some fairly decent tools and few bits that I liked. Managed to pick up a stand for my HTC Tablet is meant to be for an Ipad but hey if it works for 99p cant complain can you. Also got a pack of 3 snap lights so going to crack one off and see how they if there half decent I will stock up on then I do have the better ones of ebay but will keep them for when it really really does hit the fan. Also spotted they are doing 1L veg oil so I think once truck is back on the road after some tinkering ill be going in and stocking up each week ready for when the warmer weather gets here and will mix it in with some dino juice, joys of running an older oil burner

Sold a few things on ebay so going to order the bag iv seen for EDC and im going to sit down and make a list of everything I want in it for my own use.

otherwise its just sitting off in the back ground and reading on the forum and schemeing and planing to hoard lots of money and retire in 13 years so I think I needs to pull my finger out lol

[poppypiesdad]

Doing ground works this weekend , 40 ton of type 1 , 10 ton round stone, land drain, strainer posts , fence posts, fencing rail and a pair of 10 ft gates.

Ready , Steady ............... breakfast first

[dizzydays]

horrible smell of cat pee round there

That's the natural smell from the blackcurrant bush. As a child I used to have to sit 'topping and tailing' the blackcurrants for jam cos my mum wouldnt do it as it made you smell like a tomcat!

Dizzy, thank you! I had absolutely no idea of that

I had this vision of you out there at night trying to catch the cats in action!
Incidentally, those decorative redcurrant bushes with the long pink/red flowers that are out soon - they stink of cat pee too!