5 Food Flasks

Hi Guys, 

So, I've been building up (making) the small oil burner jars to use if the electricity goes out.

But also, I'm developing a cooking system based on using 5 x 2 cup insulated food flasks. 

And then all I need is, to boil water and add it to the food in the flasks in the morning.

1 flask is for my coffee for the day.

1 flask is for soup or soupy stew for lunch.

1 flask is for rice for lunch. The rice has to            be boiled for 5 mins beforehand, though.

1 flask is for dessert at night. This is going

    to be creamy rice or steamed pudding.

1 flask is a spare to make it easy for                      preparing the night before and washing-up.

Boiling water and rice may be possible with the small oil burner jars. I will have to wait and see.

Breakfast is just -

Hot chocolate in a normal cup.

Oats, shredded coconut, powdered milk,              sultanas and a piece of banana with hot          boiled water.

That's my State of Play at the moment.

Take care, everyone.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2026

Dochas Books Film

Oil Lamps

As everyone is, I suppose, I've been watching the developing  situation in the Middle East. Unfortunately, I think this is going to get out of control, and things will become hard for all of us.

I've been researching on YouTube as well as testing things in the kitchen, and I'm getting my head around the idea of slow cooking over small oil lamps made from small jars. It can be done with bread, so I think also for any meal that can be done in a slow cooker.

There's always a way.

Stay safe everyone,

and take care  🧡

(c) Katherine Stuart 2026

Dochas Books Film

Geometry 101

Hi Everyone 😄

As well as developing my baking this year,

I'm also going back to studying geometry from scratch, using YouTube videos.

This is, so that I can fill in the gaps of my knowledge.

Take care 💚

(c) Katherine Stuart 2026

Dochas Books Film

Christmas Pudding

Hi Everyone. 👋 

I hope that 2026 will be a year of progress for you all.

My program for this year,

is to develop baking recipes 

that can be done in a frypan.

At the moment, I'm working on 

Christmas Pudding 👍

which is working.

Here is the recipe, below -

1930s Hobo Christmas Pudding

from "Waypoint Survival" on YouTube

Cooked in a 16cm heavy-based stainless steel frypan, with a 16cm stainless steel bowl over it.

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sultanas

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup water, hot, boiled

Melt the butter in the water in a bowl.

Mix all the dry ingredients, thoroughly, in another container.

Add the dry ingredients to the melted butter and water.

Mix thoroughly.

Grease the frypan with extra butter.

Place the mixture in the frypan 

and level it off with the back of a spoon.

Place the 16cm bowl over it.

Cook on the lowest temperature possible,

for 10 mins.

( maybe 9 mins, I'm still testing).

Enjoy. 👍

(c) Katherine Stuart 2026

Dochas Books Film

Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

🌲🍀 

🥘🥗🌮🍧🧁🍫🥧🎂🍮🍬🥤☕️🫖🍉🍇🍒

Please stay safe everyone

Seasons Where the River Bends

Hello everyone,

This last month has been moving along steadily.

I'm progressing with baking the shortbread and flat bread in a 16cm frypan, and also a 25cm frypan. This has been mainly to gauge the optimum time at low temperature, for these things to be cooked correctly in the different sized pans.

On an equally exciting note, I bought a copy of Jimmy and Jane Barnes' latest cook book, "Seasons Where the River Bends". A truly useful and inspiring reference.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film

Staircase Maintenance Completion

Hi Guys,

One final varnishing of the rails and posts of the staircase had to be done, but now all is completed for this financial year. 

Onwards with developing my baking techniques, using the frypan instead of an oven. Very exciting 😀 

I am establishing an understanding of 3 fundamental baking methods -

-  Well method - with Flat Unleavened Bread

- Crumble method - with Shortbead

- Creaming method - with Melting Moments       Biscuits

Using the frypan, and saucepan, on very low heat, is working very well 👍

Stay safe everyone. 👋

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film