So what did ya do to prep today

[kelee877]

We did a prep run yesterday.actually we have been doing a run almost every day this week..

brought in 100 lbs of flour
100 lbs of rice
100 cans of veggies
pearl barley
salt
man oh man lots, its going to take me all of next week to sort through and store eveything, plus cause today we will do more...

and then we learned how to can meats, thanks to momof23goats and all of her help and now with buttercup and her butter canning, we will be tackling this also..

This post is just for information you have gathered or preps you have brought in for SHTF..getting so close to the wire..you may post an item no one else has thought about...

We also got a small hand held vacuum cleaner if we needed to run it with the solar, it would not take as much power as the big whirl vacuum..we have mostly click tiling, but some area,s of the house do have carpet..

we bought anouther 1.8 volt portable solar panel, not the biggest of sizes, but we now have 2 of these and it was only 11.00 on sale from 31.49

We are getting more totes as they will be filled once all of the dried goods we brough in make their way through the freezer, this gives me time to get other things done...

we bought veggies seeds that were on sale, as more back-up, we have 2 sets of non-hybrids and tons of store bought seeds, just in case...

and now vitamins, rumour has it the the bigs boys TPTB are taking the little man out of the vitamin industry and these will be hard to get in the upcoming time, so we have so far invested into 2 bottles of vitamin C we already had calcuim with vitamin D...but with shortages we will make sure we have enough, if gardens or certain veggies fruits fail..this can always be cruched up and mixed with your foods to help suppliment...

TP and Scott Towels, we had lacked in this department for sometime, but I managed to find a printable coupon for free 2 roll pack of scott towels, now anytime we go out we take 4 coupons each and get the freebies...we have upped our TP reserves and will tackle that one this week...


Safe bet to say things are not getting any better out there so post ideas and preps, we can share this valuable information... :lol:

I guess what I am trying to do with this post, is gauge the temperature we are feeling at this time..are we beginning to adjust in mind and physical changes to our enviroment of SHTF...

[garnetgirl]

I've been prepping like mad on the small things - triple coupons at the local grocery store have helped tremendously this week.

Today I plan to do some canning - I will can up another ham that I got over Christmas (had coupons and then a $10 rebate on it, so only paid a couple of dollars for it). I canned the first one in small cubes in 1/2 pint jars - just enough to flavor a pot of beans, cook in an omelette or quiche, flavor a potato or bean soup, something like that. I will do this ham the same way.

I also plan to get my dehydrator back out (put away during Christmas time) and start dehydrating some of the bags of frozen veggies I got for .10/each last week. We had our first big winter storm this week and I was nervous about losing power - my freezer is too full, so I need to either can or dehyrate a bunch of stuff.

A friend is giving me some venison which I plan to make into jerky.

Money is very tight right now, so I am trying to do things that just need to be done - need to rotate the water storage and organize, especially. I also got some gardening books from the library and I'm planning on expanding my gardens this year - 10 new fruit trees are already ordered and paid for and will be here by March. So far, the 6 fruit trees I planted last year seemed to have survived the drought and my cages have kept the deer away.

garnetgirl

[AzProtector]

Been moving all of our prep items from the house in Phoenix, to the ranch.

5 trips with a 20ft U-Haul, so far. Minimum of 4 more for just non-weapons and ammo.
Trying to figure out how I'm going to move all my ammo.
My Dad is staining and sealing our new kitchen and bathroom cabinets for the ranch.

The cement contractor came dug out and poured the foundation for our 30x50 pole barn. Construction should start in 2 weeks.

[Buttercup]

Yeah, Az! Sounds exciting to me!...ranch house...new barn...Super!

Today it was more canning for me...butter again! :lol:

[kelee877]

We just got back from shopping;

kids got some new clothes, bigger sizes so they can grow into them...

3 cases of water
necessaries for the house

the greatest deals I got today where comfort foods at zellers, the left over Christmas stuff was down way cheap, i had been waiting for the prices to drop...

11 bags of santa,s 19 each
a box with 8 different herbal tea,s 6.00 dollars
3 -2 coffee mug set and coffee 20 ounce pkg 2.24
4- 6 set ofcoffee classic 2.49
and more hats for the kids...

got a couple of pairs of running shoes for DD for 2.00 pair and flip flops for 89 a pair


oh hey while I am thinking of this :lol: silly hubby and DS...they unloaded the van yesterday, left 2 litre bottle of pop in van, so asked DH to get it last night...well he forgot, so at 5 this morning ,I reminded him again that the pop was in the van...now for the kicker :shock: :shock: THEY LEFT THE SLIDING VAN DOOR OPENED and IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT HERE''' 6-8 inches...our brand new van was filled with snow :lol: :?

ok back to preps...

I got my hydro bill in today and woohoo I have a credit, I don,t have to pay it this month...so i have more money for more preps, the Lord does provide...

[SheWoff]

We have been putting every extra $$ available this month into preps...from food to linens. DH went for kerosene yesterday. 5 gallons was almost 25.00!! Can you say "ouch!"?

I will be canning chili today and tomorrow. Am going to be practicing (using buttercups recipe) making rolls and I found a recipe online for bread in a dutch oven so I am going to try that also.

It just seems like with everything going on in the world of late, DH and I have spent most of our time doing prep related things. Either buying more, or learning more. Even some of our DGI friends around here are coming to us for advice on how to can, sew, grow a garden, what to plant and when and all kinds of questions. I think the sheeple are waking up!

She

[Freeholder]

Our budget is really tight, so I don't have much money for anything, but managed to get some new underwear and socks for DD and myself. Also a few packets of seeds to supplement what I already have, just in case something happens and my seed order from Fedco doesn't get here.

Next I need to go re-organize the storage in the pump house (which doesn't freeze) and put some of the camping gear out there (rather than in the garage, which isn't secure yet -- don't have the big door on yet, and the pump house can be locked). That will leave space in my closet for more food that can't freeze.

My other project for this week is to make cloth sanitary napkins and get the 'laundry bucket' set up in the bathroom for those and cloth TP. We can't afford to keep buying all that paper -- just hope I can make DD understand not to throw the cloth TP in the toilet! (She does all right with the san. naps so hopefully will get it about the TP, too.)

Kathleen

[SheWoff]

Kathleen, do you have a pattern for the cloth napkins you can share? I have been thinking about how much money I have spent on these things over the years and wondered how to go about making them. Maybe you could start us a new thread on how to do them? Thanks!

She

[just me]

Today I had to make a run into town to get canned doggie food for our old Aussie. Picked up 25 lbs of gr beef that was on sale, a couple of roasts, and some chicken breasts - all on sale. We are low on meat in the freezer, so this will help. I vacuum sealed everything in to meal size packages and put it in the freezer. I love my vacuum sealer - it keeps meat so much better and so much longer.

I need to do a real inventory and find the holes in our preps and start watching for more sales of those items.

[Dusty Lady]

For you gals out there that still have the joy of menses.LOLOLOL

From a preppers point of view.........make your own tampons like Grandma used to. All ya gotta do is take strips of cloth about a foot long by three inches wide and fold and roll into a tampon shape. Use your bathroom laundry bucket as needed and voila, you gals have no cost tampons. No more flushing money down the can!

[AngelDance]

For you gals out there that still have the joy of menses.LOLOLOL

From a preppers point of view.........make your own tampons like Grandma used to. All ya gotta do is take strips of cloth about a foot long by three inches wide and fold and roll into a tampon shape. Use your bathroom laundry bucket as needed and voila, you gals have no cost tampons. No more flushing money down the can!

Just don't forget (or for those who don't know), when laundering items stained with blood, whether from hunting, wounds or........other, wash in cold water. If the blood has dried, Hydrogen peroxide is a good spot treatment or soak for blood stain removal.

~Berta

[AzProtector]

Yeah, Az! Sounds exciting to me!...ranch house...new barn...Super!

Today it was more canning for me...butter again! :lol:

Thanks. The house is 4 years old, but when we built it, I used cheap cabinets, cheap flooring, cheap molding. Now that we're moving there FT, the wife is insisting that it's upgraded. I need the barn for storage as our home in Phoenix is 3100 sq ft and the ranch is 1500, plus a basement. Sound like similiar square footage? Yes...NO, the basement is stocked with food, ammo, firearms safes, cases of magazines, TP, medical supplies etc., etc. Now I have all the prep goods from Phoenix to integrate....it's a mess for sure.

I'm going to build a huge climate-controlled cement block "room" in the barn for prep items...probably the LTS food and paper products.

[momof23goats]

Yeah, Az! Sounds exciting to me!...ranch house...new barn...Super!

Today it was more canning for me...butter again! :lol:

Thanks. The house is 4 years old, but when we built it, I used cheap cabinets, cheap flooring, cheap molding. Now that we're moving there FT, the wife is insisting that it's upgraded. I need the barn for storage as our home in Phoenix is 3100 sq ft and the ranch is 1500, plus a basement. Sound like similiar square footage? Yes...NO, the basement is stocked with food, ammo, firearms safes, cases of magazines, TP, medical supplies etc., etc. Now I have all the prep goods from Phoenix to integrate....it's a mess for sure.

I'm going to build a huge climate-controlled cement block "room" in the barn for prep items...probably the LTS food and paper products.

building a block room, is not a bad Idea, to put your preps in, now add a drain in one corner, and some ventilation, and have a safe room for you and your family. not a bad Idea at all. I think that would be most wise.
being on a home stead, i could pass it off, as a milk room or some thing.
thanks for the idea.

[Southwind]

Tomorrow I make my seed purchase-all heirlooms from baker. I will also put in an antibiotic order from calvet supply. They have 500mg ampicillin and good prices. I will also restock my bandages.
Next month, supplies for my square foot garden, and fencing. March, I order my chickens and hope to have goats by May.
Also gonna try to get a chest freezer for a quarter side of organic beef.

[scandiwoman]

For those of you who make their own supplements which is very easy and simple to do and not expensive for the equipment to do it with, I have a friend who has been a small time manufacturer. He knows that he can't compete with the big guys, so is hanging it up. I know he has a lot of supplement powders like vit c, glucosamine and condroitin, plus many others. I know he would be willing to sell to individuals the powders at a very reasonable rate. If you are interested let me know and I can give you his e-mail.

[Freeholder]

Kathleen, do you have a pattern for the cloth napkins you can share? I have been thinking about how much money I have spent on these things over the years and wondered how to go about making them. Maybe you could start us a new thread on how to do them? Thanks!

She

I'm sorry -- I don't have a pattern. I'm just going to 'wing it' and try a few to see if they work (they aren't for me -- I'm past that, thankfully, except for maybe a stray now and then -- they are for my mentally handicapped daughter, so it's really going to be an experiment to see if she can manage this. Tampons for her are TOTALLY out, LOL!). The material I'll use for these first ones is an old mattress pad; I figure I'll try several layers of that in approximately the same shape as the disposable ones, with an outer cover made from an old sheet that will come up in front and back to fasten to a belt, or to the underwear. I'll probably use safety pins for the fasteners, at least on these first ones, even though that will mean I'll have to help her every time she needs to change. If they work, then I'll try to figure out a fastener she can manage herself (possibly large buttons).

I just splurged and spent some money I probably shouldn't have on four books:

The Forager's Harvest, by Samuel Thayer (I have it out of the library right now, and while only a few of the plants he mentions are found in our area, it has excellent commentary on finding, identifying, and using wild foods that will be applicable to what we have here). He lives in Wisconsin, so anyone who lives in that area of the country would benefit from this book.

Handbook of Northwestern Plants by Helen Margaret Gilkey (an advanced plant ID book, college level, put out by OSU).

The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America by Francois Couplan.

And Rocket Mass Heaters: Superefficient Wood Stoves YOU Can Build by Ianto Evans. I've had this one on my list for a while, because it's an inexpensive way to build an efficient heating stove.

I have a feeling we are going to be needing all of these in the months and years to come. I already have a couple of wild-foods books, but they tend to be limited in scope, and I wanted some that were a little broader, and these are. The first one in the information on identification, harvesting, and using wild foods; second one in identifying all kinds of plants specific to our area; and the third one in information on uses of practically every plant on the continent (north of the Mexican border, at least -- I don't know how far south it goes).

There went part of my seed money -- I'll still be able to get my main order out on time, but will have to wait a couple of weeks for the second order.

Kathleen

[kelee877]

for that time of the month you could also look into purchasing flannel diapers, there is the velcro type, you would have buy the largest size you could find, but you also add eighter elastic or more velcro across to hold into place...

also just buy flannel old pj,s at the used store...or old baby blankets ...cut flannel into about 12 inches by 12 inches, bigger if need be finish edges and fold as needed...

you won,t want to make a sleeve, because blood would stay trapped in seams and could cause infection..leaving flannel flat so when bleached and wash all matter is removed and they are totally sterilized for next time...stock up on extra bleach or even chlroine for pools(shock treatment) easier to store and has a longer shelf life

[kelee877]

came back to add you should stock up on one set of time of the months under garments and one set of everyday...you can hand sew a peices of velcro into the place where pad goes and have your 12x12 fitted with the other side of velcro to fold and hold in place...

also...DO NOT buy self sticking velcro...it yammies up your sewing machine and removed leaves a layer of sticky residue...buy the good stuff that you to sew on... :oops: I found out the hard way when doing the costumes for the church Chritmas play..I used the sticky for a couple of the costumes and the stuff did not stick so I tried to swe it and it buggered up my machine..not badly, but enough to make me say swear words :cry:

[organicfarmer]

Thank you everyone for giving me inspiration to get going today (for some reason, I am feeling really tired). I am going to make a list for the grocery run on Monday. I am also going to clean up our cold cellar/food storage room this morning and tidy up the basement. Yesterday, I picked up our beef that we had done and put most of it in the freezers. This week DH ordered all of our seeds for the market garden and we picked up our herb seeds.

A bonus this week that is not exactly prep, but will keep me and our oldest daughter occupied, is that we were offered a free 24" weaving loom. We picked it up the same day and got a bench with it and two bags of wool weaving yarns, which can be dyed and then made up into blankets. I have a 60" loom already, but now she and I can weave together. I would rather they learn to occupy themselves with something other than tv or computer, as these may be not so available if TSHTF.

[organicfarmer]

Double post, sorry.

[AzProtector]

Yeah, Az! Sounds exciting to me!...ranch house...new barn...Super!

Today it was more canning for me...butter again! :lol:

Thanks. The house is 4 years old, but when we built it, I used cheap cabinets, cheap flooring, cheap molding. Now that we're moving there FT, the wife is insisting that it's upgraded. I need the barn for storage as our home in Phoenix is 3100 sq ft and the ranch is 1500, plus a basement. Sound like similiar square footage? Yes...NO, the basement is stocked with food, ammo, firearms safes, cases of magazines, TP, medical supplies etc., etc. Now I have all the prep goods from Phoenix to integrate....it's a mess for sure.

I'm going to build a huge climate-controlled cement block "room" in the barn for prep items...probably the LTS food and paper products.

building a block room, is not a bad Idea, to put your preps in, now add a drain in one corner, and some ventilation, and have a safe room for you and your family. not a bad Idea at all. I think that would be most wise.
being on a home stead, i could pass it off, as a milk room or some thing.
thanks for the idea.

Um, the safe room was built into the house originally...sub-basement with all the good stuff....:)

[kelee877]

Today we have canned up 16 jars of pork and I have started putting away all the stuff we have brought in, in the last 3-4 days...DH is heading out again today...and DD and I will bagging rice,sugar and salt...all the canned goods were dated and stored by DS(11 years old)...we have all upped our time frame and we will bringing in the max...

ladies you don,t need a pattern to make nappies...just a 12x12 square of flannel will do it, you will work out the detailing as you go along...and use them...i just suggest the folowling preps to hand make them..flannel,sewing thread and needles,a good pair of material scissors and velcro(not the sticky type)...other sewing accesories that I have started saving or buying...odd peices of material from second hand stores,old clothing patterns, also save any brown paper packaging you get to size patterns(tracing paper)lots of thread and needles(even is excess can be used as barter item)...

thats all I can think of for now, back to prepping...phew I need a holiday from this nighmare...as stated in John,s program last night, we pre and get ready....but man now that it is here....

[hunybee]

Yeah, Az! Sounds exciting to me!...ranch house...new barn...Super!

Today it was more canning for me...butter again! :lol:

hey buttercup,
i saw your recipe on canning butter, but on the internet i have seen websites talking about being careful to make sure that the recipe is actually canning butter and not melting and storing. can you able to clarify for me the difference. also, do you know how long stored butter and canned butter lasts. thanks!

[Buttercup]

Actually hunybee, I'm using momof23goats' recipe. She would be able to answer your questions as I'm very new to this...as in, I've only been doing this for like two days now :lol:

My cans are definitely sealed so unless the cans get unsealed or somehow bacteria survived the canning process, I'm thinkin' they should be fine. :?:

[hunybee]

thanks buttercup! i just saw the other posts about it in a different thread. sorry, kids have zapped my brain cells and have only left me with enough to perform basic body functions, and anything else is extremely taxing
http://www.addemoticons.com/emoticon/animated/AddEmoticons04287.gif
Animated Emoticons... http://www.addemoticons.com/emoticon/animated/AddEmoticons04213.gif
Animated Emoticons

see, i can't even do the emoticons correctly!

[Shuswap]

Looks like the snowball is steadily picking up speed, not much time left.
My new solar system is coming next week, and will be picking up 120 lbs of honey from the bee lady. Never know exactly where this crisis is heading, but hope you are hearing that small voice. When you have done everything you can to STAND, then STAND.

Shuswap

[momof23goats]

Yeah, Az! Sounds exciting to me!...ranch house...new barn...Super!

Today it was more canning for me...butter again! :lol:

hey buttercup,
i saw your recipe on canning butter, but on the Internet i have seen websites talking about being careful to make sure that the recipe is actually canning butter and not melting and storing. can you able to clarify for me the difference. also, do you know how long stored butter and canned butter lasts. thanks!

I answered this on the canning question. just melting it, won't work, you are really cooking the water off, then canning it up. and once sealed it will keep up to 5 years. this butter, has a much richer flavor , than fresh butter, because the water has been cooked out.
once it is sealed good. your bacteria isn't in it. and be careful about bumping the jars, don't want to break those seals.

[Sassafras]

I'm sorry -- I don't have a pattern. I'm just going to 'wing it' and try a few to see if they work (they aren't for me -- I'm past that, thankfully, except for maybe a stray now and then -- they are for my mentally handicapped daughter, so it's really going to be an experiment to see if she can manage this. Tampons for her are TOTALLY out, LOL!). The material I'll use for these first ones is an old mattress pad; I figure I'll try several layers of that in approximately the same shape as the disposable ones, with an outer cover made from an old sheet that will come up in front and back to fasten to a belt, or to the underwear. I'll probably use safety pins for the fasteners, at least on these first ones, even though that will mean I'll have to help her every time she needs to change. If they work, then I'll try to figure out a fastener she can manage herself (possibly large buttons).


I've made these for my daughter in the past and they really are very simple to make. We felt more comfortable using vinyl waterproof pads such baby changing pads for the inner barrier for the extra protection, even though I have used discarded shower liners and even vinyl tablecloths. I found all of those items at resale shops for next to nothing. I also used old flannel (shirts & sheets) for the inner padding and new flannel for the outside covering. My daughter requested that I not use velcro. I used large snaps since I already had a snap setter, but the button idea is really good. I'll have to try that some day.

[Freeholder]

Looks like the snowball is steadily picking up speed, not much time left.
My new solar system is coming next week, and will be picking up 120 lbs of honey from the bee lady. Never know exactly where this crisis is heading, but hope you are hearing that small voice. When you have done everything you can to STAND, then STAND.

Shuswap

About the only chuckle I've had today! I wish *I* could afford a new solar system -- complete with a fresh, clean, new earth to live on! LOL! (That's truly the first thing I thought of when I saw your post -- I had to stop and think what you were talking about!)

Kathleen

[kelee877]

[quote=Freeholder]
I'm sorry -- I don't have a pattern. I'm just going to 'wing it' and try a few to see if they work (they aren't for me -- I'm past that, thankfully, except for maybe a stray now and then -- they are for my mentally handicapped daughter, so it's really going to be an experiment to see if she can manage this. Tampons for her are TOTALLY out, LOL!). The material I'll use for these first ones is an old mattress pad; I figure I'll try several layers of that in approximately the same shape as the disposable ones, with an outer cover made from an old sheet that will come up in front and back to fasten to a belt, or to the underwear. I'll probably use safety pins for the fasteners, at least on these first ones, even though that will mean I'll have to help her every time she needs to change. If they work, then I'll try to figure out a fastener she can manage herself (possibly large buttons).
[/quot

I've made these for my daughter in the past and they really are very simple to make. We felt more comfortable using vinyl waterproof pads such baby changing pads for the inner barrier for the extra protection, even though I have used discarded shower liners and even vinyl tablecloths. I found all of those items at resale shops for next to nothing. I also used old flannel (shirts & sheets) for the inner padding and new flannel for the outside covering. My daughter requested that I not use velcro. I used large snaps since I already had a snap setter, but the button idea is really good. I'll have to try that some day.



great idea,s add,s to list shower curtains even used ones...one of our used stores has garbage bag Friday, you can fill the garbage bag with clothed for 5.00...going to tis friday and fill a few of them up...

Yes I have the calling, a deep need to get as much done as possible, I am exhausted and body aches all over, but as we see the 4 four horses being let loose, time is getting short,

[AngelDance]

OK, so did not do all of the following today, but have in the past week:

added 100 lbs flour to inventory
added 25 lbs sugar to inventory
added 25 lbs brown sugar to inventory
added 2 cases of egg noodles to inventory
added 50 lbs coffee to inventory
added 20 boxes strike anywhere matches to inventoy
added 2 cases each beef and chicken stock to inventory
added 12 cases assorted canned veggies to inventory
vacuum sealed and froze 170 lbs lamb
made 3 gallons lamb stock from browned bones (will can that tomorrow)
bought more jars and lids

Now I am tired. I think a trip to the liquor store is in order for tomorrow as well.

All the best to you all,

AngelDance

[SheWoff]

Angel, you are doing great!

I'm canning the rest of the chili up today and working on a jeans/flannel quilt to get it finished up. That is if I get my behind off this computer! But it takes so long to read all the good stuff posted here! Guess I will just have to read between canner loads. :lol:

She

ETA...thanks all for the ideas on the reusable pads. Will have to play around with the sewing machine and see what I can come up with.

[momof23goats]

Sassafras,makes the pads, so get in touch with her, she has some ideas o that .

[Shuswap]

Freeholder, I have always wanted an alternate power system and feel the time is now. Seems the money won't be much good in the bank. Trust that this is a good decision, but only time will tell. I live in B. C. and the hydro power is close at hand, but in case of emg I would like my own power. Going to the city this week , we are adding to our supplies.

Shuswap

[SheWoff]

Spent part of the day quilting...making that jeans rag quilt I posted the directions here for. I was supprised that my machine handled it fairly easy even sewing through all those heavy seams. Still looking to find a treadle machine that will hold up to heavy usage.

Going to pick up a few more lbs. of flour sugar and salt tomorrow. I'm not trusting that stock market, instead I'm figuring that prices will continue to rise. I'm getting while the getting is good. Also want to make a run to the Mennonite store too for some bulk stuff like the sour cream and cheese powders yall been talking about. I know they carry it there. Will have to see what else I can find! :D

She

[kelee877]

Our out of town shopping trip was a success, but of course when it comes to buying preps, who has trouble spending worthless money..

We found some great deals, that we would otherwise not get here in town...we only have to grocery stores here and 2 gas stations, so prices usually remain the same unless things go on sale..

6 boxs baking soda
15 boxs instand packages oatmeal
30 lbs lean hamburger
15 boxs breakfast cereal(the good oaty kind)(nature valley)
3 chez whiz
6 large cans fruit
6 large nesquick cholate milk mix (for the powdered milk, for flavour0
48 pkgs Mr.Noodles
5 bags dried soup mix
6 froozen orange juice(for me :lol: )
4 bags popcorn
4 manual can openers(the solid steel type, that last a long time)
6 peanut butter

and we picked up DD birthdays presents while the gettin is good..she is going to get a fishing pole(woohoo) and she got a MP3 player...shhh don,t tell her, her birthday is not till Feb 26th

[Sassafras]

I'm not in a position to prep anything at the moment. We will be moving into our own home a week from Saturday after living in RVs and with others for nine months. But after that, Katy bar the door, as my grandfather use to say.

You all are an encouragement though and I love reading what you're doing. I see that and it makes me very anxious to be at it again.

[SheWoff]

I'm not in a position to prep anything at the moment. We will be moving into our own home a week from Saturday after living in RVs and with others for nine months. But after that, Katy bar the door, as my grandfather use to say.

You all are an encouragement though and I love reading what you're doing. I see that and it makes me very anxious to be at it again.

Hey! Moving into your own home is a prep! Congrats!

She

[kelee877]

I'm not in a position to prep anything at the moment. We will be moving into our own home a week from Saturday after living in RVs and with others for nine months. But after that, Katy bar the door, as my grandfather use to say.

You all are an encouragement though and I love reading what you're doing. I see that and it makes me very anxious to be at it again.

Imagine all the new hiddy hiddy spots you can find for preps... :D

[Southwind]

I finally got my baker seed order in. Will concentrate heavily on getting garden beds set up next month. Chickens come next, and after fencing, goats.

[cjoi]

Scandiwoman - you have a PM. :D

[bgraham]

We bought 2 pigs last weekend. My Earthway Precision Seeder came in and I'm gonna hit Sam's on Friday.

Beth

[Sassafras]

Congrats on the pigs! I miss the farm so much and yes, I even miss the smells.

We won't be moving on Saturday as planned. There are some things needing done to the house that are better done before we move in. The work, I suppose, could be called preps in that we're doing some insulation and structural work along with the cosmetics. The good part is that spring cleaning will be done a couple months early and we won't have to deal with it later. That will give me more time to find those new 'hidey holes' in that little house for the preps I already have.

[Maximilian]

I sighted in two new scopes. One for my FAL and one for my SPR AR I built.
Also went to Costco and stocked up on some things.

[kelee877]

We are snowed in today, so preps are teaching DD how to sew on her new machine(she has made a top for her teacher) and DH is helping DS with his homework...we are all set and ready if our power goes down...wind is a howling out there...our snow shovel that was beside our door now sits in the middle of the drive way...wind blew it out there...

[Cassie]

Picked up more:

Peanut Butter
Cornmeal
Sugar
Salt
Detergent
Hamburger meat I found on sale

[littleoleme]

I found some BIG cans of peanut butter i had put back exactly 10 yrs
ago. It's those gov. cans - real yummy peanut butter. Cardboad outer
seems to be and lined inside with some kind of metal foil paper. Now i got
5 cans and it takes forever to finish one. Tasted it and not rancid at all.
Tastes real good. So i guess peanut butter will last a long time, but i would
not buy it in those plastic jars. Glass is better. I wonder if they put every
thing in plastic jars now on purpose so they don't last long......?

[louise]

I was wondering what the folks were doing about where the (do do ) was going to be placed? I'm in the city and it has to go somewhere and I got the idea the other day about getting a training toilet for kids. This is not the one you put on the adult toilet, but the whole toilet for children. I found one in the Goodwill store and the plastic is solid enough for my weight. I went to the dollar store and got open plastic bags (100) per pack that fit over the mouth of this toilet. This way I can continue to use this child's training toilet and get rid of the contents right away. You have to put a couple of pinhead pricks in the plastic once you seal it or it will blow up because of the methane. I will use my own toilet as long as there is water to flush it but after that this idea will work for me.

[Midnight Blue]

Today, as I do most days, I am working on several crochet projects of blankets, shawls and ponchos. Yesterday I cut out some scarves out of fleece material and will be sewing the edges soon. Tomorrow we will be doing our weekly shopping so I will be getting some extras.

[kelee877]

We got out to the used stores and the one store had hald price oneverything in the store..so I picked up lots and lots of yarn and materials..also got some more of the cookie tins...

We went to the bulk food store to get dried powdered cheese and they did not have any, and the owner siad she had ordered it but it did not come in(hummm) so I opted out and got some coconut and chocolate for the preps...

[East View]

I bought some #10 cans of crushed tomatoes. I use them to make spaghetti sauce and chili. Course it's pretty cold here, so when I realized that I couldn't keep them in the garage, we had to make space for them in the kitchen. That lead to reorganizing the cubbard, shelves, and rotating items.

All in all a well worth the effort event.

[kelee877]

This morning we are heading out to buy a second stove..we will use this one for the canning and baked canned goods...pots are pretty heavy and our upstairs stive is brand new and not like the old ones that could hold alot of weight..getting one from the used store for 25.00 older model, its in really good shape..and it more solid then our other one

[littleoleme]

It might be a good idea to get a few BIG bags of sawdust at the mill or at
the country store cost around $5. Big and heavy. Sprinkle a few handfuls
in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket. When you "use" it sprinkle more in, put
a cover on top, board, metal, whatever. When full dump outside in your
"Humanere" area. Cover with straw or soil. If no sawdust can use soil. If
it's summer out dig a ditch and go in there. Get some lime to cover it.
I like that idea better than "doing it" in a plastic bag. What do ya do with
the bag? Bury it? I like the compost idea. In winter you could use the
"bucket". In summer can use the "ditch". Stock up on some boxes of
baking soda and can sprinkle that in the bucket too. Hardly any smell if
you use the sawdust/soda.

[louise]

I went to the nearest Safeway (big grocery store) and headed to the baking department and asked for their old buckets (with lock tops) that they use for icing for baked goods. They gave me six. Wow! If you close the top on this, you need a special tool to pull the top off once you snap it closed. Would be really good for rice and whatever else. The plastic is kind of thick too, which is all good. It could probably be buried too.

[AngelDance]

It might be a good idea to get a few BIG bags of sawdust at the mill or at
the country store cost around $5. Big and heavy. Sprinkle a few handfuls
in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket. When you "use" it sprinkle more in, put
a cover on top, board, metal, whatever. When full dump outside in your
"Humanere" area. Cover with straw or soil. If no sawdust can use soil. If
it's summer out dig a ditch and go in there. Get some lime to cover it.
I like that idea better than "doing it" in a plastic bag. What do ya do with
the bag? Bury it? I like the compost idea. In winter you could use the
"bucket". In summer can use the "ditch". Stock up on some boxes of
baking soda and can sprinkle that in the bucket too. Hardly any smell if
you use the sawdust/soda.

Or you can just feep buckets of gray water next to your toilet and pour it into the bowl when it needs flushing. It only takes about a gallon of water to flush a toilet and it is a good way to use dirty dishwater or bathwater.

Angel

[Freeholder]

My prepping in the last few days consists of:

buying a pair of snowshoes off eBay -- they were on my list, and the snow we've got now (which is likely to persist for another couple of months unless we have a good warm spell) made me put them at the top of my list. DD already has a pair, but they are small.

buying off eBay two chunks of Pacific Yew wood to make a couple of short bows (Pacific Northwest Indian style -- long bows aren't great in thick brush). DD is ecstatic over this project! She asked me if she could go hunting, and I told her she's only allowed to shoot at the target, and only with me right there! (Mentally age three -- no way I'm going to turn her loose with a deadly weapon -- though I'm going to make her bow pretty light.)

And, the big one, shoveling snow off the roof. There's four feet on part of the porch roof, we may get several inches more tonight, and it is supposed to rain later this week. Three buildings in town had roof collapses or near-collapses yesterday. So, although I HATE going up and down ladders, and I HATE being up on the roof, that is what I'm doing today. (Right now I'm on my lunch break.)

Kathleen

[littleoleme]

Yes, Angeldance.....using grey water to flush toilet is a great idea. I really
didn't think of that simple solution. My head keeps thinking of more
"primative" ways. As for me we have TOO much water here and so i
would use the ground water that pumps out of my cellar sump pump. The
pvc pipe sticks out of the wall and instead of the water wasting down on
the ground i made the pipe longer and set a real BIG cow tub under it,
and i catch LOTS of water for the garden., even in the dry summer i seem
to have enough water. So that's the water i would use for the toilet, and
i didn't even think of that before! DUH!! It even pumps out water in the
winter, fall and spring, and enuf in summer. It's the ground water and it's
high here even tho i am up on a hill. I couldn't even dig a pond. I had to
stop at under 2 ft cuz the ground water kept coming up. Dug by hand in
one week by little ole me! Not deep enuf for fish. Got 4 of some kind of
water plants, the guy said i would have to buy new every year, well, they
reseeded and are INVASIVE!! They've taken up the whole pond in 4 yrs
time. So this spring i have to tear all of them out cept for 3 or 4. They
sucked up all the water too and even the frogs have little water!

[louise]

I was not sure where to put this. This will be my prep for the weekend as I will be making this.
This is a great syrup to soothe the throat. It works best if you take one tablespoon every two hours at the first tickle of a sore throat.
The basic recipe for making a syrup is to make an herbal tea, cook it down to one half of its original volume and then add one half parts of sweeteners and preserving ingredients. You can do this with many tea formulas and what turns a tea into a syrup is when you concentrate the tea by slow cooking it, then sweetening and adding something so that it will last longer than a tea normally does
Elderberry Syrup
3 cups water
4 tablespoons of fresh or dried elderberries
one half cup honey
one quarter cup brandy
Put the elderberries and the water into a stainless steel sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then let simmer on low heat for fifteen minutes. Turn off the heat and let the elderberries infuse for a couple of hours. Strain the elderberries out and put them in the compost pile. You now have a strong elderberry tea. Turn the stove on low and simmer the tea without a lid on the pot until the tea is down to one half of its original volume. In this case you are starting with three cups of tea and cooking it down to one and a half cups. This process is called decocting. Take the tea off of the stove and add the honey while the tea is still warm. Stir in the honey until it is dissolved. After the tea cools, add the brandy. Store this syrup in the refrigerator with a shelf life of about three to six months. Take a tablespoon every hour and a half at the first signs of a cold or flu.
Sore Throat Syrup
4 cups water
2 tablespoons osha root
1 tablespoon echinacea root
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon slippery elm bark
1 teaspoon ginger root
Cook this down to two cups as directed above and then add:
One half cup honey
One quarter cup brandy
One quarter cup black cherry fruit concentrate
This is a great syrup to soothe the throat. It works best if you take one tablespoon every two hours at the first tickle of a sore throat.
The basic recipe for making a syrup is to make an herbal tea, cook it down to one half of its original volume and then add one half parts of sweeteners and preserving ingredients. You can do this with many tea formulas and what turns a tea into a syrup is when you concentrate the tea by slow cooking it, then sweetening and adding something so that it will last longer than a tea normally does

[Midnight Blue]

Bought an apple tree and a container to put all my little spices in.

[louise]

You are right about the plastic jars that almost everything, including baby food comes in now. When I get home, I take it out and move whatever I buy into jars as I'm afraid the plastic will seep into the food or whatever is in the plastic. I buy the canned juices, pineapple, apple and tomato juice. I opened a canned milk the other day (4 years old) very good! Canned tomatoes I have a lot of as I really like tomatoes. I can grow some this spring.

[Freeholder]

I just blew my tax return/EIC on preps. Got a bunch more books on highly useful topics (things like root cellaring, seed saving, wilderness survival, and so on). Ordered a bunch of staples (grains and legumes mostly) from the co-op, though it will be about three weeks before they get here. Got my seed order sent off. And sent for some stuff from Lehman's: a double galvanized laundry tub (I already have a hand-crank wringer and two scrub boards); a cast-iron Dutch oven -- the kind you use on an open fire, as it has legs and a flanged lid to hold coals; a thing to clean my shoes off before I come in the house; a couple of accessories for my grain mill; and a camping water filter. And also a new scythe, and a wooden hay rake. I have a scythe, but it belonged to my great-grandfather, and it's too big for me. This new one will be custom built for my height (5'3"). Oh, and I got some materials for building a small greenhouse.

There are still some things I want to get, but the 'absolutely essential' list is getting smaller.

Kathleen

[louise]

Cool! Very cool! I still have to wait for my tax return to get done. I'll probably do the same thing. At this point the money won't do any good sitting in the bank as you can't eat money.

[momof23goats]

well, I already have tubes wringer, and scythe, so I am going to get new clothes line, and a bunch of new clothes pins,and a pulley for the clothes line like the amish use. new water filter, and probably a small wood/coal stove. I have a wood furnace, in the basement, and a wood/coal cookstove. but I am adding one more. just to be safe. meds, for one year, and allergy meds. and if I can a green house.

[kelee877]

I did my taxes and have mailed them in..and bought preps and all the winter clothes for the kids next year..they had some awesome deals here..I paid about 12.00 for winter coats..they are regular 69.99...so I am ahead at least a year or 2 for winter coats for the 2 little ones..and shoes I have bought them lots of extra grow into shoes...

The food well it is still sitting there waiting for me to get rid of this cold and flu bug..and by the sounds of DH he now getting(but he won,t admit it , typical man..lol)

Midnight Blue why only one apple tree I thought you need to buy two as they are not self pollinators..unless you have someone close that has an apple tree..if I am wrong I am sorry..I wanted to buy one this summer and the sales person at the store said we needed to buy 2....

[DreadPirate]

Ya kelee, You do need 2 to pollinate. I wish we had room for an orcherd but one can only do so much with the space they have.

[obleo]

Put up some more flour in the freezer...50 lbs...tomorrow, I'm canning garbonzos...DH loves them in salad and I can open a pint jar, mash it up with some olive oil and black olives and/or some herbs and have hummus for our sandwiches...that's a special treat for us, especially with crackers or chips.

Then it's back to making bread for the week... getting an area cleared for the chicken coop and getting the fencing up and in two weeks I get my chicks...boy it just never ends, does it? :wink:

[Rhealady]

Canned another 96 pounds of beef heart. Bought 2 turkeys and a ham to can. Beans without ham are YUK. Ordered more freeze dried fruit. Opened a can, repackaged it into quart jars and whammo! one quart jar of strawberries went into cereal, muesli, and "mom, mind if I take this to my room?" The price is comparable to the fresh but seems to be eaten more, so the nutrition is easier to sell. Plus, at this time of year the fresh is like styrofoam. Maybe it is styrofoam stained red!

4-6 inches of snow tomorrow and I should be planting peas and kale.

The most interesting part of this whole exercise is how we emptied closets to make room for the food. Stuff we haven't used in years. Arts and craft from a decade ago. This stuff needed to move to the attic anyway.