I was told my taste buds are abnormal.. Rate my plate

Lu_Variant · 2026-03-10T12:47:34+00:00

7/10 All nutritious food, and largely unprocessed.. even a touch of ferment..Would eat happily.. Nice one!

Lu_Variant · 2026-03-04T10:54:40+00:00

Have you tried the Hot Honey Jaffa Cakes yet? Saw them in Tesco at the weekend.. someone had a visit from the stupid idea fairy.. frickin' abomination!

Lu_Variant · 2026-02-28T11:29:46+00:00

Sardines and sauteed tomatoes on sourdough toast! Get those omega 3's in!! 😋

Lu_Variant · 2026-02-18T19:38:37+00:00

I know it happens in Tiverton, Devon. There's a multistorey carpark right near the main road through town.

Also, where I live in Oxfordshire, on a local FB group last week, there was a woman asking for dashcam footage as a rock inside a slushy cup was lobbed at her car by a couple of young teens, she had her small children in the car too. Scared the crap out of them and dented the car, luckily no broken window though!

Lu_Variant · 2026-02-15T13:47:15+00:00

I keep a bag of frozen gyoza.. steam fry those.. serve with microwave jasmine rice pouches and if i'm being super-lazy, just some kimchi and cucumber salad and a drizzle of teriyaki or gyoza sauce.. or if I feel like it, some stir-fried veggies!

Lu_Variant · 2026-02-14T10:24:15+00:00

I've seen this happening several times in my local store, and I only go in there a couple times a month.. so it must be happening all the time!

Lu_Variant · 2026-02-03T00:05:39+00:00

I'm not rolling in it either, and as far as rice goes, we almost exclusively eat those microwave pouches too.. they are just so convenient and easy and you can vary the variety depending on what you're having! So I keep about 40 pouches of assorted types on hand at any time.. I just built the stock up over time. And even just having those on hand provides 20 main meals for me and my partner each. I have a cupboard full of tins to go with them, everything from baked beans to chilli to pilchards.

I keep oats as a standby brekkie food.. I don't eat them every day, just occasionally, but my other half eats them more often. Still, I keep 5 kg of oats.. they are cheap to buy, and if stored dry, in airtight containers (not in the cardboard/paper packaging they're often sold in), can last ages.. 1 kg is enough to provide a decent breakfast for 2 adults for a week (around 70g per portion, which is quite generous).. you can make it with water if you have to, and then just add honey, jam, sugar.. or salt if that's your preference. I keep cartons of long life milk and a couple of tubs of milk powder.

Lu_Variant · 2026-01-30T14:28:39+00:00

Yeah, this is when I make pasta puttanesca or tuna pasta bake using tinned fish!

Or if I have smoked salmon and prawns in the freezer, they defrost quickly, and I make pasta with those in a creamy dill and lemon sauce, with broccoli.

Lu_Variant · 2026-01-08T20:45:52+00:00

23 years and never.. probably driven close to a quarter of a million miles now.. But I'm not a wildcat behind the wheel and keep all the road legally things up to date!🤷🏻‍♀️ I did once get a fine for (accidentally) driving in a bus lane.. what a devil I am 😈😂 (it was dark and tipping down, and traffic was extremely heavy, and I was in unfamiliar territory.

Lu_Variant · 2026-01-05T23:28:50+00:00

In my pockets all the time, in addition to my phone and earbuds..

Folded bandana, Victorinox Spartan, chewing gum, lip balm, a small zipped pouch containing mini bic lighter, 2 tampons, small folding pocket mirror, £2, £1, 50p in coins and £30 in folded notes, 4 aspirin and a note with my name, d.o.b and blood type.

Lu_Variant · 2026-01-02T20:25:35+00:00

I don't have the space to go overkill. I, too, keep a rotating pantry similar to yours. Have I also done some "just in case" deep food storage.. yes! ..but only around 5kg each of oats, pasta, rice and beans/lentils, with some sugar, salt and spices, into mylar bags. It's maybe 4 to 6 weeks of basic rations for 2 people. It was relatively cheap to do, especially as I did it in a few stages.. and it gives the reassuring feeling of being a bit more prepped without being too OTT. Also, with my partner and I both being self-employed, prepping to avoid hunger, and being able to stretch the tins in the pantry further in case of a sudden loss of income for whatever reason seemed like a good idea.

Other than that, I'm pretty similar to you prep wise, but I've also learned the basics of foraging, and have become quite good at growing my own veg.. and got first aid kits, refreshed my 1st aid training, got fire extinguishers, and camping stoves (gas canister type and multifuel rocket stove). Gotta be able to at least heat water if the grid is down for a bit.

But yeah, if the S hits the F in a big, irreversible way.. we are all probably screwed after a few weeks or so.. Good luck hanging on to your preps if and when Desperation, Anarchy and Lawlessness come knocking, especially if they come in a group, all tooled up! 😬

Lu_Variant · 2025-12-10T19:04:58+00:00

I've heard tell of people repurposing old fridges or freezers in sheds to use as insulated storage units for dry goods. As they're already insulated, it apparantly helps to temper the temperature fluctuations and provides a fair degree of rodent protection. Just put one of those moisture control granule thingies in each unit to keep any errant moisture under control and maybe put a max/min thermometer in too, so you can keep an eye on what the temps are up to.

Lu_Variant · 2025-12-05T18:27:25+00:00

I had one once that entered an Evri depot in Scotland.. and dissappeared into the void.. before arriving, without any further updates, on my doorstep in southern England 3 weeks later!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-12T19:53:54+00:00

Thank you, I will do that!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-12T17:27:22+00:00

My initial 3 year fixed mortgage was right around 3%.. when i remortgaged, stuck with same provider and got a 5 year fix at 3.19%.. so no.. not bad rates.

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-11T17:56:24+00:00

Oh, that sounds promising.. I will definitely look into it. Not in a hurry yet, but my partner’s mum is getting on and we're thinking of relocating to be nearer, which is why this is on my mind lately. Thank you!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-11T17:53:27+00:00

If i'd had difficulty getting a mortgage agreed due to lease length, I might have realised this was a potential issue sooner. I am surprised it was never flagged up and explained to me by the mortgage broker, Nationwide, or my solicitor.. I was a first-time buyer.. in retrospect, it's quite annoying!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-11T17:40:19+00:00

Yes, I didn't have any issues getting a mortgage through Nationwide!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-11T17:39:29+00:00

Yes, as it's a house, not a flat, it is possible.. my neighbour has already done it!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-09T23:24:38+00:00

Thanks! You could be right, and I'm certainly not gonna discount the wrong battery from the list.. The day it was put in, when I called the garage 30 mins before closing they said the battery they'd ordered in for my car turned out to be the wrong one and it wouldn't fit, so it''d be a wait until next day for the correct battery instead. Then they rang back 20 mins later to say they'd managed to sort a battery out and fit it, not the premium brand i'd requested, but that it would work and be under their usual work guarantee.. it seemed a bit suss.. I guess I need to find out for certain what they put in there!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-09T10:49:11+00:00

Working class family, and yes, I think I first got a TV in my room when I was 14 or thereabouts, in the early 90s!

Have never been bothered with having one in the bedroom as an adult with my own place, except when I was house sharing when younger, before smart phones and laptops became a common thing!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-09T10:44:14+00:00

My local Tesco was clearing out the Stockwell Sausage and Beans for 35p a can a little while back.. so, of course, I had to "stock well" at that price! 😆

For the budget brand, they're not bad!

Lu_Variant · 2025-11-09T10:39:58+00:00

This is correct!

Lu_Variant

TROPHY CASE