Thursday, December 8, 2011

Goals UpDate/ New Goals Dec 8- 16

Time to update last weeks goals and set some new ones.... here we go

LAST WEEK

Finish up Christmas gifts 5 more small gifts... 2 more
2. Finish reading and review book read not reviewed
3. Make Car Bobs
4. repackage sugar
5. repackage oats
6. Draft dodgers for front room
7. scrub tub in spare bath
8. order pictures
9. decorate front room for Christmas
10. Eye appt.( made! next Tuesday)
11.CVS  ( I was very pleased after ECB's and coupons we payed 2.00 op and got 3 ECB's back. 1 contact solution. 3 big bags of doritos, great for the holidays, 2 bottles of Dawn dish shop)
12. Christmas cards ( bought)
13.Make Buddy Burners
14. call Nannie  I know this might seem trite but I have to block out time for Grams, she can talk for 2 hours straight!
15. research sewing machines ( bought!  I ended up scoring one of the top three I had my eye on at a Cyber Monday sale through Amazon.  This embroideries and sews... I am looking forward to it and am signing up for a sewing class at the community college)
16. research herbal classes I think I have found a good affordable on I will start in Jan.
17. List stereo on ebay
18. Chicken waterer  I hope I fixed this situation... some animal is sneaking in and drinking the water from the waterer...
19. Kale
20. garlic  dh decided on raised beds inside the fence because of the deer pop. so these are not going to happen this winter  


Alright , what's on tap

1. Finish last 2 Christmas gifts
2. Crochet and stuff Christmas stockings
3. Wrap and mail out of town gifts
4. Flyers for church service
5. cookie dough /bake /freeze 
6. Taylors Christmas play
7. Learn to use new sewing machine
8.  Lifeline drop off
9. Echinacea tincture
10. Get things ready for ds#4's gf visit
11. Lunch with mil
12. car bobs
14.buddy burner
15 finish spare bathroom
16 work on quarterly goals with Prep Dad

Hopefully on Sunday evening we will have a communications work shop to attend...

Press in and Press on,
Prep MOM

Friday, December 2, 2011

Goals follow up

 So, here it is on Friday evening... how have I done with the goals this week?

1. Finish up Christmas gifts 5 more small gifts...
2. Finish reading and review book
3. Make Car Bobs
4. repackage sugar
5. repackage oats
6. Draft dodgers for front room
7. scrub tub in spare bath
8. order pictures
9. decorate front room for Christmas
10. Eye appt.( made! next Tuesday)
11.CVS  ( I was very pleased after ECB's and coupons we payed 2.00 op and got 3 ECB's back. 1 contact solution. 3 big bags of doritos, great for the holidays, 2 bottles of Dawn dish shop)
12. Christmas cards ( bought)
13.Make Buddy Burners
14. call Nannie  I know this might seem trite but I have to block out time for Grams, she can talk for 2 hours straight!
15. research sewing machines ( bought!  I ended up scoring one of the top three I had my eye on at a Cyber Monday sale through Amazon.  This embroideries and sews... I am looking forward to it and am signing up for a sewing class at the community college)
16. research herbal classes I think I have found a good affordable on I will start in Jan.
17. List stereo on ebay
18. Chicken waterer  I hope I fixed this situation... some animal is sneaking in and drinking the water from the waterer...
19. Kale
20. garlic  dh decided on raised beds inside the fence because of the deer pop. so these are not going to happen this winter  


Press in and Press on,
PrepMOM

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Mid Week Goal Updates..

... not so good... Yesterday PrepDad and I tooled around a small town about an hour away looking for some winter clothes for PrepDad.  We did score 3 brand new flannel shirts with tags and a book he had been looking for. I picked up a nice shirt and some jammies myself. We nibbled a bit of lunch and took the scenic ride home... ALSo crossing the border into the next state we were able to get gas 20 cents cheaper....

  Today it became apparent we needed to do our monthly grocery shopping so with list in hand I let Prepdad stay home and work on the business stuff while I tackled that myself.... never a pretty job... I really need to go into menu planning mode to keep our stock rotated and also we need to prepare meals at the shoppe .  We are in " feast" days for retail... followed by IRS refunds.... but May through Aug are famine so we need to pre plan those things.

 So, going into Wednesday.... where are we:
1. Finish up Christmas gifts 5 more small gifts...
2. Finish reading and review book
3. Make Car Bobs
4. repackage sugar
5. repackage oats
6. Draft dodgers for front room
7. scrub tub in spare bath
8. order pictures
9. decorate front room for Christmas
10. Eye appt.( made! next Tuesday)
11.CVS  ( I was very pleased after ECB's and coupons we payed 2.00 op and got 3 ECB's back. 1 contact solution. 3 big bags of doritos, great for the holidays, 2 bottles of Dawn dish shop)
12. Christmas cards ( bought)
13.Make Buddy Burners
14. call Nannie
15. research sewing machines ( bought!  I ended up scoring one of the top three I had my eye on at a Cyber Monday sale through Amazon.  This embroideries and sews... I am looking forward to it and am signing up for a sewing class at the community college)
16. research herbal classes
17. List stereo on ebay
18. Chicken waterer  I hope I fixed this situation... some animal is sneaking in and drinking the water from the waterer...
19. Kale
20. garlic

Hopefully tomorrow will be a strong work day with no distractions.....

Press ina dn Press on,
Prep MOM

Friday, November 25, 2011

Old Goals... New Goals

OK, the Holidays have seriously thrown me off game...\
Old goals
1. Finish up our daughters Christmas afghan. ( not going to happen...I should make this a longer term goal)
2. Make a batch of homemade laundry detergent  ( not happening either as the containers I was to store the detergent in will now go to a bulk lot of oats and turbindo we ordered)
3.Read and review a book sent to me for a bloggy review
4. Restock the Car B.O.B
5. Make Elderberry syrup and cough syrup DONE!!!!
6. Plant fruit trees... these are scheduled to arrive tomorrow ( Friday).. 3 apple  and a fig

I seriously lagged with tons of things coming up to make us stumble... so ... here is the new listI am going to try and break them down by days so I can make SURE I get somethings done..

1. Finish up Christmas gifts
2. Finish reading and review book
3. Make Car Bobs
4. repackage sugar
5. repackage oats
6. Draft dodgers for front room
7. scrub tub in spare bath
8. order pictures
9. decorate front room for Christmas
10. Eye appt.
11.CVS
12. Christmas cards 
13.Make Buddy Burners
14. call Nannie
15. research sewing machines
16. research herbal classes
17. List stereo on ebay
18. Chicken waterer
19. Kale
20. garlic

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Homemade Bread and Goals update

I tried a new bread recipe today.  Prep Dad's heart health is important to me... so more oatmeal it is!  We do not own a new fangled bread kneading machine so I did everything by hand.  This bread is so good and hearty..
Thanks to Little Bean Food Storage for the recipe


Alrighty... how are we doing with this weeks goals

1. Finish up our daughters Christmas afghan. ( not going to happen...I should make this a longer term goal)
2. Make a batch of homemade laundry detergent  ( not happening either as the containers I was to store the detergent in will now go to a bulk lot of oats and turbindo we ordered)
3.Read and review a book sent to me for a bloggy review
4. Restock the Car B.O.B
5. Make Elderberry syrup and cough syrup DONE!!!!
6. Plant fruit trees... these are scheduled to arrive tomorrow ( Friday).. 3 apple  and a fig

My mother is coming to spend a week starting on Sunday so I am not sure what will get done between now and then.... might have to put her to work!

Press in and Press on,
PrepMOM

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Elderberry Syrup

With cold and flu season approaching  making elderberry syrup was on the list of to-do's this week.  I must say the house smelled HEAVENLY while the syrup was reducing. 
We bought our elderberries at Mountain Rose Herbs We have bought several things from them and the service is great!
   After reading several books and articles on the anti viral properties of elderberry syrup we decided to follow this video step by step.  We strained ours through a jelly bag and have been on a tablespoon a day as a preventative.

HOW TO MAKE ELDERBERRY SYRUP

Info on Elderberries

Press in and Press on,
PrepeMOM

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Quarterly Goals

Well, We finally had our monthly meeting tonight to address our quarterly homestead goals.  Here is where we stand.



Quarterly Goals
October, November, December 2011



  1. Complete redo of Christopher's bath
  2. Christopher's walls.
  3. Vacation
  4. Replace E.F. ( 400.00 more dollars to reach our Emergency fund goal)
  5. Pay off Lea's credit card
  6. Pay off Chris's credit card
  7. Build to 3000.00 ( including silver) for baby Step 3
  8. 200.00 for Christmas
  9. front raised bed garden
  10. plant spinach and kale
  11. Lea's glasses
  12. procure gun
  13. plant 4 fruit trees( ordered)
  14. Build 3 month food supply ( including pets)
  15. winterize house including curtains for front window.

    Press in and Press on,
    Prep MOM

Friday, November 11, 2011

Upcoming to-do list Nov 14-20

Supposedly we have a week at home. Chris has a couple things to do ( an AR15 workshop for one) but my calender is clear... Here is what I am hoping to get done this week.

1. Finish up our daughters Christmas afghan.
2. Make a batch of homemade laundry detergent
3.Read and review a book sent to me for a bloggy review
4. Restock the Car B.O.B
5. Make Elderberry syrup and cough syrup
6. Plant 4 fruit trees
 THAT should keep me busy!

Press in and Press on,
PrepMOm

Thursday, November 10, 2011

B.O.B. Meet up

Our local group of preppers decided to do a meet up to swap/trade/ show off our bug out bags. It gave everyone a great opportunity to see new products out there and discover holes in the preps. I know Prep Dad and I regrouped our whole idea of bug out to bug in.  Our car BOB is much more important since our goal is to hunker where we are currently.  I hope to finalize all that this month.
Here was a great article I found on car BOBs
http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/vehicle-emergency-kit/

Most of the stuff we have here already, it just needs to be organized for the car.

For the meet up I made my famous ( per pioneer woman) chili  a big hit..thought you might like a few pictures






Tell me what's in your BOB?

Press in and Press on,
PrepMOM

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Prepping for a Diviticulitus Flare

  So , this week it hit me... I rarely have a flare up  but this week with all of our travel, I wasn't paying attention to what I ate or drank... and a tender abdomen, and slight fever was the price I paid.

Granted, I could  go to the doc and get my antibiotics which would mess up the old digestive track even more , OR I could try my hand at some research I had been doing if we were int he position where I had a flare and no doc was around.

Here goes:

I immediately went on a liquid diet of only herbal teas with honey.  I was not a bit particular on the type of herbal but mostly I stuck with ginger peach, chamomile and rose hips .

Honey pretty much is good for everything... do a Google search and see what I mean.  A great article for the novice is at  Natural News


I then began taking 2000mg of freeze dried garlic gel caps 3 times a day.  I took Vitamin B and Papaya Enzymes also.

Garlic is nature's natural antibiotic.. With what we have done with synthetic antibiotics super bugs have been created.  Fortunately garlic attacks the bacteria naturally.

Live Strong article on garlic 

The papin in papaya  is wonderful and soothing for any digestive problem.  I chew a couple at meals to enable digestion.  We use whole Foods brand but they can be found anywhere.

  So, what was my verdict.  I am at the end of day three  and I feel good. Usually at the end of day three with the antibiotics my divi symptoms are gone but I then battle with the antibiotics.  I DID eat a cup of live culture yogurt this evening and I do believe my recovery will be a tad better using natures medicine cabinet.
 
  Let me just say if I felt I was in anyway in a crisis I would have gone to the ER or at least the doctor.  but as a prepper, I felt the need to test my preps and see if this was going to be my go to in the event  medical care was not an option.  I am very pleased that it is.

Stock up on your garlic and honey

Press in and Press on,
PrepMOM!








Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Week in Review

.. Ok, 75% of the weekly goals got tossed.. We ended up doing a bunch of traveling and then Sat. after work I had pistol training and PrepDad played with big boy toys at the shooting range with some friends...

So....

This week found us in Fayetteville, NC where we took a moment and visited the famous Hay Street Market. This is where slaves were auctioned after making the journey from the coast up the Cape Fear.  Very humbling... it FEELS sad when you enter it.


Thursday we headed north up into VA. Southern VA is one of our favorite places on the plant... here are a few fun shots I took in Roanoke.


  Friday we had dinner with PrepSon1 and PrepDaughterin law. PrepSon1 is the primary cook and let me tell you... it makes this mama proud of the feast he prepared. ( recipes coming this week)



and Sat... whoa Honey!  I had my first pistol class while PrepDad played with his friends and the big boy toys


We had a blast ( no pun intended!)


Press in and Press On
PrepMom

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

So Tuesday Taylor and Kristy came over for a good old fashioned carving party

 I guess puking pumpkins are all the rage this year


So.... what to do with pumpkin guts?

Rinse off the yuck and soak in salted water over night.

Place on a cookie sheet and spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and chili pepper seasoning..

 Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes ..allow to cool a bit... and enjoy



These are so goo... they are an awesome source of vitamins, fiber ... we'll be doing a bunch more batches while the pumpkins are still coming in...

How are the goals coming along???..............ummm... not well, almost everyone of them is getting tossed .  The biggest of the goals, the bathroom floor has been extended for quite some time what started as a tiny bathroom redo turned major when we found rot and mold... so far we are down to the studs in two rooms and the hall looks like the floor will be next.... ~sigh~

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Monday, October 17, 2011

Barn Hop Weekly Goals Oct 17-23

 That time again... how did I do last week? what's up for this week? 

   First up before I post the goals, let me show you what we will be working on for a couple Christmas gifts this year...  I love this so much.. there will ahve to be a few in our garden too..
Tea cup Birdfeeder


Here are last weeks goals:

1. Transplant aloe I have not gone to get the pots to divide this little beauty, but the plants did move inside for the winter
2. Check and treat water storage
3. Make another batch of applesauce. Excuse #322 It requires Apple juice and the boy keep drinking it
4. Put in Bathroom floor( this is turning out to be much bigger then we thought, we are ahving to replace the floor joist)
5. Annual "b usiness" meeting with PrepDad to discuss the next years projects and goals Chris and I DID have a meeting. Lists are not Prepdad's forte he is an implements.. so we went over a few things that needed to be accomplished and since I love list I was given the task of writing them up and organizing
6. Begin working on handmade Christmas gifts ( getting a few free moments to do some sewing and crochet)
7. order elderberries ( we don't have any in our area)
8. Finish reading and review the Army Field Guide to Wild Plants
9. Purchase ammo for our upcoming range day  We decided we would just pay some of the folks at the range to shoot their guns to get a feel for the gun we are looking to buy int he near future.
10. Continue decluttering  ( BIG strides today, 3 contractors bags of trash and 2 boxes for goodwill)
Goals Oct 17-23

1. make Applesauce
2. Make apple cakes for  range day
3. repot aloe
4. plant beets
5.Range Day
6. Order bulk sugar
7. write up goals for the next 12 months
8. Roast pumpkin seeds and freeze pumpkin
9. can pickled jalepenos
10. salsa
11.  lay the floor for spare bathroom
12. add one day water strorage
13. List a few things on ebay and use money for fire pit purchase
14. Read and review Independence Days by sharon Astyk
15. Check on the Black Walnut trees for nuts and quality this year

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Friday, October 14, 2011

Book Review: The Illustrated Guide to Edible Plants by the Dept of the Army

 This book would be a total waste added to your prepper book collection.  The pictures are not clear and are in black and white. There are notes that say things like " Thistles, all parts are edible but some are very poisonous."  Now, I don't know about you but if I wre in teh wild I would not try deciphering a picture to determine if I was going to poison myself by eating a certain plant.  Far better to get a good colored version of edible plants then waste your money on this guide... 2 thumbs down.
The Illustrated Field Guide

    Weekends are always busy times so the list ticking is not doing well.
1. Transplant aloe
2. Check and treat water storage
3. Make another batch of applesauce
4. Put in Bathroom floor( this is turning out to be much bigger then we thought, we are ahving to replace the floor joist)
5. Annual "b usiness" meeting with PrepDad to discuss the next years projects and goals
6. Begin working on handmade Christmas gifts ( getting a few free moments to do some sewing and crochet)
7. order elderberries ( we don't have any in our area)
8. Finish reading and review the Army Field Guide to Wild Plants
9. Purchase ammo for our upcoming range day
10. Continue decluttering  ( BIG strides today, 3 contractors bags of trash and 2 boxes for goodwill)

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Mid Week Prep Update.. and 10 most favorite Prep Books

This picture has nothing to do with this post really aside from the fact her dad, my brother called me for a nice long visit tonight  and when I saw this picture it made me chuckle... I am still chuckling... what a cutie niece I have.

  so, without going into major details one of my brothers sits on the National 9/12 board, and word has it they are going into full prep mode.  I was asked for a list of my 10 favorite prep books.. and being the wonderful big sis I am.. here goes..
( he said EVERYONE knows about the Ball canning book so its not on my list)
1. Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery ( by far the most complete book I have found in my 33 years of simplistic living)

2.all volumes of the Foxfire Books ( out of print but all over the place for cheap at thrifts or on ebay)

3.  Mother Earth News Almanac by John Schuttleworth ( also out of print but excellent resource)

4. Hardtimes in Paradise by Micki and Dave Colfax ( inspirational, this book is what pushed us over the hump to take the back to the land plunge)

5.  Surviving Off Off Grid by Michael Bunker ( I did a review of this book and appreciated many of the things he spoke of that we don't really think about)

6.Living the Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing ( once again out of print but a wonderful over view of living off the land)

7. Putting Food By~ Janet Greene

8. Independence Days, a guide to sustainable Food storage and preservation), Sharon Astyk

9. Army Rangers Survival Guide... ( nuf said)

10. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.    Ms Kingsolver and I are worlds apart on many issues, social, political... but one thing I do agree is the absolute need to eat local and care more about your foods.

 Our favorite Magazines have always been Backwoods Home and Countryside.  Recently after a couple decade hiatus we started reading Mother Earth News again..

 We also utilize a local Meetup with like minded folks.

I am more then interested in what is on everyone's must have reading list.

When I began  back to the landing it was the summer of 1976. a friend had taken me to a yurt owned by some friends of his and later I became close with a group that received a grant to build a small solar reflector. So my journey to back to the land has been a process... and still is.... I think as Preppers we need to think about that... life style changes not just panicking to save up  food stuffs and guns if there is a collapse. To a true life long prepper if TSHIF then there might be little life style changes, not much disruption...

Anyhow, how am I doing with the goals this week?

1. Transplant aloe
2. Check and treat water storage
3. Make another batch of applesauce
4. Put in Bathroom floor( this is turning out to be much bigger then we thought, we are ahving to replace the floor joist)
5. Annual "b usiness" meeting with PrepDad to discuss the next years projects and goals
6. Begin working on handmade Christmas gifts ( getting a few free moments to do some sewing and crochet)
7. order elderberries ( we don't have any in our area)
8. Finish reading and review the Army Field Guide to Wild Plants
9. Purchase ammo for our upcoming range day
10. Continue decluttering  ( BIG strides today, 3 contractors bags of trash and 2 boxes for goodwill)

Press in and Press on,
 PrepMom

Monday, October 10, 2011

Barn Hopping Weekly Goals Oct 10-16

 Whew, in the thick of a poison ivy out break... the darndest thing... We have a nifty Amish clothesline  that goes from one tree to the next by a pulley system.  I can stand near the porch and load the clothes, and after they dry  I reel them back in for the unload... except I think there is poison ivy on the opposite tree..Ok, no thinking I KNOW there is now, but only after the wind flapped around a towel against that tree that I used.. Thank goodness for the plaintain salve!

Anyhow, its time for another...........
                                        
Found  @ Homestead Revival

Let's see how I did with last weeks chores:

1. Continue decluttering  I am so proud of myself today. I was in the mater bath and tossed  stuff I knew we would never use and filled another box with stuff to donate to the local woman's shelter.
2. Continue work on fire pit (this project will probably be postponed until next month.  the bathroom remodel is costing more then we planned)
3. Continue work on bathroom ( sort of)
4. apple sauce
5. apple pie filling
6. make and can ketchup
7. Check and treat water storage
8. plant spinach/kale
9.Hit the discount store int he big city for canned goods we are running low on
10.  transplant aloe


Not too bad!

Now for this week

1. Transplant aloe
2. Check and treat water storage
3. Make another batch of applesauce
4. Put in Bathroom floor
5. Annual "b usiness" meeting with PrepDad to discuss the next years projects and goals
6. Begin working on handmade Christmas gifts
7. order elderberries ( we don't have any in our area)
8. Finish reading and review the Army Field Guide to Wild Plants
9. Purchase ammo for our upcoming range day
10. Continue decluttering 

..and while I'm at it... how about this weeks dinner menu: I'll put recipes up for a few things as the week goes on,

Monday:  spaghetti/salad
Tuesday:  Baked Potato Soup and Dill Bread 
Wednesday: Homemade pizza
Thursday:  Chicken potpie/salad
Friday : Family Dinner
Saturday: soup and grilled cheese sammis
Sunday:.. this is a busy day for us this week  so if we don't do take out it will be popcorn and apple slices

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Staples Deal

 We are recovering from a very busy weekend. There has been nothing major prep wise going on except for the usual CVS/ Walgreen ECBS However, we did score this deal tonight ...



At Staples tonight you can get a pretty sweet deal on some Charmin bath tissue. Staples is offering FREE shipping all week and so this is a super deal to take advantage of! Thanks The Prudent Patron!
This is what to do:
  • Go HERE and add 3 Charmin Basic Bath Tissue Rolls, 1-Ply, 20/Case double rolls to your cart, you can find them by looking on the left side towards the bottom for the teal picture above.
  • Click the “Add/Edit Coupons” button during checkout
  • Enter the coupon code 31958 to get $5 off a purchase of $25 or more
  • Now, there will also be an additional coupon code automatically added (that will take another $15 off)
  • Now you are ready to check out.
  • You will not see all of the discounts until you get to the “Review & Pay” section.
  • The total cost for all 60 double rolls (= 120 single rolls) is ONLY $21.97.
Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Dehydrating veggies

Yesterday PrepDad and I had work to do in the Big City so we had a chance to stop by a discount food store  and stock up on some canned things for the next 3 months. They had a great sell on carrots and celery . I have been experimenting with my food dehydrator and saw a video about making your own soup mixes

.
I pulled a half a bag of limas and a bag of green beans from the fridge and each got their own drying rack

 so: celery, limas, green beans & carrots in today's load.  Next up potatoes. The video said to put the ingredients in a jar with an oxygen absorber , chicken or beef bullion and spices . when you want soup just add water and rice, barley or noodles.... sounds like a plan!

Let's see how I did with my to-do list this week

1. Continue decluttering  I am so proud of myself today. I was in the mater bath and tossed  stuff I knew we would never use and filled another box with stuff to donate to the local woman's shelter.
2. Continue work on fire pit (this project will probably be postponed until next month.  the bathroom remodel is costing more then we planned)
3. Continue work on bathroom ( sort of)
4. apple sauce
5. apple pie filling
6. make and can ketchup
7. Check and treat water storage
8. plant spinach/kale
9.Hit the discount store int he big city for canned goods we are running low on
10.  transplant aloe

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Monday, October 3, 2011

Homemade Vanilla & Homemade Ketchup

Whew!  Sure felt good to prop my feet up this evening.  Mondays are our errand/ cleaning days. I knew I had to make a grocery run and a stop at Walgreens to work a coupon deal.... but when PrepDad brought in the mail and I opened these little babies, I knew I had one more stop!


My vanilla beans! I had found this post @ Heavenly Homemakers  and really wanted to try making my own.... This was easy peasy to do.  The hardest thing for me was acting like I knew what I was doing at the liquor store.  But, with a couple of small bottles of vodka and my french vanilla beans I began the long process of making homemade vanilla

 For these smaller bottles of vodka I put 5 beans in each bottle. I did slice open but not through each bean. I ordered the beans off ebay.... from France.. The total cost with shipping was less then 5.00 .. the package smelled heavenly!

 These babies will sit for the next 6 months in the pantry and get a little shake once a week to keep things going.  I foresee gift giving for next year int he making!


  At the Hispanic market this weekend I picked up 5lbs of Roma tomatoes.  Now, everybody in the world but us probably knew that Romas are the maters to use for the best sauces, salsas...........and homemade ketchup.

  My book came on Friday and I was so anxious to try the ketchup recipe...


So a bit of chopping..... a bit of boiling..




I am not sure I have tasted ketchup this good.... we decided that we needed chili cheese fries for dinner.. toss the sliced taters with olive oil and bake... cover with chili and top with cheese... and dip in ketchup..


 Now,  in between errands, cleaning and petting a few cats... lets see how this weeks goals are going:


1. Continue decluttering  I am so proud of myself today. I was in the mater bath and tossed  stuff I knew we would never use and filled another box with stuff to donate to the local woman's shelter.
2. Continue work on fire pit
3. Continue work on bathroom
4. apple sauce
5. apple pie filling
6. make and can ketchup 7. Check and treat water storage
8. plant spinach/kale
9.Hit the discount store int he big city for canned goods we are running low on
10.  transplant aloe


.. and I really didn't expect the vanilla so making that was a bonus do.

Press in and Press on

PrepMom

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Barn Hopping Weekly goals Oct 2- 8

I enjoy reading  posts from others on what is going on around their farms/ farmettes and homes.  I thought this week I would join in the fun so.

                                            
You can hop around too by following THIS link.

So, lets see how I did with last weeks goals

.
1. research homemade vanilla
2. do a bit of decluttering , I have set a goal of 200 things for this fall purge purged around 30 things...this project goes until Jan 1

3. work on the fire pit ( we located the bricks we will use and came up with the plans

4. Visit a new to us open air market for some quality apples
5. floor and toilet replaced in small bath began the demo part
6.Lunch with MIL
7.clean up old dehydrator
8. apple slices dehydrated

9. apple sauce canned   nope
10. apple pie filling canned  nope

OK, so for this week

1. Continue decluttering
2. Continue work on fire pit
3. Continue work on bathroom
4. apple sauce
5. apple pie filling
6. make and can ketchup
7. Check and treat water storage
8. plant spinach/kale
9.Hit the discount store int he big city for canned goods we are running low on
10.  transplant aloe


  The CVS/ ECB run today landed us 5 bottles of shampoo , a couple razors, a couple of toothbrushes, mouth wash  , and some cold medicine  for around 12.00 . 

I received tehe book I ordered Well Preserved  on Friday . There are some unique recipes I would like to try  that would add a bit of spice to food storage.

  The weather is getting cooler and the cats are moving indoors.  We took the time to deworm them and make sure fleas were in check before they stake out their desired places around heat sources.

  do you have any goals this week?

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom










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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Dehydrating Apples

 BUSY day... but a good  busy.   I spent some time processing some of the apples and getting them in the dehydrator.

 We love this little gadget. It makes quick work of peels, cores and slices..


Then I always dip the slices into lemon juice before putting them on the dehydrator tray


apple slices can be touching but not overlapping



These will be so good in granola, oatmeal or pies this winter.

We are looking into juicers which will use the peels and cores..... but today the chickens had a feast


Tonight was family dinner night  Chicken, green beans , pilaf and apple crisp.   My MIL had gifted us with her final bean picking. We had enough to freeze a couple quarts also.


How did I do on my to do list for the week?

1. research homemade vanilla
2. do a bit of decluttering , I have set a goal of 200 things for this fall purge
3. work on the fire pit
4. Visit a new to us open air market for some quality apples
5. floor and toilet replaced in small bath
6.Lunch with MIL
7.clean up old dehydrator
8. apple slices dehydrated
9. apple sauce canned
10. apple pie filling canned

  Getting there............

Press in and Press on
PrepMom

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sept 29, 2011

Long day, but good. I had a wonderful lunch with MIL and we talked for 3 1/2 hours!

Came home and found a 10.00 gift card in the mail for some rewards points I had traded in.

We left to do a job in South Hill, VA and stopped at the orchard on the way. It was near closing time so we just purchased a bushel of Golden Delicious.  We'll be going back.

 After completing our job we stopped at the Dollar store across the street and found 4 pkgs of pepperoni, a box of freezer bags, and 8 bags of trail mix that PrepDad likes.

 We then decided to take our gift card to the near by walmart since they had chicken noodle  soup on sale for .60 a can.  We bought a case.

Family business meeting... we decided to cancel our cable.  We really don't watch it much and it can be a distraction.  We also heard a report of the peanut crop.  Tomorrow we will be doing a stock up.

PrepDad ripped out the bathroom floor , toilet and sink in the small bath.

How did we do with this weeks goal this Hump day?

1. research homemade vanilla
2. do a bit of decluttering , I have set a goal of 200 things for this fall purge
3. work on the fire pit
4. Visit a new to us open air market for some quality apples
5. floor and toilet replaced in small bath
6.Lunch with MIL
7.clean up old dehydrator
8. apple slices dehydrated
9. apple sauce canned
10. apple pie filling canne

 MIL gave us 5lbs of snap beans and two peppers. I will snap and freeze beans tomorrow along with buying peanutbutter and canning applesauce.

Press in and Press on

PrepMom

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Sept 27th , 2011 preps

 Today was the first day we have been home long enough to do several loads of laundry. We have not owned an electric clothes dryer in over a year so we had waited also for a summy day to do sheets and towels.
 We do own a large drying rack purchased from Lehmans. we love it and it can hold jeans and such no problem
Amish Drying Rack.

We also own this outdoor drying line  
 It has been a great time saver and holds up well.

For lunch we had
Racelettes

mashed potatoes, bacon, keilbasa & cheese mixed together and baked for 45 minutes  . It seems we can do most of these things from food storage. I have yet to order bacon but we will, and I think the keilbasa can be substituted with spam.

Dinner was chicken burritos
We had  leftover beans mixed with three chicken breast and salsa, next week I think I might attempt the tortillas on my own.

How well did I get on my to do list for the week?

I researched making vanilla and ordered the whole vanilla beans. I ordered 20 online from ebay for less then 5.00 . Seemed like a good investment for the experiment.

I also cleaned out the old dehydrator and it works great despite being abused and in storage for over a year..

Tomorrow is a busy day but hopefully I will be able to pare down the list a bit...

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Monday, September 26, 2011

A bit of book buying for today's preps and 10 goals for this week Sept 26th

I LOVE books.... today I ordered two for review.

The first was 31 days to Survival  by MD Creekmore.  I was looking for a simple how to for a couple of my grown children who tend to be very systematic and list/task oriented. I am hoping this will fill in any gaps they might have in a goal oriented way.  You can read more on it at The Survivalist Blog

The second is Well Preserved: Small Batch Preserving for the New Cook  by Mary Anne Dragan.
, I bought my on Amazon Here.

I read this post by Amanda Sole on SouleMama  and couldn't stop thinking about her ketchup... I sort of kept reading the post a few times a day, and flipping over to Amazon, and adding to my cart... and staring at the cart... and I decided it would be great to do some small batches of things and this looked like the perfect book. I am anxious to get my hands on it.

1. research homemade vanilla
2. do a bit of decluttering , I have set a goal of 200 things for this fall purge
3. work on the fire pit
4. Visit a new to us open air market for some quality apples
5. floor and toilet replaced in small bath
6.Lunch with MIL
7.clean up old dehydrator
8. apple slices dehydrated
9. apple sauce canned
10. apple pie filling canned

Press in and Press on,
PrepMOM

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sept 25, 2011

Church and then work all day.  We had a great day. It was 2:00 before we realized we had not had a chance to eat lunch yet! 

  I did manage to sneak out for a bit and go to the CVS near the shop.
 I usually use ECB's rolling over to stock up on health and beauty items. Today I picked up contact solution for C, 2 cans of soup, 1 can of peanuts, 2 bags of candy corn.  After coupons and ECB's from last week 8.47 ECB's back 7.00.

   I could have worked a better deal but we are doing some traveling for work tomorrow  and I needed the peanuts and candy corn to mix together  for travel food.  I use a mixture of 1 part candy corn to two parts peanuts. Delicious!

  after work we managed a quick shopping trip to stock up on catfood and bacon along with a few dried fruits that were on sale.

  Not much else gets done of work days.




Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Friday, September 23, 2011

Sept 23, 2011

I appreciated this video posted  by The Way Grandma Does it It really is too close for comfort



On these rainy days when we are at the shop all day its great to come home, feed the animals and prepare something quick for dinner. That's where pancakes and sausage come in.  I make the pancake mix up in bulk and store it in 1/2 gallon mason jars.
Yes, I did make the pancakes into letter shapes.....:)
Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
5 cups whole wheat flour
5 cups white flour
2 1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk
1/2cup sugar
1/ cup baking powder
2T salt
combine all ingredients in an air tight container.
To Make Pancakes
1and 1/2 cups pancake mix
1 slightly beaten egg
1 cup water
3T oil
Mix together and cook on a hot griddle
 These are so good. My father in law uses it to make Belgian waffles at Christmas and they are so puffy and good!  Sometimes I replace 1/2cup orange juice with 1/2 the water for a really great orange flavor.


There is an 84 year old fella who has a this and that shop near us. Today on his half price table he had a brand spankin new Bodum coffee press still in the box.   In true Lenny fashion he said " I don't know what it does but I'm sure it does it good".. " I had 7.00 on it but its half price so I'll let you have it for 3.00", maybe you can figure out what to do with it.."
................why yes Lenny...... I can!  We had been considering buying one so Chris can have his cup of coffee if the power goes out or when we go camping.
We were so happy to add this to our preps
 Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sept 21,2011

We had slow rain off and on that called for us to take a nap this afternoon.  We almost never take naps but all the house things had been finished, the animals fed & our schedule for tomorrow set up...  a little reading... a little snoozing... a great way to spend our day off!

  I did manage to make up a simple batch of instant oatmeal  mix from Prepardness Matters Blog 
I did give the oats a couple whirls in the food processor . powdered milk, I substituted brown sugar for white and added raisins and craisans..
  I love oatmeal  so this will be great  as the days cool down.  1/2 c oatmeal mix and 1 cup hot water.


OK, that is a really horrible picture. I should have checked it before we ate dinner.  Chris made a wonderful
 whole wheat bread this afternoon. from life blessons blog.  The texture of this bread is great.  It is good for sandwiches but tonight we had it with homemade chicken soup ( perfect rainy weather food)

I started with a  base of Emergency Essentials ABC Soup Mix  I had precooked chciken chunks in the freezer and a jar of chicken broth We added salt, pepper, cayenne and a glob of minced garlic and let it simmer for a couple of hours. The last 15 minutes we added a couple of handle fulls of spinach leaves.
 This soup was so good.  We had enough to freeze for another supper and  a lunch for each of us.

  Tomorrow is a travel work day. We will head south, then west, then up into VA, across the lake and back home.  We are packing some energy bites as snacks and I'll take my camera.!

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Plantain Salve

 Today was the day I finally made plantain salve. I had picked and washed the plantain 6 weeks ago and stuffed the leaves in a jar and covered with olive oil, screwed on the lid and sat it in the front sunny window.

  Plantain is so easy to find in wooded and semi wooded areas.
 I use a jelly strainer and the method Laurie does @ Common Sense homesteading

So, 13 ounces of infused oil, 13 T of beeswax  melted together and I have enough salve for the winter and share with my family with a bit to sell.

The uses for plantain are many:
Current use of plantain is the commercially significant extraction of its mucilage – a carbohydrate fiber that is used in gentle laxatives.  Ironically, plantain infusions can be used to halt diarrhea. Mucilage also acts as an appetite suppressant and reduces intestinal absorption of fat and bile.  It reduces LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.  Plantain is commonly used as an astringent; its juice, when rubbed on an insect bite or bee sting, immediately sooths the area and begin the healing process.  Plantain may also stop poison ivy from blistering and itching if applied to the skin immediately after contact.  Plantain is still considered a diuretic; in addition, it is used as an expectorant and decongestant. It is also thought to sooth the throat and is taken to relieve laryngitis.  Finally, when chewed, plantain acts as a breath freshener.  If eaten early enough in the spring, plantain leaves are said to make a tasty cooked vegetable dish.

  Good to know we can eat it if we have to....

Not much else the rest of the day. It was overcast so we hung the clothes inside on the drying rack and after doing the necessary outside stuff we hunkered down with books. and a meal of fried taters, beef gravy and beef steaks,,,, good stuff!

Press in and Press on,
PrepMom

Monday, September 19, 2011

Sept 19,11 Preps

This morning it felt great to wake up to fall like temps. We put on the coffee/tea  , opened the doors and windows and fed the animals.

 During breakfast we decided to watch a short video on aquaponics. We are interested in trying a bit of this for a garden next  spring. Ideally we would ahve a small pond but we are starting small to see if its something we want to put the energy into.  Chris took a class in this a few years ago as did Jamie so we have some experience to draw on.  I thought this was a great video

 We ran errands  for a couple of hours. One of the errands took us about 40 miles into VA and we decided the weather was so fine we needed to take the scenic drive home and enjoy the weather and sights.

With all the rain lately Chris was able to burn a bit more of the stump from the huge tree that was right where our new cabin will be. While he was watching the fire he cleaned out the shed and oiled the tool handles.





I put some tomato sauce on to heat and  gathered some wild raspberry leaves  to dry for the winter. Wild Raspberry makes a great tea that can be used for intestinal troubles. Seep 4-5 leaves in hot water and sip.


I also made a batch of energy bites

These are a great energy treat made from food storage. Lots of protein and requires no baking. I am putting this recipe in a binder with other recipes that can be made off grid.

Energy Bites
1cup oatmeal flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1t vanilla

Mix and allow to sit for about an hour. roll into bite sized balls.  Delicious!

Press in and Press on..,
 PrepMom

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sept 18,2011 Preps

 Church service was good. Chris led our group in the study of Revelation 7. A bit brain taxing but I enjoy the fellowship.

   We did a bit of work for barter today.. The guy specializes in different knives.  We decided that small starter knives would be great for the nieces and nephews with a couple good ones for us in the mix.  a true win / win situation and I can't help but think at least our nieces will love the girlie knives we bought them



 We stopped by the grocery on the way home to pick up a few things and found some canned vegetables on sale at a dollar a can.  We are not big on processed canned veggies but our garden was horrible this year so we decided to supplement with these canned ones at 10/10.00  We will probably go back for another load before the sale is over. These will be easy to use in soups and stews also.

 The weather has cooled enough the doors are swung open and the house is airing out!

Press in and Press on!
PrepMom

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Day to Day Preps

. This will simply be a log of our family's day to day preps and achievements towards self sufficiency.

Today was a work day for us.  We own our own business and Saturday's are always spent a the shop.  We had promised the MIL we would take her out for dinner so we met and shared a good meal and visit.  We are not ones to go out a lot so this is always a treat for all of us.

 So, preps for the day : we are researching dwarf fruit trees and both researched and watched videos on the subject.  I am getting ready to consult  Carla Emery " The Big Book of Country Living"  on the subject and hit the sack for the day.  The weather has finally cooled enough to make sleeping restful!

Press in and Press on............,

PrepMom