*Erratum* I was pointing in completely the wrong direction when I mentioned Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Golden Cap. They are actually way off to the west (right in scene) beyond Weymouth and Portland.
I lived not far from Lyme Regis, back in the early eighties, went there quite a lot. I lived in Seaton, & you can walk around the rocks to 'Beer' when the tides out (yes it is called that) beautiful little place. We used to go fossil hunting & found many on both Beaches. So much to explore in Devon.
Quick question: do you know why the belemnites you're finding are black and the ones found on the shores of mainland europe are orange? Or have you orange ones too? I've never found a black one.
Glad you mentioned that! It was 'doing my head in' that you could be facing south towards the sea and have Portland on the right (west) and Lyme Regis on the left (east)!
As a possible variation on the budget challenge. Limit the ingredients to the essentials, value, budget ranges the main supermarkets have introduced in the last year.
Shrimp talking to us from his Armchair as if we're all family he respects and appreciates has such a comforting vibe. It's like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for grownups combined with the best science and nature shows. I love it.
Imagine selling your house with all those plants and species filling the gardens with the fear that some developer would want to flatten it all, then along comes Mr Shrimp, who takes it, loves it, further nurtures it and adds to it and then shares it with all of us. You're a gem, Mike!
It's interesting because the house is fairly old, and so we very much have the feeling that we are just the current custodians, rather than owners (even if the latter is true in a legal sense)
Both the house house and the location seem to suit you well. I remember the kitchen needs some love, but I'm sure you'll get that sorted. Loved the fossils! I would so enjoy beach combing around there. And thanks for sharing Eva. She's enthusiasm with a tail and so fun to watch!
I knew someone who told me that 'Old houses are like cats - you never really own them, just look after them and keep them happy'. I think that might be true. I used to collect a graphic magazine, called 'RAW', and one issue had a strip showing an old house, where each frame was split into different time zones - past, present and future, and it was fascinating, and oddly moving, as well.
26:53 to 28:42 has seriously made me respect you even more than I do now. The fact that you're dedicated to the idea that you do NOT want to be yet another privileged person looking down their nose and scoffing at the poor, or talking about how easy it is being poor, even accidentally, even in a manner which would require someone to misconstrue your actions, is something we should all aspire to. You are a real, true human being, and the world surely will be darker the day you depart.
As a student in the UK, the budget challenges do inspire me to just experiment a bit more while keeping costs down - Not sticking as strictly to the budget but being a bit more inventive in how I'm using stuff
I'm not a student any more, but I'm currently in the process of buying a house so I'll shortly be 100% responsible for my own food, so his videos have inspired me to be more creative too.
If it helps cut cost why not, things may get worse so get a head start & encourage whoever you can. I am doing the same, stretching & finding bargains/reduced stuff & have been doing good so far.
Find an Aldi and buy pork shoulders, braising steaks, pasta, pesto/paste, seasoning and olive oil and a ton of local farmer vegetables. Make a stew and pasta for the week. Costs ~£25 to do this a week for me. People saying they're getting screwed by food prices are lazy.
@@GornubiusFlux seriously? Is that the message you think Mike is promoting here? You can’t argue that food prices have gone up, without a wage increase. That’s nothing to do with being lazy, it’s a fact. Your comment makes me sad because it reflects such a lack of compassion for others, and it seems like the whole country is suffering from a deficit of compassion right now. I’m not going to pick apart your recipe (which sounds nice) or point out all the reasons it wouldn’t work for a lot of people. I’m just asking you to think about how it serves you to swallow down empathy and compassion for your fellow human beings.
When my kids were young, I was on mother’s allowance (Canadian term). I would buy beef and pork roasts, along with whole chickens and cook one of them, divide the others into four meals each. Stews, pot pies, hot sandwiches with gravy, enchiladas or even just roast and gravy with mashed taters. I’d get a 20 lb bag of taters, some rice, a big bag of flour and veggies they would eat, milk and cheese. There’s even deserts you can make with very little ingredients. I made up a little cookbook for myself at that time of my life and still use it today. If you have flour, salt and water, you can create a meal from very little. One of the most useful ingredients is marmalade, you can use it on your chicken, put it in gravy or in cakes, try it on anything. It was tough but we survived, get creative, if I could do it anyone can.
@@LucasVanderBartlett If I remember correctly Mike (Atomic Shrimp) said he didn't know Eva's exact breed as he rescued her from overseas. (I believe from Portugal - but that is going off the country on the front of Eva's passport. See 'The Real Injustice Of Passport Offices'). However it is highly possible she is a Miniature Pinscher as her markings and size look very similar to that breed.
So many youtubers stress about when their next video is coming out, if it's on schedule or not - and I rarely notice, honestly. I follow lots of channels, something is always there to watch. Take your time to make the content you want, that's why people are interested in the first place.
@@AtomicShrimp I found your channel via the scammer videos, but budget cooking and foraging are also my interests so I really enjoy a wide variety of your videos, maybe I got lucky!
I'm watching a lot of UA-cam on a daily basis, in fact I hardly watch any "regular TV" or Netflix etc at all anymore. But your Channel, it is just so inspiring, relaxing and enjoyable. It is really my favourite and to be honest, I wouldn't mind if I could watch it all day 😃 I do like the new schedule you are proposing and I hope you will be able to make some more longer project videos about building stuff, like technical things or a shed in your garden or whatever. Thank you for being you, Mike! 🍀❤️
I absolutely agree Frank! I rarely turn the TV on, and if I do, I can't find anything I want to watch even on with subscriptions to a couple of streaming services, but when it comes to UA-cam, there are some wonderful channels by great people. Atomic Shrimp is the very best! Relaxing, interesting, educational, and as you said, inspiring!
Just wanted to say, I really appreciate the sensitivity around the budget challenges. It’s a refreshing amount of self-awareness from a content creator
Last week I watched you stick a needle into wool, this week I sat through collecting rotting seaweed, do whatever you like however you wish to do it. Thanks for the content.
A potential variation on the £10 for 10 days idea would be to introduce some of the constraints of war-time rationing. This could include revisiting some recipes of the time, Woolton pie for example, and reworking them for contemporary tastes. If you could get hold of some snoek, you could get an episode of Weird Stuff in a Can too. BTW, your channel is my favourite thing on UA-cam.
I suffer with MH issues and the weekends are particularly testing. Knowing I have your videos on a Saturday morning make life just a little bit more tolerable and give me something to look forward to. Thank you for being a warm, friendly and calming presence. :)
This! It's like a little weekly TV show where you don't know what it will include, but you just know it'll be interesting, informative and oddly soothing. I hope you're doing well, friend and see you next weekend! 😂
Wait holy hell you have 910,000 subscribers??? I've been following you for a while so I've never really thought about it, but wow you have such a smaller channel vibe. There's usually a pretty natural lifecycle with smaller creators where they start to increase their algorithmic optimization of thumbnails and topics and the fact that this channel continues to be "chill guy does mostly whatever he feels like doing calmly and deliberately" is so impressive
Lol thanks. Yeah, I think it comes from this channel just being a hobby for so many years. When it finally took off, I had already resolved that I was doing it for what it was, not for UA-cam success as an end goal. Not that I mind the success part of course - scarcely a day goes by without me thinking how lucky I am that my job is also a thing I love doing (and I suppose that's the motive to maintain it as something I care about, instead of just another job)
I love that you feel you need to explain to us your schedule. I am a firm believer that you have cultivated an audience here that just appreciates any video you care to share. Your ability articulates what you are feeling and how you are processing something is what I find most refreshing. I almost feel like I am there exploring something with you. For me, your genuineness shines in these videos. We are so lucky that you decided to do that and continue to make such great content. I have to say, I am amazed that all this work, creating this fantastic content boils down to one person. So many other channels must have writers, sound and video editors, other actors, or presenters. This is just you, sometimes your wife, Eva, and rarely your children. Absolutely amazing. Thank you so very much for being you. Please, please, please take this to heart. For me, when I get an alert that you have released a video, it makes my day, and I cannot wait to watch what new adventure you will take us on. I am sure this feeling is not unique to me, and I hope you understand that.
Oh my goodness, love this morning's content. I always feel educated and invigorated from watching you. You put your ideas and information across so well. I look forward to watching what ever you share and am grateful that you take the time and effort in doing so. A tonic for the 'soul'. I feel I am ready to start the weekend now.
I recently found your videos because I was looking for extremely cheap meal ideas. I have watched numerous of your food challenges and I find them extremely helpful. I am very poor and I don't find your approach to these videos insulting, quite the opposite. I was never taught how to cook. A week ago, I would have had no idea what to do with a bag of flour other than use a bread maker machine to make a loaf of bread. Seeing all the different things you can do with a small amount of items is very encouraging. As a side note, I think a lot of people recommend that you buy ramen noodles for your challenges because you can have a meal without knowing how to cook. I frequently purchase them for that very reason. Also, I find the restriction for no pro-rated items helpful. There is no way I could buy several large quantities of items because of my budget. I'm sorry to have rambled on so much, I just wanted to say thank you for what you do.
I love the way you categorise your shelf of random collected materials. Everyone should have a "shiny" drawer. As for concentrating on quality rather than quantity: I think the YT algorithm punishes that, but then, at your point in your career you are probably not as dependent on being randomly found anymore.
Armchair shrimp is very digestible. Thank you for the scheduling updates . Thankyou for all of it . Think your plans for budget series spot on and useful in many ways. 😊.
You REALLY ARE one of my favorite content creators on UA-cam... Your videos are always nice to watch after a long day, or even at the start of a day. You're very much an inspiration to those who watch you. You are always eager to teach, and educate everyone about anything/everything that you know... I hope that you understand what a genuine force for GOOD you are in the world. I believe that we're all very lucky to have access to your content without having to pay for membership or some sort of subscription fee. So, from the bottom of my heart... THANK YOU. Thank you for everything you do to help educate, and especially for all of the ways that you innovate and problem solve. You are a fantastic role model for everybody out there just looking to live their best lives. Without sounding overly dramatic... you really are a hero to many people out there.. myself included. So again..... Thank you. For everything that you do, and everything that you share with all of us. :) :) :)
Higher quality videos? I think you've pretty much nailed quality as is. Your videos are inspiring, happy, never oversold and delivered with humility. Or maybe I'm just trying to get into next month's comments review...
So glad you're going to keep doing budget challenges. They are really fun to watch. Also, it's amazing to see the prices in the UK. It's so much more expensive in Canada. Thank you for entertaining and educating us.
Budget Challenges: I am pretty skilled at making filling meals with very cheap ingredients, but creativity and variety are challenging. I watch videos to get inspiration for making the same stuff (beans, rice, bread, pasta, eggs) more exciting and interesting. I personally get a lot from the budget challenge videos and am very happy to hear you don't intend to discontinue them. Also, I'd love to see you take a discounted cut of meat and make as many separate meals as possible from it since this is a challenge that many people face.
For the last two hours, I have been trying to come up with a witty way to thank you. You win the internet today. There is no way, my day can get any better. As I sat in my recliner, with my cup of morning coffee, watching on my big screen ... my head is still buzzing with so many things I wish I could say... Thank you!
I never comment on videos, however I feel compelled to do so as your channel is my absolute favourite watch. When I finish work on a Friday, I come home make a cuppa and settle down to whatever you have uploaded 😁Thank you for the amazing content, always interesting and never predictable. Love the budget challenges, love the crafting, love the random content. Please continue in the same format 😊 it’s a joy to watch xxx
35:17 Dude that is so Kind , respectful and awesome of you to leave the butterfly to enjoy its stay in the Atomic Shrimp woodshed, even when you need to do some chopping. beautiful !
I'm very familiar with the assemblage of fossils from the Charmouth area, and so here's the ID's for the fossils from the beach: Belemnites sp. (The belemnite - we ID most of the smaller tips like this) Crucilobiceras densinodulum (a common pyritic ammonite from the area, lovely to see visible septa on it, it must not have been exposed to the air for very long) Pentacrinites sp. - the crinoid stem. (It erodes sometimes in fragments like this from the Black Ven marls) The ammonite, being pyritic, will begin to oxidise so long as it's exposed to the air and the moisture in it (we call this "pyrite decay"). At the museum we have a handful of special treatments we use to prevent this (NH3 treatment, or Pyrite Stop - which I believe you can just buy commercially). For a home solution, I'd recommend you place it in a small air-tight tub with a desiccant in it, like those little silica packets you often get in packaging. Edit: I'd like to add that people should NEVER dig fossils out of cliffs. Most of these areas are protected for not only the preservation of the formation, but also for people's safety. Digging from the cliffs ALWAYS carries a danger of falling rock - it's much more common than you'd think and certainly not helped by digging at it. Even a small stone can do serious damage to a person when it falls from enough height. Also cliff erosion is a serious issue! Plenty enough fossils will erode out of the rock every day for everyone, even on a popular beach like Charmouth, but damaging it further is a terrible idea. Charmouth beach, along with the rest of the Jurassic Heritage Coastline, is a protected SSSI and digging at the rock is considered vandalism. The relevant website, any palaeontologist, or any geology museum will tell you not to dig at it, follow the fossil collecting code of conducts, and to stick to collecting already eroded loose material.
I want to add my vote to the hat and my thoughts on the budget challenges I love the idea of the supposed expanded parameters they get my vote. I do understand the hesitation of coming off as prescriptive or down playing others hardships. Or giving the idea of "playing poor" for fun. But I would hope it's abundantly clear from your library of works that's not something you would do. I greatly enjoy the creativity in cooking it requires to supply a variety of meals with a distinct lack of variety in ingredients. As a fellow IT person it scratches the same itch as problem solving IT issues with a low budget and low resources. demonstrating that an interesting or complete meal doesn't need expensive or numerous ingredients to be filling, wholesome, and tasty. It is a valuable exercise, and in a time where outlandish cooking content is the rage it's nice to be reminded and how easy a nice soup can be to make and eat. I know when I was on a lean budget and eating cheap food. I fell into a cycle of identical cheap uninspired meals. I had the mindset that good food was an expense I couldn't afford. But in these videos The skills and knowledge and creativity you put to use is these challenges are useful at any budget. To show things are as interesting as you make them I mean really who else is asking questions like can you use mayo to make croutons?
12:54 I suggest a video topic. Identify the lichen species on your small moai statue. Could be fun to see you try to get high magnification photos, and/or do lichen chemical spot tests. The spot tests strike me as being a super Atomic Shrimpy thing to try. :) And the moai aspect makes it pretty whimsical if I dare say so myself.
that ammonite is PRISTINE! i've been a casual fossil hunter since i was a kid and have only found maybe a handful of specimens that look that good without need of a good cleanup. on a different note, i love your ideas regarding the possible budget challenge series. i know it's probably a lot of work, but i've REALLY loved your series-style videos where you talk through your experiences and give us updates (like the clay videos). at this point i'll happily watch you struggle with anything you're willing to put yourself through
The garden is really coming to life, and it's extraordinary how much further ahead yours is than ours up in the north of Scotland, our crocuses are only barely showing a bit of colour now
Thank you for being YOU. You would 't believe how many people's lives you are making richer and better through your quirky and wholesome videos. Love to all the Shrimp household.
On the food thing, I'm currently buying a house and so gonna be moving out from my mum's house soon, and your food videos give me good inspiration now I'm gonna be 100% responsible for my own food. Not necessarily about budgeting, but because it's interesting just to see you be much more creative than I ever am.
I think this is the best channel on UA-cam. Such wholesome, interesting, unpretentious and thoughtful content. No “smash the like button,” no click bait thumbnails. Just a man sharing his passions and knowledge with the world and asking for nothing in return. I’ve been watching for years, and I shall continue to do so indefinitely.
regarding the budget challenge situation: i think some videos similar to the sausage stew you did a few years ago would be good, where its just a single meal thats very economical and you talk about a particularly cheap and nutritious meal and ways you can customise and change it based on what you have/what you like :)
I guess this is as good a place as any to say that you've been an inspiration in the kitchen for me, not necessarily anything specific that you've done, but moreso your down-to-earth approach to cooking. I love a lot of cooking content, but I feel a lot of it can make cooking feel like a science or at least very difficult, and your videos have made me realize that really it's just putting some stuff together that tastes good, which paradoxically has made me a more adventurous, frugal and complex cook. So my belly thanks you, Sir.
Love to see you using seaweed on the garden . Here in Torquay we are more than well blessed with it, huge piles are deposited on the beaches during winter storms. I think the local council are more than happy for me to fill my many trugs with it for my allotment as I have done for many years…. A great “broad spectrum” fertiliser . Top tip… fill an onion bag with some pop it in a water butt for your own home made liquid fertiliser, your plants will thank you 👍
I am famously (around my house) unobservant when it comes to time and I had never noticed you had a schedule at all - every vid is a pleasant surprise. I'm ok with that. BTW, without trying to skimp on portions at all, I can get a dozen meals out of a large £5 chicken (4 pasta meals from the breasts, 4 curry portions from the thighs and drumsticks and wings, 4 portions of soup from the carcass). I suspect with a bit of effort I could easily increase that to 15 or even 18 (you could make a hell of a lot of ravioli from two large chicken breasts). What could you do with a £5 chicken + say £5 of other ingredients?
Today, I had some free time to catch up on your recent videos. So, I was heading to this one to drop a positive comment. Wow, it's very encouraging to hear that there has already been a full community who beat me to the punch. So, let me add my little voice to the choral and thank for these varied, interesting and informative videos. Lord bless you.
as a brazillian student who often struggles with sustaining myself with decent meals, your budget challenges help a lot! food around here is very different in terms of availability, variation and specially price (way more expensive) but your videos provide great inspiration for cheap meals i can adapt with the ingredients available here on the other side of the planet, keep up the good work mike!
I love your new ideas for the budget challenges. Many folks are interested in saving on food costs and you have helped many people see what is possible, as evidenced by the comments. You've always been respectful and humble in the manner in which you present these challenges, you're doing great work. Personally, I always wanted to see a sort of no-holds-bar video where you take the recipes you liked from the budget challenge and improved them with the ingredients you wished you could have had. Also, I too saw the mini skillets in the reduced section and couldn't help but buy multiples!
hi Mike, hope you and your family are well, thanks for continuing to upload interesting videos 👍💯🌞 I tend to get to watch these vids on Saturday morning about 8.30 am (uk time) I don't usually comment as is quite exhausting (physical limitations and health issues leave me increasingly tired) really appreciate your content and with the state of affairs here. your channel is like an oasis of calm, eclectic. educational and inspiring content ... like a safe area of the internet ☺🌸🌺
I am so very happy about this channel. I lost my subscription for a while and now I found it again. Positive, smart, life-affirming, interesting, even a bit silly content every now and then. This channel and the whole Shrimp family makes me feel happy, it is like visiting the Shire. P.S. That ammonite is gorgeous. Lots of greetings from Finland!
I view you as an explorer, and you are narrating your explorations. It's not if you fail at something, it's about exploring the world around you, and trying things. You may get it right, you may not. But that's not the point. It's the exploration that is important. And you do all kinds of things, give us a little this and a little bit of that. That is what I love about your videos. I just love them! Thank you!!
If you’re worried about the lustre on that ammonite fading, I recommend putting it in a little container with some linseed oil to prevent it oxidising :)
I do appreciate the relaxing of the rules around Bulk Pro Rata and the reluctant leaning towards more realistic situations. Anyone struggling or looking for help in this situation would benefit from your creative problem solving and tasty kitchen improvisation! Thanks for all your videos and happy April 1st.
My favorite stuff has been the "making stuff from scratch" type videos. The making a clay pot to make a meal in was an awesome series that taught a ton about stuff I didn't even know that I didn't know about. Showing failures and .5 in between videos was great. Obviously that was a few weeks of work but it had me glued to your channel for uploads
Your videos are always a great start to my weekend. I don't know how you intend making higher quality videos, though - yours are some of the best thought out, filmed and edited videos I've ever watched. I like the idea of having a 'floating' video in the week, too. Have you ever thought about making one on folklore? Dorset has some peculiar and fascinating folklore that might be fun to look into - some probably has food that goes with it, that you could replicate. Thanks again for your wonderful channel. I'm really grateful for youtube thinking that I might be interested in your giant puffball video. Nice one. 👍👍👍
I really appreciate not only every video you put out but also your compassion. I have learned such a lot from you, been inspired and even made a friend through you. You're the major influence for sparking interests in my life following a sudden health-inflicted change in circumstances four years ago. Thank you.
Wow, I just realized how happy your videos make me; obviously I knew I liked them, hence why I watch them. But when you were talking about getting settled into your new house, and how it felt like home, I genuinely got a bit misty-eyed. Thank you for making these videos, they really mean a lot to me; and I'm glad you enjoy your new home :)
Channel News: I appreciate all the content you create, it has been inspirational and relaxing. You are a gem to watch each week, I don't really follow schedule, if there is a new vid in my feed, I watch. You do you, stay fabulous!
Oh Mike, in our home we all love and treasure you so much! We watch your videos as a family, I never had the privilege of having a father that was very invested in me and watching you brings me so much comfort and joy and inspiration for wonderful things to do with my children. Thank you so much for all your hard work! From sunny Devon!
Hi Mike, just a random thought while you were discussing those blue potatoes, and the fact that you could've had them on a budget challenge. It may be a bit complicated to work out, but would it be interesting to do some sort of long term budget challenge? Where you could for example use the budget to buy seeds or potatoes to plant, to end up with more produce compared to buying. And maybe foraging over that period too (or collecting like you did with those bones), where you can dry/freeze certain ingredients along the way. Enjoy the videos, thanks!
I would love to see this too. I have a very small garden and have often wondered whether it is worth me turning over a small space in my garden to growing veg. I wouldn't do it for fun's sake, but if it would save me quite a bit of money on groceries, I might give it a try. After growing the three 19p potatoes, how many potatoes come out of that and how much would they have cost me to buy in the store? For more expensive veg, there could be a bigger price difference, but as a beginner grower, it would need to be something easy to grow. :)
I find that growing leafy greens helps the most. Lettuces, collards, mustard greens, spinach, bok choy or Napa cabbage, chard, nettles, beet tops, etc. These are nutrient dense pretty easy to grow, and can be grown in fairly small containers. And when paired with a grain item and a legume item, gives pretty good all around nutrition.
I look forward to the weekends, in part because that's when we are treated to your wonderful videos. They are relaxing to watch, and so varied that they are never boring, and the quality is to such a high standard. I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. Just one question, what does Mrs Shrimp eat when you are doing your budget challenges? I hope that I am not the only one who feels excited for you in your house move, I particularly love the idea of an "upstairs/downstairs" garden, and the fact you have your own little bit of woodland. It's good to know that you have settled there so well.
I never mean to be patronising but you are a man of generous spirit. You are inspiring and so interesting to watch. I’m liking these sit down chats too.I love your video planning ideas. Thankyou for all your hard work. You are magic😊
Snowdrops are called vintergækker in Danish. Vinter obviously meaning winter, but gækker is an old word for playing a trick on someone - and thus the plant is named as it is because those early flowers are playing tricks on us making us think it's summer. Snowdrops are also used in an old Easter tradition where you send a snowdrop in a letter to someone with a simple rhyme asking the recipient to guess who's sending them the letter. If the receiver doesn't guess who sent it, they have to buy the sender an Easter egg. If they guess it, they can claim an Easter egg from the sender. 🌱
I watch every video and have maybe commented on one, but I really love this channel. I watch this when I feel like I need a friend, or to relax and calm down from a rough day, or just because it's fun. This video style is some of my favorite, thanks for continuing to make them.
Since you touch on these topics in this video, I really like when creators share the entire process of them learning something, including the failures. You can learn a lot from watching an expert, but you can learn just as much (or possibly even more) by watching a beginner learn as they go.
The failed 1.37 challenge helped me understand where the more infamous sides of British cuisine came from. I know most of it came from post war scarcity, and seeing someone as creative as Mike struggle with limited ingredients was an interesting comparison.
The inspiration for how I conduct my own channel comes directly from you. We have different types of videos and not a ton of overlap, but becoming a fan of your videos made me realize that I don't have to prescribe to the traditional single topic focus that so many creators do. I make videos because I enjoy it as a hobby, and I make videos of different types on a multitude of topics because I, like most people, am interested in a lot of different things. Keep inspiring!
Love your outlook and principles, good on you, your honest and unbiased approach to subjects is refreshing and one of the reasons I've been subscribed for years now. Keep doing you.
my husband walk in and asked "why you're watching some old man talking?" ;) and after an explanation he want to thank you for yours "cheating" fondant potatoes - I made them from your recipe and he love it :)
Have you tried the paper towel method of seed starting? Slightly damp paper towel, seeds, and then another piece of damp towel. Flatten the towels together, making one towel with seeds in the middle. It makes dealing with tiny seeds easier. The towel disintegrates but also gives structure to the plants as they are forming.
If you do cut the potatoes, it's best to wait at least two days before planting, so it forms a seal and doesn't rot. With the Chits, the rule of thumb is the more chits per potato plant the more greenery. Yes you will get more potatoes but they will be smaller. Less chits mean less but bigger potatoes. The size of the container or how far apart you plant them (and also if you re hill them), all plays a part in what you get. Comment positivity: I remember when i was a teen in care and we got £14 a week for everything. Food, cleaning and toiletries. I kind of enjoyed that challenge in an OCD kind of way and learning to meal prep. When i got my studio flat my benefits when up to £21 a week and included utility bills and clothes. I was given a £500 guided one off payment for a white goods allowance. I brought a cheap cooker/oven, second hand fridge freezer, washing machine, and bed and some cheap office off cut carpets. I also got some plates and cutlery and then bought material to make curtains. ( I already saved up and used my clothing allowance to buy bedding and new sheets. I also got a new winter coat and made sure that i had things like underwear and clothes that i could mix/ match for school. I am also from an IT background and have a buffet of interests, which is probably why i love watching your videos. P.s. Love the craft boxes. Do we ask what is in the "sticky" box or do we need a "lore novel"? lol
I appreciate how you've taken the time to sit down with the audience to go over your plans from here on out. As ever, this new schedule certainly gives me something to look forward to during hectic work weeks. In regards to your video ideas, are there any ideas you've already touched upon that you'd revisit? Like the occasional "here are our leftovers; let's see what we can make out of them!" sort of videos or having another crack at a craft that you weren't too sure on before.
I wouldn't want to push you to make more, but I do hope you've still got ideas for the Slaughter Valley series. I really love those shorts, they always make my mate and I laugh.
I've got a rule that I need to learn something new every day, it was instilled in me by my mum and I try to stick to it - if I watch one of your videos, I'll undoubtedly learn something, and usually more than one thing. Love that you've settled into the new house, love the positivity, and I especially can't wait to see the next (and the next) upload) Bravo!
As a person on a very limited budget, I truly appreciate your meals you make on the cheap. The ideas help me to make the best use of the food I have available. Since inflation here in the U.S. is out of control, I am opening myself to many new food combination ideas.( I did find one can safely eat maple tree seeds. That per several internet sources. Prep energy vs food calories makes them not an efficient food source, but if one was starving it is nice to know.) Last fall I found a couple of potatoes I had somehow overlooked, and they sprouted about 6" long, and planted them. They have since grown a small crop of potatoes I can eat.
Hey mr shrimp i just wanted to say that your videos are awesome and i love watching them. I hope im not wrong but i feel like your a pretty happy person and doing what you love and i find that very inspiring and i have very much respect for that!
i just love all the videos you put out, we never know what you will do next, but we do know it will be interesting and wholesome, whenever i talk about youtube to someone, i will always mention this channel
Always lovely to feel like you're just having a chat with us all. You do whatever you want at a rate you can manage please. 1 of the things I really like about you is there's nothing insincere or overly contrived, just something you enjoy or want to learn about and you take everyone along for the ride, thank you!
I appreciate your sensitivity in how you approach your challenges. I would like to offer an alternative view: There are people who were never taught how to budget, how to shop, how to cook, how to open their thinking in terms of making new meals. You already share good ideas.
Your true respect for people's situations and choices makes you, in my opinion, one of the best content creators here in youtube. Not only your content is great and your voice soothing, you are empathetic, and that makes a diference. Thank you.
I opened UA-cam this morning and did not find your video and I panicked a bit. To be honest I started this video yesterday eve, but did not watch until the end, so I did not know the change of schedule. I think the idea of publishing a video on special occasions might be a great move, I remember a video where you tasted some haggis in proximity of the Burns supper, if I am not wrong, and I particularly liked it. Anyway, I will always appreciate your contents, definetly the most interesting channel on UA-cam!
Regarding the sheep on their back, you're spot on. They are, as a byproduct of domestication, not very intelligent and more built for bulk and wool as opposed to survivability, so they do become stuck as opposed to their wild ancestors. They've many traits that are great for us, not so great for them, and thats why they need our assistance. Lovely PSA - and thank you from someone who raises sheep!
My snowdrops are blooming too...such a lovely sight after the drab grays of winter, in fact, today I'm taking a trip to my favorite garden center to drink in the colorful offerings there, I'm sure they'll have pansies, always my first purchase of the season. I can't wait to have those sweet little happy 'faces' fluttering in the breeze on my porch, a real pick me up after a long flowerless winter! 🌸
I’m so pleased to hear that you’re not giving up on the budget challenges Mike. To throw another idea into the mix, could you contemplate shopping for ingredients on a random stuff video and ask your viewers to suggest recipe ideas, then select a few to try out and present in a subsequent episode?
Just adding to some of the positivity in the comments. :) I love these slower weekend videos for a nice gentle wake up, or for a piece of familiarity and soothing when I'm anxious (which is very frequently thanks to c-PTSD). I'm definitely looking forward to some more complex videos! I hope you get to cover some more topics you enjoy through that.
*Erratum* I was pointing in completely the wrong direction when I mentioned Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Golden Cap. They are actually way off to the west (right in scene) beyond Weymouth and Portland.
I lived not far from Lyme Regis, back in the early eighties, went there quite a lot. I lived in Seaton, & you can walk around the rocks to 'Beer' when the tides out (yes it is called that) beautiful little place. We used to go fossil hunting & found many on both Beaches. So much to explore in Devon.
Quick question: do you know why the belemnites you're finding are black and the ones found on the shores of mainland europe are orange? Or have you orange ones too? I've never found a black one.
Glad you mentioned that! It was 'doing my head in' that you could be facing south towards the sea and have Portland on the right (west) and Lyme Regis on the left (east)!
Relief!
As a possible variation on the budget challenge. Limit the ingredients to the essentials, value, budget ranges the main supermarkets have introduced in the last year.
Shrimp talking to us from his Armchair as if we're all family he respects and appreciates has such a comforting vibe. It's like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for grownups combined with the best science and nature shows. I love it.
Imagine selling your house with all those plants and species filling the gardens with the fear that some developer would want to flatten it all, then along comes Mr Shrimp, who takes it, loves it, further nurtures it and adds to it and then shares it with all of us. You're a gem, Mike!
It's interesting because the house is fairly old, and so we very much have the feeling that we are just the current custodians, rather than owners (even if the latter is true in a legal sense)
Both the house house and the location seem to suit you well. I remember the kitchen needs some love, but I'm sure you'll get that sorted. Loved the fossils! I would so enjoy beach combing around there. And thanks for sharing Eva. She's enthusiasm with a tail and so fun to watch!
@@AtomicShrimp I feel that way about my old house, too.
I knew someone who told me that 'Old houses are like cats - you never really own them, just look after them and keep them happy'. I think that might be true.
I used to collect a graphic magazine, called 'RAW', and one issue had a strip showing an old house, where each frame was split into different time zones - past, present and future, and it was fascinating, and oddly moving, as well.
26:53 to 28:42 has seriously made me respect you even more than I do now. The fact that you're dedicated to the idea that you do NOT want to be yet another privileged person looking down their nose and scoffing at the poor, or talking about how easy it is being poor, even accidentally, even in a manner which would require someone to misconstrue your actions, is something we should all aspire to.
You are a real, true human being, and the world surely will be darker the day you depart.
As a student in the UK, the budget challenges do inspire me to just experiment a bit more while keeping costs down - Not sticking as strictly to the budget but being a bit more inventive in how I'm using stuff
I'm not a student any more, but I'm currently in the process of buying a house so I'll shortly be 100% responsible for my own food, so his videos have inspired me to be more creative too.
If it helps cut cost why not, things may get worse so get a head start & encourage whoever you can. I am doing the same, stretching & finding bargains/reduced stuff & have been doing good so far.
Find an Aldi and buy pork shoulders, braising steaks, pasta, pesto/paste, seasoning and olive oil and a ton of local farmer vegetables. Make a stew and pasta for the week. Costs ~£25 to do this a week for me. People saying they're getting screwed by food prices are lazy.
@@GornubiusFlux seriously? Is that the message you think Mike is promoting here? You can’t argue that food prices have gone up, without a wage increase. That’s nothing to do with being lazy, it’s a fact. Your comment makes me sad because it reflects such a lack of compassion for others, and it seems like the whole country is suffering from a deficit of compassion right now. I’m not going to pick apart your recipe (which sounds nice) or point out all the reasons it wouldn’t work for a lot of people. I’m just asking you to think about how it serves you to swallow down empathy and compassion for your fellow human beings.
@@GornubiusFlux very much not the vibe im afraid
When my kids were young, I was on mother’s allowance (Canadian term). I would buy beef and pork roasts, along with whole chickens and cook one of them, divide the others into four meals each. Stews, pot pies, hot sandwiches with gravy, enchiladas or even just roast and gravy with mashed taters. I’d get a 20 lb bag of taters, some rice, a big bag of flour and veggies they would eat, milk and cheese. There’s even deserts you can make with very little ingredients. I made up a little cookbook for myself at that time of my life and still use it today. If you have flour, salt and water, you can create a meal from very little. One of the most useful ingredients is marmalade, you can use it on your chicken, put it in gravy or in cakes, try it on anything. It was tough but we survived, get creative, if I could do it anyone can.
0:37 The amount of pure energy in that tiny little thing never ceases to amaze me
Love how she barks briefly at the retrieved ball, but is off before it has even be rethrown.
Min Pins are crazy, definitely need a lot of exercise otherwise they are destructive monsters. 🤣
@@LucasVanderBartlett If I remember correctly Mike (Atomic Shrimp) said he didn't know Eva's exact breed as he rescued her from overseas. (I believe from Portugal - but that is going off the country on the front of Eva's passport. See 'The Real Injustice Of Passport Offices'). However it is highly possible she is a Miniature Pinscher as her markings and size look very similar to that breed.
@BearMugs I know but she is very similar.
Yip. Yip! Yip! Yip!
So many youtubers stress about when their next video is coming out, if it's on schedule or not - and I rarely notice, honestly. I follow lots of channels, something is always there to watch. Take your time to make the content you want, that's why people are interested in the first place.
I think it helps with getting 'the algorithm' to properly recommend the videos, so I can see why people care about it
@@AtomicShrimp I found your channel via the scammer videos, but budget cooking and foraging are also my interests so I really enjoy a wide variety of your videos, maybe I got lucky!
@@AtomicShrimp I have a fossil but I can’t figure out what it is
I'm watching a lot of UA-cam on a daily basis, in fact I hardly watch any "regular TV" or Netflix etc at all anymore. But your Channel, it is just so inspiring, relaxing and enjoyable. It is really my favourite and to be honest, I wouldn't mind if I could watch it all day 😃
I do like the new schedule you are proposing and I hope you will be able to make some more longer project videos about building stuff, like technical things or a shed in your garden or whatever. Thank you for being you, Mike! 🍀❤️
I absolutely agree Frank! I rarely turn the TV on, and if I do, I can't find anything I want to watch even on with subscriptions to a couple of streaming services, but when it comes to UA-cam, there are some wonderful channels by great people. Atomic Shrimp is the very best! Relaxing, interesting, educational, and as you said, inspiring!
Just wanted to say, I really appreciate the sensitivity around the budget challenges. It’s a refreshing amount of self-awareness from a content creator
Last week I watched you stick a needle into wool, this week I sat through collecting rotting seaweed, do whatever you like however you wish to do it. Thanks for the content.
A potential variation on the £10 for 10 days idea would be to introduce some of the constraints of war-time rationing. This could include revisiting some recipes of the time, Woolton pie for example, and reworking them for contemporary tastes.
If you could get hold of some snoek, you could get an episode of Weird Stuff in a Can too.
BTW, your channel is my favourite thing on UA-cam.
I suffer with MH issues and the weekends are particularly testing. Knowing I have your videos on a Saturday morning make life just a little bit more tolerable and give me something to look forward to.
Thank you for being a warm, friendly and calming presence. :)
This! It's like a little weekly TV show where you don't know what it will include, but you just know it'll be interesting, informative and oddly soothing. I hope you're doing well, friend and see you next weekend! 😂
I think I found Shrimp via his "my hands look weird, so?" -video. And have been a fan ever since.
Hang in there!!
Wait holy hell you have 910,000 subscribers??? I've been following you for a while so I've never really thought about it, but wow you have such a smaller channel vibe. There's usually a pretty natural lifecycle with smaller creators where they start to increase their algorithmic optimization of thumbnails and topics and the fact that this channel continues to be "chill guy does mostly whatever he feels like doing calmly and deliberately" is so impressive
Lol thanks. Yeah, I think it comes from this channel just being a hobby for so many years. When it finally took off, I had already resolved that I was doing it for what it was, not for UA-cam success as an end goal. Not that I mind the success part of course - scarcely a day goes by without me thinking how lucky I am that my job is also a thing I love doing (and I suppose that's the motive to maintain it as something I care about, instead of just another job)
I love that you feel you need to explain to us your schedule. I am a firm believer that you have cultivated an audience here that just appreciates any video you care to share. Your ability articulates what you are feeling and how you are processing something is what I find most refreshing. I almost feel like I am there exploring something with you. For me, your genuineness shines in these videos. We are so lucky that you decided to do that and continue to make such great content. I have to say, I am amazed that all this work, creating this fantastic content boils down to one person. So many other channels must have writers, sound and video editors, other actors, or presenters. This is just you, sometimes your wife, Eva, and rarely your children. Absolutely amazing. Thank you so very much for being you. Please, please, please take this to heart. For me, when I get an alert that you have released a video, it makes my day, and I cannot wait to watch what new adventure you will take us on. I am sure this feeling is not unique to me, and I hope you understand that.
I wish there was a "love" button in addition the thumbs-up. These videos just make me feel so peaceful and content.
❤
Me too! Although then you'd have other UA-camr's saying things like "make sure to like, love, and subscribe"!
Oh my goodness, love this morning's content. I always feel educated and invigorated from watching you. You put your ideas and information across so well. I look forward to watching what ever you share and am grateful that you take the time and effort in doing so. A tonic for the 'soul'. I feel I am ready to start the weekend now.
I recently found your videos because I was looking for extremely cheap meal ideas. I have watched numerous of your food challenges and I find them extremely helpful. I am very poor and I don't find your approach to these videos insulting, quite the opposite. I was never taught how to cook. A week ago, I would have had no idea what to do with a bag of flour other than use a bread maker machine to make a loaf of bread. Seeing all the different things you can do with a small amount of items is very encouraging. As a side note, I think a lot of people recommend that you buy ramen noodles for your challenges because you can have a meal without knowing how to cook. I frequently purchase them for that very reason. Also, I find the restriction for no pro-rated items helpful. There is no way I could buy several large quantities of items because of my budget. I'm sorry to have rambled on so much, I just wanted to say thank you for what you do.
I love the way you categorise your shelf of random collected materials. Everyone should have a "shiny" drawer.
As for concentrating on quality rather than quantity: I think the YT algorithm punishes that, but then, at your point in your career you are probably not as dependent on being randomly found anymore.
Armchair shrimp is very digestible. Thank you for the scheduling updates . Thankyou for all of it . Think your plans for budget series spot on and useful in many ways. 😊.
You REALLY ARE one of my favorite content creators on UA-cam... Your videos are always nice to watch after a long day, or even at the start of a day.
You're very much an inspiration to those who watch you. You are always eager to teach, and educate everyone about anything/everything that you know... I hope that you understand what a genuine force for GOOD you are in the world. I believe that we're all very lucky to have access to your content without having to pay for membership or some sort of subscription fee.
So, from the bottom of my heart... THANK YOU. Thank you for everything you do to help educate, and especially for all of the ways that you innovate and problem solve. You are a fantastic role model for everybody out there just looking to live their best lives.
Without sounding overly dramatic... you really are a hero to many people out there.. myself included.
So again..... Thank you. For everything that you do, and everything that you share with all of us. :) :) :)
Higher quality videos? I think you've pretty much nailed quality as is. Your videos are inspiring, happy, never oversold and delivered with humility.
Or maybe I'm just trying to get into next month's comments review...
So glad you're going to keep doing budget challenges. They are really fun to watch. Also, it's amazing to see the prices in the UK. It's so much more expensive in Canada. Thank you for entertaining and educating us.
Budget Challenges: I am pretty skilled at making filling meals with very cheap ingredients, but creativity and variety are challenging. I watch videos to get inspiration for making the same stuff (beans, rice, bread, pasta, eggs) more exciting and interesting. I personally get a lot from the budget challenge videos and am very happy to hear you don't intend to discontinue them. Also, I'd love to see you take a discounted cut of meat and make as many separate meals as possible from it since this is a challenge that many people face.
For the last two hours, I have been trying to come up with a witty way to thank you. You win the internet today. There is no way, my day can get any better. As I sat in my recliner, with my cup of morning coffee, watching on my big screen ... my head is still buzzing with so many things I wish I could say... Thank you!
I never comment on videos, however I feel compelled to do so as your channel is my absolute favourite watch. When I finish work on a Friday, I come home make a cuppa and settle down to whatever you have uploaded 😁Thank you for the amazing content, always interesting and never predictable. Love the budget challenges, love the crafting, love the random content. Please continue in the same format 😊 it’s a joy to watch xxx
35:17 Dude that is so Kind , respectful and awesome of you to leave the butterfly to enjoy its stay in the Atomic Shrimp woodshed, even when you need to do some chopping. beautiful !
I'm very familiar with the assemblage of fossils from the Charmouth area, and so here's the ID's for the fossils from the beach:
Belemnites sp. (The belemnite - we ID most of the smaller tips like this)
Crucilobiceras densinodulum (a common pyritic ammonite from the area, lovely to see visible septa on it, it must not have been exposed to the air for very long)
Pentacrinites sp. - the crinoid stem. (It erodes sometimes in fragments like this from the Black Ven marls)
The ammonite, being pyritic, will begin to oxidise so long as it's exposed to the air and the moisture in it (we call this "pyrite decay"). At the museum we have a handful of special treatments we use to prevent this (NH3 treatment, or Pyrite Stop - which I believe you can just buy commercially).
For a home solution, I'd recommend you place it in a small air-tight tub with a desiccant in it, like those little silica packets you often get in packaging.
Edit: I'd like to add that people should NEVER dig fossils out of cliffs. Most of these areas are protected for not only the preservation of the formation, but also for people's safety. Digging from the cliffs ALWAYS carries a danger of falling rock - it's much more common than you'd think and certainly not helped by digging at it. Even a small stone can do serious damage to a person when it falls from enough height.
Also cliff erosion is a serious issue!
Plenty enough fossils will erode out of the rock every day for everyone, even on a popular beach like Charmouth, but damaging it further is a terrible idea. Charmouth beach, along with the rest of the Jurassic Heritage Coastline, is a protected SSSI and digging at the rock is considered vandalism. The relevant website, any palaeontologist, or any geology museum will tell you not to dig at it, follow the fossil collecting code of conducts, and to stick to collecting already eroded loose material.
I want to add my vote to the hat and my thoughts on the budget challenges
I love the idea of the supposed expanded parameters they get my vote.
I do understand the hesitation of coming off as prescriptive or down playing others hardships. Or giving the idea of "playing poor" for fun.
But I would hope it's abundantly clear from your library of works that's not something you would do.
I greatly enjoy the creativity in cooking it requires to supply a variety of meals with a distinct lack of variety in ingredients.
As a fellow IT person it scratches the same itch as problem solving IT issues with a low budget and low resources.
demonstrating that an interesting or complete meal doesn't need expensive or numerous ingredients to be filling, wholesome, and tasty. It is a valuable exercise, and in a time where outlandish cooking content is the rage it's nice to be reminded and how easy a nice soup can be to make and eat.
I know when I was on a lean budget and eating cheap food. I fell into a cycle of identical cheap uninspired meals.
I had the mindset that good food was an expense I couldn't afford. But in these videos
The skills and knowledge and creativity you put to use is these challenges are useful at any budget. To show things are as interesting as you make them
I mean really who else is asking questions like can you use mayo to make croutons?
12:54 I suggest a video topic. Identify the lichen species on your small moai statue. Could be fun to see you try to get high magnification photos, and/or do lichen chemical spot tests. The spot tests strike me as being a super Atomic Shrimpy thing to try. :) And the moai aspect makes it pretty whimsical if I dare say so myself.
that ammonite is PRISTINE! i've been a casual fossil hunter since i was a kid and have only found maybe a handful of specimens that look that good without need of a good cleanup. on a different note, i love your ideas regarding the possible budget challenge series. i know it's probably a lot of work, but i've REALLY loved your series-style videos where you talk through your experiences and give us updates (like the clay videos). at this point i'll happily watch you struggle with anything you're willing to put yourself through
The garden is really coming to life, and it's extraordinary how much further ahead yours is than ours up in the north of Scotland, our crocuses are only barely showing a bit of colour now
Thank you for being YOU. You would 't believe how many people's lives you are making richer and better through your quirky and wholesome videos. Love to all the Shrimp household.
On the food thing, I'm currently buying a house and so gonna be moving out from my mum's house soon, and your food videos give me good inspiration now I'm gonna be 100% responsible for my own food. Not necessarily about budgeting, but because it's interesting just to see you be much more creative than I ever am.
I think this is the best channel on UA-cam. Such wholesome, interesting, unpretentious and thoughtful content. No “smash the like button,” no click bait thumbnails. Just a man sharing his passions and knowledge with the world and asking for nothing in return. I’ve been watching for years, and I shall continue to do so indefinitely.
regarding the budget challenge situation: i think some videos similar to the sausage stew you did a few years ago would be good, where its just a single meal thats very economical and you talk about a particularly cheap and nutritious meal and ways you can customise and change it based on what you have/what you like :)
Yeah, I'm doing one of those this week, based on a midweek meal we eat quite a lot
@@AtomicShrimp Anticipation! Suspense! 😃
I guess this is as good a place as any to say that you've been an inspiration in the kitchen for me, not necessarily anything specific that you've done, but moreso your down-to-earth approach to cooking. I love a lot of cooking content, but I feel a lot of it can make cooking feel like a science or at least very difficult, and your videos have made me realize that really it's just putting some stuff together that tastes good, which paradoxically has made me a more adventurous, frugal and complex cook. So my belly thanks you, Sir.
Love to see you using seaweed on the garden . Here in Torquay we are more than well blessed with it, huge piles are deposited on the beaches during winter storms. I think the local council are more than happy for me to fill my many trugs with it for my allotment as I have done for many years…. A great “broad spectrum” fertiliser . Top tip… fill an onion bag with some pop it in a water butt for your own home made liquid fertiliser, your plants will thank you 👍
I am famously (around my house) unobservant when it comes to time and I had never noticed you had a schedule at all - every vid is a pleasant surprise. I'm ok with that. BTW, without trying to skimp on portions at all, I can get a dozen meals out of a large £5 chicken (4 pasta meals from the breasts, 4 curry portions from the thighs and drumsticks and wings, 4 portions of soup from the carcass). I suspect with a bit of effort I could easily increase that to 15 or even 18 (you could make a hell of a lot of ravioli from two large chicken breasts). What could you do with a £5 chicken + say £5 of other ingredients?
Try to eliminate the carbohydrates & see if you can do that?
Today, I had some free time to catch up on your recent videos. So, I was heading to this one to drop a positive comment. Wow, it's very encouraging to hear that there has already been a full community who beat me to the punch. So, let me add my little voice to the choral and thank for these varied, interesting and informative videos. Lord bless you.
You calling that butterfly a 'guest' and giving it the time and space it needed warms my heart so much 💛
Getting mighty close to a million subs there, AS. Very nice, hope to see you at 10 million some day.
as a brazillian student who often struggles with sustaining myself with decent meals, your budget challenges help a lot! food around here is very different in terms of availability, variation and specially price (way more expensive) but your videos provide great inspiration for cheap meals i can adapt with the ingredients available here on the other side of the planet, keep up the good work mike!
I love your new ideas for the budget challenges. Many folks are interested in saving on food costs and you have helped many people see what is possible, as evidenced by the comments. You've always been respectful and humble in the manner in which you present these challenges, you're doing great work. Personally, I always wanted to see a sort of no-holds-bar video where you take the recipes you liked from the budget challenge and improved them with the ingredients you wished you could have had. Also, I too saw the mini skillets in the reduced section and couldn't help but buy multiples!
hi Mike, hope you and your family are well, thanks for continuing to upload interesting videos 👍💯🌞 I tend to get to watch these vids on Saturday morning about 8.30 am (uk time) I don't usually comment as is quite exhausting (physical limitations and health issues leave me increasingly tired) really appreciate your content and with the state of affairs here. your channel is like an oasis of calm, eclectic. educational and inspiring content ... like a safe area of the internet ☺🌸🌺
I am so very happy about this channel. I lost my subscription for a while and now I found it again. Positive, smart, life-affirming, interesting, even a bit silly content every now and then. This channel and the whole Shrimp family makes me feel happy, it is like visiting the Shire.
P.S. That ammonite is gorgeous. Lots of greetings from Finland!
Subbed from the start. Quite a few years ago, now. Thank you for being consistently interesting, real, inspiring and just an all around good chap. X
I view you as an explorer, and you are narrating your explorations. It's not if you fail at something, it's about exploring the world around you, and trying things. You may get it right, you may not. But that's not the point. It's the exploration that is important. And you do all kinds of things, give us a little this and a little bit of that. That is what I love about your videos. I just love them! Thank you!!
If you’re worried about the lustre on that ammonite fading, I recommend putting it in a little container with some linseed oil to prevent it oxidising :)
I do appreciate the relaxing of the rules around Bulk Pro Rata and the reluctant leaning towards more realistic situations. Anyone struggling or looking for help in this situation would benefit from your creative problem solving and tasty kitchen improvisation! Thanks for all your videos and happy April 1st.
My favorite stuff has been the "making stuff from scratch" type videos. The making a clay pot to make a meal in was an awesome series that taught a ton about stuff I didn't even know that I didn't know about. Showing failures and .5 in between videos was great. Obviously that was a few weeks of work but it had me glued to your channel for uploads
Your videos are always a great start to my weekend. I don't know how you intend making higher quality videos, though - yours are some of the best thought out, filmed and edited videos I've ever watched. I like the idea of having a 'floating' video in the week, too. Have you ever thought about making one on folklore? Dorset has some peculiar and fascinating folklore that might be fun to look into - some probably has food that goes with it, that you could replicate.
Thanks again for your wonderful channel. I'm really grateful for youtube thinking that I might be interested in your giant puffball video. Nice one. 👍👍👍
I really appreciate not only every video you put out but also your compassion. I have learned such a lot from you, been inspired and even made a friend through you. You're the major influence for sparking interests in my life following a sudden health-inflicted change in circumstances four years ago. Thank you.
Wow, I just realized how happy your videos make me; obviously I knew I liked them, hence why I watch them.
But when you were talking about getting settled into your new house, and how it felt like home, I genuinely got a bit misty-eyed.
Thank you for making these videos, they really mean a lot to me; and I'm glad you enjoy your new home :)
Channel News: I appreciate all the content you create, it has been inspirational and relaxing. You are a gem to watch each week, I don't really follow schedule, if there is a new vid in my feed, I watch. You do you, stay fabulous!
Oh Mike, in our home we all love and treasure you so much! We watch your videos as a family, I never had the privilege of having a father that was very invested in me and watching you brings me so much comfort and joy and inspiration for wonderful things to do with my children. Thank you so much for all your hard work! From sunny Devon!
Hi Mike, just a random thought while you were discussing those blue potatoes, and the fact that you could've had them on a budget challenge. It may be a bit complicated to work out, but would it be interesting to do some sort of long term budget challenge? Where you could for example use the budget to buy seeds or potatoes to plant, to end up with more produce compared to buying. And maybe foraging over that period too (or collecting like you did with those bones), where you can dry/freeze certain ingredients along the way.
Enjoy the videos, thanks!
I would love to see this too. I have a very small garden and have often wondered whether it is worth me turning over a small space in my garden to growing veg. I wouldn't do it for fun's sake, but if it would save me quite a bit of money on groceries, I might give it a try. After growing the three 19p potatoes, how many potatoes come out of that and how much would they have cost me to buy in the store? For more expensive veg, there could be a bigger price difference, but as a beginner grower, it would need to be something easy to grow. :)
I find that growing leafy greens helps the most.
Lettuces, collards, mustard greens, spinach, bok choy or Napa cabbage, chard, nettles, beet tops, etc.
These are nutrient dense pretty easy to grow, and can be grown in fairly small containers.
And when paired with a grain item and a legume item, gives pretty good all around nutrition.
I look forward to the weekends, in part because that's when we are treated to your wonderful videos. They are relaxing to watch, and so varied that they are never boring, and the quality is to such a high standard. I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. Just one question, what does Mrs Shrimp eat when you are doing your budget challenges?
I hope that I am not the only one who feels excited for you in your house move, I particularly love the idea of an "upstairs/downstairs" garden, and the fact you have your own little bit of woodland. It's good to know that you have settled there so well.
Thank you for showing us what’s been coming up in your garden. I’ve been curious, knowing it’s your first spring in your new home home! ❤
i once found a sheep on its back. hauled it upright and it bit me on the leg. there's gratitude for you.
Next time, stare at it and whisper 'mint sauce'
I never mean to be patronising but you are a man of generous spirit. You are inspiring and so interesting to watch. I’m liking these sit down chats too.I love your video planning ideas. Thankyou for all your hard work. You are magic😊
Snowdrops are called vintergækker in Danish. Vinter obviously meaning winter, but gækker is an old word for playing a trick on someone - and thus the plant is named as it is because those early flowers are playing tricks on us making us think it's summer. Snowdrops are also used in an old Easter tradition where you send a snowdrop in a letter to someone with a simple rhyme asking the recipient to guess who's sending them the letter. If the receiver doesn't guess who sent it, they have to buy the sender an Easter egg. If they guess it, they can claim an Easter egg from the sender. 🌱
I watch every video and have maybe commented on one, but I really love this channel. I watch this when I feel like I need a friend, or to relax and calm down from a rough day, or just because it's fun.
This video style is some of my favorite, thanks for continuing to make them.
Since you touch on these topics in this video, I really like when creators share the entire process of them learning something, including the failures. You can learn a lot from watching an expert, but you can learn just as much (or possibly even more) by watching a beginner learn as they go.
You make some of the best slow tv vids on UA-cam. The walking videos are some of my favorite, also. I keep coming back to them. Thanks!
The failed 1.37 challenge helped me understand where the more infamous sides of British cuisine came from. I know most of it came from post war scarcity, and seeing someone as creative as Mike struggle with limited ingredients was an interesting comparison.
at 8:26 if you ever need to tap something out slowly like that again, try tapping your arm or hand, it gives some better control
You really are a kind and thoughtful dude. I really enjoy your content and always look forwards to your uploads.
Thank you Sir !, Variety is the Spice of Life, Please continue :)
Random stuff videos are my absolute favourite. Thank you for a wonderful start to the weekend :)
I always enjoy watching your challenges, how you approach the problem and try to solve it is really interesting.
very impressed with your thoughts and plans for the budget challenges. as a regular viewer it sounds great
The inspiration for how I conduct my own channel comes directly from you. We have different types of videos and not a ton of overlap, but becoming a fan of your videos made me realize that I don't have to prescribe to the traditional single topic focus that so many creators do. I make videos because I enjoy it as a hobby, and I make videos of different types on a multitude of topics because I, like most people, am interested in a lot of different things. Keep inspiring!
Love your outlook and principles, good on you, your honest and unbiased approach to subjects is refreshing and one of the reasons I've been subscribed for years now. Keep doing you.
Really looking forward to your future budget challenge ideas, so happy you are going to explore it a little more. Excellent news!
my husband walk in and asked "why you're watching some old man talking?" ;) and after an explanation he want to thank you for yours "cheating" fondant potatoes - I made them from your recipe and he love it :)
Have you tried the paper towel method of seed starting? Slightly damp paper towel, seeds, and then another piece of damp towel. Flatten the towels together, making one towel with seeds in the middle. It makes dealing with tiny seeds easier. The towel disintegrates but also gives structure to the plants as they are forming.
Made me very happy to see this Mike! Your videos always make me smile and give me inspiration for my own adventures
If you do cut the potatoes, it's best to wait at least two days before planting, so it forms a seal and doesn't rot.
With the Chits, the rule of thumb is the more chits per potato plant the more greenery. Yes you will get more potatoes but they will be smaller. Less chits mean less but bigger potatoes. The size of the container or how far apart you plant them (and also if you re hill them), all plays a part in what you get.
Comment positivity: I remember when i was a teen in care and we got £14 a week for everything. Food, cleaning and toiletries. I kind of enjoyed that challenge in an OCD kind of way and learning to meal prep.
When i got my studio flat my benefits when up to £21 a week and included utility bills and clothes. I was given a £500 guided one off payment for a white goods allowance. I brought a cheap cooker/oven, second hand fridge freezer, washing machine, and bed and some cheap office off cut carpets. I also got some plates and cutlery and then bought material to make curtains. ( I already saved up and used my clothing allowance to buy bedding and new sheets. I also got a new winter coat and made sure that i had things like underwear and clothes that i could mix/ match for school.
I am also from an IT background and have a buffet of interests, which is probably why i love watching your videos.
P.s. Love the craft boxes. Do we ask what is in the "sticky" box or do we need a "lore novel"? lol
The sticky box contains glue, tape, glue dots, self-adhesive rubber feet and stuff like that.
I appreciate how you've taken the time to sit down with the audience to go over your plans from here on out. As ever, this new schedule certainly gives me something to look forward to during hectic work weeks.
In regards to your video ideas, are there any ideas you've already touched upon that you'd revisit? Like the occasional "here are our leftovers; let's see what we can make out of them!" sort of videos or having another crack at a craft that you weren't too sure on before.
I wouldn't want to push you to make more, but I do hope you've still got ideas for the Slaughter Valley series. I really love those shorts, they always make my mate and I laugh.
Commenting to boost the video and just to say love the channel! Always so relaxing and positive!
I've got a rule that I need to learn something new every day, it was instilled in me by my mum and I try to stick to it - if I watch one of your videos, I'll undoubtedly learn something, and usually more than one thing. Love that you've settled into the new house, love the positivity, and I especially can't wait to see the next (and the next) upload) Bravo!
As a person on a very limited budget, I truly appreciate your meals you make on the cheap. The ideas help me to make the best use of the food I have available. Since inflation here in the U.S. is out of control, I am opening myself to many new food combination ideas.( I did find one can safely eat maple tree seeds. That per several internet sources. Prep energy vs food calories makes them not an efficient food source, but if one was starving it is nice to know.)
Last fall I found a couple of potatoes I had somehow overlooked, and they sprouted about 6" long, and planted them. They have since grown a small crop of potatoes I can eat.
Always scintillating and super interesting, whichever topic you take on. Love them all; thank you!
Hey mr shrimp i just wanted to say that your videos are awesome and i love watching them. I hope im not wrong but i feel like your a pretty happy person and doing what you love and i find that very inspiring and i have very much respect for that!
Atomic shrimp is like playschool for adults. So relaxing and comforting
i just love all the videos you put out, we never know what you will do next, but we do know it will be interesting and wholesome, whenever i talk about youtube to someone, i will always mention this channel
Always lovely to feel like you're just having a chat with us all. You do whatever you want at a rate you can manage please. 1 of the things I really like about you is there's nothing insincere or overly contrived, just something you enjoy or want to learn about and you take everyone along for the ride, thank you!
I appreciate your sensitivity in how you approach your challenges. I would like to offer an alternative view: There are people who were never taught how to budget, how to shop, how to cook, how to open their thinking in terms of making new meals. You already share good ideas.
Your true respect for people's situations and choices makes you, in my opinion, one of the best content creators here in youtube.
Not only your content is great and your voice soothing, you are empathetic, and that makes a diference.
Thank you.
I opened UA-cam this morning and did not find your video and I panicked a bit. To be honest I started this video yesterday eve, but did not watch until the end, so I did not know the change of schedule. I think the idea of publishing a video on special occasions might be a great move, I remember a video where you tasted some haggis in proximity of the Burns supper, if I am not wrong, and I particularly liked it. Anyway, I will always appreciate your contents, definetly the most interesting channel on UA-cam!
Fantastic video as usual. ALWAYS appreciated Mike
I love the random stuff videos. Its nice to just see little updates and background conversations.
Regarding the sheep on their back, you're spot on. They are, as a byproduct of domestication, not very intelligent and more built for bulk and wool as opposed to survivability, so they do become stuck as opposed to their wild ancestors. They've many traits that are great for us, not so great for them, and thats why they need our assistance. Lovely PSA - and thank you from someone who raises sheep!
My snowdrops are blooming too...such a lovely sight after the drab grays of winter, in fact, today I'm taking a trip to my favorite garden center to drink in the colorful offerings there, I'm sure they'll have pansies, always my first purchase of the season. I can't wait to have those sweet little happy 'faces' fluttering in the breeze on my porch, a real pick me up after a long flowerless winter! 🌸
I’m so pleased to hear that you’re not giving up on the budget challenges Mike. To throw another idea into the mix, could you contemplate shopping for ingredients on a random stuff video and ask your viewers to suggest recipe ideas, then select a few to try out and present in a subsequent episode?
I just noticed you updated the thumbnail and omg... Shrimp, it was worth the wait lol!!
Thank you for another brilliant video 🙌
Just adding to some of the positivity in the comments. :) I love these slower weekend videos for a nice gentle wake up, or for a piece of familiarity and soothing when I'm anxious (which is very frequently thanks to c-PTSD). I'm definitely looking forward to some more complex videos! I hope you get to cover some more topics you enjoy through that.