Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Go granny, go granny GO GRANNY GO!<<<
I did, right back to bed, so you could catch up on your reading today.
Thanks for your kind words and for reading as you can.
rosea ‘Chatter’s Double Mix’<<<
Those are beautiful, would they grow in the house, if they fell into that pot of soil, that i am decorating?
And how do beans pollinate, do I need a bee? or just a good shaking of the plant, what about peas?
LOL, no I won’t ask google, for then I would have to open another page and I have too many now open.
You have topped yourself today with the cat photos, what a nice surprise to find waiting for me, when I got up.
LOL, Chicken of the sea, I thought that it said Looking for our children in the sea.
Maybe the Catnip search will pay off, they are all excellent.
Three smiles on that page and I feel better all ready.
Both said placement was important to be sure that they fully utilized the light that was available.<<<
Excellent advice for the indoor gardener, would those space blankets, they are silver on one side, it would be a cheap way to line a wall and the the floor too.
You are welcome.
see the post above this one, I just asked
Dela Where if those cheap emergency blankets would work, as they can be bought for a couple dollars and are silver colored on one side, for the walls and floors.
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/quiverfull/
[Thanks for the link to Cottonball]
Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
05:43, 2009-Feb-28 .. 4 comments <%CommentAuthorIP%> .. Link
I took my own bread recipe and converted it to a recipe where I soaked the flour for 24 hours first and then made the bread the next day. I have done this 3 times now and think I have some success. You can see my two loaves that I made yesterday…
I have had several comments left with people asking for this recipe when I get done so here goes…
Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Recipe – 2 loaves
1 ½ cups warm water
2T whey
½ cup olive oil
5 ½ cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
Using a mixer combine the above ingredients until they form a ball of dough. Place dough ball in an oiled pan and cover. Let sit for 24 hours.
After 24 hours
In a measuring cup combine the following:
½ cup warm water
1T yeast
¼ cup honey
Let this sit until the yeast bubbles. Then add:
½ t baking soda
2 t salt
Pour this mixture into your mixing bowl. Add 1 cup white flour. Now add your dough ball. I break it up as I add it to the bowl. Begin kneading. This can take a few minutes to get it all incorporated. If the dough still seems sticky add more white flour. I added a total of about 1 ¼ cups (this includes the 1 cup I added to the bowl with the yeast). Knead for about 4 minutes in a Bosch, longer if you are using a Kitchen Aid. Let rise for 1 ½ hours. Punch down and knead for a few minutes more. Divide into two bread pans. Let rise.
I found it rose pretty quickly. You can let it rise till it reaches just above the top of the pan. I actually think the loaves above rose a little to much. I let them rise until they were about one inch above the bread pan. Next time I will try baking when they just get above the top of the bread pan.
Bake at 350 for 28 to 30 minutes.
>>>And how do beans pollinate, do I need a bee? or just a good shaking of the plant, what about peas?<<<
Peas and Beans are both self-pollinating as are tomatoes.
All though benefit (increase yield)from shaking/swabbing/insects/vibrators.
http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_CL%20L793_A_name_E_%5B%5BProductNameURL%5D%5D
Aladdin Wick Replacement [23-23E60] on sale sheet too.
Sale page and has globes and odd parts:
http://beprepared.com/category.asp?start=9&name=Closeout&c=946&c2c=tn
Thanks for the info, I knew tomatoes were, but could not remember hearing about beans and peas.
Sounds like the Yard long bean would do well in the house, I think they are a pretty plant and like the green beans well enough, different, but good.
>>>if those cheap emergency blankets would work<<<
Sure would... All you are looking for is the reflective surface to keep reflecting the light. (like pong...) till it is absorbed by the plants.
You can buy 4’ X 150’ rolls of 1 mil mylar for about $40
NOTE: Don’t completely seal the whole room and then spend the whole day in there working away... crack the window a bit... Not only for your breathing, but because you want to avoid mold behind the mylar.
Also, you will have a higher humidity than your normal house has in the wintertime (transpiration). Watch your plants for water needs as they will dry pretty fast.
Big {{{hugs}}} to you granny, thank you for all the great emails. What a treat to find all the new information! I will have enough to read for days, LOL!
My pleasure posting the cheezburger pictures, they are so much fun to read!
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/TheSimpleLife/
Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze
Ingredients
Cake:
Cooking spray
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 4 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
*
Glaze:
* 1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels. Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.
Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Lightly spoon 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.
To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.
Oatmeal Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
* 3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
* 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 large egg
* 1/3 cup almond toffee bits
* Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Stir in toffee bits.
3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
2 cups fresh ground hard wheat
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup Cream or half and half
Mix all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Seperate it in to 3 or 4 small portions. Roll each ball out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until it is 1/8” thick. Cut it into squares with a pizza roller and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or longer until golden brown. Remove the edge pieces before they burn.
Our family loved these. You can experiment with the ingredients. We made a second batch without the cheese, but added poppy seeds, flax seed, sesame seeds and a salad seasoning mix - very healthy tasting.
I made this awesome, fairly healthy cake Easter Sunday and everyone in our family loved it and have asked for me to make it again. Hope your family enjoys it too.
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Honey Apple Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup chunky applesauce
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
Remaining ingredients:
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, combine oats and 1 cup hot water in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, applesauce, 1/3 cup honey, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add oat mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat well. Add remaining flour mixture; beat well. Spoon batter into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place dish on a wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in almonds. Quickly pour frosting over cake; spread evenly using a rubber spatula.
5. Preheat broiler.
6. Broil cake 1 minute or until frosting is bubbly and golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with whipped topping; sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired.
We eat a lot of yogurt at our house, so I was determined to learn how to make it. After trying several recipes I found, I’ve discovered a method of yogurt making that works best for us. I did discover that whole milk makes a much creamier, thicher yogurt than does reduced fat milk.
Yogurt
8 cups whole milk, not ultra pasteurized
1 small container of whole milk, plain yogurt
Heat milk in a crock pot on low for 2.5 hrs. Turn it off and let it set for 3 hrs. Wisk in the yogurt and pour into 2 glass quart jars with lids. Heat oven up to 100F, then turn it off and turn oven light on. Put the jars in the center of the oven and close door, leaving them in over night - with oven light on. In the morning, put jars in the refrigerator for a few hours before enjoying. I usually then add 2 TBLs brown sugar and 1 Tbls of Vanilla to my jar. Then next time you make yogurt, you can use 1/2 cup of your homemade yogurt for the starter instead of buying a small container of yogurt.
I’d love to hear how others make their yogurt.
[added this 6 months later]
A quick update on making yogurt. I’ve discovered a way recently to make my yogurt thicker and taste more like store bought yogurt. I add 1 cup of sugar to a 1/2 gallon of milk when I am adding the yogurt starter and vanilla, before I put it in jars to put in the oven. See my earlier post on how to make yogurt. I know it adds cost and calories to the yogurt, but it does get my kiddos to eat it better - it’s not as tangy and sour - so overall, I feel like it’s the way to go for us and yogurt making. Thought I’d post this for anyone else looking to thicken up their yogurt.
Saving on Groceries
We have decided to start keeping a better budget. Usually we practice the art of “as long as we can pay the credit card off each month, we’re doing alright.” Then we imported all the credit card info into a computer budget program and were floored at how much we spend each month on groceries! We’ve decided to stop buying as many of the convience items as we can. The biggie to go are most of the snack items that we can make at home. We’ve also cut the grocery store trips to once every 2 weeks and Costco just once a month. If we run out of an item, we just make do with what we have until it’s time for another grocery trip. I’ve found cutting coupons isn’t helpful because the coupons aren’t usually for anything we “need.” We eat homemade meals most of the time as it is, but we’re trying to cut down on the times we go out to eat. It’s really not a lot of fun most times anyways witha 2 yr old. I try to put dinners away in the freezer too, but we really need a deep freeze to have room for too many. We do have an extra refrig and freezer combo. We bought a grain mill and are making our own bread now, which saves a lot and keeps us healthier. I noticed I’d been buying a lot of chicken stock, so I learned how to make that this week too. The recipe is below. I’m also watching the meals I choose to make, that they aren’t pricey even to make at home. We’ve also been using less meat - ssssh don’t tell my hubby. Half as much chicken in a soup or casserole isn’t all that noticeable if you increase the amount of veggies. I’m sure there are a few other cost saving ideas we’ve incorporated the past little while which I’m forgetting about. I’d appreciate anyone elses good ideas on the matter too.
Below is a recipe for granola bars my son and I made last Sunday.
Granola Bars
These are great-tasting and good for you, and make an excellent breakfast, dessert, or quick snack on the go.
* 2 cups oats
* 1 cup flour
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup wheat germ
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 cup coconut oil - I use olive oil
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1 egg
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* optional: a handful of nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit (like cranberries, bananas, or blueberries), flax seeds, etc.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper then coat with a little oil. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: oats, flour, brown sugar, raisins, wheat germ, salt and cinnamon (and any of the optional ingredients). In another bowl mix wet ingredients: oil, honey, egg and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into dry mixture and stir by hand until blended. Press evenly into the pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely then turn out onto a cutting board. Remove the foil/paper and cut into bars. Wrap individually in foil or plastic wrap.
Chicken Stock
Remove the “insides” of your chicken, wash it out and remove the wings and all the skin. Put it in a crock pot and cover with water. Add a handful of carrots and celery, and a tblsp of apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil on high, then cook on low for 8 hrs. Remove the chicken, take off the meat and return the bones to the crock pot. Continue to cook for 4 more hours. Let it cool off, then pour the stock through a colander into a large bowl. Cool in the frig over night. In the morning scrape off the layer of fat on the top. Put the stock into individual containers, marking how much is in each and the date. This process makes the house smell so good as well as giving you “free” chicken stock and chicken for a few meals.
>>>Those are beautiful, would they grow in the house,<<<
Oops, forgot to answer that... Not a good one for in the house. They are about 4-5’tall, tend to be biannual if planted late. These will usually bloom first year if planted early.
Hollyhocks are a traditional cottage garden background plant.
As a youngster, I used to catch bees in the single blooming hollyhocks... Just fold the pedals out over the bee and trap it. These, however are double blooms.
FUDGE UPDATE
OK, you asked a couple of questions.... So, of course I had to try them first... ;^0
Made another batch of the fudge... Made many modifications... Didn’t want to open another big jar of honey, so I used some pure Sorghum Syrup... Couple of globs of peanut butter, a bag of chocolate chips, 1/3 bag of little marshmallows, and added a bunch of Rice Krispies and pecan pieces.
Now wife is mad at me (says I am trying to make her fat because they are so good) and daughter is mad at me because I won’t let her eat the whole thing... LOL Well, not really mad, just gently fussing...
Anyway, we now refer to it as ‘Deluxe Fudge’.
Hmmm, now I wonder if I add oats, craisins, more nuts, flax seed meal, and wheat germ, we could make a killer breakfast energy bar...
Maybe I’ll base a whole fudge book on Granny’s fudge recipe.
I can see it now... A glob of this a bunch of that, a bit of something else...
12x25 greenhouse is ready, could not believe how much it increased the temperature..start moving plants in tomorrow
too exhausted now.
Sorry to Post only pitiful links, but I think all should read this :
A bill to shift cybersecurity to White House
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10200710-38.html?tag=mncol
You’re very welcome!
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