Survival - Blog Posts

I want to write a book called “your character dies in the woods” that details all the pitfalls and dangers of being out on the road & in the wild for people without outdoors/wilderness experience bc I cannot keep reading narratives brush over life threatening conditions like nothing is happening.

I just read a book by one of my favorite authors whose plots are essentially airtight, but the MC was walking on a country road on a cold winter night and she was knocked down and fell into a drainage ditch covered in ice, broke through and got covered in icy mud and water.

Then she had a “miserable” 3 more miles to walk to the inn.

Babes she would not MAKE it to that inn.

Broke af?

But still interested in feeding yourself? What if I told you that there’s a woman with a blog who had to feed both herself and her young son…on 10 British pounds ($15/14 Euro) per week?

Let me tell you a thing.

This woman saved my life last year. Actually saved my life. I had a piggy bank full of change and that’s it. Many people in my fandom might remember that dark time as when I had to hock my writing skills in exchange for donations. I cried a lot then. 

This is real talk, people: I marked down exactly what I needed to buy, totaled it, counted out that exact change, and then went to three different stores to buy what I needed so I didn’t have to dump a load of change on just one person. I was already embarrassed, but to feel people staring? Utter shame suffused me. The reasons behind that are another post all together. 

AgirlcalledJack.com is run by a British woman who was on benefits for years. Things got desperate. She had to find a way to feed herself and her son using just the basics that could be found at the supermarket. But the recipes she came up with are amazing. 

You have to consider the differing costs of things between countries, but if you just have three ingredients in your cupboard, this woman will tell you what to do with it. Check what you already have. Chances are you have the basics of a filling meal already. 

Here’s her list of kitchen basics. 

Bake your own bread. It’s easier than you think. Here’s a list of many recipes, each using some variation of just plain flour, yeast, some oil, maybe water or lemon juice. And kneading bread is therapeutic. 

Make your own pasta–gluten free. 

She gets it. She really does. This is the article that started it all. It’s called “Hunger Hurts”.

She has vegan recipes.

A carrot, a can of kidney beans, and some cumin will get you a really filling soup…or throw in some flour for binding and you’ve got yourself a burger. 

Don’t have an oven or the stove isn’t available? She covers that in her Microwave Cooking section. 

She has a book, but many recipes can be found on her blog for free. She prices her recipes down to the cent, and every year she participates in a project called “Living Below the Line” where she has to live on 1 BP per day of food for five days. 

Things improved for me a little, but her website is my go to. I learned how to bake bread (using my crockpot, but that was my own twist), and I have a little cart full of things that saved me back then, just in case I need them again. She gives you the tools to feed yourself, for very little money, and that’s a fabulous feeling. 

Tip: Whenever you have a little extra money, buy a 10 dollar/pound/euro giftcard from your discount grocer. Stash it. That’s your super emergency money. Make sure they don’t charge by the month for lack of use, though.

I don’t care if it sounds like an advertisement–you won’t be buying anything from the site. What I DO care about is your mental, emotional, and physical health–and dammit, food’s right in the center of that. 

If you don’t need this now, pass it on to someone who does. Pass it on anyway, because do you REALLY know which of the people in your life is in need? Which follower might be staring at their own piggy bank? Trust me: someone out there needs to see this. 

Writing Prompt #24

Congratulations Patient [Redacted]...

After 17 long years with us, you are ready to be let out into society!

We have equipped you with a supply bag and a weapon, as well as a bottle of your medicine. No refills once you leave, though.

All of us will miss you, but we will be sure to leave your room as you left it in the event that you need to return.

Good luck, and don't die out there!

Here is a brief description of another part of my multiverse in which all my writings take place.

ESCAPING HOME:

Written by 

Lillian Ashcroft

22 November 2021

A small group of super-powered kids and teens are forced to fight for their lives after an evil corporation known as Xen-Vulleriss invades locks down and kills all the adults in their small island town. Xen-Vulleriss is drawn to the town by the youngest of the kids accidentally using his devastating power at school during an altercation with some school staff resulting in the kid being taken into custody and placed in the local lock-up. During the night Xen-Vulleriss invades in hopes of capturing the all super-powered kids in the town. Xen-Vulleriss proceeds to kill all the adults in town leaving it up to the older kids in the town to protect the younger kids as they try to escape their island home and go get help from the outside world. At the end of the story, the group of survivors will make discoveries that will change the course of human history forever as dark truths are revealed and mysterious events begin to play out on a global scale.

This story is intended to be part of an ever-expanding cinematic universe that deals heavily with ideas and themes ranging from Multiversal conflict and inter-dimensional travel to concepts such as aliens and eldritch gods. Themes regarding the LGBTQIA+ community will also play a heavy role in this cinematic multiverse.

Me returning to the camp with that little supplies I could scavenge in the wastes (I stole memes from tumblr and send it to my favorite discord server)

So do I, Sweetheart. <3 😈 🔄