Posted on 02/26/2018 12:12:20 PM PST by CottonBall
I’ve been missing the vast amount of information on prepping, survival, camping, simple cooking, the old ways of doing just about everything – all the things nw_arizona_granny knew so much about and shared with us, along with numerous other posters with a vast array of skills and knowledge.
We have our various related-threads here, a recipe thread, a gardening thread, and even a prepper thread. They are all great and I don’t mean to take anything away from those and the hard work their owners put in.
But I was missing a place to talk about ALL those things, to get the camaraderie that we used to have on granny’s thread.
I learned how to can on those threads! The pressure canner was not my friend, I thought, but I bought one and stared at it for a month, intimidated. Then I read the directions for another month. But with the help and encouragement of posters on granny’s threads, I jumped in and now have my very own food storage room in the basement with lovely jars of shelf-stable meats, vegetables, and fruit. When we moved, I fashioned my food storage room – and insisted upon having a basement – from what I learned on her threads. Getting started gardening was from her threads. Making my own cleaning products….the list is endless.
So I thought I would take the chance and start another comprehensive prepper thread and see how it goes. I used to have granny’s ping list since I made one of the threads for her, but alas, with numerous computer changes, I cannot find it. So please pass this onto any posters you think might be interested.
We’ll just keep it running until..whenever. Granny created a new thread at 10,000 posts or so. I do like the idea of having ONE thread to go to – because often I cannot find or keep track of the weekly threads. I won’t be posting lots of recipes or tidbits myself – to any mods concerned about the size of this thread. I’d just like a place to chat, post questions, post ideas, make new prepping friends.
Here are granny’s threads, if anyone wants to peruse them:
nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #1
Those donuts look too good! And cake ones are my favs - those look like the dense cake donuts I love.
We used to do pick your own apples in Tehachapi, CA. It was great fun and very relaxing to be in an orchard surrounded by pretty hills.
I was more concerned about how to find reliable youngsters when TSHTF. Right now (fingers crossed), we can deal with our 5000 sq. ft. garden and wee orchard. At least, I was able to last year. I told myself I’d plant less this year...am I doing it? Heck no!!!! What am I thinking....
Anyway, my concern was youngsters’ lack of work ethic and not being exposed to hard work, being outside, and the WHYs of knowing the old ways. People survived the depression because everyone helped out. I think our millenials on down will just be waiting for FEMA. And half of those older than that as well.
I have some church ‘friends’ that always want my applesauce. They did return the jars, so I gave them some the first 2 years. The 3rd year, I told them I would provide everything - apples, sugar, jars, canning equipment. I’d even make the applesauce and can it. But I needed help peeling all the apples. I’d even go pick them all. Could they bother to help? Heck no!!!
LOTS Of people are pretty spoiled these days. It will bode ill when times get tough.
Does your state/community have a Home Demonstration Club organization?
Remember my mom being a member when I was a child. The local club would meet monthly, sometimes visiting a local establishment, garden, or at a member’s home. They would learn and, mingle ideas, and discuss all things related to home life with speakers and classes.
As time moved forward, the clubs were slowly disbanded leaving the next generation in darkness. The women took the children, pot luck lunch and a good time was had along with the good food.
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/aah01
Before TSHTF, it’s a challenge to find young with good work ethics. Imagine these same kids after TSHTF does occur. Thinking Mad Max here. Just trading with an establishment, their young employees meeting customers..YIKES.
The new breed are a selfish, lazy, spoiled bunch. Few ‘good’ ones are ever seen.
When the inevitable does happen, society will be destroyed. My Lord, they are already playing bumper cars on the paved roads. Just as soon run you over rather than help change a flat. Poor parenting the cause? Lack of compassion and manners the main culprits.
Again, the fault of public education and the teachers hired, federal government policies.
SOURDOUGH APPLE FRITTERS
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/sourdough-recipes/sourdough-apple-fritters/
When TSHTF, hope to be gone before then. The spirit willing, the body unable.
Those look delicious.
Sounds neat, no I never heard of one of those organizations.
i’m trying to fly under the radar here, not really telling anyone about our prepping plans. Although everyone here in the holler and the hollers over her living a puppy in lifestyle. There are gardens everywhere, and most people are raising some kind of animal or another. And of course weapons are just a way of life.
So I have no doubt when the time comes we will not be alone. Unfortunately all those doing the gardens and animal raising etc. are older. That’s my only concern. , And I’m sure we are all on some kind of list.
Not only where would you find them-could you afford to pay them. My great grandchildren are now in their teens and recently one great granddaughter told me she is paid ten dollars an hour for baby sitting!!! Good grief!!! Earlier this spring, I mentioned trying to find a teen to help clean up debris along the river. This debris seems to float down river every storm and lodge its self on our banks where we love to sit but I guess the cost would be prohibitive. It will probably get removed a little at a time as we are able.
As a teenager, I picked strawberries for two cents a quart and felt rich if I managed to pick 25 quarts!!!
Canning days were hectic and messy at our house. How I hated helping can succotash. Shelling the shell beans, cutting corn from the cob, packing it in jars and filling the large wash boiler on the stove and having a hot fire to process the jars for hours on end and then cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Making fruit cocktail was a similar messy, sticky job. Canning green beans, tomatoes and beets were not so bad, but the worse thing was being inside. All my life, I have been an outdoor lover and generally hate cooking and housework.
I tried to ping Iron Munroe to this post also, but alas, I must be doing something wrong as it said there was no such person.
ping to upcountry miss’s post!
There, I pinged him. In another post.
Yes, I’ve seen a lot of kids want a lot of money for babysitting. It made it so between the price of dinner and the babysitter, It wasn’t worth it to go out. Luckily I knew some kids that weren’t very greedy and they would take five dollars an hour. Heck, why should babysitting pay the same or more than minimum-wage? It’s an easy job.
Oh well, I agree not only will they not want to do any work, the one a lot of money for it, plus they’ll want their schedule breaks, and you’ll have to worry about getting sued if they hurt themselves!
My husband was involved with hiring had a power plant for a while. It was unbelievable the resumes they got, people with no experience wanting to make all this money. And once they got the job they were lazy! They weren’t in the least bit grateful but felt entitled.
OK, I’m depressing myself with this subject :-)
I’m just hoping there’s enough of us older folks around when things fall apart, otherwise the young ones will just be looking to the government to help them. Once they figure out that’s not happening, they might look around and see who’s doing OK for themselves and realize we have the answer.
If we’re doing OK for ourselves… We never know. I’ll we can do is prep and hope. Not everyone will have the fortitude to make it through. But I think those of you that have been through hard times will be able to teach the rest of us.
I never thought about making my own fruit cocktail. But does sound like a lot of work! As does the succotash. Somehow, just doing one fruit or vegetable at a time seems so much easier. you would get into a kind of routine.
I love being outdoors but I don’t mind canning at all. I was scared to do it the first time, but after that I was hooked. It was so exciting to have shelf stable beautiful vegetables that I grew myself. Well, the green beans weren’t that pretty but I really love the beets.
I need to get going planting those. As always, I am starting late. If we have a hot summer they won’t get big enough. And I hear they’re predicting hot summers :-( we move to get away from the heat, why didn’t follow us? Same with wildfires. We were told they never get them here. Then what happened, fire in Gatlinburg! I feel like we jinxed the place.
Iron Munro
Miss, this is how the name is signed. Try again to ping.
Like CB, the fruit cocktail is of interest. Have you canned the spiced peaches or the crab apples? The crab apples are fondly remembered but don’t remember if they were sweetened or spiced. Believe the peaches were spiced and whole and the apples were in sweet syrup. My great Aunts canned the best spiced peaches. ummm.
Ps. I would bet that $10 an hour now is reasonable. When my son was growing up, 27 years ago $5 an hour was reasonable. Some kids wanted 10, even 15!
Speaking of beets. Are you aware that eating these helps the memory? It has been read, but never verified. Not a favorite vegetable. Do remember years ago making a cake which called for strained beets (baby food). Strange, but it wasn’t bad at all. Best beets ever eaten :-)
Also read that production of Babbette’s Feast was being done in dinner theater. The actors would do all the cooking and serve the patrons. On a small budget, they used the beets to improvise as their caviar.
I can understand your feeling overwhelmed. It is a huge business to start and maintain a garden. Sometimes I used to forget aches and pains, for awhile, when I was able to do more of it. One day I dug deep holes and planted 6 bare root roses which I had to push myself to keep going. So I hope you can keep the aches and pain under control but it's no darn fun.
I only order online for very good reasons. It's hard to get some heavy boxes in the house. Walmart packs everything with wadded up perforated for tearing brown paper, tons of it. I can't stand wads in recycling so patiently untwist and accordion fold all of it. I still have a bunch of boxes to get rid of.
I did jet.com once for a lot of juicy juice at a good price. But I had to open the box on the porch and empty most of it before I could get the rest in the house. But you have to watch their prices.
The others I haven't done yet. It's a lot of hoops to jump through even if you are fairly computer savvy. And there are glitches. And the newest one, the cart is f'ed up, think I can get around one glitch but I usually only do free shipping. I think multiple stores will use the service though, called instacart.
The other one I have to buy $100 for free delivery. It's an easy enough can do most times but I get anxious at the thought of having to meet the delivery person at the door and immediately start hauling stuff into the kitchen especially if I don't feel up to it which is most of the time.
My appetite is so off I'm real picky about what I will tackle to eat, the usual are KFC and Subway, sometimes McD's fish and a taco place. So suddenly that bread looked really good to me and I decided I wanted to get some again; I can freeze what I don't need right away. So that post I made to you put me in a much better mood.
I'm FReepmailing the rest but don't want to engage in an back and forth conversation about it because it's so draining and maybe sounds like a pity pot..
“Are you aware that eating these helps the memory?”
I must’ve forgotten
:-)
No I don’t think I ever heard that. I will plant extra then. I think the only way I like them with pickles. I have tried roasting, boiling, a few other things. I wasn’t excited. But pickling, that is awesome. Just can’t even without Piccolinos pretty boring. But they take on new characteristics and become sublime when pickled. IMO!
I have turmeric :-) it’s amazing how well it works. Last summer I was debating whether to bend down to pick up weeds, having to risk trying to stand again or whether to bend over and end up with the back hurting. I ordered some turmeric, from Amazon, and now I don’t even think about it.
I ordered from jet when they first came out. I had I think three coupons for 15% off. And their prices were as good as Amazon, with free shipping at $35. They had no tax at that time, although now I see they have tax. And every time I check the prices they’re not as good as they once were. I keep forgetting to look there.
I hear you on the big boxes! Our trash company will only take bags. So I have to grab a knife and cut up each cardboard box into little pieces. I’ve had Band-Aids all over my fingers several times.
I love restaurant gadgets, and the Webster on store has amazing prices. Expensive shipping but amazing prices. So when I placed the order I make it worthwhile because the shipping is a lot less as you order more. I don’t mean the shipping goes down but costs less per item. So I end up with several big boxes. Once I ordered a case of Torani - italian syrup for coffee and drinks. Did exactly what you did, I open the box on the front porch and carried the bottles in two at a time. Now when I order from them I have to watch the weather. I don’t want the boxes sitting on a wet porch or me having to deal with them in the rain.
Yeah, I like fleet free delivery to. When I need something I can spend days looking at all the various sites, trying to find the cheapest. Walmart.com does pretty well also. What I like with them is you can return stuff to the store. Of course Amazon makes it so easy with the return labels. Walmart will do that as well, send you a return label. And then you can schedule UPS to pick it up.
now that I live in the country, I really like shopping online. When I go to town it takes me all day and I hate it if I have to go to multiple stores.
For Christmas I bought myself some hiking boots from Academy sports. They offer free return shipping if they don’t fit! Or you could return them to the store. I don’t know what size I needed so I got two pairs, one size apart. I returned one to the store because I didn’t want them to pay return shipping when I purposely ordered one of them wrong. I thought that was a pretty neat service. When the price of shipping now, I don’t know how these places can afford free shipping.
When I Send stuff to my granddaughter it is outrageous. Since we have prime we can ship stuff from Amazon to her for free though. So she either gets a $20 gift that cost $16 to ship or she gets a $36 gift from Amazon. The latter usually works out a lot better.
oops, sorry for all the typos. My phone changes things on me and I’m not very diligent at fixing them. I can hardly see the damn thing! Anyway, if you need a new shopping addiction, the Webstaurant store is a lot of fun. That is what I meant to say.
TY, PE.
They were tiny, but really good. I found the recipe on an Asian YouTube video. Apparently making those is all the rage, because there are dozens of them. The videos I mean. They make it look so easy that I just had to try it.
mmmmm I love Apple fritters! I wonder if the starter gives them a sour flavor? What am I saying, the one I have wouldn’t! I would love to be able to make a super sour bread, but my starter won’t do that. It has a nice crumb, chew, crust – but no sour flavor.
Forgot to mention the apple trees have blossoms! Looks like the Frost didn’t do them in completely. Hopefully I’ll have enough apples to make lots of fritters :-)
I was thinking about the sourdough starter in them. A little bit of tang might be good, to go with the tangy crispness of the apples. And the sourdough lends an extra kind of chewiness that would be really good. And moist.
Wow! Your own apple orchard Nice.
Not so much for the Candied Apples but a good Baked Apple is always a treat. Never eaten Apple Pan Dowdy, but Apple Pie is delicious.
Apple Pan Dowdy
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/apple-pan-dowdy-recipe
APPLE DUMPLINGS are a must.
https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/amish-apple-dumplings/
Down here, rather than apples, the go-to is peaches.
PEACH COBBLER
http://www.rockycreekvalley.com/food/recipe/dessert/peach-cobbler.html
a FAVORITE from childhood (as an adult these are still delicious)
FRIED PEACH PIES
https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/fried-peach-pies/
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