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Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today - an On going Thread #2]
May 05th,2008

Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: barter; canning; cwii; dehydration; disaster; disasterpreparedness; disasters; diy; emergency; emergencyprep; emergencypreparation; food; foodie; freeperkitchen; garden; gardening; granny; loquat; makeamix; medlars; nespola; nwarizonagranny; obamanomics; preparedness; prepper; recession; repository; shinypenny; shtf; solaroven; stinkbait; survival; survivalist; survivallist; survivaltoday; teotwawki; wcgnascarthread
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To: sickoflibs

Welcome to the thread, join in if you would like, lots of nice folks post here.


9,221 posted on 06/27/2009 3:44:16 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: Eagle50AE

Just Say NO!

now more than ever,.... double up<<<

True, I think that I am in shock, it is difficult to absorb all that I am hearing and reading in today’s news.

One good thing, the housing starts and resales for last month in my county are up enough, that the news say the downturn is now over.

I hope they are right.


9,222 posted on 06/27/2009 3:46:22 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9219 | View Replies]

To: nw_arizona_granny

RE :”lots of nice folks post here.”

LOL , Like 9,222 ???


9,223 posted on 06/27/2009 9:09:48 PM PDT by sickoflibs (Socialist Conservatives: "'Big government is free because tax cuts pay for it'")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9221 | View Replies]

To: All

Dollmaker’s Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
Dream ~ Imagine ~ Create ~ Grow ~ Believe ~ Magic
At http://dollmakersjourney.com we help your creative dreams come
true.

June 2009 Issue 91

******************************
Copyright 2009 by Dollmaker’s Journey

Dollmaker’s Journey Customer Connection newsletter is a free e-mail
newsletter. Tell your friends, family and fellow dollmakers about us,
and feel free to forward this newsletter to those who might be
interested. You can visit our companion website at:
http://www.dollmakersjourney.com/

**Notice!**
You can view this issue online. Go to
http://dollmakersjourney.com/newsletter/cc91.html

You can read all the past issues online. Go to:
http://dollmakersjourney.com/newsletter/archives.html
The archives include an easy to follow index to all the past issues.

******************************
Dear Dollmaking Friends,

At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of July this
year, the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09. This will never
happen again. Just one of those odd little facts you come across every
now and then.

This month we are featuring mermaids. We have 65 patterns on sale,
along with a couple of freebies. Make a mermaid this month and let her
brighten up your bathroom. Paint a wooden base with tan, mix Paverpol
with some sand and miniature seashells, spread it on the base, and add
a rock (you can find interesting ones in your aquarium shop). If you
add the rock while the Paverpol is still wet and put a little Paverpol
on the rock, it will stick to the base. Once the sand dries, the whole
base will be waterproof. Then perch your mermaid on the rock and you
have a beautiful addition to your décor.

One of our designers, Gloria “Mimi” Winer, has a free pattern for a
wonderful doll called Mimi’s Child which can be turned into a mermaid.
It includes a contest, legs, a tail, and flukes. You can find out more
in “Our Gift to You” later in this newsletter.

So bring some fantasy into your life. Make a mermaid this month!

Bonnie and Mary Ann

******************************
JUNE SALE

Summer is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere and our thoughts are
turning to ocean breezes, sandy beaches and MERMAIDS! Guess this
would be a great time to take 20% off our fabulous array of MERMAID
patterns. Be sure to take advantage of our JUNE SALE. http://dollmakersjourney.com/

INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL – Barbara Willis’s “Cloth Doll Artistry – Design
and Costuming Techniques for Flat and Fully Sculpted Figures” will be
discounted during the month of June. http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html

Remember, visit our website at http://dollmakersjourney.com at the
beginning of each month to see what our new sale will be. That way you
won’t have to wait for a newsletter.

******************************
MAY QUIZ WINNER

Q: Which explorer is credited with being the first European to see
the eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean?

A: Vasco Nunez de Balboa on September 25, 1513.

Congratulations to Edy Burtis from Corrales, New Mexico. Your name was
selected at random from all of the correct quiz entries, and you will
receive a $10 gift certificate from Dollmaker’s Journey. Watch for
your name in a coming month!

******************************
JUNE QUESTION

Q: Everyone who reads email knows what SPAM is. Why do we use the term
SPAM instead of junk mail?

Everyone who emails in the correct answers by July 15th will be
entered into a drawing for a $10 gift certificate to Dollmaker’s
Journey. The winner will be announced in the next newsletter. Email
your answers to Bonnie at EnchantedR@aol.com Put June Quiz in subject
box. Please include your full name and where you live (state/country)
in your email. NOTE: Several times in the past a winner was
drawn with no name or state/country included. When that happens we
have to draw again. So please, make sure you include this information
with your answer.

******************************
CHARITY CORNER

There is a very special website called “Do One Nice Thing”. Debbie
Tenzer decided to find small problems that she could help solve to
make the world a better place. If you visit her website you can find
many great ideas of places and things to donate for charity. For
example: go to http://doonenicething.com
Click on ideas. Click on healing. Click on beanies for buddies. There
are patterns for beanies for chemo patients (children) with a matching
pattern for a beanie for a beanie baby animal. You can make them,
donate to a local hospital, or send items or money to the children’s
hospital in California to help kids there.
If you sign up for their email, they will send two ideas each month to
help someone in need. Since she began this movement in 2005, people in
90 countries have joined her efforts to do good deeds. Let me know if
any of you participate, and I will mention it in an upcoming
newsletter.

******************************
JUST FOR FUN

Murphy’s Laws for Cloth Dollmakers.
(Compliments of The Kezi Works, Portland, Oregon)

The seam you meant to rip out will be the other one.
The pattern you wanted to make again will have the main part of the
head missing.
If you knock something off your sewing table, it will be your open box
of pins.
Just as you spread the quick-drying glue for the hair, the phone will
ring.
The only thing in the house the cat will bother when you dash to the
store is the head you just finished.
Your lost needle will be found by your son or husband ... while
walking barefoot.
Gathering threads will always break in the middle.
The magnitude of the sewing goof will depend on how much you paid for
the fabric.
When you are in a hurry, the eye of the needle will always be too
small.
If you need 4 buttons, you will only find 3 in your button box.
When your sewing is going extremely well, the bobbin thread will run
out.
The sewing machine light will burn out on Sunday night.
Pinking shears will get dull just by looking at them.
You have 100 spools of thread ... but not the color you want right
now.
As soon as you replace the trim you “lost”, you will find the lost
trim under a pile of laundry.

******************************
CUSTOMER QUERIES

Q: I am trying (very, very hard) to create my own doll pattern (on
the lines of Mary Tressler or Patti Culea) and just can’t seem to get
it right for some reason. Are there any books or web links do you
know of that could help me in my dilemma?

A: Check out our book section at http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html
for books by Susanna Oroyan and Maggie Baggett that show you different
methods of designing doll bodies. Also, there are some good videos on
how to design doll bodies by Antoinette Cely at http://www.cely.com/shop/mainshop.html
The best online class I ever had to create doll bodies was from Judi
Ward at http://craftycollege.com/academics/dollclasses.html
I took both Design your own doll and Advanced design your own doll
class. They were an excellent introduction into designing your own
doll patterns.

************************************************
ANTIQUING CLOTH DOLLS USING GLUE
By Judi Ward

Editor’s Note: I went to a meeting at Judi Ward’s home last Saturday.
She is creating a series of antique-looking dolls for an exhibit at a
museum this fall. One of the techniques she told us about is how to
antique the face and body using Elmer’s White Glue. The dolls end up
with very fine natural looking cracks that are perfect every time.
Here is what she wrote:

“I just wrote an article for the glue method that June Slack asked me
to test and write about. It works sooo well and eliminates so much
sanding! The article has more tidbits and lots of pictures, but this
is the gist of it. Basically here it is. Let things dry between the
coats of course.

*Paint the Gesso coat and sand just enough to take off the lifted
fibers. You can do another coat of Gesso if desired.

*Paint the flesh coat. Again sand very lightly. I just rub with a dry,
rough face cloth.

*Do another flesh coat if desired.

*Paint all features and hair etc.

*Paint on a good thick coat of Elmer’s white glue. It may separate as
it sets up. Don’t worry, it seems to self correct, and dries smooth
and clear as glass.

*Now paint on a coat of clear, matte or satin acrylic varnish. I have
used several types and all worked fine. I even used a polyurethane
floor finish and a German wood and bamboo finish.

*As the varnish dries very tiny little “cracks” will appear. At first
you will think nothing is happening, but soon they start to appear.
Let the item dry overnight. You can then rub it with brown shoe polish
and rub most of it off or paint a coat of brown acrylic paint over all
and rub that off. You may have to add a bit of water to a cloth to rub
the acrylic off.

*Finally spray with a coat of Clear, matte acrylic spray like Krylon.

*Viola, you are done and the glue makes the surface so smooth!

*If you use oils let me know how it works. I don’t oil paint so have
not tried it with those.

Note: You can see more of Judi’s tutorials, classes, and patterns at:
http://www.judisdolls.com For patterns and dolls
http://www.picturetrail.com/judisdolls For dolls and mini lessons
http://www.thedollnet.com for classes

********************************
WORDS TO LIVE BY FOR THE FATHER IN YOUR LIFE

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person:
He believed in me.
- Jim Valvano

There’s something like a line of gold thread running through a man’s
words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it
gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into
a cloth that feels like love itself.
- John Gregory Brown

******************************
CHALLENGES/COMPETITIONS

Cloth Baby Doll Contest Entries – The Votes Are Counted! Check out
which Baby Doll Won!
http://clothdollbabies.com/

2009 All Dolled Up: Beaded Art Doll Competition
Due date: August 31, 2009
Theme: Earthen Mother
Official rules posted here: http://www.landofodds.com/store/alldolledup.htm

September 4-7, 2009 – DragonCon Art Show and Convention
Atlanta, Georgia
To enter the juried show with dolls that are SciFi or fantasy themed,
apply by April 15.
Information and applications for the show can be found here
http://artshow.dragoncon.org/index.html

September 30, 2009 – Mimi’s Child Interactive Pattern
http://Mimidolls.com for entry forms and instructions
Download free pattern from her website

October 15-18, 2009 – Treasures of the Gypsy Challenge
Houston, Texas
The theme this year is “The Enchanted Gypsy.” Send $20 to Pamela Armas
to receive your challenge packet of “Gypsy” fabric and trims. This
includes the entry fee and shipping. All dolls to be exhibited at the
Houston Quilt Festival!
For more info: GypsyTreasures@cs.com
For packet send $20 to: Treasures of the Gypsy PO Box 748 Mountainair,
NM 87036

******************************
DESIGNER TAG TIP

Paula Starr’s “Soft Sculptures”, an exhibit of 23 delightful dolls,
will be on display at the Sandy Spring Museum in Sandy Spring,
Maryland from June 17 – September 13, 2009. With each doll she has
created a hang tag with a wonderful poem giving a history of that
doll. She says sometimes it takes longer to write the poem than it
does to create the doll. Here is one of her favorites:

Isadora
I thought I could be a ballerina
I tried out and didn’t make it
When you’re overweight and over 60
It’s really hard to fake it!

******************************
UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS

June 17 – September 13, 2009 – Sandy Spring Museum Art Show
17901 Bentley Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
Featuring Paula Starr’s “Soft Sculptures”
For more information call 301-774-0022

July 8 – 11, 2009 – International Doll Makers Association Convention
2009
Knoxville, Tennessee
For more information call 865-522-2600
Sales room open to the public July 10-11 at 10:00 AM

July 11 - 15, 2009 - National Doll Festival
Atlanta, Georgia
Holiday Inn Select Capitol Conference Center
Free shuttle bus to Marriott Marquis
Email DollFestival@aol.com for further information

July 12 – 17, 2009 - UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs) National
Convention
Atlanta, Georgia (Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta)
http://www.ufdc.org/Convention2006.html

July 11 – 12, 2009 - ODACA (Original Doll Artists Council of America)
National Convention
Atlanta, Georgia (Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta)
http://www.odaca.org/events.php

July 25, 2009 – Black Doll Show and Craft Sale
Riverside Church, South Hall, 490 Riverside Drive, New York New York
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information contact http://www.blackdollshows.com

July 30 – August 2, 2009 – Enchanted Doll Artists Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico
http://www.enchanteddollartistsconference.org/

August 8, 2009 – Rockville Senior Center Doll Show
1150 Carnation Drive, Rockville, Maryland
Sales is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lots of dolls and doll-related items
for sale
For exhibitor information call 240-314-8800

August 15, 2009 – Day With Dolls
Babylon, New York
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2r22a/notices/DWD.pdf

September 8-13, 2009 - NIADA (National Institute of American Doll
Artists) National Convention
Arromont, Tennessee
For more information go to http://www.niada.org/info.html

September 16-19, 2009 – Dimensions in Dollmaking 2009
Contemporary Cloth Doll Exhibit at the San Diego Quilt Show
Sponsored by the Imitation of Life Construction Company (IOLCC). The
theme this year is “Make Me Laugh.” Contact Lois Bouncer at
lois@aardvarktozebra.com or 760-438-3431 for the details and forms.

September 25-26, 2009 – California Regional Doll Festival
Millbrae, California (by San Francisco Airport)
For more information contact the Lowmans at DollFestival@aol.com or
call (831) 438-5349

October 8-12, 2009 – The East Coast Art Retreat
Crowne Plaza, Cromwell, Connecticut
Email: info@art-is-you.com
Website: www.art-is-you.com

To save yourself time and energy, get all the details on upcoming doll
related events at
CLOTH DOLL CONNECTION: http://clothdollconnection.com/

*******************************
SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU

Gloria “Mimi” Winer has a free pattern called Mimi’s Child (the
instruction book/video is NOT free, but you can win the contest
without it)
http://mimidolls.com/Files/MC-PatternSheets.pdf
She also has a challenge. The winner will receive a doll made by
Gloria which you can see here:
http://mimidolls.com/Dept-Shop/MC_Preview/ChallengeGallery.htm
To see pictures of the finished doll and contest rules, click here:
http://mimidolls.com/Dept-Shop/MC_Preview/index.htm

Gloria says: “This is my first Interactive Pattern. We need your help
to tell us what we did right, and what we got a little bit wrong. In
return for your help, you can win prizes, you get a free update (by
download) of any changes, and you get the pattern at least 40% off
until the end of the Challenge.”

While at her new website, check out her great video on stuffing
http://mimidolls.com/DCC_Demos/DCC_Demos_Stuffing.htm
For help on specific techniques, click here:
http://mimidolls.com/Dept-Download/index.htm
You can see more of her patterns at http://dollmakersjourney.com/mimi.html

*************************************
NEW PATTERNS/BOOKS/CD-ROMs/DVDs/MOLDS

Raggedys, Snow Babies and Witches - Oh My! We’ve just added five more
delicious patterns from GINI SIMPSON. It will be hard to decide which
one to make first. Stop by and take a peek - http://dollmakersjourney.com/simpson.html

You’ll be advancing your needle sculpting technique with UTE VASINA’S
charming “Little Folk.” Stop by a take a look at this great pattern.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/vasina.html

SUSAN BARMORE never seems to run out of ideas for the most fascinating
dolls. We’re adding her clever “Mermaids on a Stick,” the enchanting
“Cosma” and her eerily unique ‘Butterfly Witch.”
http://dollmakersjourney.com/barmore.html

We have something old and something new from elinor peace bailey.
You’ll find her lovely bead jointed doll “Maggie Goes Shopping” and
her spritely new “SeaBreeze” along with a great selection of her
classic patterns.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/epb.html

It’s never too early to start thinking about holiday projects. We
just love MAUREEN MILLS’ “Pumpkin Seeds” and we also have another of
her sweet Raggedies - “Annie’s Pet.”
http://dollmakersjourney.com/mills.html

We’ve been waiting for months for the release of BARBARA WILLIS’S
extraordinary new book - “Cloth Doll Artistry - Design and Costuming
techniques for Flat and Fully Sculpted Figures” and it was so worth
the wait! With Barbara’s skillful guidance you are going to take your
dollmaking and embellishment skills to a whole new level through the
creation of any one of the wonderful array of projects in this 128
page book. As an INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL we’re discounting this
wonderful book all month long. Be sure to get your copy soon!
http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html

ALLISON MARANO has retired another class and turned it into a terrific
CD. You are just going to love her delightful “Grapevine Girls!” Click
here to find out all the wonderful techniques you’ll be learning
http://dollmakersjourney.com/marano.html

We are adding two darling pindoll/barrette doll patterns from DEANNA
HOGAN that are perfect for summer - “The Swimmer” and “Miranda the
Mermaid.”
Stop by and take a peek. http://dollmakersjourney.com/hogan.html

“Rose Red” is an enchanting medieval beauty from the lush imagination
of BARBARA SCHOENOFF. We know you are going to fall in love with her
costuming.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/schoenoff.html

******************************
DESIGNER DOINGS

Check out the July/August issue of Belle Armoire, p. 74, for a special
jacket that Jane Houck created. She worked on it for months using
fabrics purchased at a lovely quilt shop in Melbourne, Australia. You
can seek some of Jane’s fabulous patterns at http://dollmakersjourney.com/houck.html

******************************
SUPPLIES

For your convenience we now have NYLON/LYCRA. Designers such as
SUZETTE RUGOLO use this 4-way stretch fabric over sculpted faces to
cover the center seam which is a terrific technique to learn.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/fabrics.html

We’ve just added another color of our new Deersuede - a very nice
medium dark shade called “Cocoa.” http://dollmakersjourney.com/fabrics.html

Over in the HAIR Department you’ll find a new shade of Straight Wool -
a beautiful BROWN. http://dollmakersjourney.com/hair.html

*******************************
NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT

Bonnie recently attended a meeting at Judi Ward’s new townhouse in
Rockville, Maryland, where she saw amazing dolls and learned to make a
doll stand out of a Lay’s Potato Chip canister and clay. Judi Ward
invented a wonderful doll stand that works for dolls from 9” to 14”.
It uses Plastic Potato Chip containers, bleach containers, or other
empty plastic containers. Go to http://www.picturetrail.com/judisdolls
and click on the Bleuette in Cloth Album to see step-by-step pictures
of how to make this unique stand. You can put plaster or wood putty
(we used Crayola air-dry clay) in the base to add weight and cover it
with tiny rocks, flowers, moss, etc. We sculpted tiny roses, leaves,
mice, etc. from clay to add to the base. She discovered that a
plastic dish soap bottle was almost impossible to cut, and the spine
was too stiff to bend around a wooden dowel that she inserted in the
clay to provide back support to the stand. Bonnie is thinking of
turning the back into a tree trunk by wrapping with fabric and
covering with vines of Apoxie Sculpt running down the back and onto
the base.

Mary Ann was sorry to miss the meeting at Judi’s but she was up in New
Jersey. Besides visiting with her parents for Fathers Day Weekend,
she and Jim drove into Philadelphia to spend a marvelous afternoon at
the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They saw an awesome clothing display
depicting French fashions from the late 1800’s. What intrigued Mak
the most were the white mannequins that had intricate hairstyles made
entirely of white wired ribbon. Hmmmmm……the synapses starting
firing. On Saturday Jim and Mary Ann drove further north to Jersey
City to spend the afternoon with his son Sean and wife Lisa and son
Mike and his girlfriend Becky. They enjoyed a wonderful meal at this
little hole in the wall French restaurant that was out of this world.
Mary Ann has to put a new roof on her house this summer so she and Jim
are planning a variety of interesting day trips rather than a regular
vacation. More adventures to come.

******************************
WEBSITES:

Links to favorite websites for unusual things like tiny buckles and
zippers for dolls from a new customer
http://www.adams-harris.com/just_stuff.htm

Go to the bottom and click on sculpture to see some wonderful work by
Richard MacDonald
www.richardmacdonald.com

Laura Balombini has wonderful contemporary art dolls here:
www.lbalombini.com

******************************
We’d love to hear your thoughts about our Customer Connection
newsletter.

Contact the editor Bonnie B. Lewis at EnchantedR@aol.com with any
comments, suggestions, etc.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any of your friends.
Help us spread the word about Dollmaker’s Journey! All we ask is that
you forward it intact, with all the subscription information included.
Thanks!

—~—~-————~—~——~——————~-———~—~——~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups “Dollmakers Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION” group.

For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/dollmakersjourney?hl=en
-~—————~——~——~——~———~——~———~—~-—

Good site:

http://clothdollbabies.com/

Difficult to believe Baby Anne is a cloth doll:

http://clothdollbabies.com/challenge2009/index.html


9,224 posted on 06/28/2009 5:08:04 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9214 | View Replies]

To: sickoflibs

LOL , Like 9,222 ???<<<

LOL, well survival covers a lot of topics, then we add frugal, for if one is not frugal, they will not survive in today’s world.

Being frugal is hard work, so we add a wee bit of fun.

Have fun reading, but hurry for soon we hit 10,000 and start thread #3.


9,225 posted on 06/28/2009 5:14:08 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9223 | View Replies]

To: All

http://bohemianrevolution.com/

SCAM ALERT: burning plastic smell coming from your refrigerator?

Posted: 26 Jun 2009 11:19 PM PDT

9503_inside_our_refrigerator

Tonight, I discovered my refrigerator was emitting a burning plastic or rubber sort of smell, and the kitchen was hazy with something smoke-like, but more white (it may have been smoke, I don’t know). I pulled it out and unplugged it, and eventually aired the toxic fumes out of the apartment.

Apparently, this happens all the time. My particular model, and Kenmore side by side, is now known for blowing up like this after about 5 years. We all grumblingly accept that appliances are built not to last so we’ll have to buy them more often, but does corporate greed really need to kill someone before they do something about it? This malfunction can start fires. What if it happened while you weren’t home to stop it?

But it’s not just Kenmore. It’s also GE. And Maytag. And Whirlpool. And yes, it can happen because people don’t clean the refrigerators as recommended, but that doesn’t seem to be the only reason. It’s a part called a compressor relay that seems to be the culprit. What do you want to bet, all these brands are using the same part from some manufacturer?

I’m having a repair person out tomorrow, if I can get one to come. Even if the refrigerator can be repaired affordably, I’m not sure I can ever trust it again. But what one could I trust? This is just insane. Like we don’t have enough crap to worry about in our daily lives. It just makes me want to go live in a cave.


9,226 posted on 06/28/2009 6:35:56 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9214 | View Replies]

To: All

http://bohemianrevolution.com/mineral-salt-deoderants-green-and-frugal/

Mineral salt deodorants – green and frugal
by Jen (June 17, 2009)

748846_the_perfection_of_natureAbout nine months ago, I started using a mineral deodorant. You know, the ones you find at the health food store that look like a piece of quartz crystal. Some of them are roll-up, some are just a piece of mineral in a pouch, and some are a spray-on version (which I have not tried). The advantages of using a deodorant like this – if it works – is that it’s cheaper than store brands of deodorant and anti-perspirant (in that the one roll-up I purchased has lasted nine months and has quite a while yet to go), it’s greener (just one ingredient – no weird toxic crap to get showered off you and into the sewage system), and it’s less likely to pose health problems for you (again with the lack of toxic weirdness, and I assume you know about the connection between antiperspirants and Alzheimer’s).

But does it work?I tried them years ago, and wasn’t impressed. But last year, I bought a mineral roll-up that had more detailed instructions than those I tried years ago, and that made all the difference. For nine months, the mineral deodorant has done everything I always wished an antiperspirant would do (more on this in a minute). I’m totally satisfied, and even though I’m keeping a bottle of Mitchum on hand just in case it can’t handle some really hot day in the future, so far I’ve done fine in 90+ degree weather and I feel quite confident with this stuff.

Since everyone sweats differently, I’ll tell you a bit about my history with antiperspirants and deodorants. I’m not a big sweater, but for some reason whenever I sweated at all, it would have a mild odor, and leave the odor on my sleeves, and make me feel stinky. Also, any antiperspirant I tried would just stop being effective after anywhere from 6 to 18 months.
The antiperspirant fallacy

I did some research and learned: it’s not actually sweat that stinks, it’s bacteria that forms in your armpits. Stopping sweat won’t stop bacteria forming. Stopping sweat is also not good for you. You only need to stop the bacteria from forming, and the mineral deodorants do just that as long as you apply them immediately after your shower/bath. Don’t give the bacteria any time to form before applying the stuff! Just wet the mineral block (thoroughly) and rub it all over your armpit (or whatever part you’re deodorizing), liberally.

* This type of deodorant has never left anything visible on my skin or clothes.
* I never, ever stink, not even a little.
* I can re-wear shirts/tops more often before laundering them because this doesn’t leave a trace of scent or gunk on my clothes.
* You will still sweat with this. If you are concerned about wet spots on your sleeves, this may not work for you. However…
* I have less wetness with this stuff than with antiperspirants. I haven’t found an explanation for that, but I wonder if by blocking the sweat glands, antiperspirants actually encourage the sweat glands to fight back and produce more? I’m totally making this up, but whatever the reason, I rarely have any wetness at all.

There are plenty of other natural deoderants to try if you find mineral deodorants don’t work for you. If you prefer to continue using antiperspirants, experts advise just using a thin layer rather than slathering on tons of the stuff – it’s actually more effective in small doses (and, of course, that reduces any potential health risks and makes the product last longer).


9,227 posted on 06/28/2009 6:42:01 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

A frugal craft that would be fun to play around with, will work for any holiday or simply for fun and almost free....granny

http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2009/06/kid-craft-suncatchers.html

[photos]

Thursday, June 4, 2009
Kid Craft: Suncatchers
Here’s an easy craft project for kids to make this summer, suncatchers. This craft project can be tailored for just about any age. Also, most of the supplies can be found around the house. Simple directions below.

Supplies:
Plastic from packaging - kids toys, veg/fruit containers, etc.
Permanent markers
Coloring book (optional)
scissors
suction cup (optional) - can be found at the hardware store
1 paper clip
hole punch


9,228 posted on 06/28/2009 7:00:48 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-do-we-choose-between-budget-and.html

25 Sustainability Changes That Save Money

1. Take advantage of your local library for books, music, and videos.
2. Walk or bike, use public transportation, carpool with neighbors and co-workers, and consolidate any car errands to one or two days per week.
3. Think about getting rid of your car to save money on insurance, maintenance, and gas.
4. Use a clothesline instead of the dryer.
5. Replace paper towels & napkins with cloth. You can make rags out of old clothing, and cloth napkins out of old sheets and curtains.
6. Barter and trade with neighbors and friends.
7. Utilize Freecycle, Craigs List, and other local free exchanges.
8. Shop at thrift stores and garage sales, and arrange clothing swaps with friends and family.
9. Make your own lunches for school and work.
10. Stop buying snacks and take-out food, and instead cook at home. If you need to save time, there are many quick seasonal recipes. I’ve posted a few here.
11. Buy in bulk: buy from bulk bins at your local market, buy large quantities of staples via special order from your local market or online, buy a whole case which generally comes with a case discount, and buy large packages of food you use regularly. If buying in bulk leaves you with too much food, go in on the purchase with a friend or set up a community buying club.
12. If you are really needing extra help, go to your local food bank. That’s what they’re for!
13. Buy fruit and vegetable seconds and day old bakery items. These are generally significantly reduced in price - often by 50% or more. Generally you’ll need to cook with them right away.
14. Pick your own produce at a local farm.
15. Grow your own food.
16. Learn to preserve food by canning, drying, root cellaring, freezing, and pickling. You can find books about how to do these things at your local library.
17. Plan your menus. If you plan your menus for the week, you will use all of the food you’ve purchased, you’ll be able to shop just once a week, you can make sure to utilize seasonal items, and you can save time and stress by not having to worry about “what’s for dinner.”
18. Recycle and compost as much as possible to reduce trash collection fees.
19. Mend and repair. You can pick up books from the library on how to sew, knit, repair furniture and cars, and so on. And there are often free classes on such subjects - ask at your local college, community center, bulletin boards, and do a search on the internet. You may be surprised at what’s out there!
20. Make your own cleaning and body products from simple and cheap ingredients like vinegar, baking soda/bicarb, hydrogen peroxide, corn starch, cooking oil, lemon juice, and water. You’ll find several recipes here at the Co-op, and at Down To Earth. I’ve recently shared my deodorant and hair washing methods. Eileen just wrote about going entirely no ‘poo.
21. Unplug or turn off power switches to appliances when not in use, to save electricity.
22. As they burn out, replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. They cost more initially, but they will save significant amounts of electricity and will last many times longer than an incandescent bulb.
23. Reduce shower times, bathe less often, and use bath water to water outdoor plants and flush toilets.
24. Turn off the television, get rid of your cable bill, and take up reading, knitting, and walking more regularly.
25. Use coupons. I recently bought a book of coupons for local shopping. The book cost $20. The first coupon I used saved me $25. I win!

Stay safe, healthy, and happy. Things will get better. In the meantime, the most important thing to remember is that we all survive better if we stick together. Now is a great time to be a strong member in your community. You are probably more knowledgeable and better equipped than most of your neighbors, so if you can, try to help them get through this crisis, too!

Thanks for reading.

Posted by Melinda


9,229 posted on 06/28/2009 7:01:07 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Country Lore: Make Zucchini Chips

Turn an overabundance of zucchini into dried chips, great for snacking and in winter recipes.

June/July 2008 By Jennifer Cleary

The season of zucchini overabundance will soon be here. Before you resort to unloading your surplus in unlocked cars and empty mailboxes, try drying it. The drying process concentrates the zucchini’s flavor, making even tasteless, watery varieties decidedly sweet and nutty. I like to grow ‘Dark Green,’ a good all-purpose variety that is somewhat bland when fresh, but absolutely delicious when dried. I imagine a variety that is flavorful when fresh, such as ‘Costata Romanesco,’ would make for a true gastronomical experience.

Drying zucchini is fast, simple and requires little equipment. I like to wait to pick the zucchini until they are 10 to 12 inches long and fully mature. Don’t let them get much larger, though, or the seeds will be tough when dried. Cut the zucchini into one-sixteenth- to one-eighth-inch slices, discarding the end pieces. Spread the rounds on an old nylon window screen to dry. If the weather is sunny and the humidity low, they can be dried outside.

Alternatively, they can be dried on screened racks in a warm (100 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit) oven. I also like to spread trays of drying zucchini on the warming shelf of our wood cookstove. The chips are done if they no longer exude moisture when squeezed and are brittle. Store the dried chips in an airtight tin or jar.

Dried zucchini slices can be rehydrated in winter stews and chili — simply add the dried chips during the last three to five minutes of cooking. But my favorite way to eat dried zucchini is straight out of the jar, like potato chips.
Jennifer Cleary.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2008-06-01/Dried-Zucchini-Chips.aspx


9,230 posted on 06/28/2009 10:00:02 AM PDT by DelaWhere (Gardening: Lots of work, sweat and sore muscles - but Ooooooh the rewards! YUM!)
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To: DelaWhere

Dried zucchini chips! Another great sounding idea. For some reason, I just can’t seem to get into canning, but all thse drying ideas-fruits, veggies, jerky and trail mix are great survival items as well as money saving ideas.


9,231 posted on 06/28/2009 10:43:07 AM PDT by upcountry miss
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To: All; Velveeta

I thought I’d leave you with this quote that really sums up the learning I’ve experienced:

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, “Wow, what a ride!!!”

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20Living


9,232 posted on 06/28/2009 11:03:55 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20Living

Expensive Children?

Posted by Bel
From Spiral Garden

A multitude of articles have been written recently about the massive costs involved in raising children. Estimates range between approximately $120000 and $600000 to raise one child to adulthood. As the mother of a larger family, that is not good news for me! When thinking about a lot of the expenses used in these calculations, though, I gratefully realised that our lifestyle allows us quality at a lesser price.

Money’s well-researched article on the costs parents are facing included a list from University of Queensland’s Dr Paul Henman. He divided the costs into 10 groups, listed below in descending order:

* housing
* childcare
* food
* energy
* clothing and footwear
* household goods and services
* leisure
* personal care
* transport
* health

How does a family save money on those criteria?

Housing –
* When choosing location, try to balance commuting and price
* If possible, with work and family commitments taken into consideration, a small town will generally offer better value for money housing
* Everyone doesn’t need their own room, take a tip from other cultures where sharing and multi-use rooms are the norm

Childcare –
* do the sums, is it cheaper to stay home while the children are little, at least part of the time?
* are you aware of all subsidies and refunds available to you for childcare?
* have you looked into all options for childcare?

Food –
* Grow your own
* Buy in bulk
* Cook from scratch
* Meal plan
* Save ‘treats’ for special occasions
* Don’t eat empty calories – price food items per kilo and learn where your money is better spent (eg: 1kg of potato crisps cost about $20, whereas a loaf of wholewheat bread costs only around $4 per kilogram – try to get some nutrition and value for your money).

Energy –
* teach good habits from a young age – eg: shorter showers, switching appliances off at the wall
* try to heat/cool fewer rooms by sharing spaces
* discuss energy use as a family, so everyone is responsible – it’s about treading lightly as well as the cost

Clothing and Footwear –
* for as long as possible try to use recycled clothing and handmade or altered items
* buy quality, make it last

Household Goods & Services – (includes education)
* wait – don’t rush out to get what you think you ‘need’
* look at all your options – consider secondhand goods, buy quality appliances to last, think about homeschooling (often described as the ultimate private education)

Leisure –
* don’t skimp on really important things, fun matters so make it quality fun!
* find cheap and free things to do as a family to strike a balance

Personal Care –
* looking good and feeling good are important, but needn’t cost a lot
* go for quality over quantity and learn some DIY beauty tricks – have a pamper session with friends or family
* stay away from products laden with chemicals – they’re not necessarily any more effective than cheap and natural alternatives, but they’re certainly more likely to cause problems for the person using them, or the planet

Transport –
*car pool
* maintain your vehicle so it lasts longer
* combine trips to save time and fuel

Health –
* prevention is better and cheaper than cure – eat well, look after your teeth, exercise and live a balanced life
* don’t skimp on health care, if everything else you have vanished into thin air, your health would be all you have left - it’s all that really matters in the long term
* Australia is extremely lucky to have a lot of free healthcare for children - from clinics for babies and children, to bulk-billed (ie: free) medical treatment by most GPs, quality care in many public hospitals, ambulance transport in our state, and free dental care for school-aged children, including a new program for teenagers

Those are just a few hints from our family. Do you have any tips to share for saving money in any of the categories above? Do you think the estimates are accurate?

Related Posts by Bel
Menu Planning for Many
Enough
Babysitting Clubs
Real Nappies (diapers)
Read more...
Posted by Bel , Links to this post , 11 comments

[They have lovely children, look like real kids....granny]


9,233 posted on 06/28/2009 11:09:08 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20Living

Our Next Generation

Heather Beauty That Moves

Many years ago, when my now 11 year old daughter was just 2 1/2, my husband entered law school full time. I went from being a full-time stay at home mom to a working out of the house mom... five nights a week. The schedule wasn’t terrible, I was able to be home with her during the day and would leave just before 5:00 in the evening. On nights that went according to plan, she would go to bed at about 7:30. All in all, I didn’t feel like I was missing that much, and it enabled my husband to pursue his degree.

At some point during that time, as a simple ‘dinner’ solution (according to my husband), movie night in our home was born (popcorn was the main course) and over the years it has become so much more than just another tradition for our family. It’s more of an institution really and is usually only capable of being cancelled for weddings or funerals. It’s a serious night around here.

I guess why I am sharing this here on this blog is not because of the inexpensive popcorn that we dine on each Friday night (for years and years now - that’s a lot of savings!), or the simple hot cocoa that accompanies (gently heat up some milk in a pan, add a little cocoa powder, vanilla and maple syrup - so easy i can’t believe the hot cocoa mix industry even exists!), it’s the underlying thoughts and reflections that seem relevant to share and discuss in this space. Nothing fancy is required to make our family movie night happen each Friday, yet we start planning and thinking about it by Tuesday of each week because it is such a highlight for us. Every single one of our friends and family members knows that if it is Friday night, our little gang can be found huddled together with fistfuls of popcorn watching who knows what for probably the tenth time. But we don’t care about how many times we’ve seen the movie, because we are safe and snug together, creating memories and living gently.

I know that when my daughter is grown she will remember our movie nights just as she will remember that we baked our daily bread, that we ate dinner together by candlelight, that our food didn’t come from a box but rather the earth and that her mom cooked from scratch, that sometimes I sewed clothes for her, that we grew a little bit of our own food and personally knew the farmers that grew much of the rest, that we tried our best each day as a family to be good stewards of the earth... she will remember all of this and so much more.

I wonder, what homespun and simple living memories will your children or grandchildren take with them as they grow and become our next generation? Read more...

Posted by heather , Links to this post , 18 comments


9,234 posted on 06/28/2009 11:14:17 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: upcountry miss

>>>I just can’t seem to get into canning,<<<

I will probably only can about 35-40 cases this year. Apple sauce, limas, corn, chili, spaghetti sauce, string beans, wax beans and apple pie filling along with a bunch of peaches and any meat that comes along. I am getting a backlog of pickles, beets, tomatoes, peas, & squash, so have planted more root crops this year. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, red potatoes, turnips. I have quite a few pumpkins planted, and butternut squash planted too.

The other day, as I was clearing out some storage space, I found a box that had been sitting there for about 15 years.(Yes, I am a pack-rat) I opened it and found my old dehydrator! I remember that I couldn’t find it so I wound up buying another, then this year when I found and bought the $6.99 one, I now have 3. So, this must be the year to dehydrate everything in sight.


9,235 posted on 06/28/2009 11:18:23 AM PDT by DelaWhere (Gardening: Lots of work, sweat and sore muscles - but Ooooooh the rewards! YUM!)
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To: All

[Has photos, it does not surprise me that Cottonwood would be a healer, as it is also an emergency food plant for livestock.

During the depression, Mary and Jay cut branches off the big trees in the Gila River bottom, drug them home to feed and keep their cow producing milk for the children....
granny]

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20Living

Healing Cottonwood Salve

by Throwback at Trapper Creek

A well stocked medicine cabinet should include some homemade soothing, and healing ointments and salves. Making your own salve allows you to control the ingredients, and keeps the expense down. A common salve that is easy to make is Calendula salve, but I’m going to show you how to make Cottonwood Salve today.

Supplies needed:
Dormant Cottonwood Buds
Olive Oil (organic, extra virgin is best for your skin)
Beeswax
wide mouth jar to make infused oil
assorted small jars and lids for salve
double boiler or a small and large kettle and canning rings

A popular European and Native American remedy for burns, it is just as useful today. Containing salicylates (think aspirin) it is also useful for pain, sprains and inflamation. Known for its natural antiseptic properties, it also helps with tissue regeneration.

Commonly known as Cottonwood or Balsam Poplar, Populus balsamifera, Populus trichocarpa.
A tall vigorous tree, look for it next to rivers, lakes and streams or in any moist area. If you are not sure if you have found the right tree, rub a leaf between your fingers, and an aromatic sweet scent will tell you if you have hit paydirt. But, mark the location, as the buds need to be gathered while the tree is dormant, in late winter through early spring.

How to gather buds from a 100’ tree? Let Mother Nature help you. With cottonwood being a somewhat brittle tree, winter wind and ice storms will take their toll, and bring down limbs for you. I am not too keen on widespread wildcrafting, because if everybody is out foraging, the natural landscape will suffer, but Cottonwood trees are prolific and can take losing a cup of buds here and there. Look for tight, pointy buds that haven’t started to open yet. They should be a little sticky and very aromatic. The scent is heavenly.

There are many ways to make infusions. The easiest is to place your buds in a wide mouth jar and completely cover with oil, so the buds do not mold. I prefer not to use heat, and I leave the buds in oil for a year, in the dry pantry. If you are in a hurry, you can heat the oil and buds gently and strain when the oil smells strong enough to you.

Cottonwood buds are antioxidant so no vitamin E or gum benzoin is needed. Good olive oil also is not prone to rancidity, so this infused oil keeps at least a year or more and is useful in itself. The addition of beeswax adds to the keeping qualities of the cottonwood, so you can expect this salve to keep several years.

Cast of characters: Beeswax, and infused cottonwood oil.

Decanted oil, I used wide mouth pint canning jars. That way I know at a glance how much oil I have, so I can measure my beeswax accordingly.

I wanted to make a firm salve, and the general salve recipe is 1 oz of beeswax to 5 oz of oil. Firm salves form a protective barrier, softer salves (less beeswax) will allow for more absorbency of the herbal properties. If this is your first salve making experience, use half the recommended amount of beeswax, when the wax and oil have melted, pour a little into one of your containers and let it set up. If you like the consistency, you’re done. If it is too soft, reheat and add the rest of the beeswax and continue.
To get my beeswax down to a manageable size, I chopped it with a hatchet. I use beeswax in my some of my soap recipes too, so I can eyeball 1 oz sizes. I do weigh the beeswax though, after I have it in smaller pieces.

I made a double boiler with a large kettle, and some canning rings. The oil and beeswax should be gently heated to preserve the herbal qualities of the cottonwood.

While the oil and wax is heating, wash and dry your jars and have them ready for pouring. For this batch, I used an assortment of jars: 4 oz jelly jars, wide mouth 1/2 pint, recycled mustard jars (for the barn) and a real salve jar so I can share some salve as a gift. Always try to have a extra jar or two, I always do this when I am canning too, just so I don’t have to go looking for one more jar when I have hot food waiting. Put down some newpaper too, if you pour like I do.

Pour the warm oil into your jars...

While the salve is cooling, you can wipe your pan to clean it. If the salve in the pan starts to harden just put the pan back in the water bath to remelt and wipe again, and then you can wash with warm soapy water.

When the salve has cooled, you can scrape the paper, (if you’re as messy as me) and the jar threads and add the cleanings to your jars. Let cool overnight, or all day and wipe the rims clean and put the lids on for long term storage. Too soon and it may sweat and add moisture to your jars.

Once you have made and used some of this salve, you will love it!

Read more...

Posted by Throwback at Trapper Creek , Links to this post , 11 comments
Labels: Emergency Preparedness, Handmade - Gifts, homesteading skills, In the Kitchen - Recipes, Natural Remedies, self reliance, Simple Living


9,236 posted on 06/28/2009 11:27:50 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

[photos]

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20Living

How Do You Dry Your Ziploc Bags?

Heather
Beauty That Moves
I feel like this post is the simplest of simple ideas. So simple in fact, that I feel a little funny sharing it. Is it even post worthy? Well, sure... why not. Sometimes the most basic ideas are the best place to start. And sometimes they are the very things that have been overlooked for too long, put on the back burner to take care of someday. Sometimes we need just the right inspiration/motivation to finally take care of that item on the list... I know I certainly do.

Ziploc bags. Most of us use them for one reason or another, very few of us throw them away. For years I wanted one of those fancy wooden bag drying racks, but never felt like paying the price (they aren’t crazy expensive, just not something I didn’t want to spend money on). The round design also made me wonder where I would keep the baggie filled rack in my small kitchen. It seemed it would need to sit on the counter, precious space I cannot spare.

So, I asked my husband if he would check out our scrap wood pile for supplies to make us a rack of our own, one that was designed in a rectangular fashion rather than round. It seemed like the most practical place to dry the bags and store the rack was right over the kitchen sink, on the windowsill.

In less than an hour he delivered the rack I had waited years for (it’s the little things), to my kitchen. It works perfectly for us, stays out of the way and holds plenty of bags as well as the resident guinea pig’s water bottle as it drys. :)

There are of course many other ways to dry ziploc bags... please share a method that is working for you! Read more...

Posted by heather , Links to this post , 51 comments

Labels: Ethical Consumption, In the Kitchen, Reusing Repairing Recycling, self reliance, Simple Living

[LOL, a piece of scrap 2x3” with dowels a foot or so long, glued in it upright...granny]


9,237 posted on 06/28/2009 11:34:28 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All; JDoutrider

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/In%20the%20Kitchen%20-%20Baking

[Interesting sour dough report also on this page and bread making info....granny]

The magic of muffins.

Posted by Julie
Towards Sustainability

In my last post I was asked about the types of healthy snacks I like to make (and freeze) for my kids. Well, I have to say that muffins win hands down as one of our favourite, and most versatile, snacks.

They take next to no time to mix up - and are very kid-friendly - the recipes are infinitely variable, they cook quickly (especially if you cook mini-muffins), and they freeze exceptionally well for up to two months. Muffins will thaw at room temperature in a a few hours or if you pop them in a lunchbox they will have thawed by lunch time. If you are really in a hurry, you can pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds each.

To save even more time, a basic muffin mix of the dry ingredients only can be made up in bulk and stored in an air-tight container for up to six months. This way you just need to scoop out a couple of cups of the basic mix and add it to the basic wet ingredients and whatever flavourings you desire - have a look at the ABC Muffin Master mix recipe and variations, for examples of this.

Of course however, any food is only as healthy as it’s ingredients, so if your aim is to provide wholesome snacks for your family, unfortunately, choc-chip fudge muffins have to be relegated to treat-time! For what it’s worth, I don’t bother to ice our muffins either - I find they freeze better without the icing and my kids don’t need the extra sugar.

Carrot muffins.

There are literally thousands of muffin recipes on the internet. For each dozen regular-sized muffins the recipe will make, you can substitute two dozen mini-muffins or six jumbo (Texas) muffins, but remember you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly (less for mini-muffins and more for jumbo muffins). I tend to cook sweet recipes as kid-sized mini-muffins, and often cook savoury recipes as jumbo muffins to have as quick, light meals. Heated up with some salad on the side they make for a great brunch or kid-sized meal.

Some tips when looking for recipes:

* Try to look for recipes that contain a good percentage of whole wheat/ wholemeal flour, as opposed to all white flour. Often you can substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup white flour without making too much of a difference to the texture of the muffin, and in many cases you can use half and half;

* Look for those that have a low fat content, and try to cook with natural fats where you can such as pure butter or olive oil, as opposed to margarine or shortening;

* Applesauce makes a fabulous alternative ingredient to fats - it also produces the most deliciously moist muffins, as does plain yoghurt.

* Try to limit the amount of sugar in the recipe. Look for natural sweeteners such as applesauce and dried fruits, which have the added advantage of providing more fibre as well. Brown sugar is not healthier than white sugar.

* Muffins can be a fabulous - but sneaky - way to incorporate vegetables into your kids’ diet, and of course, use up many vegetables that you may have a glut of such as carrots, zucchini, squash and pumpkins.

* Don’t forget that muffins can be savoury and not just sweet. Cheese and bacon muffins are a big hit around here, and I often cook crustless quiche recipes in muffin tins.

* Incorporating nuts and seeds is a great way to make the muffins more nutritious.

Wholemeal chocolate zucchini muffins.

Some recipes to start with might be:

Applesauce oatmeal muffins

Almost a meal in a muffin

Banana yoghurt muffins

Strawberry and banana wholemeal muffins

Zucchini muffins

Carrot, zucchini and date muffins

Fresh pumpkin muffins

Healthy muffins (metric measurements, PDF file)

Date and walnut muffins (metric measurements)

What about you? What’s your favourite healthy muffin recipe? Read more...
Posted by Julie , Links to this post , 14 comments
Labels: In the Kitchen - Baking
Wednesday, October 15, 2008


One-Hour French Bread

~Sadge at Firesign Farm

Do what you can, when you can. When I was working full-time in one town, going to school part-time in another, and living in a third, sometimes getting a hot meal on the table was almost more than I could think of. This is one of my favorite recipes; bread in one hour - from getting the bowl out of the cupboard to taking hot bread out of the oven. I could put a pot of soup together in that time, and dinner was served!

From my blog: Aries was off today, and this afternoon said he’d cook spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight. We had just about everything ready to go. I had a big batch of meatballs and bell peppers in the freezer, jars of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste from last summer’s harvest, onions and garlic in the pantry, and lots of other veggies in the refrigerator. He also wanted garlic bread, so I said I’d make my One-Hour French Bread.

One hour is total time from getting the bowl out of the cupboard until a fresh hot loaf comes out of the oven. Lots of time, our dinner is this bread and some home-made soup. Sorry I couldn’t get a photo of the loaf right out of the oven - Aries just loves hot fresh bread!

One-Hour French Bread
1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
3 - 4 cups flour (any combination of white and whole wheat)

Preheat oven 450º. Combine water, salt, honey, and yeast in a medium bowl. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dough is no longer sticky (I’ll sometimes dump the dough out onto the cutting board with what flour is in the bowl and roll it around,adding a bit more flour, until it’s not sticky). Roll dough into a 12 - 14” roll (or you can divide it in half and roll it into two long skinny baguettes). Place dough roll(s) on a cookie sheet (this won’t work in a bread pan), greased or sprayed with non-stick spray, cover, and let sit 20 minutes. Make diagonal slits, 1/2” deep, on top with a razor blade. (Optional: spray with salt water). Bake 20 minutes.
Read more...
Posted by Sadge , Links to this post , 19 comments


9,238 posted on 06/28/2009 11:49:36 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

[You really need to see the photos, this is the best indoor clothes dryer that I have ever laid eyes on...granny.]

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/homesteading%20skills

I asked my husband to build us something that could take the place of our portable wooden drying racks. We had a few discussions about the details... we decided the only new material we would purchase for the project was the length of clothesline, we simply didn’t have that amount of rope on hand. The rest of the project was to be made entirely of supplies found already at the house. And there is quite a mix of supplies in here as a result. I think one of the stabilizers on the floor (in the front, top picture) is actually an old wooden curtain rod left by the previous owner.

A few more details... I wanted the rows of clothesline to stagger, similar to the design of those portable racks. Adam took this into consideration when he located and drilled the holes for the rope to be fed through. Staggered holes, staggered line. I also wanted it be wide enough to hang a quilt on, and it is! That is a pretty dreamy detail for an indoor laundry drying arrangement. And finally, I didn’t want it to be too deep. I would need to reach back there! Well, all was achieved and we’ve been using this for almost three years now.

Looking at the photo above you’ll notice a section of rope that is vertical, right in the front of the picture. When the frame was first in place, I thought Adam would just string each level individually and tie it off, then move down to the next. He explained that by running the rope continuously through the entire structure we would be able to untie it in one place should we ever need to “re-tighten” the whole thing as time passed. In the almost three years of use we’ve needed to re-tighten only once.

You can also see there are a few small hooks he put on the front. These are very useful for hanging ladies strappy things. :)

One more detail to note. Looking back at the top photo you can see he secured the framework to the ceiling rafters, and those braces on the floor are attached to the frame sides only, not the floor.

The measurements are: 78” wide (6 1/2 ft) x 19.5” deep. Approximately 117 linear feet of drying space!

I can easily hang three large loads of laundry on this drying rack.

The whole system works beautifully for us. Oh, in case you were wondering, my washing machine is just to the left of the screen in these photos. Everything about this is convenient as well as efficient. There is no correct way to do this, I bet if you look at the photos for a few minutes the wheels will start turning for how something like this could work in your home.

Read more...

Posted by heather , Links to this post , 55 comments
Labels: homesteading skills, Sustainability


9,239 posted on 06/28/2009 12:00:41 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All

Several subjects on this page, the baby chicks are cute.

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/search/label/homesteading%20skills

Mary taught me two things that changed my chicks into very healthy and happy chickens.

I use alfalfa hay in the bottom of the cage/box/brooder, it is food for them, gives them a natural place to rest and goes in the compost bin, ready to compost.

If you will note, the water jugs have wood shavings floating in them, soon someone will attempt to eat them.

Instead of water, in the first week, feed buttermilk, then both the b.milk and water and when the feathers are showing you can go to water.

Guinea Hens, Pheasants and other wild type poultry will have a higher survival rate on buttermilk.

LOL, yes, their are tests that have been done, the same ones that say we need cultured buttermilk or yogurt, to balance the flora in our stomachs.

granny


9,240 posted on 06/28/2009 12:07:41 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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