San Fransisco ban on circumcision

What in the hell is happening to our country? San Fransisco has a ban on circumcision on the ballot in November. If this passes having your child circumcised will be a misdemeanor with a punishment of a fine or a year in jail.  Can a parent not choose this for their child? What is next?? Are vaccines going to be mandatory? Will there be a ban on homeschooling? Is spanking going to be outlawed? A year for giving a child a time out? When we give the government control like this- parents loose all ability to raise their own children. This makes me sick to my stomach. Here is a video on the issue.

He thought of everything: food preservation

 I have known for some time that eggs can be stored for up to a year in a cool dark place if you rub warm mineral oil on them and place them narrow tip facing down in an egg carton. Yes a year! Fresh eggs! I know right?! ..... Unless you already knew that and this piece of information is snoozville. I never knew why mineral oil until I read an article that said the mineral oil is imitating a protective covering that the hen puts on the egg when it is popped out How cool is that? As I have been becoming more self reliant I realize that the Lord thought of absolutely everything and He is amazing. I get to have fresh eggs. Real to goodness eggs in my pantry. Isn't it funny the things we store in the fridge that do not need to be? Mayonnaise being one of them. Aw! Eggs- I am so excited.

Back to reality

We just got back from Disney Land, and it is now back to reality. This is my little guy strolling through like he owns the place. I had so much fun, and enjoyed turning off my chicken little brain for a while. But now that I am back- the chicken little hat has gone back on... and I thought this recipe for home made hand sanitizer was cool. You must know I am anti- hand sanitizer but I do think that it in an emergency situation it is useful.
While on this trip I was telling a family member how I feel the sun gets a bad rap- we blame so many things on it, and all it does is give us life and vitamin D. I think sun spots, and skin cancers are caused by toxins in your liver, and not sun exposure.
After I finished my controversial thought I swallowed the last bight of a cupcake I was eating (and it was hard to swallow.)  What in the heck am I doing?? I need to be practicing what I preach, and I am not. I always get annoyed when people tell me (in regards to their food storage) "it is there if I need it"
Seriously?? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard- and here I am basically doing the same thing. Prepping can help in lots of situations like a job loss or a death or sickness or divorce OR an EMP or a earthquake... there are lots of possibilities. And since I prep for the worst case I will have no electricity, and will be number 2-ing it in a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat lid attached. I will be grinding all of my wheat I will be cooking in a solar oven, and on a rocket stove. I will be gardening, and I will be using more physical energy and exertion.
I need to practice these things more. Do you?  NASA is predicting a sunburst in 2012 which will cause an EMP. This is NASA- not some crazy guy on the street corner wearing a sign strapped to him. If something were to happen could you take care of and feed your family for 6 months? 3 months? How about 2 weeks??
If we have practiced, and we can handle the physical requirements of a disaster, if we are familiar with our food storage and we know how to prepare/cook it, and we like the food and will even eat it -we will be so much better off as we try and handle the emotional and spiritual side of a disaster. I am from Oklahoma and saw a family that lost two of their little boys in the recent tornado. They have to pick up all the psychical pieces of their homes, and all the earthly possessions but also the loss of two precious children. My prayers are with them. I think resolutions are stupid. I am setting a goal to be better. Not wimping out and using my electric grinder when I should use the hand crank. Not feeding my kids macaroni and cheese because I know it wont be a fight at the table like rice and beans will. Not sitting on the couch when I could be working out. And definitely not preaching about toxins when I am eating a cupcake. I do think there is time for a cupcake, but I take that time way too much- and I am going to stop that too. There are my goals. What are yours?

I stand with Israel

I knew this was coming, but can't believe it just the same. The president does not speak for me- I stand with Israel and I know the Lord does too. Luckily for me I have a Bible, and I know how this trip ends. As long as our courage does not fail and we stand in holy places I know we will be fine, gather the necessities for your family and stay close to the Lord. We are heading toward rocky waters, but if we choose the right in all things we will return to our Father in Heaven after a long and rewarding life clean and pure. Go here to see Obama's speech.

Being cheap is greener then being green... i need to make a shirt that says that.

I hate the term "green." What is the opposite from green on the color wheel? Red? I'm Red. I don't believe in global warming or any of that crap and will stop using paper towels when Al Gore travels on South West Airlines. But I do like saving money, and after doing more laundry with my fabulous made it myself detergent, I went to unload my dishwasher. Yuck. Soap residue all over everything, and I know that those detergents are totally toxic and carcinogenic (you can hear my mother in law roll her eyes... NOW!...love you Janice)
So- I found these two recipes, and I wanted to slap my mama' they are so easy. I am excited to try them.


1 cup Washing soda
1 cup Borax
½ cup salt
½ cup citric acid
Mix together and store tightly covered in a Mason Jar. Use one tablespoon per load. Add vinegar to the rinse dispenser for the best results.



1 Tablespoon Borax
1 Tablespoon baking soda

Mix the Borax and baking soda together. Then, add to your dishwasher's detergent compartment, and run as usual.

black beans and rice

Black Beans and Rice

INGREDIENTS:

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4-5 cups hot, cooked brown rice (I usually use white)

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic and sauté, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until all the veggies are tender. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, oregano and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.  Stir in the fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve over the hot rice.
**if you could not get to a store or grow your own peppers/onions- you can buy freeze dried, and store those.

I made it myself!

I have been wanting to make some laundry soap for some time now, but just never set some time aside to do it. It was on my forever long and continuously growing "to do" list until a friend of mine made some and gave it to me, with the recipe. What a great gal!
I tried it and I really like it. It will be easy to store the ingredients too. Go here  for the recipe.
I used the powdered soap.

good old expiration

Expiration dates can be a problem when storing. I have come to realize that they don't mean much at all. These dates are thought up by attorneys for food companies, so that the food companies do not get sued.... they are not created by the FDA. The only expiration date that I can find that is regulated by the FDA is on baby formula.
So- eat away. The nose knows. If you open a can and it stinks.... don't eat it.
If you have a can that is seeping..... don't eat it. I think common sense comes in real handy when dealing with this. But- I cut the mold of cheese and eat the rest. I'm crazy like that.
and now I'm feeling a bit vindicated.

"the Utah State University Cooperative extension you can read the latest information on the shelf life of commercially canned foods. This website says, “ For emergency storage, commercially canned foods in metal or jars will remain safe to consume as long as the seal has not been broken.” They go on to say that the quality won’t be retained for that long, but it’s still safe to eat in an emergency. The Canned Food Alliance concurs and has stated that canned food is safe to eat “as long as the can is not damaged in any way.”

milk and milk

I love milk and we drink it raw around here. Nice and thick! I am having a hard time adjusting to the idea of powdered milk (gulp. yuck)
I do not want to drink it and I hope I will always be able to get my raw milk.... but I KNOW that I will not. So I need to get used to the powdered stuff, and I am trying to get my family used to it, so that if we had to drink it all of a sudden it would not be a big deal.
BUT- I do like almond milk (I want to make pecan milk) and I can store whole almonds for a few years in glass canning jars. All you need is a food saver and the attachment that goes on the top of the jar that sucks all the air out. (you can find food savers cheap on craigslist or ebay)
And in a pinch you could have almond milk. In a true worst case you would need a hand powered blender.

ALMOND MILK:
2 cups raw almonds
6 cups water
4 dates or some honey or some stevia
a pinch of salt

soak the almonds overnight. Just cover then with water-keep in mind they will swell a bit so put them in a bowl to accommodate that. (in a worst case you could use this water to give your plants a drink)
The next day rinse and drain them well and take 1/2 the almonds and 3 cups water and blend well. I try and blend each batch for about 2 minutes.
Then take the rest of the almonds and 3 cups water and your sweetener and blend. You will pour this through either a nut bag or some cheesecloth. I used cheesecloth, and it worked but I know a nut bag will be much easier to work with and I want to get one.
It is ready to drink!!
You can store it in the fridge.

Here is a great link to the Hillbilly Housewife
She has instructions for making different things out of powdered milk like yogurt.
I made the yogurt and it turned out great!

On a different note- have you hear the news about the flooding and tornadoes in the Midwest/south??
I heard in Alabama people were looting. My first thought was "what terrible people" but then I slapped myself on the wrist and realized my house is standing, my kids are healthy, and I have food in my house. I know that if my kids were hungry I would be breaking a grocery store window along side  those looters. I was asking a friend of mine from back home to get a 3 months supply of food in her house. She thought I was completely crazy, and asked me if I am living in fear.
I do have the chicken little syndrome, and I am the first to admit it.... but prepping is not fear.
When you go on vacation do you pack? Do you plan for things that might happen? I will bring this dress in case we go out to a nice restaurant one night.
We plan for other things in our lives. I see no harm in prepping our home. Look at what is going on around the world. Earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes and that is just in the last two months.
What happens when gas skyrockets? Do you think the trucks are going to be able to deliver to the grocery stores? What happens after a flood? Those trucks can not drive in that water.
This is not fear- it is using your brain. Do not be part of the normalcy bias and think that your life as it is right now will never change.

Granola

I want to start posting recipes that will be storage friendly, and will use up food storage.
I love granola! I never really liked the store bought stuff, and so I never liked granola. Then a friend made me some and it was amazing. I have played around with different recipes and I made up with this one, and I think it is the bees knees. Hope you like it.

GRATIFYING USE UP YOUR OATS FROM FOOD STORAGE GRANOLA

INGREDIENTS:

1/8^th cup olive oil (I have started using coconut oil)

1 cup juice (I recommend pineapple, orange or apple)

¼ cup honey

Splash of vanilla

3 cup oats (old fashioned)

¼ cup ground flax

¾ cup almond sleeves

½ cup sweetened coconut

¼ cup brown sugar unpacked

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

Dried cranberries

Raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Bring the oil and juice to boil in a saucepan till it reduces by half (about 10 minutes)

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Once the liquid is reduced add the honey and vanilla to the sauce pan.

Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix with a big wooden spoon.

Spread over a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes, stirring it every 10 minutes.

Let granola cool and add raisins, and dried cranberries. You can add any dried fruit or nuts you enjoy like bananas, or peanuts for a salty taste.

Store in an air tight container. Great by itself, in yogurt, or as cereal with milk!

Tis the season! For jam.

This is how old I am... I told some of my young women that my jam won first prize at the county fair. They looked at me with a perplexed look on their face and one of them said "like a song?"
I died. "NO! Jam! like on bread- jam!?" .... and then I realized I am old, and I wish it was a song. BUT- this jam is so good. I could give you instructions, but all the know- how I learned I learned from here
There are easy instructions, and pictures! I love the pictures!!! Jams, canning, drying oh my! All sorts of good stuff.
and by the way- the jam KICKS smucker's trash. It is so good.

the stove of death.

Introducing the rocket stove. These things are so awesome and because of the way the heat is directed they can cook a meal on just a couple of sticks. If you do a search for a rocket stove you will find all sorts of ones that people have made. Some of them you can order and they are really nice. I just made some.
To make one like mine you will need gloves, one number 10 can, 4 soup cans, ashes, or vermiculite, some tin snips,  and a sharpie for tracing  your cuts.
Keeping you cuts as exact as you can, trace and cut a hole on the number ten can for the first soup can.
This soup can will be part of the elbow joint. The second soup can you are going to cut the top and the bottom off of it. Then cut a hole in the first soup can which then you will slide the second can inside the first can. That is your elbow joint.
The put some ashes or vermiculite inside the number ten can and they will help absorb the heat and protect your number ten can.
There are some variations:
The stove with the skillet on top of it has a lid and bottom to the number ten can still attached. You could either cut a hole in the top of the can and dump the contents or get a new can and just have the lid sealed on. If you cut a hole in a can that already has food in it DO NOT EAT THE FOOD!!! There will be little shards of metal from the can in the food, and I don't want you to cut an intestine and bleed to death slowly. OK? Great.
I also cut 4 triangles in the top of the can and stood them up so they will hold the skillet. I did that with an ice pick and my tin snips, just starting a hole and then off that cutting two lines of the triangle.
The second can in the picture has the top removed, and will need a grate or grill over the top to hold the skillet. If you make this version you will need to save the lid of the number ten can and then cut a hole in the lid. After you fill the number 10 with ashes or vermiculite you will slide the lid down the elbow joint, and it will keep all the ashes/vermiculite inside.
TA-DA!

I cant wait to take these camping and they will be great for an emergency when fuel is scarce.
I have been calling it the stove of death because as a good friend pointed out it seriously could double as a weapon! Wear your gloves.