Lockdown survival tips....

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 hours ago, Russell21 said:

We do an overnight freeze in a container then cryovac the frozen lump, keeps for months.  We do soups, spaghetti sauces of different types, casseroles, curries. Being just the two of us it's easy to cook several meals at once, and they do come in handy if we get the winter wog and don't feel like cooking but still need to eat good food. One batch of spag sauce is enough for 7 feeds for the pair of us.

I do the same - meals, soups, stock. I tend not to freeze spaghetti sauces as we make them fresh at the time. I'm not a big fan of bolognaise sauce for some odd reason. Vac-packing the frozen items frees up space in the freezer as, in most cases, the serving size doesn't fill the container it's frozen in. I'm just in the process of making a big batch of cottage pies. I've finished the mince mix and got 10 serves out of it. I just have to make the potato topping now. These I do freeze in the ceramic baking dishes - I tried alternative methods but they ended up the wrong shape for the ramekins so I just bought more ramekins so I can put the whole lot in the freezer. That also means I can cook them from frozen if necessary.

[OzKiwiJJ]

5 hours ago, dizzy1948 said:

I cryovac some stuff for when we go caravanning because it can be "boiled in the bag" (Layman's Sous-vide). I

t's easy to cryovac meals with liquid after it has been frozen in a container first. Nice and neat, stacks well. Bit expensive to cryovac everything - but handy to have.

Look for a professional kitchenware shop to get the cryovac bags. They are much, much cheaper. I get mine from a place called the Chef's Warehouse in Sydney. Unfortunately they don't sell online and have closed until this crisis is over. I might have to see where else I can get them. 

Edited March 28, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[MicCanberra]

We are celebrating various theme nights for isolation, island night, formal and white night, we are currently having cocktail night so Margaritas, yum yum.

[OzKiwiJJ]

44 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

We are celebrating various theme nights for isolation, island night, formal and white night, we are currently having cocktail night so Margaritas, yum yum.

Cocktails = martinis to us, preferably with some cool jazz playing in the background. I got quite addicted to Lemontinis on the 35 Sea Princess Hawaii/Tahiti cruise so I bought the citrus vodka onboard. The rest is just lemon juice, sugar syrup and ice.

[Elorac123]

4 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

If you have isolation stress this kneading technique can be quite cathartic😆:

 

Slap and fold knead

I am learning the art of biting my tongue 

Cheers Carole

[MicCanberra]

35 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

I am learning the art of biting my tongue 

Cheers Carole

I didn't know I was an art, I sometimes bite my tongue by mistake.

[Elorac123]

26 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I didn't know I was an art, I sometimes bite my tongue by mistake.

Definitely an art Mic and I am  getting really good at it.

No bowls ,no gym, no pickleball and now they have closed the pool in our complex, 

Cheers Carole

[dizzy1948]

Just a thought - Govt giving pensioners $750.00 each to spend. Won't be able to get out and spend it!!! I have never spent so little in I don't know how many years, and not suffered from it. Must admit, enjoying lots of aspects of the lock down inasmuch as doing stuff we never thought of trying. We have a role reversal thing going on at the moment, I am teaching DH how to velvet meat and chicken to make Chinese dishes, he's teaching me how to weld!!!!! I have done my first project, a support pillar for our fencing. More holes in it than a colander - but I am so proud of my little self 😁 His velvet chicken has turned out pretty good as well. Another project on the go...…………..he's tidying my shed out and I'm tidying his. We will meet and discuss at the end....before final disposal lists are completed. Now this could be grounds for divorce, let's see what happens.😜

Not telling the kids - they'll think we have slipped a cog. Gotta make the best of everything...………….

Edited March 28, 2020 by dizzy1948

[MicCanberra]

7 hours ago, dizzy1948 said:

Just a thought - Govt giving pensioners $750.00 each to spend. Won't be able to get out and spend it!!! I have never spent so little in I don't know how many years, and not suffered from it. Must admit, enjoying lots of aspects of the lock down inasmuch as doing stuff we never thought of trying. We have a role reversal thing going on at the moment, I am teaching DH how to velvet meat and chicken to make Chinese dishes, he's teaching me how to weld!!!!! I have done my first project, a support pillar for our fencing. More holes in it than a colander - but I am so proud of my little self 😁 His velvet chicken has turned out pretty good as well. Another project on the go...…………..he's tidying my shed out and I'm tidying his. We will meet and discuss at the end....before final disposal lists are completed. Now this could be grounds for divorce, let's see what happens.😜

Not telling the kids - they'll think we have slipped a cog. Gotta make the best of everything...………….

Some great ideas.

Order some takeaway to be delivered, Chinese, Indian, Turkish, etc. not only does it protect your food stocks at home, it gives you a treat and helps supports a local restaurant. We are doing this once a week at the moment which is twice  or three times as often as previously.

[MMDown Under]

28 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Some great ideas.

Order some takeaway to be delivered, Chinese, Indian, Turkish, etc. not only does it protect your food stocks at home, it gives you a treat and helps supports a local restaurant. We are doing this once a week at the moment which is twice  or three times as often as previously.

Agree.  You have a nice selection.  Take away doesn't have to be junk food.  Just had leftover fried rice and 12 vegetables, with added egg, for breakfast.  Supporting our small local cafe, which has Vietnamese meals 2 nights a week.  They were just going to run their normal cafe hours 6-3pm until my daughter sent a like for Fri and Sat nights.  They told her they decided to continue with night take away meals because of her comment.  All it takes is a bit of support, which we can all do.  

Edited March 28, 2020 by MMDown Under

[MicCanberra]

Many more down here we have just about every Asian type of restaurant, along with some European country cuisines as well, although they do not tend to takeaway (stay true to the dish) as well as the Asian dishes.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Takeaways are the easiest way to spread the virus.

 

[dillpickle48]

No such thing as takeaways anymore in our little village as the club is closed.  Luckily our butcher is still open.  And the pub bottle shop is open for 3 hrs each day.  At least we can still get wine in.

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by dillpickle48

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Takeaways are the easiest way to spread the virus.

 

We eat with gloves on.😛

[dizzy1948]

9 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

We eat with gloves on.😛

Hope you take the mask off first...….😷...……..messy

[MicCanberra]

2 minutes ago, dizzy1948 said:

Hope you take the mask off first...….😷...……..messy

we have mouth openings in them for the food.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Takeaways are the easiest way to spread the virus.

 

Oh no.  Why?  What if they deliver them to the house, put in yard and take the money from "secret spot"?

I did notice NZ cancelled all take aways from inception, but thought that was to stop the movement of people

BTW I had takeaway for dinner and breakfast from local cafe which we frequent.  

[MicCanberra]

All our cafe's and restaurants are closed except for takeaway.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

13 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Oh no.  Why?  What if they deliver them to the house, put in yard and take the money from "secret spot"?

I did notice NZ cancelled all take aways from inception, but thought that was to stop the movement of people

BTW I had takeaway for dinner and breakfast from local cafe which we frequent.  

It’s like an anchor chain holding a ship . Every link is essential to keeping the ship steadfast . The virus attacks every link searching for the weakest and once found , the chain will break and the ship will be adrift .

 You and I may be fine,, the proprietor OK ,but who else has been in the store or along the supply chain ?  
Think of New York . why is it being savaged so hard ?
Everyone eats out or picks up “to go “ meals .
 

 

[The_Big_M]

24 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Oh no.  Why?  What if they deliver them to the house, put in yard and take the money from "secret spot"?

I did notice NZ cancelled all take aways from inception, but thought that was to stop the movement of people

BTW I had takeaway for dinner and breakfast from local cafe which we frequent.  

 

The same way as transferring in other forms e.g. pressing a button in a lift, touching a door handle, passing cash. You're touching something someone else touched who may have it. The only difference is they can't cough on you but all other transmission forms are still in place.

 

Admittedly there are "easier" forms to transmit it, but it's still readily possible.

[The_Big_M]

Just now, Kiwi Kruzer said:

 

Think of New York . why is it being savaged so hard ?
Everyone eats out or picks up “to go “ meals .
 

 

 

New York is just a concentrated version of the US, like a cruise ship. US hasn't been testing so transmitting wildly and host the most cases. Which is the most dense location in the US, and has the most travellers? New York. Hence why it's most affected and been easiest to spread. But all of US is being savaged, including cities and towns without as much eating out or to go.

[MMDown Under]

19 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

It’s like an anchor chain holding a ship . Every link is essential to keeping the ship steadfast . The virus attacks every link searching for the weakest and once found , the chain will break and the ship will be adrift .

 You and I may be fine,, the proprietor OK ,but who else has been in the store or along the supply chain ?  
Think of New York . why is it being savaged so hard ?
Everyone eats out or picks up “to go “ meals .
 

 

Thanks for the explanations David and Big M. 

Would the risk be lessened if the take away cafe family is well known to you; your family member collects the meals/ they deliver meals and you reheat the meal, before eating same?  I don't want this popular little family cafe to go out of business, if this virus drags on longer than expected.  

[MicCanberra]

 

Home delivery is fine as long as you take the necessary precautions. Wash hands after unpacking and before eating.

[Blackduck59]

4 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

 

Home delivery is fine as long as you take the necessary precautions. Wash hands after unpacking and before eating.

 

Thanks Mic (do you mind if I call you that) we have used take out and delivery from time to time. I enjoy cooking but keeping local eateries afloat is a good thing. Practice good Hygiene, wash your hands and perhaps re-heat to 165c internal temp for food safety.

[NSWP]

13 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

 

Home delivery is fine as long as you take the necessary precautions. Wash hands after unpacking and before eating.

We are doing Woolworths Home Delivery now, had to register as 'vulnerable people.'  Well we both are.  First order was free and after that very reasonable charges.

 

Beats the scrum down at local Woolies.  Coles down here don't do home delivery.  What we need here is Uber Eats, might start a franchise.