All Things Prepping, Simple Living, Back to the Basics [Survival Today, an on going thread]

vanity | 2/26/18 | CottonBall

[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

nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #2

nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #3

[bgill]

Hmm, I just noticed it says 2-3 buns and I've been using that recipe for years, lol. I swear it used to say 5. Anyway, as you can see, I don't like following recipes. Just dump in an extra 1/4 C of all purpose flour in the final dough mix to get six 6" buns. At 6", they're plenty big, imo. Dig through your cabinets and you're sure to find some pan that will bake buns. Make the starter in the morning and then finish adding the rest of the flour, etc. in the evening. The recipe says to beat the last flour into the starter but it's easy to just stir it in. Seriously, it's super duper fast and easy. Spray the pans and divide the dough into each. The dough is spoonable, not like regular kneaded dough and has a sour dough taste.

That whole sandwich recipe is GREAT! Just like the store bought but way cheaper. For the price of one at the drive thru, I can make 5 at home. However, here in the boonies, there's no such thing as genoa salami so that expense is skipped. One slice of ham and one slice of cotto salami goes into my meat calculations.

Sorry, not exactly a prepping post but thought it would help since it was mentioned kneading was hard on some people. He also has instructions on how to make bacon and can it. Also, Carne Guisada so that's preppy.

Another guy has the best bread which he makes every year in a big outdoor oven during Bethlehem Christmas and people line up for a roll. Oh, my, hot from the oven, yum! We may all need an outdoor oven one day. http://www.fbcburnet.org/ministries/main-street-bethlehem/

[bgill]

Exactly the same here.

[bgill]

You must be my long lost twin.

[CottonBall]

That’s a very nice Spice Company list. At one time I was contemplating doing a prepper spices business. And I was looking for bulk sales on whole spices. Many of the ones you have listed had very reasonable prices. And shipping.

I was also looking at the chili guys, from New Mexico, for whole dried chiles. And Mount Hope had some pretty good prices on wholesale large bags. Of course, most people don’t want to buy large quantities of spices - they don’t last.

[CottonBall]

I think you are just two down-to-earth ladies. That’s what I love about Preppers - very rarely do I find anyone that is pretentious. And if anyone is researching how to store makeup for long-term storage ...I don’t think I want to be part of their prepping Circle, LOL!

I forget to wear makeup a lot, even times when I think I should have. I have a touch of rosacea so covering up the red spots would just take me seconds. But I don’t even bother to do that unless I remember. Which is rare, even when I’m going out and remember to put on clean clothes.

That’s what I love about living in the country, I can wear my gardening clothes all day long. Nobody sees me and nobody cares. Actually, a neighbor did come over yesterday. But he was wearing his gardening clothes. Or rather, his ranching clothes since he has cows.

[CottonBall]

No no, the topic fits in perfectly. I would say that no knead bread is part of prepping tools. We either won’t have electricity to run our mixers or we won’t have the time or arm strength to be kneading bread, since we will be busy doing lots of other things.

That recipe is especially handy for me today since my KitchenAid mixer broke - again. I think I’m going to have to invest in a Bosch or that Swedish mixer, since my husband has replaced the gears in the KitchenAid 3 or 4 times now. I’ve read that it’s not really made for kneading bread, and I can now attest to it. It’s not the Workhorse that they pretend. And I even got the professional 600, supposedly lots of horsepower.

Anyway, I’m glad you mentioned that it is a wet dough. Or I would have thought I was doing something wrong. I really like that it only has one rise also. I was trying to figure out how it rose enough and then noticed the baking powder in the recipe, that will do it!

You can’t find Genoa salami? Where do you live, if you don’t mind my asking. I’m in the middle of nowhere, but in 45 minutes I can get to town. Granted, I can’t find all the good stuff I used to find at Trader Joe’s or other places in California. Good quality parmesan and good quality salami is hard to find. I guess those aren’t Southern Staples. I did find some really good salami at Aldi once, but it seems to be something that is intermittent. Sam’s Club had parmesan age for 36 months when I first moved here, and then it disappeared. Now all I can find is the 24 month, which is okay. I’m happy they have that now and then. That also seems to be intermittent. However, if I want bacon or gravy or cornbread or sausage, every store has them :-)

Speaking of bacon, that guy makes his own bacon? I canned some years ago and we are still eating it. Not USDA approved, but it worked pretty well for us. But I’ll have to see how he makes it. Something that used to be so cheap and is 75% fat is now crazy expensive.

[V K Lee]

The sandwich - oh, that marvelous bread. Without that bread the sandwich is nothing.

[V K Lee]

“That’s what I love about living in the country, I can wear my gardening clothes all day long.”
_______________________

Living in jeans and sweatshirts/tee shirts, tennis shoes and socks. These days comfort is sought. If not comfortable on, not worth the space taken in a closet.

The years only make one more adamant that comfort takes priority. So others don’t feel the same - ok. they can walk in their high heels, girdle and bra. Either way, we all manage to make it through the day. :-)

If folks have an issue with the way I dress in my own home, then they’ll either avoid visiting or not be invited to return. We ‘elders’ can and do become rather eccentric and testy at times.

Thank GOD we’re country girls~

[bgill]

The middle of TX. We have one chain grocery in town. The shelves look like Venezuela. They haven’t sold pork and beans in over a decade. Fancy cheese is Kraft Swiss Singles, otherwise it’s cheddar or mozz. Parm comes in a can. There are no olives but green and black in a can. No deli. No bakery. Produce is what other stores refuse to accept. What’s a cauliflower? “Fresh” bread is shipped in frozen and they don’t sell cheapo store brand thin sliced bread because those two extra slices of bread cut into their profits. The meat selection could fit on my kitchen counter. Had to do what seemed like an illegal drug deal to get some advertised frozen catfish once - called them a dozen times to complain and finally had to meet “the guy” at the back and don’t tell the other customers. The cashier and bag boy were shocked because they hadn’t seen any. Don’t count on them having items in the weekly circular. They haven’t taken coupons in years but still take items off the shelf if there is a nation wide coupon for fear someone might want to use one. If you have two cartons of milk, it’s guaranteed someone will beg for one because the shelf is empty. Up until this year, the one little rotating stand for garden seeds isn’t stocked until two months after planting season. No canning supplies. Crazy, huh. That’s ok, I’m chalking it up to SHTF lite so will already be experienced.

Now that we have to be on meds, I have to drive a couple towns over to Walmart so doing more grocery shopping there. Higher priced but better selection and fresher. Frankly, the Walmart doesn’t have that salami either or much past cheddar cheese or olives outside the canned black and green.

On the very rare occasion I’m forced to go to uber lib Austin (spit, barf), I’ll stop at a grocery store and just wander around in awe.

[bgill]

A friend told me there’s a place in Marble Falls, TX that makes metal something parts/accessories for Kitchen Aid mixers. Don’t know the name but metal beats plastic any day.

[bgill]

Love this lady and all her kitchen and garden prep tips. She goes through and breaks down the how and why. There’s one video showing how some packaged prep foods don’t contain the amounts on the labels. - https://www.youtube.com/user/imstillworkin/playlists?disable_polymer=1

And her now gardener honey - https://www.youtube.com/user/mhpgardener

[CottonBall]

I told a friend that was pestering me to go to san “upscale” clothing boutique ( they can charge more if they use that word, lol). that if i can’t split and stack wood in clothes, i don’t want them.

[CottonBall]

It’s the metal gears he keeps having to replace. Apparently kitchenaids are known to lack torque, for the mixing of heavy dough. It sounds like there are only two residential mixers recommended for bread making, so i’ll have to get one of those. i’ll keep the kitchenaid on the counter, since it is a gorgeous copper-clad mixer i got for my 50th birthday. it’s the ONE time i chose beauty over functionality, my mistake! but it will be fine for light duty jobs.

i might look into a small group commercial mixer - love the wire cages that make them look industrial.

[CottonBall]

lol, i love your description of the local store. i imagine i have a few near me like that - i stopped in one that had sticky bottles of apple cider and brown lettuce, and couldn’t figure out how they stayed in business

i’ll drive a half hour into town or 45 minutes to the city to avoid places like that! but i stock up and go seldom. I love summer when i can grow all our vegetables and don’t need to go to town often. We figured country is the best place to be when TSHTF but this is the lifestyle i would chose anyway.

i feel like the Clampetts when it’s town day. lol!

[V K Lee]

Might try either Home Depot or Best Buy. The two stores are nation wide.

For metal accessories, there is a wide variety available.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/37913/kitchenaid-mixer-accessories.html

[Lakeside Granny]

Hello, CB.

How ya doin’?

I won’t be storing any makeup here.

Never have worn much and now that I’m retired I only wear a bit of eye stuff with a touch of lip gloss to go to church.

Think of all the money I have saved to put into my food storage!!!

My normal dress is sweats especially the bottoms with T tops, long sleeve in winter, short in summer, I’m a real fashion statement, call it “Sensible Country.” LOL

Do dress up for church tho.

Bubba is doing great BTW. Back to eating anything and everything which is a no-no but no telling him.

[GOPJ]

Amazon sells large European worms... great for composting leaves etc...

Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm European Nightcrawlers Composting and Fishing Worms 2 Lb Pack

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OOD8NW/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_3_w

[Lakeside Granny]

Awwwww, bgill, I never knew you were so deprived.

Live in a small community that for many years just had a local grocery store, all were excited when Safeway moved in, now local store out of business, but still have Safeway and a YUGE Walmart down the road.

I won’t complain again.

[Lakeside Granny]

i feel like the Clampetts when it’s town day.

Speaking of the Clampett's, I want to share this with you.

Have a brand new GGDaughter, born April 6th.

Her name is Ellie May, granddaughter said that Ellie is a family name on her husband's side but they added the May in honor of the Beverly Hillbillies. Before she said this I had posted that they were too young to remember Ellie May/Donna Douglas but I was obviously wrong.

[Mercat]

Why would I spend over $40 on Euronight crawlers when I can buy some a lot cheaper at the local bait shop?