Replies

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/09/three-no-cook-summer-recipes-mexican.html

Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw
Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe may be doubled

This delicious and healthful coleslaw-type salad doesn’t actually contain any jumping beans and is more Tex-Mex than Mexican, but when it comes to dubbing new dishes I’ll admit that sometimes catchy wins out over reality. Besides, with a name like Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw, you might even be able to talk any picky little eaters at your table into seeing if they’re able to pop a bite in their mouth before it jumps right off their fork.

The snappy tomato dressing, which was inspired by last summer’s Seven Second Tomato Glut Solution (oh how I wish I had that glut this year), whizzes together in seconds in the blender and can be used on all sorts of other things besides this slaw (see my suggestions at the end of the recipe), but you can always use a bottled dressing instead. Trader Joe’s sells a lowfat creamy cilantro dressing in their refrigerated section that’s full of flavor but not calories.

The optional cooked chicken turns this into a heartier dish that’s perfect for a summer supper with friends, or for feeding people who simply can’t fathom the idea of eating a vegetarian taco.

As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients whenever possible. They really do make a difference in so many ways. Cans of organic black beans and organic corn are versatile pantry staples, and both can often be found for about a dollar.

3 cups (about 9 ounces) shredded green cabbage
1 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded purple cabbage
2 large sweet red peppers, diced
2 medium carrots, grated
4 large scallions, chopped
1 15-ounce can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can organic whole sweet corn, drained or 1-1/2 cups cooked fresh corn
2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken (optional)
Salt to taste

2-1/2 cups High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing (see recipe below)

In a large bowl, combine green cabbage, purple cabbage, red peppers, carrots, black beans, and corn. Stir in chicken if desired. Add 2 cups dressing and mix well, adding another 1/2 cup dressing if desired. Salt to taste. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, chill for several hours or overnight. Slaw will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw Tacos
Few Tablespoons olive or canola oil
Corn tortillas

Optional toppings:
Chopped vine-ripened tomatoes
Chopped fresh cilantro
More High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing
Sour cream
Guacamole or diced avocado
Shredded cheese

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add two or three tortillas. Using tongs, turn tortillas over so that both sides are covered with oil. Let cook, turning once or twice more, until just starting to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Set on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook the remaining tortillas, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

To serve, fold warm tortillas in half and stuff with Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw and optional toppings, drizzling with more High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing if desired.

High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing
Makes about 3-1/2 cups

1 pound juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 medium), coarsely chopped
1 cup yogurt (I use lowfat or nonfat)
1 cup sour cream (I use lowfat)
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1 Tablespoon ground cumin, preferably freshly ground*
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds, preferably freshly ground*
1 teaspoon chile powder* (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding a little more tomato if it’s too thick. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warning note: The heat from the chile powder in the dressing becomes more pronounced the next day.

*I order most of my herbs and spices in bulk from AmeriHerb. Read more here.

Other ways to enjoy this dressing:
—Mixed into a Tex-Mex potato salad
—Drizzled over a platter of sliced garden tomatoes
—Tossed with a green salad
—With a plate of grilled summer squash
—In your favorite chicken salad
—As a quick way to give rice salad a kick

All this veggie goodness means these recipes fit right into ARF/5-A-Day. Catch it every Tuesday night at Sweetnicks.

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/12/building-our-bread-bakery-recipe.html

It’s Almost Too Pretty To Eat

Italian Rosemary Raisin Bread
(Pane di Ramerino)
Makes 2 small loaves - Adapted slightly from Bread

This is the second recipe I’ve made from a wonderful European book called Bread: Artisan Breads from Baguettes and Bagels to Focaccia and Brioche by authors and cooking instructors Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno (he’s French, she’s Italian). If you learn best by looking at pictures, then this is definitely the book for you because it’s packed with gorgeous, full-color photos. And while it’s perfect for beginners, I think many experienced bakers would also enjoy it. I’ve already discovered all sorts of handy tips and useful nuggets of information. The carrot herb rolls I created last month using the carrot bread recipe were a big hit, and there are several other breads I’m planning to make. At around $15, this book is also a bargain.

Pane di ramerino has been baked daily throughout Tuscany since the early 16th century. As you can see, this is a beautiful bread, and it would not only be perfect to serve to guests but would also make a lovely gift. Thankfully the recipe makes two small loaves so you can spread the yeasty joy and still have some left for yourself.

I never would have thought to combine raisins and rosemary in bread, but the result is delicious. The flavor of the rosemary is subtle, so double the amount if you want to taste it more. This is a rich, easy-to-work-with dough made with milk, olive oil (which adds another layer of flavor) and eggs. The texture of the crumb is reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. This bread freezes beautifully and can even be sliced while still frozen. (I use a large serrated knife.)

It also makes amazing toast, which I’ve been eating slathered with apricot jam and thinly sliced sharp cheddar cheese. This may sound like an odd combination, but it reminds me of the cheese and chutney sandwiches I was introduced to by an English pal when I was a kid.

The authors claim pane di ramerino is a superlative breakfast bread and “quite simply the best accompaniment to fresh goat cheese.” My friend Amanda, who writes about glorious Mediterranean food at Figs Olives Wine, suggested using this bread to make her cool weather bruschetta with ricotta salata and thyme. Mmmmmm. I’m thinking it would also make marvelous French toast - perhaps for brunch on New Year’s Day.

3-3/4 cups bread flour (1 lb, 2-3/4 oz - 533 g) plus a little more while kneading
2 teaspoons instant yeast**
1/2 cup warm milk
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1-1/2 packed cups (4-1/2 oz - 127 g) raisins
4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Mix the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk, rosemary, raisins, olive oil, and eggs. Mix to form a soft, sticky dough, adding extra flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too moist.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead 6 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

3. Knead in the 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, and continue kneading until the dough is silky, springy, and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Put the dough in a plastic lidded container (or in a large bowl covered with a damp tea towel) and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Shaped Loaves Ready For Proofing

5. Divide the dough into two pieces. Shape each into a round loaf and place on a well floured couche or work counter. If you aren’t using a baking stone, place the rounds on a parchment-lined heavy baking sheet. Lightly dust tops of loaves with flour and cover with a damp tea towel.

6. Heat oven and baking stone to 400 degrees. Proof loaves until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Note: the book says that the loaves will spread and look slightly flat after rising, but will rise up dramatically during the initial stages of baking. Mine didn’t flatten out, but my dough was on the dense side.)

7. Cut a slash, 1/2 inch deep, across the top of the loaf, then another in the opposite direction to make an “X.”

8. Bake in the preheated oven (directly on the baking stone if you’re using one) until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath, about 30 minutes with a baking stone and 45 minutes without. Cool on a wire rack.

**A NOTE ON YEAST: I prefer to use instant yeast when baking bread because you can add it straight in with the dry ingredients. If you’re using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you’ll need to proof it first. For this recipe, place the 1/2 cup of warm milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. Add this yeast mixture to the flour along with the rosemary, raisins, olive oil, and eggs.

Instant yeast is stronger than active dry yeast, so some bakers recommend using up to 25% more active dry yeast than the amount of instant yeast called for in a recipe (that would be 2-1/2 teaspoons for this recipe). Others substitute active yeast for instant yeast 1 to 1. This may take your dough a little longer to rise, but that will only result in even better tasting bread.

Alternately, if a recipe calls for active dry yeast and you want to substitute instant yeast, you may want to use a little less. The original version of this recipe actually called for 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and I simply used 2 teaspoons of instant yeast instead.

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2008/06/whole-wheat-cookie-recipe-yip-yap.html

Bananas also happen to be one of the World’s Healthiest Foods, and are packed with vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. According to the WHFoods website, they’re one of our best sources of potassium — an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function — and can help do everything from build better bones to protect your eyesight. They also happen to be inexpensive, plentiful, and delicious.

Carrying around a healthy, protected snack is all well and good, but everybody knows the best way to enjoy a banana is after it’s been baked into something like muffins or cookies or cake. The key to baking with bananas is to let them get really, really ripe — more ripe than you’ve probably had the nerve to let your bananas get. I don’t mean yellow with a few dark spots; I’m talking blackened skins with insides that have turned to mush. A little mold on the outside is even okay. Sure they look disgusting, but you won’t believe the amazingly sweet banana flavor they’ll give your baked goods. And guess what? Research conducted at the University of Innsbruck in Austria suggests that as fruits fully ripen, “almost to the point of spoilage,” their antioxidant levels actually increase!

Organic bananas can now be found in many supermarkets, and they usually don’t cost much more than the conventional ones. I find that organic bananas taste better, and of course they’re better for your health, farm workers’ health, and the environment. Organic advocate and cookbook author Jeff Cox recently published a fascinating article called “How Organic Are Organic Bananas?” on Organic To Be, a wonderful group food blog created by Dave Smith, author of To Be of Use - The Seven Seeds of Meaningful Work, cofounder of garden tool company Smith & Hawken, and all around very cool guy. Here’s a brief yet frightening excerpt:

After harvest, bunches of conventional bananas are floated in tanks of sodium hydrochlorate solution to dissolve the drips of latex sap that can discolor the fruit. Experiments have shown that fungicide-treated bananas can develop off-flavors. Yet “hands” of bananas (the small bunches we see in markets) are conventionally treated with fungicides by being placed in polyethylene bags with blocks of vermiculite treated with potassium permanganate to absorb the ethylene ripening gas that bananas give off. This allows the bananas to be stored and shipped over a month’s time before they start ripening.

And that’s just what happens after they leave the soil-destroying, chemical laden, disease- and fungus-ridden plantations. Yet according to Cox, when bananas are under organic cultivation “the soil improves in health, amount of soil life, availability of nutrients, resistance to soil pests and diseases, and its ability to produce extra high quality bananas and plantains.” Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Unfortunately locally grown bananas aren’t an option for most of us, but if you choose to buy imported bananas, the organic ones are well worth seeking out. When you find some, buy an extra bunch to ripen on the counter (if you put them in the fridge they’ll make everything else in there taste like bananas) and when they start to look really scary, whip up a batch of these flavorful, cake-like cookies.

Say It with Me Now: Yip Yap Banana Snaps!

Susan’s Yip Yap Organic Banana Snaps for People
Makes about 30 very large cookies (which freeze beautifully)

Last fall I was thrilled to see that Tania had started posting again on her Canadian food blog, The Candied Quince. One of the first recipes she put up was for Yip Yap Banana Snaps dog treats in honor of her little dog’s third birthday, admitting she chose them because she liked saying the name. The name hooked me, too, and I immediately decided I needed to make some for my own dogs.

But then I saw the recipe for Garrett’s Grandma Capune’s Banana Cookies on Vanilla Garlic, and making treats for people quickly won out over making treats for dogs (I know, I know, animal abuse). The name Yip Yap Banana Snaps, however, stuck. In fact I couldn’t stop saying it. One night I crawled back into bed after getting up for a drink of water and excitedly announced to an only slightly coherent Joe, “I don’t want to build a bread bakery anymore. I think we should sell Yip Yap Banana Snaps instead!”

“Go. To. SLEEP.”

I pretty much followed Grandma Capune’s recipe the first time I made these, then I doubled the recipe so I could make my signature giant size cookies and started making various other changes, including adding a little vanilla, swapping out half of the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour, and using a mixture of white and brown sugars instead of just white. They aren’t health food, but they aren’t terrible for you either.

You can make these cookies with raisins or chocolate chips and/or nuts or with nothing but the spices. Joe loves the raisin version; I like them with mini chocolate chips the best. As always I urge you to use local and organic ingredients whenever you can.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups mashed very, very ripe organic bananas
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (a little less if freshly ground, which I highly recommend)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt

Optional additions (I usually split the batter in half and make two kinds):
2 cups raisins or 2 cups chocolate chips (per whole batch)
2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (per whole batch)

Heat the oven to 350F. Using an electric mixer (I use a hand-held mixer), cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.

Combine the baking soda and mashed bananas in a small bowl and let sit for 2 minutes to froth a bit. According to Grandma Capune and Garrett, the baking soda reacts with the acid in the bananas to give the cookies their lift and rise.

Mix the bananas into the butter mixture, then add the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and mix on low speed just until combined. The batter will be more like a thick cake batter than traditional cookie dough.

Stir in the raisins, chocolate chips, and/or nuts. Use a 1/4-cup scoop or 1/4-cup measure to drop cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (I put 6 cookies on a half-size commercial baking sheet).If the batter gets too gooey to handle, put it in the freezer for a few minutes to stiffen up. Bake cookies until nicely browned, about 16 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container or freeze. I think they taste even better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to mellow and mingle.

Other sweet recipes on Farmgirl Fare you might enjoy:
My Best Banana Bran Muffins (and other flavor variations)
Chocolate, Cinnamon & Banana Mexican Monkey Cake
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Fresh Strawberries & Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins
Cranberry Christmas Scones
Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Really Raspberry Tartlets
Easy Emergency Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Babycakes
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy Cookies
Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Still hungry?
You’ll find links to all my Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the sidebar of the Farmgirl Fare homepage under Previous Posts: Food Stuff W/ Recipes. Enjoy!

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where we recently decided that the ratio of cute animal photos to scrumptious dessert recipes on this blog is far too high, and have set about remedying the situation.

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2007/04/beth-noknead-bread.html

The first of these, however, offered me one of those double edged opportunity/danger situations. A quick search online demonstrated that there were already been a lot of variations on this recipe, some more successful than others, in the wild. Herbs, sourdough, chocolate chip (hmmm, chocolate, that helps anything!), mushrooms, cheese… You name it, someone has tried it. Interesting, but this could take a long time and much experimentation and I was on a deadline.

Click to enlarge
Closing in on the date for this post, I was still playing with ideas in my head, not in my kitchen where I needed to be, when I came here to check on comments and found inspiration instead.

You see, two of our most dedicated bakers, Judy and oopsydeb, were talking about Farmgirl’s Oatmeal Toasting Bread—one of my favorites—and that made me think of my cinnamon swirl version of Susan’s recipe and one thing led to another and I finally went to the kitchen and seven experimental batches later, I give you…

kitchenMage’s little bit Twisted, kinda Nuts, noKnead Oatmeal Toasting Bread
(with apologies to Susan)

Filling
nuts, chopped 1/2 cup | | 2 ounces | 56 grams
cinnamon sugar A few tablespoons or so…it’s sprinkling, how exact do you want?

**To measure ice without a scale, pour 2 cups of cold water into a 4 cup measuring cup and add ice until it measures ~2 2/3 cups. Smoosh the ice cubes flat with the water surface, it should then measure 2 3/4 cups. Adjust until it does. Or buy a scale already. Really!

Mixing and fermentation
In a mixing bowl, combine oatmeal, brown sugar and boiling water. Stir well. Cover bowl with clean towel and let cool.

This mixture needs to be no warmer than room temperature before you can continue. How you achieve this is a bit different depending on whether you are using ice or cold water:
Cold water—let the mixture cool to lukewarm, 30-45 minutes and add water.
Ice—wait 10 minutes, add the ice and stir until it melts.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. The dough will be thick enough to scoop a large spoonful and have it stay relatively intact—it’s very similar to the texture of well-cooked oatmeal.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. (This took 3 1/2 hours in my 70° kitchen.)

Refrigerate dough overnight (at least 6 hours).

Shaping and final rise
The next morning, remove dough from the refrigerator and let it warm on the counter for an hour or two. It will still be cool to the touch.

While the dough is warming, chop nuts and mix cinnamon sugar if you don’t have some on hand (my standard cinnamon sugars is ~3 parts each brown and white sugar to 1 part cinnamon). Also, cut a piece of parchment paper and place it in the container in which the dough will rise.

Flour the counter and scoop dough onto it.

Click to enlarge
The filling is layered into the dough with two tri-folds — like folding a letter to go into an envelope — first in one direction, then the other. Start by nudging the dough into something resembling a rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with a quarter of the nuts and cinnamon sugar. Fold one third of the dough towards the middle, sprinkle with a little more of the goodies. Fold the other third over.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes. It should relax back into a rectangle, more or less. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat the topping process.

Gently place the dough on the parchment and let rise until doubled in bulk. This may take a long time (4-5 hours).

When the dough is about half-risen, put the covered baking container in the oven and preheat it at 450F (230C) for at least 45 minutes, although an hour is better. (I used a 2 1/2 qt, 7 inch wide Calphalon saucepan.) If you have a baking stone, place the pan on the stone to heat.

Baking
Once the dough has doubled in size, place it in the baking pan by lifting the corners of the parchment with the dough on it. Lowering it into the baking pan and cover. Bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 400F (205C) and uncover the pan. (If you have a stone, remove the pan from oven and finish baking on the stone.) Continue baking until crust is dark brown and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, approximately 30-40 minutes. An instant read thermometer should register 210F (99C). Let cool completely on rack.

Not surprisingly, this makes excellent toast.

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2007/08/kevin-quick-breads-cheese-bread.html

Kevin: Quick Breads - Cheese Bread

This month we’re doing quick breads. A quick bread is one that uses something other than yeast for leavening, typically a chemical leavener. Biscuits are quickbreads — unless they’re sour-dough biscuits. Muffins are quick breads. Cornbread is a quick bread. Even popovers are quick breads, although they rely on eggs for leavening.

The chemical leaveners are baking soda and baking powder and they work by producing CO2 gas, which is the same way yeast works. Yeast, however, digests sugars and produces CO2 as part of its metabolism, while baking soda and baking powder work by combining an alkali ingredient (the baking soda) with an acid.to produce CO2. If your recipe contains an acid ingredient such as buttermilk, lemon juice, or sour cream then baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, an alkali) will react with that acid to create the gas.

Chemical leavening is a recent invention in the history of bread. Or, perhaps more accurately, their deliberate use is a recent invention with baking powder being the real breakthrough. Various combinations of chemicals were used in the early 19th century, but in 1856 a chemist named Eben Horsford developed a powder he named in honor of Count Rumford — yes, that Rumford Baking Powder. But it wasn’t until the end of the 19th century, when a German pharmacist named August Oetker started selling it to housewives, that chemical leavening entered the culinary mainstream.

Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and an acid such as monosodium phosphate, thus providing both ingredients in a single ingredient. Baking powder usually includes cornstarch to absorb water vapor and keep the acid and alkali from interacting in the box. Adding a liquid when making something like biscuits or muffins overwhelms the cornstarch and the active ingredients combine and produce CO2. But, over time, even the ambient humidity (the water vapor in the air) will saturate the corn starch and the active chemicals will begin interacting. This is why baking powder has a limited shelf life.

Bacon/Onion/Gruyere
Another option is to fry five strips of bacon cut into 1/2” pieces. Drain the bacon and add 1/2 of an onion, minced and sauté it for about three minutes. Make the bread according to the directions at left but leaving out the butter, substituting gruyere for the cheddar. Fold in the bacon and onion, then cook according to the recipe.
Double-acting baking soda includes an additional acid ingredient (usually sodium aluminum sulphate) that kicks in when heated. Without the heat it’s inert and so double-acting baking powder works the first time by combining the bicarbonate of soda and monosodium phosphate in the presence of water, and then, when heated up by the interaction between the soda and aluminum sulphate.

The following is a recipe I’ve been meaning to try since 2004 when Cooks Illustrated published it. This seemed like a perfect opportunity and I decided to match it up with a stuffed tomato for a late summer supper.

Cheese Bread
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2004.

Ingredient | US Volume | Metric Volume | US Weight | Metric weight
parmesan — coarsely shredded ~ 1 c | ~ 235 ml | 3 oz | 85 g
all-purpose flour 3 c | 710 ml | 15 1/2 oz | 440 g
baking powder 1 tbsp | 15 ml | 5/8 oz | 18 g
cayenne 1/4 tsp | 1.2 ml | — | —
salt 1 tsp | 5 ml | 1/4 oz | 7 g
black pepper 1/8 tsp | .6 ml | — | —
sharp cheddar — | — | 4 oz | 113 g
whole milk 1 1/4 c | 296 ml | 10 oz | 283 g
butter — melted 3 tbsp | 45 ml | 1 1/2 oz | 43 g
large egg — lightly beaten 1 ea
sour cream 3/4 c | 177 ml | 6 oz | 170 g

Heat oven to 350F (177C). Spray a 9” x 5” (20cm x 12cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of parmesan on the bottom of the pan.

Cut cheddar into 1/2” (1.25cm) dice.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add cheddar and toss to coat.

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, butter, egg, and sour cream. Combine liquid and dry ingredients folding together with a spatula until just mixed.

Pour into the loaf pan and top with remaining parmesan. Bake in center of oven 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note, because you may hit a pocket of cheese, use the toothpick test in two or three spots.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn bread out and continue cooling for 45 minutes.

It’s hard to beat cheese bread, and this version, with the chunks of melted cheese in it is fun to eat. The sour cream keeps it pleasantly moist and the cayenne adds a great touch of spiciness. I’ve just been sticking it in the toaster oven to warm up and then eating it plain.

http://urbanhennery.com/2009/03/22/081365-our-friend-the-grinder/

At the urging of various online friends and readers, Mike and I have officially joined the ranks of home sausage makers. We’d “made” sausage previously using plain ground pork, but actually grinding ours in the recently excavated grinder was a first tonight.

The same morning I pulled out the top round roast previously mentioned, I also got out a 3.5 lb. fresh ham roast with intentions of doing something creative with it in the crockpot today. Unfortunately the morning got away from me and I was faced with braising it in the oven instead of the crockpot. No big deal really since it was pouring outside, but I still couldn’t decide what to do with it, nothing was really striking my fancy.

So I decided to turn it into sausage and consulted twitter for ideas of what to do with my fresh sausage. There were a number of ideas thrown out, including one for making pasta with it. Ding! I could combine my current homemade pasta obsession with my new grinding obsession and we’d have something delicious for dinner.

This was seriously good and we’re already arguing about who gets the leftovers for lunch this week.

*****

IMG_7379.JPG

Fettucini with Sausage Tomato Cream Sauce*
serves 2 with leftovers
take off from this Epicurious recipe

Pasta:
all purpose flour :: just over 1 cup
eggs :: 2

Sausage ::
ground pork :: 1 lb
sage, fresh chopped :: 2 tsp
oregano, fresh chopped :: 1 tsp
pepper, fresh ground :: 1/4 tsp
kosher salt :: 1.5 tsp
nutmeg, ground :: pinch
cayenne, ground :: pinch

Sauce ::
olive oil :: 1 Tbs
butter :: 1 Tbs
onion, thinly sliced :: half
garlic, chopped :: 3 cloves
Italian seasoning :: 2 tsp
red wine :: 1/2 cup
diced tomatoes :: 1 pint
sugar :: 2 Tbs**
heavy cream :: 1.5 cups
salt and pepper :: to taste
parmesan, grated :: 1/4 cup

Make your pasta dough by combining the eggs and flour until they form a rough ball of dough. Knead a couple of times on a floured surface, then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Then roll either by hand or with a pasta machine, adding flour as needed until dough is not sticky. Cut into fettucini, toss with corn meal to keep it from sticking together and set aside until needed.

We ground the pork by putting it through the grinder twice. Then we mixed in the spices and gently incorporated them throughout. You could do the same with ground pork from the farmer’s market or store. I then set it aside to meld a bit while I got everything else ready to go.

For the sauce, heat the oil and butter in a deep saute pan, add the onion and saute until just tender. Add the sausage and saute until cooked through, breaking up as it cooks. Add the garlic and the Italian seasoning, cook until the garlic smells delish. Drain any extra liquid off of the pan.

Add the red wine and simmer until most of it cooks off. Drain the tomatoes most of the way and add to the pan with sugar if desired. Simmer until any juices are cooked off. Add the cream and simmer gently while you cook the pasta.

Drain the pasta and toss. Top with parmesan and enjoy.

* I’m listing the ingredients first, ala Shuna’s convincing reasoning.
** our home canned tomatoes are quite acidic this year, hence the sugar

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Susan’s Honey Bran Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 3 large loaves, about 36 ounces each

When it comes to baking bread, my motto is If you have friends or a freezer, never bake just one loaf at a time. It only takes a few more minutes of work to bake two or three loaves, and homemade bread freezes beautifully.

This is a variation of my popular Farmhouse White, which is the kind of simple, scrumptious loaf people tend to imagine apron-clad grandmothers baking. Farmhouse White is also almost foolproof, which makes it a great beginner’s loaf. I realize that in these health conscious days white bread isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve had disappointing, doorstop-like whole grain baking experiences in the past, you might want to bake up a batch or two of the basic recipe first and then start making it healthier.

Farmhouse White is open to an infinite number of interpretations, and this is my latest favorite variation. It also makes wonderful dinner rolls and burger buns. It’s not 100% whole grain and uses white whole wheat flour, which means it’s a lighter, easier dough to work with and also rises beautifully, while still offering plenty of whole grain goodness, especially with the 2 cups of bran tossed in.

You don’t have to weigh your ingredients when baking bread, but a digital kitchen scale really does make baking and cooking a whole lot easier. It’s also nice to be able to weigh your dough as you’re dividing it into loaves (or rolls) so you know they’re the same size. I am loving my new Oxo Good Grips Kitchen Scale: it weighs up to 11 pounds, lets you pull the display out from the base so you can weigh really large bowls (so cool), and was recently voted #1 by America’s Test Kitchen, the people who publish Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Can you say incredibly useful, under $50 holiday gift?

Bake your bread in 8” x 4” pans if you want the rustic look of taller loaves with mushroom-shaped tops (like in the photo above), or 9” x 5” pans if you prefer shorter, more square-shaped slices (like the tuna sandwich photo). I can’t say enough good things about these Chicago Metallic commercial loaf pans. For the price of a few loaves of bread they’re definitely worth the investment—and come with a 25-year warranty. What they call a 1-pound pan is basically an 8-inch, and the 1-1/2 pound pan is equivalent to a 9-inch.

As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients whenever possible. I’ve found that organic flour makes a big difference when baking bread, and it often only costs a few more cents per loaf. Look for organic flours and brans in the bulk section of natural food stores.

If you don’t have bread flour for this recipe, just use more all-purpose flour. Increase the honey to 1/2 cup for a slightly sweeter loaf. I like to bake all my breads, including those in loaf pans, on a baking stone, as I find it bakes them more evenly and gives the bottoms a nicer crust (and it also simulates the ceramic deck in the 7-foot wide bread oven in my someday-bread-bakery-to-be), but it definitely isn’t necessary.

4 cups 1 lb-4 oz 568 g all-purpose flour
2 cups 10-1/4 oz 290 g bread flour
1 cup 4-1/4 oz 122 g oat bran
1 cup 3-3/4 oz 109 g wheat bran
1-1/2 Tablespoons 1/8 oz 17 g instant yeast
2 Tablespoons 30 ml canola oil or melted butter
1/3 cup 3-5/8 oz 102 g honey
5 cups 40 fluid oz lukewarm milk (about 85 degrees F)
4 cups 1lb-5 oz 604 g white whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons 30 ml salt

Mixing and fermentation
In a very large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, oat bran, wheat bran, and yeast (I use a wooden spoon). Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the canola oil, the honey, and then the milk. Mix well, then continue to stir vigorously, slowly adding 1 cup of the white whole wheat flour at a time, until you’ve added 4 cups, or until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. This should take a few minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 or 7 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface.

Place the mixing bowl over the dough, and let it rest for 20 minutes. This rest period is called the autolyse. (You can read more about autolyse in the sidebar on my Farmhouse White recipe post.)

Remove the bowl, flatten out the dough with your hands, and sprinkle about half of the salt over it. Begin kneading the salt into the dough. After a few turns, sprinkle on the rest of the salt and continue to knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until the salt is completely incorporated and the dough is soft and smooth.

Place the dough in a large plastic straight sided container with a snap-on lid. With masking tape or a felt tip pen, mark the spot on the container that the dough will reach when it has doubled in volume. Set it somewhere that is preferably between 70F and 78F for about one hour. Ideally, the dough should also be between 70F and 78F. It’s easy to check the temperature of your dough and ingredients with an inexpensive instant read thermometer.

When the dough is ready to be shaped, you should be able to push a floured finger deep into it and leave an indentation that doesn’t spring back. Unless your dough is rising in a straight-sided container, it can be difficult to judge whether it has “doubled in size,” which is the guideline most recipes use. I find the finger poking method to be more reliable.

Shaping and final rise (proof)
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flattening gently with your hands to break up any large air bubbles. Divide the dough into three equal pieces.

Shape the dough into loaves and dust the tops with flour. There are dozens of ways to do this; instructions on how I like to shape my sandwich loaves can be found in this post. Place loaves seam side down in greased loaf pans (I’ve become addicted to baking spray—so convenient.)

If desired, an hour before baking, place baking stone in the oven and heat to 375 degrees.

Cover the loaves with a damp tea towel and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes. The dough should rise well above the rim of the pans, and when you lightly poke it with a floured finger it should spring back just a little.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow if tapped (you can carefully pop one out of the pan and put it back in if it’s not quite done). Remove immediately from pans and let cool on a wire rack. Try to wait at least 40 minutes before cutting into a loaf, as it continues to bake while cooling. Store at room temperature or freeze in zipper freezer bags. Make sure loaves are completely cooled before sealing in bags.

Still have more flour left?
Check out all the other sandwich bread recipes on A Year In Bread.

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/03/practically-free-garden-weed-barrier.html

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Practically Free Garden Weed Barrier
We actually had a couple of days last week warm enough to get outside and accomplish something (I’m kind of a wimp in the cold). I started with my mini herb garden. I only have 3 herbs in it and have had plans on expanding it for at least 2 years, but it just hasn’t happened. It’s right along the walk up to our house. This little spot was dug out of the lawn, so the lawn just always wants to creep back into it (probably should have dug down at the edges and put some kind of barrier in). It got a little out of hand last year, so this year I’m getting a head start on it. We heard about this little weed beating technique last year and I tried it on my one flower bed and around my baby lilacs and it worked pretty well for keeping weeds down, so I’ll be putting it to use again this year.

First I pulled out the majority of weeds and grass (funny how weeds grow before anything useful). Hey, the chives are growing! They’re the green spots in the middle.Next I laid down newspaper 3-4 layers thick in a paper mache type of pattern. Use big pieces, and take it all the way to the edges—I tucked some under the rocks, and I’ll be putting rocks along the front as well to hold it in place. This is best done on a day without wind ;-). Also get it close to the base of the plants. Newspaper is cheap, biodegrades, and lets air in, unlike black plastic. Our little county newspaper is pretty scrawny, so I’ve been saving all winter for these projects and I probably still won’t have enough for what I want to cover. A few good city Sunday papers would go a long ways . . . After I got the paper laid down, I wet it so it would stay—the wind always blows here in the spring.Last, I put mulch over the paper and watered it again. We have last years grass clippings, but you could use bark or wood chips, or whatever. I’d rather have bark since it would stay put longer with our spring breezes, but hey, I’m cheap . . . I mean frugal and resourceful . . . so I use what I have.Voila. Weed barrier on the cheap. This method could easily go larger scale—like for the regular vegetable garden—as long as you have enough newspaper and mulch. This cut WAY down on my weeds last year in the beds I tried it on. I did have to add to the mulch periodically through the growing season so the obituaries didn’t show through . . . :)
More Fun from Angela at 10:42 AM
Find more posts about: garden, tips n tricks

comments:

Jayce^ said...

Another useful item, since you aren’t germinating new seeds, is to put some corn-meal down. The corn gluten is a natural pre-emergent, and totally safe.

March 24, 2009 11:23 AM
Angela said...

I’ll have to try the cornmeal—thanks for your comment Jayce!

March 24, 2009 3:02 PM
anna said...

I use the brown paper layers from the animal feed sacks. The chicken scratch, horse feeds, some of the dog foods etc all have a nice unbleached heavy paper that can be recycled into weed barriers.

Links and articles on every thing we have talked about, good blog , lots of videos:

http://www.realselfreliance.com/

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/01/emergency-notebooks.html

Monday, January 12, 2009
Emergency Notebooks
I’m putting together a couple of notebooks (might turn into more). The first is a Grab and Go Emergency notebook with copies of important documents in it. I’m thinking to make a second copy and leave it at my mom’s house or something so if my house burns to the ground while I’m away, I still have access to my information. Here’s a long ol’ list I got from a preparedness fair of what to put in it (most of these I don’t even have, so they aren’t going in mine, but I guess as you get older you get more of this stuff):

Proof of Identification
*Driver’s License
*Concealed weapons permit/s
*Birth Certificates
*Social Security Cards
*Passports
*Marriage License

Property Records
*Mortgage/Deed
*Rental agreement
*Video, photos, lists of inventory (my insurance guy said to make sure I am in the photos or video—better proof that it was actually my stuff I guess)
*Receipts for major purchases
*Payment record for major repairs
*Appraisals of jewelry, other valuables
*Titles to vehicles
*Cemetery lot information
*Firearm inventory/Serial Numbers

Insurance Policies
*Homeowners
*Health
*Life
*Disability
*Automobile

Medical Information
*Immunizations, other records
*Prescription information (drug, dosage)
*Health Insurance ID Cards
*Physicians names and phone numbers
*Living will
*History of illnesses, accidents, surgeries
*Power of Attorney for health care
*Dental records

Estate Planning
*Wills, trusts
*Power of attorney
*Funeral instructions
*Attorney’s name and phone number

Financial Records
*Tax returns (2 years)
*Credit cards front and back
*Stocks, bonds, CD’s, money market
*Recent bank statement

Other
*Personal address book
*Backup of important computer files
*Usernames and passwords for online accounts
*Key to safety deposit box
*Recent photograph
*List of where original documents are kept
*Extra set of car and house keys
*Map of area and phone numbers of places you could go in case of evacuation
*Numbers of gas and electric company
*Emergency numbers

Whew. Obviously it will take a while to get all this together and copied and I still have to buy the notebook, but I’ve started with some of the personal identification documents. You want to get the information for every member of the family, so I’ll also have to catch my husband home so I can copy the contents of his wallet. I was thinking if the documents are put in page protectors it would probably be best to keep them whole and so they don’t accidentally tear out of the notebook, otherwise, 3 hole punch them.

Then put the notebook somewhere not hidden too deep, but camoflauged enough so you know what it is and can get it quickly if needed, but it doesn’t scream to theives to steal it (it has your WHOLE LIFE in it!)

My second (and maybe third) notebook is for any prep information I have that I want to keep. Remember if the power is out you won’t be able to look it up on the internet! So print it off and put it in a notebook. Right now I have a file folder packed with stuff that is going to go into this notebook so I can actually use it instead of being stuffed in a file where I’ll never look at it if I even remember it’s there. Instructions, recipes, information. Anything you think will be useful. Copy, print, write stuff down and put it all in one place.

HEY, don’t stop reading! There were some good questions brought up in the comments! Click on comments and read on! :)
More Fun from Angela at 11:15 AM
Find more posts about: emergency notebooks, gear
12 comments:

Becky said...

Okay, I have a question, because my husband and I can’t decide. If there is an emergency, wouldn’t it be better to have all your ORIGINAL documents ready to go?

Because copies tell you what info you have, but they won’t fly if you need to get across the border or something (because we live in Alaska, not because we’re fugitives...). Hee, hee!

And if you use copies, where do you keep the originals? In the house? In a different location completely?

What do you think?
January 12, 2009 12:28 PM
AP said...

Hey, that’s really a good question and I was thinking some of the same things as I was working on this. Most stuff on the list is for information (like your insurance policies) but if you actually had to go somewhere, you WOULD want your original drivers license, passport, probably even Social Security cards and birth certificates (all the copies of my kids’ birth certificates have “void” on them). Maybe put the originals in your notebook (of course your DL will be in your wallet) or somewhere nearby.

If you do decide keep them off location they should be in a place you have access to 24/7 (not your safe deposit box at the bank that you can only get to when they are open—nobody else will get to it there, but you might not be able to either). I don’t have a passport, but if I needed one I wouldn’t want to wait for a bank to open to get it! The bank is right up there with the store on places I want to avoid in an emergency. I’m not sure where I could keep mine off site, but maybe a relative’s house?

Probably makes more sense to keep the originals of important documents together (of course mine are in 6 different locations right now) and ready to take with you. In the notebook would probably be fine.

That’s my thinking on it, Any other ideas are welcome :)
January 12, 2009 1:40 PM
D n C said...

I have two notebooks... one with copies and laminated at that...and then the originals all in another place... so that way I can get that one i need depending on the situation.
January 13, 2009 12:27 PM
Joanna said...

I was looking at your past posts and saw the cores/peels from slicing apples, and that you compost them. I make apple jelly from my cores and peels, then compost them.

In case you’re interested, follow these instructions for extracting the juice, and then these instructions for making the jelly.

I’ve really enjoyed your blog, and have bookmarked it to come back. :)
January 13, 2009 7:23 PM
Melonie said...

This is a great list and the comments are excellent as well.

I would add one thing to the general list for identification: military service members and dependents should make copies of their military-issued ID cards, as well as their military issued or International drivers license (not just their Stateside one). Some civilians who travel overseas also have an International drivers license - they’d want a copy of that also. :-)

As for us: our originals (outside of what’s in our wallets, of course) are in a huge Ziploc bag in our file box. It can be grabbed on its own in an emergency (the baggie) or we can just grab the entire file box if need be. I have photocopies in each of our BOB’s - that way if we somehow miss a bag, no matter whose it is, I still have copies in whatever I *am* able to grab. Diaper bag, my daughter’s bag, an adult bag - each has a manila folder with the vital records in it. I saved space and paper by copying on both sides, of course. ;-)
January 14, 2009 6:50 AM
Melonie said...

Hi again. :-) One other note for anyone military (active, retired, prior service non-retired, Reserve or Guard) - keep a copy of your (or your service member’s) most recent orders as well, or a DD214 if you’re no longer in the service.

Divorced folks, especially those with custody of any children, might want extra copies of their finalized divorce decree & any applicable parenting plans. I know they aren’t small, but usually the first page, the page stating who keeps the children, and the signature page are adequate in an emergency.

Hope that’s of assistance to someone - these are things that have stood out for our family as I went through our vital records for copying; I’m pretty sure I’m not the only divorced and remarried military spouse out there. LOL
January 14, 2009 6:54 AM

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/

Interesting blog on survival, by those who do understand what we are thinking.

A million links.

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

[more hidden links/urls]

Real Self Reliance
In search of a realistic self-reliant life

* Home
* About
* RSS

The Self Reliant Web Digest #7

Self reliant how-to’s & information from around the web.

* Practically Free Egg Carton Dryer Lint Firestarters (Adventures In Self Reliance) - Fun little preparedness project.

* Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) [Wolfe’s Blog] - An intro to a very useful communication tool.

* Lists (Abraham’s Blog) - All good preppers need lists.

* Walden, and 99 other Free Online Books Every Student of Humanity Should Read (Universities and Colleges) - Thanks to Art of Manliness for pointing this out.

* Tools for self reliance may be a matter of perspective (Our Right To Self Reliance) - Learning to repurpose stuff.

* Using a Gratitude Journal as a Personal Motivator to Save Money and Enjoy Life (The Simple Dollar) - A little bit of gratitude goes a long way toward being mentally self-reliant.

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

[hidden urls, near end of page]

Self reliant ideas and skills from around the web.

* Small Steps To Emergency Preparedness (Safely Gathered In) - Changing little habits and doing little things can make a big difference with the going gets rough.

* Security is an illusion. Freedom is real. (Wise Bread) - What you thought was cautious living may not really be as safe as you thought.

* Avoid Identity Theft: 9 Preventative Measures (Stepcase Lifehack) - Take responsibility and guard against identity theft.

* Coleman whitegas latern (Abraham’s Blog) - If you don’t know how to use a white gas latern, check it out.
http://hotdogjam.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/coleman-whitegas-lantern/

* Use Personal Marketing To Persuade Yourself to Save (Get Rich Slowly) - Hey if radio and tv ads are going to advertise things that you don’t need and are back for your finances, you might as well help counteract their influence by marketing to yourself (and you know… watching less TV).

* How To Make Your Own Luck (Get Rich Slowly) - Attitude makes all the difference, and you can change your attitude. He mentions a newsweek article called What it Takes to Survive, which is itself worth a read.

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

Bart and I got together the other day and made this video. It shows a way to make your own toothpaste using stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.

Here’s all it takes:
3 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1.5~2 parts Vegetable glycerin
Some kind of essential oil (This is just for taste, so pick something you like - cinnamon, tea tree, mint, etc…)
Maybe some water, depending on how you are going to store it.

Just mix it up, and store it.

You can also leave it as a powder. It just takes some getting used to.

http://www.wisebread.com/15-real-simple-ways-to-save-thousands-of-dollars

Many, Many money saving tips.

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/search/label/radio

Big John Lipscomb Searching For Female-Patriot Radio Personality !!
PATRIOT RADIO SHOW NOW HIRING CO-HOSTBig John Lipscomb, host of Don’t Tread On Me is nowlooking for co-host for his fast growing show. Goodresearch and excellent conversation skills, in addition tovoice talent or some radio experience. After 30 days,contract and compensation is available. Email resumeASAP to bigjohnlipscomb@gmail.com

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Monsanto Sends In Damage Control Over HR 875

Greetings. I read this article on http://dprogram.net/2009/03/27/what-might-the-so-called-monsanto-bill-really-do/, I was dissapointed that Dprogram would publish something like this.
What might the so-called “Monsanto bill” really do?
Posted by sakerfa on March 27, 2009

You can go there and read it yourself if you like. I’m not posting it here in its entirety.
Look people, Dprogram is trying to be 100% objective and give these legislators the benefit of the doubt. Its too late in the game to be giving these liars any benefits of the doubt. Our countnry is falling into tyranny, we cannot afford the luxury of going soft with Monsanto and its gaggle of spineless benefactors in government. Monsanto is trying to do damage control because YOU got pissed off about HR 875. Now you will see Glen Beck and other media outlets “debunking” the critics of HR 875. Don’t fall for it patriots. Don’t let up. INCREASE the pressure of resistance to HR 875. Some of you fell for Glen Beck’s fake patriot act. I personally went to Becks blog and asked him what he was up to. I told him he was a great actor and he can fool many people. Yesterday Beck came out and announced that the FEMA camps are not real. You see? You see what they did? Damage control. Everyone was getting wise to the FEMA camps so they took Beck and had him spew a few truths to gain the trust of the gullible. Then he comes out and spews disinformation. Don’t go soft. Stay away from the TV news, its 100% propaganda. I always liked Dprogram, I am hoping Sakerfa will change his stance on the issue and go full balls against HR 875. I believe he just got lax for a minute and did not realize that Monsanto has teams of experts to “clean up” situations like the backlash against HR 875. Just don’t YOU fall for their damage control tactics. It means we have them up against the ropes. Here are the comments I left on Dprogram in regards to the “Monsanto” bill. :
1. Joel the k said
March 28, 2009 at 10:38 am
Your article about HR 875, I could not locate a place to comment on it. I am dissapointed at that article. I see what you are doing with it, trying to remain 100% objective. But come on Sakerfa, the lobbyists DO write their own legislation and then have their whore congressperson rubber stamp it. Its too late in the game to remain 100% objective with these NWO sell-outs. Don’t do it man. Don’t go soft like this. These people lie and steal for a living these “representatives” and the scum-bag PACs Monsanto sends in to sex’em up and bribe them down. All this is is Monsanto damage control because they saw the grassroots movement forming against this bill and OTHERS you must remember. HR 875 is not an isolated incident. They are pushing draconian legislation every day. We have to push back. I am asking you to take another look at the big picture and realize that you are falling for an old trick the politicians use when the people start fkin up their plans.

Nice, many subject, be prepared blog:

http://selfsustainedliving.blogspot.com/2009/03/cheese-making-ideas.html

http://selfsustainedliving.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-gardening-trend.html

the New gardening trend
I read this yesterday and bookmarked the story so I could find it easy this morning. I’m thrilled with this whole new trend, of course. Seems people are finally thinking about feeding themselves! Dollars From Dirt is a nice little news article about how more people are turning their tiny backyards into gardens! Way to go folks! None of you will be sorry you planted food for yourself.

As I finish getting my first crops out(taters, onions, garlic, lettuce) I will work on those self watering container thingies I’ve been talking about making. I will post pictures and instructions too. Will be useful for folks that don’t have a yard to put a garden in.

Again, way to go folks! Keep gardening!

Ranting on all our favorite subjects and links:

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/search/label/Revolution

Survival information:

http://www.greatdreams.com/survival.htm

Survival radio:

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/search/label/radio

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/

What the Hell Can We Do?
75% of the population in this burg are a bunch of single digit I.Q. droolin’ idiots. Lots on the public dole, most all of ‘em “vote” by pulling the “D” lever and walk away... The rest are too busy working and being sheeple to pay attention to what’s going on.

I’ve written letters to the editor of the local mullet wrapper, calling for protest, calling for a march (well written, inciting no violence....), and none get published. The local talking heads on the radio immediately slap down anyone who speaks out against the government. I’ll get no air time....

The only thing I can think to do is to build a website, hang a sign on my fence, and another on the Heep, and maybe drum up some revolters (this is way more than a “protest”) that way.... Some how, some way, I need to spread the word. To wake the sheeple up. I need to make enough noise to get people to notice. If I had the money, I’d print me up a bunch of pamphlets as Thomas Paine did. But I ain’t got the money for that.....

This blog is read far and wide, but I’ve got zilch for local readers, so this ain’t the platform to preach from....

I could stand on a street corner with a bullhorn and a sandwich board, but all that would accomplish is making me look like a moron, and would likely draw unwanted attention from Johnny Law....

I’m sick and tired of sitting back and doing nothing. Calling/writing my “representatives” is a complete waste of time. All I ever get back is a form letter response, if I get any response at all, and then I get a bunch of “look how great I am” spam from them in my email.

All I know is that I’m mad as hell, and I gotta do something...... We all need to do something...... Prepping your ass off is something, but what good will it do if you’re forced to live in fear? If you’re afraid of being “found out”, getting robbed, JBTs knocking down the door at 2 AM...... That ain’t life, that’s prison. I want to bust out of prison! Please send me your ideas. Stay tuned....
Posted by Mayberry at 8:15 AM

http://www.rense.com/general74/morg4.htm

Symptoms Of
Morgellons Affliction

http://thefarmergeek.blogspot.com/

A Gift From Russia
*photo borrowed from FreeRepublic.com

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2208689/posts

Did you know that Russia gave to America a monument commemorating the tragedy that occured on September 11, 2001? I had not heard of this prior to this morning on my drive into the office, so of course I had to go look it up! I checked TruthOrFiction and Snopes, and sure enough, they both agree that this is absolutely true!

Go checkout FreeRepublic.com and the 911monument.com sites to see all of the photos and to read specifics, but here is some information about this.

*The base is surrounded by a wall with the name of every person lost in these attacks.
*The walk is made of stones engraved with messages.
*This is a gift from the people of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
*This was dedicated on September 11, 2006.
*This is located in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Here we are 2 1/2 years after the completion and dedication of this monument and I have never heard a single story about this. Why not? What is going on with the media that a foreign nation gives us a gift to help us remember the pain of attacks on our soil and they don’t even tell the American people about this??!?!!?

Go check out the other pictures on the sites above.

http://patriotscave.blogspot.com/2009/03/obamacons-sheep-nazis-and-ghost-towns.html

[snipped]

I’m telling you right now, my family serves God. Almighty God. My fathers fought and died for these United States of America so that my children could grow up in a representative republic, where the government stays the hell out of your business and does what it is told to do. This unconstitutional act, known as the “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act”, is against my religious faith. This act would have me to send my children to a re-education camp. It is stated right there in the bill that children would be taught “environmental stewardship”, among other things. The federal government of the United States is following U.N. mandates, and they freely admit that. The United Nations ideas of environmental stewardship is based on a Luciferian doctrine of Earth-Goddess worship. Indeed it has been stated by the UN that “No one will enter the New World Order unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.”—David Spangler,

[snipped]

Bo Gritz

One of my old favorites from the Chuck Harder days, he is the Army man who managed to get Randy Weaver out of the cabin and keep him alive, in the Ruby Ridge massacre.

Bo Gritz is broadcasting here, the others I don’t know, see one Herb program:

http://network.theamericanvoice.com/schedule.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/26/tent-city-california-recession-economy

[snipped]

The changing economy has, accordingly, thrown very different kinds of people into close quarters with one another. In Fresno, freelance electricians and truck drivers, employed until months ago, rub shoulders with crack addicts and those with serious psychological problems. There have been reports of violence in one part of Fresno’s encampment, known as New Jack City, but Burke said what really impressed her in Sacramento was the degree of cooperation.

“There is a sort of very pure democracy and self-governance at play. People are making up the rules of their cluster of tents, deciding what’s permitted, just as in any sort of community,” she said. “You don’t want to romanticise this - it isn’t camping - but there is a community, and there is a sense of helping others. We’ve had a series of storms here recently, and if there’s somebody new who doesn’t have a tent, people will take them in. It’s that understanding that, you know, there’s somebody worse off than I am.”

[We now have at least one in Kingman, Arizona, I heard the Police talk about going there and looking for someone, LOL, and not to arrest him, for information that the man had.
granny]

News:

http://www.survivalacres.com/wordpress/

15 Real Simple Ways to Save Thousands of Dollars

18 comments

Posted February 24, 2009 - 05:56 by Will Chen

Filed Under: Frugal Living
real simple march issue cover
Photo: Lucas Allen

The March issue of Real Simple magazine has a fantastic feature called 71 ways to spend smarter. With the magazine’s permission, I’m sharing 15 of my favorite tips from that issue.

March is the best time to buy a new TV

You can save an extra 15% if you buy your TV in March. New TV models usually come out in March, which means retailers will be clearing out their old inventory to make way for the newest items.

If March isn’t a good time, the day after Thanksgiving is the second best time to do your TV shopping. Of course, you can easily cut out TV altogether by watching your favorite shows on your computer.

Where to find the best deals in a supermarket?

Don’t buy products placed right at your eye level. That’s where the most expensive products are. Companies know that’s where you’ll look first, so they pay supermarkets a hefty premium to place their most expensive products right where you’re most likely to look.

Look up or down instead. That’s where you’ll find the store brands which are usually just as good.

Forget the 3,000 mile oil change rule

95% of drivers change oil too frequently, according to a AAA survey. The 3,000 mile rule is a myth. Unless your car gets heavy usage like a taxis, most cars can wait 7,500 miles, says Perry Stern, editor at MSN Autos.

Amy Schiff from our forums says you can save even more by changing your own oil: “The bonus is you don’t have to listen to the Jiffy Lube guy try to sell you extra services like changing the air filter for $16 when the part itself literally costs only $5.”

Best grocery buys from warehouse stores

Strip steak costs $5.99 a pound at warehouse stores vs. $11.49 a pound at the supermarket. Stock up because there’s plenty of ways to enjoy that bargain meat.

Another great buy is canned tomatoes, which is 45 cents a pound at the warehouse stores vs. $1.14 a pound at the supermarket.

Don’t splurge on fancy toothbrushes

cheap tooth brush

The American Dental Association says budget toothbrushes are effective tools for cleaning your teeth.

Pricier toothbrushes with fancy ridged bristles aren’t necessarily better. The real key is to avoid a toothbrush with hard, stiff bristles, which can cause enamel erosion and receding gums. The best option is soft brush with bristles that have rounded ends.

The oscillating-rotating electric toothbrushes are better for your teeth than manual ones at reducing plaque and gingivitas, but the benefits are modest.

You don’t need designer reading glasses

If you only need low-magnification nonprescription glasses to read, the cheap $15 glasses you can get at the drugstore will be as effective as the $125 designer glasses.

If the cheaper glasses feel comfortable on you, there’s no need to spend a fortune.

Share a babysitter with a neighbor

babysitter

Besides saving you money, this arrangement also gives your kid a built-in playmate! Visit our sister blog Parenting Squad for detailed instructions on how to set up a babysitting co-op.

Fix windshield chips immediately

crack in windshield

A small chip can easily lead to a full crack. Small chips cost $100 to fix. Cost of replacing a windshield? $500 to $1,200. Ouch.

How to negotiate lower fees with your health-care providers

blue pills

According to a 2005 Harris poll, two-thirds of people who asked for their medical fees to be lowered were successful.

The medical billing system has a lot of wiggle room for price adjustments. Always ask if discounts are available before the procedure. Offer to pay in cash can also save you up to 10 - 30% off your bill (ask for the “prompt-pay discount”).

For more ideas, check out Wise Bread’s comprehensive guide to getting the most out of your healthcare dollar.

Apple a day for whiter teeth

fresh apples

Snacking on crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples and celery can help you maintain a dazzling smile.

Need more whitening power? You can do an at-home treatment once a week. Add just enough hydrogen peroxide to a little baking soda to form a paste. Brush with this paste to get rid of unsightly discoloration.

Get together once a year for a clothing swap

clothing swap

Real Simple reader Kelsey Hughes gets together with her friends once a year for a clothing swap. It is a good excuse to clear out the closet and get some new clothes for yourself.

Best part? Everyone goes home feeling as if they’ve had a full day of exciting shopping without spending a dime.

Information you need for a medical emergency

pen and paper

Quick access to your medical background is crucial for getting the best emergency care. That’s why you should always carry a medical card in your wallet behind the driver’s license (paramedics will always check there).

Write down information such as

* medications and vitamins you’re taking
* any allergies
* major surgeries or illness
* contact information of your doctors
* contact information of your family members

Swap your latte for a misto

A misto is brewed coffee with steamed milk (as opposed to espresso with steamed milk). They generally cost about $1 less than regular lattes.

If you just want something hot and sweet, try steamed milk with a shot of flavored syrup.

No one will judge you for ditching bad gifts

My favorite tip comes from our good friend Erin Rooney Doland of Unclutterer, who also blogs at Real Simple.

How many of us are afraid to throw away tacky gifts for fear of offending someone? Erin says forget about it. She’s throwing out stuff all the time and no one has ever called her out on it.

So relax. That classic clown lamp your uncle gave you ten years ago? It’s time to let it go. He won’t mind.

Here are a few related tips to help you find more zen in your uncluttering efforts:

* How to get rid of all your crap
* A simple guide to regifting
* Smal space survival strategies

Store digital cameras in a travel soap case

canon case

Plastic travel soap cases and Altoids tin cans are great for storing small electronic devices like cameras and MP3 players.

Keep in mind these cases only offer protection against scratches and minor bumps. And as the helpful reader at the Consumerist pointed out, hiding electronics in unusual places may sometimes attract unwanted attention from the TSA.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you see the March issue of Real Simple at the supermarket, pick it up and give it a scan. It is well worth your time.

http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/02/some-first-aid-kit-examples/

Utah Preppers
Preparing Deseret, one blogger at a time

* Home
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Some First-Aid Kit Examples
24 Feb 2009 / Events, Personal Preparedness, Site, TEOTWAWKI Survival

firstaidkits Some First Aid Kit ExamplesFirst-Aid Kits are kind of a funny prepper item - there are SO many that you can just go buy that it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Yet, countless people I know barely have a box of band-aids in their home. Those who do go purchase a pre-made First-Aid Kit don’t typically pay much attention to it - it’s crossed of their ‘list’. But day to day use of the only medical supplies in the house means that after a year or so the First-Aid Kit is severely depleted and nobody notices until there’s a need for it.

Putting together your own First-Aid Kit is a pretty personal thing - it reflects your families medical situation and shows what you think you might have to treat someone for. For my family, we have endless supplies of medical stuff including a lot of specialized equipment. We have a 2 year old daughter with Leukemia and a 4 year old son who has some intestinal issues. We are also home birthers and use a lot of natural treatments. I explain all this because I’m about to show you some of our medical kits. These kits are specifically supplemental to our cases of medical supplies and to our extensive medicinal storage. Many of the things you won’t see in these kits are in our extended supplies.

The following 2 kits are put together for a bug out scenario (see picture above). One is a Fanny Pack that attaches to my MOLLE BOB and the other is a messenger bag that can be carried by any of the family. The Fanny Pack is more of a Triage system while the Messenger bag is more of a resupply and extended storage of things needed post-triage.

firstaidfannypack Some First Aid Kit Examples

Here is the list of what is in my Triage Kit:
o Environment and Prep
+ 5 Light Sticks
+ 50 Alcohol Wipes
+ 10 pr Vinyl Surgical Gloves
o Procedural
+ Sting/Snakebite Kit
+ 1 Roll Medical Tape
+ 3 5×9 Surgical Dressing
+ 3 4×4 Gauze pad
+ 10 3×3 Gauze pad
+ 1 Burn Gel
+ 1 4.5 in x 4 yd Bandage Roll
+ 1 Ace Bandage Wrap
+ 3 Gauze Wraps
+ 1 Eye Wash
+ 1 Moleskin
+ 50 Multiple sizes Large to small bandaids
+ 2 Sterile cotton tipped applicators
+ 1 Surgical Scissors
+ 1 EMT Shears
+ 1 Hemostat
+ 1 Tweezers
+ 20 Safety pins
+ 1 Large Sling Bandage
+ 1 CPR Shield
+ 1 Lighter
+ 1 Ipecac Syrup
+ 2 Neosporin/Antibiotic Ointment
+ 1 Analgesic Gel (Benzocaine)
+ 2 Finger Splints

firstaidmessengerbag1 Some First Aid Kit Examples

Here is what is in my Extended First Aid Kit:
o 100 pr Vinyl Surgical Gloves
o 200 Alcohol Wipers
o 2 Surgical Scissors
o 1 EMT Shears
o 1 Hemostat
o 2 Moleskin
o 1 CPR Shield
o 25 4×4 Gauze pad
o 10 5×9 Surgical Dressing
o 20 3×3 Gauze Pad
o 5 4.5 in x 4 yd Bandage Roll
o 2 Instant Cold Pack
o 2 Instant Heat Pack
o 1 Eye Wash
o 4 Rolls Medical Tape
o 2 btls Potassium Iodide (KI)
o 1 Roll-able Splint
o 1 box Nox-A-Sting Wipes
o Emergency Candles
o 200 Band-Aids

I’d love to hear other things you keep in your First-Aid Kit and any ideas you have for adapting mine.

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Related posts:

1. My EDC (EveryDay Carry) I realized the other day that I hadn’t done an...
2. Family BOB Example: The Lances A local friend of mine recently posted his notes about...
3. Are You CERTified? Too often I feel that we get into a “bug...

[hidden urls]

http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/02/learning-from-the-pioneers/

*
Learning From the Pioneers

06 Feb 2009 / Food Storage, Personal Preparedness, Pioneers, TEOTWAWKI Survival

1844 1877 - custom Learning From the PioneersMany know that Utah was originally settled by Mormon Pioneers, I’m a descendant of those pioneers from 8 different family lines on my Mother’s side. The Mormon Pioneers crossed the plains from Illinois to Utah in covered wagons, handcarts and many on foot. Many of them buried family and loved ones under a pile of rocks on their way here. It was a harrowing experience the like of which will hopefully never be repeated.

We can however learn much from them and their experiences, especially from a Prepper’s perspective. I was recently pointed to this list called a “Bill of Particulars” by a friend, it is an article that ran in the “Nauvoo Neighbor” on October 29, 1845. The list contains items that the pioneers were advised to take with them as they left on their journey across the plains. I find it very interesting to review it.

BILL OF PARTICULARS

For the emigrants leaving this government next spring.
Each family consisting of five persons, to be provided with—
1 good strong wagon well covered with a light box.
2 or 3 good yoke of oxen between the age of 4 and 10 years.
2 or more milch cows.
1 or more good beefs.
3 sheep if they can be obtained.
1000 lbs. of flour or other bread, or bread stuffs in good sacks. 1 good musket or rifle to each male over the age of twelve years.
1 lb. powder.
4 lbs. lead.
1 do. Tea.
5 do. coffee.
100 do. sugar.
1 do. cayenne pepper.
2 do. black do.
1/2 lb. mustard.
10 do. rice for each family.
1 do. cinnamon.
1/2 do. cloves.
1 doz. nutmegs.
25 lbs. salt.
5 lbs. saleratus.
10 do. dried apples.
1 bush. of beans.
A few lbs. of dried beef or bacon.
5 lbs. dried peaches.
20 do. do. pumpkin.
25 do. seed grain.
1 gal. alcohol.
20 lbs. of soap each family.
4 or 5 fish hooks and lines.
15 lbs. iron and steel.
A few lbs. of wrought nails.
One or more sets of saw or grist mill irons to company of 100 families. 1 good seine and hook for each company.
2 sets of pulley blocks and ropes to each company for crossing rivers.
From 25 to 100 lbs. of farming and mechanical tools.
Cooking utensils to consist of bake kettle, frying pan. coffee pot, and tea kettle.
Tin cups, plates. knives, forks, spoons, and pans as few as will do.
A good tent and furniture to each 2 families.
Clothing and bedding to each family, not to exceed 500 pounds.
Ten extra teams for each company of 100 families.

N. B.—In addition to the above list, horse and mule teams can be used as well as oxen. Many items of comfort and convenience will suggest themselves to a wise and provident people, and can be laid, in in season; but none should start without filling the original bill.23

We’re not 100% sure, but some friends and I determined that do. is an abbreviation for dozen. This list is the recommendation for a family of five for what was a several month journey. It seems like a well thought out list, I would personally make only a few changes to it. Not only was this to get them across the plains, but once they got to Utah they had to get established and survive.

Let’s take a look at what they were bringing, I’ll attempt to convert things to a more modern list.
o A strong 4 wheel drive with a large trailer attached
o 100 pounds of powdered milk (I’m attempting guess how much they would need in the time it took them to travel and considering that today most people can’t keep a milk cow)
o 300 - 400 pounds of preserved beef (again, trying to estimate considering most people can’t keep beef cattle
o 150 - 200 pounds of preserved mutton
o 1,000 pounds of flour, wheat, or bread
o 1/2 lbs mustard
o 600 lbs of rice (I’m assuming that they are referring to a dozen 50 pound bags of rice)
o 12 sticks of cinnamon? I’m not sure about cinnamon at all, never used it
o 6 cloves? Again, I’m not sure how to convert this
o 12 nutmegs? I’m going to assume for these spices that one spice bottle from the grocery store would be sufficient
o 25 lbs salt
o 5 lbs baking powder (saleratus)
o 5 #10 cans of dried apples
o 50 lbs of beans
o 5 lbs dried bacon (bacon bits?)
o 2 #10 cans of dried peaches
o 20 cans of pumpkin (I think this may have been to make pies with regularly but I’m really not sure, maybe replace it with cans of pie filling?)
o 25 lbs of seed for planting
o 1 gal 91% isopropal alcohol
o 40 bars of soap (I think a bar is about 1/2 pound or so)
o fishing poles, hooks, line and other tackle
o Iron and Steel tools i.e. hammers, saws, drills, etc (I think carrying raw steel was to forge tools with which we don’t really do these days)
o 5 pounds of nails, 8, 10 and 16 penny
o Wheat grinder
o 1 good rifle per person (we won’t exclude the women)
o 250 bullets per rifle
o 24 lbs powdered drink mix (kool-aid, coffee, tea, etc)
o 100 lbs sugar
o 3 bottles of cayenne pepper (Cayenne pepper is a very good herbal treatment as well as a flavoring)
o 1 Heavy Duty Pulley block with hook or possibly a powered winch on your 4×4
o 2 good pulley blocks
o Shovels, rakes, hoes, other gardening tools - as well as a tiller and gas
o Outdoor Cookware - dutch ovens, frying pans, cooking pots, kettles, etc
o Eating Utensiles, forks, spoons, knives, plates, bowls, cups
o A good tent, collapsible chairs, tables, cots etc as desired
o Several changes of clothes per person
o 1 Good sleeping bag per person
o More gas than you need to get where you’re going, spare hoses, fuses, various vehicle parts, tools to repair vehicles

I’m not sure how accurately I’ve converted things but this list makes a lot more sense to me as a baseline than the original one. It’s not really very accurate to replace animal transportation with modern, we’ll assume that we have to travel slowly or that we’re heading to a camp of some sort for a period of time.

What do you think? Would you make changes to it? Is this a helpful list at least to get your mind rolling?

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Posted by phil801 @ 10:16 am

Tags: Food Storage, gear, Pioneers, preps

10 Responses
WP_Blue_Mist

* Ekim Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 10:43 am

Honey wasn’t in the pioneer list, but I think it should have been, perhaps as a substitute for sugar. Like Cayenne, honey has many medicinal uses.

When are you reproducing this for us, complete with pictures and detailed how to :)
* David Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 10:49 am

I don’t have specific modifications to suggestions to make on the list, but when converting it to modern terms we should consider the purposes of the items. Their guns were not only for protection, but also for hunting. In our preparedness do we plan to hunt some of our food? If not we might need to keep more meat than they did and less ammunition.

Like I said, it’s something to think about.
* phil801 Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 11:27 am

@ekim - good point on the honey - my father keeps 3 hives and provides us with tons of honey!

@david - Good point David, in most scenarios I would expect we would be hunting for food. To accommodate this I would be sure to bring my butchering kit as well.

I see the ammo requirements here as far too few, my personal requirements are 2,000 - 5,000 rounds per caliber weapon, depending on its purpose.

I think you’re very correct that in this list we need to consider their situation, their time and their purpose for each item.
* Kathi Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

I think ‘do’ is actually: ditto. You see it all the time in family history records. So it would be 10 lbs of rice, 1 lb cinnamon, 1/2 lb cloves, etc.
Thanks for all your good info!
* Anonymous Says:
February 9th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

I think your rubbing alcohol substitution entirely misses the point of why the pioneers carried alcohol. 1 gal of alcohol would have had many medicinal purposes. Folks would have used it to prepare herbal tinctures, cough syrups and other medicines from foraged plants. It would have been used as a muscle relaxant, to calm teething children and as an emergency anesthetic before surgery or dental extraction. Rubbing alcohol is only useful as a disinfectant, but poisonous when injested. It’s dangerous to consider them interchangeable.
* Dave Says:
February 9th, 2009 at 11:53 pm

One little talked about item that I haven’t seen on any preparedness blog is cloth diapers. I think that cloth diapers will be extremely valuable to families with small children, unless you have a couple years worth of disposables. Without the availability of disposable diapers a lot of people are going to be forced to use old t-shirts and chopped up towels as diapers. I think that real cloth diapers not the cheap Gerber ones will save a lot of pain and trouble for families with infants and small children.
* Cate Says:
February 12th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

Do. as “ditto” makes sense, because that makes “20 do. do. pumpkin” read “20 lbs. dried pumpkin.”

Perhaps one could replace the gallon of alcohol with a first aid kit, then?
* Kymber Says:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:37 am

I really enjoyed this post and all of the comments! I have copied both the original list and your updated list - gonna sit down with a cup of tea and re-read both and then make some of my own personal changes! Thanks for updating it as it makes it easier to see what preps we should have on hand. And that’s a mighty fine lineage/ancestry you have there friend!
* phil801 Says:
February 24th, 2009 at 9:05 am

Kathi I think you’re right, do. probably does mean ditto! That actually makes a lot more sense.

Anon - I agree with your assessment of the usage of alcohol. Especially for use as a tincture. The other uses for it can be perhaps better replaced with modern means, but making tinctures still requires alcohol. Thanks for you input.

Thanks to everyone for the great input so far, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the list!

Oh, and Dave - you’ve given me a great idea for a new post - we’ve been using cloth diapers for many years.
* Jonnalyhn Wolfcat Says:
March 25th, 2009 at 5:11 pm

Using alcohol for tinctures is often one of the few ways to obtain what is necessary out of the base ingredient. Use something like a plain cheap vodka, remember to shake it daily and keep it out of the light while making the tincture.

“Do” for ditto is probably your best guess, as the spices mentioned would have been sold in pounds, not jars. You’ve also got the example of cayenne pepper and what is obviously black pepper, but listed as 2 do. black do. *smile* The nutmegs themselves would often be sold individually, and then carefully grated as needed. (I’m not as current on pioneer records, but I do know my medieval ones.)

Note, cloves (oil or the actual bud) are good for numbing toothaches, teething gums, or other anesthetic purposes. Tea Tree or Lavender oils are good anti-fungals/antiseptics and a wormwood tincture can really help ease a bruise.

Knowing alternative uses for many of your herbs and spices, or flowers can allow you more use out of your gardens AND give pleasure/comfort to the senses. Looking up some of the alternative medicine references or even gleaning one or two from the Llewellyn Press books could be a useful addition to that library of preparedness. *grin*

Stepping off the box now.

Links for survival groups/blogs in other states and good information on survival:

http://www.arizonapreppersnetwork.blogspot.com/

He understands what is coming, a survivalist blog, links and information:

http://thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.utahpreppers.com/

Alpine Storage Overages
No Comments
24 Mar 2009 / Food Storage, Group Buy

Our friends over at Alpine Food Storage recently sent out some emails about some overstocks they currently have. If you are in Utah, this is a great chance to go browse and pick up some of those deals you might have missed from previous group buys. If you have some tax refund money left, here’s a great way to use some of it.

Read the rest of this entry »

http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/03/alpine-storage-overages/#more-1523 [List of sale items]

http://www.alpinefoodstorage.com/

http://www.foodstoragewiki.com/index.php/Main_Page

Emergency Preparedness Categories

* Food Storage
* 72-Hour Kits
* First Aid
* Equipment
* HOWTO
* Vendors
* External Sites
* Glossary

Getting started

Excellent site for information, recipes and much more:

http://funwithfoodstorage.net/

VERY Interesting blog, another “He understands”.:

http://preparednesssubculture.blogspot.com/

{take time to check this page of links out, farms, co-ops and more}

1. A person who grows and /or stores food, water, and other supplies in preparation for disasters of all types, i.e., economic collapse, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes etc..

2. A patriot who is against Fascism, Communism, National Socialism, Globalism, and Totalitarianism, and believes that these types of governments lead to oppression and death of innocent people, thus the need to prepare for survival.

3. A member of a Prepper Network

Is there a food co-op near you?
Check here:

http://prepper.org/Food_Co-op_Directory.asp

Bees [and all other survival topics]

http://www.utahpreppers.com/

There is much that is worth reading and good links, frugal, survival, food, gardens and more:

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2009/02/food-storage-friday-surprise-muffins.html

[A nice how to store and use food blog]

Surprise Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)

2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c shortening
1/3 c powdered milk (with 1 c water)
Jam

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Sift your flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening. Also, use your powdered milk and water to create 1 cup of milk.

Stir in your sugar/shortening mixture and milk alternately into your dry ingredients. Stir until they are all combined.

Drop 1-2 tablespoons of batter into your muffin tin (or paper muffin cup). Next, drop a dollop of jam into the center of each (1/2 to 1 tsp of jam). Use the remaining batter to cover the jam in each of the muffins.

Bake at 425 degree for 20-25 minutes.

Walden, and 99 other Free Online Books Every Student of Humanity Should Read [several old classics that we all know]

http://universitiesandcolleges.org/walden-online/

Information and tips:

http://lifehacker.com/archive/

Bread and links for more bread:

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2008_09_01_archive.html

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/vegetarian_recipes_and_resources.htm

[end of page]

ADDITIONAL WEB SITE RESOURCES

Vegetarian Recipes, Animal-free Food Products, Information on Benefits of the Vegetarian Diet, and more.

More vegetarian recipes and excellent information on how and why to be a vegetarian are included in the list of over 60 worthwhile websites that follow. These sites can help provide you with many resources for additional recipes, instructions, utensils, vegan food products, cruelty-free clothing, and information on the benefits of being vegetarian, directories of vegetarian restaurants, and additional links to other resources.

Http://www.vrg.org — site by the Vegetarian Resource Group with lots of info, recipes, resources, etc. Or use http://www.vrg.org/recipes to go right to the recipes.

http://www.vegforlife.org — this site can help you with your decision to go vegetarian for life and the rest of your life with many resources for your assistance. Or go directly to this section of their site that will take you to additional places for hundreds of various vegie recipes: http://www.vegforlife.org/eats.htm#recipes.

http://www.goodstuffonline.com/recipes.html — check out more vegetarian recipes on this website.

http://www.veganchef.com — the site of Beverly Lynn Bennett, a vegan chef, includes loads of vegan recipes.

http://www.indianchild.com/vegeterian_recipes.htm — lots of Indian vegetarian recipes, and more links.

http://www.vegkitchen.com — features dozens of low-fat recipes, kitchen wisdom, and tips for new and aspiring vegetarians.

http://www.IVU.org — the International Vegetarian Union with lots of resources on being a vegetarian, and http://www.IVU.org/recipes for tons of recipes from around the world.

http://www.vegweb.com/food — the Veggies Unite recipes directory for lots of choices.

http://pavan.org.in/kitchen.html — a site that offers a wide variety of vegetarian recipes.

http://www.deliciousindia.com/India/indianRecipes.htm#Vegetarian%20Sites — here is a site that lists numerous other sites and resources for many Indian vegetarian recipes. There is a wide variety, so check the ingredients of any prep that interests you. This is from http://www.deliciousindia.com, an Indian cyber mall on Indian cooking with recipes, utensils, and more that you can order.

http://www.vegcooking.com/cookwithhema.asp — a site that offers many vegetarian recipes, entrees, deserts, condiments, salads, side dishes, snacks, soups, beverages, etc.

http://www.Mahabazaar.com — a cyber shop that offers Indian groceries, Indian recipes, books, news about events, and more.

http://www.Bhojan.org — a site for information on Hindu vegetarian resources, includes lots of recipes, vegetarian grocery store directory, vegetarian restaurant listings, and much more.

http://turn.to/Vegetarianism — A Hare Krishna site on vegetarianism, based in New Zealand, with lots of information on benefits of being vegetarian and how to do it.

http://www.tarladalal.com — this site has many Indian vegetarian recipes and resources, but you must register and sign in to have access to most of the site, which is worth it for serious vegetarians with an interest in Indian foods.

http://student.anu.edu.au/clubs/Hare_Krishna_Vegetarian_Society — a great site with lots of information and resources for being a vegetarian.

http://www.dixiediner.com — offers a catalog of over 150 vegan food products. Now you can get what you need no matter where you are. Offers recipes, utensils, special food items, like dehydrated veggies, non-sugar, meat substitutes, soy products, bread mixes, quick mix preparations, canned goods, cookies, chocolates, and more.

http://www.healthy-eating.com — offers a catalog of items for meat, dairy and egg substitutes, instant meal mixes, vegan and alternative health and yoga books, even vegetarian pet food, and more.

http://cheese.joyousliving.com — offers a list of cheese manufacturers that make vegetarian cheese without animal enzymes.

http://www.veganoutreach.org — has lots of information on the vegan lifestyle, diet, recipes, ingredients to choose, books to order, cruelty-free living, how to stay a healthy vegan, etc. http://www.veganoutreach.com/starterpack/recipes.html — is a page that list several good vegetarian recipes.

http://www.vegetariansabroad.com — offers a variety of vegetarian recipes and links to many other vegetarian based businesses and resources.

http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net — a great listing and directory of all the vegetarian (and vegetarian friendly) restaurants and natural food stores across America (over 2500). Has additional resources and information of co-ops, organizations, web sites, and vegetarian recipes and topics. A most useful site.

http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/SouthAmerica/Brazil.htm — a listing of vegetarian restaurants in Brazil.

http://www.naturalnirvana.com — has a directory of vegetarian restaurants, grocery stores, guidebooks on restaurants, information on clothes, herbs, and more, as well as guidebooks on India and Nepal.

http://www.naturalnirvana.com/Vegetarian/Vegetarian-Links/Vegetarian-Links.htm a site with many links and resources for recipes, guides and directories for vegetarian restaurants around the world, other vegan sites, veggie organizations, animal rights groups, and more.

http://www.naturalnirvana.com/Vegetarian/Vegetarian-Files/Non-vegetarian-ingredients.htm — list of ingredients in food that are often derived from meat.

Sites for More Information for Being a Vegetarian

http://www.vivavegie.org/vv101/index.html — 101 reasons for being a vegetarian.

http://people.qualcomm.com/sriharid/info/vegetarianism/veg.html — A beginner’s guide to vegetarianism, a short article.

http://www.webcom.com/ara/col/books/VEG/hkvc1.html — “Vegetarianism: A Means to a Higher End,” by Adiraja das. Explains the material and spiritual advantages and need for a vegetarian diet.

http://www.indianchild.com/vegeteriansim_in_india.htm — a page on Vedic reasons why vegetarianism is good for us and our spiritual practice, plus vegie recipes and more.

http://www.jewishveg.com — This site explains why many Jewish religious leaders advocate vegetarianism, including Chief Rabbi of Britain Jonathan Sacks, late Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Goren, and the first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel Abraham Kook?

http://www.goveg.com/jsfkosher.asp — presents a video “If This is Kosher” on the atrocities in the agriprocessors that are said to produce kosher meat. “If This is Kosher” makes the idea of kosher meat as cruel as any process of animal slaughter there is.

http://www.indianchild.com/vegeterianism_quotes.htm — a page that offers thoughtful quotes by important and noteworthy people on the need to be vegetarian.

http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/vedicsociety/vegetarianism/ — a short online film on the reasons and benefits of being a vegetarian from the Penn State Vedic Society.

http://www.christianveg.com/goodnews.htm — a free ebook by Christians for convincing other Christians that vegetarianism is the proper diet. The title is “Good News for All Creation: Vegetarianism as Christian Stewardship”.

http://www.ivu.org/religion/index.html — a great list of many articles that look at all the religions and religious reasonings behind being a vegetarian.

http://www.veganhealth.org/shv#ada — a site that lists the various concerns on staying a healthy vegan and the easy ways to get the proper nutrients in one’s diet.

http://www.vegansociety.com — a site that offers information about proper nutrition, the vegan lifestyle, animal and environmental issues, and more.

http://www.vegsoc.org — the site of the Vegetarian Society with lots of info about being a vegetarian, with books, articles, recipes and more info about how to be vegetarian and promote its benefits.

Sites for Animal-free Products and Non-Leather Items

http://www.TheVegetarianSite.com — offers news about vegetarian issues, articles, recipes, and resources for shoes, etc., that are leather-free.

http://www.VeganEssentials.com — one of the largest selections of 100% vegan products in one place. Offers vegan shoes, belts, gourmet vegan food and sweets, body care products, and more.

http://www.VeganStore.com — large selection of vegan goods, body care, cosmetics, vitamins, chocolates, candies, books and more. A one stop shop for cruelty-free needs.

http://www.mooshoes.com — Carries non-leather items, shoes, jackets, ethical wares, vegan belts, wallets, bags, message T-shirts, buttons, stickers, etc.

http://www.downbound.com — Downbound.com offers a wide assortment of products that promote animal rights (all vegan), human rights (no sweatshop and fair trade), and the environment (organic wherever possible). The name “Downbound” represents an ideological shift down the corporate ladder, down the food chain and down to earth. They carry over 200 organic hemp clothing and footwear items, organic fair trade coffee, DVD’s, etc.

http://www.sunflourbaking.com — offers cookies and snacks that have no animal products and the finest vegan ingredients, along with ingredients for sale such as non-hydrogenated expeller pressed canola oil, non-aluminum baking powder, etc.

http://www.vegancats.com — cruelty-free, vegan products for dogs and cats.

http://www.veggiepets.com — a company in the United Kingdom for those who want to have vegetarian pet foods.

http://www.cowsarecool.com — info on problems with leather and free guide to leather alternatives.

http://petacatalog.com — lots of items helping and promoting a vegetarian lifestyle.

http://www.awbi.org/pamp24.htm — the Animal Welfare Board of India and their list of meat ingredients in common foods, cosmetics, clothing, etc. Quite revealing.

http://www.veganchic.com — offers a variety of non-leather shoes and lady’s handbags.

Sites for Additional Resources, News and Issues on Vegetarianism, and Animal Protection Groups

http://www.ffl.org — Food for Life, the world’s largest vegan/vegetarian food relief organization.

http://www.vegetariantimes.com — the site for Vegetarian Times magazine.

http://www.vegsource.com — a site that offers news, views, recipes, etc., on vegetarianism/veganism.

http://www.goveg.com//vegkit/index.html — here you can get your kit packed with info about going vegetarian, plus has a few recipes.

http://www.pcrm.org — the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has news, information on vegetarianism, progress on stopping animal testing, publications, and more.

http://www.meetyourmeat.com — order or download Peta’s video “Meet Your Meat”, narrated by Alec Baldwin, has undercover footage Peta has taken of how animals are abused in meat and dairy industries.

http://www.sharetheworld.com — has a nongraphic video for children.

http://www.bancruelfarms.org/meatrix — the real story of cruel factory farms and what you can do about it.

http://www.Peta-online.org — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has news, views on animal cruelty, publications on vegetarianism, etc.

http://www.PetaIndia.com — how to assist Peta’s campaign to help cows, goats and sheep in India, and other advocacy work.

http://www.collegeactivist.com — lots of info for veganizing your college dining hall and other ways to get active.

http://www.animalactivist.com — tons of resources to do more for animals, literature, videos, etc.

http://www.vsdc.org — site of the Vegetarian Society of the District of Columbia.

http://www.greenpeople.org/vegetarian.cfm?memid=321 — the site for the Vegetarian Resource Center.

http://www.vasumurti.org — the site of Vasu Murti das and his writings, with many great and informative articles and book excerpts on the devotional, religious and civil need for a vegetarian lifestyle.

http://www.satyamag.com — a magazine of Vegetarianism, Environmentalism and Animal Advocacy.

http://www.greenpeople.org/vegetarian.htm — you can find a huge listing of additional vegetarian organizations and their websites from around the country, maybe one near you.

http://www.all-creatures.org — the site of long-time vegans and animal rightists Frank and Mary Hoffman, dedicated to furthering peaceful, compassionate living for the whole creation. A huge site with lots of articles on all aspects of the significance of the vegetarian and compassionate lifestyle, from the religious to social.

http://www.kinshipcircle.org — offers a collection of ready-made letters to legislators, businesses, and media that address animal cruelty/protection issues.

http://www.FarmSanctuary.org — a large organization with many projects which operates the farm animal sanctuaries, and wages campaigns to stop the exploitation of animals raised for food. Also has news, resources, books, videos, etc.

http://www.vivausa.org — offers info on the disadvantages and dangers of meat-eating, issues of farm bred animals for meat consumption, and educational info about the need for the vegetarian lifestyle.

http://www.anc.org — the site for the Animals News Center.

http://www.vegetarianhome.com — lots more resources and information on all aspects on the vegetarian lifestyle.

http://www.anc.org/laboratory/laboratory_article.cfm?identifier=2003_0409_site — a page that promotes animal dissection alternatives.

http://www.madcowboy.com — Howard Lyman’s site on the dangers of mad cow disease, a meat diet, news, and the need for vegetarianism.

http://www.notmilk.com — lots of articles and news on the issues and dangers of milk and modern milk industry.