Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - One More Day

 
... every needful thing...


I am doing this a day early because this homey won't be typing on
Thanksgiving Day :)  -

I LOVE the group Diamond Rio. One of my favorite songs is "One More Day".
If you aren't familiar with it, the song is about spending JUST ONE more
day with someone you love that is gone. I would love to have just one more
day with my Oma. She is my father's mother and she was AMAZING! If I could
spend just 24 hours with her, what would I ask her? Maybe...


   - Do naughty kids skip a generation - because I so wasn't like this?
   - How did you live in the same small house for 60+ years?
   - When my dad was driving you crazy, how did you keep from killing him?
   - Did he REALLY have to walk up-hill both ways in two feet of snow to
   get to school?
   - How did you live on a shoestring budget?


My grandmother spent her adolescent and teenage years during the Great
Depression. I know the general history of what happened and what people had
to do to survive, but I don't know many specific stories of how they had to
live. Her family was never wealthy - did their finances change when the
Depression hit and drug on?

A friend of mine posted this link on facebook and it has some great ideas
on how people during this economic toilet flush made everything streeetch.
Many of these ideas can also relate to 1800's and early 1900's living.

http://melissaknorris.com/2014/11/podcast-44-depression-era-tips-stretch-food-budget/?utm_content=bufferf9be7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Some of these insanely simple ideas are :


   - Cornmeal was a staple - make cornmeal mush (2 C water to 1 C cornmeal
   - boil until oatmeal consistency = done)
   - Make cream of wheat - ( same as cornmeal mush, but substitute water
   for milk)
   - Use wild game and foraging to supplement the menu (the author has a
   mushroom field guide you might want to check out)
   - Soups are a great way to make food stretch (Wonder Ovens/ Cooking Bags
   are a great way to save fuel and make broth at the same time)
   - Biscuits and gravy are an inexpensive breakfast or dinner
   - Make your own condensed soups with few ingredients (and none are
   questionable like the store bought ones)

These are only a *few* of the ways people made the hard times work. They
had to know how to harvest their own animals if they needed to. Part of the
problem with living in our convenience age, is that we are disconnected
with our food. As a generation we lack the knowledge to care for and
harvest animals. I believe it is part of our responsibility as being
stewards of the Earth to have a connection with the food we eat.
Slaughterhouses do not encourage eating meat sparingly.

I am sure everyone has heard those stories (or experienced personally)
about butchering a chicken with parents or grandparents. The head is
removed with an axe and the remainder of the body runs around trying to
figure out where it's head went (you know, kind of like me on Sunday
mornings). It is messy and in effect, not very pretty, or appetizing. It
can also be traumatic for small children (or adults not used to anything of
the sort) if it is done this way.

I learned a more respectful and gentle way by watching this video. It makes
more sense to me to do it this way (do not watch this just before your
Thanksgiving dinner...let it settle first :) ).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_S3P0eU0lE

One of my favorite parts about learning to become more self-reliant is to
learn from those who have "been there". If you still have a family member
who is old enough to remember the Great Depression, sit down with them and
ask them what it was like. Ask them what they did to live more frugally to
make that dollar streeeetch just a little more. My sweet Oma taught me some
of what I know about spinning wool, making soap, sewing, loving music and
making what you have work after you've spruced it up a bit. She had the
funniest little laugh. If I had "One More Day" my questions would not cease
similar to a 6 year old. But, that's what I'd do if I had one...more...day.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - So, What's It Worth To Ya?

Is there any way this trash can could ever be priceless to you?

There are many things in my life that are invaluable to me that no one else could ever imagine it would have ANY value at all to anyone. There are times I love to go on a sentimental journey (some might think "mental" is the key word on that) and hold stuffed animals that used to be mine. I remember where they came from, and how old I was when I got it. Who cares if an eye is dangling? Or, the stuffing might be thin in spots and seeping out of others. What things are priceless to you?

Many people find that pictures and videos of their families are irreplaceable. That would be true for me as well. My sister says I'm a "shutter bug" and take WAY too many pictures. I...can't...help...it,...just...one...more...shot! I love to see how my kids have grown, and have "bragging" folders on my computer, as well as, "blackmail" folders - you know, for the dating years. Let's not forget pictures of ancestors and extended family...priceless.

How many of us have these priceless things on our computers all tucked safely away? They might not be as safe as you think. What if a virus comes through and clean's your hard-drive's clock? Do you have a back up?

Several months ago I did a highlight on what an EMP was, and that it is a real threat. My goal is to educate, and make the reader aware what precautions can be done to protect your special electrical memories, family history, and what ever electrical priceless things you might own.

To review, in a nutshell an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) is a surge from the effects of a nuclear weapon launched high in the atmosphere. If this sounds a little too sci-fi for you, I encourage you to do a little research. This is what happened during the Cuban missile crisis on October 22, 1962. The then USSR had already sent one above their own people in Kazakhstan, and it wiped out telephone for over 350 miles and electricity for 600 miles. 

I went to a class once where the instructor had been a part of the testing done by the US in the 60's. After the planned EMP surged, it wiped out 300 street lamps 800 miles away, across an ocean. So, it is possible - what do we do to plan ahead?  The instructor (I will call him Dr. Oz) then told us how we can make an effective "Faraday Cage" that is inexpensive yet effective to protect sensitive electrical equipment: 

  • digital photos, videos, etc.
  • communications (like HAM radios)
  • any device with transistors and/ or semiconductors (solar panels, cell phones, power grid equipment, vehicles with electronic ignition [mid to late 70's and newer])
  • and the like...

I could share with you all the math and electrical mumbo jumbo like kilowatts, gigahertz and grapefruit squirts... to make you think I'm smart...but I'm not AT ALL when it comes to stuff like this. The bottom line is, that metal  breaks up the surge. Copper and aluminum specifically have shown to be effective for this kind of blessed interruption. Dr. Oz then demonstrated that if a simple am/fm radio can receive a signal ( because [ in total layman's terms] it is the same type of wave which an EMP would travel, just at a MUCH higher concentration), then the electronics are not in a protected space.

Enter the aluminum trashcan. 

If you cover the electronic device in aluminum foil (remember, we're not making alien hats with it) and then place it in an aluminum trash can with a lid, a radio cannot receive a signal in there. The gadget is then safe from an EMP. That's it. I have a removeable hard drive that I periodically update with our latest pictures and typed histories and other important digital documents in a Faraday Cage such as this. 

As nice as it would be to put your washer in a HUGE aluminum trash can, it still will not work without the power grid working. Save a Faraday Cage for the truly important things. 

For an example, this is what I would put in my ideal cage. 

  • a washed up ipod for music and pics that wouldn't require extra speakers or equipment to get working
  • a small solar panel to recharge devices
  • flashlights ( the batteries would be fine outside the Faraday Cage, but the inside of the flashlight would probably be damaged)
  • a battery powered fan
  • a removeable hard drive for precious digital information
  • etc.

This link will take you to preparation ideas posted by the National Geographic website: 


Hopefully I've given you a few ideas to think about. Maybe an aluminum trashcan made it a little higher on your priority list - because it just became priceless. 

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - Garlic Can Ward Off More Than Vampires


(I hope..) We all know that vampires don't exist. But, they make for a great story...if you are into that kind of thing. So, according to legend, you can kill a vampire with a with a wooden stake, silver, sunlight, or to remove its head (gross! What the?), but you are supposed to be able to ward them off by sprinkling mustard seeds on the roof of a house, or hanging garlic around your neck.

Garlic has way more properties than making you so stinky a vampire will find someone else, but it is a great immune booster and antibacterial wonder. I recently found an article addressing a Super Garlic Immune Formula. I would like to share some of it here. As an introduction, I would like to explain who Dr. Christopher is. Dr. Christopher is a botanical doctor who in between helping people, he gave many, many lectures on empowering yourself with the use of herbs. These are his own words:

“While lecturing in Snowflake, Arizona one night, one of the students asked if we had an Super Garlic Immune formula, and after saying a quick prayer I was prompted to give them a certain combination of herbs to use.

“The people there were very impressed to go right to work and prepare this liquid, having it ready for use. We had told them that plagues come at unexpected times and it could be tomorrow or maybe even years away, but expect the unexpected and be ready now.

“These good people made it up in gallon lots and had it on hand. Months later while speaking in Tucson, Arizona, someone asked for the ‘Super Garlic Immune remedy.’ I was surprised and asked where they had heard of it as we had only given it out once. We were informed that a plague-like condition or flu had hit the Snowflake area and when other aids failed, this combination of herbs in liquid form performed its job with amazing speed.

“At our next series of lectures in Snowflake, sometime later, we heard one testimony after another about the many different types of ailments that were given quick relief by using this formula. The formula has now spread in many areas from coast to coast and is being used with good results. A man picked us up at an airport on the west coast a short time ago, and on the floor of his car was a bottle with liquid in it. When asked what it was he said, ‘Oh, that’s your Super Garlic Immune remedy.We never travel without it as it works good on about any sickness that comes up while we are traveling. We are also never without a bottle of it at home."

Source: http://www.herballegacy.com/Garlic_page2.html

This formula can be purchased online or locally at Indigo Mountain and is easily found online. But, if you want to make it yourself like the people of Snowflake did, here is the recipe and instructions. 

Super Garlic Immune Formula

8 oz juiced garlic (about 1 lb of garlic bulbs)
32 oz Organic apple cider vinegar
20 oz vegetable glycerin
20 oz raw honey (unpasteurized - NCE Security or Lee's locally)
8 oz comfrey root concentrate
4 oz wormwood concentrate
4 oz lobelia leaf concentrate
4 oz marshmallow root concentrate
4 oz oak bark concentrate
4 oz black walnut hull concentrate
4 oz mullein leaf concentrate
4 oz skullcap leaf concentrate
4 oz uva ursi, hydrangea or gravel root concentrate

How to make a concentrate for this recipe:
  • Take your 4 oz (by weight) of each single herb and add just enough water to cover the herb.  You will do this 9 times for each individual herb. Some herbs are more thirsty than others, so the amount of may vary slightly. Remember Comfrey is double 8 oz herb.
  • Let it soak over night
  • In the morning, add enough water to make the "sludge" 16 oz (you can check this by pouring it in a glass measuring cup about the 2 cup line - 32 oz for comfrey)
  • Bring to a gentle boil 
  • Continue boiling covered for 30 minutes
  • Strain the liquid using cheese cloth or clean towel into a clean pan
  • Simmer again until the liquid is 4 oz (liquid measuring)
  • Set aside in a jar until all are ready
  • This process can take about 2 days to complete...depending on how many pans you have :) 

After all the concentrates are ready, add all of your ingredients in a pan and warm it gently until all the honey is melted and everything is liquid. DO NOT BOIL because this will kill all the good in the honey. Pour into dark jars and keep in the fridge. This will last for many years in a cold environment, but if it is not refrigerated, it will last about one year.
Where to get the ingredients:
  • The herbs alone will run you about $50 and up (unless you can find some of them on our mountain *wink wink*)
  • Mountain Rose Herbs has everything but oak bark - but I easily found that on Amazon. https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs
  • This site has all of them ready for you to buy in a kit, but it will run you about $100...twice the price, but convenience sometimes is worth it. http://herbsfirst.com/mixformula.html

Some might be thinking "That is really expensive and time consuming!" Yes, and no. If you think about it, where else can you get around a gallon of something that can kick just about any flu bug etc that comes into town for $50? I think that is a great value.

The vinegar, honey and glycerin, will be easy to get here, all of them can be found at Lee's Riteway Market. Indigo Mountain carries some of the dried herbs. You wouldn't have to pay shipping for them. 

If more than one family in our ward makes it, we will have more to share, like they did in Snowflake. "When other aids failed, this combination of herbs in liquid performed its job with amazing speed." - I think that says a lot. What's the double benefit? If there are any vampires, they will steer CLEAR of our ward and pass us by.  

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - Partyin' with the Meal Plan

Inline image 1

Yep, we're havin' a party! Arrrrrribbba!


What are we celebrating? Our food storage meal plan. We are gonna make it so easy, you can't believe its not butter!
First you have to ask yourself a few questions? What meals do you like to eat? What meals will your kids NOT touch? I once jokingly suggested that a friend have enough spaghetti ingredients to have it every night for three months. Her husband said, he'd rather die. Okay...neggie on the spaghetti! This is because you can get food fatigue by eating the same thing over and over and over, where you just don't want to eat and that can be a bad thing.

So, we're gonna break this puppy down and get this party started. Dinners seem to take the most ingredients to make (in my life anyway) - so, I will tackle this first.

#1 Choose 14 of your favorite dinners.

These are simple dinner meals my family eats on a regular basis:
  • Tacos (Arrrrrriba!)
  • Taco salad with beans (we call them Pepper Bellies - I dunno...its a tradition)
  • Spaghetti (yes, we do spaghetti - my #2 son chooses it EVERY time it is his turn to make dinner :) )
  • Chicken Enchiladas (Arrrriba!)
  • Chicken Ala King
  • Chinese Fried Rice (with Egg Drop Soup - yummo)
  • Nauvoo Potatoes (aka Funeral Potatoes)
  • Quinoa and Black Beans (sounds weird...but think of Taco Bell's Black Bean Salad - a brand new favorite)
  • Chicken Pasta Salad
  • Chicken Casserole
  • Ham and Potato Casserole
  • Lasagna
  • Mozzarella Pasta
  • Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Some of these aren't FSR meals (food storage ready) - but there is nothin' too crazy that I can't tweak just a little to easily make it that way. For instance, if I need chicken for Chicken Pasta Salad, I substitute a pint of chicken I've canned for the fresh chicken I might normally use. Things like lettuce for the Taco Salad would need to be either grown by me, or traded out for kale (also would need to be grown by me). If it just isn't something you can easily store or grow, it might be best to find a different recipe. After all, we are ALL about making this easy. Try to keep chicken meals or potato meals evenly spaced to avoid food fatigue - 'cause fatigue is NOT welcome at this party!

#2 - Take those dinners and place them in a table similar to this.

Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
B







L







D
Chicken Enchiladas
Quinoa and Black Beans
Spaghetti
Tacos
Chicken Ala King
Nauvoo Potatoes
Lasagna
Week 2
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
B







L







D
Chinese Fried Rice
Chicken Pasta Salad
Taco Salad
Mozzarella Pasta
Ham and Potato Casserole
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Chicken Casserole

#3 - Next fill in lunches (my hubby does NOT do soup, so I have to dust off my creativity hat, because most lunch suggestions are...soup) I am just fine with eating the same lunch every week - so I'll just make lunch for week 1 and 2 the same. While we are all about variety, keeping it simple, makes it easy.

Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
B







L
Ham and Beans
Real Macaroni and cheese
PB& J or grilled cheese Sandwiches
Macaroni salad
Scones
Chili Macaroni
Chicken Salad with crackers
D
Chicken Enchiladas
Quinoa and Black Beans
Spaghetti
Tacos
Chicken Ala King
Nauvoo Potatoes
Lasagna
Week 2
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
B







L
Ham and Beans
Real Macaroni and cheese
PB&J or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Macaroni salad
Scones
Chili Macaroni
Chicken Salad with Crackers
D
Chinese Fried Rice
Chicken Pasta Salad
Taco Salad
Mozzarella Pasta
Ham and Potato Casserole
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Chicken Casserole

#4 - Plan your breakfasts ( What about elevensies? ) Hang in there! You're almost done! I will do the same thing for breakfast that I did for lunch and have 7 choices that I rotate through.

Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
B
Biscuits and Gravy
Pancakes
Applesauce breakfast cake
Oatmeal and fruit
Strawberry Crepes
Cracked Wheat
Breakfast Burritos
L
Ham and Beans
Real Macaroni and cheese
PB& J or grilled cheese Sandwiches
Macaroni salad
Scones
Chili Macaroni
Chicken Salad with crackers
D
Chicken Enchiladas
Quinoa and Black Beans
Spaghetti
Tacos
Chicken Ala King
Nauvoo Potatoes
Lasagna
Week 2
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
B
Biscuits and Gravy
Pancakes
Applesauce breakfast cake
Oatmeal and fruit
Strawberry Crepes
Cracked Wheat
Breakfast Burritos
L
Ham and Beans
Real Macaroni and cheese
PB&J or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Macaroni salad
Scones
Chili Macaroni
Chicken Salad with Crackers
D
Chinese Fried Rice
Chicken Pasta Salad
Taco Salad
Mozzarella Pasta
Ham and Potato Casserole
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Chicken Casserole

#5 - Go through your recipes and make a list of ingredients for one month. After you purchase these items, then acquire that list again, and one more time you have a 90 supply in no time. Food is expensive, so where you can buy stuff in bulk, "can" it yourself, or grow it. Where a recipe calls for "cream of chicken soup", you can also cut costs if you learn to make it yourself. It is better for you (especially if you save your own broth from a chicken you cooked), and it won't have all the hidden chemicals the store bought brands do.

CHALLENGE


For those in the Safford 1st Ward, if you make a menu and a list of ingredients, a bar of hand-made soap is waiting for you. I currently have Lemon scented and Peppermint and Lavender (all natural - even the colorants), so what are you waiting for? Get crackin'!
Even though it takes time to make a menu and then the list your ingredients for your trip to the store, it helps to ensure that you will be putting your money where it counts, which is a big deal. It might seem tedious, but it is so worth it. After you get a 90 day supply, keep going! Then it will be a real reason to PARTAY - because the stress of gathering necessary food will be taken in baby steps and oh so easy!