Tips wanted: Alternatives to 'out of stock' items

[EmbarrassingMama]

I thought it might be useful to start a thread with practical solutions to things we are struggling to get our hands on.

Baby Wipes:

• Cheeky Wipes or a number of other companies do reusable wipes. You can wash them at 60 degrees and they are fine for faces / hands and bottoms.
• Cheap / free version: cut old towels into 6inch squares and store in a tupperware tub. Cover with cool boiler water and use as necessary. Bung in wash at 60 (no softener) and line dry.

Nappies:

• Reusable nappies are available online in bulk order kits and pocket nappies are reasonably cheap to buy. Can be washed at 60 degrees with your wipes, above.
• Cheap version: buy second hand from eBay. Can be used for multiple children. Easy to do (particularly if we're all going to be spending more time inside!).
• Free version: contact your local council to see if you get a 'real nappy' voucher (often about £50 worth of nappies).

Can we have more tips please? Any ways to reduce what we're using / cook with less would be helpful and would make me, at least, feel like I can do something useful rather than panic!

Thank you!

For handwashing, anything that creates a bit of a foam will generally do as a reasonable alternative to handwash. You can use shower gel, as suggested upthread, emollient, bar soap, washing up liquid (use a gentle one though!).

We're short on antibacterial handwash so our house rule is that we only use the antibac handwash when we arrive at home having been out and for other handwashing at home we're using shower gel.

I buy fruit when it is reduced and freeze. Either stewed Apple or berries, both of which are good with oats for breakfast.

Small shops have a lot of stock rather than supermarkets.

Was anyone watching This Morning? John Torode just made a soda bread using flour, buttermilk (which was just milk and juice of half a lemon), a bit of honey and I'm guessing bicarb of soda (I was half watching). It looked so simple.

Consider reuseable san pro? Obviously things like the Mooncup, but also period knickers - Sainbury's are doing some called Luna, for £12-14 each. I tried them and no leaks, just wash and wear.

Those sound great. Will have a look online now.

Also, I really want soda bread and butter for lunch now.

We're short on antibacterial handwash so our house rule is that we only use the antibac handwash when we arrive at home having been out and for other handwashing at home we're using shower gel

Antibacterial handwash offers no advantages over ordinary soap/handwash. It’s all in the technique.

Some great ideas here, especially the chick pea water idea.

Shaving a soap into slices and keeping in a soap dish as travelling soap rather than hand gel.

You can make hand gel with alcohol aloe Vera and erm something else

Chickpea water is a great idea. We have a few tins of those so I might make a veggie chilli this week, then try using the leftover juice in my pancakes instead of eggs this weekend.

Try Farm Shops, specialist shops (health food shops, deli's, etc), discount stores (B&M, Home Bargains, local discounters) for out of stock items - you might pay more, or less than the supermarkets, but if you need it, it might be worth the trip.
Look into local milk, veg deliveries - Milk & More, or other local ones to you. You might find local shops will offer delivery especially for those self-isolating or less able to get out.

Do you have a zero waste shop nearby? Ours still has a supply of pasta and dry goods, as well as toilet paper and soap!

following with interest

Go and buy a small stock of non perishable spices now

Cumin and Paprika- together with some garlic and tomatoes (fresh or tinned or with puree and some stock) make a delicious chilli sauce

Tinned anchovies smashed up with some garlic and chilli flakes, oil from the can make a delicious pasta sauce

Paprika, salt and pepper on potato wedges or slices

Garam Masala and fresh garlic with some tomatoes and stock make a simple curry flavored sauce

Squeezy tubes of garlic, ginger, lemon grass, chilli flakes
Roast up sweet potatoes- cheap and very nutritious, with a bit of each of the above, add some stock and it makes a yummy spicy soup when blitzed

No yeast in my Tesco order today, so I’ve made a sourdough starter mix from flour and water. Should be baking sourdough by next week!

Definitely try corner shops rather than big supermarkets - the ones round here (east London) still have everything in stock. Also consider ordering from the milkman - lots do bread and groceries too.

If you're running low on protein type foods or just want a change, toasted cashews are lovely on stir fry/noodles. Or you can toast sunflower seeds and add a drop of soy sauce. I like them as a snack of sprinkled over pasta with tomato based sauce instead of parmesan.

Tinned anchovies are one of my faves! Great tip :)

@HebeMumsnet this is the most expensive chilli recipe in the world, but the cheese scones are LUSH.

www.channel4.com/programmes/sunday-brunch/articles/latest-recipes/chocolate-beef-chilli-with-jalapeo-cheese-scones/5678

I make soups from any colourful veg, lots of chicken and veg stock cubes, blitzed down to a puree, add more water, then add a handful or two of red lentils. All the more flavour with the more veg you can add - squash, white onions, carrots, pumpkin, parsnip, plus lots of things you might have leftover.

Unleavened breads (matzo, chapatis, rotis etc) can be made as long as you have flour, water and oil, and you don't need the oil for some recipes. And they're all easy enough to make. Tortillas too, although I've always got wraps in my freezer for emergencies so haven't made those myself before.

There's also the Scottish bannock which traditionally is made with oats so that's another option if you run out of flour or want to save it for other things.

I make a flatbread 1 cup plain flour 2 tsp baking powder and mix with natural yoghurt till it makes a dough. roll out and spread melted butter/minced garlic over one side.
get a non stick frying pan hot (no oil) and cook butter side down until browned then flip to cook other side (takes 2 to 3 minutes ) Its delicious and I prefer it to normal bread. Great for dipping in soups and stews to bulk a meal out.

That sounds delicious.

Does anyone have a foolproof recipe for making your own yoghurt?

I make yoghurt every week. Heat one litre of full fat milk until you can put your finger in and not burn it, then mix in about half an individual sized pot of live natural yoghurt. Poor into jars, I use 2 x Kilner type and leave in a warm place overnight. By morning it will be yoghurt.

Warning, don't overheat the milk or it will kill off the good bacteria and don't add too much yoghurt to the milk, or it may have a sort of stringy texture, which is perfectly okay to eat, but just seems a bit weird.
Never add sugar or flavours to the process, you can do this before you eat it.
If you want it thicker then strain into a fine sieve lined with a piece of muslin cloth until the whey has run off to your preferred consistency.
It does not work with skimmed or semi skimmed milk.

Oh, and don't eat it all remember to save a couple of tablespoonfuls for your next batch, which will be even better

Amazing! Thank you so much. We get milk delivered so I might up our order by an extra two pints a week so we can get started on this.

Thanks so much - you've made it seem far easier than many of the recipes I've seen online.

DH's grandfather used squares of newspaper instead of toilet roll .......

The local supermarket were out of tinned tomatoes so I bought passata instead. It's very similar for sauces but often comes with a bit of basil.

You can make your own pasta fairly easily with semolina flour. Egg is optional. Just roll and cut into strips and you have linguini. There are lots of recipes out there.

Buy fresh fruit juice when it's available and freeze it in ice cube trays, put them in a box in the freezer and repeat. Ice cubes can later be allowed to melt in a glass as 1 of your 5 a day...