I have lived in one of those hell holes before.... sympathy. Didn't lose my stuff (well we were robbed by the landlord) or have to GIT though. But it was a very bad place with a very nasty landlord, indeed.

Tiger tails - hotdogs with little nicks cut at angle, fried in bit of butter and Worcestershire sauce. The nicks soak up sauce and make them look like tiger tails. Can be done in frying pan on woodstove or on plate in microwave 9but without the butter). Just roll them in sauce and put inverted plate over top to stop the splatter. Nice to eat with baked beans and instant mash on the side. Kids loved them.