I cleared the supermarket of all its Pudding Rice.

After spending almost 45 minutes searching for pudding rice I finally found the last 3 500 gram bags at the local supermarket. There were rows and rows of stacked shelves of glorified sugary carbonated water, rows of stacked shelves of deep fried potato products, rows of alcohol and rows of convenience frozen microwave meals.



Tesco pudding Rice. 1lb of luxury survival food for $0.60

I even found a few bags of barley and Scotch broth mix and even canned pinhead oatmeal. Basic baking items such as bread flour, yeast, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda were almost non existent in the supermarket (Tesco's) and the whole range of home baking items limited to one or two shelves.



Lyles Black Treacle. 1lb can for again around $0.60

In an emergency situation or long term economic downturn how are folks going to provide cheap and highly nutritious meals (in comparison to the over priced convenience rubbish) if they don't even have the basic foodstuffs to hand or know how bake a loaf of bread or prepare a simple traditional Victoria Sponge Cake let alone survive on porridge or Clapshot and oatcakes? What ever happened to the ladies like my gran who could actually bake a loaf of bread, bake a traditional cake, make puff pastry or fillet a Cod? The fairer sex seem to be the biggest offenders with the microwave meals at the supermarket checkout.

I buy a lot of my food as bulk staples.
I am not sure why people don't prepare more of their own food, but I suspect that they have been sold the idea that it is more work than it really is.
I even see people in my family buying pancake mix.
All that goes into pancake mix is flour, baking powder and a little bit of sugar. If you want egg or milk you have to add it yourself.

My aunt used to hate the idea of cooking rice because she would stand there at the stove simmering and stirring it, and then it would come out as gooey sticky mush.
She started serving rice far more often once she saw how you could just put the rice and water in a pot, bring it to a boil, and set it off the stove to finish cooking. (backpacker trick)
Especially when she found it came out light and fluffy that way.
She was impressed enough with the no fuss way of cooking rice that when my uncle bought her a rice cooker she sent it back because it took too much effort and too much counter space.
She cooks oatmeal like that now too.

Anyhow, what you are describing isn't just UK/EU.
It seems to be all through Canada and USA too.

I admit to buying too much bakery bread myself, but that is because we don't like heating up the house with the oven in the summer.

Big Grey Man, I would be hard put to find much here that is useful for under $1. Most containers don't come that small, anymore.

Most of us have been taught since childhood to be good consumers. Advertising is incredibly persuasive, and much of it is subliminal.

We've been convinced that we need two incomes to support the overpriced house and the two expensive cars and all the toys for the kids. That takes time and effort, so there's no time or energy for cooking, don't you know.

Our economy has tanked and all our foolish government can come up with is "Spend more money, folks, and that will fix the problem".

Sue

Pudding rice: 1. (chiefly British) a short-grained rice used to make rice pudding; also makes reasonable risotto". . . Didn't realize rice pudding required a certain type of rice.

Black Treacle: "Treacle is the generic name for any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane and is defined as "uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar". . . "Dark treacle has a distinctively strong flavour, slightly bitter, and a richer colour than golden syrup, yet not as dark as molasses." From that I would assume Black Treacle is what I would refer to as molasses. Good stuff.

My sister still bakes from scratch. She has a lighter flakier crust than any common bakery, much better IMO. Bread, pie, whatever bakery item is NBD for her.

Larger bulk items are of course even more cost effective. It is possible to have a basic food store of the staples for emergency use which would last a single person up to to 20 days for around $30 assuming 2200 Kcal/day just using the range of items which can be picked up at the local supermarket. With the larger bulk saving items I reckon that 30 days food supply i.e. a Month of food per person could be possibly for around $40. The trick is budgeting and planning and the ability to prepare meals from these basic items such as bread flour, rice, pasta, olive oil etc.

Having a garden or allotment can provide the freshest fruit and vegetables to supplement the staple items in the food pantry.

I was attempting today to spread sheet a way of budgeting a weeks food per person for $15 for the basic staples. It is not easy simply because of the size of the packaging for individual food items. It gets a lot easier when bugdeting over a period of a month as some there are considerable savings to be made when buying in bulk.



Chef Anthony Bourdain has an interesting take on countering the subliminal messaging/advertising from the fast food industry.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/12/anthony-bourdain-war-fast-food

Saving considerable amount of money and having tasty nutritious meals just take a little preparedness.



The age of instant gratification and the convenience lifestyle is coming to a close. It is basically unsustainable. Those that prepare for the mental challenge of the change from the convenience based to the self sustaining lifestyle will be best prepared for the future. All that is required is to look to the past and learn from those who have 'seen that, done that'. Folks might even be a little happier with the change, even though they have less money to throw around.

"Chef Anthony Bourdain has an interesting take on countering the subliminal messaging/advertising from the fast food industry."

Funny! But a friend of mine had a better idea. She said when you are tempted to grab something from a fast food place, to stop and imagine that they've whirled a whole cockroach in the chocolate shake, or there is a mouse embedded in the hamburger between the bun, looking at you with XX eyes.

Sue

Russ, the best pudding rice here in the U.S. is Sweet White Rice from Bob's Red Mill. Until I tried it, I hadn't realized what a difference it would make.

Sue

Ronald McD always reminds me of this fella;



Although trying to install Coulrophobia into young children may have its downsides as well.

Thanks, may have to try that. I actually like rice pudding and making my own would allow me to experiment.

Am, there you go speaking that crazy gobbley-de-gook British again. I didn't understand the first 2/3 of your post.

Treacle? Pinned oatmeal? Victoria sponge cake? Clapshot? Oatcake?

I get your point though - it's hard to find food before processing. In the US, rice is pretty popular (probably b/c of our immigrants?), but other grains are difficult to impossible to find. I don't think I've ever seen barley outside of a home-brewing shop, only a few types of yeast at any store, and never plain old "oats" anywhere. Sure, oatmeal... but is that the same thing?

And I admit I'm guilty of it too. I have a 3lbs bag of rice, some oatmeal, and lots of "instant" potatoes as my starches. I can't cook worth a damn.

Grind some Uncle Bens in a blender for 10 seconds,&Voila!Instant Pudding Rice!& Don't forget about Tapioca,or Corn Mush,a little goes a Long way!

"I can't cook worth a damn."

Nobody was born knowing how to cook. You can learn. Get a good basic cookbook like The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book, or the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Follow the directions EXACTLY, at least the first time. Then practice.

How's this for difficult: Roasted Chicken. Get a 4-lb chicken. Take it out of the bag, remove the stuff from the body cavity and give it to the dog (raw chicken necks are fine), wash the chicken in cold water (no soap), pat dry with a paper towel, put in a pan with sides (not a cookie sheet), and stick it in the oven for two hours. Remove and eat. Does that sound hard to you?

Check your local health food stores or Kroger/Fred Meyer bulk food bins for whole grains. If that doesn't work, go to Bob's Red Mill for whole grains (including oat groats), flours, meals and cereals or Frontier Foods Co-op and see if anything strikes your fancy. If your local health food store carries anything from Frontier Foods, they will usually order special stuff for you and you don't have to pay shipping (and often get the bulk price, too).

And... ahem... if you can't cook, you aren't prepared.

Wouldn't it be awful, the day after the Big One, if the Pasta Fairy got into your stock of food and stole all your canned spaghetti, lasagna, vienna sausage, corned beef hash and Dinty Moore beef stew and replaced it with pasta and whole grains? What would you do, run crying down the street, crying for a cook?

I'll even tell you a secret...

Learn to cook adequately, but learn a few things REALLY well (make it easy, pick things you like), and offer to provide those things for potlucks. I'm an okay cook, but I can make a great gravy, a wonderful chicken/cheese/picante casserole, the best guacamole, really good chocolate chip cookies, and KILLER cheesecakes, and everyone thinks I'm a fantastic cook. Actually, for work, I've never had to get past the cheesecakes. Co-workers sidle up to me and whisper, "Are you bringing the chocolate walnut cheesecake, or the pineapple-coconut one, or the lavender one?"

Sue

Excellent advice. I now make excellent black beans and brown rice (with mushrooms, etc.) after making it regularly. Same for broiled salmon. Just stuff I love to eat. Next step is learning to cook what I like with a camp stove. Cooking it well, that is.

I bake most of our bread. Sams club is now carrying whole wheat flour, which helps. I have perfected a recipe for a weight watchers one point biscuit that has become known in our house as a 'meadow muffin' because of its similarity in appearance , (and likely, nutritional content and taste) to a horse turd. We also seem to be eating a lot of oats. Haven't lost much weight, but having a lot of fun whinnying and cantering about the paddock...

Ronald McDonald reminds you of John Wayne Gacy? Well that's about the creepiest thing I've ever heard. LOL

Regarding the idea of preparedness, cooking for yourself, and so on...

Does anyone know where I can find information on the shelf life of spices or how to store them long term? I've got hundreds of pounds of stored dried beans and grains, but they're really not much in the taste department without some good spices. Possum fat and squirrel meat can only do so much. LOL

The information would be appreciated.

I followed your instructions exactly and the chicken was cold. I put it in for two more hours.......still cold

But I bet the dog was happy.

McCormick Canada is the largest Spice, Dry Sauce & Seasoning, Extract, and Specialty foods operation in Canada and here is their advice.


Also from them

"I followed your instructions exactly and the chicken was cold. I put it in for two more hours.......still cold"

We REALLY need a shaking head/rolly eyes smiley face...

Sue

Susan, you forgot to tell him to turn the oven on -- 350-400F depending on the oven.

I know a lot of people wash the chicken, but it's really not a good idea. It's not necessary, as any germs on the skin will be killed when you cook it for two hours. It's dangerous because it's hard to avoid splashing the water, and getting raw chicken germs all over the sink area.

2 hours sounds long for a 4-lb chicken. I view it as a high-risk meat; maybe you gave a long time for safety. I think it's worth getting a thermometer and using it to ensure it's cooked through. That way you can avoid over-cooking.

Thanks Chickenlittle!

"2 hours sounds long for a 4-lb chicken. I view it as a high-risk meat; maybe you gave a long time for safety."

It may depend on what temperature you're using. Two hours at 350F is just perfect for a 4# chicken, a little more time is usually required for one that is a bit larger.

I used to have a housemate who cooked everything at high temps, where 2 hours would set off the smoke alarms.

I wash the chickens inside and out because of the (lack of) quality of USDA slaughterhouses/packing plants. I never stuff birds for the same reason.

Sue

Here is a simple recipe for Treacle Sponge Pudding, which is very easy to follow. You can buy them in a can but making the pudding from the basic ingredients saves money and tastes better. Serve with custard. If you can make Treacle Sponge pudding then making Spotted Dick (again available in a can, which makes for excellent canned ration food) is easier to make.

Here is a spreadsheet for a 10 week ration for 1 person @ 2200Kcal per day for around £10 or $15 per week available from the local supermarkets for a basic food pantry. Most items will have a shelf life greater than 12 months. (Many of the items are available for less but quality has not really been diminished)



What is missing is of course are fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat and fish, fresh diary and eggs (I cannot easily find a source for dried egg in the UK). Spices and flavorings are also not included. This would increase the price per week considerably but it would be possible to survive on these basics for around 10 weeks for a total of around $150 per person.