Late Winter Bits and Bobs 2022.

[Shallot Man]

Bit of a moan. Looking at my water bill, it exhorts me to turn off the tap whilst cleaning my teeth to save water. A house across the way has had a leak for some three months now, water board came out promptly, dug up the verge, wasn't their side of the main. Filled hole back in and left it. As I said that was three months ago, wonder how much water has been wasted. Still I will do my bit and turn the tap off whilst cleaning my teeth.

[Diarmuid]

A friend of mine, who in the early 1980s worked for the Northwich Salt Mine, used to arrive almost weekly with files of different flavours, for us to taste, which they had developed. All derived from salt.

Westi I agree with you. Also there are people who won't have the Covid jab on the grounds that they don't know what's in it and are prepared to eat this "Looks like meat. Tastes like meat but is plant-based stuff".

Regards,
Der.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Shallot Man, the utility bills are getting quite scary now, we are tending to try and watch things a little….so glad we haven’t had a really freezing Winter, or there would be a lot of people making decisions about what they have to cut.

[oldherbaceous]

Been doing a little work in the front borders this morning, a bit wet really but, we are in for a lot of rain tomorrow, so thought I better make a big effort….

[Colin2016]

"How do they make plants taste like meat?"

Why would you want to, being a veggie I want to eat vegetables.

If menu says meat & three veg I just have the veg (the dog gets the meat).

[Primrose]

I think the worrying thing about fuel bills is the fact that energy companies are going to be able to charge people with smart meters "surge rates" for consuming fuel at peak times of the day. I foresee a spike in the sales of automatic timers and slow cookers with inbuilt timers to avoid these key periods but bad luck if you have an electric car which runs out of juice and needs recharging at the peak midday or evening mealtime!
My thermals are currently getting plenty of indoor use!

Maybe we'll all be going back to doing our cooking in those old fashioned hay boxes. I still remember having to cook an Irish Stew in one for my girl guide cookery badge many years ago.

[Westi]

I got in conversation last year with an old lady at the bus stop. She on reflection foresaw this crisis as was already saying everything will go up, especially any fuel services. She recommended if what she said came true to invest in a Remoska as she had one near 30yrs old & it does just about everything & only cooks on 500W but at 180C, no other temp option. (Electric ovens are between 2,000W & 5,000W). She bought hers in Czechoslovaka where it was created when it was still communist rule as limited available electricity.

I actually found one in Lakeland looking for an ironing board cover & as I had a voucher to spend & remembering this conversation plus general reviews I thought why not? It's like a round electric frying pan with the element in the lid not the base. It was learning curve for sure getting my head around it but I managed to get a cookbook from A which helped. Yesterday we had roast chicken & roast veg cooked in same time as the oven, moist with lovely crispy skin, I've made stew & dumplings & lots of other things. Looking forward to seeing some reduction in the electric bill as the jump to 3 figures was a huge worry. Fingers crossed.

[Primrose]

I,ve often wondered about this as an option Westi. I suspect the fuel crisis will force many people to start looking for cheaper alternative options for cooking and no doubt my 40 y.o pressure cooker will start to receive more use again. It's main use currently is for cooking ham hocks.
My OH currently does most of the cooking these days and I'm currently trying to persuade him to cut up potatoes into smaller pieces and cook them in the same saucepan as other vegs to only use one gas hob instead of two. Haven,t had much success yet though despite trying to persuade him it means less washing up afterwards!

[oldherbaceous]

Well the rain put pay to much border work…I did manage to get a large Budleia cut back, but that was it!

[snooky]

Yes, tipping down my neck of the woods too.Been clearing the drainage ditch alongside the house, overgrown and leaves backing the water up.Council not cleared it during the last two years,no money,Covid,Climate Change,Brexit take your pick of excuses but the hedge around the Allotment site has been cut down!!No need.Another complaining phone call to the Environmental people tomorrow.
The probable answer is "that they will look into it."

[Geoff]

15mm of rain and counting. Painted the lounge ceiling.

[Stephen]

Why would you want to, being a veggie I want to eat vegetables.

Agreed, I feel exactly the same.

My OH currently does most of the cooking these days and I'm currently trying to persuade him to cut up potatoes into smaller pieces and cook them in the same saucepan as other vegs

I do cut spuds into the size I would eat, if boiling them and frequently steam greens avove them. (Or chuck them in later)

[retropants]

I've been using a remoska for a few years, my mother has had one since forever. They are really very good. there are 2 sizes, I have the small one, mother has one of each. I also use a pressure cooker for one pot meals, and it has been amazing, I've had that for years too, but it's not like the old 70's ones which spew boiling gravy onto the ceiling. well ours did anyway! Most things are cooked in less than 10 minutes at the lowest gas level, not including the heating up stage, but if you start with hot water, it does't take long. If anyone is interested , there is loads of help and recipes on the fantastic website hippressurecooking.com.

[Primrose]

Somewhere on here recently there was a discussion on the nuisance moles caused.

I,ve just been reading something about snowdrops Apparently nivalis (snowdrops) contain contains galantamine, an ACE inhibitor alkaloid, toxic to most insects and moles. The writer was saying that you will notice that your crocus and tulips planted amidst nivalis don't get eaten by squirrels and molehills have totally disappeared.

It's the equivalent of Malathion, an all purpose garden insecticide. Not really always practical to plant snowdrops, crocus or tulips where molehills appear but worth noting.

[oldherbaceous]

Well I have just come back from re-setting a mole trap at the Big House….and yes you have guessed it, the molehills are in amongst the large area of snowdrops! It only has to go 3 feet one way and it then would have 10 acres of grassland to play in….