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I've been working on a new lower cost budget for when my husband changes jobs next year, and I was having trouble knowing when I would run out of things I needed to order online and order in large enough quantities to get free shipping when I could, so I could plan ahead. I finally got fed up and decided to order everything at once. :) I looked very carefully at the best buy dates on products so I could match my shopping to commercial distribution, and finally decided on buying every six months, in September and March. I went through my pantry and thought about staple supplies, and simplified my buying. So all of my oatmeal, pasta, sugar, salt, all the dry goods, I purchased this September, buying a six month supply. Almost all of the produce will come from the garden, so that just left the perishable things. I decided there were eight things I would need from the store, and they are meat, cheese, dog food, bouillon, bananas, avocados, citrus, and buttermilk. Things like coffee I buy instant and in bulk with the other dry goods. 

I've found it very freeing not to have to think about shopping anymore. Meals seem to come together more easily too. We use what we have, not necessarily what we want. I've been using the freezer more, I even bought some of those Souper Cubes, but I have the dry goods to make just about anything. The freezer I use for things I've already prepared, so I can have a quick meal on hand. It's not really for long-term ingredients. We use olive oil for a lot of our baking, and as long as the local farm keeps delivering our milk, I can always make butter. 

We have been in a heat wave they keep saying will end, but it never does. It's awful even trying to take a walk at night because the heat radiates off the street and pavement. It's miserable, and my garden has been miserable too. We've barely had any tomatoes yet, so I had to buy canned tomatoes in my dry goods storage. My onions rotted because it was so rainy and humid during the growing season that they never cured right. I've been using my trusty Welsh onions that are still going strong, and I ordered some dehydrated onion in our dry goods storage. I even lost my potato onion sets, and they aren't usually affected by anything! I am growing a denser, drier kind of onion next year. I've had to change a lot of varieties this year. 

Since my grand pantry plan relies on eating out of the garden, we've been hard-pressed in this heat to get our fall and over-wintered vegetables started. My fall lettuce is barely hanging on, though my fennel seedlings are doing well, but just today I lost two rutabaga seedlings to the heat. My spinach seed has only sprouted a few spinach plants, and my carrot seeds have flatly said Fuhgeddaboudit! I do have cauliflower and sprouting broccoli seedlings for over-wintering doing well. Our second corn crop is doing well, and we have two fat watermelons growing. The chard is doing well but our green beans died! The leeks just stand around looking sad, though the tepary beans are fine along with the sweet potatoes. We're going to get a bumper crop of winter squash. There's definitely food out there in the garden, but it's limited, and we're going to have to take what we can get. I have one rhubarb still standing. 

I awoke this morning from a dream about parsley worms. In my dream I thought about how beautiful the caterpillars and butterflies were, and when I awoke I was promising never to kill the parsley worms again. Later in the day, when I went out to water the garden, there were 16 parsley worms on my two small parsley plants, and I had my son kill them all. So much for the meaning of dreams. :) I let the parsley worms eat the volunteer dill, but the dill has died from the heat, and I need my parsley! 

I have just got back from a weekend away at the West Somerset Steam Railway's 1940s event, and my friend Laura and I had been discussing the advice that the UK government issued in 1938 , suggesting a small stockpile of non-perishable foodstuffs - they even went so far as to provide priced lists and quantities for single people as well as small and larger families. The government had clearly seen the writing on the wall as the first committee on food storage, transport and distribution in wartime was set up in 1936!
Laura and I have a little company (Rabbit Pie Domestic History) and we give talks to schools and interest groups about the UK Home Front during WW2 so we already have a lot of information that is useful not simply to other people but also in our own daily lives.
We both have a certain amount of stockpiled goods - mostly pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish, chicken, ham and corned beef, tinned fruit, pickles and preserves. I have yet to find decent tinned potatoes that could be served heated up straight out of the can as an accompaniment but they are fine for putting into a dish (particularly a curry). I make my own bread, so have a good stock of strong white and wholemeal flour and dried yeast and I even have dried egg which isn't as awful as it sounds and makes an acceptable scrambled egg, is OK as an egg wash on pastry but isn't as good as a fresh egg in cakes (either that, or I am just not skilled enough in its use).
Laura's little allotment has produced really well for its first year - much to her little boy's delight, the sweetcorn flourished (not surprising, given the weather). 
My vegetable garden has been left fallow this year - so many things to do in this old cottage to future-proof it as we get older (I turned 70 this year and my husband will be 78 next month). We plan to look ahead to what we can feasibly grow if next summer is anything like the one we have just had! The original raised beds are, after ten years, looking the worse for wear so we plan to replace them with some galvanised metal ones and we are looking at more rainwater storage as well.
We are also investing in a good butane two-burner stove that can safely be used indoors should we get winter power outages, and we have a good stock of wood for the log burner - our oil tank is full at present and with heating oil at over £1.00 a litre (about US$1.34, I think) we want to be as frugal as possible with heating so investing in warm (if rather unlovely) thermal underwear is already underway and I have sewn us both some brushed cotton nightwear.
That feeling that you have, Donna, about something coming - Laura and I have that feeling too. Whether it is the uncertainty about the climate changing, or other external events or not, we have a deep urge to prepare for whatever comes. Sending you love from the depths of rural Devon xxx

I have informed the DVLA that I am not well enough, at present, to drive, a legal requirement with various health conditions. I can’t just nip out to the village shops, to the supermarket or into town. I can’t even walk to the bus stop to make use of my free bus pass.

DH took me to Aldi where the real food takes just three aisles and there is a bench near the checkout so I can sit while he is pays and packs the groceries. I think that was my last shopping trip for the present but he can manage with a shopping list.

We are well stocked with ingredients in the freezer and pantry, but they need cooking so I am planning very simple meals, with leftovers for the next day. It is getting colder, so I shall make nourishing stews in the slow cooker. It takes too much breath and patience to get DH to cook a meal, though he has mastered the bread maker, can make toast, and the daily kefir. It is going to need a bit of planning.  

Thank goodness for the new M&S Food locally. In a bit of a panic, I sent him for some fresh chicken, chicken stock, vegetable and barley soup, which had nothing nasty in it. They have several UPF free fresh soups, and some good tinned soups. I shall get some frozen vegetables. Thank goodness for the internet. We managed to eat well during lockdown, we can do this. DH can join the local widowers for a traditional British cooked lunch at the village pub when I am in hospital. 

The NHS gets a lot of criticism, but the wait for a heart scan and to be seen by a cardiologist was just five days. The appointment was telephoned as the post would have taken longer than that.

We make our tea in a large (warmed) teapot, GDonna, with just one caddy spoon of loose leaf tea, so it is not strong, 3 minutes brewing gets the flavour and health benefits of tea. A knitted tea cosy keeps it good and hot. We top up the pot with boiling water for a second brew, which is strained into a vacuum flask to keep hot. I make up a jar of green and black teas for a lower caffeine pot of tea once a day. The tea ration for two is 4 ounces a week.

Dried herbs make a reasonable alternative, mint or camomile or lemon balm. I like cinnamon or liquorice root tea. 

Stephanie G - perhaps you could grow your Parsley on the windowsill and save them from the Parsley worms?

Pamela N - I'm in mid-Wales, and we have "weather events" which stop us getting to the shops easily, so I have always had a good storecupboard.  I have topped up the central heating oil (managed to get it at 86p), but how I miss my woodburner.  No fireplaces here . . .  I have just realized with a power outage, my UV water system would no longer purify the water or pump it upstairs. . .  Fill the bath for flushing toilets, and boil all water downstairs.  

I do hope that our gut feelings about "something coming" will not be borne out.  But best to be prepared just in case.  You will be very well prepared anyway, with WWII being your "starter for ten"!

Donna - I have a chocolate apple cake recipe which never fails and uses stewed apple instead of eggs, and I don't see why you can't substitute the stewed apple in other cake recipes.  Buying local is a good idea - we have a good butcher, but he isn't cheap.  We no longer have a greengrocer locally, which is a shame.  I must do more bottling of fruit, though I don't think I can trust myself to do bottled veg as I don't have a proper pressure canner.

Dear GDonna, thanks for a new very interesting post. It aligns with what I am thinking right now. I am feeling like a squirrel before winter, our basement is full of food like pasta, canned tomatoes, all kind of canned vegetables, legumes, flour, sugar, and a lot of other things. I guess we could survive some months ????. I buy when it‘s on sale and has a long expiration date.

Coffee is cheap again in Germany. Today morning I saw it on sale at Aldi for 8,99 Euro per kilo. Chocolate still high prices, the Christmas sweets are in the shops since 2 weeks. 

As I am cooking vegan I have some experience how to replace eggs. If it‘s only 1 egg in the recipe, simply leave it out. Up to 3 eggs you can replace it, but in my experience recipes with more than 4 eggs to replace don‘t work. For pastries use applesauce, 2 tablespoons for 1 egg. You can‘t taste applesauce, unlike bananas. 2 tablespoons crushed flaxseeds mixed with 6 tablespoons water, 10 minutes let soak, replace 1 egg. The easiest way to replace eggs is starch, 2 tablespoons mixed with 3 spoons water. Have you heard of aquafaba? That is the chickpea cooking liquid and can be used to replace eggs, even egg snow

Stephanie, it seems we both are having very similar gardening issues, my strong walking onions have died back, I have completely lost several varieties of onions including my potato onions as well. Several of my seedlings have bolted, I have been careful to get them in the sun but not direct sun but after trying to find answers to this issues I read that the hot temperatures can make them bolt as well.  I am starting to gather any type of container I can find that drains and am putting many of my plants into containers and setting the containers into the grow tanks so I can move them around as I need to do to keep them cooler.  I am sooooo ready for cooler weather.  I watched a man on a video plant his leggy broccoli seedlings all the way down deep.  I have always thought there were only a few veg plants that we set out deep such as tomatoes because they can root in their fuzzy legs most anywhere.  So I took my long broccoli seedlings and planted them deeper, if they die then they died and I can start over which I am going to re-seed them anyway and if the others I planted deeper do make it then I will have double the broccoli. 

Pam, I found that the "whole" tinned potatoes are better than the sliced or cubed.  I drain all the liquid off that was in the tin.can and rinse and replace with fresh water.  These make fairly good mashed potato or potato pancakes.  

Janet W, this is concerning about your health, I hope you will be able to rebound and glad that your wait to see the cardiologist is not long.   Also, what is a "caddy spoon"?  The U.S., UK and Australia use different word meanings I am not always sure.

Jenny C,  when you say stewed apples do you mean boiling down to a mush and using that for the substitute? 

Petra thank you for the appleauce measurement of two tablespoons for 1 eg and the other subs.  I have never heard of Aquafaba.  When you say starch, do you mean corn starch?  That would be a really simple and easy one.  Thank you .

Just a reminder again, please do not use "links" to different sites or links to promote your websites.  Please just type in the name or a description.  

.    We replace eggs all the time in baking. For each egg you can use your choice of the following: 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup of mashed banana, 1/4 cup of mashed avocado or 1/4 cup of plain yogurt. Other foods such as chia seeds and flaxseed meal can also be used, but for planning ahead, ease of purchasing, shelf storage and taste we prefer either the pumpkin or applesauce. Pumpkin puree adds no flavor to the batter either.

      Years ago we purchased, from a close out sale, a large supply of various sized candles. They are securely wrapped and stored for preservation. While our Goldens were alive we used only battery powered  candles and still, frequently, do. I purchase batteries for the year from the black friday sales which are the least expensive. I use a few small battery powered candles as nightlights since we are close to 80 and it is easy to fall in the complete darkness.

      I am, currently, taking inventories of our food storage, including the freezers, my material on hand and my crewel embroidery kits. Winter is coming. I spent an entire day sorting wool yarn by colors and labeling them.

     Our herb garden was prolific this year and I still have more to cut and dehydrate. Then I will grind the herbs and vacuum seal them into canning jars. I am behind as the yarrow needs cutting and it has for two weeks. It must be cut and hung this week. 

     Yarrow was a staple for healing in the 1880's and before. It was used to bring down fevers, is anti-inflammatory, along with a list of other medicinal uses. As with all herbal medicinal products the right amount and part of the plant is crucial. There were fewer doctors in the past and, frequently, miles away on the frontier. A person who had knowledge in plant uses and could correctly identify plants was a valuable source to frontier families. Midwives were also sought out and highly respected. My great, great grandmother was a midwife in Charleston, S.C., in the latter half of the 1800's.

     This week I need to work cutting and dehydrating the herbs, making vanilla extract and cutting out and sewing some new winter pajama's around my heart Doctor appointment and my other chores. We are running short of extra bottles of pure vanilla extract and I have purchased extra organic beans to have on hand.

      We grind our coffee beans, also, gDonna. We have done this for a few decades. The coffee tastes so much fresher this way. Since we purchase the coffee beans in five pound bags we vacuum seal them in 1/2 gallon jars to keep them fresh. The key, we have found, for the longest life of any stored food is to make sure it is vacuum sealed in glass jars and never plastic bags. We have tested the glass against plastic and found that only the glass keeps for several years. We opened some nine year old cinnamon that was vacuum sealed in pint jars and it smelled and tasted as fresh as the day we sealed it.

     I agree that something big is coming that we need to be prepared for and alert concerning. We just had our largest state bank go completely down due to being hacked. This bank is the primary source for businesses in our state. They had to take the bank completely offline and go through every aspect of the system. It is still not up and running. Direct deposit of paychecks, automatic deduction of bill's, debit cards, etc were all halted. They are only allowing some withdrawals and deposits and some use of debit cards after four days. The banking officials said this will take time. Some smaller businesses had to close their doors. If possible, divide money among banks as this could happen anywhere.

     I apologize for the length of this comment. Your article, gDonna, was full of wonderful points and questions.

Grandma Donna, we have just made the same decision about the stores this past week. I was happy to see you talk about it. God bless you both.

It's so wonderful reading about what everyone is doing! :) Jennie C that is a good idea, and if my house wasn't situated so that it is too dark to grow plants inside, I would certainly do that! I might cover the parsley so that there won't be any more killing. I don't want to trap any more heat, though. 

My backyard is long and narrow. It is just 28 feet wide, and the garden takes up about half of its length. I don't have any room to move pots to chase the shade, but the sun rises in the front of the house (bedrooms), stands at the side of the house with only the one bathroom window (bathrooms), then moves to the back where the neighbor's back fence starts to shade the yard, so I have lots of built-in shade, so to speak. It's so blazing hot that it's hard to keep things watered and my rain barrels are in the garage now after the roof and siding repair. Don't anyone even ask what my water bill has been!

We have just the carpet and flooring to replace, and we're done with our home changes we planned. My husband has decided after this long, drawn-out heatwave that we need at least some rooftop solar to power the hardwired things, so after the mortgage is paid, we will save for that and pay cash. If this heatwave is a preview of our hotter future, it's going to be bad! It's even made me wonder about getting one of those treadmills you can slide under the bed for storage so I don't have to walk outside. 

I'm going to have my husband make me a wooden bird feeder next year to replace the one we have now because it has metal perches that get hot in the sun. I think a lot of our modern technology may have to go backwards since there are more efficient natural ways to cool homes than our present reliance on energy production for cooling. Why can't we build from cement blocks or bricks? Why are there so many laws against cob houses? Grandma Donna is right that we've been caught in a doom loop of having to keep buying and we need to step out of it somehow. 

Always, always makes my day to see another post!  I can't answer your questions as I had a health issue that I battled in the last 2 months (hopefully coming to an end).  However, I say YAY! to rearranging when you do it and never enters my mind, "not again?"  I find it a little exciting luxury. One thing I'd like to rearrange is the cluster corner of the kitchen. Plates/bowls, utensils, cooking area, vitamins, spices all in the same sink/range corner. Drives.me.absolutely.batty. I must figure out how to share the plates/bowls with the glasses, which the latter are many. 

I had a newer iron and several and they just don't work like the older ones.  I did get rid of my ironing board as it was an oversized one; I didn't use it enough to warrant it's space, but I do have a table top.  Anyway, the new irons aren't as good. I've never had a steam function that didn't leak. 

Following your intuition is smart. I've learned to follow mine and my husband says it's always right, yet he'll never listen to it!

You know that pencil sharpener is a favorite! We had one growing up in our home. When the house went up for sale two years ago, I could see it on Zillow. The owners had died, and they were the ones that bought it from my parents. I always thought some day I could buy it back, but the prices now are outrageous so that was rather depressing. So many things those owners never touched from us! I don't think they were much into decorating or updating, but... the pencil sharpener we had was still on the wall in the desk area my dad built. I chuckled so hard! It because they worked!  

Interesting on the caffeine. I must try that trick. It would make sense though as the most potent would come through first. Does it still have 

Oh I must go check out that you-tube. I watching a lot of past-type reels that is warming and settling my heart. 

So do you and Charles love the same past years or do you have separate loves? 

I just bought a manual clothes wringer and am so excited to be able to do most all of our laundry at home and not have to spend time or money at the Laundromat! We are living in a tent and have a little solar power and a fantastic springhead that I keep food in. A wood stove in the tent and a propane camp stove. 

It was a very interesting experience when hurricane Helene hit our area and our life was pretty much unchanged except there was no cellphone signal for a while. While people in town 15 mins away had no power or clean water for days. 

Roast chicory is a good caffeine free coffee substitute. I just bought a big bag because I'm hoping to get pregnant in the next few months and don't want to subject the baby to caffeine (it really messes with me but I'll still drink it because I'm addicted)

We are planning on getting chickens here soon because we have the ability and I never ever want to be without eggs. Going to see about growing meal worms for their food. 

Thank you so much for your posts! It's been hard to learn how to live without electricity and running water and you have given me good ideas. 

Back again.  I have done my shopping and purchased 6 bottles of still water, for emergency drinking, though hopefully they will just stay in the cupboard.  I bought extr yeast too, and some tinned fruit, as I bake with the manderin oranges I have in tins (they make a lovely moist cake).  

I can remember my mum drinking coffee made from Camp Coffee essence, which was roast chicory root.   

Stephanie G - can you get some very fine mesh to cover your Parsley plants and stop the invasion?  The heatwaves we have had in UK this summer have been something else - I had to hide inside as they affect my asthma.  My plants haven't been happy either - I could have grown (should have grown!) my cucumbers and tomatoes outside as they really struggled in the polytunnel and greenhouse.  

Donna - with the stewed apple, yes just cook down to a mush, with not too much water and no sugar.

Emma L - my mother had a clothes wringer which she attached to the enamel top table in the kitchen.  I grew up in an age before washing machines and when they bought their house, it still had what was called a "copper" in the corner - a water heater on a brick plinth.  You did sheets first, in the hottest water, and then gradually as it cooled you would wash clothing, finally ending up with woollen items when it was just warm.

GDonna, corn starch is fine! The dough will maybe a bit more compact, you can balance it with more baking power. I know recipes for cakes with pudding powder. At the end that is also only starch with aroma. I always have it in house behause it is cheap and easy baking.

The aquafaba means bean water. The thick liquid in a glass or can with chickpeas, see my picture. This you can use like egg white. It can be whipped (but it takes longer than egg white), and used as meringue. Once it is whipped the taste is absolutely neutral, no chickpea taste. If you don‘t need the whole aquafaba from a can, you can freeze it.

Cheap cheese replacement, that‘s a bit more tricky. I tasted a lot of vegan cheese, and to be honest it‘s not the same. To bring cheese flavor in a meal you can use nutritional yeast flakes. To gratinate meals yeast-based melt is a good and cheap replacement. It is roux consisting of 4 tea spoons butter, 6 tea spoons flour, 250 ml water. Add a tea spoon mustard, salt, pepper and 8 table spoons yeast flakes. 

Most of the recipes for homemade vegan cheese list cashews, I don‘t know the prices in the US but here they are expensive and not a real alternative. 

GDonna, I have had this "feeling" for a while now, too.  I have a pantry closet in a guest room for the overflow from my kitchen pantry.  I started that when the pandemic first hit and some foods were had to get...like canned tomatoes, which I use frequently.  Also mushroom soup :)  

We are in our 80s and live in South Florida, which is too hot to be outside and garden, in my opinion.  We only ever grew tomatoes and a few other things when we lived up north, which was 40 years ago.  We do still take care of our yard and plantings, which exhausts us after about an hour in our humidity.  We can go back out after hydrating and resting for a good hour!

I have one of those old fashioned pencil sharpeners.  Got it as a H.S .graduation gift!

We have purchased many things over the years after many hurricanes.  We have several types of generators and also a solar-powered smaller generator.  Our others take either gasoline or propane gas in the white tanks.  We found gasoline to be messy if we did not need it, and it needed to be used within a year.  (We did add Sta-Bil to it.)  Trying to get the 5-gallon cans into our vehicle's gas tanks was quite the chore.  So we invested in 9 propane tanks and no gasoline for future needs.

Another thing...when we lost power, I took my little 1-burner camp stove that takes the little green propane bottle to the lanai, where I boiled a small amount of water to do my coffee the pour-over method.  I did not have ground coffee in the tin at that time, so I just dumped the coffee out of a Keurig pod into the filter.  Worked fine!

For protein, we invested in 12 cans of hamburger meat (I tried one...it was good).  I also stock things like Spam, canned chicken, tuna, beef sticks, and ham if I can find the little 1-pound cans that used to be readily available.  Remember when you could buy a whole canned chicken in a big can?  Maybe Sweet Sue brand.  Haven't seen those in years.  I also bought a container of ready-to-eat dehydrated meals....good for 25 years.  I should probably taste some, but if you are really hungry, anything will do, I suppose.  Our freezer is full, but if the power goes out, we might lose some of that, even with a generator.  

How do you buy applesauce used for baking with no eggs?  The little containers for school lunches?  Once you open the jars, they must be refrigerated.  I have found the Aldi whole canned potatoes fine for use.  Like GDonna, I pour off and rinse the liquid remains.  They are firm and tasty.  For cooking, I bought some Baconup.  No refrigeration needed.

We could use our generator to wash our clothing if needed, but I would like to find a good method for wringing the wash dry enough to put on racks outside if we hand wash items.  We found, when we lost power for 9 days years ago, that we were using a lot of towels and they took DAYS to dry, even in the sun, because we could not wring them out enough!

Well, this is so long and is boring to most, I am sure---so will say bye for now.

If you are rearranging furniture, we know you are well :-)   

You mentioned how things keep changing: I was just watching an educational site about how more rapid change is the new constant and that those who can remain fluid will do better in the workforce.  This intrigued me as I thought, "What is their rock or foundation if always changing?"  I have also seen topics about Gen Z embracing medieval and renaissance times in order to find meaning within themselves.  To me, those two topics go hand in hand to point out that constant change = chaos both internally and externally.  So a strong sense of home and right and wrong is a very healthy thing.

I have an iron like the one with the water reservoir.  It's my favorite.  I use it for quilting mostly.

Oh, and you made my favorite cake :-)' thank you (drool)

You are probably right in your gut feeling of something being off.  And even if nothing happens immediately, you are still the better for having supplies.

Great article.

I'm sorry to hear your sweet Elizabeth is having serious health problems.  I wish her a speedy recovery.  Hopefully it's just a bladder infection, without any serious underlying cause.

Gr. Donna, you put into words how I have been feeling. I did try to ignore it for awhile but now I am exploring it and what to do to deal with "it".

I have always kept a stockpile but feel the need to expand it a bit...I am concentrating on some canned meats, i.e. tuna, salmon, corned beef, chicken breast and hopefully a canned ham if I can find it.  I use a lot of tuna. I am also going for extra peanut butter.  Veggies and fruit are canned and frozen, mostly from our gardens and what I have found on the markdown racks. 

I have taken the time to make a pantry of sorts in an unused guest bedroom, the bed an dresser are still usable but I installed a large metal rack and it is being filled with canning and jarred up dry goods. I have vents closed in that room and the window is curtained. It stays cool and dark.

I keep a few chickens so for the time being eggs are not a problem. But I do have to buy feed for the hens..... 

I am trying to stay on track on 1942 but so many things are intruding on my mind here lately, I will get back on track it might just take me a moment.

I just made a HUGE change in preparation of my future life.  I just turned 62 two weeks ago (my first SS check arrives next month) and in July I sold my 3BR 2Bath house, a truck, a motorhome and downsized so much (BIG estate sale & FB postings + 3 trips to the thrift store with donations + a FREE pile at the end of my driveway) that I ended up only needing one U-box, which wasn't stuffed, to bring my things to my new tiny house in the woods three states away.  I've cut my daily living expenses literally in half and my overall workload tremendously. I was struggling with the upkeep of the house as a single woman with an empty nest and I was so ready for a change.  I too have concerns about where we are heading and what could happen.  Now that I have made this move and simplified my life I feel much more confident about handling whatever comes next while I strive to live well within my means and not work myself to death in the process.  I definitely recommend listening to our guts and trusting our intuition as far as preparing for what might happen.  If you feel it, go with it.

Dana M, Congratulations on your wisdom and your move.

Anna P. - I just used my new manual wringer for the first time tonight and it definitely works! It was more than $300, so might not be the way to go if you only want to use it during power outages. They are sold through Lehmans and are pretty much the only new option available to buy currently as far as I can tell. 

Grandma Doona asked, “ Also, what is a "caddy spoon"?  The U.S., UK and Australia use different word meanings I am not always sure.“

Tea used to be expensive and heavily taxed. It was stored in small, lined wooden tea caddies, with a lock. Silver tea caddy spoons were made, especially near here by Birmingham silversmiths.

As tea became cheaper there were metal tea caddies and souvenir tea caddie spoons in brass and stainless steel. One caddy spoonful makes a good pot of tea, much less fuss than the traditional “One teaspoon of tea per person and one for the pot.” In wartime we were instructed not to add one for the pot. 

I have several tea caddies, for this tall elephant one I use and old silver jam spoon with a mother of pearl handle. Otherwise it is just a plain modern one, which stay in the tea caddy.

I have a stainless steel scoop in the ground coffee cannister.

We have about three weeks of food, not including what's normally in our pantry, stored for our family of six. Mostly rice, oats, dry lentils, and powdered milk in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers for long-term storage, and cans of beans and tomatoes and bottles of oil that we rotate through regularly as short-term storage.

Powdered eggs are an option. I have never cooked with them. I hear the taste is better suited for baking than for scrambled eggs. https://a.co/d/0hQr6Jae

I have made egg substitutes for baking using flax seed meal and/or chia seed meal. I keep those seeds in the freezer, though, because they spoil quickly, so I would expect the fat content to be too high for long-term shelf-stable storage.

The sense of doom and gloom in this modern world is hanging over us all - all the unnecessary bullying and fighting, AI taking over and that is a huge worry for the future, crops failing, weather going round in circles, diseases like bird flu and the like, lack of bees - so much thrown at us and no wonder we don't even want to know about it.  But it's there and like everyone else there is a feeling that we need to be prepared.  

I don't do much gardening any more, winter is our growing season as summer is way too hot and humid here in coastal Queensland, although I do have the odd pot of tomatoes or capsicums (bell peppers), and a few herbs in a small garden around the side in the shadier areas.  I try to rely on local farms and smaller local shops instead of the big chains although I do shop at Aldi and a small chain which uses local produce rather than from afar.

In the end all we can do is keep on keeping on, doing what we feel is right for our own families and their welfare and continue to think positive while being aware things can change in an instant.

Wow, what a great conversation going on here.  I don't know where to jump in here but to answer Ann E's question of do Charles and I love the same past years.  Charles favorite is 1940s, he will say that always.  The series that we watched about the family living through five decades I would say the 1950s and Charles says the 1950s and 1960s.  I just know from living through the 1950s how it was such a good life of playing with the neighborhood children, getting our first television and we were never bored as the program might have seemed to be.  It was actually an exciting time.  The 1960s was good too, families were still close, at least in our family, the colors and decor was getting a bit wierd.  Of course music kept changing.  The clothing was still respectable in the 1950s, the hemlines were getting too high in the 1960s.  I think that it all depends on where one lived.  

Janet W and the rest of you that answered question, thank you and I really enjoyed seeing the photos of the Tea caddy and tea caddy spoons. :)  

Emma L, I am happy that you were able to get you a manual clothes wringer. :)  I hope you get your chickens.  The main thing about getting laundry clean is soaking the garments first, and rinsing them well. 

Thank you all for your valuable information that you are sharing, it will help a lot should things get serious. There is a lot of experience that many of you have gathered and this is what we need to do, share it with others.  Those of you sharing your substitutions is wonderful information, there are many reasons we might need this information.  (Heart) 

Ann P, your post was not boring at all, we never know what we say may help someone else.   

I will stop here, Charles wants popcorn tonight so I will join him.  :)

I have used gelatine "eggs" when I had to avoid eggs for a while.  I have also used flax "eggs", but the gelatine seemed to do the trick best for me.

The heat and humidity have been very hard on my garden.  I need to plant for fall, but it is still too hot for many of the fall vegetables.  Our high temperature today was 95 degrees F and will be over 90 degrees for the high temperature all week.  I have planted chard, but I am waiting to plant Japanese greens and carrots.  I am trying to keep my pantry stocked with staples and put up what I can, such as blackberry jelly and pickled beets.

I bought a Calliger portable clothes wringer from Amazon, and I think it was about $150.  I have used it numerous times for small hand-washed loads and after hurricanes when the power was out for days.

I finished painting my bathroom and I am now emptying my kitchen cabinets to make room for new cabinets that will make aging in place easier.  All the bottom cabinets will be drawers or pull outs so I don't have to crouch down, and the upper cabinets will be lower than my too-high cabinets I have now, which require me to use stepstools.  The materials used in the countertop, cabinet finishes and walls will be easier upkeep as well.

I am steadily getting rid of things as I find them, and the usual question I have as I find them is, why on earth have I kept this for so long?  I am donating the nicer things to the thrift store that supports the hospice that my late husband was in.  They were so good to him and to us.

The relentless heat this summer has really sapped my energy and drive.  Cooler weather will bring it back, but I still have to wait for that.  I work as much as I can until I just have to stop and cool off.  I know you know about this heat, GDonna!

We have age proofed this house as much as possible, and we hope to be able to stay here as long as possible - there is no clutter, no excess - even down to crockery, glasses, etc - just basics.  I don't entertain any more, it's too much for me and we rarely have visitors these days.  I have a well stocked pantry and freezer, and if I had to wash by hand, my darling husband has very strong hands and can wring out a towel or such as well as a spin dryer can.

We are only in the second week of spring and to-day is over 30 degrees Celsius with more to come so we're in for another hot summer - the heat doesn't bother me so much as the humidity.  We have had rain but it's such light fairy rain that not a drop lands on anything to be useful.  The forecast for summer isn't good, high heat and bad storms - at least they may give us some rain as long as there's no damage but that's no guarantee.

I was born in 1946 so have seen a lot as the years go by - and what I see now isn't inviting.  I worry about my grandchildren but so far they seem to be coping pretty well.  None have shown any inclination to marry, have a partner, have children though - perhaps they've decided the world is better without doing so, who knows - I don't ask.

Glenda H_2 wrote: 

"My great, great grandmother was a midwife in Charleston, S.C., in the latter half of the 1800's."

So interesting. Perhaps our ancestors came across each other!

My mother's side of the family is from Charleston. We determined they were there at least by 1800. We found their names in the city directory and know at least one street name some lived on. Mom grew up on a farm outside of Charleston in a small town. My mother was born at home in 1935. The local hospital was built 2 years later.

Now as for good food substitutes I would suggest consulting vegan cookbooks or websites. I bake a lot without eggs as I don't eat them. I've used many of the suggestions above but will sometimes just skip it. There are two "cheesy" tasting sauces I have used for macaroni or nachos. Not exactly like cheese I admit but good if you just accept it as just a "sauce" and you want something creamy. 

Since I do cook for others I buy eggs. I bought 4 dozen large eggs today for 79 cents each. I will be freezing them in storage bags meant for freezing breastmilk. I saw boxes of 50 bags for 1.99 each at Goodwill. I actually bought several boxes. I buy cow's milk on clearance and freeze it in one cup increments for baking or the grandkids' hot chocolate. I make my own almond milk by blending 2 tablespoons of almond butter in 2 cups of cold water & flavor as desired. I bought a bunch of dried soybeans and hope to learn to make my own tofu. 

I've been trying to extend the meat I buy on clearance by using it in things like tacos, soups or sandwiches like sloppy joes. No one here wants casseroles. 

I'm slowly working on clearing away clutter especially stuff on the floor. I'm concerned about falls. My husband is the master of piles. I figure I will concentrate on the areas I'm in the most and avoid "his" areas where piles prevail. 

I made my own noodles by hand yesterday with only flour & water & a little salt. Rolled them out & cut them with a knife. Used 50 cents worth of flour. 5 servings. Boiled in salted water for best flavor. My grandson said they were the best noodles he's ever had! So it must be true!

Margaret P, that is so interesting. My grandmother was born and raised in Cross, S.C., on a farm not far from Charleston. My mother was born in Charleston and raised there. I have researched my family genealogy for 50 years. I have focused a lot of that time on researching Orangeburg County, Berkeley County, Newberry County and, of course, Charleston and the surrounding areas. The federal census records are an excellent source of information, beginning in 1790, until today. The last census published was 1950. If your ancestors were in the military, those records are well documented. The city directories are a wonderful source of information. My ancestors were, also, in S.C. very early; most on the 1790 census records. 

Dana M,  what a wonderful change you have made, I am so happy to read how you made this decision and went with it!  Now you are on the other side of most of it and making a new start. This is happy news.  :)

Glenda H and Margaret P, you two may be related. :)  Just recently my brother had hand surgery from an injury and was at therapy and the lady in front of him signed in first and when he went to sign in he saw that her last name was a family name of ours.   She was called back and he was called back in different directions but when she finished she walked right past him.  He called out and asked could he ask her a question.  This particular last name is uncommon so the chances were that we could be related to her.  It was her husbands name and she was very happy to speak with my brother and actually very excited about it.  They exchanged phone numbers.  My brother called me and explained because I am the one in the family that does our genealogy.  After a few days of researching, I found that we are cousins with her husband. :)  Distant but yes, cousins.  :)

Joan S, I have never heard of Gelatine, I will look into this information too.  You have been a busy girl in your home. :)

Pam, I hope that you do not get the kind of summer that we have just gone through that we are still going through.  This one has been brutal. When I read your comments I felt a sad feeling of oh my, not summer :( I have never dreaded summer like I do now, I used to enjoy summer but summer heat with no let ups, no cooling down at night is just awful. Even our wildlife looks worn out and dull.   I will embrace the cold for sure. :)

gDonna, you are absolutely right. I have studied all the neighbor families, also, as marriages were usually with a neighbor fairly close by. Also, cousin marriages were very common during that time. Second cousin marriages are still legal, today, along with first cousin marriages in some states.

Grandma Donna, I'm making my way through the You-tube Life through time. I'd love to be a part of that (if my back was good). I think it would be fun!!  

Dana M, Wow! You're really getting it done. I sort of covet ... ;)

Joan S,  I didn't know you could even purchase a clothes wringer. I had to go look!  With all these ridiculous "smart" appliances, every time we take a power hit, which is rather often in AZ, I never know where the washer is in it's cycle. With digital, it all shuts off and drains the water. Real smart and water saving. (eye roll).   

Yesterday I moved my plates/bowls to share a cabinet with my glasses. Now they are right above the dishwasher and the goblet type things (which we NEVER use that I have to keep because Dh wants to), are in a different cabinet as "overflow".  It freed up an upper cabinet next to the stove where I was able to move some lower cabinet items that I use all the time to the upper one and being tall with a horrid back, no more bending for those things. Total win for aging.  It's all those insulated water bottles that make me grumble, which are in a low drawer.  Sometimes I think about how much space I'd have without having to keep all this junk because someone else wants to. But... that's not really nice... but I can dream about space. :)

And I tried to go old school. I get tired of commercials and streaming music and I still have my cds, but no player. I opted for a CD/DVD player since I can't find a CD player only to connect to our amplifier which connects to the tv and speakers (which is a pain in itself). Well it's going back today. When the CD player plays I now require 3 remotes and it requires the tv being on. It's just absurd and a massive NO! So I tried to connect it to our old amplifier and our other set of Boze speakers, and it won't connect to the amp without a converter.  All I want to do is play cds! All this bluetooth has made everything over complicated. I sooooo miss plugging things in!  

Ann E, I found a CD player/FM radio at Best Buy. I just plug it into the wall. Good luck

It's funny how we can think alike isn't it Donna..

I've gotten rid of the supermarket "loyalty" Cards as am tired of my purchases being put into a data bank and am tired of "being watched"

I now shop less at supermarkets and more at individual businesses . I use cash for as long as I can.

Karen S, yes it is.  They will keep doing these things to us as long as we let them.  This was not how it was in the past, I realize we must keep going forward but not with things that do not make sense or things that we know is going in the wrong direction.  If enough of us would stop letting these companies run our lives so they can profit off of us with no consideration, maybe this would put the breaks on and start treating their customers better than what they are doing now. Why I get so upset about these things is that our young people have no comparison to understand we do not have to live this way.  Unfortunately it is starting to get out of control. 

Wow, I just spent a good hour reading everyone's comments.  So much good information and lovely sharing.

I am on several forums where uneasy feelings about the future are being expressed daily.  A couple are prep forums but others just general forums.  I have had the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feelings for quite some time.  

I agree that one should not have all their funds in just a single bank.  There are two banks in my small town, and I have money (not a lot!) in each.  I've seen reports about the bank in Wyoming that was hacked and closed for a week now.  Scary stuff.  Also, as part of my preps, I keep cash on hand in smaller amounts ... nothing larger than $20.  Just last week I was in a store having an update of their cash register system and were doing cash only.  A younger woman behind me turned and left when she saw the cash only sign.  It amazes me how many people never carry cash always depending on a debt or credit card.  

Someone mentioned the bucket of meals in her food storage and wondered if they are tasty.  My only issue is too salty.  Mixing them with unsalted rice or potatoes could help with that.

I have central air conditioning in my home but keep it set at 82º F to keep my electric bill under control.  I've found that 82º and a fan blowing my direction is enough for me to be comfortable.  In the winter I wear layers of clothing and keep fleece throws where I sit and manage to stay comfortable with thermostat set at 67º.  I have three fans, one new this year, one older works great and the third works sort of.  If I did not have a/c, I'm not sure I could manage without fans.  Even with all the heat this summer, my a/c has not run often.

I have been a prepper for many years and try to keep all supplies and food at six months to one year.  Typically, in September and October of each year I inventory supplies.  I keep a running grocery list on my kitchen table and anytime I use something, it goes on the list so I'm usually current with supplies with each monthly shopping trip.  There is no local grocery store so it's 25 miles one way to shop so I only shop monthly.  During Covid and bad weather I've gone three or four months without shopping and never missed a meal.  

Everything I use personal supplies, household supplies, sewing supplies, books and puzzles are all kept in my storage.  I'm fortunate to have a full basement under my 3-bedroom ranch house so no shortage of space.  When people were panicking about lack of toilet paper, I went to my storage and shopped for what I needed.  There are numerous ideas online on unique storage solutions if you're struggling with finding space.

Two items I've wanted for my preps for years are a treadle sewing machine and a wringer washing machine.  Janome sells a treadle sewing machine that you can put into/onto your own treadle machine cabinet which I have.  I'm sure it would need to be remodeled to fit the new head.  The old head is plain worn out.  A dream would be a wood cookstove.  None are likely to happen.

Ann W, a few  thoughts about the cash.

Two weeks ago I was in a shop when suddenly the power went out. Nothing serious, just a power outage for around one hour in a limited area in my city. It is a shop where you can pay with card or cash. But what happened? They closed the checkouts and shop immediately. Two reasons: They don‘t know the prices at the checkouts, they rely on scanning the articles and then have the price. The bigger supermarkets have tenthousands of articles, it doesn‘t make sense to put price tags on them, that is a waste of time and working hours. The second reason: The checkout system works together with the warehousing system. If they can‘t scan articles, they are loosing control of their stock. Even if the power outage is lasting longer and they will loose fresh or refrigerated articles the supermarket will not open. They are insured. 

So it is a good idea to have a small amount cash but large sums are needless in my opinion. And a last point: Even if we pay cash, the supermarkets know what we buy. Maybe then they can‘t know what I personally buy but they can analyze it with the scanning system. Which articles are too much, where can I place non-sellers in the market to make them more visibl, articles with low sale are taking out. I often notice that articles disappear in the shops because sales were not enough. With every purchase we are telling our preferences, and at the end they exactly give us what we want.

Ann W, you are very wise. We have two food storage rooms plus a bit of overflow that we purchased in 46 lb. buckets. We have been preppers for 40 years, although in the past, it was called keeping a full larder. It was a way of life on the plains and people that didn't keep a full larder and a kitchen garden often went hungry, especially in winter.

 Cash on hand is wise, if only for medical and dental treatment. Those facilities can still give handwritten receipts.

The intertwined computer mess for finances will cause havoc going forward, I feel. The bank is still not able to be up and running and the last balance date they can access is September 4. The bank says they can accept withdrawals and deposits, but can't give anyone an updated balance amount, at present. There are a whole lot of stressed and angry people; especially if that is the only bank they use. The poor tellers, who had nothing to do with any of it, are getting the brunt of the anger. 

So a few years ago our family visited Shipshewana, Indiana which is Amish if you don't know. We like to stop in the bulk store.

The power went out due to a car hitting a pole outside of town. Of course, not every retailer there is Amish. We were quite amused that the only 2 stores that stayed opened were the Amish grocery store & one other because they had generators and since they only take checks & cash they didn't miss a beat. 

Lots of like-minded thinking being expressed here! :) I especially like the discussion about stores when the power goes out. I think it's an important thing to think about. I live in a small city, so when the power goes out, some of the smaller, privately-owned businesses stay open and take cash. The big grocery stores close. Having six months of food on hand and a garden means I likely won't be too troubled by stores closing in an outage. Money in banks is an interesting topic. I'll have to think about that some more. The headlines about AI ending humanity are interesting to think about, too. I don't think AI will end humanity. If AI hijacked infrastructure systems, people would go back to using systems that by-pass AI. It would be the transition period that would be hard. I could never completely become self-reliant, so I do the best I can and leave it at that. Even a little self-reliance is better than none. It's all about getting through the transition periods, like in natural disasters. Help will come, but you have to manage while waiting for it. I'm not one who believes in doom. I believe in people helping one another, and I want to be someone who can help too, even if just a little bit, like sharing food with a neighbor while they wait for the stores to reopen. 

I am experimenting with mesh on the parsley right now. I want to make sure it doesn't heat the plants too much by trapping the heat inside. We've had some of the hottest days of this whole, long heat dome just recently. Thanks for the ideas! 

Stephanie G, you are thinking along the same paths that my late dh and I did when we started prepping.  Firstly, whatever the crisis, if you are prepped you can stay home and avoid whatever chaos is happening.  Second, you will not be standing in line for food that someone else needs.  And, as you said, you will be in the position to help others.  On that last, if the crisis is a major SHTF situation, keeping your head down and waiting before letting anyone know you have supplies might save your life, neighbor or not.

Historically, stocking up for winter was necessary for lots of reasons, the primary being not starving over winter.  Even if re-stocking was possible, inclement weather meant no travel.  When I was a child, mud roads were still a thing, and the school bus did not travel on mud roads.  So, kids would walk out to the highway, or they might arrive on a tractor or in one case I recall a dad bringing his to dd's out on a big old work horse.  Most mud roads are long gone although in Iowa the gravel roads keep trying to revert every spring.  I was raised rural or in small towns.

I now live 25 miles from a grocery store, and I try to only shop once a month.  Once I realized how wonderful a full pantry is I've never looked back.  Even when we lived in Des Moines, I never shopped more than once a week because our only vehicle was gone with dh to work.  The progress to once a month happened over time.

One other thing, if your preps include canned goods, please buy a couple extra can openers.  Non-electric can openers.  I once had only one, went to open a can and it broke in half.  Never again will I have only one.

Ann W, thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. :) I went to Amazon and bought a Chef Craft Select 3-in-1 can opener with no moving parts, for $5.30. I've had the manual can openers with the wheels (it's what I have now) stop working or not cut the can right. I never thought about that happening in an emergency, but you are right. What good is canned food with no can opener?

@Ann W, guess I'm getting another can opener! Lol

Ann, I went to our local McDonald's this morning for breakfast. They had signs for cash only everywhere. I sailed through the empty line with my cash! 

Ordering a 2nd can opener now lol

It always brightens my day to see a post from you GDonna. I have been busy trying to get the raised beds ready for Fall planting. Our garden did very poorly this year due to the intense heat and humidity. We are still experiencing temperatures near 90 but a cool front is supposed to cool things down next week I hope. I use applesauce as a substitute for eggs in baked goods and my mother used to substitute 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of vinegar, either white or apple cider and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.

We converted one of our bedrooms to a reading room/library several years ago. I am rearranging things and cleaning out the closet. We will be adding shelving units and using those and the closet for food and supplies storage. We are shopping at more local businesses and avoiding the larger stores as much possible. GDonna I hope Elizabeths health issues improve and everyone have a nice weekend. 

Angela

just catching up on posts.  I wanted to let you know to look into taking boron for arthritis.  Some people take a small amount of borax, but I use boron drops.  Most of my arthritis pain went away when I started taking it.  Hope charles' surgery goes well

It seems that many of us are on a similar page with feeling something is about to happen and doing our best to prepare.

My go to substitute for eggs in baking is either applesauce or a ripe banana. Cheese I have not found a good substitute for, however often use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top of something to give it a cheesy taste when I don't have cheese.

I've been radically simplifying my home which has helped me be more prepared. Not simplifying as in minimalism, but rather in just cutting down the excess that served no purpose, and using the freed up space to store extra soap, candles, drygoods etc.  It has also meant less cleaning and maintenance of "stuff" which gives me more time for other things like my vegetable garden.

Gardening was a challenge over winter here in Australia. We didn't get anywhere near the usual rainfall, and now everything is very dry which is unusual for the start of Spring. This is our 3rd day in a row of high 20's (Celsius) but tomorrow is back to 13 degrees C again for a few days. I don't particularly enjoy Spring as the weather is so very changeable, however I'm trying to make the most of the sunshine this weekend and catch up on weeding and preparing my garden beds to start planting for summer in the next week or two. Today's challenge is that it's also blowing a gale, despite the beautiful sunshine, so I'm enjoying a little break after church with a cup of tea, before I return to where I left off in the garden yesterday. A very hot, dry summer is predicted, so I've already been piling on the rabbit hutch litter/manure as mulch and working my way around the garden to add a heap of organic matter. Once all the weeding is done, every bed will also get a layer of litter from the chook shed to top up and keep the worms turning everything over. We're on beautiful red volcanic soil, but it does tend to be heavy and clay like if I don't keep on top of adding more organic matter every Spring.

The special project I have lined up for soon, is extending my chook shed run, to give my ladies more room and shade to roam before the weather really heats up in the leadup to Summer here.

@Joan S
I had never heard of a gelatin egg before, but I looked it up online and found it. Thanks for the tip!Eggs are always available here, but they’ve become very expensive. I’m going to experiment with it.

@Glenda H_2, my relatives are/were in Charleston, Moncks Corner, Holly Hill, Summerville. Also Dorcester County in general. I think there were some other places but that's what I remember right now. I haven't yet done a real deep search on our SC line to go beyond the basics. I know that one ancestor was a sea captain who went to Charleston around 1800 & was married there. We've seen the wedding announcement and information that when he died his children were sent to an orphanage and were indentured for a time. 

I understand there's a library in Charleston that has records & that they will answer a specific genealogical question. I haven't done enough work to determine what questions I might need help with. Have you used that resource?

@G'Donna, my brother was chatting with his coworker one day about 15 years ago and somehow the conversation got around to how they were both into genealogy. Turns out we're "cousins" as we have the same Revolutionary War captain as a grandfather.  My brother & our cousin have become very good friends. I've never met him but to see his picture is to see a resemblance to my brother. They were both working in NYC at the time. Neither were from there & the ancestor was from Germany, immigrated to Pennsylvania and then went west to Ohio & then Indiana so no connection to where these 2 men ended up working.