Chive Cut and Dry

From the garden to the pot, we have been fortunate to have healthy plants.  The little bit of work has paid off in BIG ways.

Are you just planning on bland, non flavored foods?  Or would you prefer some spice in your life?

How about something home grown.

 ~Warning, good soil will make your "home growns" stronger, and more  aromatic.  You may find that you need to use less.~

This bundle of chives was a root cutting from a family members plant.  This is this plants second year.  It is currently growing in a pot.  We allowed it to flower and seed at the first of the year, and then promptly planted the seeds in a planter box for new plants for next year.

We have added miracle grow potting soil, and then, mid summer, a table spoon of miracle grow plant food to the top of the dirt.  (that "teas" in when watering.)

This cutting, pictured above, is the third we've done on this plant this year.  After drying, all three cuttings, have equaled about 4 cups of material.  That may not seem like a lot, however, that is dried material.

The pot this plant lives in is only about 14 inches in diameter, and just sits in the front of the house.  This could be easily grown in an apartment setting on a balcony.   In the past I have had really good success growing herbs in windows that are north facing.  They get plenty of light, and heat from the house.  Other windows have been either to dark or to hot.

***Side note:  If you find that your home dried foods are dark and not very appetizing, you might consider a new dehydrator.  We had this problem, and no matter how often we turned the trays, our foods seemed darker than they should be.  We purchased a new dehydrator...... no more darkened un-appetizing foods.***

This is just one of many edible plants that we grow.  All of them can be adapted for very small spaces.... if your willing to put in the work.

Check out these other great places.  New Survival Skills, Sb Canning, and The Homestead Survival.  They're all great sites, with tips, how to's and essentials for getting ready for the unexpected!

Food Storage Meal

We keep our dried storage, and our spices in 1/2 gallon jars and 5 gallon buckets.  The jars are more for immediate use, while the buckets are for long term storage.

Could you make a meal just with your food storage?

We have a variety of storage ways in our food storage.  From bottled, to home dried, store bought cans, to commercially dried, and prepackaged meals.  This variety gives more choices than the average single storage choice, and also adds water to our storage for cooking, and possibly drinking.

Our family is very much a "throw it together" family.  Some of this, some of that, some spices, and good to go.

I've taught the kids this too.  It has it's advantages, as well as disadvantages.

The biggest advantage?  The kids aren't all that picky about it.  Especially when they are helping to cook it.  It seems that a bit of choice control is more appealing than just me telling them they're going to eat it or else.

There's also the advantage of being able to mix and match.  Missing an ingredient?  No problem with just replace it with this.  Admittedly this is the disadvantage too.  Sometimes ingredients just can't be replaced.

I think for a lot of recipes seasoning's are the key.  Especially in an emergency where you may be eating the same thing over and over again for several days, or even weeks.  Today can be salt and a bit of pepper, tomorrow can be cayenne pepper and a little garlic or onion.

The point is to get out of your own way and make the best of a bad situation.  Food should not add to your stress, it should remove at least some of it.

A well stocked pantry IS key, but what if your just getting started?

So one of recipes that we have done completely from our own food storage is a kind of chicken and rice casserole.  Basically this is what we did...

Ingredients:

home dried mushrooms
white rice
flour
home bottled butter
home bottled chicken
canned green beans
2 cans of chicken broth
and seasoning salt.

(The rice, flour, green beans, and seasoning salt are all part of our storage.  They have either been placed in buckets with oxygen packs, or purchased on the last big sale.  *Remember variety*)

In the casserole dish, (this will need to be adjusted for your dish.  Ours is a larger one approximately 8 x 10 in.  It's a bit more square than the typical rectangle.  Anyway.  in this dish we layered the bottom with rice about an inch deep.  Next a quart bottle of home bottled chicken (this was cubed before we processed it).  A can of commercially processed green beans, water and all.  Add the 2 cans of chicken broth, and then stir in the dish.  Finally add some seasoned salt and pepper.  Or what ever other spices you'd like.  Rosemary is a good one with this dish.

Now for this next part you could just use a couple cans of cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom.  But we didn't have any.  So...

In a sauce pot we poured in, a green bean sized can of water, and about a cup of our dried mushrooms.  Bring to a boil for several minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.

In a separate pan melt butter into flour.  We generally do about a half a stick of butter to about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour, depending on how thick we want our gravy base.  Once the butter and flour are mixed evenly, add the mushrooms and water.  Stirring thoroughly.  Season with a bit of salt to taste, and then pour over the top of the rice and chicken.

**Now for the sake of pans, you can do all of the gravy in the same pot.  The thing you run into is the clumping of the flour.  However, as long as it is seasoned and cooked thru, it will be like a dumpling.  (This mostly depends on taste, and convenience.)  There are a couple things you can do to avoid the clumping.  One is to very sparingly sprinkle in the flour until it's all been mixed in.  Adding in a bit at a time helps to reduce the clumping.  Or you can let your mix cool and then add flour.  It's the heat that prevents it from thoroughly mixing.  Or like I mentioned, do the flour and butter together first and then after those are mixed the other ingredients.**

We did the second, adding the butter and flour straight to the water and mushrooms.   We did get a little bit of the dumpling effect, but is was still nummy.

Then we baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Once the 30 minutes was up we pumped the heat up to 375 degrees and 25  minutes.  (We made a check at 20 minutes.)

This is a dish that does not last long in our house.  AND if anything had gone wrong, i.e.; to much salt, not cooked long enough, to dry, we could have easily turned it into a soup.


What have you made lately?

Could you survive on your storage if you had to today?

Kids, Kids, Kids....

Resilient, stressful, happy, disgusting, adorable, menacing....

We could spend days naming all of the words that describe kids at any given moment.  But that's not really the point.

It has been my experience that well raised children have honest parents.  They tend to be labeled at some point with nearly all descriptors because those parents are, well, honest.  We'll work with that world.  :)

Now with that in mind, what have you taken the opportunity to teach your kids lately? 

There are so many amazing things to teach our kids.  Things that will put them far ahead of their peers simply because none of this is being taught anywhere.  Okay, okay, there are a few places teaching this cool stuff, but as parents if we don't at least get them there, we can count those out.

It's the same as sending our kids to school.  We just can not take for granted what they SHOULD be learning, and what they are ACTUALLY learning.....  SO..

Again I ask, what have you taught your kids today?

Maps, first aid, fire starting, cold and hot weather do's and don't's?  How about bugging out, or staying put? Have you planned routes for your kids to get home in case an emergency happens while they are at school, or while they are at other activities?  Do you know what your kids schools emergency plan is?  Do you have a plan set with a carpool parent?

Do your kids know how to find and clean water?  How about trap making?  Cooking skills?

I can hear it now, "But they're too young!"

Of course some of this stuff is going to need to be considered for age.  What good parent wouldn't do that...?  However, there are things that can be taught, and have been taught for centuries to even the very young.  For example, finding water, sheltering in place, and yes even starting a safe fire.  For the purposes of survival, both out doors, and in emergencies, what do you think their odds are with out this knowledge and know how with out you?  

Would you take the time to improve your odds?  Why not theirs?

Make the lessons games.  What kid doesn't love a game?  And try to be patient.  Some kids learn faster than others, and some need repeats.  Some will even fight you.  But it IS your job to get through to them.

I prefer to use education as a safety measure.  If your kid is a good kid, AND you don't have to worry about giving them TOO much information, meaning they're not going to use what they learn for the destruction of human kind, then give them the information you think would benefit them.  (And yes, sometimes we have to give information EVEN WHEN we think they wont handle it... But that's our JOB)

 I want kids to have a fighting chance, not just because they might be lucky, but also because they are prepared.

FIRE for KIDS

First, teach them safety, teach them the rules, and the dangers.  They need to have a clear picture of what CAN happen.

Safety first!  Teach them how to clear the area that they intend to use as a fire pit or place.  Teach them why some places are better for fires than others.  ie; pits rather than open ground, bare dirt rather than grassy areas.  Don't just tell them how to do it.  Do it with them.  Show them with your actions! Do it again and again.

Talk to them about the right and wrong ways to utilize fire.  The right and wrong ways to maintain a fire.  And the right and wrong way to put out a fire.

Show them the different ways to build their kindling and wood.  This site has a great diagram for this.  Wilderness Survival.

Don't forget the three kinds of wood to start and maintain your fire, Tinder, Kindling, and Wood.  Practical Survivor, explains a bit better.

Show them how to build wind breaks and reflector fires and cooking areas.  The Art of Manliness has some great pointers.

Don't forget to teach them what works best for starting fires.  There are the obvious ones.  And then the not so obvious.  This link New Survival Skills, (this one is my favorite), has some great ideas for fire starting.  From cotton balls to batteries.

Finally, teach them how to put out the fire.  Teach them how to make sure it is out, and yes, even to clean up if necessary.  On Smokey Bears site, you can find the best ways for putting out fires.

Education IS the best defense, from the everyday, to the un-expected.

There are many great sites to learn all of this from.  There are also many great Facebook groups and pages that deal with all of this directly in a community of like minded people.  Here are some of my favorites....

New Survival Skills, Wilderness Ready, and Nic's Survival Blog.

Gear Check

When is the last time you went through yours or your kids 72 hr kit(s)?

Have the kids outgrown clothes, or learned some new skills?  Have the kids gotten bigger, and are now able to carry a bit more than they used to?  How about you, have you learned some new things, and just haven't taken the time to get those new idea's into your bag?

Has equipment been upgraded, and now the old stuff needs to be replaced?  

Have you recently added new kids to the flock that need to have their own 72 kits or B.O.B.'s?

When was the last time you went through your B.O.B.?  Have you checked to make sure no filled containers are leaking?  How about anything that may have expired?  Do you keep medications in your 72 hr kit, or your B.O.B.?  Have you checked to make sure they are still viable?

Have you or a family member recently been diagnosed with anything that would put you in a position of needing medications?  Have you remembered to add those new medications to your gear?  

How about a battery check?  How many tools do you have that require batteries?  Do you have extra batteries?  Have you tested them?

Do you have hearing aids, or other medical tools that will require back up batteries, or a place to charge them?  Have you searched, or do you already know how your going to take care of those tools and their batteries?

Are you able to carry your 72 hr kit or B.O.B.?  If you can't drive to a separate location and can't carry your kits, do you have a way to carry them with wheels?  You could consider a deer cart, wagon, bag with wheels, wheel barrel, bike with a trailer, ATV, horseback, other transportation.  

I know it's hard to think that you may have to leave after the fact, but what if you do?  Have you thought about your routes out from where you live, where you work, or where you may be visiting at the time of an emergency?  Have you thought of what you might need to carry, or how far you may need to walk if roads are collapsed, or closed?

Do you have a game plan in case you have to pick up kids from day care, school, or work, in an emergency?  

Have you gone through your kids bags with them?  Do they know why they have a bag for emergencies, and how their gear works?

If you had a test emergency, this very second, would your family be ready to grab their bags and go within five minutes?

Label Everything!

When it comes to storage, "preparedness", Labeling is a necessity.

Yes, even when it already comes labeled!

Commercial labels are amazing.  They are colorful, they have nutritional values, salt contents.... They name the contents....  But what happens if too much, or too little moisture starts playing with the glues that hold those labels on?

What about a flood?  Something simple like a broken pipe or washing machine hose?  To much rain in a given season, a naturally humid environment?

By the same token, to little moisture can create the loss of labels too.  Dry, hot climates can change the reliability of labels.  Maybe not as fast, but still the potential is there.

Anyway, the point is, even if it takes a few extra minutes to do, take out that famous "magic marker", and start writing.  Alright, :) this decade they probably are recognized only as "Sharpie markers", but still find that permanent marker.

Your labels should include the contents and date purchased.  Not the use by date.... Write it RIGHT ON THE CAN or BOTTLE or BUCKET and LID!  We use the month and year.  Mostly because we're not purchasing items often enough to have to worry about the day.   We do this with everything!  The reason?  The date makes clear the oldest items in storage.  This is essential for storage rotation.  (Always use the oldest items first.  This is the most important part to maintaining a healthy storage.)

Don't store items purchased in paper goods containers or thin plastic or plastic wrapping, in their original packaging!!!  Or at least not only in their original packaging.  It's too easy for vermin, insects and odors to get through that thin plastic or paper barrier.  Look at it this way, if it's easily ripped or torn, it is easily chewed through.  Transfer items, like that, to plastic or glass containers.  Buckets are best.  They're made with thicker plastic, and not fragile like glass.  (We have a combination of both)  Glass being less permeable makes it and ideal storage container for things like herbs, and spices.  Buckets can be purchased in a variety of sizes, shapes, and opaqueness.  They can be clear to semi-clear to impermeable to light.

Re-using buckets is another option but BE AWARE, using buckets that have had any kind of chemical in them can ruin food stores.  These buckets, laundry, paint, ink, or even stronger chemicals, are best used for their original purpose, ie;  laundry soap buckets should be used for that, or other cleaners.  They work especially well if you change from commercial laundry soap to home made.  Or you can use them for non-edible items.  Fire starting kits, charcoal, rags, dryer lint, or any other of a number of things that the chemicals original to that bucket will not bother.   And again, LABEL EVERYTHING!

NEVER store chemicals in your food storage area.  No matter how "gentle" or "green" they may be, it is a bad idea.  Soaps and other chemicals can have strong perfumes or odors to them.  When they're stored with food those "smells" can leach into food items.  For example: We had a bucket of commercial laundry detergent on a bottom shelf well away from the food items, but still in the same room.  (Our food storage at the time was fairly minimal, and only took up a portion of the room it was being housed in.)  Within a week the soda, and Tylenol that we were storing in the same room became flavored with the laundry detergent.  Not only did it smell, strongly, of the detergent, it also had a horrid soapy taste.

Lesson learned!!!  Now our cleaners are stored separately from food.  Just in case, we took the extra step to store all bathroom, and personal hygiene supplies separately too.

:) Now the only permeating smell in the food storage is the sweet smell of homemade apple and pear vinegar!

Labeling is a convenience, a safety measure, a tool.  Labeling makes it possible to itemize and customize your storage....  
Your labels can be as complex as you like.  You can include just the bare essentials, or be as meticulous as nutritional facts and figures.


Labels can include recipes.  You can hand write all of them, or use digital labels or even cut outs as labels.  (When we make kits, we tape the recipes right to the buckets, ie; cornbread and cake.)  You can also include serving sizes and amounts per package.  (We did this recently with packets of taco and chili seasoning.  This allowed us to pour the contents of each package into containers, which removed the bulk of what was originally being stored.)

Labeling makes consolidation a breeze!

Problem

*****

TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE SOME SORT OF ISSUE WITH THOSE OF US WHO TAKE THE TIME, SOMETIMES TONS OF TIMES, TO PREP...........

Imagine this; It's February, there has just been an emergency alert posted for severe weather including, heavy snow, and possible power outages.  Driving will be treacherous, and if the power does go out, it may be days before it comes back on.


Now you have a decision to make.  Risk the bad road conditions, go to the store and hope that 10,000 of your other neighbors haven't had the same thought, or wait it out and hope your supplies will last?  Your supplies, because you think preppers are "crazy" are limited to the last time you bought groceries, and a couple of candles from the last dinner party.  Oh and by they way, you may not be able to rely on any of your neighbors for help.

Now what???

Now imagine this;  You've spent that last several months putting some supplies together, including food, first aids, heating aids that are appropriate for indoors, water, and some games to pass the time.  "Just in case"!  


You get the news that there is a severe snow storm coming, power outages, and several days before the power may be back on.  Now how do you feel???


Before you have an issue with someone who has taken the time to prepare, think about what your going to do because you didn't.  

You may not agree with someones methods, or their particular sense of urgency.  You may not agree with how extreme they appear to be.  None the less, they are doing something about getting prepared, and they're aren't the ones your going to have to worry about!

Just so you know... This did happen.  October 29, 2011.  Millions of people were out of power for days. (CBS news.com)  This on the heels of power outages a couple of months previously, due to Hurricane Irene.  (nj.com)

 *****

IF you spend a little bit of time, even if it's just on the weekends, to put some food storage together, some supplies in case of power outages, and 72 hour kits, you be doing more than you think.  Not only will you be able to handle what might come, but you will also be one less stress on the system BECAUSE your prepared.

*****

*****

Your being prepared may be one less person in the store at the last minute.  Your being prepared means on less person driving on potentially dangerous streets.

*****

~~~~~~~~~~~

YOUR BEING PREPARED MEANS YOU CAN BE WITH YOUR FAMILY, AND NOT FIGHTING THE CROWDS.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Canning

Canning....

What do you write about a subject that has been written about, and video blogged, a couple hundred thousand times?

How about several reason why it's a great idea.

In my ordered list, I'll start with,

1)  Making your dollar last longer.  Sure there are a few expenses to get started, but the long term goal is food storage.  A little expense is warranted.  


Now that aside, imagine what it means to make your harvest last longer.  I mean really, did you think you were going to be able to give away all of the tomatoes you couldn't use?  No really, it's a valid question.  Or how about that tree full of peaches, apples, pears, or plums?  Imagine being able to utilize more the 90% or your harvest, rather than letting it rot, or having to give it all away.  I mean aside from selling it, which is getting a little easier, minus the time needed for such an adventure, what are the other possibilities?


Now, what if you can't grow your own produce, or at the very least you need to supplement what you can grow.  Rather than buying enough to last a few days, or maybe a week, now you can take advantage of those great sales, and buy in bulk.  Imagine being able to set bottles of peas, beans, carrots, and many other vegetables up for those "rainy days".  


That brings me to my next thought...

2)  These last few years have been particularly rough.  The economy has tanked, job losses are high, and then add to that the ever increasing gas prices. Your left scratching your head.  

Have you or a loved one been through a job loss?  Has that loss been over an extended period of time?  Would having something set aside have made life a bit easier?  Would it be nice to go to your storage and pick out a few items, make a full meal, and know that you spent only a few scents for that meal, rather than dollars?  Would you have a little less stress if you knew you wouldn't have to buy groceries for awhile?  

3)  How about an illness in your family.  Are you or a family member currently fighting a serious illness?  Is this making it more difficult just to get to the store?  Has it become a financial burden?  Wouldn't it be nice to have bottled or canned goods already on hand?  Imagine being able to walk several feet, grab a few cans or bottles, and prepare a full meal, for 1, 2 or several people.  How much less stress would that be in your life?

4)  How about special nutritional needs?  Are you finding that you need particular items?  maybe they're a bit hard to get?  How about a diet that needs to remove something, gluten or maybe sugar?  Or maybe your just concerned about the chemicals that are used to grow produce on farms.  Is organic something your interested in?  Would it be easier to utilize organic by buying in bulk?  Or maybe you know a great tasting... something, and have a great farm to buy them from.  Wouldn't be nice if you could bottle THAT item, and extend its season?  Maybe you like to spend your money locally.  This is also a great reason to bottle your own stuff.

5)  How's the weather been in your neck of the woods?


In 2011, there was strange weather every where.  Now I'm not subscribing to the idea that there are strange happenings causing bad weather.  It's more like we're in an extended weather pattern that happens to be cyclical.  There are many factors.  Certainly more than we can get into here.  Needless to say, "weather" is a major factor in the decision to put together a food storage.  

6)  Are you the kind of person that would be willing to help a neighbor, or another family member in their time of need?  Wouldn't food storage help with that?  Do you know a neighbor that IS struggling, or is maybe older, someone that IS trying but needs a boost?

7)  And lets not forget the major events that can happen.  As serious as these can be, they are a great reason to do more than just food storage.  However food storage is still necessary, especially if you survive a "first wave' event.


Canning is one way to help put together a food storage to help buffer any and all of these scenarios.  

If your old enough you may be lucky enough to have had grandparents that bottled, or canned their garden and groceries.  You may be lucky enough to have been able to learn how to bottle or can.  You might even be lucky enough to have some or maybe even all of your grandparents recipes.  The ones that they loved the most, and the ones that worked the best.

My grandparents lived through the depression.  They grew a garden every year, they had fruit trees, they even knew how to barter for things they needed with items they wouldn't need.  To have this knowledge, I consider myself lucky.

Now we are at a new crossroads.  There are many who are making the choice to start their own canning projects.  They have their reasons, and to them I applaud.  It is not an easy task when you first start, but certainly worth it.

These are two of my favorite go to web sites, whenever I have a canning or bottling question.

Pick Your Own

and

Simply Canning

Every time I have had some kind of question, I can find the answer at one or the other or both places.  Their in depth answers, ideas, and links have been a great resource.  I highly recommend these to any new food prepper in the audience.

My purpose with this post is to gives reasons why.  In future posts we can go into recipes and tips.  For now, consider the reasons why this would be a good idea, and what you are willing to learn and do.




Sponsored by, artbystaci.com and artbystaci on Face Book.