Using Less Resources In These Difficult Times: Covid-19

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by startinganew, Apr 3, 2020.

  1. Anusha2917

    Anusha2917 IL Hall of Fame

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    On the day PM announced 21 day lock down here my elder sister said she went to grocery store at 9 pm and returned home at 12 30 am mid night. Next day in video call she showed me how much grocery she had hoarded. To name a few 10 kg thoor dhal, 20 kg atta, insane packets of Maggie, hakka noodles ,every damn thing in excess - half of her living room filled with groceries. Phew! A simple statement of me saying hoarding is not necessary I got to hear one lecture on how I'm stupid to not buy items and keep for 2 3 months. :expressionless: for some time I was pestering my husband to buy a lot n keep. He said we can't do everything your sister does. Stop copying her. Whatever you want ill buy n give you. Let's not hoard . Ultimately he is the boss and I listened to him :innocent:
    I understand her need for making varieties for the kid at home in summer vacation . But isn't this time to teach kids how important our resources are and we need to think for the society? Well I am not telling her all this and listen to things like I don't understand, I'm stupid etc. To each their own thought process is important. :grinning::grinning:
     
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  2. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:Thank you.
    2. Here spouse & I, are totally off from milk and curds. We take calcium supplement that comes with added magnesium & zinc on alternate days. Yes cal is one of vital needs. Lemon juice with its skin chewed and eaten with rice .
    3. The way things are shaping up, One will have carry on with scarcity with strategies probably till June or July.
    4. It is said man plundered habitats and ignored lives of other species and remained indifferent to climate changes and it is therefore Nature’s turn to set right the ecological balance.
    5. Our ancestors in their perineal wisdom recognised the manifestation of God or his deputies in all living and non living and considered them as divine and set their life around it.

    Thanks and Regards.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
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  3. kkrish

    kkrish IL Hall of Fame

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    Here are a few ideas to use leftovers.

    1. When chapathis/phulkas/rotis remain (one or two) - Feeze them flat. Once the desired amount of leftover chapathis stack up, warm them and spread cheese and/or a few sauteed vegetables such as finely cut onions, bell pepper, carrots, etc. and make quesadillas. Adding some boiled channa/rajma/etc. will give protein.
    • Add pizza sauce to make pizza
    • Roll them up into frankies
    • Chop up the rotis and make kotthu parotta.
    2. Leftover rice. Convert them to
    • bisbelebhat
    • pongal
    • curd rice
    • cutlets (pan fried) - recipes abound in YouTube.
    • Rice chapathis
    3. Small amounts of sambar/rasam/vathakuzhbu remainig.
    Gather them all in a single container in the freezer. once we get a good amount, pour into a saucepan and bring everything to a good rolling boil.
    • This can be used to make our own version of sambar sadham or bisibele bhath
    • Reduce it to a paste and use it for side dish for idli, dosai, and even curd rice.
    • Leftover S.Indian style vegetables/kootu can also be added to this.
    4. Korma/ fried rice/ North-Indian style gravies.
    Reduce the liquids to a paste.
    Add the paste to wheat flour when kneading for chapathis and you have your own version of masala chapathis.

    5. Idlies - can be made into idli upma for evening snack with coffee.

    **********

    Now with the possibility of reduced supply this what I am doing. This idea was given to me by a teenager in India many years ago. Her wisdom, I tell you!
    • Every time I measure rice, or dhal, before adding water, I remove a tablespoon and save it in another container. We will not miss the quantity.
    • Now I am doing it with oil, whet flour, detergent, and wherever I can.
    • Cutting down a wee bit when using mustard seeds and jeera when tempering.
    Every drop makes the ocean.

    ***********

    Requesting more ideas to be frugal.

    Thank you.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
  4. Mistt

    Mistt IL Hall of Fame

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    Anusha,
    Your sister stocked groceries at least for 2 months but here a few Indian families stored all groceries for 6 months and advising us, too:shakehead:. Beginning of March itself we didn't have disinfected wipes, paper towels and toilet paper in stores like Target and Costco. I don't know whom/what to blame.
     
  5. shravs3

    shravs3 IL Hall of Fame

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    True. I saw a video where a guy purchased 6 bags of rice which was upto 60 lbs
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
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  6. virtualkv2020

    virtualkv2020 Platinum IL'ite

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    I made pongal for breakfast but watery than the usual upma consistency. I am planning to alternate between pappu charu and tomato rasam instead of making thick pappu.
     
  7. Vanani

    Vanani Senior IL'ite

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    1. Reduced meals to a single simple vegetable preparation, daal 2-3 times a week, with rice or rotis.
    2. Try as many single vegetable preparation as possible without making a combo of vegetables.
    3. This way veggies in my refrigerator will last longer, which means fewer trips to stores.
    4. We usually buy drinking water but now using Brita filter and jug to refill as needed. Anything to reduce fewer trips to stores.
    5. Build an ongoing list but schedule next shopping trip when we absolutely need something we have difficulty being without. Could be rice or coffee, for e.g.
    6. I avoid processed foods in general but in this situation I think consuming processed food once in a while is better than frequent trips to the store to buy fresh products. E.g. MTR instant upma packets, instant rice roni packets, frozen vegetables, canned veggies.
    6. Most importantly, maintain peace, calm and quiet at home so as not to get stressed.
    7. Stress lowers immunity which in turn can make us vulnerable.

    Vanani
     
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  8. Anisu

    Anisu Platinum IL'ite

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    I am actually trying out some recipes which i never used to make earlier. Especially curd varieties for this summer.
    The outside snacks have reduced completely.
    Every snack is home made. All the curry and sambar powders are home made. Though i was making some of them earlier too, now i am making all of them. Here though its been a lockdown for more than 10 days now, its not been tough to manage. Just ensuring that we make less trips to the stores.
     
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  9. mindwar

    mindwar Bronze IL'ite

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    I really don't understand the point to hoard food supplies at this hours. The last thing I am worried about is starving (which certainly would not happen). Perhaps this is the time to eat light as we are not getting enough physical movements.
     
  10. Mistt

    Mistt IL Hall of Fame

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    They don't want to worry about what if there will scarcity of indian groceries and other essential things. They just kept in mind of their family/kids and they completely fogot about society. I understood one thing was some people's mind set never change at any situation.
     
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