Prepping amidst Pandemic - Thread 17

[Sprayitall]

Hi all, starting this thread to continue from preppers thread 16. Because we are amidst a pandemic now, I have changed the title to prepping amidst pandemic than “for pandemic”. I hope all of you keep well amidst this and get all the help, support and hope needed to cope during this challenging times. Feel free to add your thoughts, preps and ideas here.

Keen to replenish and reorganise stocks for winter, we have run down a lot of the ready meals I'd made for the freezer while I've been unwell. Have bought a food processor which should make the next round of batch cooking easier , and will freeze things like grated cheese.
Going to get a chest freezer too but need some rewiring to be done first, so it's going to end up verrrry expensive

Thank you for the kick start.

My plan for today is to empty the cupboards and get my spreadsheet up to date. It was all correct before lockdown but the chaotic cupboard raiding means I no longer have a clue what is in there.

The spreadsheet is very useful. I incorporate use by dates and sort it in that order so I know what needs eating first. I then sort it in food item order so I know what I have without having to empty the cupboards every time I shop.

The most interesting thing for me is how much I got wrong last time. Beans, rice and Tuna galore but nowhere near enough veg, fruit and treats.

I am now ramping up my preps for a CV winter peak and for Brexit.

Inmylife my cupboards are pretty chaotic too. Started off so well, at the beginning of Lockdown when I counted and labelled everything in there, but because outside forces (kids and DH) have delved into there and took everything out without writing in down on my totally organised sheet
I am also trying to ramp up my preps for Winter/Covid/Flu/Brexit.
Any tips or advice greatly appreciated.

The things that I found really useful from.my prep are what I'm going to build up again.

Frozen veg - unable to buy for months at the start
Mince and four bags of dried quorn mince
Pasta stir in sauces
Big bag of rice and loo roll from Costco
Bars of hand soap
San pro and nappies
Buying 4 bags of 20p pasta and spaghetti at each shop
Long life juice cartons.
Tins of chopped tomatoes and pasetta
Dried super noodles
Ohio mash powder
Long life milk
Tea
Coffee
Shower gel
Dettol and all types of my normal cleaners
Biscuits for kids

In fact if I only those things I could always get the rest except in the panic buying g stage where you couldn't get veg or fruit which I couldn't prep.

I also buy some hand gel every week now.

I’m pretty much done now for autumn winter prepping. I’ve got everything I need except logs for the fire which I keep dithering on as the thought of carrying them all through the house is putting me right off.

On the san pro listed above.. legoandloldolls you should defo try washable and reusable

Just to add, my extras that I hadn’t accounted for in wave 1 are sink unblocker (I’ve bought a gadget online that physically pulls the crap out 🤢) and light bulbs

My bulbs pop at an alarming rate

Hello all, still prepping here, I thought I was prepped in Feb and did OK but need to keep going, adding a few tins and other extras each week. This week was Vit D tabs as on offer at the mo.

I have found the reusable san pro are ok, they take a bit of getting used to. I'm using half reusable/half disposable and it helps to reduce disposable use and take the pressure off shopping for them.

If anyone is thinking about reusable nappies, I'm not sure I'd recommend them. I've been using them some of the time and they leak at least half of the time, often on to clothes and it was upping my washing by a lot. I've mostly gone back to disposables. Good to have in a pinch though!

Thanks for giving me some things to think about! I prepped a bit for Brexit and I'm thinking this winter will be particularly crappy if we are unlucky with covid/no deal etc.

We are mid winter here and one thing that has hit the news recently is that we are facing a country wide shortage of more desirable/cleaner/longer fire wood (red gum primarily).
With ppl stocking up back in march/April in the early covid panic buying and with lots of folk wfh so burning thru more tonnage, firewood is becoming harder to come by (and very expensive) So to the northern hemisphere ppl - stock up or get your deliveries early!

Thanks honey you me given me the kick I needed - I’d rather carry them now than in the autumn rain anyway. I already have some long burning ones from winter but I need to top up now

I found this thread very useful first time round and always had enough even when all the shelves were empty at the start of lockdown. I'm now prepping for round 2, and as a teacher I feel this may include regular self isolation for symptoms/test and trace. I've just signed up for a veg box, I've wanted one for ages but never got round to it and then you couldn't sign up. Planning to stock take my cupboards over the next couple of days. Also rotating food in the freezer.

I'm thinking about just ordering a large (20kg) flour bag but not sure how we would store it. Has anyone tried those 25L foodsafe buckets with lids and knows how many would be needed to store 20kg of flour?

The wise internet says 1kg of plain flour equal 1.89L, so in theory, 20x1.89 = 37.8L storage but that sounds rather low?

@Flagsfiend our veg box has been super helpful, too - if you can, looking for a milk delivery and/or butcher who does weekly deliveries is also great. I now just do one big pantry and hygiene (shampoo, soap, cleaning product,...) shop with ASDA on payday and it has been absolute heaven.

@CoffeeAndWhisky the veg box lets us add optional extras such as milk if we need it (no meat though). I recommended freezing flour for 3 days when you buy it to kill the mites.

The Krusteaz pancake mix is back in stock on Amazon. Was a great boon on Saturday mornings during lockdown - just add water for yummy pancakes.

Evening all

I was around for the start of the threads in January but tailed off as life got hectic

I've just been through my stocks with eldest daughter and am shocked at how much we have actually used it. And made lists on replacing things

Chips today I looked through my stocks and couldn't believe how much we've used. Time to replenish I think

That's my. Plan as well. I have lists!

Love a good list

GalOopnorth thank you I have just ordered some. We make pancakes regularly and this has saved our flour stokes.

@GalOopNorth

The Krusteaz pancake mix is back in stock on Amazon. Was a great boon on Saturday mornings during lockdown - just add water for yummy pancakes.

Does it have a good use by date? It looks great as not seen it before.

Hi all. Have been off the threads for a few months and name changed, but back for round 2 of prepping. Good to actually know this time what was good and what was rubbish after finally talking about an eventuality like this for years.

Sourdough starters can feck right off for a start.

@CoffeeAndWhisky I have two of those big containers and they easily took a massive sack of flour. Mine was 16k I think.

Icecreamandcandyfloss My last one that. I brought in February has the date if june next year. I didn't realise how low it was maybe I should have brought two.
I have caved and brought a dehydrator. We have several mature apple trees and luckly the dried apple appears to be a big hit. Now the challenge is to make it quicker than the children can eat it.

Thank you Teaand, will go for it then. There’s a twin pack which works out better value so might get that instead of a single.

Lidl also have a pancake mix where you just add water, mcennedy pancake mix. Good if you don’t save on flour and has decent best-before date.

*good if you need to save on flour