Prepping for a Pandemic - Thread 16

[Sprayitall]

I don’t know why another thread hasn’t been created yet , so here you go. Now as we prep ourselves to the peak of this pandemic, let’s all face it together and appreciate how fragile our lives are and how we need each other to survive and flourish.

@ooopsupsideyourhead
Re: defrosting freezers

I found a good way. Empty every thing out and boil the kettle and get a load of towels to the ready for the bottom.

Use a turkey baster giant pipette thing to squirt the boiling water on targeted frozen area.

I did my whole freezer in about three kettles worth of water. Obviously you have the defrosting water and the boiling water to catch. I also took out big breakaway pieces of ice. But it was so effective that it was done in about 45 mins.

Hi everyone, hope you are all keeping well.

Well done @RaininSummer for helping the gardening virgins, I know I find garden centres a bit intimidating, too much choice I think so I’d have been very grateful if I were them.

Seeing the sight of supermarkets on the news I’m very glad to be a prepper. My husband used to laugh at me but he’s very grateful now! It’s surprising the things that I hadn’t thought of for example, shampoo and now shops even seem to be selling out of things like this!

My mum thanked me again for brexit shopping I had done for them previously.

I posted the medisave link, and wanted to say thank you to the person who posted the merci handy link for hand gel- my sister received it yesterday.

I hope I thought of everything back in Jan. Even salt for my dishwasher.

Boom!

My town now has 50 cases and altogether we have 631 cases.

@crvd

wishing you a speedy recovery.

The situation in Italy March 19 2020, 18.00.

Numbers / change / % increase

POSITIVE 33190 / 4480 / 15.6
DECEASED 3405 / 427 / 14.3
NOW TESTING NEGATIVE 4440 / 415 / 10.3 (was 36.9 yesterday, 7 the day before)

Cases to date: 41035 / 5322 / 14.9

Among the current positives:

hospitalised not ICU 15757 / 1394 / 9.7
in ICU 2498 / 241 / 10.7
total hospitalised 18255 / 1635 / 9.8
home isolation 14935 / 2845 / 23.5

Can't believe how vague BJ is being. I don't understand why they are not planning on a London lockdown now?

@CVRD wishing you a speedy recovery, take care of yourself. Have you been prescribed antibiotics just in case? Thank you for thinking of others at this time. Is your dh self employed? Own business? There was SOME kind of help in the way of interest free loans being offered by govt and possibly grants I don’t fully understand but it was talked about in the press conference the chancellor participated in.

Maybe some info here?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses

Also Martin Lewis is doing a special tonight at 8.30pm I think on itv

I have ice cube bags I shall get sorted, will order in squash and ice poles too. I’ve tins of soup in but I’m debating order a new blender from Argos to make my own soup as a way to use up past its best veggies (I used to do this more but have gotten lazy about it) old blender died ages ago. It was a jug blender but this kitchen TINY so I’m thinking I’ll get a stick blender instead, just don’t know if Argos will deliver a one item like that, might need to think of other things to order at same time. This is what’s hitting my finances! Having to order £x amount of goods to get to delivery level.

@misscockerspaniel thanks for the recipe. Will add to list

@84tinsofbeans will add that to list too

No chilli beans in but I tend to have to go mild anyway, I love spicy food, it doesn’t like me though! So may use baked beans with a LITTLE mild spice added.

Chickpeas I don’t have either not something I use normally but will add to next delivery if I can.

Can anyone please guide me on using tinned chickpeas and lentils never used before. I’ve used dried lentils AGES ago and remember having to soak overnight etc do you have to soak tinned?

I’m veggie so really should know this but I need help.

Thanks for the defrosting tips off to see if I can sort freezer now

Ventolin- your death rate % is going up?!

FARK!!!!
Not on the downward curve possibly in June? Faaaarrrrkkkkk!

On a good point, my son is convinced his gcses will be on predicted grades so he has at least three A grades. I hope hes right. That would be one less stresser

Oh also I have managed to get some zoflora to try for the first time as couldn't get my usual disinfectant.

Is it genuinely good stuff? Is it harsh?

No you dont soak tinned chickpeas.

Drain them well and make fallaffals (sp?) I only add flour and fresh coriander and they are lovely

Is there a corona virus recipe thread yet? If not, think we need one! Looking at questions about how to use chickpeas and lentils etc

@Graphista Zoflora is good, but the scent can be pretty strong. I’m using my usual anti bac in the kitchen but zoflora in the rest of the house

Zoflora can be very strong scents, I think it depends on which one you get. I can’t stand the smell of the garden one, literally makes me heave!

Still staggering figures from Italy, couldn’t believe the news that the death rate has surpassed that of China!

Lack of information is still the biggest issue for me and for most people I see posting on Facebook. Lots of the mums in our school are key workers (in roles that they believe will be included, i.e teachers, police etc), they are very frustrated at the lack of information regarding schools staying open for them or what hours they are expected to work etc.

I also think they are being very vague with the information regarding free school meals, this must be a big concern for lots of people!

Don't forget to use the tinned chickpea water to make meringues if you have sugar.

@Graphista I use tinned chickpeas occasionally and they are really good to make punjabi chole or channa masala .. they are also good to make chickpeas sundal (Dry and hot version snack which is famous in India as an after school snack) For the western palate you can try adding them in salads. But whatever you do, make sure you pour them out in a colander and wash them well until the gloopy water is washed away. Let me know if you need me to elaborate on recipes or send an authentic easy link.

Apologies I couldn’t pop in often today as I was prepping lot of things - froze a lot of lemon juice, made the lemon skin into a pickle, then also pickled garlic (not the western way of pickling , this one can be used as a condiment for naans or can even be mixed with rice for flavour, best accompaniment for curd rice) also managed to place an order at Waitrose for mid of April but I am worried if it will be safe. How do you even get back to a b**ch of a friend ( I was nice to her when she said she didn’t even have the basics prepped so offered her some treat bags for her kids which I had,a squash bottle, large bag of pancake mix from Costco - I had two unopened so gave her one and few more bits like salt and some spices but found out she has lied to me and has a humongous stash that’s neatly arranged in one of her largish rooms - her dd posted a picture of her revealing the stash in her fb page. Should I even react to that 😓

I make pasta salads with chickpeas. I do it with spinach, tomato, mixed peppers, and herbs. Sometimes add in black olives, courgettes, cheese.

I'd be interested in any savoury chickpea water recipes. I'm trying to cut down on sugar particularly after eating my biscuit stash last night.

Trying to stay calm but feel like screaming. Johnson refusing to take action asap to mitigate things. It's so frustrating and frightening. Why does he want things to get as bad as Italy? It sounds so awful for people there.

@AlohaMolly - remind me if you have underlying health conditions / dependents

@CRVD - I hope you feel better soon. 🌷🌷🌷

@1694.... I'm sure food deliveries will continue no matter what. Otherwise there will be riots.

@Legoandloldolls - you and me both re the GCSEs. But it will be fine I'm sure. He's not the only one and they'll make it ok. It's better than pushing through and slogging for something that's probably not going to happen anyway, or if it does it will be under circumstances where they can't perform at their best. 🌸

Please don't worry about death rates. They mean nothing until we know the extent of the infection.

@Pancakefiend - I must get some of those ice pops!

@Legoandloldolls ooh nice idea that I forgot - I love falafels.. I use it in so many ways , sometimes with sphagettis and falafels (a good vegan meatball substitute) , add it to gravy, soups and what not..

@Graphista soak dried chickpeas or use timers chickpeas as they come out of the tin.

If you google vegan chocolate mousse you can use the chickpea water (aquafab) to make that. My MIL who is so anti vegan she ripped out the veggie pages of her cookbook loved the mousse (I didn't tell her how it was made until she scoffed the lot).

Recipe for courgette and chickpeas attached as photos

*tinned chickpeas not timers 🙄

Less concerned with the smell of zoflora more interested in effectiveness if anyone able to say?

I though it was some natural, herbal thing but I think now it’s not? I love my chemicals that’s what I trust.

The lack of info is incredibly frustrating it really needs to be much faster and much clearer!

Any mild/non spicy chickpea recipes?

I don’t have in the kind of pasta to make salad with. I have pot pasta and chilled fresh filled pasta (which has a surprisingly long shelf life!)

I’m reviewing my deliveries the day before they come as so many items are ending up out of stock so I can add alternatives as they don’t seem to be doing this really now.

I feel like I wish I could order without having to specify brands because really what I want to say is just bring me ANY

sliced bread
Milk
Pasta
Hand wash or other liquid soap (although I did find an old stored one earlier when doing an inventory of medical supplies - why I put it in with medical supplies I’m really not sure!)

Etc

Yes like most of us NORMALLY I have preferred brands/range level but at the moment I understand the difficulties and so I just want whatever the supermarket can spare.

Does that make sense?

I’m also debating trying my local veg box place which I haven’t tried before.

Maybe this situation will help some businesses? I hope so

oh! Heads up

Martin Lewis on the financial impact at 2030

I think on itv? I started a thread but it seems to be invisible!

Hope you feel better soon CRVD.
Just popping on to say I've got a next day delivery from a local restaurant supply company who are now doing home deliveries . Delifresh in Bradford if anyone's interested. Free delivery over £30 and they even have pasta!

Quite heartened by all the local businesses that are doing home delivery and local taxi firm has offered to collect shopping free of charge for over 65's