That is a beautiful place to live.
It must make you feel good to live there and see the deer come in.
Thank you for sharing..........LOL, guess I love all animals, even in the freezer.
There is nothing like seeing so many at one time.
Thank you for sharing your photo with us.
*INSECT REPELLENT SPRITZER*
Materials:
lemon peels and/or orange peels
mint leaves and/or pennyroyal leaves and/or sage leaves
rubbing alcohol or witch hazel
Directions:
(Note Do Not use penny royal if you are pregnant or wish to become so.)
Make a strong tea with the peels and the mint leaves. You can use each
ingredient separately if you like or combine them to suit your sense of
smell. Its best to soak the ingredients over night in a covered pan. The
next day strain. Mix the strong herbal tea half and half with either witch
hazel or rubbing alcohol and put in a spray bottle. Spray your self down
before going outside in the evening.
*INSECT REPELLENT OIL*
Materials:
Salad oil of any kind (but olive is preferred)
lemon peels and/or orange peels
mint leaves and/or pennyroyal leaves and/or sage leaves
glass jar sterilized
pan to heal oil
Directions:
(Note Do Not use pennyroyal if you are pregnant or wish to become so.)
Place torn leaves and peels packed in a sterilized glass jar. Heat oil to
160 degrees F. Pour over herbal mixture in the jar to completely cover.
Place top on, and let sit in a dark place for at least a week. A month is
better. Rub this oil on before hikes or out side activities where one might
sweat off a spritzer.
*FLEA REPELLENT FOR DOGS
*
(NOTE: Do not use this on cats. Citrus is toxic to cats in large
amounts.!!!)
Materials:
citrus peels
water
pan
Boil left over citrus peels in a pan of water. Pour over your dog after a
bath rubbing into the coat. It will make your dog smell like an orange. It
will kill fleas AND keep them off your pet
[Not pre-tested by granny]
pepper wax spray
Mix two tablespoons of hot red
pepper powder, six drops of liquid soap and one gallon of water.
Wear rubber gloves when using any sprays containing peppers, alcohol,
citrus
concentrates, mint oils or anything else that could irritate skin.
When spraying
in breezy conditions, wear eye and nose protection.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Sharon Lovejoy, a gardening expert who
frequently lectures and appears on PBS. She is author of several books on
gardening, including Trowel & Error: Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips &
Remedies for the
Gardener (Workman). www.sharonlovejoy.com
[more info]
More Tips on keeping Cats out of the Flowers/Garden
These from a newsleter I get:
***Those prickly round balls from trees called sweet gum balls, the kittys
don’t like to touch them with their claws. I know of some people on this website
that will send them to you (at least I’ve seen them post this before) they have
so many!
***I have had good success putting drops of citric essential oil at 1-2 foot
intervals around my beds. I renew once a month or so. Even here on the coast
this method keeps our cat our of my salad beds. (both orange and lemon work
well) The first time I used the oil I put it in the beds as well. After that
just around the perimeter seems to do the trick. Perhaps lemon scented herbs
would work as well.
***If you place citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit) peels in your flower beds.
It really does work. We have three stray cats that used to use my flower beds as
a litterbox. Someone told me about it, tried it and they haven’t used it ever
since. The only thing is about every two weeks I have to replace the peels.
Which I don’t mind, if it keeps them out. Cats hate citrus.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
*** chili powder, red crushed pepper, cayenne pepper (NOT recommended), it
gets on the cat’s paws then they wash themselves and they get it in their eyes,
beware cats have literally scratched their eyes out because of this. Even if
it’s one cat out of 500 infected in this way, that’s one too many for me.
*** Don’t ever use mothballs or flakes. Those little toxic waste pellets destroy
cats’ kidney function, could seriously harm people who handle them, and yes,
contaminate your own garden soil. Their packaging even warns against using them
this way.
On a side note just to let any of you know that are thinking of using these
types of items, it can be linked back to you by the spca and there are laws that
protect animals against cruelty
Inexpensive Cockroach trap proving more effective than sprays!
Group, this is amazing! I’m gonna try it...outside! It has Las Vegas on it’s
ears! Don’t have time to watch the clip? Take a glass jar, put used coffee
grounds in the bottom, add a little water and place outside near the wall or
make a ‘ramp’ so the roaches can climb up and into the jar.
Once they are in,
they can’t get out. Keep a watch on it and empty often. I have NO DOUBT this
works. My question? How do you kill the ones still alive? Put a top on and let
them sufficate? What are YOUR suggestions?
KVBC - Saving You Money
The first tip I used starts like this:
The ‘lawn tonic’ idea has been written about in books and used in Colorado,
where they’re going through a water shortage like we are here in southern
Nevada. “When you don’t have a lot of water and we’re on watering
restrictions, this is another way to get the nutrients to your lawn and keep it
growing.” The secret formula is actually just a mix of common household
ingredients. All mixed into a 10-gallon hose-end sprayer. Each ingredient does
something different, it feeds the lawn, penetrates the roots and promotes
growth, and even kills bugs and grubs.
The next one I used is one ALL of us have had to deal with (ewwww)! What
started as a mistake has turned into the biggest cockroach massacre Las Vegas
has ever seen. Since we told you about the homemade bug trap and showed you how
well it works with our “bug-cam”, the calls and emails have been pouring in.
And thanks to the Saving You Money Team, people are winning the war against the
roaches all over town. “This is nothing but coffee grounds and a little bit of
water, that’s all that’s in there, that’s what Jim Snyder said to do, so this is
a fantastic idea. I’m not a bug collector, but I’m happy to have them here
rather than coming through my door into the house.
Her idea will work, so will the cat food can with an inch of water in the bottom, or 2 inches of beer, soda, even water and a quarter inch of cooking oil, used would be fine, if not solid, they get oily feet and cannot climb the walls of the large soda bottles, if on a slant, with the mouth near the bug path.
You my need to make a hole in the ground, so it will be at a slant and catch them.
granny.
For all of us who have loved, and lost a dearly beloved friend
The Fourth Day
by Martin Scott Kosins
If you ever love an animal, there are three days
in your life you’ll always remember.
The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your new friend.
You may have spent weeks deciding, or asking opinions of many vets, or chosen
that silly looking mutt or kitten in the shelter - simply because something in
its eyes reached your heart.
But when you bring that chosen pet home,
and watch
it explore, and claim its special place in
your home - and when you feel it brush against you for the first time - it
instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years
to come.
The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later.
It will be a day like any other. Routine and
unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime
friend and see
age where you once saw youth.
You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy.
And you will see sleep where you once saw
activity.
So you will begin to adjust your friend’s diet - and you may add a pill or two
to their food.
And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming
emptiness.
And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day arrives.
And on this day - if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will
be faced with making a decision of your own - on behalf of your lifelong friend,
and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit.
But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you - you will feel as alone as
a single star in the dark night sky.
If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as
freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not
many in your circle of family or human friends will be able to understand your
grief, or comfort you.
But if you are true to the love of the pet you
cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul - a bit
smaller in size than your own - seems to walk with you, at times, during the
lonely days to come.
And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you
may feel something brush against your leg - very very lightly.
And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to
lay - you will remember those three significant days.
The memory will most likely be painful, and leave an ache in your heart.
As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of its own.
You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you.
If you reject it, it will depress you.
If you embrace it, it will deepen you.
Either way, it will still be an ache.
But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when, along with the memory of
your pet, and piercing through the heaviness in your heart - there will come a
realization that belongs only to you.
It will be as unique and strong as our
relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost.
This realization takes the form of a Living Love.
Like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted,
this Love will remain and grow - and be there for us to remember.
It is a Love we have earned.
It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go.
And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live.
It is a Love which is ours alone.
And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our Beloved Pets.
It is a Love that we will always possess.
Natural Ant Repellants Message List
Reply | Forward Message #2612 of 2842 < Prev | Next >
I, personally, found using the juice of a fresh lemon in the BEGINNING of the
pathway of the ants stops them cold...can’t take the acid.
From another great group:
Ants are pests in the house. In the home common ants aren’t harmful but they
are a nuisance.
There are many natural repellants which can be used to discourage ants from
kitchen counters, pantries, and other areas where food lures them in.
As a first step try to prevent the ants from entering the house.
Use less chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the lawn and gardens. These
cause an imbalance in the biological makeup of the soil. Stressed soil and
plants attract ants.
Many species of ants like to drink honeydew from aphids. If good control of
aphids in plants and gardens near houses is exercised, ants will be less
numerous. Ants seem to dislike spearmint, tansy, and pennyroyal. Plant these
near the house to keep ants away. Sweet fern is particularly dislike by red
ants.
A simple recipe to repel ants can be made by adding to an eight ounce bottle of
mild liquid soap one ounce each of citronella, pennyroyal, peppermint, cinnamon,
rose and tea oil. Mix together and add three tablespoons to two cups of water.
Spray where ants are entering the house. This the formula can be used to wash
down counters in the kitchen but only use one-half tablespoon to two cups of
water.
Spray trash and recycling bins if ants are a problem there.
For anthills near the house pour boiling water into the nest.
Once ants have entered the house, other measures have to be taken. Pennyroyal,
tansy, and mint leaves scattered on surfaces where ants are found can be used as
a deterrent. Bay leaves broken in small pieces is also helpful.
Some people have found a mixture of the following ingredients helpful in
repelling ants. One cup water, one- fourth cup plus one tablespoon hot sauce,,
one-fourth cut liquid soap, and one teaspoon spearmint of peppermint flavoring.
Put in a spray bottle and spray where ants enter the house.
Washing down counters with an equal solution of vinegar and water is repulsive
to ants.
Powdered cloves or red pepper sprinkled on surface where ants are found serves
as an excellent repellant. Ants are extremely fastidious and will not return to
where these hot spices can get on their feet and antennae.
If it not too inconvenient, sticky fly paper placed in strategic areas will
capture crawling ants.
Perhaps one of the most unusual substances used that discourages ants from
pantry shelves are broken egg shells.
Lastly, clean up all food after eating for it is the crumbs that attracts the
ants.
About The Author: Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney - Marilyn Pokorney is a
freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves
crafts, gardening, and reading.
http://www.apluswriting.net
Need natural way to keep cat out of flowers/fleas in grass
Marigolds are a great, natural way to keep cats out of gardens. Other
plants that can also deter them are Bay and Rue. Other things they
won’t like the smell of are coffee grounds, blood meal, cayenne
pepper, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil
and eucalyptus oil.
I found a link to some other good ideas here:
http://www.ghorganics.com/page6.html
Hope this helps!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994968/posts
Truckers protesting high fuel prices
Yahoo News ^ | 4/1/08 | Tom Hester Jr.
Posted on 04/01/2008 11:12:34 AM PDT by Xenalyte
TRENTON, N.J. - Independent truckers around the country pulled their rigs off the road and others slowed to a crawl on major highways in a loosely organized protest of high fuel prices.
Some truckers, on CB radios and trucking Web sites, had called for a strike Tuesday to protest the high cost of diesel fuel, saying the action might pressure President Bush to stabilize prices by using the nation’s oil reserves. But the protests were scattered because major trucking companies were not on board and there did not appear to be any central coordination.
continued.
OATMEAL TRAIL MIX COOKIES
These cookies travel well and sustain travelers well, too.
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm
water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
a 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup raisins
In a bowl cream the butter and the shortening with the
sugars and beat in the egg, the baking soda mixture, the flour, the
salt, and the vanilla. Stir in the oats, the coconut, the chocolate
chips, the peanuts, and the raisins. Drop rounded tablespoons of the
dough about 4 inches apart onto greased baking sheets and with a fork
flatten and spread each mound into a round, about 3 inches in
diameter. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated
375°F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer
them with a metal spatula to racks, and let them cool.
Makes about 30 cookies.
Donna
[I buy and use Orange Essential Oil from soapmaker supply sites, and it is not expensive, roughly $10.00 for a pound and you use it by the drop, no need to buy fancy name orange oils...my opinion,
granny]
Safe Cleaning and Pest Control
by Carolyn Swicegood
Most parrot owners are well aware of the common hazards that endanger
our
parrots, such as overheated Teflon, forbidden foods, poisonous plants,
toxic
metals, and others. There are many lists of poisonous plants and many
articles about the various hazards to be avoided. Two other means of
frequent exposure to toxins that have not been covered extensively are
cleaning and pest control. Here are some suggestions for safe
alternatives
to the chemical solutions that normally are used to clean and control
pests
in the home and aviary.
NATURAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Add twenty drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract to a 32-ounce spray bottle
filled with water. Use on all surfaces around the house and to clean
sprouts, fruits, and vegetables before feeding to parrots.
Baking soda with water is a good all-purpose cleaner (1/4 cup baking
soda to
1 quart water).
Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces to be cleaned or make a paste with
baking
soda and liquid soap. Scrub with a damp nylon scrubbing pad, soft
cloth,
sponge, or very fine steel wool. White distilled vinegar diluted in
water
removes baking soda residue. Dry with a soft cotton cloth. Recycled
cotton
clothing serves as a good cleaning and drying cloth.
CITRA-SOLV natural cleaner and degreaser is a concentrated solvent made
of
citrus oils, surfactants, and limonene (from citrus peel oil) that
safely
cleans chewing gum, ink, oil, grease, tar, gummed labels, and even
sticky
fly paper “goo”. It is the only solvent safe for use on bird feathers,
but i
t should be removed after it does its work. Using your thumb and first
finger, rub a few drops of the Citra-solv thoroughly into the sticky
goo or
grease on the feathers. Remove it with a washcloth. Then rub Dawn
liquid
detergent into the feathers. It is crucial NOT to add water until
straight
detergent has been worked into the feathers. ONLY after you have
thoroughly
worked the detergent into the feathers should you add warm water. This
also
applies to cleaning grease from feathers. If you cannot locate a source
of
Citra-solv, call the distributor at (800) 343-6588 from 9-5 EST.
CLEANING CAGES
If cages are wiped down daily and cleaned well once a week, you rarely
will
need to do a major cage cleaning. Hot soapy water will clean most dirt
on
cages and will help to preserve the finish.
Grapefruit Seed Extract is a good anti-bacterial cleaner for cages. It
can
be added to a spray bottle and used for pre-soaking the cage or used on
a
sponge to wipe down the cage. It is completely non-toxic and is more
effective against strep, staph, salmonella, candida, and e-coli than
Clorox!
Citra-solv will easily loosen and remove the most stubborn hardened
debris
from cages and grates.
To clean grates, spray with Citra-solv or GSE solution over a layer of
newspaper. Cover with another layer of newspaper and allow to stand for
fifteen to thirty minutes. Wipe, rinse, and dry.
OxyFresh also is an effective cleaner for grates and hardened dirt. It
is
non-toxic and is effective against polyoma.
To catch droppings, use newspaper rather than bedding which can hold
moisture and rust out cage bottoms. Damp corncob bedding can develop
dangerous mold spores.
IN THE KITCHEN
For stains on counters, squeeze fresh lemon juice on the stain and
allow to
stand for 45 minutes. Sprinkle on baking soda, and rub with a sponge
or soft
cloth.
Burned or baked-on food in cookware—sprinkle cookware liberally with
baking
soda and add just enough water to moisten. Let stand for three hours
and
lift the burned food out of the pan.
Cutting board cleaner and disinfectant—Apply 10 to 20 drops of
NutriBiotic
to cutting board and work into entire board with a wet sponge or dish
cloth.
Leave on for thirty minutes before rinsing well.
Ovens—For lightly soiled ovens, make a thick paste of water and baking
soda. Scrub well with a nylon scrubbing pad. If the oven is greasy, add
a
small amount of liquid soap. To remove spots, use very fine steel wool.
To clean underneath the refrigerator, tie a sock around the end of a
yardstick. When one side is dirty, turn the sock inside out and repeat.
FOR THE BATHROOM
To clean the sink, shower, tub, and tile grout, soak with diluted
liquid
soap, sprinkle on baking soda, scrub with a nylon scrubbing pad, and
rinse.
To disinfect bathroom surfaces, spray with a solution of one quart of
water
and twenty drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract from health food stores.
Mildew remover: Spray mildew with hydrogen peroxide.
Lime deposit remover: Spray a solution of 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2
tablespoons salt, and 1 cup water on lime deposits and let stand
overnight.
Rinse with cold water.
FLOOR CARE
For vinyl floors, damp mop with a solution of a gallon of warm water
and 1/2
cup of white vinegar.
To cut grease on vinyl floors, dilute a small amount of liquid soap
with
water.
To remove black heel marks on floors, rub with a pencil or typewriter
eraser.
To prevent water spots, dry with a cloth after mopping.
CARPET CARE
Products like “Carpet Fresh” have been linked to bird deaths. There is
no
safe way to use it as every time you vacuum clean the carpet, leftover
particles will become airborne.
For odors, sprinkle carpet with plain baking soda. Let sit for 15
minutes,
and then vacuum.
Carpet shampoos may contain toxic ingredients such as ammonia and
perchlorethylene, a known carcinogen. Plant-based cleaning products,
such as
citrus cleaners are preferable. Use a steam cleaning machine with ten
to
fifteen drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract per gallon of water. Many
hospitals
now use GSE for carpet cleaning.
WOOD FURNITURE CARE
To remove water stains on wood furniture, dab white toothpaste onto
stain.
Allow the paste to dry and then gently buff off with a soft cloth.
Furniture polish can be made by mixing 2 parts olive oil with 1 part
lemon
juice. Apply mixture to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe it dry.
Nicks and scratches can be covered by mixing granular instant coffee
with a
little water and applying with a clean, cotton cloth.
Use your hair dryer on the cool setting to dust pleated lamp shades and
other hard to reach areas.
NON-TOXIC WINDOW CLEANER
Recipe for window & glass cleaner: 1 gallon water, 1 cup white vinegar.
Apply with cloth or spray bottle and clean with a linen cloth.
For extra sparkle, polish clean windows with a crumpled piece of
newspaper
when nearly dry.
SAFE DRAIN CLEANER
When drains are clogged by hair and debris, make a solution of equal
parts
of baking soda, vinegar and salt. Place in the drain and let it foam
for
15-20 minutes. Then rinse with boiling water.
NATURAL AIR FRESHENERS
The use of commercial air fresheners is dangerous to parrots.
The only way to really freshen the air is to open windows and circulate
fresh air with a fan or air conditioner.
Set out a dish of cut lemons or baking soda to absorb odors.
Simmer on the stovetop or in a slow cooker: water, slices of ginger,
spices
such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, vanilla and almond extracts, and
lemon
and other citrus fruit slices to make your house smell fresh.
GENERAL PEST REMEDIES
Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be sprinkled on areas where pests are
found. It
contains the spent shells of tiny sea creatures that are sharp enough
to
damage the exoskeleton and cause insects to dehydrate. DE is harmless
to
humans and animals. Parrots should not breathe the powder as it is
being
applied in the aviary. One brand available in natural food markets is
“Concern” by Necessary Organics.
Neem—the seed kernels of the Neem tree are rich in limonoids, bitter
tasting chemicals that effectively block development, feeding and egg
laying
in many species of insects. The most powerful limonoid (azadirachtin)
has
been certified by health authorities in the USA and Europe as being
non-toxic to birds, animals and humans, but highly effective against
insects.
Frogs, spiders, ladybugs, praying mantis, and dragon flies will help to
reduce pest populations around the home and garden.
One bat will eat up to 600 mosquitoes, harmful moths and other insect
pest
per hour at night. Bats do not attack people or harm pets and can be
encouraged to inhabit “bat houses” on your property.
Place saucers of fragrant wine with a few drops of detergent in areas
frequented by fruit flies. They will die happy!
Place fragrant fruit such as mango peels in the bottom of wine bottles.
Fruit flies go in and cannot get out.
ANTS
Wash countertops, cabinets, and floor with equal parts vinegar and
water to
deter ant infestations.
Sprinkle powdered cinnamon on ant trails. Several types of ants will
not
cross a barrier of cinnamon powder, powdered charcoal, bone meal,
talcum
powder, or chalk.
Parrot cage legs can be set in shallow pans filled with water—like
small
moats that ants cannot cross.
Fire ants—Killing the egg -laying queen is the only way to destroy the
colony. Choose a day when the ground is dry. Gently sprinkle a teaspoon
of
instant grits on each fireant hill. The worker ants carry the grits to
the
queen who eats them. When she drinks water, the grits expand in her
stomach
and kill her. The remainder of the hill dies within a day.
COCKROACHES
Prevention—Close off all cracks around pipes and electric lines where
roaches enter the house. Use cement, screening, or Brillo pads. Caulk
small
cracks along baseboards, walls, cupboards, and around pipes, sinks, and
bathtub fixtures. Seal food tightly. Rinse food off dishes that are
left
overnight. Do not leave pet food out overnight.
Release small geckos in your home and aviary. Provide dishes of water
for
them to drink. They will feast upon the roaches at night in the late
evening, and sleep out of sight during daylight hours.
Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts and spread around
infested area is a non-toxic roach killer.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be sprinkled on areas where roaches are
seen.
Parrots should not breathe the powder as it is being applied in the
aviary.
One brand available in natural food markets is “Concern” by Necessary
Organics Inc.
SEED MOTHS
Freeze bird seeds if possible to kill larvae and store all food in
airtight
containers.
Place basil leaves or mint teabags in bags or canisters of bird seed to
repel moths.
Instead of using toxic mothballs in clothing storage areas, use whole
cloves
in cheesecloth or spice bags and hang them in closets or stored bags of
clothing.
Place sticky fly strips (without pesticides) into an old bird cage or a
closed basket out of the reach of children, birds, and other pets.
Make your
own sticky paper by boiling sugar, corn syrup, and water together.
Spread
the mixture on brown paper grocery bags. If a bird accidentally
contacts fly
paper and gets the sticky goo on its feathers, Citra-solv will safely
remove
it.
FLIES
To prevent flies, keep garbage containers tightly closed. Sprinkle dry
soap
powder or flakes into garbage cans after they have been washed and
allowed
to dry.
In a small glass or jar, pour about one inch of real cider or red
wine. Make
a cover with saran wrap and a rubber band. Punch about six holes with a
bamboo skewer or other shaper object. Flies will crawl in but cannot
crawl
out.
MOSQUITOES
Avoid wearing perfume, bright colors, flowery prints, and bright
jewelry as
these items attract mosquitoes.
Burn citronella candles to repel insects.
Neem products repel and affect the development of mosquitoes. Two
percent
Neem oil mixed in coconut oil, when applied to exposed body parts,
provides
complete protection for twelve hours from bites of all anophelines.
MICE
Place instant mashed potato powder or potato eyes (buds) in strategic
places
with a dish of water close by. After eating the powder or buds, mice
will
need water. Drinking water causes fatal bloating.
Use “snap traps” inside a box with an entrance hole large enough only
for
mice to prevent birds and other pets from being injured.
By using natural methods of cleaning and ridding our homes of pests,
we can
eliminate two of the major sources of our birds’ exposure to toxins.
MC Formatted by Donna
Source:
“http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1011/dog.htm";
[In Victorian days, they made the fly traps from crystal and fancy glass.
Today, if you take the large soda bottles and cut the top portion off, smoothly at the shoulder, then take the cut off portion and turn it so the top is in the bottle and works as a funnel, to allow the flies to go in, not out, you may want to seal the cut edges with a few staples or even tape.
Keep it simple and throw it out when it gets smelly.
I always find a use for the the cut off tops, as a funnel that is larger than the small ones that I have owned for years, LOL, not the bug trap tops.
granny]
Apple Pie Bread
3 c flour
1 c sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 c milk
1 egg
2 Tbs. oil
1 1/2 c apples-unpeeled and diced
Preheat oven to 350*. Grease 9x5 inch loaf pan. Mix
together wet ingredients with the dry ones until well
blended. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 min.
Survival Soup
Recipe By :Cynthia Hizer
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups/Stews
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion — thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves — minced
1/4 head green cabbage — shredded
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 packages ramen noodles
thinly shaved fresh ginger — for garnish
(optional)
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook 1
minute. Add the cabbage and soy sauce and toss. Add enough water so
there
is a thin layer of water on the bottom, about 2 tablespoons. If the
water
evaporates, add enough more so that a constant stream of steam is
coming
off the vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes. While the cabbage is cooking,
bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add the packages of ramen noodles.
Boil
for 1 minute, turn off the heat and let sit. Add the seasoning packets.
As the noodles soften, if the broth seems too thick, add more water to
make it soupy. To serve, spoon the cabbage mixture into bowls and top
with the ramen broth. Pass the ginger at the table.
Source:
“The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 3/23/00”
SURVIVAL KIT FOR EVERY DAY LIVING
ITEMS NEEDED
Toothpick
Rubber Band
Band Aid
Pencil
Eraser
Chewing Gum
Mint
Candy Kiss
Tea Bag
WHY???????
1) TOOTHPICK - To remind you to pick out the good qualities in
others.
2) RUBBER BAND - To remind you to be flexible, things might not
always
go the way you want but it will work out.
3) BAND AID - To remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or
someone
else’s.
4) PENCIL - To remind you to list your blessings everyday.
5) ERASER - To remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and its
OK.
6) CHEWING GUM - To remind you to stick with it and you can
accomplish anything.
7) MINT - To remind you that you are worth a mint.
8) CANDY KISS - To remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug
everyday.
9) TEA BAG - To remind you to relax daily and reflect on all the
positive things in your life. A verbal wound is as bad as a
physical one.
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and
encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, share a word of
praise and they always open their hearts to us.
Zucchini Applesauce Spice Cake
Aroma and flavour go hand in hand.
Ingredients:
1 bag (14 oz.) Gluten-Free Pantry Spice Cake Mix
1 egg plus 1 white, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup (scant) unsweetened applesauce
1 cup (scant) grated zucchini, un drained
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients.
Pour into a lightly oiled 9-x-5-inch loaf pan.
Bake 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 min.
Turn onto wire rack and cool completely.
Slice and enjoy.
Jenn B
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Make_it_Gluten_Free
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Make_Your_Own_Crafts
CASSEROLE ONION BREAD,
1 cup milk sub (liquid)
3 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. salt
1 1/2 Tbs. CF margarine
1/4 cup warm water
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
1 cup minced onions
4 cups sifted GF flour blend
Scald 1 cup milk; stir in 3 Tbs. sugar, 1 Tbs. salt and 1 1/2 Tbs.
margarine. Cool to lukewarm. Measure 1/4 cup warm water into warm
bowl. Sprinkle in 2 packages active dry yeast; stir until dissolved.
Add lukewarm milk mixture, 1 cup minced onions and 4 cups sifted GF
flour. Stir until blended, about 2 minutes. Cover. Let rise in warm
place, free from draft until more than doubled in bulk, about 45
minutes. Stir batter down. Beat vigorously, about 1 minute. Turn into
greased 11 quart casserole or 2 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Bake uncovered
in a moderate oven (375° F.) about 1 hour
Jenn B
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
It says ungreased cookie sheet.. I spray mine or else they never come
up with any cookie I make.. I was looking for a soft peanut butter
cookie recipe.. This was as close as I could get.. Hubby liked them so
its a keeper for next year or maybe through out the year if he wants
more..
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Mix all ingredients together. If you find the dough a bit cumbly, add
water one tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. Rolla into
1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Gently press each cookie with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes at 350
degrees. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Makes 20 to 24
cookies. Cookies will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container..
Nutrition Facts
User Entered Recipe
24 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100.5
Total Fat 5.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g
Cholesterol 11.5 mg
Sodium 53.6 mg
Potassium 75.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.6 g
Sugars 8.3 g
Protein 3.0 g
Jenn B
Curried Rice Salad
Recipe By :The Entertaining Survival Guide: A Handbook for the
Hesitant
Host by Lora Brody
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
1 cup mayonnaise (regular or no-fat)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Granny Smith apples — peeled and coarsely
chopped
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
3 cups cooked white or brown rice (about 1 cup
uncooked rice) — prepared according to package
directions, cooled
16 ounces pineapple chunks (1 can) — drained
**OR**
1 1/4 cups fresh pineapple — cut into 1/2” pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup slivered almonds
16 ounces mandarin orange sections, drained (1 can),
or fresh clementine or seedless tangerine
sections — for garnish
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder and soy
sauce.
Set aside.
Place the chopped apple in a large serving bowl and add the lemon
juice and
rind, tossing to coat. Add the rice, pineapple, raisins and almonds
and mix
well. Toss the rice mixture with the dressing. Garnish with the
oranges.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Source:
“The Herald/11/30/94”
S(MC Formatted by):
“Donna
[From Freema’s link, good article]
http://www.permaculture.org.au/topics/self-sufficiency.php
[end of article]
No one maintains the bush, but it keeps on feeding countless species. Once you establish a self sufficient system it should keep feeding you... and feeding you... and keep growing in productivity and beauty.
Why Grow Your Own?
I like growing our own food. It makes life richer. If you buy potatoes from the supermarket that’s all you get - potatoes. This evening’s spuds give memories too - grubbing them up with Edward this morning and listening to the lyrebird sing and smelling the soft damp soil. I remember Bryan mulching them with the wild oats he’d mown in the asparagus patch (and accidentally mowing the asparagus too). I remember when the spuds were first planted, years ago, and Mrs Hobbins down the road showed me how to bandicoot them so you always had a crop. There are a million memories in those potatoes.
There is something deeply satisfying in working with life’s necessities - crops and shelter, children, other species.
There are other reasons, too, for growing your own. There is the knowledge that we as a household did not contribute to the Bhopal disaster, or any other of the tragedies that go to making pesticides for the wealthy. We don’t support the fertilizer industry - our fertility is home grown or scavenged. And if it relied on people like us the food processing industry would go bust.
Every one of us, I think, has a little of our ancestors’ ‘siege mentality’ - a need to fill the cupboards and bolt the door. Growing your own is the best security you can have. It means your food is always fresh and unpolluted. It means you never have to worry about the cost of fruit and vegetables. (This year we fed most of our late peaches to the chooks - our friends were sick of them, and so were we. Strawberries? I haven’t bothered picking them for weeks. As for beans - I think my family would go on strike if they were given the hard stringy things you buy in shops - or worse, watery frozen slips of green plastic. They like butter beans, or young five penny beans, or new Purple Kings.)
For us it’s true wealth to give away the kiwi fruit, press limes on satiated friends, take armfuls of daffodils up to town to celebrate the spring and baskets of roses all through summer. Our standard of living is far higher than anyone on our income could expect - because we produce things ourselves that we would otherwise have to buy - and because any of the joys in our lives, from flowers to watching the birds splutter in the fountain, are things we don’t have to pay for.
Anyone who has ever watched a child’s face as they fill a basket of oranges or as they disappear to spend an hour in the raspberry beds, or let a child watch the progress of a seed as it becomes a vine and sprouts large melons - then let them pick it, all their own work - will know there is something very basic and very good about growing your own. This is after all what life’s about - food and shelter, life and death and growing things. There is no better way to contact this than in a garden.
I, like all humans, am part of the earth. To work it, watch it, live within its rhythms - for me, that is the deepest satisfaction.
Few of us today really know what we eat. This is because most of the food we eat is bought on impulse- or near impulse- weekly or even daily as we need it.
How many people know how many potatoes they eat a year- or even a week? How many apples, how much parsley, how many bunches of grapes?
Even adding together what you buy now won’t necessarily tell you what you may decide to eat home grown. Peaches are expensive- but we feed the surplus to our geese. That means we don’t buy goose food- or any number of ‘cheaper’ alternatives to peaches and cream for dessert.
Leftover avocados go into the compost, the harder bits of asparagus, beetroot that get a bit shrivelled. In the self sufficient garden nothing is wasted- because everything is recycled. What you don’t eat goes to growing more, via the compost bin.
Home grown means you can indulge your taste for luxury.
It’s taken me many years to work out what our family eats- how many brocolli plants we like, or brussel sprouts, how many artichokes, how many late peaches or early apricots..I’ve learnt what veg to plant near the kitchen door to grab when its raining or I want to prepare a meal quickly. I’ve leant when to expect visitors (like at Christmas and school holidays) and to plant my garden accordingly.
Looking at Your Garden
If you want a ‘self sufficient ‘ garden you need to be able to look at your garden. Work out different ways of using space. I’m not advocating you dig up your roses or plant the kids sandpit. But nearly every garden has large areas that aren’t used- the shady bit along the side, the awkward corner of the lawn where no one plays, the unused ground below the trees- even the strips of lawn beneath the clothes line or up the drive.
Start from the outside and work in.
Fences
Most fences don’t grow anything. I hate naked fences - they look better green. Try -
* perennial climbing beans- they’ll come up every year and give you thick wide beans you can eat young and tender or keep till they are old for ‘dried’ beans. They’ll also cover your fence with greenery and bright red flowers
* chokos- eat the shoots as well as the fruit
* hops- hops die down in winter and ramble all over the place in summer. Eat the young shoots in early spring; make beer from the flowers or use them to stuff hop pillows.
* passionfruit in frost free places; banana passionfruit in cold areas
* loganberries, marionberries, boysenberries and other climbing berries, trained up wire stapled to the fence
* grapes - there are hundreds of grape varieties in Australia - suitable for any area, from snowy winters to tropical summers
* flowering climbers like clematis, wonga vine, perennial sweet peas bougainvillea, jasmine, rambling roses - to attract birds, predaceous insects and for pleasure
* edible Chinese convulvulus
* sweet potatoes (temperate areas only)
* or use your fence to stake up tomatoes, peas, broad beans.
Fruit Trees
The area next to the fence is the best for large fruit trees. Hedge your garden boundaries with tall fruit trees. Plant them 2 metres apart. They’ll grow tall to reach the sun and the branches will tangle - but this means birds won’t find most of the fruit (though you will) and tall trees bear as much fruit as wide ones - you just have to climb the tree or use a fruit picker on a tall stick to get the crop. This way you’ll be able to have a far greater variety of fruit than you would with a normally planted orchard.
With close planting a normal backyard block will have at least twenty fruit trees. The selection is up to you- what grows best in your area and what you like to eat. As a basic rule I’d suggest three apples (late early and medium) one valencia and one navel orange if frost permits; one lemon (in cold areas try bush lemons or citronelles- the other trees will help shelter them from the frost); a loquat for earliest of all fruit, and the rest according to preference. Remember that early and late varieties may be separated by three months or more- two plums of the same variety may be too may for you to use if they cropped at the same time; but a January ripener will be finished by the time late season ones come in.
Plant dwarf fruit trees along paths as a hedge - dwarf apples, dawf peaches, pomegranates or nectarines - or trees like hazelnuts that can be trimmed to a neat hedge.
Small fruit
Next to the trees plant ‘small fruit’ - raspberries, blueberries tamarilloes, pepinoes, pineapples, tamarilloes, elder trees for flowers and berries, kumquats, guavas strawberry guavas, chilean hazelnuts.
Most ‘small fruit’ is naturally an understory crop anyway- they accept shade for at least part of the day. They will also cast much less shade over the next part of your garden. You can also plant ‘small fruit’ among the ‘permanent’ beds.
Permanent Beds
These are the crops you plant once and harvest for the rest of your life. I think they’re wonderful - a bit of mulching and they keep rewarding you.
Asparagus
This is the first spring crop - fat tender spears that will keep shooting for months. We eat asparagus twice a day from September to December. Modern varieties crop in two years. Don’t be put off by its reputation as hard to grow - asparagus just needs feeding. Ours has survived scratching lyrebirds, drought, fire and flooding - but with a bit of mulch it’s good as new.
Artichokes
Artichokes are a form of thistle. Once established they crop every spring, tolerate drought and heavy frost and keep multiplying. Their foliage is grey and pretty. Eat them small.
Dandelions
Eat the young spring greens as a salad or like silver beet- they are bitter in summer heat but can be blanched in boiling water. Eat the roots like parsnip or bake and grind for coffee.
Rhubarb
Some rhubarbs are small and red; some fat and green; some produce through winter but most die down. All are hardy once established. the more you feed and mulch them the more you’ll get.
Rocket
This is a peppery salad green; it reseeds itself after flowering and spreads. Very hardy.
Sorrel
nce you have sorrel you’ll always have it. It’s perennial but seeds and spreads. A bit bitter but makes a good soup, sauce for fish or addition to salads.
Chicory
at the leaves; dig up the root in autumn and eat like parsnip.
Sweet potatoes
These are frost tender. Plant a sprouting sweet potato and let it ramble. The tubers you don’t dig up will shoot next year.
Ginger
For warm areas only. Grow like sweet potatoes.
Kumeras
These are really an annual but will come up every year from bits left from last year. They are ‘New Zealand sweet potato’- really a form of oxalis- and tolerate frost. Keep them weed free. Buy the tubers from a good greengrocer.
Plants for out of the Way Corners
Horseradish
This is a good ‘under tree’ crop. Plant a piece of root and it will ramble all over the moist ground. The leaves are also edible (like silverbeet) but a bit hot for most tastes.
Jerusalem Artichokes
These are a form of sunflower - wonderful tall colour in late summer. Plant a few and they’ll multiply like the loaves and fishes and you’ll never be rid of them. Dig up the tubers in autumn and bake them, boil, them, fry them or make soup. Tasty but gas producing.
Arrowroot
You can eat this like sweet potato, or grate it and wash out the starch for arrowroot thickener. It looks like a canna lily - it is, canna edulis, high as you waist and pretty.
Bamboo
Eat the shoots in spring- these fresh ‘bamboo shoots’ taste better than any out of a can. Slice them into boiling water and leave for ten minutes or till they are no l [?]
http://www.buckshotscamp.com/Newsletter-Monthly.htm
http://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenberg/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597/15597.htm
“During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director “How do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized”.
“Well,” said the Director, “we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.”
“Oh, I understand,” said the visitor. “A normal person would use the bucket because it’s bigger than the spoon or the teacup.”
“No.” said the Director, “A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?”
http://www.buckshotscamp.com/Newsletter-Monthly.htm
News From The Camp
Buckshot ran across this and thought you might be interested in what settler’s used to bring with them on the wagon trains.
Before heading to California a committee was formed and recommends the following.
A good wagon that can haul 2500 pounds with 4 oxen no older then 8 years old.
Each individuals should have a good large bore rifle and the following items.
An axe.
A hatchet.
A hunting knife.
5 pounds of powder.
10 pounds of lead.
1500 percussion caps.
A pair of good belt pistols will be found convenient.
As well as a good supply of fishing tackle.
Each person should have:
A spade.
A pick.
A mining shovel.
Clothing.
Bedding.
Cooking pots.
Tent.
50 feet of grass rope 3/4 inch thick.
Simple medicines.
A keg holding 6-10 gallons for water.
A tin lantern.
Food Supplies Per Person
Bacon Sides
200 Pounds
Flour
300 Pounds
Hard Bread
50 Pounds
Coffee
30 Pounds
Sugar
50 Pounds
Beans (Half A Bushel)
30 Pounds
Rice
10 Pounds
Dried Fruit
15 Pounds
Salt
10 Pounds
Pepper And Spice
2 Pounds
Soap
5 Pounds
Candles
5 Pounds
Saleratus (Baking Soda)
1 Pound
This will give each person enough for 10 months except for meat that will come from hunting.