Bunker Buddies

Fabric Softener

2012-01-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

Homemade Fabric Softener

If you’ve been wanting to cut costs on Fabric Softener… try making Homemade Fabric Softener!

What You’ll Need:

6 cups HOT water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or other favorite scent}
What You’ll Do:

Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.
Add the vinegar, and mix well.
Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}
Pour into a downy ball… or use approx. 2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash!

5 in 5 Days 3-5... Make me an offer I can't refuse

2011-05-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am totally cheating here by combining 3 days for one thing, but... I'm good with it. Yesterday I spent the day going through each room and gathering garage sale stuff. It took more time than I thought it would(as all of my projects thus far have done). Today and tomorrow are sale days and at the end of tomorrow I will make a g-dub trip.

5 in 5 Day 2... The Pit of Despair!

2011-05-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was a bit busy yesterday with editing pictures, YW, Activity Days Mom/Daughter night, helping fix the lawn mower (mostly just fixing the speakers on the computer so Kevin could watch a youtube on fixing it... but it counts.) and other lame stuff, so I thought I would be sneaky and get up this morning and tackle something easy and post about it. I thought, "20, maybe 30 minutes tops... Then I'll get dressed and ready for the day."
I made the rookie mistake of tackling the craft/catch-all dresser in our entry. Rookie! Two hours later I am standing in the middle of a mess strewn all over my kitchen bra-less and starving. Rookie!
My mistake was in thinking that it would only take one box to take care of all of the contents. Nope. 4 Boxes! 1 for kids crafts which I will need until the end of school and when school starts again. 1 for my craft stuff ie: card making, scrapbooking, poster making. 1 for stuff I am donating to a friend's supplies. 1 for goodwill. But don't forget the two grocery bags of garbage too.
I am done sorting, but now I have to find places for the bits and pieces of the rest (walkie-talkies, shoe laces, super glue, old film canisters, etc.)
I am counting this task as complete, but my next task (Task 3) might include cleaning off my kitchen counter tops :P

5 in 5... My Life In A Box

2011-05-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

So, I am totally crashing the 5 in 5 challenge, but since I don't have a personal blog I am doing it here.

Challenge: Start packing!
I sat down today and did a count down to how many days I had left before we move... (69) Then I figured out how many days I would actually have to pack... (47! And that included today). Yikes!!!
The problem that I face is that there are few things that we own that I would want to move with me that I don't mind packing up right now.

The solution... Bookshelves! I have 7ish bookcases in my home and have found that I can, temporarily, live without my books and cherished chotskies. (Featuring a wooden whale puzzle I made for Brady when he was 4, Grandma Hanna's old radio from her garage, and a frog prince Marcy gave me when I was single and dating a bunch of toads.)

With everything packed away, I show my real talent for moving. I have mastered the art of tracking my belongings and minimizing the frustration of not finding what you need after you move. This is box number 4 that I have packed and labeled with the number on all sides. Then I label the basics of what is in the box... Then genius comes in numbering each box in a notebook and then detailing what is in each box.

Later I will highlight each box number to indicate weather it will go into storage or with us.
I am a big fan of this method, but I really don't ever want to have to use it again ;)

Snow is in the Air

2010-12-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

So, this year is projected to be a snowy one for the NW states, and where there is snow there are also power outages, impassable roads, and frozen pipes.
The question is: How do YOU prepare for this?

What do you have a year supply of?

2010-10-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Kevin went to Home Depot last night and got really excited over finding the energy efficient light bulbs on sale for 1/4 of the price. He stocked up and got 6- 12 pack boxes of them.
He was pointing out to one of our friends that now we had a year supply of them. She giggled and said, "Yep, I'm certain they will be very helpful when the Apocolyse hits and the power grids go out."
It was kind of funny, but it did make me stop and think. I now want to make sure I stock up on some candles and matches.

I would like to mention that I do have a year supply of:

Laundry Soap
Light Bulbs
Frozen Berries
Cake Mixes
Frosting (Thanks Debbie for the tip)
Salt
Yams (I have 3 cans of yams that were given to us, so really it is like a 3 yr supply)

I have a 3 month supply of:

Mac & Cheese
Flour
Sugar
Rice
Pastas
Granola Bars (Snack Items)
Oats
Juice Drinks
Corn Bread
Pancake Mix
Pumpkin Pie Filling
Salad Dressing & Various Condiments

I know it is kind of obsure, but most of the foods can be cooked by itself or with only water.

What do you have in your storage?

Emergency Tool Kit

2010-10-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Kevin has been watching a show called The Colony. It is a reality show about a colony of people who have found each other after a massive virus has (supposedly) wiped out the population. It takes place in wiped out Katrina destroyed Louisianna. The people are half starved, with no electricy and dealing with invading groups of people who are also fighting to survive.
What caught my attention was how handy a basic set of tools would have been to this group. What are your thoughts on an emergency tool kit within your year supply or even 72 hour kit?

Recap- Homemade Laundry Detergent

2010-09-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

I did it! I made my own batch of homemade laundry detergent... and I now have the components to make a years supply. Yeah! I have tried it out and it works great! It smells clean and has really no odor when it comes out of the dryer. There are no perfumes or dyes to irritate the skin. It really is great. Here are some pics:

These are all of the ingredients.
When you grate the soap it looks like shredded cheddar cheese. I have also heard of chopping up a block and running it through the food processor.

When you melt down the soap melt it super slow.

After you mix the batch and let it sit it will gel up like runny jello.

A good tip is to funnel a portion into a recycled milk jug or detergent container. Then you just shake the container each time before you add it to your washer instead of stirring the 5 gallon bucket each time.

I also found this site that makes it in the dry form:
http://www.knittinandnoodlin.com/2008/07/homemade-laundry-detergent-a-tutorial/

I then went to Freddies and found a Mr. Steamy two pack for under $14. I just fill one up with water and throw it into the dryer with my wet clothes. This eliminates the need for fabric softener.

Because sometimes it's hard to be a Mom

2010-09-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

We had enrichment last night and it was all of self-preparedness. My favorite tip was how to make your own laundry soap and store enough components for a years supply.

Recipe:
1 bar Fels Naptha soap (grated with cheese grater)
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer, not baking soda)
1 cup Mule Team Borax

Put grated Fels Naptha in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Put dissolved soap in 5 gallon bucket and then add hot water to fill the rest of the bucket. Stir. Add Washing Soap and Borax and mix well. As it cools it will thicken. It helps to mix it every now and then as it cools to reduce thickness. If mixture becomes too thick, add hot water to thin to desired consistency. May be used immediately. Mix well before each use. Use 1/2 cup (normal) to 1 cup (heavy) or 1/4 for HE front loading washers.

Cost:
Winco has everything
Fels Naptha- $1.12 / bar
Washing Soda- $2.70 / about 6 cups
Borax- $3.76 / about 12 cups

To make a 5 gallon batch- $1.88
1/4 cup per load means 5 gallons will do 320 loads of laundry
Each load would cost $0.005875
For a family of five that made a batch about every other month a years supply would cost $13.08 and still leave you with half a box of Borax.

A tip for easier use is to find one of the juice pitchers that has a mixing paddle in it. Fill it with recently mixed soap and just pump it once or twice before each load. Refill as needed from the big bucket.

Cheap deals of the week.

2010-09-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you have just $10 to spend on food storage this week, I've got some ideas for you:

Fred Meyer has a coupon this week for cans of tomatoes or beans 2/$1, limit 10. If you had 2 coupons, you could stock up on 20 cans. I love that Fred Meyer usually has tons of extra ads at the store early on in the week - so it doesn't matter if you don't take the paper, you can still take advantage of the coupon savings.

Another good deal at Freddy's this week.

Albertsons has a deal on for Betty Crocker cake mixes and frosting - $1 each, if you buy 10. That's a pretty common sale price for the cake mixes, but a slightly better deal than usual for frosting.

What deals have you found this week?

Taking Stock, Re-Stocking.

2010-01-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over...the wedding has been celebrated...Alex had his birthday. All my excuses for living in the bunker for the last month or so are done. Time to refill the shelves.

Steve and I made pretty good progress yesterday with restocking the shelves...I still need to go to one or two stores to finish up...then we'll be good to go. For us, this is an ideal time to get our bunker in order - there are no big financial commitments for at least a few weeks, so all of our household discretionary funds can be used for stocking back up.

Is it time for you to examine your preparedness? If not, when?

Another Good Reason to Have a Bunker...

2009-12-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

This month we not only had Steve's birthday, but also a wedding shower, an upcoming wedding AND Christmas. AND moving the newlyweds to Idaho. Oh, and Alex's birthday soon after. That's a lot of extra strain on finances. It's times like this that really make me glad that I don't have to spend too much on food and basic household supplies. I can stretch that food budget a bit to help with the other "incidentals".

An important aspect of this "rob Peter to pay Paul" is that we need to replace and restock as soon as it is feasible - that way we're still prepared for whatever life throws our way. And that's one thing you can count on....life will throw things.

Favorite Bunker Accessory

2009-10-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight is our ward's "Fall Festival". In the past this has just involved games, costumes and trunk or treating. This year they've added a soup and bread cook-off. I think it's a brilliant idea - get something into the kids before the candy.

I signed up a couple of weeks ago to bring soup. I figured I'd make something fabulous and homemade...this morning I downgraded my plans to great and semi-homemade. If you can call "6 Can Tortilla Soup" semi- homemade. I did open all the cans by myself. At home. I decided that it would be safer ( cough, cough) and more hygienic (snork, snork) for me not to have my hands (hack, hack) all over anything.

The hardest thing about making this soup - especially when making a double batch (12 cans), is bringing all those cans upstairs from the bunker. Say hello to my little friend. I found this retired Safeway hand basket at the Hillsboro Goodwill. Little did I realize what a handy helper it would be.

How would you spend $15?

2009-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

We've been in the Bunker for nearly a week and a half. Steve and I spent a little money yesterday at Costco on totally non-bunker related stuff (engagement pictures, etc..) We didn't spend ANY money on food there. I was slightly tempted, but really, $15 doesn't go very far at Costco.

I may go to the store today. Maybe. We will probably run out of milk this morning - so I could spent 3 or 4 dollars buying a weeks worth of milk. I'm trying to decide what else to buy....

What would you spend your $15 on??

Thrifty Nifty Ideas

2009-10-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

So, from the bunker I have made homemade playdough. I did nearly deplete my salt storage, but think I'll be ok for the next week or so.

Playdough is surprisingly easy to make. I'm not a huge fan of the stuff, I've have one too many run ins with it being ground in the carpet for playdough to be a friend to me. Never the less, my kids love it.

Playdough

Flour 3 cups
Salt 1 1/2 cups
Water 3 cups
Vegetable Oil 2 TB.
Cream of tartar 1 TB
Food coloring few drops or unsweetened "Kool-Aid" 1pkg.

Mix ALL of the ingredients in a large saucepan.
Cook over medium low heat, until the dough comes away
from the edges of the pan and it becomes difficult to move the spoon. Remove from heat. Cool until it can be handled.
Place on counter or wax paper knead 3-4 times.
Store in an air tight container.

One week in the Bunker

2009-10-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

I was sure that being in the bunker this time would be a total slam dunk. After all, I had prior experience and this time we get to spend a little bit of money (if we choose to). Our bunker looked fully stocked. Ready, set go...yeah, go and get sick the very next day.

Here are some of my thoughts about being sick while in the bunker:

I've been glad to have a freezer with plenty of homemade soup stocked in it.
I feel less inclined to make things from scratch - I couldn't even smell the bread that I made on Thursday.
I don't take over the counter remedies very often - so they are not part of my storage.

I was talking to Tia about whether or not buying some Sudafed (or other cold remedy) should count against the bunker. She wisely reminded me that having medications is on the list of things we should have in our emergency preparedness stuff.

I'm glad we're doing this again - and I'm happy(ish) that I will be able to take away a lesson this time...I think our family will be working on our first aid/medical supplies when we exit the bunker.

Systems Failure

2009-10-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've fallen and I can't get up. Try as I might we only made it 4 1/2 days in the bunker before all Heck broke loose and I ended up buying dinner. It was either that or committing Hari Kari (don't you have to be able to spell it to do it?) so it happened. I had a terrible, awful, no good, very bad day and then had to run around like a chicken to pick up or drop off my kids hither and yon. Then I had to peel a whole bag of Costco potatoes (my hands hurt too!) before I broke down. But I'm back in the Saddle Again tomorrow - I promise!

Why do I want to talk like Jacque Cousteau now?

2009-10-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Remember those Jacque Cousteau specials where he talks very fluidly about the life of some obscure sea slug that we all wanted to know more about by the time he was done talking? Well, I want him to narrate our bunker time....so, put on your best Jacque voice and...

Zee small light children were amazed at zee deftness of zhere modder's cookeeng skills. Watch zee modder as she feeds her children zee ham and cheese fritata wiss candied carrots. See zee children sneer and turn away as if zhey know she is poisoning them. See zhem run away to find zheir own food....

Day two of the bunkering wasn't nearly as good....

Hunkered In

2009-10-19T19:22:00.001-07:00

Well, we started our Hunker in the Bunker today. I didn't really cheat by having turkey leftovers the first night did I? We are going for a goal of the entire time Jim is gone (10 days) plus 2 or 3 while he is home - he was not a fan of the idea to say the least.

The kids thought it was fun (the first night). We'll see how they are on night 6 or 7....

Hunker in the Bunker II

2009-10-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

We were going to start tomorrow - but hey, I'm not going to the store today anyway, so today it is.

Are you in?

Pumpkin Soup

2009-10-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

I was going to make soup in a pumpkin yesterday - until I realized that all of our big pumpkins are doing Halloween decoration duty on the porch right now. I do have lots of smaller pumpkins, so I ended up trying out a recipe for pumpkin soup. Pumpkin/Acorn Squash Soup.

I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com...then I found another one there....then I read the reviews....then I ended up sort of combining the two recipes and making some changes of my own. So here goes:

Pumpkin Soup

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage, browned and drained
6 cups chicken stock (I used Better than Bouillon)
4 cups pumpkin puree (I used a mix of pumpkin and acorn squash)
1/2 cup chopped onion (I sauteed these first, to soften them)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I used evaporated milk)
2-4 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Heat stock, pumpkin, sauteed onions, thyme and garlic in a big pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

2. Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time!!!) using the blender.

3. Return to pan and add cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes. Stir in cream.

Pretty simple, really. You could use canned pumpkin puree and it would be even easier. I think I will play around with the spices some next time I make it and try a spicier sausage. It came out a tad sweeter than I expected and tasted more like chicken soup than pumpkin - but that was okay with us. A great way to sneak vegetables onto the table.

Nag, nag, nag.

2009-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm gearing up for another month in "The Bunker". I need to restock my freezer some and fill in a few gaps that haven't been replenished this month - while I've had double the mouths to feed.

We're hunkering down next Monday or Tuesday (when Stephanie and Cory leave).

Are you ready???

apocalypse...soon

2009-10-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

So....it's now October and almost time for the Bunker Buddy "Living in the Bunker" Inaugural Fall Challenge.

Okay, okay, that's not what we're really calling it. But it is nearly time for the challenge. You can look at the previous post for rules...this is just a reminder that you should be looking at your food supply and seeing what you think you need to replenish/stock up on.

In May I learned that we didn't have enough variety of fresh/frozen veggies. This summer we managed to freeze strawberries, cherries, blueberries and apples. We should still have fresh apples out on one of our trees...and carrots in the garden. We also have a bumper crop of pumpkins and some acorn squash and spaghetti squash. I know we'll want more mixed berries from Costco (we're a bit addicted to smoothies). We'll also want some more frozen veggies.

What do you need? When will you start? (We're going in on either the 19th or 20th of this month...after Stephanie and the grandkids leave)

What's in YOUR Bunker?

2009-08-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

So.....I've talked to a few of you about a new bunker challenge. Here's the rules:

30 days (I'm going from October 20-November 20 - adjust your dates as needed)

$15 a week for grocery/household items (normal grocery store/Costco stuff..)

we'll see who has the most money left over at the end (Tia's idea).

Now would be a good time to look at what your family eats, make up a sample menu, and then start stocking up. You've got 2 months.

Go.

And so it begins....

2009-08-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

My tomatoes have started turning red this week. It looks like we'll have a ton. What would you do with a ton of tomatoes?

When Life Gives You Pits....

2009-07-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

...buy a cherry pitter. $14.99 at Fred Meyer. Works pretty much just like a hole punch. Easy as pie. Cherry pie.

Our cherry trees are providing a bumper crop this year. I need to let my neighbor know that the rest of the cherries on the trees are fair game. In the meantime, I'm thinking our 4th of July dessert will prominently feature cherries.

Cherry Baby

2009-06-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Steve and I came home to our cherry trees full of ripe cherries. What to do with them? I found a recipe online for fresh cherry turnovers. They were okay...a bit more labor intensive than I really like, but Steve gave them a big thumbs up. Of course, any excuse to have ice cream results in a thumbs up for Steve.

The Thinning of the Kale

2009-06-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

I finally went out and thinned the kale yesterday. I pulled up lots of plants - but before tossing them in the yard waste can I cut their leaves off.

Thanks to Pat for the suggestion of just rinsing, cutting them up and freezing them. That's my kind of preserving. It only has one more step than what I do with my blueberries. I can handle that.

In honor of the harvested kale I believe I will make some Zuppa Toscana.

Leafy Greens, Anyone?

2009-06-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Now that we've had a week or so of hot weather, the garden seems to be burgeoning left and right. I desperately need to get out there and thin the spinach, kale, onions and carrots. I am pretty sure that we planted way too many pumpkins - but I'll let them grow. Not only is it a vegetable that Danny will actually eat, but also a useful fall decoration.

Question: Has anyone out there ever frozen kale? If so, how? I think I will have a bumper crop.

Out of the Bunker

2009-06-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Still Life, With Fruit.

We made it. Thirty-one days in the Bunker. No trips to the grocery store.

How did we do? For the most part, just fine. My list of things that I wish I had is surprisingly short. Sour cream, baked beans (I could have made some from scratch - I do have all the ingredients), fresh produce (we did what we could...) and ham. I know Alex missed milk - but he didn't really complain about the powdered milk...he just didn't drink much of it.

We could continue on with the experiment longer - but I think we've already gained valuable experience in what we need to survive (A secret stash of chocolate helps).

I saved up a lot money from my household budget...I now need to restock...look out Costco, here we come.

Looking For A Zebra in a Flock of Ducks

2009-05-31T12:19:00.001-07:00

So, Tylor has been sick for 15 days. He is nauseous, dizzy (even laying down), no appetite (has lost 6 lbs so far), and food/liquid makes matters worse (doesn't matter what kind). We have been through one, "If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck then it's probably a duck.", visit to the doctor and two other, "Well, it's not (blank, blank or blank).". Tylor has taken blood being drawn to the Medieval Torture level involving two smallish women, two regular sized guys and an Uber-mom hauling, dragging, kicking (I have bruises to prove it!) and screaming bloody murder, and I do mean bloody murder, to get done. We have now moved on from lower intestinal virus (still possible) to hepititus (nope) to liver issues (none) and several other things that weren't imortant enough for me to remember to an ultra-sound this Tuesday of his gallbladder. I told him it was brain surgery next ... made him smile. So, I was wondering if in our wealth of knowledge anyone has any thoughts on Zebras?

Report from the Bunker

2009-05-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Day 28

No "scurvy knaves" here.

We may not have much produce in the bunker yet...but we have a start. This morning I pulled up some radishes, snipped off some baby spinach leaves, pinched off some chives and then there's the parsley for garnish. Not too bad for someone with a "black thumb".

Only 4 days to go...including today.

From Trash to Treasure

2009-05-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

So, I got a call on Monday from a very thrifty friend of mine that she was wrapping up her garage sale & would I like to pick through a bit before she hauled it off to G-dub. Now, I don't know what this says about me, but whatever, I get a lot of free stuff because I am cheap. She had just been given a hand-me-down day bed from a family with 6 kids of which 4 had used it. It was a little too old-fashioned for her and missing a couple of bolts. Mind you, most of her wardrobe is from the '80s, & she carries it off. Ever the optimist, & knowing that a little black spray paint goes a long way, this is the result. I took the tacky brass off the bed and painted them silver with left over paint. Then roughed up the already roughed up '80's wood and gave it a new black shine. Total cost $10.22 for paint, $0 for bolts (because I am my father's daughter), $0 for the bed.
Niiiice!

Will Work for Pizza

2009-05-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

We just got home from 8 or 9 hours of home and garden improvement - over at Stephanie's house. Nathan pressure washed the back deck and helped weed whack. Alex and Danny traded off mowing and weed whacking the back (and front) forty. I primed my little heart out in the back bedroom. The bedroom that has dark real wood horizontal paneling. Which I hate. Which I really hated doing the second coat. Steve installed a shelving system in the pantry. And then had to modify it after I pointed out that none of Stephanie's tall canisters would fit on the shelves. Danny removed the handles from the upper kitchen cupboards and pressure washed the front steps. Alex helped paint and then scrubbed the stove.

I was feeling mildly guilty for eating the Little Caesar's pizza that Cory brought home for lunch. But it didn't spoil my appetite. Yes, the pizza was not from "the bunker" - but we didn't ask to be fed - and I sort of feel we earned a meal.

Garden update

2009-05-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the frost we had yesterday wasn't too bad - it doesn't look like anything died today...in the garden. The spinach and kale that I planted from seed are coming up just fine - I need to thin them out a bit.

I thinned my radishes a little today - they are starting to look like radishes...and taste like them too. I am not overly fond of radishes myself - if I eat one I better really be in the mood for it, cause I'll be tasting it the rest of the day. Right now I'm kinda looking forward to that - it's funny what a lack of fresh produce will do to a person.

Savoury Zuccinni Pancakes

2009-05-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a super easy pancake recipe that is good and good for you. No picture now- we ate the evidence too quickly.

1-2 small zucchini (about 1/3 zucchini per pancake) shredded and drained.
2-3 lg eggs (proportions on these two is as you prefer- but zucchini should be the 2-1 fave here)
3 T chopped parsley or something green- I used dried cilantro-it was good-spinach would be good.
A little salt or season salt ( your choice).
A little black or white pepper-depending on who you're cooking for.
Finely chopped green onion ( or any other onion finely chopped).
( I can think of a lot other things I could add but I stopped here-this time)

Heat a good skillet with a little olive oil in it on medium, medium high. Pour batter out in pancake size dollops. Flatten a little and let cook until brown on the cooked side and pretty well cooked through. Flip and cook until brown on that side too.

At this point you can top it with a little parmesan cheese and eat it plain or top it with ranch dressing made with low fat sour cream (we chose this- it was great!)

Makes a great brunch, lunch , or even dinner.

Kitchen Science

2009-05-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

We finished off a container of honey a couple of days ago - so I needed more. I have 2 half gallon containers of honey in our food storage - one was newish, the other oldish. The oldish one was nearly completely crystallized. I sort of dreaded spending a lot of time gently heating it so that the crystals would dissolve.

Then I had an idea. I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of it - but it still seemed pretty genius to me...put it in a crockpot. I put 3 jar rings in the bottom, loosened the lid on the honey, placed the honey container on top of the rings, then just filled it up with hot water and turned the dang thing to low. Worked like a charm. It took about 4 hours - give or take. I didn't have to constantly watch it - about once an hour I took it out and shook it up a little to see how it was doing.

Wahoo. Clear honey!

Hunker in the Bunker report

2009-05-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Day 16

We're past the half-way mark now. Supplies are holding out nicely - besides fresh milk and produce we're surviving quite well. I don't miss the milk (the boys might) - I do miss the produce (the boys might not).

Meal planning for a month at a time was a little challenging at planning time, but it has saved me a lot more time and questions like "what's for dinner" are no longer a challenge. Have we stuck completely to the menu? No. But we have used it for nearly all of out dinners so far.

There have been some side benefits. We have used less gas this month - no shopping trips for food. Nathan told me he still has the same $3 in his wallet that he had at the beginning of the month. Danny has fallen in love with my homemade bread.

I am looking forward to June 1st. Maybe I'll start working on my grocery list next week.

Make A Mix

2009-05-13T10:49:00.001-07:00

I've been making bread at least every other day. At least. In a effort to make it less of an effort, I decided to put together all the dry ingredients for our favorite bread. Now, when I have to make bread, I just pour the liquid ingredients in the bread machine, add the dry mix and top with yeast. After 2 1/2 hours in the bread machine the dough is ready to rise in pans for an hour, then bake at 350' for 30 minutes. Yes, 4 hours from start to finish, but the actual time I have to put in is about 10 minutes. Not too bad.

ONE MORE FABULOUS BREAD RECIPE TO TRY

2009-05-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Since we've all been somewhat focused on bread lately, I offer this wonderful easy & very quick homemade bread recipe. START TO FINISH IN 1 HOUR! Really! This makes a very light & tasty bread whether you make it with white 'bread flour' or 100% whole wheat or 1/2 & 1/2. It rises fully and has a very tender texture. My dear friend Beth makes it and I spent time with her watching the method. EASY/SHMEZY! I use my Bosch (as does she), but it's not required. Everything goes into the bowl all at once! So here's the recipe & I'd love to hear how you all like it.

10 1/2 cups white BREAD FLOUR (NOT all-purpose)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

3 rounded tablespoons SAF-INSTANT YEAST (must be saf instant)

2 eggs OR 3 Tablespoons liquid lecithin *

4 cups HOT tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs or lecithin and water. Mix for 1 minute & check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. Dough should be very sticky. Mix for 5 minutes. (do NOT add flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter & pans with Pam vegetable spray. Shape loaves & cover with dish towel. Let raise 25 minutes. Bake at 350' for 25 minutes. This recipe makes four loaves of bread.

*Squeeze or pour approximately 3 tablespoons of lecithin directly into the bowl...3 puddles approximately a 'quarter' size....Do not measure.

For whole wheat bread, use the same recipe but add one cup of applesauce as part of the hot tap water & add 1 additional tablespoon of lecithin (but not eggs). Mix for 10 minutes.

Lecithin is available at health food stores and Bosch/food store & bread making equipment stores. Check google for your local source.

Dad has fallen in love with this bread & just raves about it all the time.....and how easy can it be?

You cannot taste the applesauce in the whole wheat, but it does give it a very moist, tender texture.

Good luck!

ONE MORE THING! WE WISH YOU MOMS A VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY & KNOW YOU ARE LOVED MORE THAN YOU CAN KNOW. HAVE A TERRIFIC DAY!

Hunker in the Bunker report

2009-05-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

It's been one week.

One week in the bunker. Prudence dictates that we take stock of our supplies.

Hmmm... we still have plenty of nearly everything. Nearly. We're a little lower on butter than I'd like to be - but as long as we're careful we should do just fine. I definitely think twice about using recipes that call for a lot of butter.

There are some things that I miss. They all fall under the heading of fresh produce. Bananas. Apples. Leafy greens. Tomatoes.

I have to be more aware of certain foods getting low - if I'm low on bread, I need to make more - sooner rather than later. I also need to keep an eye on how much milk is in the jug.

3 more weeks to go.

Soft and Delicious 2-hour Wheat Bread

2009-05-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the bread recipe I promised Deb. I have made it many, many times and it is consistently good and soft ( not even I could mess it up). It makes about 4 loaves and freezes well. I used to make it entirely by hand, but a heavy duty mixer with a bread hook would probably speed things up a bit.

5 C warm water
2 T yeast
1/3 C honey
1/3 C potato flakes ( go food storage!)
1/3 C oil
2 eggs
1 T salt
4 C whole wheat flour
6-7 C Bread or All purpose Flour

Dissolve yeast per pkg instructions. Make a sponge using all ingredients ( preferably in order down to and including whole wheat flour and about 2 C other flour. Mix well. Let rest about 10 minutes. Add remaining flour gradually as needed to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface. At this point the recipe says to cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double. I would usually put it in a large preheated* ceramic bowl, pour a little olive ( or other) oil in and turn 'til all is moistened with oil and let rise there, loosely covering with plastic wrap or tea towel. It just raises a little quicker that way. Punch down and then shape into 4 loaves: place in 4 greased bread pans. cover and let rise again until double.

Bake at 350' for 30-40 minutes. Put hot bread on a towel and thoroughly cover with towels for a nice soft crust. Be sure to have it completely cooled before freezing.

*fill the ceramic bowl with very hot water after making the sponge. Drain and dry before putting bread dough in to rise.

Beef Stew-ish

2009-05-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

I tried a new crockpot recipe the other day. It was sorta like Beef Stragonoff using stew meat. I love pre-cubed stew meat and it's pretty cheap. So here it is:

--2 lbs stew meat

--2 T butter

--1/4 cup soy milk

--1 T gluten free worcestershire sauce

--1 T black pepper

--2 T dried minced onion

--1/4 cup beef broth

--1/2 t kosher salt

--1 t herbs de provence

--1/2 block of cream cheese (not pictured)

Cook on low for 10 hours.

I changed it a bunch and would have added one more ingredient. Keep the butter and the worchestershire sauce, pepper, onion, add au jus (instead of beef broth because that's what I had), salt, some oregano, and I didn't add but would have added one can of Cream of Chicken soup to thicken this up a bit. Add sour cream to it at the end and pour on cooked noodles. Made it in the morning and ate it in the evening. Pretty good and I really like slow cooking stew meat. Everyone liked it but the sauce was thin.

Did I mention that it threw together in 5 minutes?

Dutch Bread II

2009-05-05T13:22:00.001-07:00

I gave Sherri's Dutch Crunch Bread recipe a whirl. I have to admit to some skepticism. There was nothing magic in the ingredients....so......

Before putting in the oven- is this what it's supposed to look like?

After baking for 30 minutes.

I was still skeptical. Sure, it looked good, but that's not why we make bread. It's got to taste good and have great texture.

Verdict:
Surprisingly good. I will definitely try this again. I'm not totally in love with the crunchy topping - so I might try it without - but the rest reminded me of kaiser rolls (which I love). The crunchy topping was a little too crunchy for me - but that may have been because my home ground rice flour was coarser than store bought.

I will make these into rolls next time instead of loaves. I might try adding crushed garlic, rosemary, thyme and basil (the seasonings in my Garlic Herb Bread).

Thank you Sherri!

Hunker in the Bunker report

2009-05-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

(shhh. keep your voice down).

Day 4 in the bunker.

Supplies are holding out well. We shared a meal made with some of our storage yesterday with a young mother and her children (Cory is in Washington D.C. - secret mission). Tonight we have guests again. How long will our food hold out?

Actually, we're doing fine so far. That's not too surprising - I'll be more interested in seeing how we are doing after a couple of weeks of no shopping.

I can already see that we are going through jam at a much higher rate than previously. That's due to the increased frequency of having warm, homemade bread coming out of the oven. Butter and honey are likewise going a little faster. I'm a little concerned about the butter. When it's gone, it's gone.

A friend of mine at church told me that she had ordered a can of dehydrated butter. It sounds weird, but hey...if it's any good I'd be willing to give it a go. Unfortunately she hasn't opened it to try it out. Has anyone else tried it? I'd like to know if it's any good...or just a good "idea" (better in thought than in actual practice).

Pita Bread Machine Recipe

2009-05-03T16:59:00.001-07:00

When Mom gave me her fresh ground wheat flour, I used it on a recipe for pita bread. When you partner with the bread machine, making pita bread isn't much harder than making rolls. I found that my pockets puffed more reliably if I only stretched them out to six inch rounds. Any thin "windows" in the dough will prevent it rising.
If you are using the pockets promptly (i.e.-your gyros are already hot and tzatziki mixed) you can probably skip the wet towel, but if they sit out they will become brittle and not slice neatly.
This Pita Bread Machine Recipe is from associatedcontent.com. The white pita bread recipe is listed on the first page, the whole wheat is on the second page.

Gardening Wannabes

2009-05-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

We (I'm using the "royal we") put "dirt" in our first planter today. First, Steve leveled the dirt that was already in it. Then he had Danny spread a layer of newspapers to help keep down weeds.

Next, it was time to make the planting mix. Peat moss, compost(s), vermiculite and perlite were mixed together in a secret combination. Well, I guess it's not too secret - Steve would be happy to share it...

To mix all that stuff, Steve dumped it on a large tarp and then he and the boys turned it. After turning it and mixing, it was then time to dump it in the planting bed.

Now we just have to figure out what all to plant...I feel some impulse shopping coming on. Any suggestions?

Calling All Gardners (or wannabes)

2009-05-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

I do not have a green thumb, but I'd like to give it a go this year. This is one area on the side of the house that gets morning sun, what should I attempt to plant here? The kids have already started harvesting the weeds as you can see.
Michael is on board with tearing out some rosebushes and putting in some railroad ties to square off an area for a garden. So, do we make it one railroad height or two? It's right next to the walkway, will that be awkward? How deep does the dirt need to be? This will have full afternoon sun.
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

And so it begins....

2009-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Day 1

In the bunker. Our supplies are cut off. We now have to make do with what we have. I can already tell I'm going to miss fresh produce. Hopefully that will give me more incentive to work on the garden - really try and get stuff to grow.

Tonight's menu: Indonesian pork roast, rice, Chinese vegetables.

30 Days to a Better You

2009-04-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Things I bought to swell my meager food storage:

2 cartons salt
3 extra spaghetti noodle boxes
3 lbs Beanland mix (it really is that good)

Yes, yes, baby steps all but the journey of a thousand miles, et cetera, et cetera...

All Hail the Dutch!

2009-04-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Deb keeps posting about wheat this, healthy that, her plants on water rations so I thought I would chime in as her not-so-healthy but really tasty nemesis - White Bread Girl! I have been playing with a Dutch Crunch recipe and think I have it now. I have a pic but it's stuck in my camera...sorry!

Dutch Crunch Bread

2 - 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 110F)
1 - 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm milk (105 to 110F)
2 - 1/2 to 3 - 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar

Topping

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110F)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup white rice flour (Not sweet rice flour)

Bread: In a large bowl combine yeast, water, milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast is absorbed. Add vegetable oil, salt, and about 2 cups of flour. Stir until well mixed. Add remaining flour a couple of tablespoons at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out on to a lightly flour surface and knead for about 4 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap (don't stick it around the dough just cover the top). Let rise about 1 hour until double in size.

Once dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into either two medium sized loaves or into 10 to 12 rolls. Place on a lined baking sheet: cover & let rise for 15 minutes while you prepare the topping.

Combine all topping ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Let it stand until the rolls are done rising.

Spread a generous layer of topping on each roll (think of it as a spooned on icing) - don't worry if it runs on to the pan. Let rise for another 20 minutes.

Bake at 375' for 20 to 25 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes. To reheat place in foil in 375' oven for 10 minutes.

Round Foot Gardening

2009-04-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

The day after tomorrow our family is going to start our "hunker in the bunker".

I planted some of my deck planters this morning. Just in case we need some extra oxygen in the bunker. Considering the fact that I have a "black thumb", if we actually get anything BUT oxygen (such as vegetables) it will be nothing short of a miracle. I planted one tomato plant, one green pepper, two peas, chives, parsley, and several flowers(that way it won't be SO depressing if the veggies don't grow). I also planted seeds for radishes and spinach.

I don't think we'll be harvesting any vegetables during May - a few herbs maybe - it will be unlikely that we'll get anything else. I will try and take very good care of my little deck garden. Whenever I am wishing for fresh produce, I'll go out and water....

...I hope they don't drown.

TVP Thursday

2009-04-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

(I made this meal on Thursday)

The ingredients.

Vegetarian Black Beans and Rice.

Into one medium size pot add:
1 can black beans
1 can pureed black beans
2 bay leaves
a handful each of dried onions and dried peppers
about a cup of sausage TVP
about a cup of water - maybe a cup and a half

Bring to a boil and then simmer for a little while. Serve over rice.

The verdict:

Alex just kept going back for more. I liked it a lot. Steve liked it a lot. Nathan liked it. Danny wouldn't try it (try not to be too shocked - he did eat a lot of the Honey-Wheat Bushman's Bread). I usually make black beans and rice with regular sausage (Jimmy Dean), but found that I didn't miss the "real" sausage at all. This one's a winner.

This recipe for black beans and rice was made completely with food storage items.

$12.37

2009-04-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

A week from tomorrow we'll be starting our month long, self imposed food storage odyssey.

I have $12.37 left from last week's grocery money...I need to spend it by tomorrow.

What groceries would you buy if you only had $12.37?

Hunker in the Bunker 2009

2009-04-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

Several years ago we had some friends in our ward that spent an entire month only eating from their food storage. Yes, I thought they were nuts. Who would want to do something like that? Next month we will be that nutty family.

Starting on May 1st and continuing for the entire month our family will live off of our food/household storage. We discussed it last night at FHE. The boys were surprisingly receptive - although Danny did want to know if that meant we couldn't spend money on other stuff (computer, video games, etc...). After assuring him that we weren't going to include those things we made a menu for a month of meals. Well, we made a menu for most of a month of meals. I still need to fill in 2 or 3 days (Daniel's choice for those days was "mashed potatoes" - I need to add a main dish).

I plan to tape a piece of paper to the refrigerator that says "Things I WISH we had in our food storage!" We will perhaps use it to supplement our shopping list at the end of the month.

I don't plan to go shopping on April 30th and stock up on produce, milk, dry cereal, bread, etc...Nope. It will be a month of powdered milk (since I don't personally drink milk, this won't bother me much) and homemade bread. In fact, I don't think I will go grocery shopping at all next week - we'll just use up the milk and bread that we already have.

Wish us luck - you can contact us through short-wave radio, code phrase: "The Bunker"- later in the month we may change that to: "Tired of powdered milk - I want a Frosty!"

TVP Tacos

2009-04-16T18:00:00.001-07:00

Textured Vegetable Protein = TVP= meat substitute

We recently ordered a variety of TVP products from Shelf Reliance - taco, sausage, beef, ham and chicken. Over the next few weeks I plan on trying them all. Today's choice: Taco. Right now a #10 can of Taco TVP is on sale for $10.44. A case of 6 is $59.53. Each can supposedly has 40 servings (10 cups dry TVP).

It was simple to make - pour 1 1/4 cup boiling water over 1 cup TVP - let sit for 10 minutes. That's all. That made enough taco "meat" for 9 tacos, and one taco salad. Fairly close to 1 lb. of hamburger. It also meant that dinner was ready in 10 minutes. It usually takes me 10 minutes to defrost my meat, then another 10 to 20 to cook and season it.

Verdict:

Not bad - the boys and Steve wolfed it right down.

Did it taste like taco meat? Close enough.
How was the texture? It was a little softer than ground beef - but not mushy.
Will we use this again? Yes. While not quite the same as meat, it worked well in this application - and was a lot easier and less messy to prepare than ground beef.
Overall I'm pleased to add this to our food storage.

I'm thinking of trying the sausage next week - working it into black beans and rice. We'll see.

Wheat bread Wednesday

2009-04-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's fairly successful foray into making wheat bread I decided to give it another try today...I searched for wheat bread recipes on Google and found a winner. This. Bread. Is. Awesome.

I found it on cdkitchen. com - and thanks to a few rave reviews and helpful hints from reviewers, I decided to give it a go. I changed a few of the original ingredients and amounts(sorry, I'm not putting instant coffee into bread).

Outback Steakhouse Honey Wheat Bushman Bread (Bread Machine)

1/2 cup water
1 cup evaporated milk (or combine liquids to 1 1/2 cups water and add 1/4 cup powdered milk)
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon molasses
2 1/4 cup bread flour
2 1/4 cup wheat flour
4 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
cornmeal for dusting

Place all ingredients into the bread machine and process on dough setting. I opened it up after a few minutes and scraped down the sides. Let rise for 1 hour (I just let the dough cycle run its course). I then turned the bread machine back on to let it knead for a minute.

Remove from pan and divide into 8 portion. Form portions into tubular shaped loaves. Place on two cookie sheets (I have silicone mats that I use on my cookie sheets). Spray lightly with Pam, then sprinkle cornmeal on loaves. Cover and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake at 350' for 25-30 minutes. Be prepared for some pretty awesome aromas emanating from your oven. Makes 8 small loaves (about the equivalent of 3 dinner rolls each).

Verdict:

Nathan: 8.8 out of 10. A solid B+. "It looks like Artisan bread".
Alex: 8.5.
Danny: 11. Yes, 11.
Steve: 9.5
Me: I'm going with Steve on this one - 9.5. I didn't even have to make honey butter - you could taste the honey in it. The loaves were easy to cut - Danny was able to cut fairly thin slices with a steak knife. Dense texture without being heavy. This is a great, slightly sweet, wheat bread. Next week: I'm going to try and adapt my garlic-herb bread. Mmmm.

Wonder Bread

2009-04-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, it's not "Wonder Bread"...but it wasn't half bad either.

We tried out our wheat grinder last night for FHE - it works just fine - especially with kids turning the handle. I used a recipe from my bread machine cookbook:

Multigrain Bread

(it says it makes a large loaf - but I made 3 small loaves)

1 1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/3 cup bread flour
1 1/3 cup wheat flour
1 cup 7-grain cereal
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons yeast

After it had gone through the "dough" cycle on the bread machine I turned it back on to knead again for a few minutes - then divided it into 3 and put into greased (Pam) loaf pans. After it rose for 1 1/2 hours (longer than I planned - I was late getting back from physical therapy) I cooked it at 375' for 30 minutes. We tried it out while it was warm - with honey butter...mmmm.

Verdict (out of 10 with 10 being the best):

Steve: he gave it an 8...after raving about it. I think his lowish score might be a ploy to get me to try it again.
Nathan: 7. It was good.
Alex: 7.5.
Danny: 10. He also gave the honey butter a 10.
Me: I think 7 or 8 would be fair. I found the 7 grain cereal to be a little crunchier than I really wanted - it was a little too coarse. I would like to try this recipe again, but use some 10 grain cereal that I picked up - it has a finer texture. Besides, if 7 grain is good, 10 should be better, right?

Tradition

2009-04-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

So, because I can't figure out how to post on my blog anymore, you get this here. I am reminded of The Fiddler on the Roof anytime I do perform a "Tradition". So, here is to you Mom and your Easter Bunny.

Hard Boiled, Scrambled, Over Easy, and Sunny Side Up

2009-04-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

Now that we have the eggs hard boiled, what do you do with them?

My kids are going to have egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs. I thought that it'd be a good cooking lesson. If they make it, they will eat it.

Doilies

2009-04-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

What does a box of food coloring have to do with doilies? Among the seminary teachers at my building we refer to any lesson extras (handouts, treats, rewards, etc...) as "doilies". It's a nice reminder to keep it real...but that doesn't mean we don't use them from time to time. The same is true for food storage. It's great to have all the staples, but it makes life more fun in the bunker if we can tart things up a bit at times. Food colors are an example of something pretty unnecessary - but fun. I was nearly out - and since this is what I use to dye Easter eggs I picked some up, plus one extra for storage. That's my food storage doily for the week.

What "doilies" would you put in your bunker?

To My Peeps

2009-04-08T22:22:00.001-07:00

I have yet to buy Easter candy to put in baskets. What are your favorite things to put in your baskets?

A Day To Dig In

2009-04-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, Friday was my day to dig in and accomplish everything before everything got out of hand. I had one final playgroup with 6 rowdy 4-5 yr old boys. I had one birthday party to get through before August. And I one day to prep before a crew of 10 inexperienced elders quorum members descended on our home to help with the siding.
I took Dad's method of make a list and check it off. Playgroup went well. When in doubt, have them build with sugar. We built igloos with big and little marshmallows and I was definately a big hit. Check!
Ana's party included 6 other girls and a movie party. My hubby had his doubts, but was pleasantly surprised that they remained thoroughly entertained and relatively calm for 3 hours. (a small tip: never exceed the 2 1/2 hr party limit) Check!
And fianlly I have learned that you only get to what you can get to. The prep had to wait until 8am on Sat. It did get done and I was able to Check it off my list.

FOOD STORAGE 101

2009-04-03T14:16:00.001-07:00

Here's a couple of plans that may be of help to get going on food storage. Yes, I know it's probably more than $5 a week now and is pretty basic. But you can add the items that your family loves and would make it tolerable.

Apologies for the placement format..... again I'm having trouble getting things to go where I want them to go! It's soooo frustrating and I'm sure there are things I'm doing wrong. If you have any clues, let me have it! I tried to place each plan side my side or at least in order! Oh well, hope it helps someone!

Begin Again

2009-04-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

After famously admitting that my "food storage" consisted of dented cans of pineapple chunk and french cut green beans I found a good deal of comfort in this Ensign article (read the whole thing here):

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) suggested that Church members adopt a simpler approach to home storage.

“We can begin ever so modestly,” President Hinckley explained. “We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.”1

Sister Jeffries notes that “the beauty of this system is its appropriateness for families just starting their storage programs, as well as for those living in small homes and apartments, where space is at a premium. President Hinckley clearly recognized that change and adaptation are needed so that all of us might benefit from the Lord’s inspired program.”

Research shows that these common longer-term food storage items, if they are properly packaged and stored at or below room temperature (75 degrees F; 24 degrees C), remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought. Even after long-term storage, these foods can help sustain life in an emergency.

Food	Shelf-Life Estimate in Years
Wheat	30+
White Rice	30+
Corn	30+
Pinto Beans	30
Dried Apple Slices	30
Macaroni	30
Rolled Oats	30
Potato Flakes	30
Powdered Milk Debbie has organized me beautifully and pointed out all the places that have room for increase so you'll be hearing about my long-term food storage adventures in the coming months.	20

When the load seems too heavy

2009-03-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you're human, you have trials! And sometimes they seem too heavy to bear. We, as a family have a few burdens to bear these days. Some are heavier than others, BUT, with prayer and faith we can overcome them all. Knowing our Savior took ALL of our sins & trials, gives us
strength to continue forward.

Our hearts are with Kevin & Tia & their family. They have great faith and know Heavenly Father is watching over them at this time. He knows EXACTLY what is going on in their lives and loves them very much, as He does us all.

We all need to make our family's trials a sincere matter of prayer. It's even advisable to make a list of your present concerns & have it in hand while on your knees. I have done this and it really helped me to pray with more intent because I didn't need to worry I may have forgotten something.

Thank you all for your prayers! Dad & I pray for you ALL every day and know our Heavenly Father hears and answers.

Shelf-A-Palooza

2009-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

I'm heading down to Portland in a few hours - I'll come bearing gifts...a carpet remnant from when we recarpeted Alex's room...
...and 5 pounds of "Beanland Mix".

Keira bought two sets of these shelves at Costco.

I'm looking forward to her "after" photos of at least one section of her garage.

Choose me, NO, choose ME.....CELL PHONE DILEMMA

2009-03-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

I NEED HELP! We've been 'off-contract' for several months now; we need new phones and I don't know what to choose! We have two pretty basic phones now and frankly, dad doesn't need one any more complicated. So I'll probably just go with the 'free' one for him. I, however, think I would like to try something with more 'bells & whistles' to play with. I "think" I'd like the ipod phone, but it's not available with Verizon. But maybe I'm not smart enough to run it anyway! So all you techno-brains out there, PLEASE help me decide. Keep in mind, I'm on a budget too. (I've been looking at Amazon.com for their deals & am open to other sites as well as the Verizon store.) We'll be adding our cell phone acct to our Qwest bundle on the 5th of April to save a couple of bucks a month, if that makes a difference.

And btw, what does it mean when they sell "UNLOCKED" phones? Can anyone use them with ANY provider? Just a question, not planning to spend that much.

So thanks in advance for all your help! (Did you notice all the pics I choose are purple or pink phones? And yes, Deb, my new camera is pink too!) think I'm in a rut!

Label Love

2009-03-24T11:01:00.001-07:00

A couple of Christmases ago I got Steve this label maker. I'm not sure it really qualifies as a "gift" - since I use it a million times more often than he does. It wasn't very expensive - under $20 at Staples - but I have found it to be priceless.

I cleaned out my pantry and one kitchen cupboard on Saturday. (Thank you to everyone who inspired me!) After tossing out all the old cartons of food I had lots of extra space. I'd already relocated all my canned goods to the basement, so I took the opportunity to fill some canisters with food items that we are currently using. Out came the trusty label maker - and there you go. Organized AND beautiful.

Spring Cleaning

2009-03-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Tia has been a total "worthy" for at least 15 years now on the subject of spring cleaning. I remember when I was 16 and the parents left us home with Joe and Sara that week. I wanted to read, Tia wanted to clean. She had this whole program for home beautification. I wasn't about to throw a wild party but my bar was set at a reachable goal--not burning down the house.

Tia is still cleaning her way through spring break and I'm still not burning down the house.

My goal this year, though, is tackling that assorted miscellany we call the garage. Tia would be so proud. Here's my "before".

Costco Samples

2009-03-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love samples at Costco? Around the holidays you can practically get a full meal wandering around the store. Yesterday I tried the hash browns. I'm not saying they're as good as homemade...but they aren't bad.

One large carton of dehydrated hash browns(with 66 1/2 cup servings) was $5.39. To rehydrate simply add equal parts potatoes and boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes. The instructions say to drain them - but the batch I made didn't have any leftover liquid. After that you can fry them. They had a surprisingly decent texture.

I'm wondering if these might also be good in a soup. Hmm. I might have to do a little research and development on that. Luckily I also picked up some "Better than Bouillon" ($6.89 for 16oz. jar). Now to find a way to use them together.

What have you sampled at Costco...and liked?

Deferred Maintenance

2009-03-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

When my kids were young I had a tough time keeping my house clean. That is probably a law of nature....I think it relates to entropy or maybe chaos theory...anyway, now that my children are able to clean up after themselves and do chores by themselves, I have flattered myself that keeping my house clean was easy. Yeah, right.

Since breaking by wrist nearly 7 weeks ago I have been chagrined at how fuzzy around the edges my house has become. It's time to come up with a plan of action - seldom before have I had the urge to "spring clean" like I do now. Considering the fact that even when (and if) my cast come off next week my arm will still be fairly painful, I need a carefully considered plan of attack. Playing into my hands is the fact that Alex and Nathan have 1 1/2 weeks off of school - starting this Thursday. One or two rooms a day. We can do it.

Do you have a plan of attack? What works for you? What doesn't?

Wheat Grinder

2009-03-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

I don't have the plans for how to make a wheat grinder. However, once you get the two stones together so they rotate against each other you need a way to power them. Rubbing stones together by hand gets old fast. It might be easier to get your exercise and flour at the same time.

Debbie and I used to have this wheat grinder. I can't believe we no longer have it. I don't remember what we did with it. Real stone ground wheat must be better for you than the metal grinders sold now. After all, the flour gets mineral enriched when ground.

Wheat for man....

2009-03-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Need some help here. Wynn is looking for a homemade wheat grinder blueprints or instructions ( with pictures if possible!!!). Low cost , of course.
Anybody have any plans or ideas?

Get Rid & Go Green

2009-03-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

You know I am just in a get-rid-of-all-of-it mood right now. I have several posts on Craig's list and was being frustrated by the number of questions concerning old i-pods and electronic stuff. So, I found another way of dumping this stuff. Got to www.gazelle.com to calculate the value of your used cell phones, MP3 players, camcorder or computers. They will send you a box with prepaid postage so you ship it right to them. The old items are resold or recycled: you can also donate them to a charity listed on the website. If you can't sell an item to them - say a monitor just isn't functioning any more - they will recycle it for you so it isn't sitting in a landfill. This is a go-green idea that can make getting rid of those unwanted items easier than you thought!

WORD OF WARNING.....AGAIN

2009-03-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Now don't get me wrong.....plastic has it's place in our kitchens, BUT NOT IN THE MICROWAVE! There have been many rumors about this issue, but I'm convinced now that it is detrimental to our health and our children's health. I quote a recent release from the Journal of the American Medical Association: "Even "microwave-safe" products release the toxin bisphenol-A (BPA) when heated. BPA has been shown to cause neurological and developmental damage in lab animals. It is found in hard clear plastic, the linings of metal food cans, trays for frozen food, microwaveable soup containers and plastic baby-food packaging. Researchers are especially concerned about how the chemical affects fetuses & newborns, whose systems are not fully developed. Manufacturers have begun to remove BPA from their products. In the meantime do NOT microwave or heat food in ANY type of plastic container." So go ahead and use it all you want for storage, but please don't heat in it, no matter what the Tupperware lady says!

THIS IS A NO NO!!!!>>>>>

Happy Accident...With a Dash of Prevarication

2009-03-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to get fancy with cooking when you only have one arm to work with...so my crockpots have been doing the "heavy lifting" this past week. My family, for the most part, is fairly tolerant about meals (Danny being the lesser part, usually). Today's effort was a little bit of a gamble. I had the leftover ham bone from Sunday's awesome ham, and I wanted to make soup with it. Usually I would use it to make lentil soup - everyone in my family will eat it - Nathan especially seems to love it. Well, my lentil soup recipe calls for some chopped onion and carrots. Chopping vegetables isn't on my current list of activities. So I tried something different.

Beanland Soup with Ham

2-3 cups "Beanland" mix, rinsed (I picked it up in the bulk section of Winco - it doesn't seem to really have beans in it - it did have a couple of varieties of lentils, split peas, rice, barley, and maybe two or three other things)
8-10 cups of water (you can add more later on if it looks too thick)
4 chicken bouillon cubes
small handful dehydrated onion
seasoning - I used rosemary, thyme, parsley and a little pepper

Dump it all in a crockpot and cook for 4 or 5 hours.

I wouldn't bother to post this recipe except that Daniel ate 3 bowls of it. One of those AFTER I admitted to the onions and he figured out there were split peas in it. The hardest thing about making this (for me) was unwrapping the stinking bouillon cubes.

HELP! NEED YOUR ADVICE!

2009-03-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

So, you may have noticed the 'blank acreage' displayed on my latest blog!

I PROMISE! I DIDN'T LAY IT OUT LIKE THAT!

I worked and worked at making it look like the draft...going back and checking the layout over and over again; only to see all my work for naught! I've tried putting in the pics before I type text and putting them in after...makes NO difference...still ugly and space 'eating'! When I place the pics I try to move them around to be at least 'near' the text about them. BUT, I find it almost impossible to get them where I want.

So the question is: how do you write your posts and is there a certain 'program' (that I don't have) you use that automatically places things the way you wish them to be (or at least similar to the draft)? I would appreciate any tips you all may have. I hate wasting all that space and risking wrist injury due to the extreme amount of scrolling required just to read it!

I will dutifully follow said advice and give all credit due.

Thanks in advance!

Dinner in Five...

2009-03-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Step one: break your arm. Either one will do.
Step two: ask husband to "come here for just a sec...I need a little help" (batting eyelashes is optional at this point - with your arm broken it's practically unnecessary)

Ingredients:
6 lb. bone-in ham
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup real maple syrup
juice from two cans pineapple (or 2 cups pineapple juice)

Have husband place the ham, flat side down, in a large crockpot. Rub in the brown sugar, pour on syrup then juice. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Come home from 4 hours of church to an awesome aroma. Baste the ham once or twice after 4 hours. This was another great recipe from "a year of crockpotting" blog.

I just so happened to have the real maple syrup on hand (we are happy to use Mrs. Butterworth's imitation syrup on our waffles, but NOT on the Thanksgiving turkey - this syrup was left over from that meal). Very, very easy meal. It took about 5 minutes to put together and 5 hours to cook. The ham cut like butter. Nice. And from now on I can have Steve make ham.

Shopping Buddy

2009-03-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

Does Costco sometimes frustrate you because you would like to get those banana for 99 cents but you know you will be making banana bread when half go brown? Well, a friend of mine and I are testing a shopping buddy system. We made our separate lists and went to Costco together. We bought bananas, oatmeal, flour, sugar and several other things that are just too much at one time for either of us - along with the rest of our own list. We then went to my house and split everything into gallon baggies - carefully labeling and dating so we could see how long it took us to go through this first trial. We had the clerk make a separate receipt for the items so it was easily split. If this works then we are going to just let each other know when we go and what is on our list - we aren't going to be shopping for each other - but if it something I need as well we can split it. It was nice to shop with a friend and grab lunch so we plan to make a 4 to 6 week trip together too.

Slow Cooker Saturday

2009-03-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about Tamale Pie is how forgiving it is. I found a recipe for Tamale Pie made in a crockpot on the "year of crockpotting" blog. This is my variation of it. When Alex asked me what I was making for dinner I told him "tamale pie - it's another one of those Mexican dishes that uses the pretty much the same ingredients - just in a different order". He said "Peasant food".

So here's my version. This time. It will be different next time.

Filling:

1 lb. ground beef - cooked and drained (I put a little garlic salt on it while it was cooking)
1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 can corn - drained
1 can diced tomatoes (you could puree them if kids don't like the texture)
1 small can diced green chilies
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
diced onion to taste (I like fresh, but used dehydrated because I can't chop onions with my arm in a cast)
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese

Dump all of the above in a crockpot. I used my 1981 crockpot - I think it holds about 4 quarts. Stir well.

I was going to use a homemade cornmeal topping, but oops...no cornmeal. I made up 2 cups of Marie Callendar's cornbread mix with 1 cup water and dumped that on top (after lightly packing down the filling).

I covered and cooked for a little less than 2 hours on high, at which point I propped the lid slightly open with a chopstick so that the moisture could vent. I continued cooking for a total cooking time of 2 hours 45 minutes. The cornbread was cooked all the way through and we ate it up.

Judging:

Alex - 8.5 - "it's good." (he had thirds)

Steve - 7.0 - "it's edible and I'd have it again" (he had seconds - but admits that tamale pie isn't really a favorite of his anyway)

Me - 9.5 for execution, 7.0 for taste. I liked how easy this was - and how food storage friendly. I do like a good tamale pie but this one was a bit so-so as far as taste. I think I would doctor it up a little next time - fresh onions, diced green peppers, maybe some olives....I would also use my homemade cornmeal crust. Oh yeah, I'll be making this again.

Don't Inspect the Seams

2009-03-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

All new window treatments for under $70. Thanks for the tech support.

Free Range Shopper

2009-03-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

I like to do my grocery shopping solo. I'm a "get in, get it, get out" kinda girl. I don't spend a lot of time dallying in the dairy section, pausing in produce or meandering through the meat. Nope, have list, will travel.

I have had to revise my normal shopping routine lately. Since I haven't been driving I have had to have a designated driver. Tonight Steve is taking me. He has a whole different shopping style...he likes to take time to smell the_____(insert grocery item).

I've been working on making a "map" of my food storage shelves. For instance, I know just how many bags of brown sugar, boxes of Top Ramen, cans of black beans, etc... that fit - now when it's time to go shopping I just figure out how much of anything I'm short of - I just look at my map and know how much fits.

Hmmm...now I just have to figure out what's for dinner.

LI'L OLE LADY NEEDS ASSISTANCE

2009-03-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

No, it's not "I've fallen and get up" kind of assistance!
A few of us 'empty nesters' get together the 2nd tuesday afternoon from 2-4 and play games. ...THAT'S NEXT WEEK!

I need a few ideas of some group games that would interesting, but mostly fun and that a bunch of 'older' women would find hilarious or at the least mildly amusing!

So can you help a poor, li'l ole lady? Interactive with some guaranteed giggling will be much appreciated. No scripture chases please or anything that has a seriousness about it. We need to laugh in these times!

Thanks in advance. I KNOW how smart you all are! BTW, I'll be taking all the credit for your good ideas!

Simplify, simplify, simplify...

2009-03-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

A little culinary making-do might mean augmenting a fussy little recipe from a woman's magazine that might include Hungarian sweet pepper and Swiss chard into something I could throw together on any old weekend night. Real Simple has a "five easy dinners" segment that, this month, had a great stew. Only it wanted me to go buy couscous, chickpeas (a pointless food), baby spinach, toasted almonds, sweet potatoes (!) and dried apricots. The recipe reminded me of my house when I bought it--great bones, bad paint job. So, I decided to make it real simple (pun intended):

1.5 lbs beef chuck, cubed
2 red potatoes
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and juices
1 onion minced
2 slivered dried mangoes (a brief, bare nod to the apricots and wholly unnecessary)
2 tsp ground cumin
" ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
" cayenne
Kosher salt to taste

Throw it in the slow-cooker with a half cup water. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 7-8. I paired it with sharp cheddar grits (yum) to replace the couscous (my party affiliation preludes me from keeping couscous in the house).

The kids love this. The stew called for whole stewed tomatoes and onion wedges but the smaller sizes work better for my palate. It was spicy in an aromatic (not hot) way and I didn't have to go out and buy a whole lot of ingredients that I might never use again.

When is...

2009-03-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

I keep thinking that Easter is this month. Well, I'm wrong,
it's not until April 12th.

I thought this would be a good thing to share. Last year it was in March and it happened to snow on Easter. It was a little cold looking for eggs, but the kids didn't mind.

Dueling Crockpots

2009-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

I was talking to Sherri this morning and she said that when she told someone that she owned 2 crockpots they were surprised. "What do you need 2 crockpots for?"

I have two words for her: Dinner. Dessert.

Theoretically I could cook a 5 course meal with the crockpots that I own. In my own defense, they are all different sizes except the two pictured above...and I MIGHT get rid of my old one on the right. If it doesn't perform tonight, out it goes.

Sooo....what's for dinner? I'm making a variation on the Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that I found through Suzanne. I'm calling mine "taco soup". I left out the chicken and substituted in a pound of ground beef that I had precooked with taco seasoning. With tortilla chips and optional cheese it pretty much makes a whole meal.

I made a double batch of soup. I plan on freezing the leftovers....but not in the door of the freezer.

Dessert (or rather FHE treat) is going to be brownies - and whatever Steve brings home to top them with. Knowing Steve, and believe me - I do, it will be ice cream. I found the idea on the crockpotting blog (see sidebar), but what really convinced me was this video.

I'm a Stranger Here Myself

2009-03-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

I'm finally here! Yay!
We went our Stake conference evening session last night and there was a wonderful talk given by Bro Neilson ( our area Seventy , I believe) that touched on food storage and I wanted to briefly recount his examples on the matter.
His first example was when he was a Bishop and had 2 brothers call him. The first let him know of a family in need in his ward and a concern for them that hoped he could go right over and help them. The second Brother called to let him know of another family in need, but wanted him to know that with what they had on hand in their pantry and in food storage they thought that they could help this family out until the crisis was passed. The call was merely informational and the situation in hand. He appreciated the first call and was deeply impressed by the second...as was I.
He also bore testimony of the Saints down in Texas in the period following a recent hurricane. They brought out there camp stoves and food storage during the week long power outage in the area and fed their neighbors until the power was on and they were once again able to help themselves. "This is what it is for", he said, "This is what it is about". Meeting the needs of not only ourselves but those around us so that they can feel the Lord's love for them in meeting their most basic of needs.
He challenged us to be looking for these great opportunities in these trying economic times and to be a light to those around us in goodness and charity.

Wanted: Manifesto Ghostwriter

2009-03-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

Last night Steve and I went to an activity at the church. It was a presentation entitled "Seeking Out Simplicity" given by Franklin Covey consultant James Cathcart. He talked about the meaning of the words "important" and "urgent". Something is important if it carries consequence. For instance spending time with your family is important because it helps to build better relationships. Urgent is something that is compelling or pressing - in need of immediate attention. Urgent is NOT the same as important. Two-day sales are an example of something that could be considered urgent but not important. The two can and do coincide (like say, when I broke my arm) - but we need to know the difference - so that we don't get sucked into running around "putting out fires" and neglect the truly important stuff. Sometimes we just need to say "no".

What's important? Well, that's the real question. Bro. Cathcart challenged everyone to draft their own mission statement - as a way to clarify our purpose and narrow down what's really important to us. He gave a few examples - the first was quite lovely and longish - it was written by a poet (I want to say Browning...but I might be wrong). The second was "I want to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am". The last one was my favorite. It is God's mission statement:

Moses 1:39

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Now that's a tough act to follow. Short, sweet and to the point.

What's your mission statement? (or should I be asking for your manifesto?) I could use some more ideas.

A Little Extra

2009-02-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

Well, as my first post I am going to contribute to our own economic stimulus package - nothing fancy but here goes. Have a little extra time? Need a little extra something? A friend of mine suggested joining National Shopping Service. It is a mystery shopping service that you can pick your own 'engagements'. It generally takes 15 to 60 minutes - a pizza takes 20, grocery stores take 60 - and you come away with a pizza that is reimbursed and/or a small paycheck. Nothing so big as to make this full time but I have gotten free parking downtown for an 1 hour and $15 - I walked the 4 blocks to my bank and strolled around the park. I am also scheduled to go to a bakery next month and buy bread and I get the bread and $5. You get to set your mileage limit and what you are interested in. All in all it is a nice way to get out there and do our part! Sign up at: www.nationalshoppingservice.com

Pep Talk

2009-02-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at the calendar for the last couple of days feeling like I need to hurry and get things done. February is quickly coming to an end I have have plenty of things to keep me busy. I tend to put a lot of goals in time increments. Some are daily, weekly, and for the bigger projects monthly. With this month wrapping up, I thought it would be a good time to revisit where and how I am doing with the goals that I set at the beginning of the year.

Honestly, I had forgotten a few of them. Not that I wasn't necessarily doing them, I just forgot that I put them on my "to-do" list. Teaching my Sunday class, that was a no brainer. I put it on my list so that I would remind myself that it is something that I do and hopefully will improve throughout the year. Thanks to the family resources (you guys), I have been able to muddle my way though learning how to teach a class. Treats and games are great motivators.

I have revised a few goals. I made a small goal of painting the upstairs, well, I know that isn't going to take all year. I think I should push myself and paint the rest of the house...I need to borrow a really tall ladder again, anyone have one? Better yet, anyone want to help?

So, (while I channel Dad) as this month winds to an end, where are you at on your goals?

Make it do or do without or find a new one at Goodwill

2009-02-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

Found a top 10 find at Gdub this morning. I have wanted to find a substantial couch or chair for a while to put in our master but only saw a few couches from the '70s and several from the '80s. So the real selling point on this is the Crate & Barrel tag under the cushion. $15 for this find. All I need now is to find a Bunker Buddy who happens to hae mad sewing skills and a goto attitude and might visit within the next couple of months. Any takers?

TMI?

2009-02-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

Too much information. That's how I often feel after going home from an inspirational lesson. I'm all fired up to:

grow all my own produce

do my genealogy - back to Adam, of course

have a two years supply of everything my family will ever need

have perfect children

You know what I'm talking about. It all sounds so great in theory...and then reality sets in. It's tough to grow all your own produce if you truly despise gardening - and can't afford a gardener. So what do you do?

Compromise.
Work around it.

I personally like to work in the yard two, maybe three times a year. Lucky for me my blueberries thrive on neglect (at least they do here in Washington). I don't have to prune them or water them. In July I just take a bowl and start harvesting. Rinse the little buggers off, pat dry and throw them in a freezer bag. That's manageable for me.

So what's my point? Figure out what you can do...then try and do just a little bit better. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Here's my "baby steps" goal for the week...I am going to try and make up 20 days worth of menus. It should be manageable for me - because I already have a list of about 15 dinner ideas on my fridge right now. I made that list right after I broke my wrist - I had 4 willing "helpers" who couldn't come up with a dinner plan to save themselves. Here's my list (keep in mind I was on painkillers...):

Cornflake chicken/mashed potatoes/gravy/corn
Pot roast/potatoes/gravy
Layered Mexican casserole
tortillas/cornbread
Pork ribs/pasta or rice/salad
Chili/chips/cheese/cornbread
Hamburgers/buns/chips
Calzone/salad or green beans
Spaghetti/breadsticks/salad
Chicken Fajitas
Tacos
Polish sausage/buns/chips
French dip/salad
Soup/rolls
French toast/waffles/German Pancakes
Panini/Grilled cheese/soup
6 can enchilada soup/cornbread

Take-Out
Pizza
Chinese

Breads
cinnamon rolls
coffee cake
garlic herb bread
pumpkin choc. chip bread

Desserts
pumpkin pie dessert
brownies
Guadalupe river dessert
cream puffs
cookies
jam bars
pumpkin pie
cheesecake
lemon bars

This was a list of things that the men/boys in my family are capable of cooking...Now I need to revise this list to include things that I cook.

What's on your menu?

HOARDING LAWS

2009-02-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

Do you know why the church has been less vocal about a one-year supply? It's about a little known fact that President Clinton consolidated former presidential executive orders (Pres. Kennedy, Carter, Roosevelt, etc.) to forbid hoarding food. It all started in 1939 with Pres. Roosevelt...fast forward to Kennedy when it looked like we might go nuclear with Russia. So another executive order...no hoarding. Clinton consolidated all the previous exec orders into one anti-hoarding law. Thus the church had to edit the food storage commandment to comply with law. You can read all about it if you google 'Clinton hoarding law, executive order'.

Three months supply fit into the 'emergency preparedness' outlined by Fema (which, btw, was taken from the church's guidelines. The executive order allows any gov't official (usually National Guard, militia, etc) to confiscate your food or any other survival assets to dole out at their pleasure. So now do you understand why I'm buying a 38 caliber pistol & LOTS OF AMMO! ;)(Yes, of course, I'll share with my neighbors!)

Hang 'Em High

2009-02-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Jonah's going through this whole "Self-sufficiency" thing right now and I love that Debbie is giving us a clearinghouse for all kinds of useful information for weathering nuclear fallout, color-coded threat levels and what have you. She balked at writing a mission statement because it seemed too--well, just too-too and I told her that people with bunkers don't write mission statements. People in bunkers write manifestos.

In my effort to surf creatively on the tide of economic peril, I pick up things from Goodwill and simply adore Target clearance. I grabbed these three curtain panels for my "Totally Salvaged Dining Room" (75% off) but as you can see, I'm about a foot short. Adding a fabric panel makes sense but I could use some tech support from the sewers out there. They are lined (if that matters at all).

Tia--you could swing by your Target and see if they have another panel perhaps? And no, I have no idea how I managed to underline everything...

Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel...

2009-02-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mom posted money-saving ideas...

Suzanne shared pictures of bike hooks that Michael put up...

Sherri told me about her cannery order...

Keira has posted recipes...

My family has been working on organizing our food storage...

I thought it might be a fun to have a place where we could share our ideas on subjects like penny pinching, organizing, cooking/recipes, food storage, gardening, or whatever strikes your fancy.

I plan to add some links to things like the family cookbook.

I've invited several people to be authors on this blog - that means that you can do your own posts - not just comment. We can add more authors if anyone else would like to join in.

What do you think?

I'm open to suggestions for titles/formatting. The title I have now is in response to a comment Keira made on my other blog:

"Can I live in your bunker during the Apocalypse?"